Raising Kanan Season 3 Episode 8 Recap and Ending, Explained

‘Power Book III’ Raising Kanan’ is a prequel series to the entire ‘Power’ franchise and revolves around Kanan Stark, who grows up to become a notorious gang leader and one of the major antagonists in the original ‘Power’ series. In season 2 episode 8, as the show races toward a tantalizing season 2 finale, war brews on the horizon. The enemies of Raq and the Thomas family grow restless. Following the death of the son of their boss, the Italians come seeking blood. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ season 2 episode 8. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 Episode 8 Recap

Having killed Camacho, Lou Lou is now forced to deal with the mess the other man left behind. Meanwhile, the authorities find the dead man’s body. After learning about the disturbing relationship between Kanan and the much-older woman from Famous’ apartment complex, Raq confronts the woman and threatens her at gunpoint to stay away from her son. This angers Kanan, who doesn’t realize the reason behind it.

Jukebox and her mother Kenya’s relationship has evolved through the season. Kenya’s presence in her life prompted a positive impact on Jukebox’s life. However, Kenya is revealed to be a religious fanatic and homophobic in season 2 episode 8 as she puts her daughter through conversion therapy after finding out that Jukebox likes girls. We are not entirely sure what actually turned Jukebox from the kind teenager that we see in this episode to the vicious and opportunistic detective of ‘Power,’ but the kind of betrayal that Jukebox suffers in this episode, it’s no wonder that she grew up to hate the world around her.

Surprisingly, amidst all this, Jukebox’s relationship[ with her father starts to mend. She even calls Marvin “dad” while the latter confronts Kenya. Elsewhere, Howard speaks to the captain about Burke’s off-the-records investigation into his shooting, prompting the other man to call Burke into his office and admonish her. Although she promises the captain that she will stop, Burke still approaches Raq to ask her about her SI days for Howard.

Meanwhile, Scrappy’s mother approaches Kanan and urges him to speak to his mother about looking into her son’s death. She refuses to believe that Scrappy would take his own life. She happens to be right about all this. Unfortunately, she is reaching out to the people who took her son’s life, to begin with.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan: Is Marvin Dead?

Of the three Thomas siblings, Marvin has always been the most volatile. However, with Lou Lou trying to leave the criminal life behind, he has effectively become Raq’s second-in-command. That doesn’t mean that he has suddenly become incapable of committing foolish actions. In the previous episode, Marvin hires Marco, the son of the Italian crime family in New Jersey, to take out Toni Deep. The operation devolves into a disaster. Marco is killed, and his partner Dominic is seriously injured.

In episode 8, Sal and his people learn from Dominic what job Marco was working on at the time of his death. They then kill Dominic and arrange a meeting with Raq. In New York, Raq learns about what is happening from Unique and can only shake her head in disbelief at her brother’s foolishness. During the meeting, Sal asks for Marvin’s head, a demand that Raq vehemently refuses, reminding Sal that his son died because of his own mistakes. Sall points out that he could go after Kanan and that would be justified in his book but claims that he wants things to be balanced, demanding Marvin’s death again. However, Raq still refuses him, though she is quite aware of the veiled threat against her son.

Almost predictably, the Italians come for Marvin. The latter approaches Renee, his former instructor from the anger management sessions, and asks her out. Suddenly, two people step out of the shadows and shoot at them. The episode ends right there without showing whether Marvin is alive or not. Given the abrupt ending of the scene, he likely is, though the chances of his companion’s survival is almost non-existent. If he does survive, Raq will have no other choice but to go to war against the Italians. Because if she doesn’t, she risks losing her sprawling empire.

Read More: Is Crown Camacho Dead? Is Quincy Brown Leaving Power Book III Raising Kanan?

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