It’s pretty funny that, after three seasons, the folks at Power finally decided to name an episode “In My Best Interest.†Hasn’t the show always been about people chasing their best interests? From Ghost all the way down to his sulking-ass son Tariq, everybody is looking out for No. 1. Power exists in a world where you gotta watch your back at all times, so keeping yourself out of harm’s way is usually the way to go.
That’s why it always strikes me as ridiculous when characters turn their backs on desperate, dangerous men. Shawn did it to his old man Kanan last season, and he was shot dead for it. In this episode, Knox does the same thing to Sandoval, who conveniently pulls out a gun (with a silencer!) after Knox says he’s going to take him in. First of all, why the hell would you do all of that IN YOUR APARTMENT?! Couldn’t your ass wait until you’re back in the office?
Guess so. Turns out Knox was so giddy to give Sandoval the good news about Tommy admitting to the Lobos murder on that button recorder (which also captured Tommy killing Ruiz), he somehow forgot about seeing Sandoval walk out of Hugo’s apartment. Seriously, Power? That plot point was awfully hard to believe, even if Knox’s head was swimming in shit after learning about Ruiz’s murder. How could he possibly forget such a crucial bit of information?
But hey, you gotta move the story forward. Knox had to die for getting too close to the truth, which means Sandoval had to clip him. If that doesn’t stretch plausibility enough for you, Ghost coincidentally sneaks into Knox’s place just before it all goes down. He creeps in through a back window — almost bumping into Angela, who briefly popped in to see if Knox was home — and he gets a little slippery on his way out, leaving fingerprints at the window. And yes: Despite a bunch of people surveying the crime scene after Knox’s death, Angela somehow finds those prints on her own.
Angie didn’t want to do it. She didn’t want to know if those fingerprints matched Jamie’s. But after a brief lunch meeting where Jamie says he’d do anything for her (and also tells her that Knox pulled him over), curiosity gets the best of her — and she gets her answer.
If it weren’t for the myriad of problems Ghost has to handle, I’m sure he would’ve found time on his schedule to cap Knox. But let’s be honest: He’s just too focused on getting away from Milan’s grip. Both men are ready to rub each other out during a big party at Truth, after James signs the deal with Karen Bassett. However, Ghost has the upper hand, getting Dre to call some boys from the block to make sure they all have guns pointed in the sides of Milan’s goons. Even Tasha has a gun on Milan’s chick, Tatiana. Once again, Ghost and Tommy work together to off a Big Bad, taking Milan back to his warehouse where they both plug holes in his face. It’s not as rosy as it seems, though. Ghost might think he’s free, but he doesn’t know that Tommy has the Serbs working for him and will continue selling drugs at Truth — whether Ghost likes it or not.
For a minute there, Ghost had the look of a man who could finally look ahead to the future, didn’t he? When he sees his beloved Angela walk back into Truth, he assumes everything is in its right place. (Isn’t it downright hilarious that Jamie still believes he and Angie are meant to be?) But then, ol’ girl slaps the cuffs on him for Knox’s murder. Once again, James St. Patrick is the unfortunate center of attention at his very own club, forced to do the perp walk with authorities by his side.
Dude doesn’t even know that his son has been kidnapped. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Kanan and Jukebox (where has she been?) decide to hold Tariq for ransom, believing that Ghost will pay up then they’ll take the money and off the kid anyway. They sent a photo of a sleeping Tariq with Kanan’s meaty arm around him to Tasha, who automatically knows what’s up. Unfortunately, that whole getting-arrested-and-publicly-humiliated thing means Ghost doesn’t know what’s happened yet.
All in all, “In My Best Interest†proves that Courtney Kemp and the Power writers will plow ahead even as they seem to make repetitive, wrongheaded decisions. Whether it was the Knox-Sandoval meeting or Ghost’s dreams getting crushed at the club, this finale reeked of been-there, done-that storytelling. It doesn’t even tie up the season’s loose ends as much as it blatantly creates new ones for the next. (And the next one after that, too.) To be fair, the show always aimed to stir up drama in every sense of the word. By piling a new, hot mess on top of the hot mess that surfaced this season, Power has done its job accordingly.
Final Thoughts:
- I guess everyone knows Karen has eyes for Dre, as it was mentioned a couple of times how much she likes him. After seeing Dre hold Karen’s arm as Ghost was escorted by the Feds, it appears the feeling is mutual. I look forward to seeing how those two connect.
- How many of you were psyched as I was to see Lee Tergesen (a.k.a. Beecher from Oz) briefly appear as Knox’s old mentor?
- That scene with Knox pulling over Ghost is interesting. First, Knox gets all arrogant, pushing Ghost up against his car and threatening him about flipping. Then he goes into schmooze mode, practically giving Ghost reasons why he should flip. Then he gets downright spiteful, going deep in Ghost’s ear and telling him that Angela “let me in.†All the while, Ghost remains cucumber cool. It’s a noteworthy scene, as it shows Knox’s desperation in trying to get someone — anyone — to go down for these crimes.
- The most unfortunate part about Knox’s murder? We’re gonna have to deal with David Fumero’s shifty-ass acting for another season.
- Did anyone else expect Tommy to pop Ghost in the back after they killed Milan? It would’ve made sense considering how zero fucks Tommy has gotten. But we can’t have Power without Ghost.
- Not only is Saxe the most worthless character on this show, he’s also become the most repugnant. Trying to push up on Angela after Knox’s murder was skeevy AF. But then again, what do you expect from a dude who eats a cheap-ass convenience-store burrito for lunch?
- Jerry Ferrara briefly appeared to remind us he’s still on the show as Ghost’s lawyer. He takes a much-needed swipe at Ghost, telling him he should start up a group text so everyone could be aware of his fuck-ups.
- No mention of LaKeisha’s whereabouts. What gives?
- Lobos MUST be dead, right?