Saying Goodbye To Power

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Power may never end, but we still need to say goodbye.

They can craft spinoff after spinoff, which hopefully the audience devours, but it will never quite be the same as the original.

And that’s okay because nothing ever is.

Facing Out - Power Season 6 Episode 1

The legacy of Power will always be its fascinating and rich storytelling that was never more evident than during the earlier days of the series.

We’ve seen shows that centered around the drug business and different law enforcement entities, but Power never felt like a re-tread of any past series. It always felt fresh and original.

That had everything to do with the colorful writing and the extraordinary cast.

When the series premiered, Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton, Joseph Sikora, and Lela Loren weren’t household names, but they, along with an amazingly talented supporting cast, pushed this series to what it ultimately became.

A Spiritual Awakening - Power

Ghost was an extremely tricky lead because he was such a flawed character from the very start. But Omari played him brilliantly, and it couldn’t have been an easy job because he was three completely different characters at one point.

James, Jamie, and Ghost were different facets of the same man, and it wasn’t until nearly the end of Power's run that all of those personalities subsequently merged into one.

Shows with no discernible “good” guy can be a challenge because viewers have no one to relate to.

It felt different with Ghost and Tommy because even though you recognized they weren’t right, you were still clamoring to see where things went next.

Stone Cold Tommy - Power Season 6 Episode 14

That is exactly what you want from a show week in and week out.

Tommy, and Joseph Sikora’s performance, were lauded from the start. And if there’s a true fan-favorite of the cast it has to be Tommy.

What you saw was what you got with Tommy, but he never felt like a one-note character. Beneath the bloodthirsty drug pusher was a broken man from a broken home who found the family he longed for with the St. Patricks.

The ups and downs were plentiful, but Ghost and Tommy’s friendship was ultimately the heart and soul of the series.

Walking Away - Power Season 6 Episode 1

Whether friends or enemies, it was a constant in a world that was constantly changing.

After the first two seasons, Power became a phenomenon and a bonafide hit. So much so, that Starz moved the series from a Saturday night affair to uber-popular Sunday night.

Every week, Twitter was ablaze with theories and commentary that always had the show trending.

The popularity explosion came at the perfect time, as people were introduced to Power when it was truly hitting its stride. Power Season 2 was the series' best, and the word of mouth of that season propelled the series forward.

One of its biggest strengths throughout its six-season run was its ability to integrate characters (as well as eliminate them) in a way that never hurt the viability of the show.

Season 2 saw major characters perish, and the show never skipped a beat. They also continued to add new characters that played pivotal roles but never took anything away from the original pieces.

Shawn was a major player from the beginning, and while he was perhaps not the most intriguing of characters, his death in Power Season 2 Episode 9 was a big turning point, as it showed the audience that no one was safe.

And it also started the revolving door of main characters.

Proctor Backed Up - Power Season 6 Episode 1

Some had staying power over the years (think: Proctor, Dre, Saxe), and some played a significant role for a season or two and then were faded out (think: Sandoval, Teresi, Mak).

But the creativity never suffered from the many cast changes. Power kept on trucking along and only got more and more popular.

When you evaluate the series in totality, it becomes fairly evident that there was a plan in place from the beginning.

Someone like Holly served a major purpose in pushing Tommy towards the person he would ultimately become. She pushed Tommy into finding his place in the world without Ghost.

Ready To Strike - Power Season 5 Episode 10

So while her character was infuriating, she ended up being an important part of the overall landscape.

Then there’s Tariq, who started the series as an innocent child and background player. And as the years rolled on, he became just as essential as Ghost and Tommy.

It was hard to adjust to that switch and his presence. And along with Dre and Kanan, it sparked a sort of change in the way I viewed Power. Suddenly, I was rooting for people to be dealt with instead of rooting for characters to succeed.

There was a time when you could, at the very least, view Ghost and Tommy as antiheroes and engage with them in that way, but towards the later seasons, you couldn’t even find that.

Father & Son - Power Season 6 Episode 1

Power never lost its entertainment factor, but it became harder and harder to find any kind of connection with the leads, especially the core four.

A few major deaths would liven things up for a bit, but it felt like somewhere along the way the show lost its way.

Kanan's treachery, Dre's duplicity, Ghost versus Tommy, and Ghost and Angela's continued back-and-forth romance began to feel stale. It became more 'been there, done that' and less fresh.

And it was just unable to recapture that early magic it once had when it was a must-see watch on a Saturday night in the summer.

Man In The Mirror - Power Season 6 Episode 4

But having said all that, Power will still go down as one of the most popular series Starz will ever see.

In an era where there is more television than ever before, it takes A LOT to make a lasting impression on a viewer. And Power always made us feel something.

We were often mad at Angela, but we wanted to see how she would outsmart all the men at the bureau who were angling to take her down.

We were excited to see Tasha forge her path, but disappointed at times by the way she went about it.

A Tense Encounter - Power Season 5 Episode 10

Every single episode was a rollercoaster of emotions. And isn’t that the mark of a successful series?

From the opening frames of a sprawling New York City to the closing frame of Tariq James St. Patrick's nameplate, Power leaves a legacy that cannot be ignored.

So, we say thank you Power for giving us this big, rich town for all those years.

We’ll see you again real soon.

Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.

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Power Quotes

Tasha: You okay, Ghost?
Ghost: I'll be better as soon as I find Tommy.

Be right there, Ghost. You wait for me right there.

Tommy