This week's episode of Power, entitled "Reversal Of Fortune," presented viewers with the calm before the storm. After the violence and the emotional ups and downs of last week's episode, Courtney Kemp slowed things down a bit. Hopeful politician Rashad Tate took the mainstage in "Reversal Of Fortune." The clock rewinds back to the moment that St. Patrick and Tate split ways, and we witness the enraged politician have a night out on the town. In a drunken stupor, he puts a hit on Ghost which leads to a guest-starring role for Cedric the Entertainer. Viewers saw Cedric (who is named Croop in the show) get killed by Tommy before the mid-season break, and now Power illustrates how it reached that point.
After his night of drunken bliss, Tate wakes up in his brother Kamal's home. Kamal is a cop, and is both supportive and wary of his brother. It's in his brother's home that Tate gets the news of Ghost joining rival Loretta Walsh's campaign. The family dynamic between Tate, his brother, his nephew, and sister-in-law is on full display here. Kemp does the same thing here that the show did with Paz two episodes earlier. Tate is given a solid family background that helps make his character more relatable. He loves his nephew and plays the supporting uncle role. As interesting as it is, it's also strange to see a show devote so much time to a supporting character that is presumably at the end of his run. With the amount they've invested into his backstory this late in the game, it could just be an indicator of Tate's involvement in a spin-off show.
Tate tries to plead his case to the DNC after Ghost and Loretta team up, but they advise him to concede. That isn't an option for Tate though and he storms off only to be greeted by Croop and his son. The young politician tries to call off the hit on Ghost, but Croop wants his money. He gives Tate an ultimatum: tell him where to find Ghost or die. The obvious answer is given and Croop is on his way to tail Mr. St. Patrick.
This could have been a game-changing moment. Ghost has a chance to save his own life here, but he lets his pride destroy him. Tate heads to Truth to speak with Ghost and warn him about the hit, but the former drug kingpin's arrogance causes Tate to rethink his strategy. If Ghost had just been humble, Tate would have warned him about the hit and he would have beefed up his security. Instead, Ghost allowed his power trip to consume him to the point of letting his guard down. Tate becomes even more determined to take Ghost down, and later, Dre gives him the ammo he needs. The treacherous thug mentions Tariq suspiciously, and Tate then tries to use that information to agitate Tasha. He tells Tasha that Ghost is planning to get his son locked up for the murder of Raymond Jones, but she doesn't buy it. Something tells me this piece of information is crucial though, and may have been heard or passed to Tariq at some point. None the less, Tate leaves empty-handed. Viewers are treated to a repeat of the scene where Tate hires Dre to kill Ghost out of desperation, but we all know how that one turns out.
Later, while Tate is taking out the trash, he is approached by Croop's vengeful son. Before Tate can meet his doom though, Kamal kills Croop's son, which ties up that loose end nicely for the councilman. It seems like Tate is in the clear at first, but his brother is rightfully suspicious. Kamal takes Tate down to the station to file a report, and this is where they learn that there was a shooting at Truth. Now, Tate has an alibi and we know he didn't kill Ghost because he was already at the police station at the time of the gunshot. Tate rides along with Kamal to the crime scene, and begrudgingly admits that Dre might have killed Ghost and he may be implicated. Kamal's suspicions grow even more when they are informed at Truth that Ghost is dead.
Tate spins the story of Ghost's death into a beautiful press moment and wins back the hearts of his constituents. Slick work for a man who was desperate just hours before. The next day, the DNC comes crawling back to Tate and Kamal informs him that Dre was killed in prison. "Reversal Of Fortune" is true to the title: Tate goes from political homicide to earning the Democratic nomination in a matter of days. To cap things off Tate sullies Romona's career by telling the press that she was sleeping with Ghost. Once again, this move implies that there is more story to tell in regards to Tate. It would be pointless to show Rashad still creating enemies if the show didn't plan to explore these relationships at some point. Before the episode ends, Tate is enjoying the spoils of his victory when the local news announces Ghost's killer. Tate is in shock, and the audience is left clueless. I believe the most important part of this episode may be Tate telling Tasha that Ghost planned to let Tariq go to jail. That has been an unresolved plot line for most of the season, and Ghost at one point did consider letting his son take the fall to learn a lesson. Could that have motivated Tasha and Tariq to kill Ghost? We'll see next week.
Tyler, The Creator, DaBaby & More Make Our 2020 Grammys Best Dressed Picks
Big night for music and ~FASHION~.
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday night (Jan. 26). The event was tinged with sadness as the passing of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash was announced just a few hours before airtime. This loss weighed down even harder on those in attendance, as they sat in the Staples Center, which the evening’s host, Alicia Keys, aptly described as the “house that Kobe built”. However, everyone tried to transpose their sadness into a celebration of life and one of its greatest joys: music.
Billie Eilish had a record-breaking night, being the youngest artist to win in all four of the Grammy’s major categories. Tyler, The Creator, J. Cole and 21 Savage all took home their first prizes from the Recording Academy. YG sidestepped a questionable arrest on Friday to partake in a tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle alongside Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch, John Legend, Kirk Franklin and DJ Khaled. Overall, the affair was filled with highlights, another of which were the outfits that the stars rocked on the red carpet. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite looks.
Lil Nas X
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Big Freedia
Rich Fury/Getty Images
YBN Cordae
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Swae Lee
Rich Fury/Getty Images
DaBaby
Rich Fury/Getty Images
YG
Rich Fury/Getty Images
Saweetie
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Guapdad 4000
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Tyler, The Creator
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
FKA twigs
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
H.E.R.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
EARTHGANG
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
"Power" Recap: Tommy’s Episode Is The Most Revealing Yet
Another suspect off the table.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tommy and Ghost have been boys since day one, which is why their time as enemies has been so dramatic. This week's episode of Power mends the relationship between the two brothers, and also gives fans a hint as to who shot Ghost. Entitled "It's All Your Fault," the thirteenth episode of the season focuses on Tommy. After last week's somewhat slow episode, this week Courtney Kemp and 50 Cent deliver the strongest episode mid-season yet. "It's All Your Fault" begins back at the moment that Tommy kills Proctor's cousin Benny. At this time, Tommy has one goal in mind: Kill Ghost.
Tommy disposes of the body very easily, but Benny's disappearance worries Elisa Marie and her guardian, Aunt Dolores. Proctor's family was apparently mob royalty, which leaves Elisa Marie in the care of some very dangerous people. This works to her advantage though. Dolores and Vincent have a meeting where the former accuses the latter of offing Benny. In order to save face, Vincent gives Dolores two bodyguards and promises to get to the bottom of things. Elisa Marie, being a smart young girl, monitors all the mob talk and also listens to the recording her dead father left her. Dolores walks in just as the recording gets good, and the two ladies have a bonding moment. Dolores fills Elisa Marie in on the truth of the family, and Elisa identifies Tommy as the voice on the tape. This sets in motion the motivation behind Tommy leaving town, which we saw at the end of the last episode.
Elisa Marie and Dolores take the recording to Tariq, who denies knowing anyone named Tommy and Ghost. His slick act doesn't work on Dolores, who puts two and two together and quickly calls Tariq out for helping Tommy kill Proctor. Elisa Marie tries to defend Tariq, but Dolores isn't buying it. She's a smart woman, because moments later Tariq runs to Tommy, alerting him of the recording. Tariq's movements seem shadier than usual in this episode and the further we get into the show, the more guilty he begins to look.
Tommy heads over to Truth to presumably kill Ghost for murdering Lakeisha and shutting down his base of operations. His plan is foiled, but before he can exit the area Blanca approaches him. The law enforcement officer hands Tommy Lakeisha's belongings, and Mr. Egan immediately identifies Tasha's earring in the bag. Putting the pieces together rather quickly, Tommy heads over to Tasha's apartment to kill her. Their confrontation is brief, with Tasha admitting to killing Lakiesha within seconds. She gets Tommy to read the papers his deceased lover signed to snitch on him, and reminds him that all her bags were packed in the house. Tommy almost kills her, but decides to let her live at the last moment. This scene is crucial to Tommy's relationship with Ghost. After he realizes that Ghost did not kill his girl in revenge for killing Angela, Tommy begins to make a 180-degree turn.
Viewers are brought back to the scene of Tommy and Ghost meeting up, somewhat reconciling, and then getting shot at. Tommy discerns that Ghost did not know about the recording Proctor kept either, which is another moment that helps him rebuild trust with his frenemy. After fleeing the scene and escaping a still unknown third party trying to kill Ghost, Tommy heads to Dolores' house to seize the audio recording. He kills the guards, kidnaps Elisa Marie, and proceeds to pry her for more information. Tommy, who was raised in a harsh environment, ends up empathizing with the daughter of the man he murdered. Elisa Marie vents about her drug addict mother and protective father, and asks Tommy if he killed Proctor. Tommy won't admit his guilt, but his non-answer is an answer enough for the sharp young girl. While Tommy is interrogating Elisa Marie, 2Bit calls and confirms that it was Dre, not Ghost, who snitched out his operation to the police. This is the final moment of revelation for Tommy, who decides he needs to reconcile with Ghost. Tommy brings Elisa Marie back to Dolores, unharmed, and goes to speak with Tariq.
When Tommy tells Tariq that Ghost is innocent of these crimes, the younger St. Patrick cares not. Tariq tells Tommy that he believes Dre is trying to kill Ghost, but he refuses to help. If his father dies, he will not be the man to try to stop the situation. The grim outlook from Tariq makes him look suspicious, or at least complicit, in the murder of his father. Couple that with the scene last week where Tasha doesn't answer Paz when asked who killed Ghost, and it makes things seem like Tasha and Tariq had a hand in Ghost's undoing. After leaving Tariq behind, Tommy attempts to get to Truth to save Ghost from his fate. Unfortunately, Vincent catches up with Tommy and a shootout occurs. Tommy murders the Italians, giving Vincent a particularly gruesome death, and speeds off to Truth.
Here is our heartbreaking moment: Tommy arrives too late. He walks in to find a dying Ghost, bleeding on the floor, and he looks up to get a clear look at the killer-- the camera remaining closely on Tommy's visage. Tommy looks shocked, he clearly recognizes the killer but a dying Ghost tells him to "let it go." This is a very important moment. Whoever the killer is, for Tommy to allow them to live means he has some type of love or connection to the shooter. Ghost telling Tommy to "let it go" means the dying St. Patrick doesn't want his killer to die either. That makes Tariq a prime suspect at this point, since Tommy would have extra incentive to kill Tasha, considering he let her live in an earlier scene. It couldn't possibly be Saxe, because Tommy would shoot him immediately. Ghost dies in Tommy's arms, also ridding any hope viewers had that he was still alive. The episode wraps with Tommy being viciously shunned by his grieving mother, who gifts him with a present from Ghost's will before she writes him off as the killer. Tommy takes what he's given, clears his apartment, and heads on the road. First though, he meets up with Elisa Marie, who gives him the last of the recordings. Next, Tommy kills Spanky after a tip from 2Bit about his snitching ways. It's good to see Tommy make it to the end alive, driving out into the sunset as it were, but this episode raised just as many questions as it answered. It's a fitting end to Tommy's storyline, and gives enough room for him to appear in the spinoff series. The reconciliation and moment of fate between he and Ghost was an integral moment for the final season. We're one step closer to finding Ghost's killer.
"Power" Recap: "Still Dre" Eliminates Two Suspects In Brutal Season Premiere
The death toll rises.
SPOILERS FOR LAST NIGHT'S "POWER."
After a brief break, Power is back to wrap up the sixth and final season of the series. Creator Courtney Kemp has promised the fans some plot twists that will shake the universe up, and we begin with a Dre-centric episode. Still Dre follows the widely despised character on the day that Ghost is shot. Two big revelations arise, the first being the fate of Ghost. Before Kemp gives fans that nugget of information though, we get to see if Dre was actually involved in the shooting at Truth.
The episode begins with a Gospel hymn and carries a heaven-and-hell theme throughout. Dre gets done promising to his daughter and baby's momma that no one will ever hurt them again when he sees Ghost on television. Mr. St. Patrick has been announced as a running mate to become lieutenant governor, something that shakes Dre to his core. He goes to visit Saxe, another suspect in the shooting. Dre puts pressure on Saxe before leaving to attend to business as usual. The square-jawed thug is ambushed by vengeful Serbians and barely escapes with his life. Remember, the Serbs believe Dre killed Jason, although it was really Ghost. This prompts Dre to take his lover's advice to get out of town. But first thing is first, he needs money.
Dre goes to his mother for help, and she appears to be the only person he's really scared of. He cries and sells his sob story, but the devout elderly Christian maternal figure shrugs him off. There remains deep trauma between the two of them, something that pushed Dre to stay away from his own mother for years. After she denies Dre any money, he goes on an extortion tour. Dre threatens Tasha, who then grabs Tariq, who then leads Dre to Ghost. Here viewers get to see the same office scene where Ghost berates Dre and the aftermath, which is Dre falling into Ghost's trap and getting locked up.
Once in jail, Dre runs into his old pals 2 Bit and Spanky. The two henchmen are tipped off by Ghost that Dre is in their prison, and he offers them lifelong compensation for their families if they murder Dre. 2 Bit is more than down-- he hates a snitch-- but Spanky is a little more calculated. Loyalty isn't a concern for Spanky, who snitches on Tommy in order to gain freedom. Meanwhile, Dre escapes the prison by doing some snitching of his own, which keeps him alive for a moment longer. Slowly but surely, 2 Bit realizes that Spanky is up to no good.
After getting released from jail, Dre immediately goes to rob his mother. This leads to another deep moment between the two characters, and we really get to see Dre break down here. Dre's mother finds him rummaging through her closet, and she approaches him with a gun in her hand. Before she can pull the trigger though, Dre snatches the pistol from her and flips the script. He blames his evil ways on his mother, who called him a demon child since he was six. His lack of motherly love turned him into a monster, or so he claims. Before dropping the pistol and leaving the home, Dre tells his mother than she will never know Heaven, his daughter. The ongoing Shakespearean theme of family and the consequences of father and child (Tariq and Ghost, Proctor and Elisa Marie, Kanan and Shawn, Tommy and Kate) are highlighted here.
After leaving his mother's home, Dre heads to Tate's office. The corrupt politician agreed to bless Dre with a new identity IDs and a license plate in exchange for information on the St. Patricks. Dre used snitching to get ahead once again, but gets greedy when granted with another proposition. Tate offers Dre $100,000 to kill Ghost, which effectively takes him off the suspect board. Although we did see Tate with a gun in episode 10, it appears he may have been heading elsewhere. There is no point in hiring a killer and then going to kill Ghost himself. Dre takes the money from Tate and talks things over with his lover. She suggests that the two of them skip town with the money, and forget about Tate's proposition. Dre can't help himself though, and he heads to Ghost's club to finish the job. He finds himself at Truth in time to hear Ghost get shot once. He then runs to leave, knocks out Rodriguez in the act, and heads to a gas station for some much-needed stress snacking. On his way to the gas station, Dre spots Tommy near Truth. The haunting moment will surely be explored later, and it seems like Tommy may have something to do with the shot heard at Truth. Surely, Tommy's episode will be near the end, if not the last.
Dre enters the gas station, and this is where viewers get their first bombshell of the episode: the nightly news announces Ghost as dead. There is no body, which makes me suspicious of the death, but as of right now the news is our only source of information. Dre seems pleased with the news, until cops show up and the gas station and arrest him on the spot. The arrest places Dre right back in prison, where 2 Bit and Spanky make quick work of him. They burn him to death while he's in solitary confinement, a painful and fitting death for one of Power's most hated characters. Within the few final scenes, 2 Bit learns that Spanky snitched on Tommy and informs Mr. Egan of the betrayal. Meanwhile, fans get the nod that Paz will be the focus of next week's episode. With both Dre and Tate off the suspect table now, only Paz, Saxe, Tasha, Tariq, and Tommy remain. Expect Courtney Kemp to pull something tricky here: my guess is that Ghost steps in front of a gun and takes a bullet that was meant for someone else. Since there are more suspects than episodes, viewers should also expect two or more of them to be taken off the table next week. Who shot Ghost? Only time will tell.