Power – “Three Moves Ahead” Review. Everyone Has a Plan.

Season 2, Episode 8

Air Date: Saturday, August 1, 2015, 9:00 pm ET/PT on Starz

Rating: ★★★★★

“She [Angela] doesn’t know he’s in town, man. But I was thinking, maybe she should. What I mean is, if she follows Lobos long enough, she gets him; then it’s going to lead her to us anyway. Well, hell, what if we just give her what she wants?” – Ghost

“Three Moves Ahead” begins with a bang, literally, while Felipe Lobos (Enrique Murciano) is enjoying some down time with his main man Javier (Lucas Salvagno). What transpires makes Lobos realize he needs to get his money from Ghost (Omari Hardwick) so he can get back home to Mexico as quickly as possible. Ghost recognizes he has enough going on in his life that he doesn’t need this added pressure. The problems he has with his wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton) and his lover, FBI agent Angela Valdes (Lela Loren), are more than enough for any man, and that’s not even addressing the underhanded dealings of his drug distributors.

Tasha decides “blind faith” no longer works when it comes to following Ghost’s schemes, and now wants to know how he’s going to deal with Angela moving forward. Frankly, it’s about damn time. She’s been behind every move Ghost has made in the past so why should she stop now? She’s a strong and intelligent woman, with a mind to match. Tasha can be one cold-hearted bitch, though, when she thinks her family is in danger, and she sees both Angela and Lobos as threats. The only problem with the approach she and Ghost come up with is Angela cloning Ghost’s phone after stealing it in last week’s episode, “You’re Not the Man.” Angela may be biting off more than she can chew with all the information she’s now privy to. It seems to me this is going to throw a huge monkey wrench into not only Ghost and Tasha’s plans for Lobos but the task force’s impending search for both Lobos and Tommy (Joseph Sikora).

Ghost and Tasha’s strategy sounds pretty damn dangerous not only to me but Tommy as well. The scene between Ghost and Tommy displays a nice range of emotions from both Hardwick and Sikora—from hope to disbelief to fear. Ghost fears what Tommy will do next, while Tommy’s afraid of Ghost carrying out his risky scheme. Ghost is right to be scared; Tommy is out of his freakin’ mind. Tasha isn’t thrilled either once she hears Ghost “wants out” of the life. She’s worked long enough and hard enough protecting her kids and Ghost to go down without a fight.

Lobos presents a blueprint for the future to Ghost that gives him pause. After Ghost leaves their meeting, however, the idea takes on a completely new meaning—as Lobos explains to Javier. I’ve been a fan of Murciano since his days on Without a Trace as Danny Taylor, a member of an FBI unit specializing in missing persons cases. Murciano’s role in Power as Lobos couldn’t be any more different from Danny. He portrays Lobos as an extremely dangerous drug lord who just happens to be gay, and does a fantastic job of it. The tone of his voice, his body movements, and affectations prove Murciano has the ability to play a wide range of characters, all of which I enjoy.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before the Lobos Task Force learns Lobos is in town, giving them the impetus to set up an action plan to arrest both Lobos and Tommy. Angela has a big decision to make now. What a position to be in! Does she cover for Ghost or give up the real time and date of his meeting with Lobos? I’d hate to be in her position; how does one choose between their personal and professional lives without someone getting hurt?

Kanan (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) is finally back in town. The way he controls Shawn (Sinqua Walls), demanding to know every little thing that transpired during his absence, proves just how dangerous he can be. Kanan also meets up with Dre (Rotimi), who fills him in on what’s been happening with Ghost. This scene gives the episode its name when Kanan decides he and Dre are “three moves ahead of Ghost” after hearing Dre’s report about Ruiz (Luis Antonio Ramos). I must give credit where credit is due. Rotimi does such a great job with Dre’s conversation with Ghost later in the episode, it’s nearly impossible to tell whether his words with Kanan are true or what he tells Ghost is the truth. I tend to think it’s the former although I’d like it to be the latter.

I’ve spoken before about the dealings behind closed doors among Ghost’s distributors. “Three Moves Ahead” makes it much more evident that Ghost has a revolution on his hands he knows nothing about. Once Kanan lets Ruiz in on Ghost’s upcoming meeting with Lobos, and Ruiz then talks to Vladimir (William Popp), I wonder whether Kanan’s plan of action will be successful. Kanan is traversing hazardous terrain here that could have serious consequences for a ot of people if he’s not careful.

Memorable Lines

Tommy to Kanan: “I hate having a houseful of money and nowhere to put it.”

Kanan to Shawn about his relationship with Tasha: “Man, Stevie Wonder could see y’all are fuckin.”

Other Observations

I haven’t spoken about the music tracks that are ever present in Power, but music supervisors Jen Ross and Jojo Villanueva knock it out of the park in “Three Moves Ahead.” Their choice of music is spot on, with each song perfectly accompanying the particular scene with lyrics expressing what the actors don’t need to say.

Overall

“Three Moves Ahead” becomes a true game changer for Power thanks to both Angela and Kanan. Angela may be the hero now but once Sandoval finds out the truth about her “source,” she’ll be in deep doo doo, especially since she’ll be unable to produce “him.” With Tommy’s threat, Angela better be looking over her shoulder from now on. I highly doubt she and Ghost are going to have the ‘happily ever after’ they both want. Plus, from the look in Shawn’s eyes, I’m afraid he’s going to carry through with Kanan’s request. It’s not easy for Shawn to hear the truth about his “Uncle G” as only Kanan can tell it. And, let’s not forget, Greg (Andy Bean) knows more about Angela and Ghost than he’s let on.

What did you think of “Three Moves Ahead?” Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV or leave your comments below so we can discuss.

Tune in to Power Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT, only on Starz.

Like Power on Facebook.

Follow Power on Twitter using hashtag #PowerTV. You can also follow these cast members: Kanan @50Cent; Jamie “Ghost” St. James @OmariHardwick and @IAmTheRealGhost; Tasha @naturinaughton; Shawn @sinquawalls; Angela @LelaLoren; Tommy @JosephSikora4; Holly @lucytwalters; Greg Knox @andybeanactor; Dre @rotimi; Miguel Sandoval @davidfumero; Isabel @YainisYnoa; Pink Sneakers @TheLopezLopez; Julio @JR8Ramirez; Ruiz @LuisARamosActor, Felipe Lobos @enriquetwiter; Kantos @adamthuss, Cooper Saxe @shane_m_johnson, and Lakeisha @lala. Follow creator and executive producer Courtney Kemp Agboh @CKAgbohOfficial.

Biography of the Author(Read Below)..
Latest Posts (view them )..

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!