TV Review: Starz’s ‘Power’

The “1-4-0″: Sexy, passionate and dangerous has never looked so diverse, this is Starz’s new series “Power.”

The Gist: From Executive Producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and show creator Courtney Kemp Agboh (“The Good Wife)” comes “Power,” a visionary crime drama set in the glamorous New York club scene and the brutal drug trade. James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York, Truth. To his colleagues and clients at the club, James is a mysterious, sophisticated player who moves among the city’s elite–an overnight business success. Or so it seems. The reality is that James has been in business as “Ghost,” the premier drug king of New York City for over a decade. But “kingpin” isn’t a title James longs to keep. Truth represents a legitimate way of life for James and his family, a chance to live abundantly without fear of death or penalization, but his childhood best friend Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) and his wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton) aren’t willing to give up the lifestyle, in fact they want to take on more territories and expand the business.

The Highlights: “Power” is a fantastic show that perfectly combines crime, violence, romance, brotherhood and even innocence all in one show. Through the main character the audience is able to seamlessly travel from the drug undergrounds, to the hottest club in NY and experience all of the emotional turmoil that comes in between. Prepare to be on your toes at all times. Another excellent feature of the show is its clear portrayal of diversity highlighted not only by having a mixture of black, white and Latino characters, but most importantly through the depiction of the different cultures and how these crash in NYC. From the first episode it’s clear to see that Spanish and Spanglish have clear roles in the show as Ghost deals with Mexican, Puerto Rican and Dominican characters. The bilingual aspect just works for the show because it feels genuine, and shows a truer version of what the city is like.

The Lowlights: I’ve watched the first two episodes and so far, there are no real low lights.

Watch or Not: Watch! This show is worth giving a try because it’s thrilling and fresh, you won’t be disappointed.