Power season 5 episode 1 review: The funeral; the escape plan

Redemption is that thing just out of reach for every character on Power, and we certainly saw that reverberating through every moment in season 5 episode 1. This was the episode that dealt with the aftermath of Raina St. Patrick’s death, including a revenge plan that was put in the works in order to take down the person who Ghost felt, in some ways, was truly responsible: Dre.

The way in which the show juxtaposed Raina’s funeral with the plan to stop Dre was the ultimate gut-punch. In between Tariq texting him to run and him almost being caught, this was pure insanity. Dre should’ve been stopped in the midst of his runaway — he was at one point cornered, but still found a way to slither away and arrive to Raina’s grave site at the end. Remember Dre from earlier on in the series’ run? He may have never been a science teacher, but there’s certainly a Walter White quality to the character. He’s risen through the ranks and is clearly now in the empire business. He’s got the Jimenez cartel on his side and with their protection, he thinks that he’s largely untouchable. If someone comes for him, they deal with the harsh aftereffects of that.

Basically, Dre is right now the best Big Bad that the series has arguably ever had, mostly because he’s been built up for so long and he’s highly intelligence. He has fewer weaknesses than a guy like Kanan, someone who at times is blinded by his own grudges and anger. Dre is formidable enough that he’s actually reunited Kanan with Ghost and Tommy as the three are doing everything that they can to take him down.

There were so many different things that proved interesting about seeing these three guys work together, but also something insanely messed-up about Ghost effectively using his daughter’s funeral as a diversion to have a strike on Dre when his guard may be down. It’s no wonder that Tasha is spiraling and still confiding in Silver, who kissed her not long after Raina’s body was buried. (Side note: Tasha’s mother caught the two kissing.)

Moving forward now, there are other questions to ask and things to think about, most notably what is going to happen as Angela Valdes gets dragged deeper into what happened to Ray Ray. Tasha confided in her some of the truth about what happened, which is mostly significant in that Angela is now working proactively to try and protect Tariq on some level. That’s why she did what she did deleted the files and why, in turn, Internal Affairs’ Blanca may be able to land her in some hot water. She’s already hot on her trail.

CarterMatt Verdict

Power is a complicated show of shifting alliances, betrayals, and complicated relationships, and few do it better. This was a premiere as ruthless and yet as emotional as they come. The pieces were put into place for what is almost certain to be an exciting season from here.

Related – Want more news, including a preview for what is coming up next on Power?

Check out the video below for more — also, subscribe to our YouTube for more.

What did you think about Power season 5 episode 1 as a whole? Be sure to share right away in the attached comments below!

Meanwhile, remember that you can like CarterMatt on Facebook to get some other news and information when it comes to the series. That’s where you can also discuss all things Power with other fans of the show. (Photo: Starz.)