TV Talk: Starz’s ‘Power’ spawns sequel series

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week.

Usually a TV show spin-off takes a character or concept from the original series and builds a new show around that one element. “Power Book II: Ghost” (9 p.m. Sunday, Starz) does the opposite, removing an element from the original “Power” – James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), who was killed off – but the original show essentially continues on with James’ son/killer, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.), who takes his father’s place.

So maybe it’s best to consider “Power Book II: Ghost” more of a continuation or sequel. The first episode even begins with a recap of what happened previously on the original “Power.” But even as someone who watched the original sporadically, it was easy to catch up: Tariq’s mother, Tasha (Naturi Naughton), takes the wrap for St. Patrick’s death and faces murder charges for her son’s crime while he attends college, a provision for earning his inheritance. To pay for his mom’s high-priced criminal defense attorney, Tariq somewhat predictably falls into the drug game and gets entangled with newcomer Monet Stewart Tejada (Mary J. Blige). Fans of the original soapy, Shakespearean “Power” will likely enjoy this sequel, same as it ever was.

In an interview last month, “Power” and its sequel series creator Courtney Kemp said what sets Tariq apart from his father, Ghost, is education and social class.

“Tariq is of elite private schools or Ivy Leagues and if Ghost had been able to access those, he would have gone. It’s happenstance, it’s chance, where you’re born is part of it,” Kemp said, noting Tariq also shares his father’s “socio-pathological thinking sometimes, that same focus, it’s that same level of drive. It’s that same singlemindedness that keeps you strong but also makes you ruin your relationships. You treat people pretty badly when you’re singled-minded.”

Kemp said eight of the 10 episodes ordered for the first season of “Power Book II” were completed before the pandemic shutdown.

“One of the things that’s become clear is how much fan service we need to do,” she said, noting the pandemic has viewers craving the familiar. “Power Book II” producers opted for the same theme song and same opening credits as the original had. “What we’re basically doing is easing you into a warm bath of more ‘Power.’”

And there are more “Power” spin-offs to come. Production had started on prequel “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” when the pandemic shutdown hit. A writer’s room is up and running on “Power Book V: Force” about Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) after he cuts ties and leaves New York. Kemp said “Power Book IV: Influence” is still being conceptualized.