(9): TV show review: Power; the vicious circle of scarcity and abundance.

One of the most ubiquitous socioeconomic facts is the vicious influence of scarcity and abundance. Scarcity, when veiled with the face of poverty, creates tough situations. Tough situations create tough people. And tough people, courtesy of their un-doubtful, innovative work rate that was born out of necessity, create prosperity. While prosperity, as the other name of abundance, creates a very spoilt, soft core of people. And the soft core, create scarcity out of their unhelpful laziness that would be born out of economic privilege. There, the vicious circle is rounded up. Also the omnipresent nature of that socioeconomic constant has seen to it that its the same in the medieval time, pre-modern time, modern time, and post-modern time. And geographically the same. On the densely populated streets of China and India. On the deserts and mountainous landmass of Latin America. And on the greenly Sub-Saharan woods of Africa. Among which the neighborhoods in the city of New York are indifferent. 

As the prolific professor of economics, Yanis Varoufakis asserts: some children have to choose what to accept of gifts from friends and relatives, while others dream of the day when they might be able to head to school without holes in their shoes. And James Saint Patrick, Thomas Patrick Egan, Kanan Stark, Tasha Saint Patrick, Lakeisha grant, among others, happen to fall in the latter bracket of children who had to go to school despite the holes in their shoes. Helpless children of scarcity they were, a social and economic factor, and a point in the vicious circle that compel them to become tough, necessarily innovative, and unapologetic hustlers. Just as its a big rich town, that they happen to come from its poorest part, so legal or illegal they got to make it. 50 cent was just stating the obvious. 

In the war in favour of disrupting the status quo, in a society that cares not about the means, rather the ends, James and Tommy become very brilliant drug-dealers. Under the mentorship of Kanan, a superior illegal hustler whom they have to send behind the prison walls to confirm the legitimacy of their influence. And as its a fact as the saying that it takes one to know one, it also takes one to survive with one. For it has seen to it that James and Tasha married, parenting  Tariq, Naina and Jasmine, in their beautiful apartment. With the nightclub, Truth, as the distraction, and the medium through which they clean their drug money. While Kanan Stark's son, Shawn Stark, stays under James' keep as a thanksgiving gesture to the mentorship of Kanan. 

Smoothly as life carries on, the symptoms of crisis couldn't help but make themselves clear. One of which was Angela Valdes' eventful appearance out of nowhere, which is what I term the call of destiny, and a reunion of love, which destiny would always make happen somewhere sometime, or it doesn't deserve to be called destiny at all. Surely her resurfacing has meaning, and one of it is allowing the rolling rendition of the scarcity and abundance circle to roll as quickly and flowing as possible. For James couldn't afford letting her go, courtesy of polygamous nature of men. Triggering the jealousy in Tasha, and the urge to return the favour. Sadly, women can only be monogamous comfortably as men can be polygamous. Even if the society doesn't accept more than one spouse. A fact that Tasha refuses to agree with, exploding the entire family. Man’s first love is the only woman he can wholeheartedly live with. And when he live with another, it’s just an indication that the first love is out of his league. Tasha was caught in there, and rightly objects, yet wrongly panics and stupidly decides.

Tommy Egan on his part was a victim of scarcity as he's a victim of ludicrous parenting. His mother does break-fasts with methamphetamine as his biological father sleeps in prison for abetting murder and cover up. As much as Tommy could help himself, its only normal that he can't survive the blood of bad eggs running through his veins, which also saw to it that his mouth curse sharper than any human being's I know.  Lakeisha grant was the most beautiful woman in the TV show. And one of few innocent souls that gets what they don't deserve. Holy Weaver was extremely unethical young woman, who was another person that happens to be a daughter of desperation. Getting herself killed was a caution note to anyone thinking one could get behind lifetime friends to execute one's agenda. Tommy loved both of them as he could, his love for red heads was from his father, Tony Teresi, just as his shithousery emanates from Kate Egan. Teresi getting himself killed was also a proof that biological relationship isn't emotional, for family is a word that's beyond the description of bloodline lineage. But his death sabotaging the friendship of Ghost and Tommy into life hunting, between the two lifelong friends, which in the process claims Angie Valdes, is also another proof that a father is a father, whether he's as sinful as devil, or poor and stinking of fault as soak away. 

Shawn and Naina however, reiterate the prophecy of good coming out of bad. And confirm the loyalty nature of criminal empire which has it that only criminal last longer. Cash, son of Lakeisha was as sweet as cash. While Joey Proctor and Terry silver are a proof that a bad can come out of good. One is an excellent lawyer, and the other a horrible professional. Proctor gets justice for killing his wife in the hands of Egan. While Silver sleeps with the wife of a wrong man. How they get Tommy Egan and James St Patrick out of prison remains one of the most special part of the series. John Mark however was the most excellent of the players. He stopped understanding the game, therefore he walks away from the game. Him getting beat by proctor was hurtful, but him living longer in the law endeavor than proctor only suggests that form is temporary, while class is permanent. 

As well crafted and accurate as the basis of investigation can be, investigator's intentions can play a vital role towards the success or failure of the project. This is a basic feature of any fair and unbiased research. An investigator or truth hunter can't go into an investigation with personal vendetta in mind, even if he was investigating the right target. Greg Knox and Mike Sandoval match this description. Excellent agents investigating right target, however, with dirty intentions. And along the line, they get wasted away without realizing any of their goals. 

Andre Coleman was backstabbing employee. But if the bitchy of Karma has any truth in it, James St Patrick has gotten what he deserves for backstabbing Kanan. Him and Kanan accelerated the roll of the scarcity circle by ruining Tariq. And Julio Moreno (Remember its pronounced huliyo), the loyal, former member of torros locos. Certainly he was loyal, but he died for serving the wrong master, for loyalty should only be committed to a master that is committed to loyalty. And James doesn't belong in that class. Jason Micic on his part was the only character to have installed fear in Tommy Egan, thanks to the rumor that he eats people's meat. 

In the end, Tariq seems to be the only standing on his feet. And as much as he resembles Egan in having corner-boy and corner-girl as parents, that perhaps may be the reason he rots, he, unlike Egan has surely received proper upbringing. He enjoyed rich parenting, schooling, neighborhood, among other social and economic determinants that develops physical and cognitive milestones of a young man. Which is an ingredient that both his parents and their criminal network lacked while growing up in the neighborhood. And that make them the ruthless and illegal hustlers they're, particularly the economic factor. But Tariq was never a victim of scarcity. To me, he was the collateral damage that comes when prosperity peaks. While his parents were a victim of scarcity, who get ruined by ruthless scrambling for scarce societal resources.

Power is a motion picture depiction of bad economic situation creating excellent hustlers, as its a ubiquitous fact. The main shortcoming of the hustlers in power was just choosing a wrong way of overcoming scarcity. Likewise a depiction of good economic situation creating bad people; lazy thinkers with poor work ethic. Only that the bad egg created in power could also be a victim of morally questionable created economic situation. James, Tasha, Tommy and Kanan lay the foundation of my assertion. While Tariq completes the vicious circle. He was badly affected by the inconsistencies of the family and the bad whispers from Kanan and Dre. But would they come by his side had he happened not to be the rich son of St. Patrick? I think not. They just helped accelerate the rendition, for it would happen sooner or later, whether they happen in his life or not. Them and all other characters couldn't compliment the TV show better, and they put upon it the crown of petty criminal endeavor. Because certainly when speaking about calculus of crime, romance, action and drama, power is power. 

What remains anonymous was kanan's willingness to kill his son, Shawn, who has never done anything wrong. But was unwilling to kill Tariq, his rival's son, despite the boy giving him up to the police. What's cooking in there? 

Power isn't for consumption of underage children. Its rendition is excellent. The quality of the plot is excellent. The multi-dimensional nature of the series is exciting, and would keep watcher eager to watch the next episode. And for that reason, I can't help but give it a perfect 10/10 rating.

Reviewed by:

MA Iliasu

Kano state 

Nigeria.