Tariq is now, in many ways, already better than his dad. The writers behind Power Book II: Ghost deserve so much credit for masterfully transforming one of the most disliked characters on Power into the lead in Ghost. Tariq, like many other leads in the genre, is an anti-hero like his father. Fans want him to succeed, even if that success involves a life of crime. The show is entering its fourth, and final, season on Friday, June 7, 2024. The Season 3 finale left fans on pins and needles waiting to see how Tariq and Brayden (Gianni Paolo) get out of the tight spot they are in after starting a war between them and Monet Tejada (Mary J. Blige) and her kids.  

Fans have come to expect clever and astute decisions from Tariq, and in three seasons, his intelligence has gotten him out of so many tricky situations. After taking out his dad, Tariq became the man of the house. He has found a way to repeatedly protect his family and himself. Perhaps because of that, it has dawned on fans that Tariq’s actions and behaviors were a mere reaction to who his parents were. It shouldn’t be a child’s or young adult’s responsibility to care for his parent and his sibling, but after Ghost’s death and his mother Tasha (Naturi Naughton) being away, first in jail then in witness protection, all the responsibility has fallen on Tariq. And he’s shouldering all the weight well.  

Tariq was not an inherently bad kid, he was simply a product of his environment and his mom and dad’s mistakes. When Tariq is about to shoot Ghost in the final season of Power, he tells his dad that things would’ve worked out for them had Ghost not left his family for Angela Valdes (Lela Loren). Angela was his first childhood love, and once she entered his life, Ghost began seeing her, ultimately ending his marriage to Tasha and causing a rift between him and his partner in crime, Tommy Eagen (Joseph Sikora). All of the adults’ decisions trickled down to the children. Tasha and Ghost had three children, twins Tariq and Raina, and a little girl named Jazzie. When Ghost begins to be distracted from his life outside of home, Tariq falls victim to a plot from his dad’s enemy Kanan Stark (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) to get close to his son. 

As things unravel, that leads to the shooting and killing of Tariq’s sister, Raina, for which he feels responsible, and his life goes downhill from there. He had a promising future, coming from an affluent family. To avenge his sister, he becomes a killer. It takes a lot of talent, and precise storytelling, to make viewers hate a child, and they found ways to make Tariq look like the bad guy, when in fact, his father was to blame for much of the family’s misfortune. Because of that, fans used to dislike Tariq and blame him for so many of the problems that went on in Power. “I’ve never hated a fictional character more than I hate Tariq,” one X user wrote while Power was on the air. 

But is a child to blame or is his upbringing around so much crime the problem? Tariq simply adjusted to the circumstances around him and became his mother’s protector when his dad went off the rails. In exchange, Tasha also protected her son in ways his father didn’t. Tasha took the blame for a crime her son committed and once Power Book II: Ghost begins, Tariq does everything he can to get his mother out of jail and be reunited with his little sister — and he starts selling drugs to his classmates at Stanfield University to pay for the lawyer fees and to make himself a viable adult to have custody of Jazzie. Now Tariq has become a young man who is desperate to help his mother and bring his family back together. 

The difference between Ghost’s drive and his son’s is at the center of why Tariq is now also a beloved character in the Power Universe instead of the most hated. So far, Tariq’s actions have been externally motivated and to help the people around him. Meanwhile, his dad would always serve him and his desires first. Tariq has been dealing with the consequences of his parents’ life choices, while Ghost created this life for himself. While he had dreams of getting out of the drug game, those dreams were all self-serving. He wanted to prove to himself that he was more than just “the biggest drug dealer in New York City,” but rarely did he mention that it had anything to do with his children and their futures. It seemed like it was all for himself, and his dream of one day being a law-abiding citizen who could build a life with Angela.  

Tariq figures things out, just like his father. At the end of the day, he always has a plan to get out of whatever hole he finds himself in. Tariq inherited the best of his father, his smarts, his charm, and his leader abilities, but he learned the bad side of who Ghost was as well. Everything Tariq has been through, from his dad cheating on his mother, his twin sister dying, his family losing everything, and him ending up alone, he had more than enough for that to be his villain origin story. When Tariq pays Tommy’s mom a visit wielding a gun in the Season 3 finale, she tries to calm him down. “You’re a good kid, in spite of all your role models,” she says. Tariq responds in a deep, somber tone: “Yeah, Mrs. Eagen, I’m afraid I’m not the same kid that you remember.”

But now that he has risen and fit into the anti-hero role his father became so popular for, Tariq has the public in his corner too. “Power: Ghost really made me forget how much I hated Tariq,” one fan of the Starz show shared recently on X. “I hated Tariq in Power but in Power Book II, I’ve forgiven him for all his trespasses, I like the kid,” another fan shared. 

Tariq has made smart connections along the way, and while some have been strategic and beneficial to his many plans, he has also done his best to look out for people and found family outside of his own. Gianni Paolo, who plays Brayden, has also been a highlight on the show, making it even more appealing. He’s Tariq’s best friend and the equivalent of what Tommy was to his father. But while there was intense animosity between Ghost and Tommy, Brayden and Tariq have gone to bat for one another. And Brayden came to his rescue at the end of Season 3, even when he promised to be out of the life. Tariq has also had a fair share of love interests, but he hasn’t committed to any of them seriously. Perhaps it’s because he’s too preoccupied with his slew of troubles, but it may also be because he doesn’t want to become his dad. 

Fans have watched Michael Rainey Jr. grow up before their eyes. This month is the 10th anniversary of the birth of the Power Universe, and he has been there from the start. He started on this journey as a child star but has since shouldered the first spin-off, and has made Ghost so strong that it has birthed even more spinoffs, like Raising Kanan, and more already in the works. Michael should get all the credit, along with the writers, for winning back the fan’s love for his character. Tariq, and the actor who plays him, have earned every ounce of recognition and respect from viewers, and with good reason. Michael has carried the show effortlessly and his performance helped bring Starz some of the highest viewership numbers, even without 50 Cent or Omari as part of the cast. 

Power Book II: Ghost should cement Michael as an actor to watch in Hollywood, and open doors for him to expand and build a long career. While fans love Tariq now, Michael is more than capable of playing more characters outside of Ghost’s son. But the people will always remember him as not only the person who took out Ghost, but the one who made it worthwhile for fans to stick around for four seasons of a spin off without the main character they had grown to love.  

The first part of the final season of Power Book II: Ghost premieres Friday, June 7, 2024.

The post ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Transformed Tariq St. Patrick from the Most Hated to the Most Respected Character appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

While most people prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors, real movie lovers know that this is the best time for some of the hottest, most talked-about releases of the year. Fall is for award show contenders, but summer is for fun-loving action fans. It’s also not talked about enough how a chilly movie theater is the perfect reprieve to escape the high temperatures. Some flicks are arriving directly to streaming services like Netflix, which means not having to face the heat at all. 

We have compiled a list of some of the most exciting new releases that will hit theaters this season. While summer doesn’t officially kick off until June 21, there are a few major releases in early June that are worthy enough to be on this list. Check out the films below to see which ones are must-watch this summer.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
When: June 7
Where: In theaters

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back with another installment of their nearly 30-year journey with 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The actors will reprise their popular roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett and pick up where 2020’s Bad Boys for Life left off. The story will follow as their late police captain gets accused of being connected to drug cartels and working with them during his tenure, so the dynamic duo of Miami cops set out on a dangerous mission to clear his name. The buddy cop action comedy is directed by Adil and Bilall, written by Chris Bremner, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig. Sony released the trailer last month, and it promises the same intensity, chemistry, and laugh-out-loud humor that has made the franchise so beloved by fans for all these years. 

Ballerina
When: June 7
Where: In theaters

Ballerina is the first spinoff of the John Wick franchise. The film, starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, and Keanu Reeves, is set to take place somewhere between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves’ character died in Chapter 4 but is set to return for this one. Ballerina follows a ballerina-turned-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas), who is seeking revenge for her family’s murder. The spin-off will belong to one of the most successful action franchises in recent memory and will be packed with just as much thrill and excitement as the first four. Lee Chung-hyeon, who directed the Netflix thriller The Call, will also direct Ballerina. 

Hit Man
When: June 7
Where: Netflix

Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman who is trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her. Inspired by a true story, Gary (Glen Powell), a straight-laced professor, discovers that he has a hidden talent to pose as a fake hit man. Gary begins taking on false identities to catch criminals for the local police. The situation quickly changes when sparks between the fake hitman and his prospective client Madison (Adria Arjona) fly immediately, but the secrets between them become a challenge for their romance. Not only does Powell star in the film, but he also co-wrote the new noir comedy directed by Richard Linklater.

Inside Out 2
When: June 14
Where: In theaters

Inside Out premiered in 2015 and followed a young Riley as she dealt with the emotions when she moved with her parents from the Midwest to San Francisco. Following the move, Riley goes through all the characterized emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, as she adjusts to her new life. The sequel will follow the original five emotions as they deal with all that comes with being a teenager, including Anxiety and Embarrassment, which take over Riley’s mind now that she’s 13 years old and heading to hockey camp. Maya Hawke will star as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui a.k.a. boredom, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.

A Quiet Place: Day One
When: June 28
Where: In theaters

On top of being summer 2024’s first big offering, A Quiet Place: Day One might also be one of the year’s most anticipated films. Following the release of the original 2018 film and 2020 sequel starring John Krasinski (who also directed) and Emily Blunt, the new movie is a prequel to the first two and will follow a whole set of new characters. The prequel follows the events of the first day the extraterrestrial creatures from the first two films came to Earth and unleashed absolute chaos in New York City, attacking anyone and anything that made any kind of noise. The film stars include Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
When: July 3
Where: Netflix

Eddie Murphy is returning to Netflix just in time for the Fourth of July and the 40th anniversary of his beloved comedy Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy will be filling the role of Detective Axel Foley for the fourth time, and this film will see him back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. The film was produced by Murphy, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Chad Oman, and directed by Mark Molloy. Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, II came out in 1987 and III dropped in 1994, 10 years after the original. 

Twisters
When: July 19
Where: In theaters

Glen Powell is having one hell of a year. A month after starring in Netflix’s Hit Man, he will head back to theaters as the lead in the new Twisters movie, which is the standalone sequel to the 1996 hit, Twister. The sequel is also about tornadoes but its not like the original. Powell told Vogue in December 2023 that the film is not quite a remake and it would be a whole new story, and said the characters from the original would not be returning.

Powell stars as a social media personality and self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” named Tyler Owens, who chases storms for thrills. Meanwhile, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who is a fearful storm tracker who prefers studying meteorology from the safety of behind her computer screen in New York City, gets convinced by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test out new technology on tornadoes in Oklahoma. The screenplay was written by The Revenant’s Mark. L Smith and the film was directed by Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung.

Deadpool & Wolverine
When: July 26
Where: In theaters

Deadpool & Wolverine is ready to heat things up this summer. Marvel had a bit of a rocky 2023 and a slow start to 2024, aside from the hit X-Men ’97. That means there is a lot of pressure resting on Deadpool 3’s shoulders. Ryan Reynolds will make his MCU debut in the third installment of his superhero franchise as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, and the film will also mark the first time a Marvel film has been rated R. Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. There is no word yet on how Wolverine will be introduced into the picture, but rumor is that the multiverse is involved. Deadpool and Wolverine will team up to defeat a common enemy, reportedly Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, who has been confirmed to be the lead villain.

Trap
When: August 2
Where: In theaters

M. Night Shyamalan is back at it again with another thriller. Trap is about a man and his teenage daughter attending a pop star’s concert when they realize that they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event. The father, played by Josh Hartnett, is told by a man working a merch stand that the police have set up a trap for a known serial killer who was believed to be attending the concert. The trailer reveals in the most chilling way that the trap was put in place to catch the girls’ dad. This one is a must-see. 

Alien: Romulus
When: Aug. 16
Where: In theaters

Alien: Romulus is the eighth film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, and David Jonsson. Romulus will focus on a group of 20-something space colonizers and scavengers in a distant world. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, they find themselves confronting the most terrifying life form in the universe, a Xenomorph. Romulus takes place in between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens and it reportedly ties in to those films. Romulus was originally slated to be a Hulu, release but the studio shifted to theatrical release at the start of production.

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The show follows Kanan Stark’s upbringing in the 1980s and early ’90s and what his life was like before he became James “Ghost” St. Patrick’s nemesis in Power. The first season introduces us to a young Kanan, played by Mekai Curtis, who is a well-behaved and smart high school student from Jamaica, Queens. But Kanan’s innocence that fans were introduced to in Season 1 slowly fades away as the seasons progress, and viewers witness the makings of a villain.

His transformation is due to his realization that his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas, played by Patina Miller, is not who he believed her to be. While the drug queenpin has devoted her life to being a good mother who tried her best to keep her son out of trouble and the drug business she runs, their relationship fractures when Kanan learns a major part of his life and childhood has been a lie.

Surrounding that core mother-son relationship are Raquel’s brothers, Lou Lou and Marvin, who are the heart of the show. Marvin’s daughter, Jukebox, Kanan’s friend Famous, and a long list of other essential characters and villains help bring this vibrant story to life and give fans of the Power franchise a strong base of how the universe came to be. Each one of the characters is flawed in their own way, some more than others, but that’s what makes them special. While some have gotten better through the seasons, others have changed for the worse. Their chaotic lives of crime have led some to do horrific things, while others have done their best to walk away. 

Most characters on Raising Kanan have redeeming qualities, while others are just rotten to their chore. Find out who is the best and the worst in our ranking of the show’s characters, starting from the worst to the best.

10. Ronnie Mathis
Played by: Grantham Coleman

There hasn’t been an unlikeable character like Ronnie on TV in quite some time. Ronnie, Unique’s brother who was released from prison in Season 3, comes in and sets things off balance. Not only was he responsible for Unique’s disappearance, but he also got in between Kanan and Raq and took Kanan down an ever darker road. While Kanan was selling marijuana on his own, Ronnie got involved in his business and introduced him to more powerful and dangerous players in the drug game. Ronnie was menacing in a quiet, calculated way, and those are sometimes the most dangerous of people. Ronnie’s introduction into the show made things worse for everyone, and he came in between the relationship and tight bond that Unique had built with Raq. With his demise at the end of Season 4, there’s no telling how his negative influence and impact will continue to affect everyone he was involved with. 

9. Malcolm Howard 

Played by: Omar Epps

Detective Malcolm Howard was extremely close to landing at the bottom of this list. There are a few things less honorable than being a corrupt and crooked cop, and he was that as well as being a predator. And he is also incredibly unlikable. What made Howard the absolute worst, aside from his being terrible at his job, was his relationship with a young and underaged Raquel. Not only did he get her pregnant (with Kanan), but he then also had the audacity to, years later, turn Kanan against his mother — even after all she had been through. 

So many of his actions throughout the first three seasons of the series have been despicable. Even if he tried his best to keep the Thomas family and his son out of trouble, it just wasn’t enough to redeem him. Ultimately, Howard got what he deserved in the Season 3 finale. But we will see what happens next and how his death will continue to affect Raq’s relationship with Kanan. Omar Epps added so much experience and depth to the show through his role, and though it was necessary to get rid of his character, it is a major loss for the show. 

8. Lou Lou Thomas

Played by: Malcolm Mays

Lou Lou started the series off as Raq’s righthand man. As her little brother, Lou kept things in line and kept her protected. When their older brother, Marvin, was a bit of a loose cannon, Lou kept them grounded and in check. Throughout the series, after his attempt to start a music-producing career failed, Lou began to deteriorate. His alcoholism began to cloud his judgment and he became a risk for Raq, the family, and the business. There are few things worse in the drug game than having someone who is out of control in your circle. The Season 3 finale saw him at his wit’s end while in a rehab facility, attempting to end his life. There is no telling whether or not he will survive his attend, but losing him would leave a huge void in Raq’s family and their crew.

7. Shawn “Famous” Figueroa

Played by: Antonio Ortiz

As the saying goes, you are the company you keep. That was the case for Shawn “Famous” Figueroa. Famous was Kanan’s best friend at the start of the series. He is an aspiring rapper and musician, but due to his proximity to Kanan and his family, it wasn’t long before Famous also got wrapped up in their lifestyle. After he was kicked out of his home by his mother, Famous had no other option but to rely on his friend and his new drug money to get by. Famous became Kanan’s partner, and it led him down the wrong path, even driving him to commit murder. Famous still cared about his friend’s wellbeing, and tried his best to control him from going off the deep end, even telling Raq about her son’s wrongdoings. That left Famous in a precarious position with Kanan, and soon enough he lost his friend, too. Famous still has a bit of a conscience left and is nowhere near as far gone as Kanan is. Famous could have had a future in music, but all of that may be at risk simply because he decided to be Kanan’s ride-or-die. While Kanan was born into that life, Famous chose to be in it, and that made his situation worse.

6. Kanan Stark

Played by: Mekai Curtis

Before the show even premiered, fans knew Kanan was no good. This prequel has done a remarkable job of showcasing Kanan’s villain origin story. The more fans know about him and his upbringing, the more they understand why he became the Kanan (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) they met on Power. Mekai Curtis, who plays Kanan in Power Book III, has been able to dance between playing the innocent high school kid who loves his mother in Season 1, and the threatening drug dealer capable of anything that we see in the latest season. 

Curtis has mastered the way 50 Cent speaks and his mannerisms in order to bring this younger version of his character to life. And while he does that well, the character is now worse than when the show started. Kanan will stop at nothing to get revenge on his mom for lying to him about who his dad was. She led him to believe a gangster named Rondell Def Con Stark was his dad when all along his dad was Detective Malcolm Howard. Finding out truths like those can break a person, but that doesn’t excuse him from becoming everything he hates. Kanan had every tool and avenue possible to not be influenced by his environment and to be better than his parents (he was ever offered to continue his education at a better school at the start of the show), but his anger, resentment and desire to be part of the game outweighed all the promise he had in him.

5. Symphony Bosket

Played by: Toby Sanderman

There are no real good guys in shows like Raising Kanan, but there was one in the beginning: Symphony. Symphony (played by Toby Sanderman) is a bartender and not part of the life, so he is a breath of fresh air for Raquel. He is also intelligent and ambitious and is pursuing a master’s degree when he meets Raq at the bar where he works and a romance sparks between them. He also becomes Kanan’s friend, and continuously has the boy’s best interest at heart. Raq and Kanan don’t have many people they can trust, and Symphony is one of the only few people who only want the best for them without wanting anything in return. But no matter how promising Symphony’s future might have been, hanging around the wrong crowd could have derailed that, so he moves away and hasn’t been seen or heard from again since Season 2. Still, he was proof of the lack of love and protection that both Raq and Kanan desperately needed. Maybe they would be better off had he stuck around.

4. Laverne “Jukebox” Thomas

Played by: Hailey Kilgore

Laverne “Jukebox” Thomas is a victim of her environment. She is Raq’s niece and Kanan’s cousin, and while her family is involved in a life of crime, Laverne wants none of it. Unlike Kanan, Laverne has other aspirations outside of street life. She is a singer and has dreams of making that her career. But due to her sexuality, she feels rejected by her father Marvin at first and seeks other alternatives like the military to set herself free. She also lost her first girlfriend Nicole because of her family’s lifestyle and her own mother abandoned and hurt her. Laverne’s life has been full of sorrow but so far in Season 3, that has not affected who she really is or clouded her judgment. But Power fans know that Jukebox later becomes just as bad as her loved ones, but so far, Laverne has chosen to be better than what she knows. 

3. Raquel Raq Thomas 

Played by: Patina Miller

Raquel “Raq” Thomas might just be one of the toughest characters in all the Power Universe. Raq plays no games as the head of the family and her drug business, and she is so fierce, powerful, and frightening that everyone around her respects her — even her competition. She has ascended in the drug game since she was a teenager who was surrounded by powerful men like Def Con Stark. She carries the weight of looking after her brothers, her niece and her own son, Kanan, who is her main source of motivation. Through the seasons, Kanan and her relationship has deteriorated, leaving Raq with little option but to see her own child as a threat. While Kanan might not want anything to do with her, during the Season 3 finale, she made it clear that no matter what, she will do whatever it takes to protect him.  

2. Marvin Thomas

Played by: London Brown

Marvin is this high up on this list because he is the only character who has changed for the better throughout the series. He has not always been the best father to his daughter Lavern and was especially cruel after finding out about her sexuality. But after spending time apart from her, Marvin sought help learned how to control his anger, and began to rebuild his relationship with his child. Even through his issues, Marvin is as loyal as it gets. He keeps his sister Raq protected, is there for her at a moment’s notice, and is damn good at helping her keep the family business afloat. He is a devoted brother and friend and there is nothing more admirable in a person than a commitment toward progression. 

1. Unique

Played by: Joey Badass (sometimes styled Bada$$)

Unique (also known as Nique) may not be a main character in Raising Kanan, but he quickly climbed to the top of viewers’ lists as a fan favorite. Whether it’s the way Joey Badass confidently portrays the character or the way Nique was written, his impact on the show goes beyond being just an antagonist. Nique is the top drug lord on the South Side of Jamaica, Queens and in turn, he is one of Raq’s main rivals. While others may treat Raq as just a weak woman in a man’s world, Nique treated her with respect from the start, even through their high-tension moments.

Eventually, their competition evolves into a romantic fling and he became a pillar for Raq, up until Unique’s big brother Ronnie attempts to kill him. It wasn’t until his disappearance that his popularity hit a fever pitch. Fans demanded that he return, threatening to stop watching the show altogether because of his absence. They were relieved when Nique makes a surprise appearance at the end of the Season 3 finale while standing over his brother’s dead body after Kanan killed him. There is no telling where Nique will go from here, or if he will still hold the top spot as the series continues. 

The post ‘Raising Kanan:’ Ranking the Characters From Worst to Best appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.