It is, perhaps, best to weigh the amount of betrayal and tension in this season of Power against the success of Truth, the nightclub at the center of all the chaos whose name evokes a practice the complete opposite of its owner. Because it’s the key to legitimizing the money pouring in from his drug business, Ghost’s ongoing, successful effort to make Truth the best nightclub in the city is the only victory he can tout as he watches everything else around him burst into flames.
At the beginning of the season, Ghost took steps towards building a strong infrastructure for the club: axing Kantos, taking on Dre as an apprentice, and hiring a new security detail. And Sunday night, he took care of the pesky owners of the club across the street from Truth (The only “feel good” moment of the evening) returning a distraught Bassett’s gaze to him, possibly solidifying his goal of taking the Truth global. Significant though, is that in the face of Kantos’ bitterness, Dre’s rapidly deteriorating composure, and Truth’s security detail turning out to be the core of the most dangerous drug cartel in the wake of Lobos’ death, the club still stands.
Beneath the surface of Ghost’s intentions with truth is the need to protect his family. He doesn’t want his children’s lives to be fueled by drug money any longer and he wants to keep his reputation intact by leaving the drug world altogether. Maybe it’s Ghost’s determination alone, not his actions, that keeps Truth running and his family safe; when you scrutinize the rubble he’s left behind this season in the name of that determination, what else could be credited with the restraint that Tanya, Tariq, Angela, and Tommy have shown Ghost this season?
Tommy appears to be going all in, expressing to Milan at the end of Sunday’s episode that it’s time to kill Ghost, after Tanya helped him foil Ghost’s plot to take Milan out by killing Ruiz. It wasn’t soley the hit and its consequences that hurt Tommy, it’s that wasn’t shared with him after he all but begged his best friend to stop hiding things from him. After all the punishment taken by the show’s comic-relief since stepping into Ghost’s role as New York’s drug kingpin, it’s not surprising that that could have been the last straw.
And what of Angela, whose doubts about a smooth transition into her future with Ghost has, over three episodes, morphed into a faena she hopes will conclude with never seeing him again? She got some help after the persistent Knox, who, following a lead on his hunt to discover the leak, saw Sandoval leaving Hugo’s apartment. Who knows, however, with Knox’s ill-feelings towards Angela and sharp focus on Ghost, whether he’ll think the boss is the leak or if he was just doing some undercover work?
One thing Power has done well in it’s short history is allow viewers to sympathize with characters who, in reality, wouldn’t be given the time of day and cringe when characters we do usually inquire about the time take up screen time. As sharp and disturbing as Knox has become, he still can’t hold a candle to Jukebox and Candie, who had performances so powerful that they only needed a third of the season to make us forget that Ghost gave Kanan those scars. Accenting that are the drastic shifts in emotion experienced over the course of two scenes for one character, forcing the audience in choice circumstances to question where it’s alliances are—there was the hope that nothing would happen to Ruiz as Tommy frisked him in the warehouse, but no one could wait for Tommy to take care of him as he drove him home.
One only wonders what Ruiz was thinking when Tommy told him “Ghost is doing this to you,” something everyone could agree on. Ghost made Tommy kill Holly; he’s making Angela jeopardize her career; he’s causing Tanya and Tommy’s collusion against him; and he’s pushed his son into Kanan’s company. The cunning and meticulous Ghost may turn the law’s gaze away from him and Truth in next week’s season finale, but with those closest to him emotionally spent, his efforts to protect his future could be all for naught.
Suggested Articles:
Ghost and Tommy Reuinite in ‘Power’ Episode 5
Love, Betrayal, and Revenge Set Tone as Ghost Returns to Form
You might also like
More from TV/Movies
New York Songwriter Ty Glascoe says he would love to be a part of a musical TV-series
Talent is the argued preference over image in the entertainment industry. There is no doubt that good looks are important …
Questlove Sets The Table For A Potluck With Friends
Questlove, musician, producer, author, food entrepreneur, and philanthropist will host Questlove’s Potluck for Food Network, it was announced today by …
Reed Shannon: The Entertainment Business’ Next Big Star
19-year-old singer, actor and comedian Reed Shannon, has found a home in acting and singing. He got his first big …
