Power (Recap) | Everyone Is Implicated (S5 E1)

by Derek Lawrence | via Entertainment Weekly

“They say this is a big rich town.”

Hell yes, they do! And you know what that beautiful sound means: Power is back!

It’s been a long 10 months since the last episode of Starz’s No. 1 show aired, but thankfully, the national nightmare is over. And in honor of the season 5 premiere, we’re introducing a weekly recap of the series called “The Power power rankings,” where after each episode, we’ll decide which Power players have the most, well, power.

So strap in and up, because this is where it goes down.

1. Dre
What a long way Dre has come since his arrival in season 2. Ghost has made a lot of mistakes, but hiring Dre might be his biggest mistake — and smartest decision (I mean, the guy is a go-getter!). He’s found a way to rise to club mogul, distro, and unkillable. Not many people could stand a chance against Ghost, Tommy, and Kanan, but Dre keeps finding a way to survive, thanks to Tariq, the Jimenez siblings, and his prowess under the sheets. Things do look a little rough at the start of the episode for Dre, considering he sees cops at Ray Ray’s place and Cristobal informs him that the hitters who went after Kanan never came back. But with the help of his little buddy Tariq, Dre quickly rebounds, escaping the clutches of both Kanan and Tommy’s hitters. He’s soon able to turn the tables, officially making Kanan, Tommy, and Ghost targets of the Jimenezes, even daring to hand deliver the La Araña card to Ghost at Raina’s grave. That takes some cojones.

2. Saxe
Life is going great for Saxe, better than even he knows. With Maria Suarez as an earwitness, Angela’s longtime office nemesis is making strides in his investigation into Ghost and Tommy, and now he has his boss, Tamika, so suspicious of Angela that she wants to keep her away from Suarez. How does that sit with Saxe? Well, his smug smile says it all. Just imagine how wide his grin would be if he knew Angela was currently knee-deep into helping the St. Patricks cover up a murder.

3. Fabolous and Jadakiss
What was my first thought when I realized the song playing during the episode’s final montage/credits was “Principles” by Fabolous and Jadakiss? “Good for them!!” Let’s hope this is the beginning of a comeback for the two mid-2000s heavyweight rappers. Hey, creator Courtney Kemp, any chance we can get a Ja Rule and Ashanti song next?

4. Terry
Tasha’s lawyer-turned-lover-turned-lawyer doesn’t have much to do here, but when he does, he’s making out with Tasha. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

5. Kanan
“Kanan’s not Superman,” opines Cristobal. Dre disagrees, declaring, “No, no, he’s Superman, if Superman was mean as s— and half burnt to a crisp.” While Kanan was the recipient of a Jimenez card, at least his reputation in the streets is still badass! Despite the whole “cartel wants to kill him” thing, Kanan should be happy with his situation considering he’s back in with Ghost and Tommy, probably even more so after he saves them from their possible ill-fated showdown with Dre.

6. Tasha
Admittedly, this might seem a little high for someone who just lost their daughter. My defense is that no one in the bottom five is doing too hot, so this is like being the smartest person at the Jersey Shore. Instead of just rightfully grieving, Tasha has a lot to deal with, including asking LaKeisha to give them an alibi, convincing Angela to help cover up Ray Ray’s murder, and beefing with Ghost, who seems to be solely focused on Dre. “We will all feel better once this over, once we get Dre,” he insists, to which she responds, “I will never feel better — ever.” Oh, and in the previously mentioned good news, she makes out with Terry. Post-Raina’s funeral doesn’t seem like ideal timing, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Click HERE to read the rest of the recap, “Everyone Is Implicated.”