Spoiler Warning: Power Book II: Ghost Seasons One & Two
Power Book II: Ghost has dominated the Starz network since its initial 2020 release, generating excessive amounts of fan hype along the way. For the past two seasons, the must-see crime television drama has shed light on the familiar, paired with unconventional, burdens that a wide array of that teenagers and early adults deal with on a daily basis, in some instances having to grow up too fast.
In Tariq St. Patrick's (Michael Rainey Jr.) case, his story in the Ghost series picks up after the unexpected ending of the original show Power. In the series finale of Power, Tariq fatally shoots his father, James St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), while at his nightclub Truth. As he justifies premeditatedly killing his father in order to save his mother, Tasha St. Patrick (Naturi Naughton), from being arrested and or killed by the hands of James (aka Ghost), Tariq makes it a point to prove to himself, as well as everyone around him that he is nothing like James, the same man that he despised.
In Ghost, Tariq goes on with his life feeling no apparent remorse for his actions, beginning the first chapter of his adulthood at university. At the same time, his mother, Tasha, takes the fall for James's murder, landing her in prison to cover for her son. However, Tasha gets released over a technicality later in the season.
The successful second installment of the Power franchise is centered around Tariq St. Patrick as he attempts to navigate the mounting pressures of attending a prestigious university. He must complete twice the amount of work and has further complications as he struggles to successfully maintain his secret drug operations based on campus. He juggles his business relationship with the ruthless Tejada crime family and mounting legal woes. With season two of the series now behind us, here's what we believe fans can expect for season three of the Starz original.
Will Tariq Be Accepted Back at School?
Once Tariq is acquitted of all charges in the murder of his former professor, viewers can't help but question if his admission into Choke University will get revoked due to the endless gossip that his on-campus arrest caused among the staff and student population. Going into season three, it could be a surprising angle if Tariq decided to give up Choke for good. Still, knowing Tariq St. Patrick, we could also see him continuing his school duration to keep the cover of him being primarily a student going as he continues his drug organization.
In one of the last classrooms scenes of season two, we see fellow students discussing whether they feel comfortable with Tariq coming back on campus or not. Overall, his on-campus arrest invoked a ton of student emotion, both in support of Tariq and those who opposed him being allowed back on campus.
The Days of Certain Characters Are Numbered
The Tejada family is a complex yet interesting bunch, and learning the family dynamics going forward will be thrilling to watch. While Tariq's business dealing days with Tejadas are numbered (because Tariq should probably not trust them), the eyes of Monet Tejada (Mary J. Blige) will more than likely be on her estranged husband, Lorenzo Tejada (Berto Colon), going forward. Once Monet learns that Lorenzo is the one that killed her son Zeke (Daniel Bellomy) in the finale of season two (that she shared with another man before marrying Lorenzo), the already strained relationship between them will only become more fatal.
It's ironic that throughout Power Book II: Ghost, this reoccurring theme comes up about how Tariq goes above and beyond to be nothing like his father. He desperately wants to disassociate from the image that he's James' son, and his actions are nothing like his dad would have taken. Still, as viewers, we blatantly see that Tariq is exactly like him in every possible way. In the finale of season two, we see one of Tariq's closest friends, Brayden Weston (Gianni Paolo), take the stand in front of a courtroom in an attempt by the district attorney of New York to convict Tariq of his college professor's murder that he committed.
Once Brayden takes the stand, he lies about his involvement in the campus drug ring (the only evidence linking Tariq to the murder) to protect Tariq. Brayden's allegiance and loyalty to Tariq mirror the relationship between Tariq's father, James, and his childhood friend Tommy (Joseph Sikora). No matter if the two were fighting, on good terms, or even if James had lied to Tommy on numerous occasions (which Tariq often does to Brayden), his loyalty always lies with Ghost and Brayden to Tariq.
Not to mention, Tariq and Brayden's on-campus drug ring, where their identities remained anonymous, is the same persona James took in his role as the largest drug distributor in New York. He went by the name Ghost to conceal his identity, and for years his face was never tied to the organization.