*Fans are no doubt aware of “Power’s” shocking death of a character on Sunday night, and if you’re not caught up on season five… this is NOT a spoiler-free post.
Kanan is dead…and EPs 50 Cent and Courtney Kemp chatted with Deadline about the fatal betrayal by Ghost’s wayward teen son Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.).
“We’ve created a template for the show that is non-Hollywood,” says Jackson of the death of his character on Sunday night’s episode. “Anyone can go, there’s no one in the show that can’t die,” the executive producer of Starz’s most-watched series asserts.
“This show was not designed to go 10 seasons,” adds Kemp. “It was not designed to go 15 seasons. It’s not a crime procedural or a sitcom. It’s a closed-ended story that really begins and, in some way, ends with Ghost,” she notes of the Omari Hardwick portrayed drug lord trying to make it in the legit world.
Jackson and Kemp also discussed why they decided to kill off Kanan and what’s next for 50 Cent on the show both in front of and behind the camera.
Check out a few highlights below.
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DEADLINE: Let’s start with the death of Curtis’ Kanan character last night in the shootout with the NYPD, how he was set up by Tasha on kidnapping Tariq and how the teen he thought was his protégé ultimately betrayed him. When did you guys decided to kill off Kanan?
JACKSON: The decision was made early on when Courtney and I discussed how the arc of Kanan’s story would end. You see, we slated the show to go seven seasons initially, because we created it with the success of The Sopranos in mind.
DEADLINE: So, the show is going to end with Season 7?
KEMP: All I’ll say is that this iteration of the show with me as the showrunner, that iteration of the show is going to have to end because the story that I wanted to tell is almost over. That has to be the way that it is, otherwise we’re going to end the show badly. We’re going to end the show really in like a whimper instead of a bang, and I need it to be a bang.
DEADLINE: Why?
KEMP: Because I want to be able to still tell a story that’s about can I change, does my past dictate my future, can I be the man or woman that I picture and I’ve always wanted to be? I need to answer that question, right, and that question can’t go on forever.
DEADLINE: So where does it all go for the final two episodes of Season 5?
KEMP: (LAUGHS) Why would I answer that question? Look, the death of Kanan is going to have some repercussions, mostly with Tommy’s relationship with Ghost.
JACKSON: The death of Kanan at this point, it ramps up everything. The pace of the next two shows is a lot more because everyone responds to the betrayal of Kanan and his death leaves a big gap with Tommy (Jospeh Sikora) and Ghost where they don’t trust each other. It also changes Tariq and Tasha in different perspectives as everything starts to spin out of control.
DEADLINE: OK, but Curtis for you, what does the death of Kanan mean?
JACKSON: It allows me to stay involved as an executive producer and expand on the other projects I have on the network at the present moment and get them up and running.
DEADLINE: Like what?
JACKSON: I’m looking at what I’m going to do with Black Mafia Family, what I’m going to do with other shows. I’ve talked about them but I haven’t actually had the time to have the writers room opened and move further with those. It also provides me with the ability to direct 603. I’ve traveled to the writers’ room since they been in there working on next season and developing 603.
DEADLINE: How does this change things for you Courtney?
KEMP: You know our working relationship was not about Curtis the actor, because I really wasn’t on set enough for that, so it doesn’t really change much. But will he have other things to do? For sure, I mean that’s the whole point. He’s expanding into producing much more and really giving notes and reading scripts, and he’s learned how to make a television show, and he’s got two on. He’s got more shows on than I do, because he’s got The Oath.
Read the full conversation over at Deadline.
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