Upamanyu Biswas
In episode 9 of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4, titled ‘It’s About That Time,’ things start to unravel at lightning speed as numerous problems beset Kanan and Raq. The previous episode ended with Krystal being taken in for questioning by Pickett and Wiley under the express orders of Snaps and Pop, leaving her fate effectively hanging in the balance. A spotlight was also shone on the deaths of two key figures – Quan and O-Cee – whose executions set a complex set of events into motion. However, the domino effect of the war between Unique and Raq continues to spiral out of control in the ninth episode as our main characters try to establish dominance in their own way. The stakes are escalating beyond the norm as Kanan finds himself drifting further away from his mom. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Krystal Faces an Unfortunate Fate as Kanan Grows Worried
As expected from the previous episode, Krystal is abducted by Pickett and Wiley and kept in a secret hideout by Snaps and Pop. The latter brings her out of her cell and offers her some food, using it as a distraction to question her about what Kanan knows about Famous’ death. When she learns that Kanan blames Raq for the murder, she recognizes the potential benefit of using the information as leverage on the boy. Subsequently, she cruelly disposes of Krystal by shooting her through the head. In the meantime, Kanan meets up with Jukebox at the local diner, expressing his worries about Krystal ignoring his phone calls. He is worried something may have happened to her. However, when Raq shows her face in the restaurant, he is even infuriated. His mother uses the opportunity to insist that she had nothing to do with Famous’ death.
As the conversation stretches further, Kanan learns that Krystal visited his mother two days ago but has since gone missing. Raq states that she had no hand in the incident, but her son is too radicalized against her to take her word for it. Elsewhere, a couple of detectives question Lou-Lou, B-Rilla, and Imani about their potential involvement in Kenyatta’s death. They vehemently deny any claims or accusations, using made-up alibis to escape any suspicion. Early confronts Marvin about Londell’s death, certain that the Thomas family enforcer is responsible for his cousin’s murder. Marvin states that even though he may have, there is nothing Early can do about it. Worried about Krystal, Kanan tracks down her abusive stepdad, Purcell. While he has no knowledge about her whereabouts, Kanan makes him pay for inflicting sexual abuse on his girlfriend.
Early Enacts Revenge By Stabbing Marvin in the Back
At a local nightclub, David is having an irresponsible night out without taking care of his duties for Raq. Unfortunately, he meets his end when an unknown assassin guns him down in the restroom. Jukebox goes for a walk with Mara at the park, where they discuss recent events. The latter tells her that Detective Garcia visited her and stirred up a lot of trouble surrounding Jukebox’s name. The news clearly frustrates Jukebox even though she tells Mara it is nothing to be worried about. While Raq discovers the truth about David’s murder, bigger things are set in motion in Stefano’s headquarters. The New York mafia boss receives an impromptu visit from Early, who seems resolute in spilling the information he has on Marvin and his connection to the sensitive Howard Beach murder.
Lou-Lou returns to Cafe Vous to unwind for the night. However, it gets complicated when Imani shows up to talk to him about the police interrogation from before. She is worried that Lou-Lou is lying to her and has criminal ties. As such, she decides to break up with him on the spot. During the evening, Jukebox meets up with a familiar figure – Iesha, who is back from her college semester. They have a night out together, discussing the many complications Jukebox faces with her family life. Their night is disrupted when Detective Garcia flags Jukebox down. She asks Iesha to leave before telling Garcia she has no interest in working with him. However, the pressure is ramping up. Across town, things get even more interesting as Kanan shows up to meet with Unique, who is desperate to find answers to Krystal’s disappearance.
Lou-Lou Move Away From Music After Much Deliberation
Unique tells Kanan that he has no beef with him, even though his primary enemy is Raq. The drug lord offers him the chance to join hands with him and work side-by-side. While Kanan does not offer an immediate response, the opportunity to work with Unique clearly weighs on his mind. As he leaves, we see that Raq is keeping a watch over her son’s movements from a distance, worried that he may be falling into the wrong circles. The following morning, Raq and Marvin meet with Stefano, who tells them they need to find a new way to move the product to Hafiz now that David is gone. As they get up to leave, Stefano urges Raq to stay back for a private audience with him. He tells her about Marvin’s involvement in the Howard Beach killing and also tries to sow division between the siblings by stating that Marvin is looking to replace her as the head of the family.
Lowell calls Lou-Lou in for a meeting, worried about the recent investigations into him. He does not want to be associated with any criminality. Seeing that his options are limited and feeling more resolute about his position, Lou-Lou quits his job. He shares the news with B-Rilla, who is devastated because it means that he no longer has a job at the label company. However, he is willing to work in any capacity for Lou-Lou in the future because he badly needs cash. In the meantime, Unique meets up with Phil Russo, who is aware that the drug lord is behind David’s killing. Elsewhere, Marvin learns that Amber has been absent from school for a while because her foster parents claim that she is sick. He is immediately concerned about her well-being.
Kanan’s Gets Played By the Enemy
Marvin shows up at the foster home with the intention of checking in with Amber. However, both parents send him away. When he hears Amber’s screaming voice, he swiftly turns around and rushes into the house. He discovers that she is being kept inside a locked room, which clearly demonstrates signs of child abuse. He guns down both parents and tells Amber to make up a story about a “white man with tattoos” when the cops ask her about the incident. After taking up Garcia’s offer, Jukebox asks him for any tips on Krystal’s whereabouts. He comes back to her and shows her evidence that Krystal is dead, stating that Jukebox now owes him. Meanwhile, Lou-Lou shows up at Raq’s house and seriously discusses his return to the criminal empire as her enforcer. Although unsure about the arrangement, she admits that his skills are needed.
Things go from bad to worse for Kanan, who shows up at Snaps and Pop’s headquarters to ask them about Krystal. Although they feign ignorance, they claim to know who killed Famous, which piques Kanan’s interest. His worst nightmare comes to pass when they state that Raq is the one who paid the cops to kill Famous, which is clearly a fabricated lie from the married duo to push Kanan into taking drastic actions. The episode ends with a cliffhanger as Unique receives a surprise visit from Raq of all people. Clearly, they have a lot to talk about, both in relation to the war between their empires and Kanan’s involvement with Unique.
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