‘Power’ Episode 10 Recap: Man Down, Somebody Just Shot Ghost Down
From the opening shot, this episode had a sense of foreboding. This one was all about James/Ghost and the narrow line he’s been walking between multiple worlds. Father, lover, businessman, politician, or criminal—we’ve watched him take steps to protect each of these titles in whatever way he pleases. Isn’t that power?
Moving into tonight’s mid-season finale, some tempers have calmed down, but as always, everyone is plotting to take someone down. But who exactly goes down? Let’s talk about it.
Things start lining up
After leaving Tariq a message requesting a heart-to-heart, James St. Patrick receives a call from Ramona telling him to turn on the TV. According to the morning news, it looks like James is Lorette Walsh’s running mate, and it’s news that momentarily takes his mind off the rift with Tariq.
In another part of town, Saxe is so dedicated to his non-existent job that he sneaks into the FBI office to urge Warner to arrest Ghost. This time he tells him to check the hotel/apartment for evidence that Ghost killed Keisha, but Warner shuts him down by saying he’s got an alibi, and it’s on video. Warner really has no respect for Saxe, and it’s reiterated here.
Ghost then goes to meet with Ramona and Walsh about the campaign announcement, but quickly learns that if he doesn’t secure a space for the Queen’s Child Project, he’s off the ticket. Walsh wants to pander to the community by promoting the QCP and James’ background. No QCP, no lieutenant governor candidacy. He has to get it done by end of day or Tate will replace him.
With that, James/Ghost visits an old place from his youth, and after trying to be secretive, convinces “Uncle Gabe” to sell the building to him to use for the QCP. In this moment, he talks about Raina, and it’s one of a few where “Jamie” gets reflective. Uncle Gabe tells him his father would be proud he came back to the neighborhood to make the place great.
Rodriguez continues to annoy, James sees ghosts of the past
The sergeant goes to see Warner about Ghost and Terry Silver. She runs down her theory about how he killed him and Warner tells her she still wouldn’t have enough for a conviction. She then says she doesn’t want a conviction, just a search warrant. Huh? We don’t understand the point in that and neither does Warner, and he tells her to go for it, and says she’s acting like Saxe.
Off she goes—with Saxe by her side—to press Tate for information on James. Because coercion and lies gets things done on Power, Tate (who doesn’t know Silver’s dead) plays along with Saxe’s lack of ethics and changes his story to ensure James gets in trouble for the murder. Rodriguez warns Saxe about his methods, which is funny because she’s been doing similar dirt.
Elsewhere, James meets up with Simon to obtain the funding for the QCP. Right after that, we see him walking down the street being watched by someone. Who? Back at his hotel, he receives his first ghostly visit for the day from Angela. She tells him he’s free and legit, and to let his crush Ramona see his “pure, good side.” He leaves.
Back at his hotel room, Rodriguez is executing a sneak-and-peek warrant. They take dirt samples from his shoes and she finds the phone Dre planted. But James is happy, because Walsh is announcing his place on her ticket at a community event. He doesn’t see Tommy lurking and slow-clapping in the back of the room, however. Once outside, James is being followed by someone in a Cadillac.
Visits to and from the grave, James almost gets an assist
We finally see the St. Patricks at Raina’s gravesite. James is having a conversation with his daughter when Tasha walks up. They exchange words about his future, and she warns him that he’ll be scrutinized over his past. He says she needs to stop pushing drugs and he’s legit and moving on with Ramona, granting her freedom from their marriage. She looks upset, but he ends the conversation by saying “No one can stop me.” We guess he’s all the way up.
At the FBI office, Rodriguez gets chewed out by Warner over her loose case against Ghost, with him telling her the soil and the phone won’t hold weight with a judge. She is like Saxe.
Tate shows up at Truth to warn James that someone is looking into him and Tariq but changes his mind and doesn’t say a word. James won’t stop being cocky and condescending about his political career, even after Tate says he’s not a sore loser, it’s the nature of the game. Tate leaves angry.
Then Tariq shows up with Dre who threatens to snitch about the whole family. He wants Ghost to give him money so he can flee but wants to be a choosey beggar. Ghost goes in on him the same way he did with Tate, calling him a “wannabe gangster” and a helpless little b****. He tells him to meet him in an hour for the money, then makes a call to have the footage implicating Dre in Jason’s murder sent to the cops. Later, Dre is picked up by the police.
Tommy versus Ghost, Saxe is in trouble
Ghost and Tommy meet up and Tommy says he knows he didn’t kill Keisha, but then brings up the recording from Proctor. They argue about trust issues and how they’ve been doing each other dirty, and Ghost says he’s leaving Tommy behind. No, says Tommy, but Ghost says, “No one can stop me.” Tommy is angry because he has nothing and pulls out a gun. Someone tries to shoot them, and after they split up, Ghost is worried Tommy is done. He’s not, but a shooter is dead.
Saxe is threatened with legal recourse for planting evidence, and Warner discovers he and Rodriguez have been in cahoots the whole time. Tameika, Saxe’s lawyer, encourages Warner not to pursue Saxe so the agency can save face and bag Ghost instead. Saxe is let go.
At the empty penthouse, Tasha and Ghost fight about Tariq and the feds, and she reminds him he said he would take the wrap for killing Ray-Ray. But Ghost thinks Tariq should turn himself in, get probation, and take the heat off the family.
Tasha is not on board with a confession, but Ghost thinks him being in politics will save everything, even the fact that she killed Keisha. He figured it out! She brings up Terry Silver and he denies knowing anything. He’s going to tell Tariq to confess so everyone can stop saving him. Tasha leaves angry and says she never wants to see him again.
This time, the ghost of Raina talks to Ghost about the lies in the family, and says Tariq should pay for his mistake the same way she did. When Ghost and Tariq speak, Tariq is mad his father doesn’t want to do the bid for him. He demands Ghost confess his own crimes, specifically Breeze. Tariq storms out because he doesn’t want to turn himself in and tells Ghost he’s breaking his promise and only looks out for self.
Judge shuts it down, James can’t be stopped, can he?
Warner and Rodriguez attempt to acquire an arrest warrant for James/Ghost, but the judge isn’t having it—even with the phone. Rodriguez informs Tate, Paz (Angela’s sister), and Dre that the case can’t go forward. Using illegal tactics, she loops Dre into saying he witnessed Ghost killing Silver, in return for a reduced sentence. This makes no sense but whatever.
But we have to back up to Ghost making a call to a burner phone (sent with the aid of Vincent) to speak to 2-Bit in jail. He makes him an offer for money and revenge, but viewers don’t get the details of the job. It probably has something to do with taking out Dre.
At Truth, James/Ghost is celebrating his nomination, and Tariq shows up to confirm Ghost wants him to confess. He leaves looking disappointed.
Saxe is home receiving bad news from Tameika; he’s being arrested for his actions. He grabs a gun, looks tearful, and is leading us to think he’s about to take his own life. But no.
Ghost sees one last ghost at Truth in the form of Kanan who reminds him he’s a street dude. While Ghost insists he can trust himself, be legit, and nothing can stop him, Kanan says he can’t be trusted and everyone hates him. Ramona snaps him out of it with her feminine wiles.
This is it. Ghost is shutting down the club, but we see separate shots of everyone moving bitterly in the streets: Dre, Saxe, Tasha, Paz (with a gun), Tariq, Tate, Detective Rodriguez, and Tommy. Where are they going? It’s looks like each of them is on their own path, locked and loaded and headed for Truth.
Ghost turns off the lights, takes one look at the empty floor from Truth’s upper level, and closes his eyes. Rodriguez, who’s outside the club, hears a gunshot. We see James bleeding from a bullet to his heart area, falling slowly, slowly, slowly, to the ground beneath him with his arms outstretched. It looks personal. #WhoShotGhost?
