‘Power’ Recap – Season 5, Ep. 5: Happy Birthday - Page 3
Source: Starz / Starz
Angela continues to feel the heat from her superiors, and Kana goes on a rampage. Kendrick Lamar’s guest appearance and more highlights make this another classic episode of Power.
The episode begins with Vincent getting his retribution for Tommy’s lies about having no more drug game problems. He forces Teresi to pull the trigger against Sammy or Tommy, otherwise everyone dies. Teresi chooses Sammy but the gun is empty. Vincent accepts them as family but excommunicates the trio from the family business. Teresi explains to Sammy that he knew the gun wasn’t loaded, but needs to roll on Tommy soon or make some cash in the process, since they’re now out of work. Tommy doesn’t believe Dre was behind the drive-by and needs a new connect now that the Italians are out of the picture.
Kanan continues to create chaos between Tommy and Ghost and within Dre’s new organization. He suggests hitting the Tainos to cause a further rift between Dre and Cristobal, but Tommy isn’t with it. So Kanan conducts his own hit campaign against the Tainos with an unlikely ally. Kendrick Lamar makes his guest appearance as the neighborhood woke dopefiend Laces. In the most memorable Power guest appearance in series history, Laces approaches Kanan selling gift cards and a bike for $20 (a steal, btw). When Kanan refuses, Laces mentions how the Spanish dudes in the neighborhood didn’t want to see them prosper. Kanan’s wheels start turning, and with Laces providing diversions, murders members of the Tainos. Kanan x Laces is the heist film I didn’t know I needed until now.
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Photo: Starz
Source: Starz / Starz
Cristobal suspects 2-Bit and possibly Dre behind the murders which causes tension between them. It also causes Diego to question Dre about his absense from the club. Dre tells Diego that Ghost and Tommy must be behind his recent imprisonment and the slain Taions. So Diego being the loose cannon he is, decides it’s time they take care of their enemies once and for all without Alicia knowing anthing.
Tasha meets Silver to order Tariq’s birthday cake for the dinner. Silver is still trying to charm Tasha out of the hotel and into his house, but Tasha resists. During the dinner, Ghost is a no-show and doesn’t pick-up the cake while Tariq and Tasha text their problematic confidants: Kanan and Silver. Small talk about Tariq’s Choate experience lead Tommy to let Tariq drive his car as a birthday present. During the ride, Tommy compels Tariq to confess to snitching in order to save Dre’s life. Tommy explains the reasons why they wanted him dead, while Tariq saved his life because Dre delivered Ray Ray. With no Cake, Silver capes to the rescue and brings the cake to the party. The NYPD also crashes the party to ask for Tasha’s gun as part of the “ongoing investigation”. Silver goes into lawyer mode to protect Tasha, while Tasha informs Detective Leary she reported the gun as stolen. Silver doesn’t believe Tasha and wants the truth. Tasha lies and “admits” to killing Ray Ray, but Silver doesn’t believe her. Silver advises her to pick a side and let him know because if she protects Ghost, she’s headed to prison. Tariq tries to console his mom with no luck, which makes him wonder out loud whether Tasha would’ve preferred to lose him over Raina that night.
The Jimenez case is all but over since the DOJ pulled rank. Angela wants to keep going but politics prevents her from moving forward. Angela finds out from Tameika that Make and Saxe are running another operation into Tommy, and didn’t inform her due to her conflicts of interest. Tameika also inquires about Angela stopping Blanca’s case against Ray Ray. Angela knows she can’t risk any more mishaps or she’s as good as gone. So she decides to make a deal with her personal devils. Angela organizes a meeting between herself, Proctor and Tommy to reveal the tracer on his car and offer him immunity in exchange for toppling the Jimenez cartel. Tommy won’t admit to being the Jimenez distributor (because he’s not, for a change) Tommy isn’t playing ball at first, but after a conversation with Teresi about the true definition of “ratting”, he decides to pay Angela a visit at her apartment. Tommy wants the tracer and promises to get her the information she needs. The uneasy alliance between two sworn enemies has begun. Meanwhile, Teresi gives Mak and Saxe the break they need, as he reveals Tommy money laundering plans for Truth.
CONTINUED
Source: Starz / Starz
Source: Starz / Starz
The Queens Child Project becomes the latest thorn in Ghost’s side. Tate holds a meeting with him, Dre, and Simon Stern to inform them of Andre’s new position as the face of the project. Ghost tries to argue but Tate remains unmoved. Stern encourages Ghost to finesse Tate in the same way he defeated Stern and took his clubs. So Ghost handles Dre the corporate way. He gets Dre fired from Karen Bassett’s company due to a violation in his no-compete clause he signed as a Truth employee, and gets to host the charity event at his club. This brief victory washed away when Dre still appeared at the QCP event. Holding another L, Ghost reverted to alcohol to cope which goes exactly how you think. Drunk Ghost appears, curses out Reverend Macedon, and chokes Tate in front of their donors. The worst was yet to come as the brown liquor infused mogul staggered back to his penthouse to make amends with Tariq for missing his brithday party. Tariq rebuffs Ghost’s apologies and his new kicks to berate his dad about his lies, drug empire and Raina’s death. This became peak “try your parents when you get taller than them” teenage rebellion. The inebriated drug Lord couldn’t gain his footing properly deliver an effective parental fade, and Tasha banished him from the residence. With nowhere left to turn, Ghost visits the Rev to finally speak about his pain. Vowing to be a better man, Ghost returns to the safest space he has left…Angela’s crib.
Tariq gets a ride back from Choate from Kanan, as another old alliance is rekindled too. You can’t keep a good crook down.
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