From the moment “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” hit the screen, it’s been a masterclass in gritty storytelling, complex character dynamics and the unrelenting pull of destiny. Now, after the critically acclaimed prequel has begun its fourth season, the stakes have never been higher for Kanan Stark and the Thomas family. With old rivalries seemingly put to rest and new opportunities on the horizon, each character faces the illusion of a fresh start. But in South Jamaica, Queens, the past is never far behind, and survival depends on understanding one hard truth — no matter how much you try to change, who you are at your core will always catch up with you. And with Unique more dangerous than ever, that truth may prove deadly.

In a conversation with REVOLT, the cast spoke about what to expect in Season 4 and how their characters shift in the new season of this “Power” series favorite.

Raq has always been a master strategist, but this season forces her to reckon with deeply personal choices. If you had to describe Raq’s Season 4 journey as a chess game, what piece is she at the start, and what piece is she by the end?

Patina Miller: So, we think that Raq is the one who can always checkmate it. I think the audience is really used to her winning. She's still a really good strategist. She's always going to be that girl. I think that's what makes her different. I think that's why she's in charge. She’s alluring to the men that are around her because she possesses this thing about her. In Season 4, she's dealt with a little bit more life. It gets a bit more real for her this season. The kings and the pawns all create a little bit of some [tough] things for her, but she has to strategize.

Kanan has spent so much time fighting against his mother’s influence, yet, this season, their business relationship grows. What’s something you realized about Kanan’s transformation that surprised even you while filming?

MeKai Curtis: I kind of already understood where Kanan was going to be at this moment. His ability to essentially be everything that he didn't want to be in so many [ways], that just comes from his observance and being around all of this. And naturally being from his family, that's kind of just who he is, no matter how much he fights and no matter how much he fights his mother, I think that's kind of just their back and forth because they're so similar. It turns into a back and forth, headbutt-type match.

This show is deeply rooted in Black culture, and stepping into this space as a writer brings a unique opportunity for collaboration, learning and storytelling. I imagine there are rich conversations and creative exchanges happening, especially with actors like MeKai and Patina contributing their perspectives. How has that collaboration shaped the creative process, particularly in telling a story grounded in New York and centered on Black people in powerful positions?

Sascha Penn: I think I naturally have a listening ear, and I'll also add, this is not my first career. I had another career altogether in New York City at this time. I used to work at Harlem Hospital. The answer to that question, both specifically as it relates to me and generally as someone who does my job, you always have to listen because you don't know everything. To your point, Ty, in this instance, as it relates to me, I have to listen. I have to exercise a great deal of humility and acknowledge there's a lot I don't know, but also not at the same time diminishing myself to the point where it's like, man, I don't know anything. I do know something about something.

Unique has been through fire and comes out even more dangerous. If revenge had a sound, what would it be?

Joey BADASS: I would say the sound of revenge for Unique would be like two knives, like, sharpening each other.

Unique has always been unpredictable, but this season, we see him at his most volatile. What’s a moment where you were even shocked by what he does?

Joey BADASS: I think I was shocked from just how he could kind of convince himself that Ronnie conspired with Raq. That contributes to brain injury, right, with him not being able to really process or recall things properly. I think if he was in his right mind, he wouldn't have come to that conclusion, because all of the signs were showing that Ronnie had some type of animosity towards him, that Ronnie was jealous. I mean, he told Unique's baby mother that he was cheating. I don't see what part of the plan that would be for Raq to be involved. While I do think that this version of Unique was still vengeful towards Ronnie and maybe he might have wanted to unalive himself, it was definitely a surprise to me that he convinced himself that, you know, what he experienced with Raq was just a setup.

What’s something Raq has been running from that finally catches up to her?

Miller: Raq has been running from her past — the things with her mother and her upbringing. There's a lot of unresolved issues when it comes to her mom and how her mom was in her life, how her mom showed up for her. She’s been able to really kind of finesse her way out of having to deal with it. She's been able to compartmentalize that part of her trauma. A lot of reasons why she might be the way she is as a mother is maybe because of the way she grew up, but she's been able to sort of not think about that. Now, she has to think about it because their matriarch is sick. At the end of the day, she has to look at herself, and she's forced to really talk to her mom in a [different] way and deal with those emotions. I think that's gonna be the thing this season that's different, is watching her have to deal with some pretty heavy things.

Lou and Jukebox have had some of the most gut-wrenching storylines. If their relationship was a song this season, what would it be?

Malcolm Mays: I would say Muni Long’s record, “Made For Me.”

Lou has been trying to cleanse himself of his past demons, and Jukebox is actively running toward a new future — how does their parallel search for identity collide this season?

Hayley Kilgore: The parallel that I love between Juke and Lou is that they're both empathetic no matter what they're doing. Lou could be beating somebody up, and she's gonna feel bad for them. She's gonna be like, that's somebody's son. In earlier seasons, I feel like Lou is doing what he needs for the family and for the business. He has a heart and Juke didn’t. I think that there's a switch that's happening between the two of them.

Is there anything you would take from Unique that you would apply to your own life in that realm of fatherhood? And is there anything you would want to give to Unique within that realm of fatherhood?

Joey BADASS: I would definitely want to give him better compartmentalization skills when it comes to the business. He prioritizes his business, and I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that. I would advise him to find more of a balance and to, you know, show him that both of them are priorities. The business is the external, but the person is the internal. For proper growth, you got to grow in both directions, like a tree. Trees grow upward, but they also go downward.

If you could swap one scene between Jukebox and Lou for a real conversation they should have but never do, what would that conversation be about?

Mays: Well, maybe it's not the conversation that she and Raq have, but I'm jealous of the amount of conversations that she has with Raq because it's just Raq usually giving her something to carry that's not fair to carry. I would have liked our character to have those conversations, but with Lou unburdening her instead of her being burdened for once — just like somebody taking some off of her. That's what I think I would have wanted for — or what I think Lou would have wanted for his conversations with her.