‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Season 1 Episode 5 ‘Choose Your Battles’
Culture Editor Bianca Gregg continues her weekly recaps of all things the Power Universe. The newest book is a prequel that tells the story of one of the most notorious “Power” characters, Kanan.
As Kanan gets ready for school, he discovers a small amount of blood on his sneakers from the stash house robbery. He wipes off his sneakers and heads down for breakfast. To his surprise, his bloody shirt is sitting on the table. Raq wanted Kanan to tell her what happened, but since he decided not to, she asked him if he was at the stash house. He admits to being there for a false reason much to Raq being upset about him defying her orders.
When she speaks with Marvin, he tells a story that made him appear like a “Black Rambo,” as he called it. Raq tells him she knows Kanan was there. She rips him apart in front of Lou-Lou, who seems to enjoy the tongue lashing. Raq admits she needs a solid offense against Unique. She reminds Marvin to do nothing else stupid.
When leaving the house, Marvin and Lou-Lou have an exchange of words that results in them getting into a fight.
Just picture the classic Uncle fight chile.
Kanan completed a project in Symphony's class. It looks like he’s finally taking to Symphony. Kanan enjoys how knowledgeable he seems. Symphony gives Kanan his phone number and let’s him know if he needs anything, he is always around.
Later on at the bodega/stash house…
Kanan, Famous and Jukebox are shopping around for snacks. Jukebox and Kanan discuss who they think may have snitched and caused the original stash house to be robbed.
Jukebox feels it was Daveena considering she was Buck Twenty’s girl and she talks to Unique a lot.
Kanan thinks it is Scrappy and the pair have a heated exchange about the situation. Kanan refuses to believe Daveena would tell anyone anything but as we know Jukebox is correct.
After the argument, Famous catches up with Jukebox and invites her to the studio.
Raq finds the apartment she wants but it’s occupied. The owner comes in and talks big about not giving up his place. Marvin beats up the older man but Raq has him pause to get air. She asks the man if he knows who she is. She let’s him know one way or the other, the apartment is hers and he can decide where he ends up in the deal. She gets him to agree to move out.
Raq tells Marvin she plans to create a secret shoot between the upper apartment and the lower apartment to hide product and money in case someone tries to rob them again or a police raid. Marvin seems a bit skeptical.
At the studio, Jukebox gets the opportunity to showcase her voice on Famous’s song. She ends up singing the hook thanks to Lou-Lou setting things up for Crown Camacho to owe him a favor.
Later that night, Jukebox plays her song for Nicole at her house. The two of them are on her bed talking about the differences in white people’s spaghetti and Black people’s spaghetti. They begin to make out on the bed and Nicole’s mother comes in. She is disgusted by what she sees and attempts to blame Jukebox for it. She calls her a repellent and says if she ever sees Jukebox around her daughter again, she will call the police and tell them Jukebox raped Nicole.
Jukebox quickly gathers her things and leaves.
She is distraught and heartbroken.
Kanan finds Scrappy playing dice and confronts him over the stash house. They exchange words and get into a fight while Malcolm watches off in the distance. He rides up and arrests both Kanan and Scrappy. At the police station, Malcolm questions Kanan about his basic profile. He gives Kanan a towel to wipe up the blood from his lip. At first Kanan refuses because his legal guardian is not present but Malcolm reminds him he could charge him but won’t so long as he gives him all the information he needs.
When Kanan tells Malcolm his birth year, Malcolm pauses and says he thought Kanan was older. Before much of anything else could be asked, Symphony comes in to get Kanan. Malcolm tells Symphony he is not a legal guardian but Symphony responds with the fact Malcolm picked up an innocent Black kid. Symphony of course leaves with Kanan.
On the ride home, Kanan asks that Symphony keeps the situation between them. Although Symphony tells Kanan if asked he will not lie, their secret is safe.
Malcolm still needs someone to donate bone marrow. After Kanan’s arrest, Malcolm looks up when Kanan’s father went to prison, the dates do not add up. Malcolm goes to see Raq later that night. He approaches her and says he thought Kanan was 16 but Raq plays stupid. He tells her that Death Con can not be Kanan’s father and that she lied to him. Malcolm tells Raq that Kanan is his son.
Takeaways:
As loyal as Scrappy is, we just gonna sacrifice him now? Scrap gonna get caught being the snitch.
Please give me a sock of batteries and five minutes with Nicole’s mom. She crushed our little Jukebox to pieces.
To everyone that knew Raq and Malcolm were a thing, great job! However I did not think he would be Kanan’s father.
Lou-Lou still doesn’t see he needs to leave Baby Selena alone.
