Power Season 2 Episode 10 Review

Power is a TV series produced by Starz Network. It features Omari Hardwick as James St. Patrick and Curtis Jackson as Kanan. The major themes in this series are drug trafficking and organized crime. The series premiered in 2014, and has so far won the NAMIC vision awards 2016 while its actors have won several individual awards. The Internet Movie Database rates the film at 8.1, meaning that it is popular among many internet users. This film, however, contains obscene scenes and language that does not auger well with social ethics. Its popularity raises important questions on its depiction of moral values and the presentation of violence in the media. The theory of moral criticism and dramatic construction was forwarded by Plato and Socrates to inform on what contributes to morally satisfactory art. On the one hand, moral criticism posits that any work of art should teach pity and virtue, but it damages the society if it does not. On the other hand, dramatic construction perceives art and drama as a means to the end, that is, any work art should entertain its audience (Brezz 2). Power contains both aspects of artful drama and immorality. Watching it arouses a variety of emotions as well as ambivalence to the cinematography. The bottom line, however, is that this movie is, in Platos words, damaging to the Republic. As this paper will show, the 10th episode of the 2nd season is marked with violence, crime, and promiscuity, although the performance of the actors is outstanding.

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The episode begins with Angela Valdez (Lela Loren) assembling all the items that relate her with Ghost (Omari Hardwick) for disposal. She and Ghost have broken up after a long period of disagreement over Jamies real identity. Meanwhile, Ghost and his lawyer are meeting over the success of Tommys (Joseph Sikora) courts case. Tommy checks on Tasha (Naturi Noughton) to inform her of the court case and the termination of Jamies relationship with Angela. Kanan (Curtis Jackson) calls Dre (Rotimi) over his apartment to tell him of his plans to retake over the drugs business from Jamie. Angelas colleague and ex-boyfriend Greg (Andy Bean) finds out that Angela has been having a relationship with the chief suspect of many access lying in court, and instigates a plan to bring her down. Angela risks losing her job and blames it all on Jamie. A deep rift develops between Jamie and his best friend Tommy, while Tommy is later used by Lobos (Enrique Murciano) to take out Jamie. Ghost kills all the drug lords but spares Ruiz (Antonio Luiz). Loboz is stabbed in his cell by Jamies accomplice. Kana fights with Jamie and is left to die in an inferno. Jamie promises to adopt a crime-free lifestyle and re-establishes his relationship with Angela. All the scenes in this episode are characterized by vices like shooting, bloodshed, betrayal, vulgar language, and infidelity. Nonetheless, all these vices coupled with stage performance make the episode a masterpiece to watch.

James St. Patrick is a father, a husband, and an employer. He is morally responsible for upholding the highest level of ethics and be a role model to his children and employees. On the contrary, he runs a drug supply business and covers up his black market dealings by operating a night club. With respect to family systems theory (Morgan 33), Jamies children are likely to ape his character and become defiant of societal norms. It is observed in other episodes of the series that his son, Tariq, develops an arrogant attitude and as a result of lack of proper guardianship. Jamies employee, Dre, works as his accomplice and fails to observe work ethics. As a married man, Jamie terribly fails on his marital duty. He holds an extra-marital affair with his high school girlfriend behind his wifes back. He even runs away from his home and resides in a hotel as he leaves his children to be catered for by Tasha and her mother.

The movie sheds light on the inner operations of the judicial system in trying and convicting hardcore criminals. It insinuates that there is a possibility of the presence of moles within the courts that cooperate with drug offenders to compromise the process of justice administration. Despite her knowledge of Jamie as a drug kingpin, Angela covers him up during the investigation of drug cartels, and even compromises a potential witness against him. She sacrifices her career as a state attorney for her relationship with Jamie. Mike, a task force leader in the case against Lobos is secretly working for the criminal. He takes all the information discussed by the task force to him and even actualizes Lobos escape from detention. These two scenes underscore the evils in the court system. They point to the possibility of witness and investigation interference as the reasons why the war on drug has taken too long to be won. The professional code of ethics in court is not upheld, which ultimately motivates gangs to continue perpetuating crime in the streets.

In Power is where lifetime friends become foes in a minute and bloodshed serves as the means of settling scores. The cast symbolizes a society where vice has infiltrated into all facets. Every actor betrays another in one way or the other. Tommy, for example, plans to kill Jamie to preserve his life, his girlfriends life and that of her dog. Dre betrays his employer and works with Kanan. Jamie and Kanan engage in bloody fight that leaves Kanan with high degree burns. Tasha engages in an extra-marital affair with his husbands chauffer behind Jamies back. Tommy speaks vulgarly at almost every occasion, starting from the prison to Jamies house. In short, there is hardly an iota of virtue in the whole episode. The audience watching the movie cannot learn any piety or a positive lesson form the episode, meaning that is highly damaging to the social fabric.

Regarding dramatic construction, the film is marvelously produced. The setting is in a city in the first world and occasionally in the upcountry. The lighting, choreography, and the soundtrack are appropriately selected to match the theme of the film. Every character is suited to his or her role. The action complements the speech in all scenes. Stage props and the costumes are complementary to every character. James St. Patrick, for instance, can be describes as a typical smooth operator. He clads in suits in most cases to maintain a professional image. He occasionally dons sporty casual wear when working out or when undertaking a covert mission. Tommy also clothes to match his lifestyle. He is flamboyant and flashy, and mostly puts on brown leather boots and a hooded jumper. In the movie, drug dealing is done through an elaborate connection of distributors and market managers. The gangs operating in the city have clearly demarcated turfs and any blackmailing or intrusion is met with equal brutality. Gang discipline is emphasized, and there is a functional top-down chain of command. Street gang violence for revenge or turf defense is perpetuated by people motivated to secure their interest. Violence in this film adds up to the piquancy of the movie. It makes the action dramatic, creates suspense and arouses emotions in the audience. To a young audience, the gang violence is destructive and may affect viewers in a disastrous way. Nonetheless, this episode invokes pity, hatred, anguish, and a host of other emotions.

With an IMDb rating of 8.1, Power is a production success that captivates its viewers with outstanding performance and relevant themes. The protagonist character, James St, Patrick is an embodiment of wit, enterprise, brilliance, and vice. All the themes and symbols oscillate around him. With respect to moral criticism, the movie is a representation of a typical immoral society. In particular, the family unit is disintegrated as a result of marital squabbles. The film portrays the judicial system as immoral, as some of its officers are collaborating with the drug lords. Friendship in the film is centered on money and loyalty. Betrayal is common in the movie, and it is the major cause of fallouts and subsequent bloodshed. The movies cinematography conflicts with the subject. It can, therefore, be concluded that although the film presents a moral dilemma, its performance meets Socrates criteria of impactful drama.

Works Cited

Brizee, Allen. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism. Web 23 (2013).Morgan, David Hopcraft John. Social Theory and the Family (RLE Social Theory). Routledge, 2014.