(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be found below.)
The first episode of season two of Power Book III: Raising Kanan set the scene for things going forward. Kanan is back home after spending the summer away from Queens following his murder attempt on Detective Howard. Raq wants to expand the drug operation to New Jersey and Lou-Lou wants to build his record label upward — he’s even found a new artist that he thinks can help him do that. Marvin is still at odds with his daughter Jukebox and Jukebox herself is numb to the world after losing her first love.
In episode two, each of the main characters are introduced to obstacles that will certainly test their abilities to persevere. Detective Howard, who remembers Kanan shooting him despite telling people otherwise, informs Raq that he will tell Kanan that he’s his father. This leaves Raq scrambling in search of a solution on how to deal with the matter. Lou-Lou is granted a unique chance to prove himself with his record label thanks to a new opportunity that forces him to bet on himself. Marvin must endure anger management classes despite every bone in his body going against it. Jukebox discovers where her estranged mother is living and is left to decide whether to approach her. Famous has to jumpstart his rap career to support himself after his mother kicks him out of the house.
Here are some of the biggest questions we had after the second episode of season two:
Will Raq Be Able To Stop Detective Howard From Unveiling The Truth?
Episode one ends with the assumption that Detective Howard remembers Kanan shooting him based on his actions. This week, he confirms it during a conversation with Raq. It’s during this same conversation that he reveals plans to tell Kanan that he is his father after a paternity test confirmed it. It’s well-known that Raq wants to do everything in her power to make sure that Kanan doesn’t find out who his real father is, but how far will she go? She tried to have Howard killed and that didn’t work. She’s moved on to warning Kanan about some “crazy ass nonsense” that Howard may say, but that will only do so much. It’s going to take a lot more work and effort to hide this information, especially with Howard approaching the world as confident as ever thanks to a new lease on life.
How Does Marvin’s Anger Management Class End?
At the end of season one, Marvin gets arrested for an outstanding drug warrant. However, in the season two premiere, we learn that most of his charges are thrown out because the woman who snitched on him did not show up in court. Still, he’s left with a charge for possession of marijuana, and as a result, he’s ordered to do community service or an anger management class to avoid jail time. Marvin is told by his lawyer that the anger management class will be a breeze, so he chooses that option as the easy way out. However, it turns out to be the complete opposite. A woman named Renée leads the class, and she’s determined to have Marvin participate to the fullest extent in the class, despite his extreme desire to do less than the bare minimum. Push will come to shove and Marvin or Renée will have to let the other have their way, and from the looks of it, it seems like Renée will win this battle.
Can Unique Bounce Back?
Raq framed him for attempted murder, but Unique (played by Joey Badass) was successfully able to beat the charge thanks to a lack of evidence. However, the damage has already been done as he returns to Queens with nothing to call his own. His drug connect no longer wishes to work with him, his former partner moved on to work with Raq, and his main base has been completely ransacked. Unique quite literally has nothing, but with a child and their mother to support, he’s determined to find a way to win. Despite some telling him to seek a fresh start elsewhere, Unique is set on making a comeback in Queens. He’s driven by rage and an overflowing motivation to win, which could serve him well or lead to his own demise — especially with Raq and her crew standing in his way.
Who’s To Blame For Famous’ Failing Rap Career?
Famous’ rap career is not going as well as he planned. With his sister Jessica playing his manager while Lou-Lou stands as his record label more or less, the trio points a finger at each other to blame for Famous’ failures. Lou-Lou cites Famous’ lack of skill and motivation while Jessica points to Lou-Lou’s refusal to give Famous a fair chance while also blaming Famous for not working hard enough. Famous himself believes that Jessica is not doing her part in helping him reach success. The fact of the matter is that everyone could do more to help the situation. Now, with Famous homeless essentially and Jessica on to bigger things in Los Angeles, Famous has no time to blame anyone else for his minimal success as a fruitful rap career is something he needs now more than ever.
Is Jukebox Really Ready To Meet Her Mother?
In the first half of episode two, Jukebox asks Raq about her estranged mother who is Raq’s sister. After a conversation that involved Jukebox learning a little about her mother and why she left her at a young age, Jukebox sets out to find her. With help from Detective Burke, she learns that her mother is back in New York after some time out of the state. She even spots her mother at the address that Burke gave her. Jukebox is certainly a woman who goes after everything she wants, but the depth of this situation is one that has her a bit hesitant to attack it. Attempting to reconnect with her mother will require a level of vulnerability she may not be ready to give, in addition to the risk that her mother may reject her. However, running from the situation will leave her questions unanswered for the foreseeable future.
How Will Scrappy’s Death Affect The Group Going Forward?
Scrappy’s gambling itch landed him in hot water as he was picked up in a police raid during a game of poker in episode one. He’s then interrogated for the situation and it’s incorrectly relayed as him snitching to the police by Detective Howard to Raq. Despite him being a longtime worker of theirs, Raq makes the rash decision to kill him to protect the operation. This choice is objected to by Lou-Lou while Marvin is unsure that it should go down this way. Nonetheless, Raq pulls the trigger on Scrappy and kills him as Marvin wipes away a tear and Lou-Lou walks away as he’s too torn to watch. Scrappy’s murder is painted as the best decision for the business, but the logic of it all doesn’t seem to trump the emotions behind it. If and when the truth about Scrappy’s last days comes out, there’s no doubt that it will cause problems within the trio’s dynamic. We’ll just have to wait for the next episodes to learn how it plays out.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ are available to watch on Sundays at 12:00am EST.