Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Increasingly Powerful TV.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 7, 2017

Power may not be a powerhouse on today's super-crowded television landscape, but maybe it should be. The show, Created by Courtney Kemp Agboh, didn't take the world by storm with its engaging first season, but season two sees the show move beyond its established comfort zones and build, and build, and build some more both on season one's dynamics and the newly introduced and evolving elements that take place in season two. Through two seasons, the show has proven itself edgy, smart, provocative, and even a fair bit unique as it effortlessly embroils its main character, and the world around him, in a battle for his soul as two business, one legal and one illicit, and two relationships, one marital and one out of wedlock, pull him in several different directions. As the stakes continue to raise, as revelations are made, as the world changes both slowly and at a moment's notice, the show only gains ground towards excellence and a very promising third season.

Spoilers for season one, and a few from season two, are included in this review.

James St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) runs a successful night club. But his alter ego, Ghost, is one of the key figures in the bustling New York City drug dealing business. He wants only to get clean, to focus on his legitimate business, though his wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton), who knows about both lives, complicates his decision-making process. His life is further complicated when he unwittingly begins an affair with a federal prosecutor named Angela Valdez (Lela Loren), who has been assigned to track Ghost. It turns out Ghost is a mystery to her as well; she has no idea James is her target. Everything changes when Ghost's right-hand man, Tommy (Joseph Sikora), discovers Angela's true identity and spills the beans to his friend and partner. Suddenly, James' life is thrown into greater turmoil, bringing into question his ability to escape the drug business as well as continue on with a relationship that now seems untenable. Meanwhile, Ghost's superior, Kanan (50 Cent), is released from prison, returns to the drug scene, and becomes reconnected with his son Shawn (Sinqua Walls).

Season two may not be significantly "better" than season one as it's merely a natural story progression, but it could be said that the season's ability to shift dynamics, rework the characters' and world's structures, and make some fundamental changes and execute some shocking moments makes it a more filling, more satisfying arc. That said, the show maintains the same spirit of honest, detailed characterization and remains more than capable of exploring the widely separated, but slowly narrowing, juxtapositions that define James' world. The most obvious in season two, and the one that absolutely drives the entire ten-episode arc, is the evolution of his relationship with Angela. Season two unsurprisingly begins with a bang, the expected, yet nevertheless well-developed and shocking, revelation of true identity. It's James who first learns who Angela truly is, and it shifts the entire Power landscape, bringing into question both his judgment and his ability to truly escape the life he wishes to escape. Later in the season, the roles are reversed. Angela learns James' true identity, and it's through that now-mutual knowledge, and its escape beyond their private affairs and seeping into he world around them, that season two truly hits its stride. The character dynamics prove incredibly juicy and absorbing; the show's pace tightens and its pulse quickens.

But Power doesn't simply settle for its single dynamic. The whole of season two is a step above its predecessor in terms of the amount of backstabbing and knife-twisting, often when the recipient is oblivious to the attack or, even more interesting, when the attacker is being attacked right back, again without his or her full understanding of everything in play. The show is carefully considered at every turn; there are no false turns, no missteps; Courtney Kemp Agboh and the writing team show they're fully invested in the characters, know them well, and always maneuver them -- sometimes with a nudge, sometimes with a shove -- in just the right direction to both propel the greater story forward and keep the audience hooked for the duration. One of the season's great (and most shocking) moments comes near season's end. It sees Kanan at the height of his power and a low point in the relationship with his son, Shawn. The moment in question absolutely redefines Kanan and takes the show in a direction few would dare. It's great television, supported by some of the better acting the medium has to offer (both that scene and the show at-large) and sets in motion the potential for a turbulent but exhilarating third season.

Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Power: The Complete Second Season's 1080p transfer is pretty solid stuff, a strong image all around though hardly remarkable at this point in the format's, or digital's, lifespan. The image is certainly very crisp, effortlessly sharp with no obvious smearing or smudgy edges. Skin textures are particularly exceptional in close-up. Various pores, scruff, tattoos, and makeup are finely revealing in close-up, allowing the viewer to get intimate with the actors. Clothes are likewise very well defined, showing fine-point fabric detailing on the array of attire seen throughout the show, from basic T's to sharp business suits. City textures are appropriately gruff, while more finely appointed interiors dazzle. Colors are fine. The show is a bit dark by its nature, with more lower-light shots than sun-drenched exteriors, but the palette holds strong and delivers its primaries with pleasing punch, depth, and nuance. Black levels tend to push to crush in the darkest shots, but black clothes in bright light hold very firm. Source noise is evident throughout, spiking, as it's prone to do, in darker shots. Flesh tones appear accurate. No serious compression artifacts are apparent. This good, workmanlike image from Anchor Bay.

Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Power: The Complete Second Season features a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Though it adds two channels to the standard 5.1 configuration, much of the track seems positioned up front. Music is certainly dominant across that side of the stage. Whether the opening title music or other bits of song and score throughout, the potent and balanced low end and top-tier instrumental and lyrical clarity never add in much rear channel support. Still, the net effect is a very wide and stage-filling bit of sonic excellence. Atmospheric effects are regular attendees to the track. City exteriors spring to life and flood the listening area with sirens, car horns, passing automobiles, chatter, and general clatter. The sounds are well defined and naturally positioned. Surrounds are a bit more engaged here, not always prominently but with enough in the way of both discrete effects and diffusion through the stage to offer a realistic sense of place. Fights, crashes, and other action-oriented effects enjoy quality definition, again with precise placement and a plenty of hard-hitting depth to punches and slams into hard surfaces. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized. It's firmly positioned in the front-center.

Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Power: The Complete Second Season contains a season one recap and three featurettes on disc three.

• Power Season 1 Recap (1080p, 3:22): For those who missed season one, or if it's been a while since watching, this offers a brief re-introduction to the show and characters.
• Inside the World of Power (1080p, 22:27): An episode-by-episode recap of season two that also offers some deeper insight into various plot and character developments at the same time.
• Criminal Network (1080p, 4:31): A quick recap of Ghost's drug empire.
• Journey of Kanan (1080p, 2:15): As the title suggests, this piece looks at 50 Cent's character in season two.

Power: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Power started off fairly strong, if not seemingly firmly entrenched in television's second-tier below the big boys. Season two may not have elevated it to the top, but it should. A dynamic, exciting, intense season keeps the audience on-edge. It both builds on season one and takes the show in some expected, and unexpected, directions. Characters are handled delicately but realistically; the writers know their stuff, both how to work their characters and work the audience at the same time. The show is in good hands, and season three arrives on Blu-ray with much anticipation. Power: The Complete Second Season features solid video and audio. Supplements are a bit on the skimpy side, but the fast season one recap and the well-versed season two overview are worth watching. Highly recommended.