(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent Power Book III: Raising Kanan episode will be found below.)
Business is booming! Well, at least it is for Kanan in episode three of Power Book III: Raising Kanan season three. With his eyes set on establishing a name for himself, and more importantly, making more money for himself, Kanan launches a weed delivery business with some of the delivery boys in Famous’ neighborhood. It proved to be an instant success as he and Famous rolled in the dough without putting themselves in danger to do so. Though, they may have a problem on their hands as Ronnie is on to their new moves. For now though, it seems like Ronnie will be focused on getting Unique into shape as they both look to re-establish their position in the drug game, something Unique is making progress with thanks to some help from Italian and Chinese gang members.
As Kanan gets going with his operation, Raq is looking to finally put an end to hers. With her mission of killing Sal complete, her focus is now put on staying clean and far away from the view of federal investigators, making sure Kanan does the same, and enjoying her romantic moments with Unique (which one might say is a surprising narrative this season). She’s on her A-game and so is Marvin who is the best version of a dad that we’ve seen three seasons into Raising Kanan. He’s also extremely supportive of Jukebox’s singing dreams, especially in the days leading up to her big audition. Now, the same that’s said about Marvin, can’t be said about Lou-Lou who continues his spiral and lands at a new low. However, by the end of the episode, there’s hope that he’s finally turned the corner
Here are some of the major points and questions we had after the third episode of season three:
Kanan’s Undeniable Ambition Will Only Bring Him More Work
If there’s one thing that Kanan wants to make clear to himself, his friends, his family, and the world, it’s that he can hustle on his own and outside his mother’s shadow. In “Open For Business,” Kanan opens up shop for his weed delivery service that changes how customers place their orders and get them as it’s all done with Kanan behind closed doors and far from the streets. His determination to prove his independence to his mother Raq and his ambition to succeed has him off to a great start. On the flip side, the work is just starting as the orders are starting to pile up to overwhelming levels and Ronnie’s surprise appearance at the end of the episode signals a new enemy on the horizon. Kanan wanted to rise to the top, but he better be ready to fight and grit his way there and to continue doing so if and when he gets there.
Raq & Unique’s Relationship Is Pointless
I wouldn’t say that this foray between Raq and Unique is surprising, but man, it sure doesn’t benefit anyone. I get it, Unique saved Raq’s life in the season two finale and there may be a bit of trauma bonding as they both survived the ambush from the Mafia. And sure, they look good together as a couple, but what’s the point? Raq still wants out of the game, so connecting herself to someone so deep in it that they were once enemies doesn’t make sense — especially with federal investigators seemingly closing in on them. It’s like declaring an exit from gambling all to make frequent visits to a casino. There’s also the chance that her rep gets unfairly tarnished if word gets out about it. Then on Unique’s side, he’s still with his girlfriend whom he shares a child with. Add in Ronnie’s clear beef with Raq, which will surely cause a rift between him and Unique, and it’s not a great mix. The point is the benefits are limited here and I’m sure they don’t see it lasting long, but maybe I’m wrong. At minimum, I do think it’s a setup for a major event later on in the season.
Will Lou-Lou Get It Together?
There’s nothing Jukebox needs more than the support of her family. The unexpected death of her mother has certainly rocked her world, and as she recovers and deals with her grief, she’s taken up singing again to speed up the process. Her relationship with Raq is as good as it’s ever been, she and Kanan are cool, and Marvin is the best he’s ever been (we’ll get to that in a second).
Then there’s Lou-Lou who, considering his passion for music, should be an obvious and easy person for Jukebox to lean on. Yet, ever since his argument with Raq and the discovery that he killed Scrappy for no reason, Lou-Lou has been at his absolute worst. The drinking has skyrocketed and so have the fights, all while his productivity elsewhere is at an all-time low. If that wasn’t bad enough, he brought up Jukebox’s hope for a killer audition for a singing role, all to nearly ruin them and leave her hanging when she needed him the most all because he got drunken bar fight. Sure, he shows signs of cleaning up himself when he takes on a new role at the very bar he got into the fight at, after apologizing to the bar owner who knew his late father, but that isn’t enough. Lou-Lou’s gotta get himself together for the sake of himself and his loved ones.
Marvin Is At His Absolute Best
As mentioned in the previous section, Marvin is at his absolute best. The same Marvin who screwed up repeatedly with Raq and nearly destroyed his relationship with his daughter Jukebox after attacking her is the same Marvin who is Raq’s go-to, who earns a consistent smile and the occasion hug from Jukebox, and who completes tasks with little to no error. This is the Marvin we hoped to see for so long and it’s great that he’s hear now. His investment into himself as well as his daughter are the best things to see so far this season, especially in “Open For Business.” He’s got his operation up and running through a white neighborhood as the customers there are overpaying for his product. As for Jukebox, he’s been by her side supporting and pushing her music dreams, and was even in her corner for the audition. All that being said, I hope this is the Marvin we get to keep seeing for the foreseeable future.
Raq, Kanan, And Detective Howard: Who Gets Caught First?
Three episodes into season three of Power Book III: Raising Kanan and we have three characters doing their very best to hold and hide their secrets. There’s Kanan’s new weed operation, something he plans to keep from his mother for as long as he can. Then there’s Raq who seemingly wants to hide her relationship with Unique, but more importantly, wants to make sure she isn’t connected to the death of Sal Boselli, the leader of the Italian Mafia who she instructed Marvin to kill. The presence of the FBI has increased in Southside Jamaica, Queens meaning Raq has to be on her toes and not get caught where she isn’t supposed to be and with whom she isn’t supposed to be with.
Lastly, we have Detective Howard, who as a cop murderer, probably has the biggest secret of all as he’s the one who killed Detective Burke, a crime he disguised as suicide. Altogether, this trio is juggling a lot in their respective lives, and true to Power Universe fashion, there’s a chance someone doesn’t make it out unscathed. Sure, they might live to see the next day, but the consequences of their actions will change so much for not only themselves but others around them.
New episodes of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm ET/PT.
