‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Episode 4 Recap: Tariq Goes High Tech With the Drug Game
Onward we go with Tariq’s balancing act as a student, son, businessman, and emerging prince in Power Book II.
That’s right. The theme of episode 4 is Machiavelli’s The Prince, the 16th century tome espousing advice on how to establish oneself as a power, skirt morals and ethics, and set up a princedom.
Tariq gets creative but he certainly wasn’t the only one trying to assert their form of power in this episode. Here’s a recap of “The Prince.”
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Power Book II: Ghost Episode 4: “The Prince”]
Tariq is a drug-dealing techie now
Monet calls Tariq to outline three rules of her business and to let him know he’s on the hook for any shortages. She doesn’t want any problems.
Tariq meets with Stern, only this time it’s Sebastian Kamal-Stern, Simon’s husband. He’s young and willing to get on board with Tariq’s newest cash-only hustle: CourseCorrect, a tutoring app.
Clearly, Tariq is trying to launder drug money through the app but Stern doesn’t know it. They make a deal on percentages and agree not to tell Simon.
Tasha calls Tariq and demands he gets a gun, but Tariq points out everyone he knows with access to one is gone. She then texts him an address to one of Ghost and Tommy’s old stash spots.
In class, the students learn about a special internship that would enable them to graduate in three years instead of four. After class, Lauren asks Reynolds if they can discuss the opportunity over dinner at her parents’ house, and he agrees.
However, he wants Milgram and another student to attend “for optics.” Tariq invites himself and Lauren goes along with it. Reynolds seems disappointed it isn’t a one-on-one dinner with Lauren.
The Tejadas get aggressive
Back in the streets, Cane and Monet are lecturing GTG about their reckless behavior. Their punishment? They’re cutting their supply.
Monet threatens to send them to jail too and when she walks off, Little Guap calls her a “punta.” He must’ve forgotten she can speak Spanish because she spins around and demands he say it to her face (after calling him an a*shole in Español).
Before he utters the whole word, Cane unleashes his fists of fury and nearly beats him to death. Monet is fine with her dependable son doing it.
At Stansfield, Tariq schools Brayden on his university-level drug dealing plan with the app. Brayden recruits sellers and they use the app for order placement and delivery.
Those who want legit tutoring lessons are expected to order the regular rate while students who want drugs will order the premium pack at $250. Each drug order is coded by class: math=weed, chemistry=downers, etc. For some reason, it feels like Brushaundria may mess up the system.
Tariq and his friend rake in the dough. He gives a cut to Sebastian and pays MacLean. Tariq is mad about the mock trial and wants to know the legal strategy, and MacLean explains they’re going after Saxe. He advises them not to miss.
MacLean visits the judge to request that Saxe recuse himself. After running down Saxe’s history of dirty deeds with the St. Patricks, the judge finally agrees to hear witness testimony on the motion.
Elsewhere, the Tejadas discuss GTG and Monet tells the family about her arrangement with Tariq. They’re shocked, but she quizzes Dru and Diana on the next move. She then sends Dru to the school to find out how Tariq is moving weight. Cane wants more of a say, but Monet checks him.
Dru shows up at the dorm with more product, and Tariq is not happy about the risky delivery. He asks, “Monet sent you to spy on me, didn’t she?” He tries to kick Dru out, but he winds up in art class with Tariq. The teacher is welcoming and Dru is paired with a drawing partner.
Saxe gets creative too
Saxe is in his office trying to maneuver around MacLean but hits a dead end. His task force lead didn’t have luck getting Ghost’s lawyer to talk either.
Saxe wants Tariq tailed to find out how he’s getting money to pay MacLean, his lead argues against it. Just then, we meet Saxe’s wayward niece who’s escorted in by local cops.
They’re hitting her with a marijuana charge and he’s tired of her shenanigans. After begging Saxe not to tell her mom, he says there’s something she can do for him. Obviously, it has something to do with Tariq.
Back in art class, while Dru is flirting with his basketball player drawing partner, Tariq sneaks out of class.
MacLean’s meet-up with the judge, Saxe, and Sergeant Rodriguez reveals a lot about Saxe’s conduct. However, Saxe wiggles his way out of it because some of Rodriguez’s testimony is hearsay and other parts show that she went along with his dirty schemes.
They talk about Proctor’s wife, Tate, Terry Silver, and Dre, but the judge won’t accept Rodriguez’s words or her illegal actions either. She wants to hear from Tate.
The scene flips to him meeting with Ott and John Mak. Tate wants the subpoena to go away but the DNC wants to ensure James St. Patrick isn’t painted in a bad light over Silver’s murder. Ott makes it clear Tate will testify.
Tate gets his hammer, Dru gets distracted
Tariq visits the laundromat to retrieve a gun. While there, Lauren texts him about dinner and stresses to be on time. He ignores a call from Paula and takes one from Brayden. They’re out of product and orders are backed up.
Paula is waiting for him at school. She tells him Tate has to testify on Tasha’s behalf and they need their payment via wire or check. She asks him about the cash and with weepy eyes, Tariq feeds her a lie about stealing it from his grandma because she’s the only one receiving money from his dad’s will.
Paula offers to help but he turns it down. She notices the gun in his backpack as he shoves the returned money away.
Sebastian calls and wants a larger cut since the app is going bananas. Tariq is not happy. But Dru is because he’s hooking up with Zeke’s teammate. He misses calls from Tariq who needs that product he brought earlier.
Dru hits Diana and Monet makes her take the call in front of her. She’s wondering why he’s calling his sister when she sent him on a mission. Now Diana needs to take more product to Tariq and Monet is suspicious about Dru’s whereabouts. Upon delivery, Diana and Tariq make out until Dru knocks on the door.
MacLean, Saxe, and Tate are in the judge’s office to hear the councilman’s testimony about Silver, Tasha, and James. He paints Tasha as a villain and James as an “upstanding businessman” in the community. He’s lying but this scene is funny.
Monet presses Dru about Tariq and she’s reassured. However, she finds the art sketchbook and sees drawings of the ball player. Monet gives him a light talk about trusting outsiders and the importance of family.
Tariq shows up late for Lauren’s dinner, and her parents use the opportunity to quiz him about The Prince and his family. He handles it well, but his teachers are throwing shade at each other at the table. It’s awkward, and Lauren leads Tariq away to look for one of Reynolds’ books.
Tariq learns her brother had a mental breakdown and stays away from the family. They bond over their overbearing parents, flirt, and talk about sharing secrets.
Then they make out until the doorbell rings. It’s Lauren’s boyfriend Malcolm and the evening is over. The weird dynamic between Milgram and Reynolds continues on campus where they argue until they have sex.
Tariq shows shades of Ghost
Saxe’s niece Riley is also on campus at a party spying on Brayden and Tariq. Saxe tells her to keep a low profile, but she approaches them directly and tells Tariq he has dark energy.
He walks away and directs another partygoer to Brayden for pills. That guy tells another, and that one tells Scott, their competition. Scott picks a fight with Brayden but Brayden wins and kicks Scott out. Riley snaps a selfie with Tariq in the background, who’s watching from the staircase.
Rich guy Sebastian wires payment to Paula and the notification comes through on her phone. After her and MacLean (who’s married) finish having sex, she tells him the retainer money for Tasha/Tariq came from a shady LLC. They brainstorm about how to get Saxe and the next morning, Tameika receives a subpoena.
Tariq bumps into Scott on his way to class and learns he’s been suspended for hitting a Weston. The prince moved his competition out of the way. In class, Lauren apologizes and they make up. Tariq smoothly says they have options when she sees texts arriving from Diana. She’s cool with it.
