‘Power’ season 3, episode 1 review: Jamie faces a different kind of ghost
“Power” is a story that is in many ways complicated, but at the same time you could argue that it’s rather simple. If you want to be out, why not just get out? There’s always going to be another loose end, or another demon ready to lure you back into your painful past.
Through Sunday night’s premiere episode on Starz, that demon for James St. Patrick was none other than Lobos. The moment that Angela unveiled to him in the closing minutes that Lobos was still alive, suddenly that spirit rose from the ash. No longer was he just Jamie anymore; Ghost was born again, and he made that clear in his call over to Tommy. He may trust Angela to a certain extent, at least in that she doesn’t want him dead; however, he recognizes that the police are not always on the forefront of knowing who knows what, and what they’re going to do in order to get what they want.
For him, it’s just not worth the risk. What he doesn’t quite realize is that in Tommy, he is looking at someone unhinged, who is trying to prove himself as a worthy crime boss in his own right. He’s certainly more of a risk-taker than Ghost ever was, showing his face and keeping up with someone in Holly he doesn’t quite trust. The scene with the dog is just about as horrifying as anything we’ve seen on the show to date, but that’s just because of our own personal feelings about dead animals (even fake ones) on TV. For Tommy, there’s another mystery now present, and another reason to be full of rage over his present circumstances.
These main stories were nothing short of fantastic, and they help to make up for our anticipation for some other elements, whether it be the wait for Kanan or the simmering story between Tasha and Angela. She’s taking the death of Shawn hard, but kudos to her for being upfront that he wasn’t coming back rather than trying to gloss over the story. She and Jamie in the same room provided endless discomfort, even if he was trying to prove he is on the straight and narrow.
Moving forward, many of the big questions now have to do with Lobos. For example, is he going to find a way to pull strings even as a John Doe for a case? Will Tommy act out on his wishes? Also, you really have to put trust in the PD to do their jobs effectively here, and as talented as many of them are, there’s reason to have doubts when you consider what they’re up against.
Our frustrations for the premiere come mostly out of not getting enough from the police storyline, but even still, it’s a minor quibble given everything else that “Power” brought in the premiere: Tremendous performances, a strong script that paid off several cliffhangers, and also a legitimate reason for James to put on that mask once more. We just have to wonder if he’ll ever take it off now. Episode Grade: A-.