Power Book III: Raising Kanan took us back to 1990s Queens and tells the story of Kanan Stark before he became the ruthless man we met in Power. The series focused heavily on his family, especially his complicated relationship with his mother, Raq Thomas.
Kanan started out as a teenager trying to understand the world around him. His mother, however, was already deeply involved in the drug business and has built a reputation that comes with plenty of enemies. While Raq tried to protect her family and expand her operation, Kanan gradually became more involved in the business.
What made the story interesting was how complicated Raq and Kanan's relationship became. Raq genuinely cared about her son, but many of her decisions ended up exposing him to the exact lifestyle she should have protected him from. She wanted Kanan to be strong, yet some of the things she did forced him to grow up much faster than he should.
Mekai Curtis portrayed Kanan convincingly. You can actually see the difference between the young Kanan at the beginning and the person he eventually became. He became more confident, more calculating, and much less trusting as the story progresses.
Patina Miller was also excellent as Raq. She's intelligent, determined, and sometimes extremely cold, but there are moments where you could see the mother underneath all of that. Her character wasn't easy to figure out, which made her even more interesting to watch.
The rest of the family brought their own problems into the story. Marvin, Lou-Lou, and Jukebox all had different personalities and goals, and their relationships with one another create plenty of tension. Nobody seemed completely innocent, and almost every decision came with consequences.
The 1990s setting also worked really well. The music, clothing, cars, and streets gave the series a different feel from the original Power. It has its own identity rather than feeling like a simple extension of the first show.
Another thing I liked was the pacing. The series didn't rely on constant action. A lot of the tension came from conversations, family arguments, secrets, and characters trying to figure out who they can trust. When the violence does happen, it usually feels connected to everything that has been building up.
Knowing what Kanan eventually became made his journey even more interesting. You're watching someone who starts out relatively inexperienced slowly get pulled deeper into a world where trust is difficult and survival often comes at a price.
Overall, Raising Kanan was a solid crime drama with strong characters and plenty of family drama. It's not just about the drug game; it's also about how Kanan's upbringing and the people around him helped shape the person he eventually became.
Images are screenshots from the movie.
My Rating:85/100
Rating: 85/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.
