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Power Book III: Raising Kanan follows Kanan Stark (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in Power and Mekai Curtis in Kanan) during his teen years in the ’90s. Kanan’s mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller), is a drug queenpin who won’t let anything get in the way of her empire.

Now that the relationship between Raq and Kanan is beginning to fracture, Raq is using her business to try to reconnect with her son.

Patina Miller as Raquel 'Raq' Thomas and Mekai Curtis as Kanan Stark in 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan'
Patina Miller as Raquel ‘Raq’ Thomas and Mekai Curtis as Kanan Stark in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ | Starz

Raq and Kanan are disconnected in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

Things have been tense between Raq and Kanan since she ordered him to kill Detective Malcolm Howard (Omar Epps). Raq told her son that the detective was trying to hurt their family. However, as Kanan is now learning, Raq’s motives are much more personal than that.

“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.”

Raq thinks the family business will reconnect her with her son

Raq is pushing Kanan to be more involved with the family business. She believes it’s their path to reconnect as mother and son.

“In the second season, she’s trying to repair that relationship, but she’s also trying to make that relationship work for her when it comes to her ambition,” Miller told The Hollywood Reporter. “What was so glamorizing for him is being in his mother’s world, and she kept saying no. Now there is this thing of, “I know how I can get him. I’ll seduce him with the idea of being in the family business and at least connect with him,” so she doesn’t all the way lose him — because she is losing him. She’s trying to figure out ways to keep him close to her and keep that bond in whatever way it looks like. Right now, it looks like if I pull him into the business, then maybe we can have the mother-son relationship. Instead, it gets a little hairy and it continues to get hairy as the season goes on.”

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Raq could push Kanan too far on ‘Raising Kanan’

If Raq would have told Kanan the truth about his father, we think their relationship could have been repaired. However, since Kanan is learning the answers through Detective Howard, that will likely drive him further away from Raq.

Some fans even believe that Raq will push her son too far with her lies and ambition. She is already determined that he will take over the business. “You’re getting to an age, Kanan, where you’re going to want to start figuring out what you want for your life, making your mark on this world,” she said in the season 2 opener.

However, Symphony (Toby Sandeman) warned Raq that Kanan might not be up for what it takes to succeed in the drug. “I know who my son is, and I know what he’s capable of,” she responded.

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