Enthusiasts of Starz’s popular ‘Power’ sequel, ‘Power Book II: Ghost,’ were left with much to unravel after the dramatic last season ended with all the trappings of a classic crime thriller. This continuation of ‘Power’ brings Tariq St. Patrick’s story to the fore, tracing the aftermath of his father’s, James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick, drug lord’s death – a murder Tariq himself commits. When suspicion falls on Tariq, Tasha, his mother, altruistically assumes the blame, then shifts it onto Tommy Egan – another infamous drug dealer. Tommy escapes, driving Tasha into the shadowy world of witness protection, along with her young daughter, Yasmin.
For Naughton, who has spent a decade portraying the St. Patrick family’s matriarch, the final season sees Tasha single-mindedly determined to shield her family. ‘Her main focus is ensuring Tariq’s survival, keeping the family out of harm’s way, and hopefully reuniting them someday,’ Naughton remarks. Having been separated and in hiding, Tasha sporadically surfaces to remind Tariq to stay safe, hoping for his reunion with the family because, for her, family comes first.
The narrative of Season 4 dwells on Tariq’s further incursion into the drug trade as a college student, and his alliance with Monet Tejada – a fierce, trendsetting New York drug queenpin. As he negotiates with her family to purvey drugs, Tariq is beset with a series of challenges he survives, thanks to not only his natural flair but also his lawyer, Davis MacLean, who isn’t averse to a bit of dirty business.
Rainey Jr., in a chat, identifies Tariq’s motives being two-fold: his aspirations and the instinct to survive. ‘His survival instincts push him to look after his mother, Yasmin, and grandmother, and then there are his ambitions, molded by his father, with dreams of reaching the top,’ explains Rainey Jr.
Contrarily, this season features Tariq pitted against two formidable foes: the merciless British drug kingpin, Noma, as well as Detective Don Carter, a crooked cop with an ax to grind against drug peddlers. The season spans 10 episodes, chronicling Tariq’s hazardous navigation of the drug underworld while he wrestles with self-preservation and the impetus to protect those he cares for.
In the concluding episode of ‘Power Book 2: Ghost,’ labeled ‘Ghost in the Machine,’ Tariq is offered another opportunity to assassinate Carter. When Carter threatens to leak out video evidence of Tariq’s and Brayden’s murder of a local drug dealer, Tariq falters. Tariq has Brayden and Effie go to Carter’s home to locate and destroy the video, only to discover officer Kamaal Tate’s murder at Carter’s hands.
Meanwhile, Tejada’s siblings are dealing with the grief of their mother’s loss. They eventually decide to capture Noma’s daughte, Anya, after coming to terms with their future plans and learning of Noma’s absence at the disclosed location. Threatened by her daughter’s kidnapping, Noma steadfastly decides to reclaim her, contrary to her brother’s suggestion to lay low.
Noma’s willingness to endanger her life for Anya is something she takes very seriously, says Chikezie. ‘Her daughter’s security is everything to her, which makes her susceptible in her male-dominated surroundings where she must assert authority as a leader. She must carefully manage these two factors – safety of her child and her business ventures.’,
Tariq then offers assistance to the Tejadas, promising that he can get Anya to divulge some sensitive information due to a past interaction, on one condition – they must erase Carter’s surveillance footage of him and Brayden killing Zion, another drug dealer. They agree to the deal and map out a plan.
After managing to convince Anya that he is her saviour from the Tejadas, Tariq manages to get in touch with Noma. However, the reunion ends in tragedy when the Tejadas, lying in wait, kill Anya in front of her mother. The focus now shifts towards dealing with Carter and revenge-seeking Noma, and strategies are quickly plotted.
While the Tejadas and Tariq now focus on dealing with Noma, they plan a trap for her at the local airport. The tables turn when Noma realizes their intention and alerts the police. During the ensuing gunfire exchange, Cane, another Tejada member, manages to flee after shooting Noma.
In the fallout, Davis arranges to free Dru and Diana by pinning all drug-related accusations on Noma, now deceased. This leads to the reinstatement of his previously revoked law license as part of the plea bargain. Elsewhere, Cane, recuperating in a motel, accepts Effie’s generous offer to leave town.
At the Tejada residence, Dru announces his departure from the family drug trade. His exit seems to cast a pall over Diana as she contemplates their shared history. Concurrently, Tariq visits his mother, now in witness protection, and gives her a glimmer of hope for freedom, stating that she must, however, leave New York.
Later, Tariq establishes a new ‘pecking order’ in their drug operation, and after addressing Brayden’s recent lapses and drug misuse, points out that Brayden can’t continue as his partner. Tariq proposes a new agreement with Noma’s brother, Chinedu, suggesting that he wants to take a lead on the New York drug trade. The deal ensures that their operations remain undetected by Carter’s old task force, and suggests minimal future interaction between them.
Despite all the twists and turns in ‘Power Book II: Ghost’, fans could not help but feel a pang of disappointment at the absence of James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick. However, verifying speculative theories, it’s confirmed that ‘Ghost’ is indeed dead and henceforth, the series will continue without him. Whether it will return as ‘Power Book 3: Ghost’ is not yet announced, but the ‘Power’ universe has other ongoing spinoffs: ‘Power Book IV: Force,’ ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan,’ and the upcoming ‘Power: Origins.’ ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ may be over, but the next chapter in the ‘Power’ saga is eagerly awaited.