SPOILER ALERT: The following story reveals major plot points from the Season 3 premiere of Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost.
Power Book II: Ghost dropped its third season premiere on Friday titled “Your Perception, Your Reality” and as expected, it’s filled with sadness and frustration following the tragic events of last season.
Monet (Mary J. Blige) is really going through it following the murder of her son Zeke (Daniel Bellomy). She’s lost her way and healing can only begin by her avenging his death—an eye for an eye. Being that her husband Lorenzo (Berto Colon) shot down Zeke accidentally in a case of mistaken identity, things are plenty complicated.
In the meantime, Monet is so enveloped in grief that she neither notices the internal struggle going on in the family nor that there’s a new baddie in town named Noma (Caroline Chikezie) who is searching for whoever killed her fiancé Mecca (Daniel Sunjata). As a reminder, Monet killed Mecca, her ex who fathered Zeke.
As the father of Zeke, Mecca’s property transferred to Monet including his penthouse apartment where she sends Cane (Woody McClain) and his brother Dru (Lovell Adams-Gray) to live temporarily while she plots her next move. Guns a blazing, Noma busts into the penthouse where she finds Dru, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.), and Brayden (Gianni Paolo) who are more than willing to sell her product to keep her at bay. Cane and Dru tell their parents about Noma further stressing Monet.
Mary J. Blige as Monet Tejada
“Look, I wanted out but we’re still f***ing here. Now figure this sh** out,” she tells her sons and husband before walking away.
Tariq, Brayden, and Effie (Alix Lapri) are back in business hustling drugs for Noma with Dru also in the mix and they need to expand greatly. Brayden continues to operate under the assumption he killed Lauren (Paige Hurd) but in the final beats of tonight’s episode, she is revealed to still be alive—he couldn’t finish the job. The rich kid might be a lot of things, but he’s been tested multiple times and failed as a killer which will, no doubt, come to bite him in the ass. There’s got to be major blowback when they learn Lauren is alive and under the protection of Jenny Sullivan (Paton Ashbrook).
Speaking of Jenny, she comes face to face with the legendary Blanca Rodriguez (Monique Gabriela Curnen) who comes bearing gifts by way of information. The duo compares notes and agrees to work together to bring the St. James family down. Try, try again, Blanca.
Zeke’s school hosts a memorial for its slain basketball star and it was too much to bear for the grieving mother. She rushes out of the gym crying finding a spot away from prying eyes where Tariq finds her. Not knowing who she can trust, Monet pours her heart out to Tariq and admits he’s the only one she can trust. She asks Tariq to help her find Zeke’s killer because her family has yet to come through.
Berto Colon, Mary J. Blige, Lovell Adams-Gray, and Woody McClain
Deadline caught up with Mary J. Blige ahead of the show’s return to discuss what’s ahead from Monet this season.
DEADLINE: Monet is going through a lot this season, what can you tease about where she is when we reconnect with her?
MARY J. BLIGE: She’s definitely in a place of mourning, she’s mourning her son, and she’s also sad and pissed off about the fact that he was her exit strategy, and now he’s gone—someone took that away from her. So she’s in a place where she needs answers, someone’s gonna pay and she doesn’t trust anyone; everybody’s a suspect. She doesn’t want anybody to see her like that but she can’t help but grieve her baby.
DEADLINE: There’s a scene at Zeke’s school where Monet connects with Tariq and she puts some of her trust in him. Is that a case of “the enemy you know is better than the one you don’t?”
BLIGE: She doesn’t really trust Tariq either but she trusts Tariq to be Tariq and he is going to get her some answers even if he has to stab somebody in the back. So she trusts that about him because that’s the kind of relationship they have. He doesn’t really trust her either.
DEADLINE: Noma is new in town and also looking for revenge catching Monet at a low point, will there be a showdown?
BLIGE: [Laughs] Oh, there definitely is but remember that Monet is so smart. She is a strategist and she’s not out there chopping. She’s trying to figure out where it’s coming from. She’s only going to murder someone once she knows for sure who it is. And she’s going to look at certain things as a benefit to her and figure out how to finesse and rock them on the sneak to get them on our team. Remember that…
DEADLINE: How’s Monet’s relationship with Whitman [Jeff Hephner] this season?
BLIGE: [Laughs] I can’t even tell you because so much of it… Whitman is just a nosey person who is barking up the wrong tree—he doesn’t want to mess with Monet. He shouldn’t do that. She’s trying to warn him telling him she can’t give him any more.
DEADLINE: Whitman has been like a cat with nine lives and it appears his luck may be running out.
BLIGE: [Laughs]
DEADLINE: It’s been great seeing Davis [Method Man] navigating the world outside of the courtroom and interacting more with Monet. What can you tease about their dealings?
BLIGE: So Monet and Davis team up which is fun and interesting because Davis always has some information for Monet. [And on a personal note,] just seeing my friend on set is just all fun and all laughs. When they yell “cut,” we’re always laughing about something.
DEADLINE: Can we have another Mary J Blige/Method Man collab, please? Maybe something for the show?
BLIGE: Listen, as soon as they say yes, we’re gonna go in and do it.
