‘Raising Kanan’ Creator and Stars Break Down the Shocking Series Finale and What’s Next With ‘Power: Origins’

The story of Kanan Stark has officially reached the end of one chapter, but the character’s journey is far from over.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan has wrapped its five-season run, bringing the story of Kanan Stark and his family to a brutal conclusion. The Starz series showed how Kanan, played by Mekai Curtis, slowly became the ruthless man fans first met in the original Power. The finale also answered one of the biggest questions surrounding Kanan’s past: why he eventually killed his cousin Jukebox, played by Anika Noni Rose in the original series.

Series creator Sascha Penn had promised for years that the show would explain the complicated history between Kanan and Jukebox. According to Penn in an interview with Variety, the series was always interested in the idea that people remember events differently and that their version of the truth is not always reliable.

That idea became especially important during the final episodes. Kanan killed his uncle Marvin, played by London Brown, after already being responsible for Lou’s death. Jukebox then discovered the truth and chose to hurt Kanan in the most painful way possible.

She killed Raq. Raq, played by Patina Miller, had spent the entire series trying to protect her family while also pulling them deeper into the drug business. By the finale, however, nearly everything she had built was gone.

Penn told Variety that he had considered allowing Raq to escape instead of killing her. That idea was eventually rejected because it did not feel right for the story. “I thought for a little while she could get away like Unique,” Penn said. “But I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know that I felt like she deserved that ending.”

Raq’s death was also a major moment for Miller, who said the character never expected Jukebox to turn against her. After raising and caring for her niece, Raq simply could not imagine that Jukebox would be the person to end her life.

“I don’t think she ever would’ve thought in a million years,” Miller told Variety. She compared the moment to Marvin’s inability to believe that Kanan would eventually turn against his own family.

Even when Raq realizes what is happening, she refuses to surrender. Miller explained that Raq reaching for her gun in her final moments was completely in character. “She never backs down,” Miller said. For Curtis, Kanan seeing his mother’s body was a painful moment, but it also represented the final consequence of everything he had done. “It’s devastating, but it is poetic,” Curtis said.

He explained that Kanan had already been carrying a sense of grief because he understood where his choices were leading. By the time he finds Raq dead, there is no way for him to undo what has happened.

Penn also sees Raq differently from many fans. While audiences have often connected with her as one of the show’s most compelling characters, the creator does not consider her a good mother.

“She’s not a good mother in any way,” Penn said. He argued that Raq often used Kanan as an excuse for the terrible things she did, turning “I’m doing this for you” into a form of manipulation.

The final season also completed another important transformation: Kanan becoming more like the character audiences know from Power. Curtis said killing Marvin was a major turning point because Kanan was no longer simply reacting to the violence around him.

“Kanan’s becoming a man,” Curtis explained. He said the character had learned from everything he had experienced and was now fully focused on gaining power.

The finale also gave fans more insight into Kanan’s connection with Breeze, played by Shameik Moore. Curtis said Kanan was already using lessons he had learned from Raq, especially the importance of keeping information hidden and waiting for the right moment to act. But while Raising Kanan is over, the story is not finished.

Kanan will return in Power: Origins, the upcoming series centered on the younger versions of Ghost and Tommy. Curtis teased the new show by telling fans to “buckle up,” adding that he was proud of what the team had created.

Penn also revealed to Variety that Origins will have a very different feel from Raising Kanan. Instead of being as dark and heavy, the new series will have more humor and energy, with the relationship between Ghost and Tommy at its center.

“‘Origins’ is a lot more fun,” Penn said. He described the show as more of a two-hander, comparing its tone to 48 Hours, while making clear that violence and darker moments will still be part of the story.

The creator also wants Power: Origins to work for longtime fans and newcomers alike. “You don’t have to have watched ‘Power’ before,” Penn said. “It’s just another incredible ensemble cast we’ve assembled.”

For now, Kanan’s transformation from Raq’s son into the dangerous man fans already know is complete. But with Power: Origins on the way, viewers will soon get another look at the character, and another piece of the larger Power story.