The shows set in the Power franchise, the cancelations came out of the blue. Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force are sequels to the original Power, featuring some of the most popular characters. Their premature endings create questions about the viability of the Power brand in the long term.
The strength of both shows is that they didn't attempt to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they featured familiar characters in the throes of conflict in new settings. While they are solid entries as Power spinoffs, wrapping up their runs doesn't mean an end for the characters. Despite the questions about why Ghost and Force were canceled, the network has a good reason for the controversial decision.
8 Biggest Questions Power Book II: Ghost Season 4 Must Answer
As the Power franchise gears up for Power Book II: Ghost season 4, there are plenty of unanswered questions to address and plotlines to conclude.
Two Power Shows Are Ending Because Starz Is Prioritizing New Projects
The Power Universe Remains Popular
It's no secret that aging shows get more expensive to produce, so Starz is focused on keeping its slate of originals cost-effective. According to Deadline, ending longer-running shows like Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force is the easiest way to prioritize new projects. The network also recently announced Outlander is ending with season 8 and has canceled Heels and Hightown. With Starz planning more Power-related shows, there's a high chance Tommy and Tariq's stories will not be complete at the end of Power Book II: Ghost season 4 and Power Book IV: Force season 3.
A new prequel, Power: Origins, is in the works and will follow Tommy and Ghost's younger years. A fifth spinoff is also in development, but the network isn't revealing story details at this stage. The show could theoretically pick up following the end of the two spinoffs and continue the present-day narrative in a more unified way. Bringing back more popular characters as part of one show is a great way to get people talking. However, the success of any future show in the franchise likely hinges on how Power Book IV: Force and Power II: Ghost end.
What We Know About Power Book IV: Force & Power Book II: Ghost's Endings
Both Shows Are Expected To Get Endings
Despite Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force being canceled as production is underway on their final seasons, they are each expected to have closure. The Power franchise is still a hot property, but a surefire way to maintain its appeal would be to give the spinoffs strong and conclusive endings. Still, if there are plans to use the present-day iterations of Tariq and Tommy again, there will likely be an open-ended nature to their storylines.
Power Series |
Premiere Date |
|---|---|
Power Book II: Ghost season 4, part 2 |
September 6, 2024 |
Power Book III: Raising Kanan season 4 |
TBA |
Power Book IV: Force season 3 |
TBA |
Power: Origins |
TBA |
Untitled Power spinoff |
TBA |
They're both pivotal players in the long-running franchise. A plausible way to halt their storylines for a while is for Tariq and Tommy to wind up in prison. The direction would pause their storylines until they're needed again in another show. Tariq and Tommy have a complicated history with one another, but there's plenty of potential to work together.
How Power Book II & IV Have Been Received
Both Of The Power Spinoffs Have A Following In Their Own Right
Courtney A. Kemp's Power franchise has been one of the most successful Starz network shows of the last few decades, and every spinoff so far has helped to maintain this reputation. Both Power Book IV: Force and Power Book II: Ghost have been received incredibly well by fans of the original show, and their cancelation was seen as something of a shock for many. Neither show appeared to be running out of narrative steam when the news arrived.
Were it not for Raising Kanan and the potential for further Power spinoffs, the ends of Force and Ghosts would likely have caused no shortage of chagrin. The popularity of the Power spinoffs is evident from their audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, with Ghost sitting on 84% and Force on 88%. It's not only audiences that warmed to the two Power sequel spinoffs, either. Ghost received a total of 5 NAA Image Awards, including for Outstanding Drama Series in 2021.
While it may not be quite the household name of some other drama franchises, the Power shows have a firm and solid fanbase that ensures Starz has plenty of reason to keep creating stories in the universe created by the original show. It's clear that both Force and Ghost will be missed by many Power fans, though, thankfully, there's still more to come from the franchise.
The Power Franchise Is Continuing, Even Without Force & Ghost
The Power Universe Will Feature More New Shows
Even though Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force are concluding, the only other spinoff has no end date. The Mekai Curtis-led Power Book III: Raising Kanan scored a season 5 renewal earlier this year, long before its fourth season premieres. Depending on how its future plays out, Power Book III: Raising Kanan could ultimately be the longest-running Power spinoff.
It's easy to look at the endings of Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force as a bad sign for the franchise, but a network's goal is to attract and keep viewers.
The reasoning behind such an early renewal has yet to be revealed. However, the spinoff will likely be used to set up Power: Origins, thanks to Ghost, Kanan, and Tommy's rich history. It won't be surprising if Curtis ultimately moves over to Power: Origins because Power Book III: Raising Kanan will likely not return for season 6 due to the cost-cutting at Starz. At some point, the timeline of Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be the same as the spinoff, so it makes sense from a financial standpoint to proceed with one prequel.
It's easy to look at the endings of Power Book II: Ghost and Power Book IV: Force as a bad sign for the franchise, but a network's goal is to attract and keep viewers. As a result, Starz could forge ahead with more limited series set in the Power universe. Some storylines don't call for an ongoing series, so the network may think longer about future projects. Power Book V: Influence got canceled after years in development, meaning Starz executives are protective of the Power universe.
Source: Deadline
Power
- Release Date
- 2014 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- Starz
- Directors
- Hernán Otaño, Bart Wenrich, Kari Skogland, Sanford Bookstaver, Shana Stein, Kieron Hawkes, Slick Naim, Ami Canaan Mann, Anthony Hemingway, David Rodriguez, M.J. Bassett, Mario Van Peebles, Rob Hardy, Stefan Schwartz, 50 Cent
Cast
Joseph SikoraTommy Egan
Omari HardwickJames 'Ghost' St. Patrick
WHERE TO WATCH
Power, released in 2014, follows a successful New York entrepreneur who covertly leads a drug empire catering to wealthy elites. As he seeks to leave the criminal world behind and protect his family, he navigates the precarious balance between his dual identities.
- Seasons
- 6
- Creator(s)
- Courtney A. Kemp
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