Power Book II Midseason Finale Recap: A Ghost of a Chance — Plus, Grade It!

The news that Tariq is going to be a father has him thinking — and tripping, in several senses — a lot about his own pop in Power Book II: Ghost ‘s midseason finale.

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In a moment, we’re going to want to hear what you thought of Episode 5, “Ego Death.” But first, let’s recap the highlights:

GHOST, IS THAT YOU? | Tariq wakes up on his floor after a night of tequila shots and lots of sex with Noma’s daughter, Anya. She doesn’t want to pursue anything more with him, but he flirts until she puts her number in his phone. Tariq later tells Brayden that Diana is carrying his baby, then meets up with the expectant mother (whom, remember, he tried to shoot the night before). They fight a bit, he questions whether the kid is even his, then she tells him he’s not her first choice, either. They scowl at each other as she tells him she’ll let him know what she decides.

Meanwhile, Noma is angry when she sees some coke slip out of Anya’s purse, and she’s highly suspicious when she learns it came from an underground party at Stansfield. She confronts Ellie, who says it’s not from her, and Noma realizes who it was from. So she and Cane go to the next night’s party, intending to kill Tariq for violating their agreement, but Anya’s arrival thwarts Noma’s efforts.

When Tariq finds Brayden to let him know what happened, ‘Riq realizes that a) he’s snorting coke backstage, and b) Elle knows everything about their business. Tariq is NOT happy about either development. He and Brayden fight right there, with Brayden arguing that every crisis in Tariq’s life always trumps whatever bad stuff might be going on in his own. But whatever beef Brayden has with his friend is forgotten when Elle admits that she slipped some acid Tariq’s water bottle earlier that evening.

Brayden finds Tariq tripping, having visions that involve his future as a father and a recreation of the Power scene in which he kills Ghost. (Side note: How awesome would it have been if Omari Hardiwick finally succumbed to fan will and popped in for a guest spot, eh?). When he comes out of it, Brayden plays it off like an unknown person dosed Tariq as a prank. And the whole endeavor helps Tariq realize that if he’s going to come out on top, he has to use all the parts of his father that live within him: “I’ve got to become the apex predator.”

By the end of the hour, Diana lets Tariq know that she’s keeping the baby, and she gives him an out if he doesn’t want to be involved. But he says he’s seeing things differently now, and “I’m ready to do this thing.”. So she invites him to her first ultrasound the next day. And while they’re at the office, Tariq asserts that he needs to keep up with the drug game in order to protect their kid. “That don’t work for me,” Diana tells him sadly, announcing that she’s out.

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MORE TROUBLE FOR THE TEJADAS | Monet calls a family meeting, saying they need a “reset,” even though Cane is unwilling to get past the fact that Dru and Diana tried to have her killed: “If I can forgive them, Cane, you can, too,” Mama Tejada points out. He can’t, and he leaves — but not before telling Diana that having her baby will be the worst decision she has ever made. Monet wants them to cut all the outsiders out and focus on their family, but Dru wants nothing to do with the Tejadas, and he leaves, too. When it’s just the Tejada women left, Monet promises that she’ll leave Diana to make her own decision about the future of her pregnancy… then outright says that the baby might be a chance for a fresh start “to do family the right way.”

After Monet apologizes to Dru, he agrees to help her get some product to restart the business, which she promises will support the family (and not the other way around). So he recruits some soldiers and forms a plan to steal some of Noma’s product to prime the pump.

Dru and Monet’s attempt to steal Noma’s product is thwarted when Det. Carter and his team interrupt. But he doesn’t arrest them. Instead, he says they can kill all the criminals they like — but if they spill civilian blood, he’ll end them. “My task force decides who gets to operate in this city,” he says. Then, when he recognizes one of guys Dru recruited as someone who killed a teen on a subway, Carter just shoots him dead right there. Oh, and the detective also demands a 35% cut of their business moving forward.

Mark your calendars: The Power Book II: Ghost ‘s final season will its last five episodes on Friday, Sept. 6, at 8/7c on Starz and at midnight on the Starz app.

Now it’s your turn. Grade the finale via the poll below, then hit the comments with your predictions for the rest of the season!

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