‘Power’: Why Some People Think Ghost is Still Alive, And Why He’s Probably Not
Episode 11 of Power didn’t bring the level of closure some fans expected about Ghost’s status, and now it’s led to a global internet debate about whether he’s dead-dead or alive. Are people just in denial? Or do viewers need to comfortably accept that Ghost/James St. Patrick is physically gone from the world? You can’t escape this new set of theories.
Some fans think Power showrunner/creator Courtney Kemp and her team of writers cooked up an elaborate story arc that explains why we saw Ghost take a bullet and drift 10 feet downward—in slow motion. Others note that funeral arrangements need to be made for him and that’s that.
Here’s a rundown of why people believe Ghost is still among the living and why he is likely sitting in a body bag.
No one saw a body, therefore hope is being kept alive
Ye old no body, no crime argument is at play with some thinking that no one has confirmed for sure that James St. Patrick is dead. Viewers didn’t see his corpse so that means there’s still hope, right? One theory is that he faked his death to keep his enemies at bay, either by shooting himself—albeit in the HEART—or framing someone for his death.
That connects with the idea that his death is a ruse created in partnership with the media and law enforcement to make the shooter sloppy, thereby baiting him or her out of the shadows. This would eliminate at least one of his enemies. Bottom line: NO BODY, NO DEATH.
But does this make sense given Ghost’s relationship with the law and why would he do that on the eve of hitting the campaign trail?
There are some who think it was all a dream
This theory has been floating around since the mid-season finale, but hasn’t gained as much traction as the others. Ghost/James dreamed the whole scenario at home that he was shot and wakes up alive. Poof!
At the other end of that is the notion that Ghost got shot, slipped into a coma, and pulls through to recovery. Na.
Some believe Dre’s episode was being tricky
How so? Some viewers are convinced that since episode 11 was told from Dre’s perspective, there’s a chance he had a warped sense of reality when he saw that news broadcast in the gas station. They believe he either read the TV wrong or heard things wrong, and imagined that the scales tipped in his favor.
The other aspect? Some people are arguing that there wasn’t enough time between the gunshot and Dre driving to the gas station for the news to report on it. But Detective Blanca Rodriguez was there and once she recovered from that knockout, probably called it in.
There are clear signs that point to the fact that Ghost is officially dead
There is the most obvious one that James/Ghost was shot in the heart and fell 10 feet to the floor, on his back. How does one come back from that? It wasn’t a dream, but a reality.
Additionally, on the night of the Nov. 3 mid-season finale when that it all went down, Omari Hardwick posted a lengthy message on his Instagram page thanking fans, cast, and crew for everything during the past six seasons. It sure sounded like a farewell.
In the past, Hardwick has spoken about moving on to other roles and at times, alluded to the original plan for Ghost to die in season three.
Further, Kemp has stated in her own words in several interviews this week that Ghost is dead. Now, whether she means it in a metaphorical or physical sense is an entirely different thing, but the audience can take it at face value. But as she told TV Guide, it’s not The Ghost Show, it’s Power. That means no one is safe.
Many fans are angry that Ghost was killed off, vowing not to tune in for any more episodes of Power or its spinoffs, but at this point, it’s hard not to be invested.
