Spoiler alert!
The finish of Power Book IV: Force Season 2 Episode 10 was epic. A quick-paced hour with loads of jaw-dropping moments, the ultimate hour put a profound exclamation level on a profitable second effort.
The coronary heart and soul of the collection lies with Tommy Egan, its essential participant and the supply of so many riveting moments all through the season and in its remaining moments. And we have been thrilled to get a while with the magnetic Joseph Sikora to speak about all of it.
From Tommy and Diamond’s partnership to Tommy’s relationship woes and his appreciation for showrunner Gary Lennon, we coated plenty of floor on this informative chat.
This one’s for you, Power Force fanatics!
I wished to begin with Tommy and Diamond as a result of that was a central dynamic within the second season. Their partnership labored out, however one thing was lacking between the 2 of them.
I do not know if it is a degree of mistrust or what it could be, however are you able to speak about their evolution as companions this season and why it looks like they can not utterly belief each other?
Well, I feel a part of that comes from Tommy being good sufficient to see the chinks in folks’s armor and the familiarity that they share is that household. Is there a chink within the armor that they have a tendency to make errors by those that they love?
And similar to Tommy, finally, when he went to conflict along with his personal brother in Ghost, solely to appreciate that that is who he beloved most on this planet. I feel that he sees that with the Sampson brothers.
So, he realizes that he is by no means going to be on the extent of those brothers as a result of Diamond has made strikes that will not essentially have benefited him, however they profit the Sampson brothers.
But I feel that Tommy — not like Tommy within the Power present when Ghost would say, “Think Tommy,” Tommy would get pissed off as a result of he did not wish to suppose; he simply wished to behave.
Diamond says to Tommy, “Think Tommy,” and Tommy simply seems to be at him as a result of Tommy is considering now.
And Gary Lennon has achieved an unimaginable job of bringing Tommy again and percolating that a part of Tommy that’s Ghost. And so now Tommy is considering two and three steps forward as a result of it was dormant in Tommy. It at all times existed, similar to Ghost stated, “We’re two sides of the same coin.”
There is Tommy and Ghost, and there’s Ghost and Tommy. Now Tommy is having to manifest the Ghost that is at all times been there.
That’s so true. And when Diamond stated within the finale, “It’s not all about you, Tommy,” I used to be like, “But isn’t it?”
Because Tommy, though they’re partnered, though he is part of CBI, and he is introduced all this stuff such as you simply stated, there are the Sampson brothers, and then there’s Tommy.
Getting into the connection with Mireya, Tommy’s been unfortunate in love all through the Power collection, however he appeared to search out this real connection. What about Mireya and their connection, that relationship, do you suppose actually enticed Tommy?
I feel that as a result of, in plenty of methods, she’s a reasonably fascinating stability of each of his former massive loves, and that will be Holly Weaver and Lakeisha Grant. And she’s like Holly in the best way that they’re magnets to one another.
Despite themselves, they can not hold their fingers off of one another, and they can not avoid one another though they know higher.
They each know higher. Tommy is aware of that for girls he loves, unhealthy issues occur, and this has been constant. She is aware of that anyone she will get concerned with finally ends of their demise due to her brother, and but they can not say no to one another.
And I feel that is very relatable as a result of we, as people, are idiots, and love is blind. Truly, that is the place it comes from.
But additionally, similar to Lakeisha was from round the best way, from the neighborhood, she was snug. Similarly, Mireya is from that world. Even although she’s not a part of the life, she’s a part of that world. She could not assist it. So, she understands Tommy in a approach that lots of people would not.
Just like Lakeisha understood Tommy in a approach as a result of they’re from the identical neighborhood, in a approach that many individuals would not.
I feel that is a really engaging stability, and I really like that Gary has set it up like that as a result of it is true. And Carmela Zumbado, who performs Mireya, I feel she’s nice.
It’s at all times prefer it’s regardless of herself. She’s like, “Goddamn it, Tommy.”
Very true. And all through the season, we see Mireya pushing him away like, “We shouldn’t do this.”
And he is similar to, “It’s going to be fine. It’s going to be fine,” then the season ends together with her lacking and Miguel discovering out, Miguel taking her.
Do you suppose Tommy might have underestimated Miguel?
Totally. Totally. I feel he underestimated Miguel, and I feel that, form of such as you have been mentioning earlier than, he is underestimating Jenard as properly. And a part of it, I feel that he thinks that he is received such a deal with on Jenard and Shanti Showstopper.
I feel Jenard reminds Tommy of Tommy, fast to violence, utilizing his personal provide — positively the addict mentality.
But then I feel, what curiously, what Gary Lennon did once more is we had plenty of wins for Tommy, sluggish and exhausting, however wins till Tommy received a little bit sloppy.
He’s kissing Mireya outdoors of the condominium. He’s making these small errors which are turning into vital. The FBI, the regulation is on them.
So it is just a bit bit like Ghost once more, hubris, “I’m too smart, I’m too untouchable.”
But that is once you’re touchable, and that is when Gary ripped the carpet out from beneath Tommy’s ft, and Tommy loses the woman and may presumably lose the entire deal.
I additionally beloved that they made Tommy query his mortality in a approach that he virtually by no means has, when he was watching his mom OD and die presumably, and not a lot like JP thought he was simply going to let her die. But he did not notice that this was a real stultification.
He could not transfer. He was processing his mortality.
And I at all times say that Tommy lives as a result of he wakes up daily able to die. But then we noticed this different distinction in Tommy’s armor, and Deon Taylor did an impressive job directing that.
He’s like, “No, I need more. I need to see that whole relationship since you were a baby. I need to see you when you walked in on your mother having sex with two men.”
All this stuff that Deon would say, you are similar to, “Whoa.” But he is like, “I need it. I need more. It has to be that important of a moment,” and I feel that we received it.
No, I really like that you just simply introduced that up as a result of I used to be going to ask you what was going by means of Tommy’s head in that second, which you simply described to me.
But I additionally thought it was very fascinating that on the finish of Power Book IV: Force Season 1, Tommy’s watching D-Mac and JP and Kate within the hospital, and he is taking a look at them, and they’re laughing, and it is just like the household he by no means had. But on the finish of this season, it is the exact opposite.
Do you suppose there could possibly be hope for reconciliation there, and the place do you suppose the breakdown was in the best way that the household resulted in season two?
Again, I beloved it. I can not say sufficient great issues about having Gary Lennon again and what a beautiful storyteller he’s. Let’s additionally give some flowers to Joe ‘Jody’ Williams, our cinematographer and our director of images all through this season.
1,000,000 stunning photographs and an unimaginable consistency, together with when the door shuts on Tommy on the hospital after JP says, “You’re not part of this family anymore.”
I feel that that was one other splendidly directed scene by Deon Taylor as properly as a result of Deon stated, “What I want to be seeing is you having to make the decision of, ‘if I can just get in there, I can save my family,’ but you don’t.”
Tommy would not. Tommy chooses the streets. Tommy chooses this different life. Again, it is a selection. And he is like, “I got to see that choice. I got to see it. And he told me a million things. I want you to think as fast as you can have these thoughts.”
So what that basically helped create was the impact of when a tire goes quick, so quick, it virtually seems to be prefer it’s going backwards.
That second was simply, once more, a really nonetheless second, however there have been 1,000,000 ideas going by means of my thoughts of, “Just let me in there, just let me see JP, just let me see D-Mac. I’ve got my nephew, my family, and my mother’s alive. I’m going to choose this other thing.”
So there needed to be that thick battle.
I additionally love that it is a glass door. So, Tommy, it isn’t prefer it’s only a door, and I can flip and stroll away, and no matter’s occurring there’s occurring there.
It’s a glass door. And I feel, very symbolically, meaning you continue to have to look at this as a result of Gary wasn’t letting Tommy get to have his cake and eat it, too.
He’s not saying you may stay on this glorified villainous life-style, nonetheless have all the things, and have issues be good and dainty. You are going to be out of affection. You are going to be out of luck, and you are going to be out of life. So these are your solely choices.
And we watched that on Tommy, and plenty of that’s mirrored in that face.
I considered that, too, with the glass. I used to be like, he is received to look in and see what he is misplaced, primarily, in that actual second.
Yeah, you’ve got received it. That’s it.
I assumed Tommy’s progress this season, from Power Book IV: Force Season 1 to Power Book IV: Force Season 2, was fascinating.
Because in season one, he was coming in, getting his ft moist, and determining what he would do in Chicago, and this season, he cemented himself.
Could you describe Tommy’s progress from season one to season two and the place we go away him?
I can do it in two phrases: Gary Lennon. It’s true, really. I imply, he is a grasp storyteller. Plus, he actually developed the voice of Tommy.
When he got here in, in season two, he actually introduced a lot of his personal life, being from the west facet of Manhattan, being from Hell’s Kitchen, having his brothers be gangsters in actual life, and simply creating that entire Tommy vernacular and really feel to it.
So, to have Gary again, I virtually felt like I used to be dishonest generally as a result of it was like I did half the lifting as a result of it was already there on the web page.
He’s going to memorize the storytelling-wise. It was so nice. And it was additionally having my companion again.
So, it was like Gary is, similar to Ghost at all times stated, “Tommy and Ghost are two sides of the same coin.” The Tommy character is one half Joseph Sikora, one half Gary Lennon.
***This interview has been edited.***
Whitney Evans is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Follow her on X.
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