ThePoweruniverse was dealt an enormous blow recently when news broke thatPower Book II: Ghostseason 4andPower Book IV: Forceseason 3 would mark the end of both spinoffs. Given the continued success of theshows set in thePowerfranchise, the cancelations came out of the blue.Power Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forceare sequels to the originalPower, featuring some of the most popular characters. Their premature endings create questions about the viability of thePowerbrand 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 asPowerspinoffs, wrapping up their runs doesn’t mean an end for the characters. Despite the questions about whyGhostandForcewere 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 toDeadline,ending longer-running shows likePower Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forceis the easiest way to prioritize new projects. The network also recently announcedOutlanderis ending with season 8 and has canceledHeelsandHightown. With Starz planning morePower-related shows, there’s a high chance Tommy and Tariq’s stories will not be complete at the end ofPower Book II: Ghostseason 4 andPower Book IV: Forceseason 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 howPower Book IV: ForceandPower II: Ghostend.
What We Know About Power Book IV: Force & Power Book II: Ghost’s Endings
Both Shows Are Expected To Get Endings
DespitePower Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forcebeing canceled as production is underway on their final seasons, they are each expected to have closure.ThePowerfranchise 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 Book II: Ghost season 4, part 2
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’sPowerfranchise 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. BothPower Book IV: ForceandPower Book II: Ghosthave 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 forRaising Kananand the potential for furtherPowerspinoffs, the ends ofForceandGhostswould likely have caused no shortage of chagrin.The popularity of thePowerspinoffs is evident from their audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, withGhostsitting on 84%andForceon 88%. It’s not only audiences that warmed to the twoPowersequel spinoffs, either.Ghostreceived a total of 5 NAACP Image Awards, including for Outstanding Drama Series in 2021.
While it may not be quite the household name of some other drama franchises, thePowershows 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 bothForceandGhostwill be missed by manyPowerfans, 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 thoughPower Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forceare concluding, the only other spinoff has no end date.The Mekai Curtis-ledPower Book III: Raising Kananscored a season 5 renewalearlier this year, long before its fourth season premieres. Depending on how its future plays out,Power Book III: Raising Kanancould ultimately be the longest-runningPowerspinoff.
It’s easy to look at the endings ofPower Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forceas 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 upPower: Origins, thanks to Ghost, Kanan, and Tommy’s rich history. It won’t be surprising if Curtis ultimately moves over toPower: OriginsbecausePower Book III: Raising Kananwill likely not return for season 6 due to the cost-cutting at Starz. At some point, the timeline ofPower Book III: Raising Kananwill be the same as the upcoming spinoff, so it makes sense from a financial standpoint to proceed with one prequel.
It’s easy to look at the endings ofPower Book II: GhostandPower Book IV: Forceas 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 thePoweruniverse. Some storylines don’t call for an ongoing series, so the network may think longer about future projects.Power Book V: Influencegot canceledafter years in development, meaning Starz executives are protective of thePoweruniverse.
Power
Cast
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.
