No More Second Chances: ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Season 3 Episode 5 Recap

This week’s episode entitled ‘No More Second Chances’ picks up at the Tejada household the morning after Monet shot and killed Kevin Whitman (Jeff Hephner). Monet digs deeper after Davis provides her new information regarding Zeke’s murder. A business deal takes Tariq, Brayden and Effie to Milan and Saxe doubles down to find out what Jenny is hiding. Click inside to read a full recap of this week’s episode of Power Book II: Ghost!

TARIQ, EFFIE & BRAYDEN 

Last week, we saw Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) prove his worth at Weston Holdings by getting RSJ (Gbenga Akinnagbe) to sign on with them. This week, we see their relationship advance a bit more. The billionaire invites Tariq (and Effie), Brayden (Gianni Paolo) and Kiki (Moriah Brown) to Italy with him to check out a new tech company that they’re considering investing in. Two important things happened as the group was getting ready to board the plane. The first was Tariq once again showing his worth to RSJ. This time he does so by mentioning a red flag that he came across when doing research on the company. The second thing was Brayden dropping his phone. Kiki picked it up and noticed all the CrashCoin notifications he was receiving. At the big meeting, Tariq’s research and assessments come in clutch. He discovered that despite their efforts to keep it quiet, the company has been having problems with their patenting. RSJ, Tariq and Kiki ended up leveraging the information they had into a partnership deal that was worth way more than what they originally planned to invest.

After the successful meeting, Tariq and Effie (Alix Lapri) share a meal at a beautiful spot. Again, Tariq brings up the future and what he thinks it’ll look like with Effie. He mentions how he longs for a boring life where he doesn’t have to hold his breath forever. Tariq claims that they’re going to get out the game together and live a real life. Before Effie can express how she feels, the two of them are interrupted by Noma (Caroline Chikezie) and Obi (Kyle Vincent Terry). Noma tasks them with retrieving a listening device that was planted by Mecca. Of course it wasn’t that simple. The device was hidden in the mansion of oil giant and international arms deal Francesco Lombardi (Anthony Alessandro), who just so happened to also be Noma’s ex. RSJ’s name got the gang invites to the party. While there, Brayden searches for the device but is eventually caught by one of Lombardi’s security guards. Effie witnesses Brayden get captured and although it’s alarming, she doesn’t let that stop her from grabbing the device they came for. Despite being tied up and beaten, Brayden doesn’t give up any information. Tariq and Effie don’t give up any information to Kiki either. She came to their hotel room concerned looking for her boy toy but didn’t get the answer she was looking for. Tariq tells Effie that they have to use the only leverage they have against Lombardi to get Brayden back.

The next day, Tariq and Effie meet up with Lombardi. The plan was supposed to be for Tariq to hand over the audio device in exchange for Brayden. As Tariq is in the middle of the transaction, he is attacked and a gun is held to his head. Lombardi questions if they work for Mecca. In the knick of time, Lombardi and all of his men are taken out. It turns out that Tariq called Noma and Obi and let them know that they could lure Lombardi and his people to a certain location so that they could take them out. Noma is extremely impressed with Tariq and his cleverness. She tells him that the trial period they were on is complete. Noma continues by telling them that since she now will be taking over Francesco business, there will be more work for everyone. She ends the conversation by saying that she thinks Tariq and his team has a bright and long future with her, which is the opposite of what Tariq has been saying he wanted. After surviving the ordeal, Tariq is visibly stressed. He can’t get over the fact that Noma will seemingly own them forever. Effie thinks she might have a resolution to that issue. She shows Tariq a picture she took at Lombardi’s house. The picture was a painting of Noma, Lombardi and a little girl who has to be their daughter. Effie suggests that they find the girl and that will be the key to them getting out from under her hands.

It was already a crazy trip in Italy. Tariq surely didn’t think there was going to be more chaos when he got home but that’s exactly what he got. Tariq’s sleep was interrupted when he got a text from an unsaved number telling him to meet them on campus. He is caught completely off guard when he sees that it’s Lauren! She spills the beans on what happened to her the night that she was “killed.” Tariq tells Lauren that he didn’t know anything about what happened. He expresses how much he cares for her and explains that Brayden and Effie lied to him. Lauren tells him that he can’t tell Brayden and Effie that she’s still alive. Furthermore, she tells him that she’s been with the feds and they’re building a case against him. When Tariq returns to his room, it’s written all over his face that something is up. Effie again brings up that there’s something she wants to tell Tariq but things have been getting in the way. Instead of admitting what she did, she mimics Tariq’s remarks from the last episode and tells him that she loves him also. How long will it take Tariq to confront Brayden and Effie about what he now knows? How will it impact their business relationship? Will Kiki bring up what she saw on Brayden’s phone? Is there a way for Effie’s Noma plan to work?

THE TASK FORCE (JENNY SULLIVAN & BLANCA RODRIGUEZ)…& COOPER SAXE

After the death of Whitman, Jenny (Paton Ashbrook), Blanca (Monique Gabriela Curnen) and Saxe (Shane Johnson) share drinks as they mourn their loss and figure out how they can make headway with their case. Blanca brings up that the last known connect for the Castillo family was found dead. She throws out the idea that the Tejadas played a part in it so that they could become their new connect. Jenny begins to apply more pressure on Saxe, stating that Davis must know something about who’s supplying Tariq and the Tejadas with drugs. Saxe pushes back and says that Davis hasn’t said anything that would help them.

That didn’t stop Saxe from trying though. He presented Davis with some new information that will go a long way in getting Theo Rollins out of jail. Davis wants to go tell Theo the good news in person but Saxe decides to stay back so that he can “work on the brief.” In true Saxe fashion, he does the complete opposite. He uses the opportunity to sneak and go through one of MacLean’s drawers. He finds the police file that Davis had stolen from Whitman’s house. Of course Saxe takes a picture and reports to his on and off girlfriend Jenny Sullivan. He tells her that they need to meet. Unfortunately for him, she tells him that she can’t at the moment. Saxe takes it upon himself to pull-up on her. When he calls her and watches her ignore his call, he decides to follow her. Saxe’s obsessiveness leads him to the safe house that Jenny is keeping Lauren (Paige Hurd) at. Saxe approaches Jenny about her sneakiness. He even goes as far to tell her that if she doesn’t tell him what’s going on, they’ll be done. Jenny doesn’t blink twice. Saxe finally realizes that Jenny is using him the same way she used Lauren. As soon as he mentioned Lauren’s name, she came out the house. Saxe is completely shocked to see that she’s alive and that he’s been manipulated. After overhearing the majority of their conversation, Lauren demands answers from Jenny. Before Saxe is escorted off the premises, he tells Lauren that Jenny can’t legally keep her there and that Tariq legitimately loved her (and didn’t try to kill her). Will Saxe tell Davis and Tariq that Lauren is still alive? Will Lauren keep sneaking out?

THE TEJADAS

After receiving a police file from Davis MacLean (Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith) that implicated Lorenzo (Berto Colon) in Zeke’s murder, Monet (Mary J. Blige) was adamant about getting to the bottom of it. She enlisted Tariq to find out where International Guap was on the night of the unfortunate killing (Remember they killed IG thinking he murdered Zeke). To confirm that IG didn’t have anything to do with it, Tariq fed Tate (Larenz Tate) some fake news, knowing that he would relay it to the cops. When Tate responded by calling Tariq a liar, that was the answer he needed. Tariq meets with Monet to let her know that IG was in the Dominican Republic when Zeke was killed so he couldn’t have done it. After hearing from Tariq, Monet goes to visit Cane (Woody McClain). She asks him who told him that IG killed Zeke. He reluctantly tells her that it was Lorenzo. Cane holds up his side of the bargain when he doesn’t rat his father out. Instead, Cane covers for Lorenzo and lies to Monet. Later at the bar, Cane warns his father that Monet might know something. He urges him to tell Monet the truth since the whole thing was an accident. Lorenzo doesn’t think it’s a good idea and says that Monet will never forgive him. It seems like Lorenzo was right. Feeling confident in what she knows, Monet travels to go see Evelyn Castillo (Luna Lauren Velez). She drops a bomb on her when she reveals that Lorenzo ordered a hit on Frank when he found out he was a snitch. Not only did she tell Evelyn that, she basically encouraged her to kill Lorenzo.

Ironically enough, the Tejada drama never stops. While spending time with Gordo (Erik Hernandez), Dru (Lovell-Adams Gray) finds out that one of the white boys they shot at was a criminal informant, still alive…..and being evacuated to a nearby hospital. Gordo figures since it’s his mess, he’ll clean it up alone. Realizing that he’s also implicated, Dru decides that it’s best if he tags along also. When the two of them arrive at the hospital, they’re surprised to see it packed out with ATF agents and other cops. While hiding in a closet waiting to make their move, Dru and Gordo overhear Blanca being told that the CI didn’t make it but his phone can be picked up on another floor. The two rush downstairs and pay a worker a wad of cash to get the phone (Literally right before Blanca makes it downstairs). Once they’re out the hospital, Dru goes through the phone and sees pictures of his father and Brayden. Dru wisely destroys the phone and they flea the scene.

The Tejada family has a family dinner later on in the episode. As Dru and Cane reminisce about old times, Diana (LaToya Tonodeo) and Lorenzo have a much needed talk in the kitchen. Lorenzo tells Diana that he wants to pull the plug on her selling drugs. He expressed how he wanted her to focus on school and not the streets. One person that we know isn’t leaving the streets is Monet. As she sat outside in the cold and enjoyed a drink, Gordo arrived at their home. He offered his apologies for missing Zeke’s funeral. They also discussed grief and when it gets better when it comes to people they love dying. When Monet asked Gordo about anger, he admits that the anger never goes away for him. He goes on to tell her that if he could, he would slit the throat of the person who killed his father.

Either Cane’s words started to sink in, his conscious got crazy or Lorenzo felt like Monet was catching on to him. For whatever reason, Lorenzo finally came out and admitted what he did to Zeke. Although he explained himself and emphasized that it was an accident, Monet exploded when she heard the news. Lorenzo probably made the worst choice he could have when he also placed some of the blame on Monet (Even though he wasn’t lying). After expressing that she hates him, Monet tells Lorenzo that she won’t give him the bullet he deserves but he needs to get out of her house and out of New York. Dru, Cane and Diana were all home preparing for a game of spades but noticed that Lorenzo was nowhere to be found. Monet pretended that she had no clue where he was either but we know that’s far from the truth. We find out very soon after that Lorenzo has been at the bar having drinks. When he comes outside, he notices that there’s a nail in his tire, causing him to go to the trunk and grab a spare. As he’s reaching down to grab it, his throat is viscously slit…by Gordo. After he watches Lorenzo bleed out, he texts Monet that the job is done and tells her thank you. The episode ends with Monet flashing a devilish smirk, all but confirming that she set the kill up. How will Lorenzo’s death impact the Tejadas? Will Cane or of the other kids realize what Monet did? Who will be in control now that Lorenzo is dead? When will Dru find out that Gordo killed his father? When he does, how will he respond? Drop your thoughts about season three’s fifth episode in the comments and also let us know what you think will happen next week!