Do Not Mess With The Women Of ‘Power’

At first glance, Power might appear to be telling the story of an influential man, James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick). But take a closer look and you’ll see it’s the women of this Starz drama that run the show.

Literally. With Courtney A. Kemp holding down showrunner duties, it’s no coincidence that the women of Power are some of the smartest, baddest, fiercest female portrayals on TV today.

At the center is Tasha St. Patrick (Naturi Naughton), Ghost’s wife, mother of his children, and partner in crime. This is a woman who is not only wise with her words, but with her money and her loyalty as well — doling them all out only when absolutely necessary. She knew how to set up a life for herself and her family and she’ll protect that in any way possible. She had to learn a long time ago how to separate what her heart and her mind are saying, and knows which one to listen to in any given scenario — a true talent. In season 4 we’ll see how she passes this down to her daughter Raina (Donshea Hopkins) who has clearly turned out to be the more level-headed of the St. Patrick teens, calling out her brother Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) for his behavior, as the family grapples with their father behind bars.

But don’t get it twisted — Tasha is scrappy when she has to be. Last season found her teaming up with her husband’s partner Tommy (Joseph Sikora) to use her best friend LaKeisha’s (La La Anthony) beauty salon to launder drug money. Oh, and she perhaps forgot to mention it to LaKeisha. But LaKeisha’s no dummy. She does own a business — and she knows when to distance herself from it, and her friend that betrayed her. Season 4 will explore even further what really matters inside and outside of the Tasha-LaKeisha friendship.

For instance, neither woman is a fan of Angela Valdes (Lela Loren), the woman who was Ghost’s girlfriend and had him arrested for a murder he didn’t actually commit. Sure, sometimes it’s hard to root for her, considering she was not only the other woman, but as an AUSA, the one capable of putting the “hero” away. Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that she’s a strong ass woman. Often the only woman in the room at her job, she’s as smart as they come, both in her mind, and eventually, her intuition, and she’s determined as all hell. We’ve seen the loving, nurturing side to her before, but don’t expect a ton of that this season — homegirl is on a mission to prove who killed FBI Agent Greg Knox, her former colleague, and boyfriend.

And those are just the women in Ghost’s life — on the other side of the law sits Jukebox (Anika Noni Rose), a crooked cop aligned with the always up to no good Kanan (Curtis 50 Cent Jackson). Her ability to be deceptive and mischievous never fails to keep audiences on their toes. She might wear the uniform, but we have yet to witness her do the right thing on this show. Essentially, she’s one scary bitch.

One of Power‘s greatest strengths is that is has no time for damsels in distress. These ladies are not to be messed with — they know how to stand up for and protect themselves, they take no shit from anyone, and when it all does down, you’re gonna want them on your side, that’s for sure. Good or bad, wrong or right, each of these women is drenched in conviction: they know what they want and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. And that right there is the definition of Power.

Where to watch Power