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Power Book III: Raising Kanan centers on the teen years of Kanan Stark (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in Power and Mekai Curtis in Kanan). Kanan’s mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller) is a ruthless drug queenpin whose ambitions have gotten the best of her. Raq runs her business with her brothers, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou Lou (Malcolm Mays).

Now, as season 2 is coming to a close, things are coming to a head. Here’s what we know about episode 209.

Joey Bada$$ as Unique wearing an orange outfit sitting in a chair in 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan'
Joey Bada$$ as Unique in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ | Myles Aronowitz/Starz

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Season 2 is exploring nature vs. nurture

Though we are only two seasons into Raising Kanan, we can already see Kanan slowly transforming into the volatile gangster that we met in Power. However, as we’ve seen, it didn’t have to be that way. Had his mother made a bigger effort to keep him out of the family business, he would have likely become a different man.

In fact, one of the major themes of Raising Kanan is nature vs. nurture. “[Nature vs. nurture] is fundamental to the story and the tension. I think that’s the question we all sort of ask ourselves as human beings but also as parents,” show creator Sascha Penn told The Koalition. “I think that’s really part of Raquel’s journey. ‘These choices I’m making not just for myself but for my son, what are they going to do to him?’ We know the answer to that, we know that at least they’re going to contribute in some way to whom [Kanan] becomes.”

Before the season ends, Kanan will likely take an even darker turn.

Inside Season 2, Episode 9

In episode 208, “A House Is Not A Home,” Raq and Kanan’s relationship appeared to reach a breaking point, and Marvin’s mishap set off a war between the Thomas family and the Newark mob. Moreover, Jukebox’s (Hailey Kilgore) tenuous relationship with her mother, Kenya (LeToya Luckett), imploded.

Episode 209, “Anti-Trust,” is set to air on Oct. 16. The official description reads, “With his living situation threatened, a desperate Famous reaches out to Lou as a last-ditch effort to make ends meet. Raq receives a new business proposal and must eliminate a threat. Burke closes in on what really happened in Baisley Park when an unexpected and potentially unreliable witness comes forward with new information. Marvin and Jukebox mend fences.”

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Kanan and Raq’s relationship may be damaged forever in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ 

From the beginning of this season, when Detective Howard (Omar Epps) told Kanan that he was his father, the teen has been looking toward his mother for the truth. However, Raq seems steadfast in holding on to her lies.

Now, as the truth is bubbling to the surface, their relationship could be damaged forever. “I think the foundation of Kanan and Raq’s relationship has been broken, at this point,” Curtis told PopSugar. “There’s definitely been a trust and a boundary on both sides that’s been crossed. It’s just really interesting seeing how they deal with the constant back-and-forth of ‘blood is thicker than water, but I still can’t forget this.’ I can’t wait to see how it all comes together, because it really comes to a boiling point — just the edginess and the intensity that’s there.”

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