Shakir Rashaan recaps season-changing revelations on 'Power'

Hello, I'm Shakir Rashaan, and I'm a male erotic romance and mystery author for Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster and a regular contributor to the Happy Ever After blog! You can normally find me on my regular blog, Manly Musings, but I'm devoting some extra time to recapping episodes of Starz's hit show Power.

I normally start by saying, "Let's get started, shall we?" But after watching this episode of Power, I'm still trying to pick my jaw off the floor!

Power took a break for the Independence Day holiday, so I'm going to assume that you took the marathon that included the first four episodes of this season. If you didn't, then you can catch my recap of episode four (here), to refresh your memory before reading this recap.

Did I say I'm still having trouble speaking and breathing right now?

Going into this next episode, I couldn't wait to see how things would pick up from the last episode, and I wasn't disappointed, but they went in a different direction that made this a season-changing episode!

Ghost has a lot going on, and that's an understatement.

On the home front, Ghost calls to check up on Tariq to let him know how proud he was of his school accomplishment and that he was sorry he couldn't be there. Later in the episode, Tariq manages to find Ghost at the hotel he is staying at, needing to get some fatherly advice. There's only one problem: Tariq didn't tell Tasha that he was going to see his father. During the visit, he confides in his father that he likes a girl, but another girl likes him, but he doesn't like the girl that likes him. The mirror gets thrown in Ghost's face, reminding him of the mistake that is now costing him his marriage.

Lobos calls to let him know he's going to be back in the States sooner than expected, and he needs his money from the product he sent Ghost weeks earlier than originally agreed upon. Ghost tries not to flinch, but the stress is all over his face; they haven't come close to slinging the shipment and getting the money needed. If Ghost doesn't get the money in time…

In a move that is definitely unlike the steely cool Ghost we've known, he goes to see Ruiz, asking him to kill the Serbian dealer that rejected Ghost and Tommy's offer, with the promise of Ruiz's dealers taking over the territory. This isn't like Ghost to panic, and he made the move without Tommy being there on top of that. Lobos may be under Ghost's skin more than we realize.

Tommy goes to confront Ghost, not realizing that Tariq is there and has to tone it down in front of the youngster. In a strange twist of fate, it's Tommy that comes up with a "Ghost-like" solution, changing my mind as to whether or not he actually can be the top dog. Ghost likes the plan, but wants to make sure that nothing traces back to him or Tommy. Considering that Ghost is the one that nearly started a war by demanding the Serb dealer is erased, it's going to be hard to figure out if Ghost can get his head back in the game.

Tommy takes Tariq home, only to be confronted by an angry Tasha, who is incensed that her son did not answer his phone and doesn't want to explain why he wanted to go see his father. After sending him to his room, she sets her sights on Tommy, berating him for not protecting their family of three and telling her that Ghost was cheating on her with Angela. Tommy tries to explain, but Tasha isn't hearing it, basically telling him that he is now persona non grata in her home.

Holly finds herself in a whole boatload of trouble as she sits in the interrogation room, looking about as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as Cooper and Sandoval work her over. Give the chick credit, though; she didn't turn on her man, not one iota. She is even willing to face the warrant and go to jail over him, which is exactly what happens. As she's about to be arrested, she asks to go to the restroom, where she panics, trying to figure out what she's going to do now. Angela follows her in the restroom, trying to appeal to Holly's sense as a woman who shouldn't throw her freedom away.

That leads us to the next big explosive point of the season: Holly dropped the bomb on Angela that she's really having sex with the notorious narcotics trafficker who goes by the street name Ghost: James St. Patrick! Angela tries to convince her that she's wrong, when Holly tells Angela that she eavesdropped on them when they were having sex in Ghost's office one night at Truth.

Angela didn't take it well … nope, not at all. The look on her face, knowing her world had been shattered and the pieces were broken all around her. The collapse was epic. (For those who are #TeamTasha, I promise you that you won't stop talking about that moment.) But then Angela gets herself together and makes a deal with Holly that could change everything.

Whew! Of course (you know the routine by now), I'm not telling everything that happened in this episode, but here's some of the more interesting questions to take into the next episode:

• Will Ghost and Tommy be able to get the money to Lobos by the new deadline?

• Will Angela be able to make good on her deal with Holly?

• And finally, what's going to happen when Kanan is back in the mix? He doesn't know about Lobos, does he?

This season is turning out to be better than I think any of us ever expected! Tune in to Starz at 9 p.m. ET next Saturday to see what happens next!

Shakir Rashaan lives in suburban Atlanta with his wife and two children. His catalog includes the Nubian Underworld series and the upcoming Kink, P.I. Series. He is also developing projects under the pen name P.K. Rashaan. You can see more of him at www.ShakirRashaan.com or you can connect with him on Facebook and Twitter (@shakirrashaan).