Creating unique worldscomposed of multiple serieson the small screen has become a well-known practice once a television series becomes successful. Back in 2014, the showPowerpremiered. A drama story focusing on the drug and crime world in The Big Apple with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as an executive producer and a part of the cast and created by Courtney Kemp Agboh. Courtney isn’t unfamiliar with the criminal world, as she was a writer inThe Good Wife.
After six seasons, it was announced that the beloved crime show would end. However, there was plenty of good news: it would receive various spin-offs. Since then,Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan,andPower Book IV: Forcewere released, bringing back beloved characters. With so many spin-offs, it can become confusing to new fans (and even old ones) to know how they connect and the chronological order of the events. Here is how each series relate to each other.
The original series aired from 2014 until 2020. Regarding this universe timeline,Powerchronologically comes afterPower Book III: Raising Kanan.Powertells the story of James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a successful businessman who owns a luxurious nightclub, Truth. He also has a side job (which he is just as successful in) that may consume him: heis a coke distributor to New York’s elite. However, Ghost wants to live a legitimate life, and finds that his club might help him do it, but there are only two ways of getting out, as fans of the show know quite well: jail or death.
On Season 5, the series had 1.47 million viewers, becoming the largest on-air debut for a premium cable show that summer, surpassingBig Little Lies. The first episode of Season 6 was the second most-watched cable drama of the year, losing the first spot to none other thanGame of Thrones.
However, when the first season premiered, the series didn’t get any critical acclaim. But, as Jackson said, “That’s the excitement ofPower.We showed people that there are repercussions for your actions, your behavior, and the choices that you make in your life. And those choices will leave you somewhere else.” And that is one of the reasons why the show is popular and big enough for its own universe.
Power Book II: Ghost
Power Book II: Ghostis a direct sequel to the original series that centers around Ghost’s son, Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.). The series picks up right after the ending ofPower. In college, Tariq lives a lifestyle that combined with his family needs he can’t afford, and drug dealing, which he started doing in the latter seasons ofPower, is the solution.
Related:Exclusive: Omar Dorsey on Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Working With 50 Cent
Tariq wasn’t the most popular character to be the next protagonist on this universe, as he developed and became one of the main antagonists inPower. He must cope with his actions in the finale ofthe original show,which was called“saddest ending of a television show ever” by the creator of the series.Power Book II: Ghostpremiered in 2021 and was the first spin-off to air.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Power Book III: Raising Kananis a standalone prequel toPower. The series focuses on Ghost and Tommy’s mentor, Kanan Stark’s coming-of-age story. Kanan, played by none other than 50 Cent in the original show, is an important character inPower. The story is set in 1991, when Kanan (Mekai Curtis) is fifteen years old and his mother, Raquel (Patina Miller), distributes cocaine in a promising upcoming distributors network in New York.
Since it is a prequel, there’s no need to watch it in the order it was released. But because it shows the backstory of the characters, many advise watching it after finishing at least the originalPowerseries so that the viewer is familiar with the characters mentioned and shown.
Power Book IV: Force
Power Book IV: Forcefocuses on Ghost’s right-hand man, Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora). Tommy was one of the most important characters inPower, but a minor one inGhost. This is also a sequel, and as Tommy is a big character inPower, the original series should be watched before watchingForce.
Related:Power Book IV: Force: Why Paint Tommy as the Villain?
The viewer could start by watchingForcebecause there is important information and backstory found that directlyprovides information about the series and characters. Changing locations for the first time in this universe, Tommy leaves the city that never sleeps and decides to move to California but ends up making a quick stop in troublesome Chicago. He discovers things about his family, as well as who runs the drug underworld, and decides to stay. There, he wants to build his own drug empire. This was the latest spin-off series to premiere.
Power Book V: Influence
The fifth installment of this world and fourth spin-off would center around politician Rashad Tate (Larenz Tate) and be calledPower Book V: Influence. Unfortunately, the series was canceled in August 2022. This was supposed to be the fourth book in the series, butForcepremiered in its place. There hasn’t been any announcement regarding if the television universe will have another spin-off series.
Nevertheless,Ghost, Raising Kanan, andForcewere renewed. The latest season ofForcepremiered on September 1st and the fourth year of the second show of this universe,Ghost,premiered on September 6th. The third season ofRaising Kananwill premiere on December 1st.
