“Grief and Revenge: How Famous’ Death Changes Everything in Power Book III: Raising Kanan”
The shocking death of Famous in Season 4 of Power Book III: Raising Kanan deeply affects every character, revealing their true selves. This pivotal moment particularly impacts Kanan and Jukebox, whose grief leads to dangerous consequences.
The sixth episode, “The Price of Fame,” explores the emotional aftermath and introduces significant shifts in the criminal landscape. As Unique steps into the spotlight, Raq faces unexpected challenges to her authority, while Lou-Lou struggles with sobriety amid his mourning.
This episode reshapes character trajectories and highlights the harsh realities of street life, illustrating the tragic transformation from innocence to ruthlessness in the world of Power.
The Trouble Kanan Gets Into After Losing His Friend
The death of Famous hits Kanan harder than ever. That means it cuts to his core in a way other trials he has faced have not, taking away one of the few fundamental points of contact he has with everyday teenage life.
At Famous’ memorial, Kanan seems hollow, the expression on his face hiding a storm that’s building up. Grief, instead, is processed in an act of revenge; violence is finally revealed as the only language of pain he understands. “Our only agenda now and the priority is to find out who the killer is,” he tells O-Cee, disclosing his singular fixation.
This loss further crystallizes Kanan’s toughening character. Now that both D-Wiz and Famous are dead, Kanan’s emotional isolation is total. As viewers, we’re witnessing the origin story of the cold-blooded man we know he becomes in the original “Power” series.
Kanan becomes more reckless, taking the time to personally surveil Freddie Wilds’ gang and preparing to take them all out by himself. Only their more significant numbers prevent him from acting poorly.
To take such extreme risks puts him past a critical threshold of caution—as this static, I reckon, is the cutoff for his willingness to take risks. Even Raq knows the danger, stopping by Kanan’s new digs to warn Krystal: “Look after my boy … he might not be in his right mind right now.”
For viewers, the evolution is also painfully enlightening. It exposes the grim reality that Pedro loses another piece of Kanan’s humanity, which is replaced by the calculating ruthlessness that will characterize his ultimate destiny.
How Jukebox Transformed Into A Cold-Blooded Operator
Jukebox’s character work was the most shocking in this episode. Her reaction to Famous’s death propels her toward becoming the feared enforcer we know from the original Power series. When Marvin finds Jukebox with his gun, little of her explanation of “target practice” conceals the real purpose.
Their ensuing conversation underscores the tragic irony of their relationship: Marvin cautions her against seeking him on the path of violence, not realizing until it’s too late that she’s already on it.
The episode highlights Jukebox’s terrifying new edge as she teams up with Kanan to face Freddie Wilds’s gang. Whereas Kanan has some reason, Jukebox seems to be itching to pull the trigger, laughing in a crazed way that makes even the tough street kids around her nervous.
Her behavior also sheds light on Tommy’s infamous description of her as “crazy” in the original series. We’re seeing the making of that reputation: a young woman whose trauma and grief have hardened into something dangerous and capricious.
A telling contrast between the hopeful singer of Season 1 and this budding enforcer gives viewers one of the better character arcs in the series. Famous’s death doesn’t just upset Jukebox — it appears to break something essential inside her, which is then filled, in its place, by something more complex and more lethal.
Crisis Is An Ordeal For Lou-Lou’s Sobriety
Following Famous’s death, Lou-Lou has a unique and daunting obstacle: How to preserve his hard-fought sobriety while trying to process tsunami levels of rage and grief. In group therapy, Lou-Lou reflects on a deep sense of displacement: “I don’t know who I am anymore without drinking … and now I can’t even process Famous’ death.”
This vulnerability reveals the fragility of his being while implying the ongoing, sometimes-comical war between his new self and his Thomas family DNA. The episode sets up several moments of temptation, especially when Lou-Lou sits at a bar, sipping alcohol and just moments from a relapse.
Jessica’s timely arrival pulls him back, but the scene underscores how easy it would have been for trauma to dissolve his progress. His professional frustrations only add to his emotional condition.
But when B-Rilla dares challenge his artistic direction at the studio, Lou-Lou’s first impulse is to not go for his shank until after another day’s work is formally ‘in the can’ — a sign of growth and the delicate state of self-control.
The nighttime rekindling with Jessica gives me solace, but new complexities arise when Imani finds Jessica’s necklace. That love triangle adds heat to Lou-Lou’s already simmering emotional state, and his continued sobriety appears to be an ever more improbable outcome.
Lou-Lou’s struggle is emblematic of something more significant in the Power universe — the nearly impossible task of escaping the cycle of violence and addiction once you’re sucked into the game. His struggle with sobriety reflects his broader struggle to create an identity apart from the family business.
Li’s Dramatic Resurgence and Power Move
True to the episode’s most shocking moment — Unique suddenly appearing in Raq’s kitchen in its final seconds, casually eating ice cream while saying, oh yes, he’s very much alive.
This twist flips the power dynamics in the season. Unique has been laying the groundwork for revenge all season, meeting with Phil Russo to get the workforce and resources needed for a war against the Thomas family. Their realization that they should launch a “Cold War” instead of rushing to outright belligerence reflects a carefully considered response that renders Unique more lethal than ever.
His meeting with Akbar, adorned in “prime gear,” suggests a new level of organization and resources behind his efforts. Unlike in previous conflicts, Unique now has the resources to mount a serious challenge to Raq’s operation.
Raq’s shocked reaction to seeing Unique alive is a rare moment of vulnerability for the matriarch of the Thomas family. Her typical coolness unravels in the face of this unraveling plot twist, indicating that she thought she had gotten rid of this threat.
Unique’s return raises several questions for the audience: “How long has he been watching the family? What does he know?” And how is Raq going to react to that revelation? These questions create compelling tension that propels the rest of the season’s episodes.
Unique’s patience and planning are signs that he has grown as an antagonist. Instead of immediate retribution, he devised a complete takedown plan—which could be the most dangerous thing the Thomas family has ever faced.
Business Complications In The Wake of Tragedy
For all of its intensely personal grief, the drug business doesn’t stop — adding pressure and complexities for everyone involved. New factory president David is a handful for Raq in the wake of Terry’s murder.
Her insistence to Marvin — “It’s your job to keep David in line” — reveals how the organization must constantly maneuver to maintain control, even as it processes emotional losses. Raq and Stefano are allowing Hafiz to start up another factory, taking the next step in the partnership.
The full stipulation that “he has to pick up the tab himself” also conveys Raq’s strategic thinking, growing her enterprise while minimizing her financial risk. Meanwhile, Irwin worries that his association with Raq “is too expensive,” pointing to the increased danger to legitimate businesses swept up in her operation.
Her insistence that things will be “better and safer” rings hollow in light of the escalating tensions in their realm. The episode also shows how Early has become a bookie for Stefano and the Thomas family, with his “margins getting squeezed from two sides.”
This subplot shows how the family’s business tentacles reach other criminal enterprises beyond drug distribution. These business developments reveal the stark reality of the drug trade — personal catastrophes might come and go, but the operation keeps grinding.
This ongoing forward motion adds to the pressure characters face with grief and loss. Part of me wants to find out things, and I know there are speculations surrounding B-Rilla since she has a long hidden agenda of HBCU bashing.
B-Rilla’s Suspicious Moves and Hidden Agenda
The confrontation between him and Lou-Lou at the studio sets tension in professional relations. B-Rilla’s aggressively defensive reaction to Lou-Lou calling him out on his superficial lyrics hints at some simmering self-hate that could boil over into an actual problem.
The episode later depicts the personal pressures B-Rilla faces when his girlfriend, Michelle, reminds him he has to “step up as a dad and provide monetarily” for their child. From a financial perspective, a pretty clear motive for betrayal emerges, and all you have to do is sit back and wait for the price to be correct.
Most revealingly, B-Rilla meets up with a former partner, Kenyatta, about “a new job they could pull off together.” While the target is unclear, the context strongly suggests Lou-Lou, or someone close to him, might be the mark.
For viewers, B-Rilla embodies how economic desperation can twist the most unlikely of allies into enemies. His characterization implies that the “fate (is) sealed, either prison or death” and creates an air of inevitability about his choices.
This subplot introduces another layer of danger to an already precarious situation, making clear that threats can creep in from surprising places — including among those who look like partners or proteges.
FAQ
Who killed Famous in Power Book III: Raising Kanan?
None have been confirmed as the killer, but Freddie Wilds’ gang theorized a dirty cop could have been the perpetrator who knew the identity of Famous. The cops confirmed Famous was tortured pre-mortem, which doesn’t exactly narrow down the suspects (Raq, Marvin, maybe someone employed by Unique).
Will Lou-Lou go off the deep end after Famous dies?
The episode depicts Lou-Lou heavily battling his sobriety in the wake of Famous’s death. He’s seen considering ordering a drink at a bar before Jessica steps in. His struggle to process grief without alcohol indicates that he would be at high risk for relapse.
What Unique is planning against Raq?
Phil Russo has figured things out. He backs Unique and starts a “Cold War” with the Thomas family instead of going to war immediately. He’s slowly building alliances with Akba and pointing to a possible master plan to bring down Raq’s operation.
Are Kanan and Jukebox going to enact revenge on behalf of Famous?
Kanan and Jukebox both are in search of revenge as they face Freddie Wilds and his gang over Famous being murdered. Their fighting spirit and readiness to use violence to achieve it suggest they will not stop until they find and punish the perpetrators.
What’s going on with Lou-Lou’s music career?
Lou-Lou looks forward to the recovery of her friendship once B-Rilla stands up to Lou-Lou’s music career. And B-Rilla seems scheming something with Kenyatta that could turn against Lou-Lou. This, alongside Jessica’s possible move to L.A. and all the motion sensor chaos, hints that Lou-Lou’s New York music dreams are at risk of crumbling.
Final Words
“The Price of Fame” is a turning point for “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” demonstrating how a single death can shake up an entire ecosystem of characters. Famous’ murder doesn’t just propel the plot forward — it changes who the characters are becoming. For Kanan and Jukebox, this loss further propels them into the hardened monsters fans recognize from the original series.
The episode’s emotional gravity derives from seeing innocence disappear, replaced by calculation and brutality. Each character deals with grief in their way, but they all evolve into darker versions of themselves. With Unique stepping out of the shadows and new alliances forming, the water is boiling and ready to spill over, and the stage is set for a fiery end to the season.
What is intriguing about this storyline is how it relates to the greater Power universe, with origins of behaviors and relationships that will ripple decades later. We’re seeing character growth, legend building, and the steep price attached to these transformations.
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