Power Book IV: Force Season 3 Episode 2 Finds Tommy Playing With Fire As Chicago Heats Up

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

Tommy Egan is on one this season, and it may be entertaining as hell, but his enemies list is growing by the second.

And I didn’t think it could get any longer than it already was.

At the end of the day, Tommy typically gets what Tommy wants when all is said and done, but he better be careful because Chicago isn’t New York, and if everything goes to crap, there may not be anyone there to have his back.

Tommy’s often ten steps ahead of his enemies, but it feels like he’s so laser-focused right now that he doesn’t see the very real snakes already camping out in his grass.

It took him a minute to figure out Vic was lying to him, but once he knew, he decided that keeping Vic alive was more valuable than killing him, and it’s a gamble that may work out for him in the end.

On the one hand, Vic is about the least trustworthy person on this show, and that’s truly saying something, but on the other hand, Vic’s a lone wolf with very little to look forward to in his life.

The one little thing he had going for him was getting out of town and starting a new life. And that was taken from him by Tommy and Diamond. So it’s either work with them or live with the guilt when they go after Beth shortly before they put him down for good.

Tommy’s taking a risk with Vic, but he’s also met a million Vic’s before. His back is against the wall, and growing up the way he did, if you’re going to be someone’s little snitch, it’s better to be working for Tommy and Diamond than the opps.

Plus, if he gets enough on Stacy, maybe Tommy will give him more of a break. It’s not likely, but it’s worth a shot if you’re Vic.

Having an ear inside the task force felt like a familiar Power trope. Still, it’s slightly different this time because Vic doesn’t really know much, but just feeding Stacy fake information and then feeding Tommy real information set off a crazy ripple effect that’s going to last for a while.

Vic’s got himself into quite a predicament, though, because Stacy’s not dumb, and it’s not as if Tommy ultimately cares in the end if he gets caught by her and she sends him to jail or does whatever. He’ll use Vic for as long as he can and then discard him when he’s no longer useful.

And for that reason alone, you’d think that would make Vic want to sabotage Tommy in some way, but we’ve seen how Tommy versus Vic has historically gone, and so has Vic.

Trying to get leverage on Stacy is the correct play, and she may not realize it, but her political aspirations are likely to cause more trouble for her professionally. And that’s on top of the way it’s torpedoed her personal life.

Well, that’s not actually fair, when that marriage between Stacy and Bobby was pretty much DOA from the minute it was introduced to us,

We don’t get a ton of the couple, but when we do, it’s evident that Stacy’s ambitions and control issues played a significant role in the decline of their marriage. The fact that Bobby was sitting across from her, still wanting to make it work if she would give him an inch, should tell you everything you need to know about that union.

Stacy may regret giving up everything for her job, though that ambition will likely take her to the heights she aspires to, so she probably won’t regret a thing.

I’m interested in seeing how Vic infiltrates her life through Rae, what his plan is to get out from under Stacy, and how Tommy uses Stacy’s one-track mind to destroy her or get her to work with him.

I wouldn’t put it past Tommy to find a way to get Stacy, not necessarily on his side, but in a position where helping Tommy helps her.

Speaking of Tommy, I am absolutely loving how he, Diamond, and Jenard are all walking these super thin lines around each other, pretending to be on the same page when it couldn’t be further from the truth.

They all have their sights on something bigger, but they don’t all have the same people enjoying the top of the mountain together.

Tommy’s bought into the coalition enough to see that the benefits far outweigh the cons. If he wants to ascend to the throne, he recognizes that he’ll need people behind him, and the coalition provides that kind of support.

But Tommy can recognize that and still struggle to check his ego.

I could understand why Tommy was annoyed, because Ortega was relentless in trying to kill him, so naturally, he would be seeking payback. But when Tommy lets his emotions get the best of him, which is FAR too often, that’s when he gets himself into trouble.

Killing Mateo was Tommy making a statement to Ortega, and bringing his head to the coalition meeting was as much about showing strength as it was an ego boost for him.

Tommy thought he was giving ‘King Kong ain’t got shit on me’ energy, and maybe he was, because the reception from the crowd was the same.

The guys were understandably scared of the chaos Tommy was causing, and I don’t know if it’s the narcissism clouding his judgment, but Tommy really doesn’t see how his plans affect everyone around him.

Everyone in that warehouse knows their line of business is dangerous as hell, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to stay in their lanes. And getting onto the bad side of the cartels isn’t helpful to them.

Ché may currently be known the wiser about what’s happening in Chicago, but that may not always be the case, and it’s normal to be frightened by what Tommy’s doing.

Flinging severed heads around didn’t signal strength to those gangs; it signaled psychosis.

With each week, Diamond seems like he’s more at the end of his rope with Tommy, and the stunt at the meeting pushed him to even let Jenard speak up, which would have been virtually unheard of during Power Book IV: Force Season 2.

Of course, Diamond doesn’t know Jenard is playing him like a fiddle, but there are an awful lot of people on this show getting snowed, so you can’t even go after him too hard.

Diamond’s the kind of level-headed Tommy and Jenard could only dream about, and he’s meticulous in a way that they will never be. He has the same goals as they do — to get CBI and himself to the top of the food chain — but he doesn’t want to go about it the same way.

Diamond can be a Tommy apologist at times, but he also sees what Tommy has to offer in a way Jenard is too blinded to. Jenard sees an interloper and someone who’s taking from him. Someone occupying the space he believes should be his.

He’s not willing to put his pride aside to see the merits of working with someone like Tommy earnestly. Plus, he has Shanti in his ear every five seconds telling him that they need to run the world, and she’s pretty damn persuasive.

Shanti’s such an intriguing character because she’s respected in the streets, but it’s very clear she’s stuck where she is because she’s a woman. She’s brilliant, manipulative, and clever, and I will keep saying it until the very last episode: Shanti, Jenard, Tommy, and Diamond teaming up would be EVERYTHING.

The four of them could EASILY run Chicago, but the egos and the inability to think beyond themselves would never allow it.

I was skeptical about Jenard and Shanti and just what their relationship was, because it’s as much business as anything else. Yes, they care about one another, but they’re also heavily involved in a business relationship as much as, if not more than, a personal one.

But Power Book IV: Force Season 3 is taking great pains to show us the softer side of their relationship, and I appreciate that because it allows us to see a different side of them and what they desire.

Shanti truly seems to want to reach greater heights, not just for herself, but also because she feels Jenard deserves it. At least, that’s the vibe I’m getting right now.

Things could go sideways once she realizes that Jenard is NEVER going to turn on Diamond, but that’s a revelation that we’ll be waiting on for some time.

Jenard knows that Diamond has done him dirty in some ways, and he has every right to feel hurt by him, but he’s not going to kill him. No part of me believes that Jenard has the guts to go through with it.

Jenard is thinking much more clearly now, and he can keep telling Shanti he’s all good with the plan, but there will come a time when he has to put his money where his mouth is and choose between Shanti and Diamond.

Who would you put your money on surviving that decision?

Everything Else You Need To Know

• When is Claudia going to get out of prison? No one stays in prison this long on Power, so when does she get out, and how long before she and Tommy come face-to-face?

• Speaking of Claudia, that Claudia and Vic scene felt like such a culmination of the Flynn family as a whole. The two of them hating each other’s guts was the dynamic Walter created.

• D-Mac really thinks he is some kingpin, and it’s getting sadder and sadder to watch. I need someone to tell him he is no Tariq St. Patrick. He is nothing of the sort.

• Kate moving back to New York makes me believe that Tommy will return to New York one more time before the series is over, and I desperately hope he connects with some OG Power characters while he’s there. I miss them!

• Tommy and Diamond burning down Miguel’s product was smart, but why was he acting like Miguel wouldn’t immediately know it was him? He’s playing in Miguel’s face at every turn, assuming Miguel’s love for his sister will keep him safe, and I fear he’s underestimating that entire situation.

• I knew when Chavo got all that screentime, he was a dead man, but his death will likely cause the rest of the coalition to get even more skittish about Tommy. Might that pave the way for Jenard to swoop in and save the day again? Or is the coalition really destined to fall apart because of Tommy?
• If Diamond wants D-Mac dead so badly, then he needs to step up and do it himself.

• Mireya is actually the funniest person on this whole show because she wanted nothing to do with her brother’s antics, and now she is smack in the middle of everything, being shot at and playing mob nurse, all because she loves Tommy Egan.

Not to get too emotional, but each passing hour puts us closer to the end, unfortunately.

But the ride’s been fun so far.

Let me know how you’re feeling about the start of the season below so we can chat!

You can watch Power Book IV: Force on Fridays at 9/8c in the U.S. and Canada on the STARZ linear platform, and new episodes will be available to stream weekly on Fridays on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms.