(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be found below.)
Raq is pressing onward with her plans of expanding the drug business outside of Queens. In Power Book III: Raising Kanan, she’s made her desire to do so clear over the last few episodes, and despite objections from the likes of Marvin and Lou-Lou, Raq has pushed full steam ahead. While she deals with that, Kanan is left to wrap his mind around how Detective Howard could possibly be his father. Raq calls Howard’s claim nothing more than crazy talk, but deep down, Kanan sees it to be more than that, and following episode four Pay The Tolls, that couldn’t be more true.
Kanan’s doubts about Raq and her honesty towards him continue to grow and it leaves him to investigate the truth himself. However, his attempts only bring him back to the doorstep of Detective Howard. Speaking of doorsteps, Jukebox lands on that of her mother Kenya (played by Letoya Luckett) who she has not seen since she was an infant. As she sits with her mother to learn about her and why she left, Jukebox is still giving Marvin the cold shoulder after he attacked her in season one. Elsewhere in episode four, Kanan finds new love, Lou-Lou looks to grow his label, Raq deals with new issues in her expansion efforts, and Famous finally finds a place to live.
Here are some of the biggest questions we had after the third episode of season two:
Cartier Or Symphony?
A new flame or a familiar love. That’s what Raq is left to seemingly choose between by the end of Pay The Tolls. The episode begins with Cartier, a businessman who is tied to a singer that he and Lou-Lou have entered a one-song deal with. The episode comes to an end after Raq looks at a new house with Symphony, whom she’s been romantically tied to one-and-off since season one. Raq seems to enjoy different aspects of both Cartier and Symphony equally. Cartier’s business mind and knowledge of the drug game and Symphony’s “purity” and feeling of escapism that he gives Raq are both beneficial for her in different ways. The thing is, dealing with two men in addition to running a drug operation that is a bit shaky at the moment probably isn’t the best for Raq. She’ll have to pick a side or stay out of the love game at least.
Who’s Side Is Worrell On? Raq Or Unique’s?
This moment in Pay The Tolls was extremely brief, but very key to things going forward. Shortly after Unique stops by Juliana’s cornerstone to scare her a bit with his presence, he’s seen walking to Worrell’s in a surprising twist for the show. Remember, Worrell chose to work with Raq when Unique was wrongfully behind bars for Detective Howard’s shooting. Worrell even told Unique to leave Queens as there was no room for him in the drug game. Worrell was also present when Raq, Marvin, and Lou-Lou had the standoff with Unique for Juliana. With it’s seemingly clear that Worrell is on Raq’s side, the moment between him and Unique puts all of that into question, which leaves the business more vulnerable than ever to be attacked.
When Will Marvin Actually Say ‘Sorry’?
Marvin is still getting the silent treatment from Jukebox after he attacked her at the end of season one. Truthfully, the silent treatment comes at a rarity for Marvin because he barely sees Jukebox. He’s done everything he can to win her back, like softening his tone towards her and remodeling her room to hopefully make her happier. However, all of that has come without a true apology to Jukebox for his actions. Hopefully, Marvin’s anger management class will help him realize this, but an apology is absolutely needed for his relationship with Jukebox to be repaired.
Kanan Knows That Will Catch Up To Him Right?
Stealing a large amount of money from anywhere is risky business, but stealing it from Raq, Marvin, and Lou-Lou’s stash? Kanan’s got to know that will come back to get him one way or another. Sure, he’s still upset with Raq because he feels like she’s hiding something from him in regards to who his real father is, but taking out his frustration this way won’t end well for him. With Marvin taking out his anger on Worrell for the missing cash, the damage from Kanan stealing the money could be a lot more than he imagined. Raq tends to be light on Kanan when he messes up, but with a lot at stake with expansion plans in motion, Kanan’s punishment may be heavier.
Is Raq Fit For Battle With The Italians?
Raq’s expansion plans have hit a big obstacle already. Her hope was to expand the business into New Jersey, but an Italian gang there is making that extremely as they’ve intercepted not one but two of her shipments into the state. The Italians offer her a price to safely move product in New Jersey, but Raq pays it no mind as she’s determined to do things her way. The thing is, the Italians don’t seem like they’re up for any games as they may go to great lengths to keep Raq out of their territory. Raq is set on expanding and she’s set on expanding into New Jersey as she won’t let anyone tell her where she can and cannot sell product. A claim like that is one Raq will have to fight for and hopefully, she and her team are up for the task.
Is There Bad Blood Between Raq And Kenya?
After a couple of episodes of contemplating the move, Jukebox finally makes her way to her mother Kenya’s doorstop. Jukebox hasn’t seen Kenya since she was a young baby, and in reconnecting with her, Jukebox seems to be getting some of the answers she’s waited a lifetime to receive. Additionally, she seems excited to get to know her mother after all of these years. However, when she shares this news with Raq, she reminds Jukebox that family is a title that is earned and that if Kenya really cared about Juke, she would’ve come back for her a long time ago. While there’s certainly some validity to Raq’s statement, there was also a lack of empathy to an extent that you have to wonder what exactly went wrong when Kenya ran away. Could it have to do with Marvin going to jail? Maybe she and Raq didn’t see eye to eye about the drug game. A theory could be that there is much more to the story between Raq and Kenya, but maybe there isn’t. We’ll just have to wait for the next episodes to learn how it plays out.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ are available to watch on Sundays at 12:00am EST.
