The Sampson brothers have officially lost me.
Not that anyone but me would care about that, but watching Diamond lose his mind during this hour alongside Jenard, who can NEVER get out of his own way, was an exercise in restraint for me.
Because I was ten seconds away from yelling at a fictional character through the television screen on Christmas.
If you’ve been paying attention, which I know all of you have, then what’s happening now is surprising. Everyone is getting exposed left, right, and center, and that’s to be expected considering the show is almost over, and it’s a Power show.
Secrets never stay buried, and at some point or another, that thing you did will come out at the worst possible moment, and you’ll likely pay for your sins or the sins of the people you love one way or another.
Jenard started the season firmly with Shanti, the two seemingly more in love than ever and building toward something good.
Shanti is level-headed, strategic, and most importantly, she’s intelligent. But she was misguided in her belief that Jenard was ever fully on board with her plan to get rid of Diamond eventually.
That was her biggest mistake when it came to all things Jenard. Because Jenard is desperate for approval, the second he started seeing the tangible effects of his manipulations of Diamond working, he stopped thinking about Shanti and started thinking about himself.
He was never going to kill Diamond himself. Still, he would have chosen Shanti over Diamond in the long run had Diamond not eventually succumbed to Jenard’s continuous hype and sowing the seeds of distrust with Tommy.
Now, it’s him and Diamond against everyone, and Jenard can puff his chest as much as he wants to, yet the minute Diamond tells him to do something, he’s right out there doing it. And in a lot of ways, he’s just become what Diamond was to Tommy.
The nerve of him to even go to Shanti was disrespectful as hell, considering everything he said to her in that bathroom. They both tore each other up, but for Jenard to act as if she would be nothing without him, only to turn around and ask her to be the bigger person for the sake of business? The sheer audacity.
Shanti, of course, didn’t fall for it because why would she? The thing I like about Shanti the most is that she’s very clearheaded. Everything she saw within Jenard was because she loved him, but if you take away feelings, she sees more clearly and knows when and where to make her moves.
She was anti-Tommy, like most of Chicago, because he was an interloper looking not only to change things but to take over. He never put in any time into cultivating those streets, and yet, he thought he had the right to be king.
With Tommy a lone wolf, the easy thing to do would be to leave him out to pasture and get rid of him once and for all. But that does nothing for her, because she’d either be stuck in CBI with Jenard or she’d be out of CBI with no connection to Ché.
She knew that Tommy would come to her because he was desperate, respected what she could do, and would need someone on his side. Her being that person helps her more in the long run than killing him right now ever would.
Tommy and Shanti teaming up was Diamond’s worst nightmare because he knows Shanti’s a dream partner, and he knows that Tommy has a way of amassing power even when his back is against the wall.
A lone wolf Tommy he could stop, but Tommy and Shanti Showstopper? Well, that was scary enough that he had to kill Kendra over it.
I was a Diamond apologist for too long, and it makes sense that I would turn on him when he started listening to Jenard, because why would you ever do that?
I’m kidding, sort of.
Jenard has shown flashes of brilliance, but he’s his own worst enemy, and that was never clearer than watching this hour unfold.
Power Book IV: Force Season 3 Episode 8 reminded you of so many past issues that have befallen all of these people, and how things coming to light will mess everything up for you.
Tommy telling JP about Jenard setting D-Mac up spurred JP on to beat him up, and then that ultimately led to his untimely death, though real ones probably saw the writing on the wall with the way JP’s storyline has been treated this season.
Any character that gets a little too much screentime in a way that’s abnormal for them, or gets to make amends with someone from their past, should be a signal that they’re not long for the show.
JP and D-Mac’s reconciliation has felt like a death sentence for one or both of the characters, so JP’s death didn’t hit quite as hard as Stacy’s did during Power Book IV: Force Season 3 Episode 7, because that felt genuinely unexpected at this stage of the season.
Stacy may have eventually died, but in that moment, before the season finale? It wasn’t on my radar.
JP’s death has felt like a long time coming, unfortunately. And even though JP has never reached his full potential as a character, his death may end up being one of the most impactful in the show after Liliana’s.
Tommy isn’t immune to heartbreak and tragedy, but there are only a handful of people who’ve gotten that reaction from Tommy. Dropping to his knees in pure agony triggers the kind of rage and tunnel vision revenge tour that puts Tommy into the mindset where nothing else matters.
The past two hours have felt like a fever dream with these murders. First Stacy, then Diamond just goes full demon by killing Kendra, and then Jenard gets a three-for-one special, killing JP, King Kilo, and that other man, all because he was disrespected and not in his right mind.
The old Diamond would have been frustrated that Jenard got them into some mess, but Diamond was being messy as well. Plus, Shanti FINALLY spilled to Diamond that Jenard was totally on board with the plan to get rid of him, and I hope Diamond walked away from the ring feeling real silly for putting all his trust in Jenard.
Diamond and Jenard are brothers, but as long as there is a CBI to claim ownership, the two of them will always be locked in this war over control. And they are both too stubborn, which makes their partnerships always feel tenuous at best.
Now that Diamond knows the truth, I have to wonder if the next subsequent big death will be one killing the other.
Not to get all biblical, but Diamond and Jenard are very much Cain and Abel coded. Diamond’s the chosen one, and Jenard’s always been in his shadow, and we’re beyond Jenard being just jealous and resentful; it’s a secret thing that may be more dangerous than the two: he’s entitled.
He’s truly convinced himself that he’s a lot more important than he is, and that kind of unbridled confidence will get you into trouble quickly, especially when you’re not in your right mind.
I also wonder whether Diamond will start rethinking all the moves he’s made, and whether splitting from Tommy was actually in his best interest. But it doesn’t matter at this point, because unless Diamond’s willing to serve Jenard up on a silver platter, that relationship feels beyond repair. And even then, Tommy would never forgive Diamond for plotting against D-Mac.
In no time, Tommy’s evolved past the need for Diamond, because at the moment, teaming with Shanti and Miguel serves him better, which is a wild thing to say considering they’ve both wanted him dead recently.
I knew we were headed toward Tommy and Miguel teaming up, and it’s not really for Mireya’s benefit, but more because they face the same threats. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or whatever they say.
Mireya’s brush with death should have been a major wakeup call for her, but she seems hellbent on making things work with Tommy, even if she’s slowly turning into the exact person she never wanted to be as someone who’s been around this life for years.
I’m not sure why she or Tommy thinks she can just walk around and go to work like the streets aren’t popping and Tommy isn’t under constant attack. Tommy is many things, but he’s not naïve, and sure, she got the upper hand on Marquez’s hitman, but that was luck more than anything else.
The next time, she may not be so lucky.
She’s wanted Tommy and Miguel on the same page, but now that she’s got it, what does it actually mean?
I trust these two putting aside their differences for the greater good, but I struggle to see both making it out of the season alive, so it may all be for naught in the end.
Tommy’s going to want Jenard tarred and feathered in a public square, but if he lets himself get so immersed in his revenge plan, he could get sloppy. And Bobby is just waiting for him to slip up, as he’s on a revenge tour of his own.
With only two hours left, some of these people are absolutely not going to make it, but who? And more interestingly, how will they go out? In a blaze of glory, or embarrassing defeat?
Everything Else You Need To Know
- Marshall being so quick to drop D-Mac shows you how fleeting friendships are in this world, and what makes certain friendships actually feel special in the Power Universe.
- Vic and Rae’s story is so odd at this point, because why would this woman throw her entire life away for a man who was using her and has absolutely nothing to offer her? If he gets a happy ending with her over others, I will be annoyed.
- Speaking of Vic, though, if he wanted Tommy dead, he should have stopped yapping and just killed Tommy when he had the chance. So many things could be avoided if people stopped yapping so much when they had the opportunity to take that kill shot.
- D-Mac is going to be so upset when he finds out about JP. Kate, too.
- When Bobby told Tseng about Stacy’s phone, I almost threw the remote. I’m getting more and more worried that he’ll fly under the radar and end the season as Stacy’s permanent replacement. Because does anyone even have an inkling that there’s a mole in the department?
Two hours, people. TWO HOURS!
We are really in the thick of the home stretch now, and all bets are off regarding what’s to come.
The only thing we can say for sure is that more blood is coming, and war is brewing.
Let me know in the comments all your thoughts about this one, and if you think we’re headed toward another big shock next week.
You can watch Power Book IV: Force on Fridays at 9/8c in the U.S. and Canada on the STARZ linear platform, and new episodes will be available to stream weekly on Fridays on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms.
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