Upamanyu Biswas
The fourth season of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ has been full of unexpected plot twists, a significant proportion of which have been character deaths. With more dangerous threats on the horizon, the number of casualties on the streets of South Jamaica, New York, has only ramped up the ante, adding to the intensity of the drama. In the final episode, titled ‘Gimme the Weight,’ two major players in the business, Stefano Marchetti and Early Tyler, find themselves at the center of more discussion as they become the next in line to have their fate hanging in the balance. After tensions flare in the partnership between the Thomas family and Stefano, a whole slew of dominos are set in motion, leading to some unfortunate results for the characters involved. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Stefano is Attacked By a Mafia Rival During a Meeting
While Stefano Marchetti may be one of the most powerful characters in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan,’ episode 10 of season 4 shows that he is just as vulnerable to an attack by his peers. After cutting his ties with Marvin and Raq following the debacle of the Howard Beach murder, Stefano sits down for a meeting with a fellow mafia boss from the other side of the river, Phil Russo. The two converse over the recent hostilities between their groups, albeit through proxies such as Unique and Raq. However, with the amount of bloodshed on both sides, Stefano wants deterrence to be established between them. Following a period of deliberation, Russo agrees to Stefano’s demands. Unfortunately for the latter, it is just a ruse to stab him in his midriff, leaving him gasping for air while Russo walks away.
One of the interesting things we learn during the exchange between Russo and Stefano is that both of them have worked hand-in-hand for a while, even though people think they are enemies on the surface. In reality, Russo is responsible for Sal Boselli’s murder, which he carried out under Stefano’s umbrella. Subsequently, the two mafia lords decided to give the impression of an all-out war between them to appease their gang members from inciting a mutiny for their secret alignment. Thus, the attack suffered by Stefano is a massive betrayal by Russo. Fortunately, by the end of the episode, we learn that Stefano survived the mortal wound and is in a state of recovery, albeit unresponsive. Russo fears that Stefano will throw everything at him for what he did if he regains consciousness. However, the main thing is that he is alive and breathing for now.
Early Tyler Faces the Consequences of Going Behind Marvin’s Back
Although Stefano manages to barely escape with his life, the same isn’t true for Early Tyler. After snitching on Marvin in episode 9 of season 4, the low-level thug and garage mechanic was already on the Thomas family enforcer’s blacklist of enemy number one. However, in the final episode, Marvin gets pushed into an even darker space when Tyler’s leaked information ceases his partnership with Stefano. Because Marvin hired Tyler in the first place, Stefano makes him responsible for the Howard Beach murder carried out by Tyler and his cousin, Londell. Despite Marvin’s pleas against the breakup, Stefano makes it clear that he is done working with Raq and him because of the trouble and hassle that has followed him everywhere he goes. Thus, Marvin, in a state of anger, tracks down Tyler that night and kills him in his motel room.
Tyler becomes a prominent character in the series after we see him nurse Unique back to health at the beginning of season 4. In the flashback episode, Tyler is instrumental in providing food, shelter, and rest to Unique soon after the drug lord regains consciousness. Subsequently, Tyler secretly houses Unique in his home while also running the garage downstairs. To that end, he plays a risky game that could end up blowing up in his face, especially when Marvin comes to him with the proposition of being a bookie for Stefano. Unbeknownst to Marvin, Unique is hiding in Tyler’s house and attacking Raq’s empire in secret. This game of chance comes to an end when Marvin murders Tyler for pushing him too far. Still, it is not a win-win situation for Marvin either, who realizes that he should have killed Tyler earlier if he wanted the relationship with Stefano to continue.
Tyler’s Murder Signals the End of Chris Redd’s Relationship with Raising Kanan
After the chaos of the final episode of season 4, it is likely that Chris Redd will no longer be reprising his role as Early Tyler, moving into the next season. The character’s death is shown in unequivocal terms, which is often hard to dispute. However, because ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ is known for its surprise twists, it may still be possible for the character to show up in flashback scenes, albeit still unlikely. Considering the largely realistic depiction of the criminal narrative in the Starz series, character deaths are often permanent and have lasting impacts on the narrative. While the case could be argued for Unique, he has a much larger and more significant presence in the proceedings, differentiating his situation from Tyler’s. Therefore, for the most part, it looks like the end of the road for Redd.
Throughout season 4, Redd imbues his character with a shifty but ultimately dependable personality, which is why Unique uses him for his benefit. The actor has particularly expressed his gratitude for having worked with seasoned veterans on the cast. In a social media post, he said, “Tony Danza, B!! It was an honor to work with legends old and new!!” As mentioned before, Danza, who plays Stefano, also faces a mortal scare through his character in the final episode. However, while his contribution to ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ might continue into season 5, it seems to be the opposite for Redd. Still, the actor has contributed immensely to the season, even going through an arc of his own, one which ended in violence like so many of South Jamaica’s residents in the Starz show.
Read More: Raising Kanan Season 4 Finale Recap and Ending Explained: Is Kanan Going to Kill Raq?
