Sumith Prasad
Rosal Colon’s Juliana Ayala is one of the significant characters who doesn’t appear in the third season premiere of Starz’s crime drama series ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan.’ After getting shot and nearly killed, Raquel “Raq” Thomas returns to her home from the hospital, only to announce to her family that she is leaving the drug trade. While her son Kanan Stark expresses his disbelief, she adds that she doesn’t want to be at the receiving end of any more trouble. Raq’s startling announcement indicates the possibility of her never crossing paths with Juliana again, especially after the latter’s betrayal! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Turning Against Raq
Juliana plays a significant role in the growth of Raq as a feared and respected player in the New York City drug scene. She provides the latter with a place to keep her spoils and protects the same. Their relationship, however, changes when Unique kidnaps Juliana and steals Raq’s money. He then plays ball with his then-enemy with Juliana at gunpoint. Raq and Unique eventually become allies, which infuriates Juliana. She asks Raq to stand against the person who kidnapped and threatened her but the “Queen” does what’s best for her business by keeping Unique close to her.
In the second season, Raq tries to snatch Traymont Stinson and his business from Cartier Fareed. To make that happen, she even does a personal favor to him. However, in the season finale, Traymont lets her know that he doesn’t want to do business with her because he doesn’t want a middlewoman in his affairs. Juliana and Joaquin Lara decide to deal directly with Traymont, killing not only a part of Raq’s business but also her dreams of expanding beyond her current “jurisdiction.” Juliana makes it clear that she went against Raq because the latter went against her by joining hands with Unique.
Although the viewers have been expecting Raq to teach Juliana a lesson after the latter’s betrayal, the third season premiere outrightly skips the particular storyline. Furthermore, Raq expresses her decision to get out of the business fearing more trouble. Does that mean she will not bother exacting vengeance on Juliana, which may eliminate the latter from the show’s narrative?
Rosal Colon’s Future in Raising Kanan
Rosal Colon is yet to officially leave ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan.’ Neither Starz nor the actress has revealed that she is not a part of the show’s cast anymore. Even though Juliana’s absence in the third season premiere and Raq’s surprising decision concerning her future indicate the possible conclusion of the former’s story arc, the character has unignorable scope in the narrative of the crime drama. Once Raq settles her immediate concerns, including reconnecting with a rebellious Kanan, she may return to Juliana to either mend or kill their relationship completely.
Although Raq talks about getting out of the drug trade, she may know more than anyone that she is too immersed in the same to walk away from it. Unique’s apparent wish to get back at Sal Boselli may stir seeds of vengeance in her as well, especially considering that they hook up in the first episode of season 3. If that’s the case, Sal may not be the only one who will have to face her wrath. She may want to sit against Juliana and Joaquin once again if she gets to silence the streets of Newark, New Jersey, by putting an end to Sal’s troubles.
Having said that, there is a chance of never seeing Colon’s Juliana again in the series. The third season can revolve around solely the conflicts between Raq, Unique, and Sal, making Juliana not essential for the narrative of the installment. We may need to wait for Starz’s confirmation regarding the actress’ future in the crime drama or the upcoming episodes to determine whether Colon will continue appearing in the show.
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