It has been a stunning season for Power, and the excellence continues this week on "King's Gambit." Some of the actors on the show claimed there would be a high body count this season, and they weren't lying. We're halfway through the season and things just keep getting bloodier. This week, Proctor seals his own fate after getting a little too bold with his power moves. It all begins with Saxe. The snarky prosecutor's sloppy plans keep getting people killed. He's become blinded by his obsession with Ghost, unconcerned with protocol, destroying several other antagonists in the process. Saxe's wiretap pays off after he sneakily collects it from Proctor's house and learns that the lawyer allowed his wife to die of an overdose. With threats to expose Proctor, Saxe officially turns him into a snitch. Proctor begrudgingly admits that Tommy killed Angela, and maintains Ghost's innocence. Saxe doesn't like the sound of that, but cuts Proctor loose regardless.
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Proctor turning into a snitch is what trips him up. In the same episode, he convinces Tommy to kill Maria. Frightened that Maria will testify against Ghost and Tommy, which will also implicate him, Proctor steps into the world of murder by linking up with Tommy. The issue is, Tommy learns that Proctor has turned into a snitch when he visits Maria's apartment and overhears Saxe revealing that nugget of information. Proctor inadvertently set himself up for failure on this one, and would still be alive if he had taken the high road and left Maria alone. Tommy kills Maria and doubles down on the idea of murder immediately afterward by looking for Proctor before his first victim's body is cold. This is where Tariq comes in.
Little Tariq St. Patrick is in way over his head. It really feels like he's more Tommy than Ghost when it comes to his decision-making, at times. As the episode opens, Tariq is all booed up with Effie who turns out to be some kind of snitch herself. She tips off the school's Dean about Tariq's drug dealing and that's when the audience learns Tariq has been selling baby aspirin and lying about it. That means Tariq dropped off the fake drugs to Vincent, essentially robbing the drug lord of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Dean expels Tariq, and Tasha drags him home to Ghost for punishment. Little St. Patrick returning home is the final piece of the puzzle that sets up Proctor's death. Tommy discovers that Proctor has gone to Ghost's house to hide out, and he gets Tariq to let him into the residence. Tariq takes Proctor's daughter out of the home and leaves the door open for Tommy, providing the ultimate assist to the murder of a main character (again). This kid Tariq's hands just keep getting dirtier. Tommy guns down Proctor after quite the theatrical shootout, but he mistakes the lawyer's final words as a passing threat. “This ain’t fucking over," states Proctor before his death. He's right. Before dying, Proctor gifted his daughter Elisa Maria with a chip that seemingly has evidence that can put Tommy and Ghost away for life. Proctor calls his daughter before Tommy gets to him, verifies that she is safe, and then instructs her to go to her uncle Benny's house. It's only a matter of time before Benny discovers the chip, and seeks revenge on Tommy.
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Meanwhile, Vincent finds out about the fake drugs Tariq gave him. The drug lord kidnaps little St. Patrick and then calls both Ghost and Tommy to Brooklyn. The two former friends show up thinking they are being set up, but instead, Vincent informs them that he has Tariq. Unless Ghost and Tommy pay up $2 million, Tariq is dead. Finally, we can breathe a collective sight of relief as the show has found a way to force Tommy and Ghost to work together again. Although even Tasha is convinced Ghost needs to die, as she admits to Tommy earlier in the episode, she notes that the moment isn't opportune yet. Her ex-husband and Tommy now have no choice but to work together now, since losing Tariq is something neither man can endure. And while Tariq was selling fake drugs, Tasha starts selling real ones. She gets her hands on some narcotics from a block boy that threatens her for "protection" money. Tasha talks her way out of paying up by offering to sell drugs instead. This moment reminds us that Tariq is not only a product of Ghost, but of Tasha too (another fact she states earlier in this episode). As the finale draws nearer, expect Power to highlight Tariq's similarities to his parents. It may be the most important factor in play.
