SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from the series finale of the hit Starz crime drama Power Book IV: Force.
And just like that, another chapter of the “Power” franchise has come to a conclusion, but not without a lot of chaos and setting up a possible future. Our interview with showrunner Gary Lennon and Joseph Sikora will drop tomorrow.
The end was never going to be happy, especially with the savage death of Tommy’s (Sikora) brother J.P. (Anthony Fleming III), but the funeral served as a time for Kate (Patricia Kalember) to make amends for her past mistakes. She is in recovery, trying to become a better person, and that is one of her steps. However, her words feel genuine and powerful, as if recovery is helping her recognize where she’s gone wrong, versus her making apologies only to make amends. Hearing her lament brings J.P.’s father, Herman (Cedric Young), to tears.
“Herman, he was a good man. You did a good job, in spite of me, and I will never forgive myself for it,” Kate said from the pulpit about abandoning her family. “What kind of woman puts herself ahead of her own child?” she added, as cameras show Mireya (Carmela Zumbado) taking heed of her words.
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Bold-faced Jenard (Kris D. Lofton) is sitting in his car outside the funeral with a couple of his goons, hoping to put a few bullets in Tommy as he exits the church. The sight of cops around the mourners sets Jenard off as Tommy gets one over on him again. Tommy quickly catches on to Jenard’s presence, with the former looking unfazed, leading the latter to peel out.
The way Jenard has survived across the show’s three seasons until the final episode is wild. In my opinion, he and Vic (Shane Harper) are two of the dumbest criminals ever to grace the small screen, yet here they are in the finale. I may have underestimated them. Jenard has found his way back to drugs and makes a bigger mess of things, while alienating the soldiers who have his back and his allies in the drug business.
I used that photo of Jenard as my featured image because that’s how I looked the whole time I was watching this episode, lol. Lofton, who did an excellent job playing Jenard since Season 1, should be celebrated for crafting this character with all the layers he built in. Jenard was many things, but he was not dumb. He proved to be dangerous and a force to be reckoned with. However, I don’t believe for one second that he has what it takes to take down Tommy.
Elsewhere, Kate tells Tommy she’s going back to New York to keep working on herself and to preserve her sobriety. Tommy’s cup overfloweth, so he tries to guilt-trip his mom into staying, but it doesn’t work. Mireya is surprised that her mother-in-law is leaving, but she’s also in her mind a lot about what her next move should be.
Later, the incoming U.S. Attorney, William Tseng (Alain Uy), meets with Tommy, earning a little of his trust by putting a bullet in Bobby’s (Chris Tardio) head. With him out of the way, Tseng closes out Stacy Marks’ (Miriam A. Hyman) murder by blaming her and her husband Bobby’s shady dealings on their deaths. Tseng was counting on solidifying a business relationship with Tommy by dangling his cartel connections via Roberto Ortega (Steve Casillas), whom Tommy reveals is now deceased. Tseng is forced to accept his fate: he is now an employee of Tommy Egan Inc.
Tommy’s nephew D-Mac (Lucien Cambric) is dealing with extreme grief and regret that he was unable to protect his father from being murdered. He is steadfast in his decision to join Tommy on whatever the next thing is, resolute, now more than ever, that family is a priority. He gives his girlfriend Jade (Marquita Brooks) a stack of money to follow her dreams and attend Spellman, to enjoy the life she deserves without him. D-Mac is furious that Jade tries to convince him to go with her and start a new life together. He does everything in his power to push her away from him and into the greatness she deserves.
Elsewhere, Tommy is leaving a message on someone’s phone. No names were revealed, but if the first name to come to mind is Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.), then your instincts are correct. There’s no way Force could come to a close without his other nephew, Tariq, joining in on some of the fun. When he finally does show up, he saves Tommy’s life by taking out the bad guys.
Before that final battle goes down, Tommy comes home to discover a note from Mireya that says she left town to be with family, to give him the peace that she is safe, so he can handle his business without worrying about her. When he tells her brother Miguel (Manuel Eduardo Ramirez) the news, he is shocked. Tommy assumes Mireya went to Mexico, news that makes Miguel proud. However, I believe Mireya might have gone to New York with Kate, details that weren’t revealed in the finale either way.
Miguel and Tommy, who are now basically brothers-in-law, have formed a strong bond and an alliance between their respective factions, which, up until very recently, only wanted one another dead.
Speaking of death wishes, Vic is losing control of this new version of himself with the nice home and girlfriend, acting like his criminal heritage doesn’t exist. He remembers who he is, Vic f’ing Flynn, to the shock of his partner, who had hoped he could leave all that behind. She is definitely not Mireya, and I doubt she could make it in the dark underworld as the partner of a crime boss. So, that relationship is destined to end, but hopefully, her life will be spared.
More and more people flee from Jenard’s grip and join Tommy, who lets the new folks know they’ll be taking orders from Shanti ‘Showstopper’ (Adrienne Walker), and if anyone has a problem with that, they can bounce. Shanti has had an incredible come-up from the moment the show first introduces her until the finale. She earned her spot at the top, and Tommy is enforcing everyone respect that. She wastes no time bossing these guys around, giving Tommy a flashback of Liliana (Audrey Esparza), whom he tells Shanti she reminds him of.
Vic is back in town, and he hits up Jenard, funny enough, to team up with him to take down Tommy. Yes, these two live another day to tell more silly tales. In the meantime, they’ll be working overtime to build an army against Tommy and his new family. With few allies left among them, I’d love to see them try. It would be great to see the show continue in some form, only to have these two taken down in Episode 1! But I digress.
The series ends on a rooftop, where Tommy and Tariq share a heart-to-heart. “Here he goes, King of Chicago,” Tariq says to Tommy, before confessing he’s about to head out back to the Big Apple. Tommy thanks Tariq for the support, despite their past grievances. The grown-up St. Patrick reveals he didn’t go to Chicago to “bring up old shit,” instead, he tries to convince his dad’s best friend to leave his newly conquered city and get back to New York. Tommy doesn’t hate the idea of his child growing up in the same streets where he did. Tariq gets his attention by encouraging Tommy to build his kingdom, his legacy.
The working title for the present-day spinoff in development at Starz that would follow the events of Power Book IV: Force is Power: Legacy. As of present, the series is still in development and has not received an official greenlight to series. Trust me, I’ve spoken to everyone. I will hopefully have some new stuff to report soon though.
Tariq looks at Tommy and asks him if he’s ready to “start some new shit,” closing out the series with Tommy laughing, giving a look of, “Hell yeah, I’m ready.”