overnights

Power Book II: Ghost Recap: No Loose Ends

Power Book II: Ghost

Forced My Hand
Season 2 Episode 7
Editor’s Rating 3 stars

Power Book II: Ghost

Forced My Hand
Season 2 Episode 7
Editor’s Rating 3 stars
Photo: Myles Aronowitz/B) 2021 Starz Entertainment, LLC

Although the ending of episode seven feels a bit unfinished, the opening scene brings us the Mafia-esque action that feels familiar to Power viewers. Lorenzo, Dru, and company run up on Kino while he is getting it in with a lady friend. One bullet straight to the head, and Kino’s brain splatters on the wall. And to everyone’s surprise, it is Dru who pulls the trigger even though the plan was for his father to do so. Though Dru’s shot is clean, his actions that follow are not, and Lorenzo seizes the moment to teach his son a lesson. While Dru is soliciting a promise to remain quiet from Kino’s lady friend, his father puts a bullet in her. Rule number one: No loose ends.

While her husband and son are off blasting heads, Monet receives a surprise visit at the bar from her sister-in-law Evelyn Tejada (played by New York Undercover’s Lauren Velez). Her husband, Frank Tejada, is missing after being released from jail early, and she comes to Monet for answers (and most likely some cash). Monet offers Evelyn no concrete answers, only cryptic advice about consequences and rules accompanied with a wad of cash. The truth is Monet suspects that Evelyn’s husband Frank is a snitch and ordered Cane to kill him.

Do you know who’s not a snitch? Tariq! Maclean and Saxe tell him that the prosecution has video footage of Ramirez’s murder. The three of them can clearly see that the guy in the footage is not Tariq. But when allowed to rat Cane out, he doesn’t fold. Saxe doesn’t understand why it is so hard for Tariq to “just tell them” who did it. Unlike Maclean, he doesn’t understand street politics. Snitching or providing information that would jeopardize another person’s freedom is not respected in gang/drug culture.

Monet and Lorenzo are still not on the same page back at the Tejada home. She questions Lorenzo about his and Dru’s whereabouts and Dru’s overall safety. They get into an argument over their conflicting desires — a safe life vs. the good life. Monet finally tells Lorenzo about her “get out the game” plan, and he’s not here for it.

Over at Stansfield, Tariq tells Brayden he needs his family picture to stay out of jail. You know the one where Brayden’s dad is dressed as Nicole Simpson and Sweeney, Brayden’s uncle, is in blackface as OJ Simpson? Yeah, that one. The two get into a heated argument over the picture, however. Brayden refuses to throw his family, specifically his dad, under the bus. Leaking that photo means his father is implicated right along with Sweeney. Without the physical photo, Tariq goes to Tate with his information. Tate gets all politically excited; he feels confident that he now has a one-up on Sweeney.

Tariq returns to class, shocking everyone but Tate. The lecture topic grapples with the ethics of making decisions for other people without their consent. Lauren takes multiple shots at her professor during the discussion. The students use Stansfield’s dorm room raids as an example and specifically mention what happened to Lauren. After class, Tariq tries to catch up with Lauren to get the full story about the drug raid and the police questioning her. They get into an argument, of course. Tariq is pissed that Lauren never mentioned any of this to him, and Lauren is upset that, in addition to ending their relationship, he kept a lot of secrets from her.

The retrograde must be in “arguing” because apparently everyone is at each other’s necks. In an attempt to corroborate Tariq’s alibi, MacLean reaches out to his former partner/side chick Paula Matarazzo. Tariq was visiting her when Ramirez was murdered. She, unfortunately, has a deep disdain for the married yet unfaithful Davis and is not interested in bending the rules a little to help Tariq.

Back at his office, MacLean receives a visit from Tariq. They discuss alternative strategies for a strong alibi, and Tariq asks if Saxe and MacLean know anything about the police questioning Lauren. Saxe lies and says no, but advises Tariq to stay away from her until they know more. Saxe informs MacLean that he saw Lauren in Jenny’s office, and she is definitely a prosecution witness.

Detective Whitman, who we haven’t seen in a while, pops up at Everett’s dorm while Dru is there. Whitman asks Everett about his initial statement about a gang attacking Zeke. Everett doesn’t offer a nosey Whitman any additional information. Dru knows the detective will be back and is reminded of his father’s rule — no loose ends. He needs to kill Everett but cannot bring himself to do it.

Meanwhile, Mecca has a few of his own loose ends to tie up. Monet reneged on her promise to allow him to meet Zeke. Taking matters into his own hands, Mecca runs up on Zeke on the basketball court and tells him his truth. Zeke doesn’t take the news too well and misses a meeting with an agent. Monet pops up at Stansfield to find out what’s going on with Zeke, and when he confides to his “aunty” Monet about the man who said he was his father, instead of telling him the truth, she lies even more by convincing him that his father is in prison for life. She tells him that the guy who approached him is just a fan trying to ride Zeke’s coattail. We find out more details about Monet and Dante’s teenage love story. When Monet got pregnant with Zeke, she was only 16 years old. Dante wasn’t around, not because he didn’t want to be, but because he went to the military to get away from the streets. He had no idea he had a son. At 16 years old, Monet decided for both him and Zeke, and she continues making unilateral decisions. She tells Dante that they don’t need him and to stay out of their lives. She’s a bad mom! There I said it. She’s annoyingly bitchy to and jealous of Diana. And more importantly, she makes decisions based on her ego and love for power, not what’s in her kids’ best interests.

To get back at Monet, Dante agrees to meet with Lorenzo. He decides to give him all of his supply and a team to help him handle it. Giving Lorenzo all of his supply means that Monet’s supply is cut off.

The women in the Power universe don’t have a great track record of making the best decisions. Carrie is the worst, and her behavior is starting to catch up with her. Rumors begin circling on campus about her personal life. I mean, they are telling all the tea, including her sleeping with Jabari and messing with Zeke. Dean Wong informs Carrie he doesn’t think she’s the right fit to speak at professor Reynolds memorial dinner considering the campus gossip. Tate overhears and comes to Carrie’s defense. Not wanting to deal with a discrimination case, the dean agrees to move forward with Carrie as the event’s speaker, and in exchange for his “good deed,” Tate becomes her plus one. At the dinner, Tate approaches Robert Weston and kindly blackmails him. Brayden overhears and realizes that Tariq is working behind his back, and Carrie bombs her speech for Jabari.
After dinner, Lauren goes to visit Tariq to tell him the truth. She and Diana arrive at the same time, and Tariq curves Lauren based on the advice of his lawyers. Diana came to Stansfield to get what she always wanted, which is Tariq. They have sex under two conditions: Diana is sure about the choice, and Monet can never find out.

While Tariq is sexing Diana, her brother is out hiding in the back of his attorney’s car. Cane threatens Davis to ensure that Tariq is the only person guilty for the murders of Ramirez and Jabari. Cane’s threats don’t really phase Davis. He and Saxe soon figure out that Carrie served as Lauren’s counselor and is using her in an attempt to prosecute Tariq. This information may work out in Tariq’s favor, but in the meantime, he has no connection, which means he has no money coming in to continue to pay Davis. What the hell is he going to do next???

Power Book II: Ghost Recap: No Loose Ends