‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Episode 8 Recap: Tariq Mixes Pleasure With Business and Jabari Plays With Fire
At the end of episode 7 of Power Book II: Ghost, Cane’s hatred of Tariq intensified and Tariq started keeping more secrets from Brayden. Will it backfire?
In what fans are already calling the best episode of the season, the Dec. 20 installment is a game of cat and mouse with a side of double talk. It feels like the OG Power. The professor gets slicker, Tariq grows up in front of the audience’s eyes, and 2-Bit gets real gangster. Here’s a recap.
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Power Book II: Ghost, episode 8, “Family First”]
Tariq has to think fast, 2-Bit plots
It’s Homecoming week at Stansfield and parents are on campus. Tariq shows Brayden their new supply even though it’s low. Brayden worries they’ll miss out on profits by not having enough product during such a busy time. He wants to sell coke, but Tariq isn’t with it.
Tariq walks into class and sees all the parents, but clearly his aren’t there. The professor goes into a lesson about the Invisible Man book. Tariq talks about truth, trust, and honesty when called on.
After class, Tariq gives Jabari his extra credit assignment. Jabari then asks about Tariq’s comments in class and assures him he can trust him. Tariq points out that no one can be trusted and it’s in the novel.
2-Bit makes a brief appearance to visit Spanky’s mom, and he tells her he’ll look out for her. He lies about being involved with his death and hands her some cash.
Zeke visits Carrie in her office to share that he’s nervous about the scouts coming to the game. He wants to go pro so his family can stop “doing what they’re doing.” Because they’re at school, she gives him a quick pep talk and tells him she’ll call him.
Tariq bumps into Lauren and her parents and she invites him to lunch. He darts to his room to grab something and Lauren brings up the other night. Effie knocks on the door and Tariq isn’t happy to see her. Lauren and Effie have a snappy exchange, and salty Lauren leaves.
Effie wants to sell coke on campus and split the money. He tells her he doesn’t trust her and kicks her out the room.
2-Bit is on campus and randomly runs into Lauren. He asks for directions to the freshman dorm and she tells him he looks too young to be a parent and asks who he’s looking for. “My little cousin Tariq.” After directing him, 2-Bit says not to tell Tariq; it’s a surprise.
Jabari meets his agent and dude is crazy about the story. He wants to know how the saga of the drug dealing family ends so he can sell it to a publisher. Jabari feels pressure to finish.
2-Bit knocks on Tariq’s door and yokes him up. Tariq thinks it’s one of Davis’s goons, but 2-Bit tells him Ghost owes him and now the debt belongs to him. He whips out a gun and demands $24,000 in 24 hours. We love 2-Bit and know this is a real threat.
Tariq meets up with the lawyer overseeing his trust fund to ask for an advance. It’s a no, but viewers learn he’s keeping track of Tariq’s grades.
Tariq calls Tasha and learns there is no hidden cash around the city, so he asks for advice on trusting a girl who’s done him dirty in the past. Tasha advises him to flip the script and make her trust him.
Jabari is out of pocket
Jabari reads Tariq’s paper where he writes about a girl who’s responsible for getting him into Canonical Studies and who has a square boyfriend. Jabari thinks Tariq is referring to Carrie and in a fit of rage, snaps his pencil.
Tariq and Effie meet about business. She’s suspicious but he explains he needs funds for his mom. He also points out her past foulness, but she notes it was all business and she’s had to do things out of necessity.
“We’re the same,” she says. They kiss, grab a condom, and get down in bed — but it’s not shown on camera because many fans aren’t ready to see Tariq that way.
It’s evening time and Jabari decides to stalk Tariq from campus to a motel. Tariq meets up with Dru to talk shop. Jabari overhears and notes Course Correct in their conversation. He almost texts Carrie a warning about Tariq but changes his mind.
The next morning, Effie and Tariq link up and he gives her the rundown on how to sell on campus. He wisely leaves out the information about the app. She’s under the impression he’s not selling at all.
Brayden is at lunch with his family and learns his siblings have been getting coke at school. He’s wants to find the supplier. Back at the office, Jabari researches Tariq’s family.
Cane goes rogue and it backfires
Cane is at GTG’s hideout arranging a hit on Tariq. The kid is disguised in face paint for the Homecoming basketball game and Cane and Lil Guap hand him a shank.
Elsewhere, Tariq and Effie count money and make plans to meet up after the game.
Zeke sees Carrie on campus and she asks how he’s feeling about the game. Monet walks up as they’re chatting. She wants to know if it’s the teacher who put him on probation.
Monet is peeping their energy and looks suspicious. Carrie leaves and Monet gifts him with a Rolex, but warns him not to mess things up.
Brayden finds Tariq, wanting to find out who’s selling coke on campus. Tariq pretends to be clueless and says they’re sticking to pills and weed.
It’s game time and the Tejadas are in the stands. Tariq is in the lobby waiting for 2-Bit and the hitter walks in. Tariq spots the kid watching him and is wary.
He sits for minute with the Tejadas. After 2-Bit texts him to say he’s in the front, he asks the Tejadas if they want any concession snacks. Only Diana and Cane make a request.
Tariq rolls out to meet 2-Bit and notices the hitter following him, so he takes off and runs to the pool, texting 2-Bit to catch him there. Tariq and the kid get into a scuffle and Tariq almost gets stabbed until 2-Bit comes in.
He hits the guy with a pole and then drowns him, explaining to Tariq they have to finish the job. Tariq grabs dude’s phone and sees a text asking if he’s dead. 2-Bit takes a picture of their dead hitter and sends it. Whoop!
Now, 2-Bit demands more money from Tariq for saving his life. The price is $50,000 next time. Rattled but calm, Tariq returns to his seat and hands Diana her water.
Cane is surprised pissed that Tariq is back and didn’t grab his snack too, but gets more pissed when he receives a text from Lil Guap letting him know the hit went left and he’s next.
Cane steps out to make a call to the hitter’s phone. Tariq answers and Cane makes a “Whoever this is” threat. Now Tariq is paranoid the Tejadas are after him.
The scene cuts to Effie who angrily leaves Tariq’s dorm and runs into Brayden. She has an attitude and assumes Tariq’s with Lauren. When Brayden’s sister walks up, she greets Effie and asks for more white stuff.
Effie tells her to ask Brayden’s BFF. Ah, Brayden learns Tariq is selling coke, and Effie leaves because he stood her up.
Dru bucks up when stuff hits the fan
Zeke and Everett party at the club with their teammates. Dru calls Zeke and meets up with them. Dru and Everett have a tense conversation about coming out. Everyone leaves and GTG is waiting for them around the corner.
Lil Guap knocks Zeke to the ground and has his gun aimed at his knee. Dru tries to offer him a new deal to get back in the game. Lil Guap insults his sexuality and also inadvertently tells on Cane.
Dru goes off and beats the brakes off Lil Guap then puts the gun in his face. He doesn’t shoot but Everett and Zeke are traumatized and run away.
At home, Monet angrily goes off on Dru for putting Zeke in harm’s way. He’s their ticket out of the game.
Dru tracks down Cane at his girl’s house and tells him about how his plot messed the whole family up. Cane blames his mom for whole thing with GTG but also reveals Lorenzo beat him up.
Dru says Monet doesn’t know Cane is involved and tells him to wipe out GTG. Cane agrees. Meanwhile, Tariq calls Tasha and tells her about the attempted hit. She’s hot and reaches out to Lorenzo.
She goes into Mama Bear mode and goes off about the hit, which Lorenzo doesn’t know about. Tariq and Tasha think Monet is behind it and she threatens the Tejadas.
Dru finds Monet at home on the phone with Lorenzo and she puts all the pieces together with GTG, Tariq, and Cane. She knows about the body at school too. She praises Dru for taking the fall for Cane and informs him that Cane is exiled from the family after he takes out GTG.
In another scene, Cane kills two GTG goons and strikes a deal with Lil Guap. He goes home and Diana tells him he’s been booted from the family. She gives him a roll of cash and advises him to leave the city. He looks up in the window and sees Monet looking down on him. He spits on the ground.
Back at the dorm, Brayden confronts Tariq about the coke and they argue about business and the girls. Brayden is over it. Tariq calls Effie, unaware that she’s mad at him and ignoring his calls.
Jabari continues to plagiarize Tariq’s paper, but he also decides to download the Course Correct app. His nosiness may get him killed.
Tariq and Monet meet at the waterfront and he lets her know he’s not dealing with them because of the hit. She admits Cane did it behind her back. But Monet doesn’t want Tasha calling Lorenzo again and instructs Tariq not to go after Cane. However, if Cane comes for him, it is what it is.
They’re back to mutual distrust and business, and 2-Bit texts Tariq for his next payment. In the next episode, Cane is set to body more adversaries. Tune in for episode of Power Book II: Ghost on Dec. 27.
