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Power Book III: Raising Kanan follows the teen years of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis). The drama series showcases the deep bond he shares with his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller), who just happens to be a drug queepin. Over the course of season 1, the mother/son bond began to fracture over secrets and lies.

Kanan has learned that Detective Malcolm Howard (Omar Epps) is his biological father. However, Raq will never let the men connect.

Patina Miller as Raquel Raq Thomas wearing a grey sweater and holding a glass of wine in 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Patina Miller as Raquel Raq Thomas in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ | Starz

Detective Howard is Kanan’s biological father in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

Kanan had always been told that his father was the late gangster Def-Con Stark. Therefore, fans were floored when it was revealed that Raq was just Def Con’s beard and that Kanan’s biological father was Detective Howard. After Howard put the pieces together and confronted Raq, she ordered Kanan to kill the detective. Howard, the murder attempt was unsuccessful.

“You’re actually going to get to see a little bit of how [Detective Howard] really struggles with what to do in this situation and how he feels about his relationship [with Kanan],” Curtis told PopSugar. “It’s going to be a lot. There’s going to be a lot of emotions thrown up in the air.”

Raq will never let Kanan get close to Detective Howard

Though Detective Howard has told Kanan the truth about their connection, Raq continues to deny it. However, as she saw in episode 204, “Pay The Toll,” Kanan will seek answers for himself. The official description for episode 205, “What Happens in the Catskills,” proves the lengths that Raq will go to in order to keep her son close.

“Raq focuses on mother-son bonding with Kanan in the Catskills, but they’re interrupted when business follows them,” it reads.

Miller has also explained that Raq won’t just accept Howard inserting himself into Kanan’s life. “Raq will fight to tooth and nail to make sure her son is aligned with her,” she told PopSugar. “If she’s got to plot him with being a soldier in the business and do sort of all the things that she does, you’re going to watch her go through these different methods of getting her son back.”

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Kanan and Raq’s relationship could be broken forever in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

As close as Raq and Kanan have been, the teen is starting to see a different side of his mother. He was shocked to discover she ordered D-Wiz’s death. Moreover, he has not gotten over shooting Detective Howard at her command.

“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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