(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Power Book II: Ghost episode will be found in the recap below.)
The moment we knew would come finally arrived for Tariq in Power Book II: Ghost season four, episode five titled “Ego Death.” Actually, it was two moments. The first is Noma finally caught on to Tariq and Brayden’s underground drug operation through college parties. She discovered it after finding a bag of coke in her daughter Anya’s bag after the same bag of coke was brought to her and said to have come from Stansfield. Noma walks into the next college party with Cane to see the operation live in action, and though their plan is to kill Tariq, they’re forced to put a stop to it after Tariq uses Anya as a distraction.
The second moment is Tariq finally accepting that he is no different from his father. After a string of events that knocked him off his path, Tariq realizes that he needs to use his dad’s qualities to become an “apex predator” to stand at the top of the drug game and ensure the safety of himself and loved ones like Brayden and his mother Tasha. It foreshadows what appears to be an epic second half to season four which begins later this year on September 6.
Elsewhere, Monet and Dru discover that Detective Carter is a dirty cop after his task force catches them in the middle of a drug heist. To avoid getting arrested, Monet and Dru’s crew — minus Ice who was killed by Carter — must give him 35% of their profits and avoid killing civilians or risk jail time or death. Diana makes the decision to keep her baby, and though Tariq was initially combative about it, an acid trip helps him embrace the idea of bringing a child into the world. First, he and Diana will have to get on the same page, as the two do not agree about Tariq’s participation in the drug game while also being a father. Cane and Noma’s romance continues, while Brayden’s own becomes the subject of a big argument between him and Tariq.
Let’s dive into a recap of the fifth episode in Ghost season four with a few takeaways we have after watching “Ego Death.”
The More Tariq Tries To Be Different, The More He Proves That He’s Just Like Ghost
‘Power Book II: Ghost’ 405 ‘Ego Death’ w/ Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq St. Patrick
It took three and half seasons of Ghost, but Tariq finally admitted that he’s just like his dad. It all changed during a conversation with Brayden, where Tariq finally acknowledge and accepted the similarities between him and Ghost. Despite this realization, Tariq still doesn’t fully see how similar he is to Ghost. Just like his father, Tariq is quite inconsiderate to the needs of loved ones around him, and he can’t seem to prioritize their issues as he does his own.
When Brayden voices his issues during an argument with Tariq, they get brushed aside as Tariq tells him to “take this sh*t on the chin like I do every day.” Later on, Tariq expects Diana to be okay with him being deep in the drug game as they raise their child, as opposed to pretending to be out of it like Ghost did. In each case, Tariq put his needs and desires above Brayden’s and Diana’s without considering how they really feel or how their current respective situations are effecting them. Classic Ghost if you ask me.
Monet Is Taking The Easy Route Toward Rebuilding Her Family
‘Power Book II: Ghost’ 405 ‘Ego Death’ w/ Mary J. Blige as Monet Tejada
Monet nearly lost two more children in episode four of Ghost as both Cane and Tariq were in pursuit of Dru and Diana, respectively, in retaliation for trying to kill Monet and set up Tasha for a death of her own. When Monet learned of Diana’s pregnancy, she immediately called off Cane moments before he would’ve killed Dru and she also convinced Tariq not to do the same to Diana. Now, it’s time to put the family back together, but Monet wants to do it the easy way. The drug game is what tore her family apart, but now, Monet is hoping that it can bring her family back together. Realistically, that is the easy route towards rebuilding the family. All Monet knows is the game, and she’s leaning on that to fix her past mistakes and right her wrongs with the family, but the drug game isn’t a place for nurturing a family. If Monet wants things to be different, she has to take another approach.
Diana Can’t Put Herself First And Make Things Work With Tariq
‘Power Book II: Ghost’ 405 ‘Ego Death’ w/ LaToya Tonodeo as Diana Tejada
Just when it seemed like Diana and Tariq could work things out with their child on the way, Tariq dropped a bomb on Diana but telling her his plans to remain in the game as they raise their child. Diana, traumatized by how her experience with parents’ in the drug game, is set on her keeping her first child as far away from the game as possible. So, she makes it clear to Tariq that his plans won’t work for her and their child. Just like Dru, Diana is set on putting herself first and prioritizing her wants and needs. This means putting herself (and her future child) above the needs of her family for once. In order to do that, Diana can’t compromise for the sake of Tariq. If Tariq can’t make the necessary sacrifices in order to create a safe life for their child, then there’s no point in Diana trying to make things work. We saw how things ended with Ghost as well as with Lorenzo and Dante/Mecca, Diana doesn’t have to be the next to experience it.
Cane Is Mixing Love And Power — A Bad Recipe
‘Power Book II: Ghost’ 405 ‘Ego Death’ w/ Caroline Chikezie as Noma & Woody McClain as Cane Tejada
This season of Ghost has provided a new and interesting love story between Cane and Noma. After the death of Obi, Cane stepped up to fill his role as Noma’s right-hand man as they both developed feelings for each other. For Cane, there are certainly pros and cons to their relationship, as it’s allowed him to gain Noma’s trust and have a more prominent role in her drug operation. On the flip side, mixing love and power has never been a good recipe in the Power Universe. Noma is as ruthless as they get, so not only does Cane have to worry about her possible retaliation if something goes wrong in their operation, but he also has to worry about it as a result of something going wrong in their romance. As the saying goes, don’t sh*t where you eat and it seems like Cane will have to learn this the hard way.
New episodes in ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ season 4 are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST. Season 1-3 of ‘Ghost’ are now streaming on the STARZ app and website.