‘POWER’ power Rankings: Season 5 Episode Five

POWER Season 5 Episode Five: Happy Birthday

This week we are going to switch things up a little bit from the six biggest takeaways of episode 4. I have discussion questions and the POWER power rankings for all the characters.

Enjoy the greatest theme song on television right now while you read the six biggest takeaways from episode 5.

1. Kanan

Kanan is in the #1 spot and it’s not even close. He has everybody’s head messed up. He is ruining Dré’s business, starting a war with the Italians, moving in on Tommy’s organization, and back in with Tariq all at the same time. It’s almost like Kanan has one of those Men in Black mind erasers. Everybody forgets he is untrustworthy and will stab them in the back at the first opportunity to get back on top of the drug empire. The smartest thing that Kanan does is he cleans up his messes. He does not leave loose ends to expose his deceit.

2. Rashaad Tate

Tate is in a major power position but he’s playing with fire. He has put himself in the middle of two men fighting over money and a dead child. Tate believes his status is his protection from Ghost and Dré. It’s not! We know that art imitates life. Life says that no matter how much fame, power, or status you can be touched! Famous people used to believe street dudes wouldn’t touch them, this has been proven to be false time and time again. Tate is going to get his head busted. The question is by who?

3. Tommy

I’m proud of Tommy. He had great moments in episode five. Tommy got real smart. He figured out Tariq was a rat,  realized that Angela has nothing on him, and is using that relationship to hurt Dré. Tommy might have gotten the #2 spot, but he hasn’t figured out Teresi is a rat. He knows the only way out of this mess with the feds is to take the target off of his back and put it on Dré. At some point in time Tommy will find out Teresi is a snake who is using him. We know Tommy will kill his girlfriend for being disloyal, but will he be willing to kill his father?

4. Teresi

Teresi finds himself so high in the POWER power rankings because he has options. He can either fully betray Tommy to secure his freedom or he can play the feds and try to find a way to stay out of jail and not send Tommy to jail. Teseri has a helluva choice to make. Choosing Tommy means he will have a son and a lifetime ally. Hopefully, he makes the right choice.

5. Angela

Angela has fallen back into the ghost trap. The anti-power couple is back! They have both taking L’s, but at least they have each other again. Angela took a major loss when the DEA blew up the Jiminéz bust. He is like a bull seeing red right now. Somebody is going down and she doesn’t care who (unless is Jamie). She really believes Ghost is out of business with Tommy, so she can pursue the NY case without fear of putting her love in jail. It was a smart move by Angela to let Tommy know about the tracker. That gives him a heads up on the feds but also gave him the opportunity to point her in Dré’s direction. She had to know Tommy wouldn’t take the bait on immunity but would give her something.

6. Proctor

Proctor didn’t get the win her so desperately needs, but he did get some hope. Angela gave him an opportunity to get his law license back and he jumped on it. Smart move by Proctor. He has to be instrumental in whatever move Ghost makes to take down Tate.

7. Dré

Dré took a major power tumble from last week. In episode 4, he escaped getting busted with the Jiminéz and got protected by the publicity and spotlight of working with Tate on the Queens Child Project. Now, he is fired from his club, Kanan is wrecking his drug business, Diego crazy ass pulls a gun on him, and he has to lie to Alicía. That’s too much to deal with. The only positives for Dré in episode five were Tate’s protection and the fact that he is still alive. I know Dré is slicker than a can of oil, but he has to take a loss soon. I’m getting frustrated.

8. Tasha

I don’t feel bad for Tasha. She is partially responsible for everything that has happened to her. Ghost was trying to live his best life and get out of the drug game. Tasha put up so many roadblocks. Then she slept with the Kanan’s son who worked for Ghost. I have to give her props for holding is down for Tariq, but she always so nervous when the detectives come by that it’s suspicious. Real talk… When is Ghost going to find out Terry Silver has slid up in his wife’s bed.

9. Tariq

Per the usual, Tariq is on the verge of doing some dumb shit. Why did he take Tasha’s pills? What is he going to do with them? And now he is hanging out with the master manipulator Kanan. Tariq is a liability to himself and everyone around him. Tasha and Ghost are trying their best to keep Tariq out of jail, but now this dude is trying to confess. In real life, it is always right to do the right thing, but we are watching POWER. Self-preservation has to be the #1 priority.

10. Terry Silver

Terry Silver is the kind of guy Tariq grows up to be. Aside from giving Tasha the “D”, Terry Silver is adding no value to anyone on the show. In episode five he again is trying to pin the murder on Ghost. I do have to give him credit for not speaking up about Tasha’s gun in front of the detective, but that’s the least he could do.

11. Ghost

It looked like was going to make a comeback after the pep talk from Simon. He immediately responded by getting Dré fired and the fundraiser moved back to Truth. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Ghost may have finally hit rock bottom. Not only are Tate, Dré, and Kanan owning him right now, Tariq humiliated and disrespected him. I don’t care how drunk I am; my son ain’t doing me like that. There is nowhere to go but up from here. I am begging for the old Ghost back. He has been broken down too much. He has been a shell of himself for almost two seasons. I believe this weak version of Ghost is hurting the show. With the moves, Kanan, Dré, Tommy, and Teresi are making it looks like a long way back to the top for Ghost.

QUESTIONS: I need answers.

Hit me up on Twitter to discuss.

What dumb shit is Tariq going to do next? What the hell is he going to do with those pills?

How is Angela going to explain her involvement with Ghost again to her folks at work?

Will Tommy be willing to kill Teresi when he realizes he is a snitch?

Ghost has found his way back to Angela. Nothing has ever gone right for them, but now that Ghost wants to be a “better man” will the odds now be in their favor?

POWER Season 5 episode 4: Six Biggest Takeaways

POWER Season 5 episode 4: Second Chances

A major explosion is getting ready to happen. We originally thought it would be the apparent Ghost and Dré. But that has been delayed now that Dré is a public figure protected by Rashad Tate. The explosion with center around the biggest question of the season that we talked about in the six biggest takeaways from episode 3. Is Tony Teresi double-crossing the feds or Tommy? I really hope it’s not Tommy because it would suck to have two terrible parents who try and use you. On a side note: Am I the only one who hate’s Terry Silver?

Enjoy the greatest theme song on television right now while you read the six biggest takeaways from episode 4.

1. Kanan Makes a Power Move

Kanan is supposed to be working with Ghost and Tommy on shared goals: kill Dré and pay Jason back. But Kanan only has one true goal in mind, taking over Tommy’s drug empire. He finally found a crack in the armor or Ghost and Tommy’s relationship. The crack is Tony Teresi. Kanan realizes that Tommy is like any kid, he wants the love and approval of his father. Tommy’s loyalty is now divided between Ghost and Teresi. Kanan can now whisper in both their ears separately. Anybody that lets Kanan get in their ear and mind is destined to make bad moves. Ghost and Tommy will surely be back at odds very soon. If you have friends or people in your circle like Kanan, who needs enemies?

2. Ghost and Angela are the Anti-Power Couple!

Jay-Z and Beyoncé are a power couple. Ghost and Angela are the complete opposite. Yea it’s cool and all that they are reunited but they are both at ROCK BOTTOM. Ghost has lost control over every single aspect of his life. His family is in shambles, he’s on the hook with Tommy with Jason, and Dré just keeps spitting in his face. At this point, there is nothing he can do about any of it that won’t land him in jail or the grave. But at least he has Angela, right? Angela just hooked up with a random DEA guy and got played for the biggest case of her entire life. Everybody loves the love story with the happy ending, but nothing ever goes right for these two. Every time they hook up situations get worse. Moral of the story: There’s no right way to do the wrong thing!

3. Rashad Tate: Point of No Return

Rashad Tate unwittingly crossed the wrong line with Ghost by bringing Dré into the Queen’s project. Tate is a big dummy. He either forgets what Ghost REALLY does for a living, or he believes he is untouchable because he is a politician. The reality is that every man has his limits. Ghost is being pushed to his by having the man that is partially responsible for his daughter’s death paraded around in front of him. There is no way Tate dodges the future crossfire between Dré and Ghost.

4. Dré Will Be King

I hate to admit it, but Dré weak ass is going to be King. He may not hold the throne very long, but it is evident he is here to stay and run things. Dré has the protection of the Jiminéz cartel, but when he thought that could be in jeopardy after the arrest, he doubled down and ran to Rashad Tate. Dré doesn’t even realize that Alicia Jiminéz values him more than her liability of a brother Diego. This will ensure that Dré continues to rise in power and will be increasingly insulated from a bullet from Ghost. I’m not sure if Ghost will ever get to kill Dré. He may have to go tactical to pick him apart and let Angela slaps the cuffs on him.

5. Tasha and Terry Silver SUCK

I hate this entire relationship between Terry Silver and Tasha. He is supposed to be her knight in shining armor who shows up to save the day, but he just looks like a sucka. Tasha is no innocent victim, so her damsel in distress act. She has been a part of the drug game since the beginning. And when Ghost tried to get out of the game and go legit, she was one of the main people blocking him. So I have ZERO sympathies for her outside of the fact that Raina died. I’m so over the captain save-a-hoe routine. They make me so sick with the drama!

6. Proctor Needs a Win

The only person who needs a win more than Ghost is Proctor. He has been the definition of a good and loyal soldier. He has fallen on every sword and grenade but has nothing to show for it. Proctor is on the verge of losing everything that matters to him in life: his daughter, his freedom, and his law license. I’m not sure what purpose he serves Ghost and Tommy without his law license, so I have to believe he will be made whole in short order. Ghost may need him to do some finessing to turn the tables on Dré. Is it too much to ask that Proctor finds a way to take Terry Silver’s disloyal ass down?

POWER Season 5 episode 3: Six Biggest takeaways

POWER season 5 Episode 3 brought the action and gave us one extremely important question. In the 6 biggest takeaways from episode 2, I told y’all exactly what was on the horizon for Ghost, Dre, Rashad Tate, Tommy, and Keisha. Now, we recap episode 3 and look forward to episode 4 with the 6 biggest takeaways from episode 3, ” Are We On The Same Team?”

As usual, here’s the opening song so you can listen while reading.

1. Is Teresi double-crossing the feds or Tommy?

This is by far the most important question of season 5, so far. Considering that Teresi is a career criminal and didn’t snitch on the mafia, why would he double cross Tommy? I must applaud Tommy for being so suspicious of his dad’s motives. His suspicion is a sign of growth because there have been so many times Tommy has missed obvious betrayal right in front of his face. I believe the most likely outcome of Tommy and Teresi is that Teresi gets to see his wife before she dies, and helps Tommy out before he heads back to jail. But, then again, he might die saving Tommy’s life.

2. Dré ain’t a boss.

Everybody wanna be a boss, everybody ain’t a boss. Dre is only 10m into his 15m of power and fame and organization already falling apart. Cristobal got robbed, and Auturo had to kill his own men. They say it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at things. Dré is trying to skip steps and make it to the top without doing the hard labor. It’s clear Kanan is right. Dré’s own men (2-bit and Spanky) will be his demise. I can’t wait to see how Ghost picks his shady little ass apart.

Dré used to be at the bottom of the totem pole when he was working for Ghost, so it’s unbelievable that he his missing the unhappiness of the people in his organization. But that’s what happens when people let newfound power go to their head.

3. Tasha and Angela step up

In one episode Tasha and Angela had shining moments. When Tasha told Kanan, “If you fuck with me, you better kill me nigga, because I swear to god, you best believe I will get you back.” I damn near fell down. That didn’t feel like a piece of acting, I swear Naturi Naughton has said that to somebody before in real life.

Angela found a new boo, stopped answering Ghost’s calls, shut Blanca’s investigation down, and figured out the Jiminez brother was really a sister in episode 3. I swear she did more positive things in this one episode than she did all of season 4 combined. If you take out the obstruction of justice she batted 1.000 for the episode.

4. Ghost vs Rashad Tate

I told y’all last week Ghost has to stand up for himself. He finally did. Tate is a typical crook politician, so there’s no way he’s gonna just stand by and let Ghost take power back. There’s no way Ghost complies with his outrageous demands and Tate is going to be pissed. I’m willing to bet that by seasons’ end Tate hops on the offensive and ends up trying to send Ghost to jail just to get rid of him.

5. Kanan is real pimpin’

This cat could sell ice in the winter or fire in hell. He is a hustler baby; he can sell water to a whale. Kanan gets in people’s heads and makes them believe whatever he’s selling. He got Dre to introduce him to Tariq. Then got Tariq to become a criminal and get high. Now, he’s turning Dre’s mans against him. Let’s not forget Kanan has done all this without getting killed. He could be a pimp. He’s a master at mind manipulation. The fact that everyone knows Kanan is a crook and he still can convince them he’s their best friend is an incredible skill. 

He’s down with Ghost and Tommy right now, but after Dre gets killed, Tommy and Ghost better watch their back. Kanan wants the money, corners, and power.

6. Hope for Tariq

OMG. Tariq finally did something right. I could not believe my eyes when Tariq finally told Tasha the truth about witnessing Ray Ray murder Raina. He started out the episode with his street smarts rating going from a negative 8 to a negative ten. Why can’t this kid tell the difference between a friend and an enemy? He kept lying to Ghost and Tasha about the circumstances surrounding Raina’s death. His parents are the very people who will do anything in their power to protect him.

This was a legit teachable moment for parents. Lying to your kids is not “protecting” them. It only teaches your kids to lie. We can tell our kids the “right’ things to do, but if we don’t model it, it doesn’t matter.

6 Biggest takeaways: Power Season 5 episode 2

Power Season 5 episode two was short or action but major on the plot set up for the rest of the season. I will always include the opening song, so you can listen while reading. Here are my pre-show thoughts:

  • While I have made my disdain for Dré abundantly clear in the biggest takeaways from episode 1, but I need to mention that I don’t like Terry Silver either. I can’t pinpoint it, but something about his behavior bothers my inner man code fibers.
  • Ghost has to do something to regain his power. He is just getting bullied WAY too much.
  • This four-sided war that is about to break out between the Big 3, Dré +Jiminez, Italians, and Jason M. is going to get UGLY. At some point this season we are going to believe either Ghost, Tommy, or Kanan is going to die.
  • The US attorney’s office seems to be spinning their wheels and is nowhere close to a case against Tommy or Ghost, but this will take a turn soon.
  • Dré is getting too big for his britches. He thinks he’s a boss, but he’s a young Thundercat that isn’t seasoned enough to be a big dog.

Here are the 6 Biggest Takeaways Power Season 5 ep 2:

1. Rashad Tate is a liability

Doomsday is coming from the Rashad Tate and Ghost relationship. I cannot believe another episode goes by that doesn’t involve Ghost, Tate, and a gun. Tate is continuously putting Ghost in some compromising position by putting him front and center with the media. Ghost finally said no to him, and Tate surprises him with a press conference. Now Tasha is pissed at Ghost, and we all know the saying “Happy wife, happy life,” so Ghost ain’t happy. At this point, Tate is a liability to Ghost in every way. He is amplifying the media coverage which means people will be digging for details about Raina’s murder and Ray Ray’s disappearance. That makes Tariq and the entire business at risk of being exposed. Ghost has to be fed up. There’s only so much he’s gonna take from the wannabe governor.

2. SEX is Back

Since Ghost, Tommy, Tasha, and Keisha are all grieving, and in an emotionally dark place after Raina’s murder, I was wondering when and how the writers were going to work in the back breaking sex scenes they are so famous for. We did not see one single ass cheek in episode 1. Enter the Jiminez cartel. Dré was forced to watch him have sex in his apartment (I can only assume what the woman in the back was doing). Then he had to have sex with the party girl. My wife always says, “Why? Why is this necessary, it’s porn”. I’ll admit it is a lot, but it’s part of what makes the show so intense.

3. Ghost + Tommy+ Kanan = Temporary

I hope Ghost and Tommy realize that Kanan is their ally and not their friend. It is always important in life to recognize the difference between friends and allies. Friends always have your back and are there through thick and thin. Allies are temporarily aligned while you have a common goal and enemy. While this issue with the cartel gets worked out, the ‘Big 3’ will stay on the same page, but Kanan let the cat out of the bag that he is coming for Tommy’s business once this whole Dré and Jason M. (connect) thing is dealt with.

4. Tariq’s Promise

Tariq is back to his suburban ‘I’m not really built for this life’ attitude. He is back trying to run from his problems and go to Chote. It was a really touching moment when Tariq opens up to his mom and vows to do better, But as the words ”  ” were coming out of his mouth, I knew those words would fall in the ‘famous last words’ category. It’s kinda like when a beloved character in a movie says, “I’ll be back, I promise”. That person is most assuredly not making it back home. Tariq can’t help himself. He is a saboteur. It is inevitable that he will some kind of way either let Dré ass escape again or get somebody else arrested or killed.

5. Tommy + Keisha within two episodes

Tommy is back to looking at Keisha like a snack, and she is here for it. Keisha doesn’t really want to fall back into bed with Tommy, but I see this as a real relationship budding, that will lead to a major plot twist. She is still being kept in the dark about the inner workings of the “business” and everything surrounding Raina’s murder but will be needed to save the day. This time it won’t just be by lying, Keisha will have to get those pretty little hands dirty. I predict another sex scene that will make Carmelo Anthony (LaLa’s estranged husband) cringe is coming in the next two episodes.

Isn’t it crazy how a traumatic situation and compliments on some banana pancakes made Keisha forget all the bullshit Tommy put her through?

6. Ghost is DEXTER

The real question is, who killed the drunk driver James St. Patrick or is Ghost? I love how the writers have developed Ghost’s character. Most people inherently root for “good people” to win. It had been a long time since Ghost did something where he looks like the hero. We all rooted for him at the beginning of the show because he had roadblocks put up in front of his goal of getting out of the dope game to go legit. But, it had been a while since he did anything “noble.” Now he’s turned into DEXTER (crime scene investigator that kills serial killers). It will be very interesting to see how long this goes on before disaster strikes.

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6 Biggest Takeaways from Power Season 5 Episode 1 (spoilers inside)

After months on hiatus, it is officially Power season! After four seasons the STARZ show is still maintaining its edge and ever-evolving storyline. Every Monday of Season 5 Unafraid show will be the place to talk about POWER. If you have any thoughts, comments or think I missed anything email me at unafraidshow@gmail.com or leave a comment!

Before I even watched episode 1 I already had thoughts remaining from Season 4.

* How is Tariq going to piss me off this season? He needs his ass whooped.

* What is the stupidest thing Angela Valdez will do for Ghost this season?

* Every episode Ghost doesn’t kill Dre´ I will be mad.

* Is Maria Suarez going to get Ghost arrested?

After watching the episode some of these questions were already answered! So without further adu:

6 Biggest Takeaways from Episode 1

You can listen to the theme song while you read the article.

  1. Dre´ is more slippery than a can of oil.

Counting back to season 4, this dude has escaped being killed or found out no less than 7 times. I refuse to believe this can keep up for much longer. I must admit that when the episode started I was hopeful that Dre´ was next to die, but quickly realized that would be too easy. Like everybody else who has any loyalty, honor, or principles in their bones. Just the site of him ignites such strong feelings of disgust. I cannot wait for Dre´ to get a bullet from Ghost, Tommy, or Kanan. He’s the character that needs to get hit by a bus as he’s gloating about an escape from death. He is the by far the worst kind of person to have in your circle. It makes me angry to my core every time I see his character. He is a fake ass friend that will stab everybody in the back to get ahead.

  1. Why didn’t Ghost try to kill Dre´ at the gravesite?

This mofo Dre´ had the nerve to show up at Raina’s gravesite. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Ghost kept his cool at Raina’s gravesite when Dre´ showed up! Ghost regularly loses his cool in emotional situations, but not then? After that amount of boldness and disrespect, I would have been like “fuck the Jimenez cartel, you gotta die homie”. Ghost must have figured that he needs to find some workaround to keep his family safe when he kills Dre´

  1. Angela Valdez is a horrible liar.

Her horrible lying showed up three times in episode 1. This is exactly why she stay in trouble. The first instance was when Angela was at the crime scene as was asked why she was there. The second was when she told her boss she didn’t answer the phone because she was sleeping. The third was when she told the Internal Affairs investigator that she was at the crime scene to go talk to Ray Ray (dirty cop Tariq killed).

Why on earth would Angela tell multiple different stories to different people who may have contact with each other? How could she possibly think no one would ever mention that she was at Ray Ray’s crime scene? She is a US attorney!

  1. Did Ghost tell Tariq to warn Dre´ so the Italians could kill him?

When Tariq went to the bathroom I thought Tariq needed his ass whooped because he was up to his fuck boy ways again. Then Tariq showed up to carry the casket out and Ghost appeared to knowingly nod at him, so I considered the possibility that Ghost might have told Tariq to text Dre´ so the Italian hitmen where the ones to kill him. But then I remembered that Tariq locked himself in the bathroom to send a secret text. Had he been working at his father’s request he could have sent it from his seat. So moral or the story is that Tariq is a suburban kid with no street smarts and a liability.

  1. Ghost + Tommy + Kanan is exciting

The real “Big 3” is back together Ghost, Tommy, and Kanan. Who would ever think these cats would be working together again?

It was good to see these cats work together against Dre´ rather than fighting against each other. However, I don’t think this alliance will last. A tiger doesn’t change his stripes and neither does a Kanan! Kanan will eventually do something shady as it relates to Tariq and the civil war between the “Big 3” will be back on in full effect.

  1. Tommy is in HOT WATER

Tommy just got vouched for with the Italians and he decides it’s a good idea to go behind their back to hire their hitmen to do his dirty work. There is no way Tommy does not receive MAJOR blowback from this move. Inevitably the Jimenez cartel will figure out the Italians were the people who tried to kill Dre´. That will potentially cause a war, which will leave Tommy square in the middle of both sides.

This good news is Tommy appears to be off the coke and making decent decisions again (considering it’s Tommy we are talking about).

 

Can’t wait for episode 2.