Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Anti-Trust

It wouldn’t be a Power series without a healthy amount of murder leading into the finale.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9 saw a lot of death, mostly inconsequential overall, but still there nonetheless, as we get set up for a pretty decisive final hour.

Raq is setting herself up for the future while the gap between her and Kanan widens considerably. It makes you wonder at this point if there’s anything that could happen to bring these two back together again.

Raq’s greatest strength has always been her ability to think ahead. The men around her constantly underestimate her, but she uses that to her advantage, often playing into their perception of her until it’s time to make a move.

She’s been playing Cartier from the beginning. Allowing him to wine and dine her while she learns more and more about his business operation and plots a way to fold it into hers. The entire reason she branched out to Newark was to start expanding her business to garner more revenue.

Raq Plots - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

And Cartier offered us his own business on a silver platter when he gave her all the inside information about how he’s managed to become as successful as he is.

Cartier has had his own plan since he showed up, motivated by a desire for more influence and power. It’s why he gets into the studio with Lou-Lou, and it’s why he tries to take over 50% of Raq’s business.

Cartier is no mentor. He’s a shrewd businessman looking for his next investment, and he put in the time to make that happen, but like most men in Raq’s life, he fails to see that Raq will never be content to stand behind or beside a man.

Cartier: You two don’t even trust each other.
Raq: We family.
Cartier: Bitch. Fuck you, and fuck your family.

Killing Cartier does a few things for Raq and her family. Not only does it free up Traymont, but it also gets Lou-Lou where he’s always wanted to be, back in the studio as the sole owner.

Considering she’s on the cusp of a major fight with the Italians, any allies she can accrue are for the greater good because, as it stands now, it’s hard to see how Raq stands a chance.

Grabbing Food - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

While we haven’t necessarily seen the far-reach of the Boselli’s, people mention it enough to let us know they’re a formidable opponent with more boots on the ground than Raq has. Even bringing in out-of-state shooters may not be enough to guarantee a win.

But it’s interesting to hear Raq’s plan because she knows that she may not win the war, but that’s not the point. The point is to hit back enough to let them know who she is, who her people are, and that she’s never going to roll over.

Raq isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, but you have to imagine she’s hoping she eventually finds herself back negotiating with Sal and not on the battlefields.

Heading into the battle, the family is all together, sans Kanan, and even though Lou-Lou continues to have his own thing going on, he shows up when it’s essential. He kills Jimmy and is there beside Raq to put down Cartier. And Marvin is there for whatever he’s called to do, though his new outlook could have negative consequences overall.

One of the best parts of Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 has been Marvin’s evolution, and that’s honestly not something I ever saw coming. It’s not that he was completely irredeemable, but it’s also not something we needed to see, either. Marvin was what he was, and he fit into the box he needed to fit into.

Jukebox Listens - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

But what they’ve done with Marvin is remarkable, not in its creativity, as “villains” are often rehabilitated or given arcs to explain their nefarious nature better, but in its overall messaging. Sometimes people are capable of recognizing their failures and silently putting in the work to get better.

Jukebox: You can’t do good for me and nobody else until you do good for you.
Marvin: Working on that, girl. I’m working on me.

Marvin started his journey against his will, but he actually came to learn something about himself, his relationships, and even human nature. He didn’t flip a switch and become this stand-up citizen overnight or anything. I’m not sure anyone in the Power universe can genuinely claim to be that.

But Marvin spent much of this season coming to terms with who he is and then figuring out what to do about it.

I appreciate his explanation about the good and the bad evening out because it’s illogical, but it fits Marvin’s personality. For every bad thing he’s done, in his mind, he can conjure up a time he did something for the greater good (even if that was by killing someone), and to him, that makes it all okay.

RenĂ©e’s death especially feels a bit like Marvin’s breaking point. An innocent woman killed because of her association with him seems to push him toward this new way of living his life.

A Friendly Chat? - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

Watching his relationship with Jukebox slowly improve has been interesting, and kudos to both Hailey Kilgore and London Brown, who bring so much open vulnerability in their interactions. Jukebox hasn’t forgiven, and she’ll never forget, but she’s open to these conversations. She’s open to giving him the space to prove he’s changed.

And right now, Marvin seems committed to it. Putting Sam on a bus and giving him a stack of cash when killing him would have been extremely easy, and provided minimal scrutiny shows that, at least for now, he’s trying to do things better.

Now, will this come back to bite him? Probably, since Sam took his little self right off the bus and back into the city. But I understood his thought process.

Sam spends the whole hour trying to dime out Kanan to protect himself, and it’s wild to hear him shouting for anyone who will listen that he witnessed Howard’s shooting. Sam knows Marvin but doesn’t seem to know Kanan, at least not well enough to know his name or his connection to Raq and Marvin.

If he did, I imagine he wouldn’t be screaming what he knows so freely. Yes, he’s a crack addict, but he also seems to have his wits at times. He knows when to leverage information, and I would say he doesn’t have a death wish in the traditional sense, but then again, he does get off that bus.

Kanan Considers - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

Burke continues to Burke, and she can hide behind not wanting to get caught up in Howard’s mess which is a total lie, but it’s becoming increasingly more apparent that she’s doing all this to get noticed and prove her competency. She’s trying to escape the shadows of her family, but she’s going about it in such a dangerous and sloppy way.

If you really think Howard is covering up his shooting and has a child with Raq, you have to know that you’re wading into some very sketchy waters that could be incredibly unsafe. And she’s doing everything on her own. She has no backup from Baptiste, and I want to shake her and make her see how far in over her head she is.

She seems to be so laser-focused on bringing Howard down and ascending to some God-like cop status that she’s ignoring everything else. She has no idea how many people are actively plotting her downfall, and if I had to place my money on the big season finale death, my money is on Burke.

And if she does go out, I wouldn’t be shocked if it came from an unexpected place.

Even if Burke doesn’t bite the bullet, you know someone will because that’s the name of the game. There will be death, and it will most likely have long-lasting consequences.

Boselli & Unique - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

Everything Else You Need To Know

  • I applaud Howard for being willing to put the shooting behind him and not blame Raq, but I think it would probably be healthy for him and Kanan to talk about it and not pretend it never happened. I can’t imagine Kanan doesn’t see a bullet entering his chest whenever he looks at his father.
  • Why is Lou-Lou lying to Raq and Marvin about killing Crown? Would they even care?
  • Famous, Famous, Famous. He tries. I’ll give him that. But he’s not Kanan. Now he’s got a body on his hands, and I feel he’s going to spiral from this.

Famous Pleads - Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 9

  • Could Freddy’s death come back on Kanan because of their recent beef? I know the neighbor’s door opening would signify a witness, and Freddy said Famous’s name, but this concerns me.
  • Unique deciding not to go against Raq is just furthering my Raq and Unique partnership agenda! But seriously, Unique doesn’t do anything for free. He dimes out Raq for what? I don’t blame him for staying mute, but I wonder what Boselli will do about it.

Okay, folks, let’s talk about where things stand heading into the final minutes of the season! There are a lot of different directions the story could go, and I’m equally excited and terrified!

Let me know in the comments what your predictions are, and watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan online, so you’re all caught up!

Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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