‘Power’ Creator Courtney Kemp on Tariq’s Redemption and Black Antiheroes
‘Power Book II: Ghost’ may be gone until later this year, but Kemp’s always planning the next chapter
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Much like you, Courtney Kemp does not have time to watch all the things on all the networks and streaming services right now — or, really, ever. “The truth is, I watch so little TV,” she says over the phone. “I don’t experience content in the way that other people do.”
The age of too much television has fully transitioned into an age of too many streaming platforms and excess as the norm. But providing escape and, nowadays, convenience, are key to holding the attention of distractible viewers. Why not build an entire universe?
As creator and showrunner on Starz’ Power, Kemp assembled a network of corrupt characters around coldhearted drug dealer and entrepreneur James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), whose relentless state of limbo caused devastation across six seasons. Kemp saw her show become the number one premium cable show among Black viewers — with an additional cult following made possible by the sovereignty of streaming.
Power Book II: Ghost premiered in September as the first of four spin-offs (Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Power Book IV: Influence, and Power Book V: Force). The current first installment follows Ghost’s crooked, enterprising son Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) a love-to-hate favorite among Power fans.
Ahead of last night’s midseason finale, LEVEL spoke with Kemp about Tariq’s evolution, streaming’s consequences, and Power’s longevity — as a source of both entertainment and employment for Black folks and people of color.
LEVEL: I wanted to start with a very basic but existential question. How do you define television in 2020, and what makes for good TV now?
Courtney Kemp: Oh, God. [Laughs]. Let me answer the second one first, which is what makes good TV right now. I think escape, frankly. I feel like we’re all trapped in a documentary that we don’t know the end of yet, so it’s nice to have a little escape from that when you…
