‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’: Raq Will Do Whatever It Takes to Keep Kanan on Her Side
Set in the ’90s, Power Book III: Raising Kanan follows 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 drug queenpin riding the wave to the top. Raq’s brothers, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou Lou (Malcolm Mays), work under her, but even they have become weary of her ambitions.
In season 2, Kanan is beginning to see his mother for who she truly is. However, Raq will do whatever it takes to keep Kanan on her side.
Kanan and Raq’s relationship is beginning to fracture in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Season 2
Raq and Kanan have always been extremely close. However, their bond is beginning to crack. As Kanan was indoctrinated in his mother’s business, things changed drastically after he learned about her getting D-Wiz killed. He was pushed further to the edge when Raq ordered him to kill Detective Malcolm Howard (Omar Epps).
“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 will do whatever it takes to keep Kanan on her side
Though Kanan is beginning to get suspicious about Detective Howard as he unpacks the full scope of who his father is, Raq isn’t about to loosen the reins on her son anytime soon. “[Kanan and Raq’s] relationship has been completely damaged from the actions that she took, so there are a lot of consequences to that,” Miller told PopSugar. “Raq is trying to find some sort of ground with Kanan because she knows that maybe she shouldn’t have done what she did, so she’s having to deal with that while also trying to deal with the threat of Howard not being dead and what that means for her and the safety of her business, herself, and her bond with her son.”
Losing Kanan simply isn’t an option for Raq. She will “fight to tooth and nail to make sure her son is aligned with her.” Miller said. “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.”
Raq could push Kanan too far in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Season 2
Despite Raq’s efforts to keep her son’s questions at bay, she will likely push him too far. In the season 2 premiere, she spoke with her on-again, off-again lover Symphony (Tobey Sandeman) about Kanan’s mental health. Though Symphony tried to warn Raq about Kanan, she shut him down. “I know who my son is, and I know what he’s capable of,” she told him.
In the season 2 trailer, the mother/son duo can be seen burying a body. Kanan has already expressed to his mother that he doesn’t feel like he’s cut out for a role in her drug organization. He’s already reeling from shooting Detective Howard. We think burying a body will push Kanan over the edge.
