Source: Courtesy / Starz
Coming into the season two finale of Raising Kanan, we expected fireworks and that’s exactly what we got. The episode begins with Marvin (London Brown) doing what Raq (Patina Miller) instructed him to do last week. Marvin catches Sam (Tyson Hall) and a friend at a crackhouse getting high and decides it’s the perfect time to take them both out. Before he does so though, Sam shares that he used to be an accountant before drugs unfortunately ruined his life. Although the story was heartwarming and showed us a different side of Sam that we hadn’t seen up until this point. Marvin lets Sam take one last hit of his crack pipe before he shoots and kills Sam.
Elsewhere, Raq meets with Unique (Joey Bada$$), who has some news for her. He informs her that Sal Boselli (Michael Rispoli) is coming for her and there will be some bloodshed in their streets. The news didn’t seem to shake Raq at all. She switches the subject and again brings up her plans to expand. She extends an offer to Unique and Worrell (John Clay III) to join her. Unique gracefully declines and lets Raq know that he and Worrell have their own plans. Before he leaves the diner, Unique light-heartedly flirts with Raq. Ironically enough, it’s obvious that Raq likes it. Although they have a very rocky history, the two would be a hood match made in heaven.
Source: Courtesy / Starz
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While his mother is trying to brainstorm how to expand her business and stay alive, Kanan (Mekai Curtis) and Famous (Antonio Ortiz) are trying not to get kicked out of Famous’ crib. Kanan decides that going back out on the corners was the best option for them to get money. Not only did he disobey his mother by being on the corners (Raq emphasized that she wanted everyone off the corners a while ago), he also steals the drugs that he and Famous are selling. While in the midst of serving, Detective Burke (Shanley Caswell) catches Kanan and cuffs him before putting him in the back of he cop car. She then takes him to back to Baisley Park where the shooting occurred. Although she doesn’t have any evidence, she threatens to arrest Kanan with an intent to sell charge. This leads to him mistakenly pushing her to the ground. Kanan makes his way to his father’s house and lets him know everything that just transpired. Having heard enough, Detective Howard (Omar Epps) makes the executive decision that him, Kanan and Raq need to finally meet up and get their stories together.
Source: Courtesy / Starz
Source: Courtesy / Starz
Getting arrested was a common theme for the teens of the show. Jukebox (Hailey Kilgore) runs into Cory (who we found out set up Juke to be targeted by the church). She lets out some pinned up aggression in the form of beating him up in the middle of street. The fight ends Juke up in the precinct’s holding cell. As she’s done before, Detective Burke comes to Juke’s rescue. She didn’t just do it out of the kindness of her heart though. She reminds Juke that she’s already done a lot for her. Burke then proceeds to question Juke about who is Kanan’s real father. Juke basically evades the question but does tell her that DefCon is Kanan’s father. The last thing she tells Burke is that she has a target on her back. This puts Burke on high alert but it doesn’t stop her from still snooping around in other people’s business. Before she helped Juke get out, she visits a crackhouse looking for Sam. He isn’t there but the addicts that are tells her where she can possibly find him. Unfortunately, when she finally arrives, she finds Sam’s dead body. Burke automatically assumes it was an execution and basically blames Howard of playing a part in it. At this point, both Detectives know exactly how the other feels about them.
Source: Courtesy / Starz
Source: Courtesy / Starz
In response to a drive Raq ordered earlier in the episode, Sal visits Stefano Marchetti (the head of New York’s mafia scene). Stefano informs Sal that Raq has already made her way to him to let him know the situation. He doesn’t want to get involved in the middle. This was basically the green light he needed to go on the offensive against the Thomas family and he did just that. Although Raq warned her people of what was to come, they were still blindsided. They hit the stash spot at the 40s projects and make quick work of the men working inside. They then head to Unique’s spot where Worrell is killed in the midst of the gun fight. It is ironic that Worrell gets killed because he and Unique had just had a discussion about how it might be time to exit the game. After taking out a few of Sal’s men, Unique makes it out the spot. The next spot that was hit was the studio, where Zisa (Paulina Singer) and Lou Lou (Malcolm Mays) were at. The attack was so sudden and quick that Zisa didn’t even really get a chance to duck or try to get out of the way. Lou is able to make it out alive after killing two of Sal’s men. Marvin isn’t as caught off guard as everybody else and is able to warn the people with him. He instructs them to throw everything down the chute. He then grabs his gun and covers everyone as he escapes down the back staircase. While making sure everyone makes it out safely, Marvin is shot in the gut. On top of this, his guns jams as he tries to get himself down the stairs. Marvin begs for help as he gets to closest door. No one answers until the tenant in the wheelchair Marvin argued with earlier in the season opens up and invites him in.
Source: Courtesy / Starz
Source: Courtesy / Starz
Unaware that any of this is going on, Raq is at her house in Jamaica packing. She hears a knock at her door, prompting her to grab her gun. She’s surprised when she realizes its Kenya (Letoya Luckett). Kenya wants to have a “mother to mother” conversation with her. Before they can have the talk though, Raq notices that her men outside of her house are dead. At this moment, she realizes the two of them are in trouble. She’s not able to warn Kenya quick enough before she is shot numerous times in the back, immediately killing her. Raq realizes that she has to deal with whoever comes through the door. She shoots and kills the first intruder but is shot in the shoulder by the second one. The impact of the shot knocks her gun out off her hand. As the second shooter gets closer and puts the gun in Raq’s face, she shows no fear. She tells him to do what he came to do. Before he can carry out the task, he is shot from behind. One this body falls, we see that it’s Unique who just came and saved Raq’s life. Before helping her up, the two share an intimate stare. Unique then says “Southside” to cement the legendary moment. It seems like this could be the beginning of a new power couple. As Raq and Unique leave out the house, Kanan and Detective Howard pull-up right as everything gets done transpiring. Every one watching at home had to have shared the exact look that Kanan had stepping out the car.
It’s obvious that the war with the Italians is only going to heat up more. Going into season three, there are a boatload of questions that we need answered. How’s the conversation between Kanan, Raq and Detective Howard going to go? How much longer is Detective Burke going to stay alive? What is Lou Lou’s next move after finding out that Raq did a backdoor deal with Crown Camacho? Can Raq still manage to expand without Traymont and Abraham? How much of a bigger role will Juliana play next year? How will Kenya’s death change Marvin and Juke’s relationship. Will we finally be introduced to Breeze next year? Whenever season three returns, it’s going to for sure be a wild. We’re just going to have to wait until next year to see how it all plays out!
