Raquel Thomas is losing her grip. It’s wild to watch because, for three seasons, she was the undisputed architect of everything in South Jamaica, Queens. But in Raising Kanan Season 4 Episode 4, that foundation isn't just cracking—it’s turning to dust. If you've been following the Starz Power Universe, you know the vibe. Usually, there's a clear enemy. A rival gang. A crooked cop. This time? The enemy is the dinner table.
Family. It's supposed to be the anchor. Instead, it's the weight pulling Kanan and Raq under the water.
Honestly, the pacing of this episode felt different than the premiere. It slowed down just enough to let the paranoia breathe. We’re seeing Kanan Stark fully transition from that curious kid in the oversized yellow jacket to a cold-blooded strategist who doesn't trust the woman who gave him life. And can you blame him? Raq has lied about everything—his father, her business, his future. Now, the bill is coming due.
The Evolution of Kanan’s Independence
In the streets, reputation is currency. Kanan knows this. In Raising Kanan Season 4 Episode 4, we see him doubling down on his own business ventures, desperately trying to distance himself from his mother’s shadow. He’s tired of being "Raq’s son." He wants to be the man. It’s that classic coming-of-age trope but dipped in blood and crack cocaine.
His partnership with Snaps and Pop is getting weirder. They represent a different era of the game—one that Kanan thinks he understands but clearly doesn't. They are mentors, sure, but they are also predators. They see the potential in Kanan, not as a person, but as a weapon. While Raq tries to pull him back into the "legitimate" world (or her version of it), Kanan is sprinting toward the fire.
The tension between Kanan and Raq in this episode is palpable. It’s not just about business anymore. It’s about identity. Every time she looks at him, she sees Def Con, she sees Howard, and she sees her own failures. Kanan looks at her and sees a warden.
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Marvin and Lou-Lou: Two Sides of a Breaking Heart
Let’s talk about the brothers. Marvin Thomas has had the best character arc in the entire Power franchise. Period. He went from a violent, hot-headed liability to the emotional core of the show. In this episode, his attempts to stay on the straight and narrow while managing his daughter Jukebox’s skyrocketing career are heartbreaking. He’s trying. He’s really trying. But the streets don't let you go just because you started going to anger management.
Then there’s Lou-Lou.
Watching Lou-Lou spiral is tough. He’s the soul of the family, or at least he used to be. The music was his escape, but the music died a long time ago. In Raising Kanan Season 4 Episode 4, his detachment from reality is becoming a liability for the whole crew. When you’re in a business that requires 100% focus, having a brother who is perpetually drunk or haunted by ghosts is a death sentence. The showrunners are setting us up for a tragedy here. You can feel it in the cinematography—the way Lou is often framed alone, in the dark, separated from the rest of the family by literal and metaphorical walls.
The Law is Closing In
Detective Howard is gone, but the mess he left behind is a literal minefield. The precinct is buzzing. The federal interest in the Thomas family hasn't waned; if anything, it’s intensified. This episode does a great job of showing how the walls are closing in from the outside while the house is rotting from the within.
What’s interesting about the police presence this season is that it feels more bureaucratic and less personal than Howard’s reign. It’s a machine now. You can’t negotiate with a machine. Raq thinks she can charm or bribe her way out of any situation, but the new investigators don’t have a history with her. They just see a target.
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The introduction of new players in the drug trade is also complicating things. We aren't just looking at local beef anymore. The supply lines are changing, and the "Ghetto Commandments" Kanan eventually writes are being forged in the chaos of this specific moment in 1990s New York.
The Visual Storytelling of 1990s Queens
One thing Raising Kanan gets right every single time is the aesthetic. Episode 4 uses the winter backdrop of Queens to mirror the coldness between the characters. The costume design—the leathers, the gold chains, the Coogi sweaters—isn't just for show. It acts as armor.
When Kanan is on the street, his clothes are baggy, making him look bigger, more formidable. When he’s home with Raq, he looks smaller. The lighting in Raq’s house has shifted too. It used to be warm, full of the smell of home cooking. Now, it feels sterile. Like a waiting room in a hospital where no one is getting better.
Why This Episode Changes Everything for Season 4
If the first three episodes were the fuse, Raising Kanan Season 4 Episode 4 is the spark hitting the powder. We’ve moved past the "will they, won't they" phase of the family breakup. It’s happening.
The most shocking part of the episode isn't a shootout or a death. It's a conversation. A quiet moment where the truth is spoken, and it’s uglier than any lie. The betrayal Kanan feels isn't something he can just "get over." It's foundational. It’s what turns him into the man who eventually executes his own son in the original Power series.
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We are watching the birth of a monster. And the worst part? His mother is the one who delivered him.
How to Stay Ahead of the Spoilers
To truly understand where the Thomas family is headed after these events, you need to keep a few things in mind:
- Watch the background characters: The show loves to plant seeds. Pay attention to the low-level dealers Kanan interacts with; some of those names might sound familiar to long-time fans.
- Track the money: Raq is trying to diversify her income, but her "clean" businesses are just as dirty as her street work. Watch how the IRS or local regulators start sniffing around.
- Listen to the soundtrack: The music choices in this episode are deliberate. They often foreshadow the emotional state of the character in the next scene.
The next step for any fan is to re-watch the final ten minutes of this episode. There is a specific look on Kanan's face when he's walking away from his mother that tells you everything you need to know about the rest of the season. He’s not a boy anymore. He’s a competitor. And in Raq's world, there can only be one person at the top.
The power dynamic has officially shifted. If you thought the previous seasons were intense, the fallout from this episode is going to make those look like a playground dispute. Get ready for the back half of the season—it's going to be a bloodbath.