‘Power Book II: Ghost’: Michael Rainey Jr. Says His Role Is Very Different Than It Was on ‘Power’
In Power Book II: Ghost, Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) is trying to navigate his life in the aftermath of his father, James “Ghost” St. Patrick’s (Omari Hardwick) death. Over the course of six seasons of Power and two seasons of Ghost, fans have watched Tariq grow, change, and transform.
Rainey says that though his character is the same, his role is very different in Power Book II: Ghost.
Things have gotten very heavy for Tariq in ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Season 2
From the moment he pulled the trigger murdering his father, Tariq has had to deal with a lot. Though his mother Tasha (Naturi Naughton) has been released from prison, she’s been placed in witness protection. Just before his arrest, Tariq won custody of his sister Yasmine, but his arrest changes everything. It also doesn’t help that he’s in bed with the Tejada crime family. It looks like the young gangster could be at the end of his rope.
“Everything is getting so much heavier now,” Rainey told Express. “He doesn’t really have anyone on his side for stuff like this,” the actor continued. “I feel like he’s really dealing with that stuff and it’s just weighing on him and in his mind. I mean, he’s doing a good job dealing with it. You know, he’s staying strong and he’s staying resilient.“
Still the actor was clear that things are weighing on his character. “As a kid, obviously, the stuff is not easy to deal with, he’s definitely dealing with it in PTSD kind of way, for sure,” he explained. “For Tariq it’s obviously not easy for him, navigating throughout the world, doing the school thing, doing the streets and the family man thing. He’s young, figuring everything out and I think he’s doing a pretty good job. Growing up pretty fast and he’s handling things pretty well.”
Michael Rainey Jr. says his role on ‘Ghost’ is very different from ‘Power’
For the actor, himself portraying Tariq in Ghost as opposed to his portrayal in Power is very different. “It’s the same character, but a way different role,” Rainey told News One. “So I was just really reading my scripts, trying to get into that space of Tariq becoming the man of the house now; the man of the show; the man of the new Power universe. To take on that type of responsibility, you need confidence. So I feel like I just had to just get the confidence.”
Will Tariq get out of jail?
Tariq has found himself in the last place he ever wanted to be, prison. He was arrested for the murder of his professor Jabari Reynolds (Justin McManus), which he did commit. However, Cane Tejada (Woody McClain) also framed him for the murder of NYPD Officer Ramirez.
Though the evidence against him isn’t rock solid, Tariq is going to need a lot of money and effort to earn his freedom back.
Episode 206 “What’s Free?” will air on January 9, 2022, following a two-week holiday break. The official description for the midseason premiere reads, “Tariq reflects on where he is in his life and who he can trust. Brayden must decide whether to protect his family or help save Tariq’s. Monet’s faced with a new world order within her own family.”
We’re going to assume that Tariq gets out of prison eventually, but there is no telling how he’s going to do it.
