SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Power Book IV: Force Season 3, Episode 2.

There’s a lot of hate in the world of Power Book IV: Force. That’s a given considering the subject matter. But in Season 3, Episode 2, “A Seat at the Table,” the Starz drama reminds viewers that it’s not all about who’s after who and getting one over on each other. There are relationships that are genuine, too. Some more than others.

The idea of love (both good and bad) runs through the episode. On the good side, there’s Tommy and Mireya, who almost have a cute pizza lunch date before the Marquez cartel tries to kill Tommy. But for the few moments before the drive-by, they’re as adorable as anyone in the Power universe ever gets. And in the aftermath, they’re sweet too: Mireya patches up a wounded Bones in Tommy’s apartment, after which Tommy not only thanks her for doing so, but apologizes for getting her caught up in his feud with the cartel. He displays genuine care not only for her physical safety, but for her feelings, too. Tommy Egan may be a tough guy—yet he also has a heart.

Elsewhere, two back-to-back scenes are in direct contrast. Jennard and Shanti have an emotional moment, in which she tells him that what their personal relationship is just as important as what they’re trying to do. Shanti also confronts Jennard about possibly being back on drugs, and while he isn’t, the embrace they share afterward says a lot. Right after that, though, Stacy meets with Bobby following his decision to serve her with divorce papers. It’s a back-and-forth conversation that is painful in its whiplash. Her opening line is “You know you still love me,” putting the onus on him, before she tearfully tells Bobby how much she needs him, and then when he asks if she’s just trying to reconcile for her new mayoral campaign Stacy can’t answer. There is obviously part of her that is heartbroken—the last shot of Stacy at her desk is likewise worth a thousand words—but putting these two sequences together shows the difference between the relationships. One couple works through their potential issues; the other doesn’t.

Then there’s Claudia Flynn having a tearful conversation with her girlfriend Becky, too. Power Book IV: Force fans are so used to stone cold Claudia that it almost comes as a shock to see her affected, and Lilli Simmons plays the scene wonderfully. All of this is important in the sense that it gives the entire show meaning. Sure, the drive-bys and hold-ups are thrilling, but tough guys (and gals) on TV are a dime a dozen. Being reminded that these characters are three-dimensional people, beyond whatever they’re plotting next, ensures that viewers care and aren’t just keeping score.

That being said, there are two drive-by shootings, a warehouse fire and a beheading in “A Seat at the Table.” Power Book IV: Force is not skimping on the action in its final season. Tommy walking into a Coalition meeting holding up a severed head is probably a Top 10 Tommy Egan moment, and Joseph Sikora sells the daylights out of the accompanying monologue to back up the visual emphatically. This episode states, out loud and repeatedly, how many people believe Tommy is a liability. This isn’t unexpected, even in Season 3—the stage has to be set for Tommy to have one last epic battle, and that means people have to turn against him. The threats don’t stop.

But after setting the stage and re-establishing all the rivalries in the Season 3 premiere, Episode 2 is wise to similarly remind viewers that Power Book IV: Force has more going for it than the drug dealing. From Tommy and Mireya, to Stacy and Bobby, to even Vic reuniting with Beth, there are emotional stakes as well and relationships that audience members can invest in. Some of them are absolutely going to fall apart, and some of these people won’t survive, but Force is like Tommy Egan: it has a lot more layers than it’s given credit for.

Power Book IV: Force airs Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Starz.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.