After six intense and emotionally charged seasons, Power concluded in 2020 by finally revealing the identity of Ghost’s killer. The series, created by Courtney A. Kemp with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, follows the dangerous rise and fall of James “Ghost” St. Patrick. James is a charismatic and calculating drug dealer who attempts to reinvent himself as a legitimate nightclub owner. Throughout the show, he struggles to balance his criminal empire with his personal ambitions and his responsibilities as a husband and father. His efforts to escape his past eventually lead to the confrontation that shapes the finale of the series.
The cracks within the St. Patrick family play a major role in the story’s final stretch. Ghost believes he can protect and guide his children while building a new life, but his years of lying and manipulating those closest to him catch up in the end. His son Tariq becomes the character most directly affected by Ghost’s actions. Tariq feels betrayed by his father and increasingly desperate to break free from the cycle of violence that surrounds their family. Their relationship becomes a tense and painful push toward a tragic conclusion, one that feels both shocking and inevitable.
Ghost’s death marks the completion of his character arc. As Kemp explained, the fate of James St. Patrick was always going to be death or prison. In the final season, he grows confident enough to believe he can escape both outcomes. He pursues political aspirations and plans a future in which Tasha and Tariq will face justice for their crimes. This decision gives both characters a strong motive to stop him. Although multiple characters appear capable of pulling the trigger, the finale confirms that Tariq kills his father. Tariq acts out of anger, betrayal, and a growing fear that Ghost intends to sacrifice his own family in order to become a new and respectable public figure.
The Power (Angry Annie Productions)Kanan’s Haunting Return Guides Tariq Toward Violence As Tragic Family Consequences Unfold
Before making his fatal choice, Tariq receives a haunting visit from Kanan. Although Kanan died in season five, he appears to Tariq in a vision that reflects the show’s Shakespearean tone. The moment resembles the ghostly scenes in Richard III, and it emphasizes the tragic repetition of violence in the St. Patrick family. Kanan was once Ghost’s mentor and later his rival, and his presence encourages Tariq to believe that killing Ghost is the only way to escape the life he has inherited. The irony is that Tariq’s attempt to escape his father’s shadow pulls him deeper into patterns of crime and vengeance that the series repeatedly critiques.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the finale brings together several central characters. Tasha arrives at the scene in panic and tries to help Tariq cover his involvement. She attempts to manipulate evidence and redirect police suspicion toward her boyfriend, Quinton. Her fear and desperation reflect the long history of secrets and sacrifices within the St. Patrick family. Just moments later, Tommy appears. He races to Ghost’s side, devastated and furious. When Tommy realizes Tariq is responsible, he raises his gun in a moment of raw emotion. Ghost spends his final breath begging Tommy to spare Tariq, granting his son one final act of protection.
Tasha’s effort to shield Tariq ultimately fails. Instead of escaping accountability, she becomes the one who pays the legal price for Ghost’s death. Despite her attempts to shift blame, the police uncover her involvement in the events surrounding the shooting. In the final scenes, she is arrested and placed in a jail cell. The situation is deeply ironic because Tasha feared for years that Ghost would eventually send her to prison. Even after his death, she cannot escape the fate that he had threatened to impose. Her imprisonment symbolizes her entrapment within a life that began long before she tried to break away from James.
The Power (Angry Annie Productions)Tariq Confronts Legacy While Power Expands Into New Narrative Horizons
Tariq’s future moves in a different direction and provides the foundation for the sequel series Power Book II: Ghost. Although he avoids immediate consequences for killing his father, Tariq must still fulfill the conditions laid out in James St. Patrick’s will. In order to receive the large inheritance his father left behind, he must attend and graduate from college. The final images of Tariq settling into his dorm room show the beginning of a new journey. He believes that higher education may give him a chance to reinvent himself. However, the sequel series reveals that Tariq continues to struggle with the same criminal pressures and moral challenges that shaped his father’s life.
The finale also includes a post-credits flashback set in 1996. This scene shows teenage versions of Ghost, Tommy, and Angela during their early years in Queens. Although many fans believed this might be a teaser for a prequel, Kemp clarified that the moment serves only as a narrative coda. The scene highlights how the major characters were shaped long before the events of the series and underscores the themes of destiny, choice, and environment that are present throughout the show. It reminds viewers that Ghost’s story began long before he became the man seen throughout the series, and that his fate was rooted in choices made as a teenager.
Several major themes define the ending of Power. The most prominent is revenge. Tariq seeks revenge for years of lies, manipulation, and emotional damage. Tommy seeks revenge for the murder of his closest friend, but is stopped by Ghost’s dying wish. Even Tasha’s actions are colored by her desire to protect herself and her son from the consequences of Ghost’s plans. Beneath the theme of revenge lies the deeper theme of inevitability. Each character tries to escape the cycle of violence and crime they were born into, but the finale shows that they remain trapped by it. Tariq’s attempt to break free only repeats the story of the man he killed.
The reception to the finale was largely positive, although not without criticism. Many critics felt the somber tone and emotional weight made for a fitting end to the series. Fans praised the buildup to the reveal of Ghost’s killer and the tragic consequences that followed. However, some viewers believed the pacing of the episode was too slow, and others felt certain resolutions were rushed. Despite these concerns, the continuing success of the spinoffs has allowed the finale to be viewed as a turning point rather than a true ending. In retrospect, the conclusion of Power serves both as the final chapter of James St. Patrick’s life and as the beginning of a larger franchise built on the legacy he left behind.
