‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’: Raq Just Made 2 Major Decisions That Could Backfire on Her in the Future
Starz’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a critically acclaimed drama series that showcases the teen years of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis). Set in the ’90s in Queens, New York, Kanan is trying to navigate his teen years while being raised by his drug queenpin mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas’ (Patina Miller). Raq runs her drug enterprise with her brothers, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou Lou (Malcolm Mays).
Though Kanan has always seen Raq as just his mother, he’s learning that she’s willing to lie and deceive to get what she wants, even when it hurts him. As season 2 is coming to a close, Raq has made some questionable choices that are bound to backfire.
Inside Raq’s business plans for the future in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
Amid the Raising Kanan Season 1 finale, when Raq had Kanan attempt to kill Detective Howard (Omar Epps), it was clear how ambitious the queenpin is. However, even Marvin and Lou Lou have reservations about Raq expanding the family business beyond New York, especially as they enter into mob territory.
Despite the naysayers and the warnings to be more cautious, Raq has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. “She’s sort of mapped out what role everyone plays,” Miller told Insider. “Her vision is very, very big. And so she’s about expanding.”
She’s not going to let anyone get in her way. However, Raq’s ferocious desire to win has her making questionable decisions.
Raq made two questionable decisions that could backfire on her
In episode 207, “No Love Lost,” Raq made two questionable choices that could change the trajectory of her life and her business. Though she knows Cartier (Omar J. Dorsey) is interested in her romantically, and she’s also seen his vicious temper first hand, she went behind his back to poach one of his East Coast distributors. This is rather alarming also because of the fact that Lou Lou has just reluctantly brought Cartier in on the family record business.
Additionally, after discovering Symphony (Tony Sandeman) was leaving New York for a job in North Carolina, she chose not to kill him despite knowing many of her secrets. While we think Symphony is loyal to Raq, he could still make her vulnerable in the future.
Not to mention, things between Raq and Kanan have continued to fracture.
Raq is more than just a ruthless queenpin on ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
Still as relentless as Raq is about pursuing her dream, Miller says her character is much more than a ruthless drug queenpin.
“I try to shy away from playing her as a ruthless queenpin,” she told Shondaland. “She is a businesswoman, a CEO. For a Black woman in the 1990s, which is the time the show is set in, she has made this world for herself. She has decided to do something for herself. She’s great with numbers. If she lived in a different time, she would probably be the CEO of a company. She is building her empire, unafraid of going out toe-to-toe to people. She is heard and loud.”
