Tamal Kundu
The Starz crime-drama franchise ‘Power’ revolves around the drug trade, focusing on various characters who desire to accumulate power and wealth by exploiting the addiction of others. ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ is the second entry in the ‘Power’ series and follows Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.), the son of James St. Patrick, the protagonist of the original series. After Tariq kills his father, his mother takes the blame so he can have a normal life. But his father’s legacy continues to haunt him. Initially portrayed by American rapper and actor Reginald Noble, more known by his stage name Redman, the character was recast in season 3. Here is everything you need to know about it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Recasting of Theo Rollins Role
In the ‘Power’ universe, Theo Rollins is the older brother of defense attorney Davis MacLean (Method Man). He is first introduced in season 2 when Davis visits him. Being a defense attorney, it’s quite normal for him to visit his incarcerated clients in prison. What sets this particular visit apart is the relationship between the two men.
After Theo’s formal introduction to the narrative, his backstory and relationship with Davis were addressed in depth. The third season further expands on that. Davis hands over his brother’s case to Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson) without telling the man who his defendant is. But Cooper isn’t anything if not tenacious and intelligent. By the time he goes to meet his new client, he has figured out who he is and why he is behind bars. Earlier, Theo warned his brother against pushing Cooper about the case, fearing that it might lead to the discovery of what they had done. It turns out that Theo was more right about Cooper than he wanted to be.
In season 3 episode 3, Cooper confronts Davis after Theo completely shuts down on him and convinces his client’s younger brother to explain what really happened. It turns out that when Davis was 21, he faced the possibility of being charged with manslaughter for the death of a police officer’s brother. Refusing to let his brother’s life end before it even began, Theo accepted the charges and subsequently took the plea deal. This allowed Davis to attend Columbia Law and become the man he is now.
As Cooper points out, the prosecution was looking to close the case quickly, so they offered the plea deal. If it were Davis of today, his brother wouldn’t have seen a day inside the prison. What is worse, Theo has been diagnosed with hepatitis B and D and suffers from liver failure. The latter can be solved with a new liver, but his hepatitis B and D diagnosis prevents that. The doctor Davis consults about his brother informs him that a friend of his is the lead researcher on a medical trial that can solve Theo’s problem, but his status as a convict automatically makes him ineligible. Davis requests the doctor to get the necessary paperwork done and promises him that his brother will be free in time for the treatment.
When the audience discovered that Theo was being portrayed by a different actor, not Redman, in season 3, they took to social media to voice their displeasure. Neither the series producers nor the Starz executives have spoken anything about Redman’s sudden departure.
Reason for Redman’s Departure from the Show Unclear
It was originally the idea of series creator Courtney A. Kemp to bring in Redman to portray Method Man’s brother. The latter immediately liked the idea and gave his approval. After all, he and Redman have worked on multiple projects together in the past. “It’s always dope to work with somebody you’ve worked with over the years, but just not somebody that you’ve always worked with, but someone that you trust as far as stage performances and things like that,” Method Man explained in an interview with Vibe. “So anytime you put Redman and Method Man on-screen together, not only are you going to get chemistry, you going to get synergy, as well as professionalism.”
It is still unclear why Redman left ‘Power Book II: Ghost. American actor Jordan Mahome has replaced Redman as Theo Rollins in the show. Active in the industry since 1997, Mahome has appeared in projects such as ‘Bull,’ ‘The Get Down,’ ‘Ray Donovan,’ ‘The Punisher,’ and ‘For Life.’ In 2014, he directed an episode of ‘The Sonnet Project.’
Read More: Will Diana and Tariq End Up Together in Power Book II: Ghost?
