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Raising Kanan Recap: Episode 4, 'Pay The Toll'

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq took care of her Unique problem for now on last week’s episode of Raising Kanan, but it looks like he will be the least of her worries as she tries to expand her business into New Jersey, a move her brother Marvin has warned her is very risky. Kanan is still curious about who his daddy is after Detective Howard dropped a bomb on him and Jukebox finally musters up the courage to meet her mother.

The Italians Want Raq To Pay A Toll

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq’s expansion into New Jersey hit an Italian roadblock immediately. Trying to transport product into Newark, the delivery truck was attacked by Sal Boselli’s goons, who put their hands and feet on the driver sending Raq a message that she has to pay a toll to Boselli to do business in New Jersey.

While this is happening, Raq is on a “date” with Cartier “Duns” Fareed (Omar J. Dorsey), who officially made his presence felt in last week’s episode. Cartier, known as “Duns” in the streets, isn’t fooling Raq with this fancy persona, but he does put Raq onto some game.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

While showcasing his impressive fine art collection, Raq figures out that he uses it to wash his drug money. Raq has a cash problem. She has too much of it, so much that the rats are eating it, so now, she realizes she has to find a way to invest and wash all that money so it won’t come back to bite her in the ass.

Cartier also makes a deal with Lou-Lou later in the episode helping him out with a studio-related matter. We will be keeping a close eye on this situation.

Kanan Smells Deceit In The Air

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

After speaking with Detective Howard, Kanan isn’t sure if his mother is telling him the truth about who his father is, so he decides to make a trip to the prison. While there, he speaks with Vernon, his alleged father, Def Con’s brother, in hopes of getting some answers.

Vernon doesn’t have much to tell Kanan because he was only a baby the last time he saw him. But, he does tell Kanan he does have the same look in his eyes as his father did when he was the same age as Kanan. “Uncle Vernon” also puts a battery in Kanan’s back by telling him that Def Con was running the streets at his age, and it’s time for Kanan to do the same.

Back at the prison, a visibly confused Kanan returns to the car, and we learn it was Marvin who drove Kanan there as a favor for Raq. Marvin is also upset after receiving a phone call about the Jersey incident. He also uses the moment to give Kanan a history lesson about how selfish his Uncle Vernon is and that Kanan should only be focused on the people currently around him and there for him daily.

After meeting with Uncle Vernon, Kanan has even more questions for his mother. He asks Raq why she put that gun in his hand to shoot Howard in the first place. Raq lies to her son, telling him that Howard wanted to send him to jail for killing Buck Twenty and that Howard was using him to get close to her.

Raq Wants To Meet With The Italians

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

While Kanan was connecting with Uncle Vernon, all hell broke loose (the Italians), and the brothers Lou-Lou and Marvin were the ones who were getting the calls about the incident.

Lou-Lou is making it clear he doesn’t care about the street nonsense and reminds whoever he is on the phone with that he knew going to Jersey would be a problem and tells them to call Marv and Raq cause he doesn’t want anything to do with it the Jersey problem. He also walks into the studio to see his mixing board is gone.

Crown walks into the studio and tells Lou-Lou he sold the mixing board to cover the studio’s expenses they are falling behind in, but he’s already in negotiations to get a new one.

Raq, Lou-Lou, and Marvin finally meet to discuss their next moves after bumping into the Italians. Lou-Lou wants to lay low till the heat settles down, but Raq thinks he’s just saying that so he can focus on his music. After some back and forth, Raq puts her foot down and tells her brother’s no one is going to tell her where she can do business.

She instructs them to set up a meeting with the Italians so that they can squash any issues. Lou-Lou also uses the moment to ask for more money because he is short. Raq agrees to give him the cash, but she tells him he has to be on point and on time when she needs him.

Raq Is Not Intimidated By The Italians

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

The feuding factions meet, and there is definitely no love lost between them. Lou-Lou tries to instill a calm tone and ensure they are not trying to step on Sal Boselli’s toes. Raq, on the other hand, wants all the smoke and tells them she is not giving them a dime of their money to set up shop in the projects in Newark, where the Italians have no presence.

After the meeting, Raq checks Lou-Lou and tells him to never speak for her ever again. Lou-Lou tries to explain that the only reason he did what he did was that the Italians would not only come for her but for all of them. Raq calls him scared, and Uncle Marvin agrees.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq leaves, and Lou-Lou questions if Marvin is just kissing up because he feels he is correct in how he wants to handle the situation with Italians. Dealing with Unique is one thing. The mob is another situation that could be an absolute disaster for Raq and her crew.

Jukebox Finally Meets Her Mother

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

After tracking down her mother, Jukebox finally decides to meet her mother to get the answer to that one question, why did she leave her? Jukebox wastes no time and asks her mother why she bounced on her, leaving Marvin to “raise” her alone, and in the process, she learns she and her estranged mother have something in common already.

Jukebox’s momma reveals that she gave birth to her when she was around the same age as Jukebox. She left with a plan to become a big music star, and when she made enough money, she would come back for her daughter.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Unfortunately, her plans to make in the music industry flopped, and ten years passed, so she decided that coming back would only make things worse. Jukebox reveals to her mom that she would have welcomed her mom back. Jukebox’s mom then says that her coming back is a sign from God and that she doesn’t want her daughter to forgive her but give her another chance to be her mom.

Uncle Marvin Tries To Connect With Jukebox

It would seem that’s all Jukebox wants because she finally returns home to see her room has been fixed up by Marvin following their huge fight last season.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Jukebox is not there to stay, only to collect some dresses. While Jukebox is digging through her closet, Marvin walks in, surprised to see his daughter. Marvin does miss Jukebox and is sorry for what happened between them, but Jukebox has yet to forgive him, and Marvin’s kind gesture is not enough to repair the damage.

Uncle Marvin

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Marvin’s daughter takes all her dresses and leaves without saying a single word to Marvin, leaving him sad and disappointed. We learn later that Jukebox intends on attending church with her mother, hence why she needs the attire.

Raq Is Lowkey A Hater

Jukebox’s excitement to hang with her mother more takes a hit after speaking with Auntie Raq. She plants a seed of doubt in her niece’s head after pointing out that her mother never attempted to find her.

Jukebox

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq is turning out to be a big-time hater this season.

Raq Wants To Play House With Symphony

Symphony and Raq

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Despite their blowups, Raq still has a thing for Symphony, but unfortunately for her, he is grown impatient with her. While looking at a new house for them to occupy, Raq expresses she would like to pursue something further with him, and while he does like Raq, he wants her to let him go.

Symphony explains to Raq that while she looks at him as an escape from her criminal life, he wants to be a permanent fixture in her life. Since he can’t be that for her, Symphony implores Raq to let him flourish elsewhere.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq tells Symphony he is a grown man and that he can do whatever he wants. Before he leaves, he gives Raq something to think about when expressing that he wants a serious relationship with her.

Unique Is Still Around

Unique

Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Raq and her brothers think they have gotten rid of their Unique problem, but he’s slowly building back up his empire. We catch up with him, and he’s on the phone sharing information that Raq is sending her product to New Jersey via the short bus, ditching trucks. It turns out Unique is the person tipping off the Italians, and he has someone on the inside of Raq’s crew, the guy they just recruited.

That same recruit is already on thin ice with Marvin because he came up short with some money. They both don’t know that it was Kanan who took that cash.

Detective Burke shows up at Unique’s shop with plenty of questions. Burke mentions how someone set up Unique, but he doesn’t bite and doesn’t give her anything she can use.

Detective Burke

Source: Starz / Detective Burke

Burke leaves the shop without answers, but she is still determined to figure out what her partner is hiding.

Kanan Has A New Boo, Raq Is Suspicious of Her Son

Crown Comacho and Jukebox

Source: Starz / Crown Comacho and Jukebox

Kanan uses the money he stole from his own mother to help Famous throw a housewarming party in his new apartment that Crown helped him get.

Things get interesting when Famous’ new neighbors knock on the door. Kanan answers to discover it’s an attractive woman named Paloma and her daughter. After introducing themselves to Kanan, the daughter asks her mother if she can stay for a while and says yes. The mother also flirts with Kanan before returning to her apartment for the night.

Kanan and the daughter hit it off immediately, she pitches to be the new lady in his life, and the two spend the rest of the night swapping spit on the couch.

Crown eventually shows up at the party, and he’s bearing gifts for one person, and it’s not the person who owns the apartment. When Jukebox arrives, he presents her with a cassette tape he says has a song he made especially for her.

The following day, Kanana rushes out of the house, and Raq questions where he is going. He tells her to hang out with Famous. Raq isn’t buying it and decides to follow him. It turns out a mother’s intuition is always right, and she follows him. Kanan is linking up with Detective Howard, not Famous.

We can’t wait to see how Raq will deal with this next week.

Photo: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Recap: Raq Wants All The Smoke With The Italians & Jukebox Connects With Her Mom  was originally published on cassiuslife.com

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