Power
Starring: Omari Hardwick, Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton, Joseph Sikora, Andy Bean, Adam Huss
Genre: Drama
Created by: Courtney Kemp Agboh
Seasons: 2
Episodes per season: 8-10
Running time: approx. 50 minutes
James St Patrick is just another kid from the streets who made it big by opening up a chain of laundry-marts and more recently a night club called Truth. But James’ alter ego aka Ghost is the New York City drug distributor. Him and his friend Tommy made it all the way from selling drugs on the streets of New York, and are now at the top of the drug ‘food chain’. The legitimate businesses (in which they are partners) provide a way for them to ‘clean’ their money. As a drug dealer you have to find legitimate sources of income so that you don’t fall on the radar of the government, and by opening multiple businesses Tommy and Ghost can clean their money quick. Whilst James is the face of the legitimate business because he is prim and proper; Tommy is the man behind all the dirty work.
Ghost is married to Tasha and they have three children together. Tasha knows all about Ghost’s businesses and in time we see that Ghost relies heavily on Tasha’s advice. Ghost’s world seems to be fairing on well – for a minute – until he runs into his high school flame Angela Valdez. Ghost starts imagining a clean life without all the stress of being a drug dealer and how different his life would be if he was with Angela. Ghost subsequently has an affair with Angela promising her he would leave Tasha. But what Ghost doesn’t know is that Angela is a government agent working to bring down the cartel leader Lobos, who so happens to be Ghost’s employer.
When someone starts attacking his delivery people, Ghost has to keep his dream on hold to try and find out who it is. But when he finds out that his distributors (gangs) are also being attacked, he rallies them together so that they can figure out who has been ordering the hits. He enlists the help of his old friend, Kanan, who is in jail to reach out to his vast networks.
The series portrays some real-life gangster stuff. We are taken in to the worlds of gangs and their rules, and how they are forced to co-exist in the name of making money. But the gangs, though united by a common goal, are not afraid to fight each other. Therefore it is up to the distributor to make sure they all get along so they can move their products quick and silently. Through Kanan, the show illustrates how convicted dealers still run the streets from behind prison walls.
What is magical about the show is that it requires everyone to tap into their wannabe-gangster side. The FBI, the gangs, heck, even the wives are some pretty badass characters! Everyone has some fantasies about being a badass and this is what reels in the viewers because they get to connect with the characters as part of their fantasy alter egos. The show guest stars 50-cent, La-La Anthony and Victor Garber among others. 50 cent is also an Executive Producer and has contributed several songs to the show including the sound track Big Rich town. The show has been renewed for a third season.