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Even years later, Power fans are still bothered by Raina St. Patrick’s death. Almost everyone expected her brother Tariq to be killed for his actions. But nope. The innocent Raina was the one who had to pay for his behavior. Here’s why Raina died instead of Tariq, according to Power creator and showrunner Courtney Kemp.

Michael Rainey Jr. and Donshea Hopkins
Michael Rainey Jr. and Donshea Hopkins at an event together August 2019 in New York City | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for STARZ

A look back at Raina’s death on ‘Power’

Raina’s death came in the fourth season of Power. Tariq had been associating with different criminals and assisting them in robberies throughout New York when one job went wrong and resulted in the death of a homeowner.

Attempting to cover his tracks, Ray Ray decided to kill Tariq. He went searching for him at a school dance, but instead, he stumbled across Raina, who confronted him over her brother. That’s when he shot her, delivering a fatal wound to her chest as Tariq looked on.

To make matters worse, Tariq lied to his parents about the circumstances behind her death, leading them to believe the Jimenez killed her. However, it later came out that Ray Ray was responsible, and Tariq avenged the murder of his sister by killing the dirty cop.

Why Raina died and Tariq lived, according to Courtney Kemp

Speaking on Instagram Live in late 2020, Kemp said there were “lots of reasons” Raina got killed off of the show. But ultimately, she was driven by a writer concept that endings should be both “surprising and inevitable.”

“It was inevitable that someone was going to die because of Tariq’s actions, but the surprising piece was that it was Raina,” she explained.

“Also, with Raina, who honestly was a good person, we just didn’t have as much story to tell. I’m just gonna be honest with you,” Kemp added. “This is the story that I wanted to tell about becoming evil or knowing that evil is inside you.”

Related

‘Power’: Courtney Kemp Responds to Criticism of Tariq’s ‘Unbelievable’ Storyline

What’s next for Tariq?

Now grown and on his own, Tariq is balancing both university and his budding drug business in Power Book II: Ghost, which he started to fund Tasha St. Patrick’s legal defense following her arrest for Ghost’s murder.

Though Tasha has since been released from jail, the Tejada crime family won’t allow Tariq out of their operation. The second season of Power Book II: Ghost is expected to pick up from there.

 “In the second season, Tariq’s journey with the Tejada family will get even more complicated — and more dangerous — as he begins to understand the man he’s going to become,” Kemp previously said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

Oof. Well, stay tuned for Power Book II: Ghost Season 2.

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