SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from the series finale of Power Book IV: Force
It may be the end of an era for the Starz crime drama Power Book IV: Force, but there are still so many more stories to tell around Tommy Egan, as he survives another series finale with an uncertain yet exciting future ahead.
Joseph Sikora has played Tommy since the mothership series Power, as a series regular, with notable guest appearances in Power Book II: Ghost and as the lead of Power Book IV: Force. The story behind the character’s early years will also expand with the release of the new prequel Power: Origins, currently in production with Charlie Mann in the role, following the events of the upcoming series finale of Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
Deadline caught up with Sikora and showrunner/executive producer Gary Lennon to break down all that went down in the conclusion of Force and plans for the future, including a film they’ve been dreaming up about Tommy, the new King of Chicago.
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You can read a recap of everything that happened in the Force finale via this link.
DEADLINE: Joseph, you’ve been playing Tommy now for over a decade, through his ups and downs, heartbreaks and celebrations. What has it been like to play all the facets of a character for this long?
JOSEPH SIKORA: It’s been an incredible ride. I’m very grateful for all the time I’ve had. The best thing that I’ve gotten out of all of these years of playing Tommy is my friendship and my brotherhood with my collaborator, Gary Lennon. That is the thing that is underestimated in this business, the true humanity of it.
Gary also taught me a lot about Tommy and a lot about myself. First and foremost is being grateful for what you have. And I think that one of Tommy’s problems is that he’s not grateful for what he has. He always wants more. There’s always that next thing. There’s not a real moment of pause. He’s always learning in real time. That’s one of the big, exciting things about Tommy.
Season 3 of Power Book IV: Force is the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done in my life, because Gary really treated me as a partner. He talked to me about not only my role, but the story in general, the world in general. And I think that every aspect of this world, in one way or another, dealt with Tommy. As I say all the time, if there is no Gary Lennon, there’s no Tommy.
GARY LENNON: Everything Joseph said, I agree with 1,000%. If you’re an audience member who really loves this show, and you love Tommy Egan, it’s because you love Joseph Sikora, whose DNA is all in Tommy. Like when we talk about story, when we talk about where it’s going, Joseph and I will riff with each other, but we’re always putting both of our lives in the character. That’s the best amalgamation of creating art: to put yourself into it. Joe can be tough like a motherf***er, excuse my language.
DEADLINE: I watch the Power franchise, you know I’ve heard worse than that. [Laughs]
LENNON: Look, Joseph’s heart is gigantic. If Tommy Egan ever has an ailment, it will probably be a heart problem. And he’s got the humor. He’s freaking hilarious. So, like Joe just said, our collaboration and our friendship over these years have been what make the show special.
DEADLINE: For fans of crime dramas, we know death is around every corner, so we don’t get attached to characters. It was difficult not to fall for Diamond (Isaac Keys), because from jump street, you saw his potential.
LENNON: It’s very exciting to be in the writers’ room and talk story. And when we were constructing the season, it was built around triangles, people in the middle of relationships. For Diamond, in order to have an impactful and truthful end of season, he chose Jenard over Tommy, and it was the wrong decision. I felt that Diamond was the heart of the show, and people were really caught up in his dilemma. So I wanted to really pull the rug out from under the audience and give it that heartbeat. If you notice, when Tommy shoots Diamond, and he sees that he’s gone down, it’s an emotional consequence to Tommy as well. The way you felt about it, Rosy, is what we wanted the audience to feel.
As a storyteller, what’s really powerful and beautiful about that ending is that it’s inevitable because he basically made the wrong decision. One of the themes I write about often is whether you are defined by your biggest mistake. And Diamond’s mistake was putting the money on Jenard and not Tommy.
DEADLINE: At least he went out honorably, like a G, standing in the way of a bullet meant for his brother, Jenard (Kris D. Lofton). What can you share on this front?
LENNON: The way that scene between Tommy and Diamond, with him asking, “How did we get here, Tommy?” If he had played ball, he’d still be here, and so his death carries a great emotional weight. And I love that you said he goes out like a G, because that was our desire. We wanted to give him an honorable death.
DEADLINE: Let’s talk about Michael Rainey Jr.’s appearance, please. It was the moment we knew in our hearts was coming, but still screamed when he showed up as Tariq in the finale. What was the reunion like on set?
LENNON: It was great for us to have that event happen at the end. It was exciting, and I think we tantalized the audience. We end this chapter of Power, and we tied up a lot of story lines. Then, with that one scene at the end, on the roof, with these two guys together, we present the audience with a very big “What’s next?” which is exactly where you want to leave your audience, right? Wanting more of Tommy Egan. One of the joys for me this season was when Joe saw this cut of this episode, and he called me to say, “I love that last moment on the roof.” And he also said he loved it when the camera went to Michael. He was like, “I got chills.”
DEADLINE: Joseph, what can you share about putting the team back together and the prospects for the future?
SIKORA: I enjoy working with Michael. I have known him since we started on Power, and he was like 12, so I have known him for more than half of his life. It’s easy to act like Uncle Tommy to Michael, because I’m kind of Uncle Joseph to him as well, in real life. So when [director] Robert Townsend was doing the Tariq reveal, I was like, “Oh, is that heroic enough? Can I see how that looks on the monitor? How does second team look here?” I’m very curious, because I wanted to make sure it all was how I saw it, too; I had certain expectations. I thought it was great.
Michael’s a tremendous actor. He’s really fun. He’s been able to craft himself in the moment when and how it happens. I would like to point out the bookends [of that scene on the roof.] The last time we really saw Tommy and Tariq in the original Power show that was pulled from an event from Gary’s life, where Tommy was hanging Tariq off the roof, and Tommy says, “If you’re not pushing, you’re falling.”
So in [the Force finale], Tariq says to Tommy, “What do you think about this, Uncle Tommy?” And in some way, Tariq is saying to Tommy, “Oh, you did Chicago, if you ain’t pushing, you’re falling.” It was a really, really smart hearkening towards the OG Power, and now with all these wonderful possibilities of the future, if Gary and I decide to go that route.
DEADLINE: Tariq, in that speech on the roof, is talking about legacy, which is also the working title for your new spinoff that’s been in development. Any update on that project?
LENNON: You will be the first to know. My fantasy, and I’m just going to say it out loud to speak it into existence, is Tommy Egan, The Movie. I have been developing a movie. We’ve already started to talk it out and write down a bit of an outline for a Tommy Egan movie.
DEADLINE: Wait, is this for real?
SIKORA: Yes, it is for real.
DEADLINE: A movie for the big screen or a TV movie?
SIKORA: Something for the big screen, like a proper film. We’re in the process of writing it. Whether it gets made, only time will tell.
DEADLINE: With Legacy in the mix, what would the timeline of the movie be?
SIKORA: After Legacy. It would probably be after Legacy, but who knows? We can’t give away too much.
LENNON: You know, Joe and I, since we love working together, we talk about how to continue this relationship. So this is one idea of many. It could be like our version of John Wick.