*Spoiler alert for seasons 1-5 of Power*

Five years ago, the Starz crime drama Power came thundering to our TV screens. The top-rated drama on cable behind Game of Thrones, Power was created by Courtney A. Kemp and produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and centers on drug kingpin turned club owner James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a man desperately trying to get out of the drug game to go legit. But with all of its characters’ nuances and intricacies, the series is about so much more than that.

Shadow And Act first took a deep dive into the series in 2014, highlighting the powerful women on the show and the way they seek power in oppressive, male-dominated systems.Tasha (Naturi Naughton), Ghost’s wife, and Angela (Lea Loren), Ghost’s lover, have been at the helm of many of the choices the men make as well as some of the major turning points in the series. Status and identity are also consistent themes of the show, as Ghost strives for legitimacy as a club owner while wrestling against his past self, thanks to Tommy (Joseph Sikora), his former best friend in the game and Tasha, who are at odds with Ghost’s new persona.

Now in its sixth season, Ghost’s story is coming to an end but the world of Power is only expanding, with various prequels and spinoffs in the works. As we prepare to say goodbye to the main beloved characters, Shadow And Act sat down to chat with Naturi Naughton, Lela Loren and Joseph Sikora about the final betrayal, the Power spinoffs, and the winding paths their characters have taken.

When we first met Tasha in Season 1–she was a ride or die for her husband Ghost. However, his affair with Angela–losing her eldest daughter Rena because of Ghost’s dirty dealings and discovering her own power has really shifted things for Tasha. In Season 6–she will be seeking revenge from all the wrongs that have been done to her. “I did not see this journey for my character,” Naughton explained. “When the show first started, it was in its infancy. These characters were still figuring themselves out. They’ve evolved so much. Season 1, Episode 1 [Tasha] says, ‘Tell me I’m beautiful.’ It’s the first thing anyone says. It proves that Tasha is looking for validation in Ghost, from Ghost. In Season 6, she’s like ‘I don’t care what you think or how you feel or how you see me, because I know my value and I’m not taking this anymore.’ I think at this point she becomes a lot more independent of Ghost. She knows she’s beautiful; she knows she’s worthy and she’s valuable. That’s important as a woman playing a character that has come into that space. And I myself have also done that in my life, so it’s also helped push me and empower me in a lot of ways.”

Loren also finds a ton of satisfaction in the path that Angela has taken thus far. When we first met Angela in Season 1–she was whip-smart and career-focused Assistant District attorney. However, after finding herself entangled in an affair with Ghost–Angela has put her life and career on the line–all in the name of love. In Season 6 we’ll find out what loving Ghost has really cost Angela. “I feel like it works,” she of her character’s journey and relationship with Ghost. “I’m happy with it. I think all of the endings honor the core things [Angela] has taught me. I think if Angela would have met Ghost for the first time when she was older, as seductive as he is, she would have been like, ‘Let’s keep it moving.’ But because they have such a history, and they fell in love on the playground as children, there’s such an aspect of coming home. All of her dreams for herself, she had for that boy. Saying ‘No’ is also about undoing that love that she had.”

There has been no other character on Power more fervid and intriguing then Joseph Sikora’s murderous Tommy. Though they were once as close as brothers, circumstances and betrayals have transformed Tommy and Ghost into enemies. Everything they’ve worked so hard to build is crumbling around them, including their business and their loved ones. Tasha and Ghost’s marriage had long ago imploded, and during the Season 5 finale, we watched Tommy shoot Angela in the chest–a final blow to Ghost and the last fragments of their brotherhood. In Season 6, only one man will be left standing either Tommy or Ghost–a devastating revelation for two men who were once a thick as thieves.

“I always say, I keep Tommy as close as I need him,” Sikora revealed when it comes to getting inside Tommy’s murderous and volatile mind. “It’s difficult, but it’s also great to explore the human condition, and to have somebody that is so extreme in their emotions even though it’s going off the wrong end for Tommy.”

For five seasons we’ve watched all of the characters on Power make choices and those decisions for better or for worse have led them here, to the end. While many of our favorite characters, including Ghost, have come out of it all relatively unscathed, Season 6 may not be so forgiving.

See how it all ends when the final season of Power debuts  Sunday, August 25 at 8:00 pm ET.

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Photo: Starz