#Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Sex Week

Things are about to hit the fan.

As we creep ever closer to the first season finale, Tariq finds himself pulled in a million different directions. With his loyalties and responsibilities spread all over the place, he’s doing his best to keep himself protected. But at what cost?

Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 Episode 7 set the stage for several showdowns, but the tentative Tariq and Tejada partnership is the most intriguing.

When the season began, it didn’t seem like we would get to a point where Monet and Tariq worked so closely. They still don’t trust each other, but they’re also at a point where they don’t exactly have a choice not to.

Monet is losing her grip on the family, and she’s trying to assert her authority as much as she can, but she’s not dealing with children anymore.

She may look at Cane, Dru, and Diana as the kids she raised, but they are adults now who are learning more about themselves, more about the business, and more about what kind of future they want to have.

They were born into this life, but what if they don’t like how things are being run?

After his encounter at the prison, Cane was in the wind and acting more recklessly than usual. All Cane wants is Monet’s affections and her approval, but he can’t see past his jealousy and self-esteem issues.

If he’s not the number one man of the Tejada house while Lorenzo is away, then he can’t handle it. And right now, he can’t handle Tariq’s presence in his family’s life.

Now that he’s starting to get in Danilo’s head, Monet could be losing her grip on the family. And while Tariq has proven himself to be a reliable partner, he’s not family.

Tariq has to know no matter how close he gets to Diana and how much he gains Monet’s loyalty, he’s not blood, and they will choose Cane over him. But this situation will come to a head sooner than later, and it’s hard to see a scenario where Cane and Tariq are ever on the same side again.

Speaking of Tariq, he’s making out, then helping cover-up murders, writing papers for himself and others, trying to run the app, and manipulating Brayden all within like 48 hours. How does he do it?

I’ve been waiting for Tariq to wise up and realize something was off with Riley, and it finally came here when he made the connection between her and Saxe. But he’s going to need to do more than just getting Riley away from Brayden.

Between Riley and Trace, too many people know he’s doing SOMETHING he shouldn’t be, even if they don’t have all the details. He’s way too smart to let someone like Riley be his downfall, but I don’t know when Tariq finds time to sleep, let alone plan the demise of his rivals and loose ends.

The original Power relied somewhat on the romantic drama of Ghost, Tasha, Angela, and Tommy. But this spin-off really does not need to do that, as the characters, relationships, and action are so much more compelling.

That’s why it’s hard to get on-board the Tariq/Lauren/Diana love triangle. Tariq has more chemistry with Lauren, but it’s fairly obvious that’s supposed to be his Angela. The one who doesn’t know about his “other” life but fulfills him differently and makes him feel like a better man.

Then there’s Diana, who sees that other side of him and knows what he’s capable of, but never holds that against him.

It would appear Tariq’s drawn more to Lauren, but who even knows, honestly. He’s been waffling back and forth all season, and he’s been trying not to cross the line with Diana but still keep her close, and he’s failing.

There’s nothing wrong with a love triangle, but this show is so good, it doesn’t even need it.

In another world separate from the Stansfield and Queens shenanigans, Tasha’s trial moved on from 2-Bit and brought another ghost from the series past.

Paz took to the stand, and while her initial purpose was to incriminate Ghost more than incriminate Tasha, that’s not at all what happened.

Like Davis in Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 Episode 6, Saxe decided to look out for himself and his job, and he got inside Paz’s head enough to make her doubt all the small headway she had made with Tasha after Angela’s death.

There’s no way Paz actually believes Tasha was in charge of anything, but it’s also not as if she can say that definitively because she doesn’t know.

Paz gets a bad rap, but she was actually a pretty sane individual in a sea of crazies, and she wasn’t actively trying to hurt Tasha, though her testimony probably did more harm than good. But she offers up some good advice to Tasha at the end of the episode.

Tasha has done plenty of other things, but she didn’t do this. When is it Tasha’s turn to walk away?

Everything Else You Need To Know

• Jabari has turned ultimate villain real quick. He’s a hypocritical thief, and the less he’s around, the better. Unfortunately, this “war” between him and Carrie is not the exciting sub-plot the show wants it to be.

• Carrie and Zeke are still a thing, and that’s going to implode at some point. If I had to guess, Tariq will eventually figure it out and find a way to use it to his advantage.

• Kids running in and out of classes and dorm rooms flinging condoms in the air like it’s normal. Ah, to be you and in college again.

• Did they drop the whole Lorenzo/Tasha storyline? Because I want to see a continuation of their passive-aggressive phone conversations in prison.

• Is it just me, or are we gearing up for some central character to die this season? As long as it’s anyone but Brayden! His character is CLEARLY the most improved overall.

There are only a handful of episodes left, and this is the Power universe, so you know things are going to get crazy!

Will Jabari expose Carrie?

Would Monet ever choose Tariq over Cane?

What do you want to see from the remaining episodes?

Leave us a comment or four and tell us everything you’re thinking. And please watch Power Book II: Ghost online so you can join the conversation! 

Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.