‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Season 1 Episode 8 ‘Family First’
‘Power Book II: Ghost,’ finds Tariq St. Patrick trying to save his mother in the new season picking up right where the original series left off. Culture Editor Bianca Gregg brings you weekly recaps each Sunday, keeping you up to date on the big rich town.
Tonight’s episode really picked up on the story-lines the show-runners have been plotting since episode 1. Tariq and the rest of the students at Stansfield are dealing with Homecoming Week with the big basketball game rounding things out. Zeke will finally showcase his talents to various NBA scouts.
Cane’s jealousy over the role Tariq plays in his family as well as how Monet views Tariq as an asset, all comes to head when he puts a hit on Tariq. Cane convinces Lil Guap and one of the other members of GTG to carry the hit out. Cane plans for the hitter to paint his face in the Stansfield basketball colors and head up to the university on the day of the basketball game. This is the same game that Zeke is expected to crush, meaning the entire family will be on the campus to support him.
That may have been one of the biggest flaws in Cane’s plan.
Meanwhile parents are flooding the campus for homecoming weekend along with some other familiar faces. Effie is at the school hoping to link up with Tariq to distribute some cocaine. Tariq tells Effie he is out of the game and will not be able to help her move her product but he quickly changes his tune when 2-Bit shows up on campus seeking out a debt that was promised to him by Ghost.
Once Tariq realizes he could be killed if he does not pay 2-Bit, he calls Effie and decides he will help her sell the cocaine for half of the profit. We also see Tariq and Effie become romantically involved, however this is just the Ghost and Tasha coming out of Tariq in order to gain Effie’s trust.
Works like a charm.
Upon entering the arena for the basketball game, Tariq notices the GTG member. Although he is wearing face paint and dressed in the blue and white of the alma mater, his sneakers, which are a bright yellow gives away that something is up. The Tejada family including Tariq take their seats in the arena. Tariq gets a text from 2-Bit who is waiting for his payment at the entrance of the arena. He heads out to meet him and realizes the member from GTG is following him. He quickly sends 2-Bit a text to now meet him at the pool.
Tariq lures the member from GTG to the pool where the two get into a scuffle. 2-Bit comes in and hits the member of GTG over the head with a bat, drags him to the pool and drowns him, saving Tariq and now requesting double the original payment amount.
Tariq sees an unknown phone number that sends a text to the members phone asking if Tariq was dead. 2-Bit grabs the phone and takes a picture of the body in the pool and responds with a yes. When Tariq returns to the gym, Cane is visibly shocked to see Tariq is back and puts together that his hitter was the dead body in the pool. Cane leaves the gym and calls the hitters phone demanding to know who he is speaking to, of course Tariq has the phone and now knows for sure Cane put a hit out on him.
Tariq later calls his mother to let her know that there was an attempt on his life. Tash feeling like her hands are tied, calls Lorenzo Tejada to let him know that he and his family better not harm what is hers, otherwise she will do whatever to harm what is theirs. Meanwhile Zeke and the other players on the basketball team celebrate their homecoming win. Dru shows up to the club after being invited by Zeke and confronts Everett on still trying to keep their relationship a secret.
Everett explains he can not be as open as him but he expresses that he does care for Dru. The group leaves the club, Zeke and two of the other players walk ahead, running into Lil Guap and two other members of GTG. Lil Guap knocks Zeke down to the ground as Dru sees what is happening. Lil Guap tells Dru that he is getting payback for the ambush on one of his guys by way of Cane. Lil Guap points his gun at Zeke’s knee and Dru immediately steps in, beating Lil Guap and nearly killing him. Zeke yells for him to stop as Everett watches the situation unfold. Everett leaves and Zeke also walks away.
Dru is later blamed for what happened between Guap and Zeke. He immediately goes to Cane and let’s him know what happened to their cousin. Cane tells Dru that he will even the score and kill Guap. When Dru returns home, Monet alludes to knowing that she found out Cane put the hit on Tariq. When he tries to assure her that Cane will handle it, Monet says that will be the last thing Cane does for the family.
Clearly Monet had a talk with Lorenzo.
Cane heads to the GTG hang out. He kills two members but spares Guap so long as he promises to pay Cane half of whatever he makes in the streets. I am predicting this will be another huge mess up on Cane’s part but time will tell. When he returns home, Diana tells him he is no longer welcome. She tells Cane that Monet feels he went against the family. Diana gives Cane money and tells him to get out of the city.
Monet and Tariq meet up to discuss the situation. Monet assures Tariq that she did not order Cane to kill Tariq and that he is no longer part of the family. Monet also reveals that Tasha made a call to Lorenzo and that she can never do that again. Monet gives Tariq the greenlight to protect himself against Cane, if he comes after him — however Tariq is not allowed to seek Cane for revenge. Whew!
Takeaways:
Monet can definitely tell something is up with Cari and Zeke. Early prediction, Cari will catch deeper feelings for Zeke and Zeke may make the mistake of telling her too much about his aunt.
Jabari, Jabari! Even after doing research to see who Tariq’s family really is and the deaths surrounding the St. Patrick name, you still felt it necessary to download that app and be nosy. Early prediction for Jabari, there will be a lot of slow singing and flower bringing in his future.
Effie is what Tariq needs. Forget the Lauren is Angela and Diana is Tasha narratives, he needs an Effie. She is the balance that Ghost needed and never received by way of a woman.
Oh Brayden, you still don’t know that Tariq is his father’s son and it will always be his best interest over everyone around him. Yes he will protect you and yes he will feed you but Tariq must always preserve himself for his real goal, to free his mother.
Okay so anyone else wanting to actually see more of 2-Bit? I was reminded how funny he is tonight, not to mention he could be a perfect element for Tariq’s team. Either way, he will not be able to extort Tariq forever so I say get with the winning team Lil Bit, I mean 2-Bit.
