Weeks ago, I wrote an article about my hopes for Tasha St. Patrick, played by Naturi Naughton. At the time of the article, only two episodes of 50 Cent’s Power had aired on Starz and I was still optimistic about the portrayal of the women on the show—most importantly Tasha St. Patrick. To be exact I said, “I believe the character will be revealed later in the series as far more nuanced than most reviewers give her credit for.”
Seven episodes in…not so much.
The season finale of the show airs this Saturday, August 2nd and I must say it cannot come soon enough. The storylines of the show have never been terribly original, but I must say the writers took a fair stab at trying to show Ghost as a complex and conflicted character. It’s unfortunate that Ghost’s dynamics come at the cost of both of the major female characters on the show.
Angela Valdes: Ghost’s mistress and first love, who he has managed to love more than his wife and mother of his three kids, despite the fact that she left him high and dry decades ago is most times seen as a no-nonsense, cold-hearted prosecutor who can only be softened by her lover’s touch. We know nothing more about her besides the fact that she left “true love” behind to pursue her education. Now that same “true love” is getting in the way of the most important case of her career. She spends most of her time appearing generally unhappy even when she’s with Jamie (aka Ghost). She seems miserable because she knows he has a wife and kids at home.
Yet, the most disappointing development of all is Mrs. St. Patrick. She is constantly in scenarios that show her as a money-hungry, lustful shrew. She is not shown as deserving of Ghost’s love or attention. She is representative of everything that is holding Ghost from becoming who he ultimately wants to be: a stand-up guy, a legal, honest club owner.
Between her multiple sexual and manipulative advances on Ghost’s driver and mentee, Shawn, solely to gather information about her husband and her constant nagging about the club getting in the way of her plans to remain a kingpin’s wife forever, Tasha is as trope-y as you can get. The only time you see another side of her is when she’s taking care of someone else whether it be Ghost’s best friend and partner, Tommy, or her kids. Tasha by herself is extremely one-dimensional.
We don’t know why she clings to money so strongly and why Ghost’s love and attention is her sole reason for waking up in the morning. I don’t need a tragic backstory (a la Mellie’s rape) to explain her passion for wealth and influence I just need some context. At some point in her life did she have a Scarlett O’Hara on the remains of her family’s failed plantation moment where she vowed she would never go hungry again? Has she always just had a passion for young fellas who were good at “moving that dope?” Why is she who she is?
Also, why is Ghost’s disgust with her so strong? From the start of the show, he has constantly had either a look of regret or dismissal on his face when dealing with her. There have been a few moments where he has put on the content husband face for other people but most times he’s reprimanding her for one thing or another. Most recently, he was so annoyed with Tasha’s actions in righting a wrong based in racism against their daughter that he practically ran to Angela.
Yet, he took her council when she advised him to crack down on all the dealers around him to show them who still runs the city. Basically when she helps you keep your powerful grip on the drug world she’s cool but when she does something to make her daughter happy you feel a way because it’s “not right?” I’m getting mixed signals here.
There have been several missed opportunities to show the fluidity and complexity of Tasha. In one particular scenario she discovers that a large sum of money is missing from the couple’s bank account. It is revealed here that she is extremely numbers-savvy and notices almost immediately that money has been moved from the account and exactly how much. She soon realizes that Ghost took the money and used it for a personal purchase without telling her. This was the perfect opportunity for the writers to dwell on how intelligent she is for discovering the missing money so quickly. Instead, the incident ended with Ghost more or less telling her to mind her business and be happy with all they’ve got.
I can’t blame Naturi Naughton or Lela Loren for the way their characters have played out on the show. Both women are fine enough actors and it seems they are doing their best in the roles they’ve been given. The major issue here is the writing.
Each of the women are tools or ideals for Ghost. Angela is a symbol of how great Ghost’s life could be if he flies straight while Tasha is supposed to be the face of everything wrong in his life. The women are not real; they don’t have real multi-dimensional lives outside of Ghost. Even Angela’s case at work, unbeknownst to her, has to do with Ghost. Their value lies in what they mean to the drug kingpin and I must say those types of story lines for female characters are beyond worn-out.
Even Ghost for all of his moments of intense staring in the distance and grimacing at his riches is not extremely well developed or complex. What has caused his love to wane for Tasha? There was clearly something that drew him to her. Something that was strong enough for him to marry her and father three kids with her.
Maybe in the season 2 we’ll see more of how they met and what has kept them together for so many years. Maybe we won’t. I can’t promise that I’ll be here to find out because it’s hard to watch such poor depictions of women, especially on a series that started out with so much potential.
Tags: Angela Valdes, Ghost, James St. Patrick, Lela Loren, naturi naughton, omari hardwick, power, Repesentation, starz, Tasha St. Patrick, woc
12 Comments
Am only on season 3 of the show but I noticed that Tasha is a stong-willed person and it will work in her favour if she can be her own person outside Ghost, she seems to be good in the street business why doesn’t she break out and make a play of her own instead of forcing Ghost to be what she wants him to be? Ghost clearly wants out of the drug game and she wouldn’t let him, she should partner up with Tommy who also loves the game so much and do her own thing but that is definitely not the premise of the show I guess but a girl can dream lol
It wasn’t Angela’s decision to leave James. People act like she had a choice in the matter when she didn’t. She was 15 years of age. 15. A minor. Dialogue clearly stated the obvious — that her parents sent her away.
She made the decision not to return to his azz, unlike Tasha she knew he had a dream to be out the streets and own his own business, if she loved him why not return when she got her ish together and try and help him. True love normally make you do crap like that.
I’m confused. You want Tasha to win what exactly? And I find it mind boggling that anyone would ask what drew Ghost to Tasha when dialogue clearly indicated the reason. Tasha herself explained why ghost married her and love wasn’t it. Tasha hiding a gun protecting him from law enforcement drew them together. She knew way too much for him to just up and divorce her and add in the factor they have kids together. I wonder to do people actually sit and listen to dialogue/character behavior or are they simply deciding to see what they want to see because they don’t agree with it ? Or maybe it’s the race factor? Tasha has that hood mentality and women with that state of mind never prosper. Tasha will never win. And I’ll never root for this character. NEVER.
The black woman is okay for the drug thug Ghost, but the “clean” James needs a….Although the couple are criminals I was interested in the pairing of Ghost with a dark complexioned woman. I should have expected that it would be degradation as usual.
Tasha don’t want the clean James. She wants the thug. There are alot of women like that. I know from personal experience.
You’ve articulated my thoughts very well. In order to keep my interest, her character has to develop. When Angela asked Ghost, “What is she like?” and he said, “She isn’t you.” and the scene where he said he took the wrong women to the dinner party, I cringed. Is Tasha really this much of a burden in his “new life”? All these years, she hasn’t realized her environment has changed, so she must as well. I’m not buying it. Come on Power, let’s make the women well, PowerFUL.
Yes! Yes! This is EXACTLY what I’ve been feeling about how Tasha has been written. She is so under-utilized as a complex character. It’s so disappointing because she had so much potential. She could have been on the level of a Claire Underwood, but for the one dimensional writing of her.
The worst part is, by writing her this way, the creators almost dare the viewers to find the holes in the development of these characters. I wouldn’t be so anti-James (and I want him to fall down so hard at this point) if the writers weren’t so business convincing me that he spent 12 years with an unloving shrew- who just so happens to be the same young girl he got with who was willing to take a gun charge for him even before he had money. This is also the same woman who they want me to believe doesn’t care about anything but the money because she doesn’t understand why James needs this club and wants to go legit. Meanwhile Angela had 15+ year old memories about James explaining how his Dad owned a club and how he always wanted to own one. y point is that I think the writers want Tasha to be so bad to make me buy into the James and Angela relationship, but they didn’t accomplish Tasha’s character development nor a convincing backstory that makes me want to give Angela country. Sad to say, but Scandal did it better.
I have to give Naturi Naughton props because I don’t think there are too many young actors who could work with the little the character has been given and still keep me somewhat interested. I will finish up the season, but as much as I want to support all of these quality actors/actresses, I can’t say for sure that I will be back next season.
So glad I’m not the only one who wants Tasha to win!
So, if you’ve watched season 2, what are your thoughts now?
Honestly the question of love between tasha and James is confusing but there are simple 4words and instances that make me say that ghost and tasha both love each other. #1.love they say is loyal and loyalty existed between tasha and ghost most especially in the drug biz. #20 love is sticking with each other through thick and thin, which they both did if u watched power well. #3.love is sacrifice, tasha hiding a gun for ghost is sacrifice willing to go down for him. Ghost sticking for her is sacrifice.#4.love is true. Check well ghost was true to her and she was too they both new when they were cheating.but putting family first is love. The situation with the cops who did ghost call to help him when Tommy wasn’t there? Tasha. Who helped his club deal seal when they went for a meeting at his clients house? Tasha. Is this the same person we are saying doesn’t want the success of the club? I will say ghost did not make tasha understand that club was his dream but Angela understood that because she grew up with ghost even before he started the drug biz. Tasha still helps ghost at the club when there is chaos. Ghost has never made tasha understand his dream as a club owner which am sure if he does she will support him with all she got. So let’s not all look at her like she is the devil even ghost has his flaws. Tasha is the mother of his three kids and u can’t tell me there is no love cos deep down somewhere, that love is there they just need to find it and tasha needs to make some adjustments on her part same as ghost.
this was my exact same reaction first season and I did stop watching but found my way back somehow. trust me the show is better