Tommy Egan’s long-awaited “Power” spinoff finally debuts on Starz this month. The new series picks up right after the explosive season one finale of “Power Book II: Ghost” and ties back to its parent show. After losing his best friend, the love of his life, and the only city he’s ever known, Tommy (played by Joseph Sikora) trades in his dark past in New York City for a new Chicago adventure in “Power Book IV: Force.” There, he gets acquainted with new crews, new foes, and new rules on his quest to become the city’s biggest drug dealer.
According to executive producer 50 Cent, “Power Book IV: Force” is a “natural spinoff” in the “Power” universe, despite arriving nearly two years after its predecessor ended. “I thought it was going to be the first one out,” Sikora tells POPSUGAR of his spinoff’s timeline, adding that he’s thrilled that fans are still just as eager to watch it. “I think it’s just an incredible testament to the evolution of the creative force behind the ‘Power’ world . . . so I’m just proud to be amongst such talented people and to live in this character and to find Tommy without anything.”
In the words of Sikora, the spinoff series finds a “hustler and gangster from Southside Jamaica, Queens, [who] has been forced out of what he would consider his soul, his life blood, and his skin — New York City.” What results from this stems from the death of his childhood friend and former partner in crime, Ghost (played by Omari Hardwick). The last time we saw Sikora’s character, Tommy had just escaped a murder charge by faking his own death to get authorities off his back. However, Tommy adds another enemy, Monet Tejada (Mary J. Blige), to his running list on his way out of town after he tries to kill his godson, Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.). With so many people against him, Tommy makes a plan to leave his beloved city behind in his rearview mirror in hopes of a fresh start.
Like many passionate “Power” fans, Sikora was eager to see where his character’s story would finally go, but it took some patience to see it through. “50 [Cent] will tell you that he told me, ‘Just relax, it’s coming,'” he tells us. “And as everything that 50 promises, it happens.” For Sikora, the most thrilling part of Tommy’s new journey is seeing how he takes control of his new environment in his own way. Between Ghost and Kanan (played by 50 Cent), Tommy has already been through hell and back, but now he’s finding his footing in Chicago on his own terms. “There’s no backup. There’s nobody to call. He’s got to do this himself. He’s got to build from here,” Sikora says. “So that’s going to be the exciting part for the audience. How does Tommy put everything together? How did Tommy get to be the Tommy that we saw in episode one of ‘Power’? Now we’re going to get to see how Tommy puts things together and makes his own organization.”
As we’ve seen in every other rendition of “Power” so far, the concept of family drives the plot of the shows and, more importantly, acts as motivation for every single character. However, that theme could potentially be absent from “Power Book IV: Force” since Tommy seemingly has no help from the St. Patricks or even his own family. “Every other part has organic family that’s in it, and Tommy has always tried to make his own family,” Sikora explains. “So what is that? How is that going to look in Chicago? Like who’s going to fit into those familial [roles]? Is it going to be Kate, who’s disowned him, or is it going to be new people . . . Who is Tommy going to choose to align himself with?”
As the “Power” universe expands once again, “Power Book IV: Force” opens up a whole new world of uncharted territory and new faces ready to carry the torch. According to Gabrielle Ryan, who plays Gloria, every member of the cast is a huge fan of the “Power” franchise. Shane Harper — whose character, Vic Flynn, is wrapped up with Ryan’s — adds that the highly anticipated spinoff is “the one fans have really been waiting for.”
“It’s something you know is already successful, and you just want to keep that going as we tell a different chapter in the story,” Anthony Fleming III (who plays JP Gibbs) adds. “It’s been an honor to take the reins and be a part of it. . . . It’s just a sense of excitement that goes with this universe because it’s taken over.” Self-proclaimed “die-hard” “Power” fan Kris Lofton (who plays Jenard Sampson) describes being a part of the show as a “surreal” feeling and even adds that he feels he owes this moment to the show’s fan base, considering the long wait.
Source: Read Full Article
