Power Ghost's Michael Rainey Jr. Talks Tariq Entering 'Predator' Mode & Warns 'Anyone Could Go'

It is bittersweet figuring out that is the final season premiere for Energy E book II: Ghost, however boy, did they bring about the warmth for this ultimate run.

Coming off a wild and deliciously twisted Energy E book II: Ghost Season 3 Episode 10, the premiere picked up proper the place that finale left off, with Tariq and Brayden on the run and making an attempt to determine how they had been going to maintain their heads above water.

It is shaping as much as be Tariq and Brayden in opposition to the world, however contemplating that is the Energy universe, it is in all probability secure to imagine they’ll throw a number of curveballs our method earlier than it is curtains on this particular collection.

I have been fortunate sufficient to talk with Michael Rainey Jr. a number of instances through the years. Not solely is he one of the vital gifted actors of his era, however he is additionally an all-around respectable human being.

He solutions every part with nice care and sincerity, and we chatted about every part from Energy E book II: Ghost Season 4 Episode 1 to his time on Energy general.

And we needed to speak in regards to the followers, as nicely!

It is a great dialog with one of many greats! Test it out, Energy fanatics!

The premiere locations quite a lot of emphasis on Tariq and Brayden and their plans following the occasions of the season three finale.

It acquired me occupied with the truth that we have seen the 2 of them develop up on-screen and that relationship and friendship develop. Are you able to converse to the evolution of their friendship through the years and what we’ll see from it in season 4?

Oh, man, the evolution between Brayden and Tariq; it has been a rocky street. It has been a rocky street. Brayden had his scenario with Riley, and

Tariq wasn’t an enormous fan of that. They usually at all times have their little disagreements and stuff, however on the finish of the day, they at all times discover their method again to that brotherhood like, “Yo, I acquired your again, it doesn’t matter what’s occurring.”

So, this season, that is their story proper there. “I acquired your again.” They’re the one two, actually. Everybody else flipped on them. So, that brotherhood issue must play a much bigger function this season. And also you guys will see that, for positive.

I’ve requested you this earlier than. Who does Tariq belief, if anyone? Do you assume that Brayden is the one individual he can belief fully? Or do you continue to really feel like he can solely belief himself?

I do not assume he thinks he can belief anyone 100%, however he does really feel like Brayden is among the most reliable individuals he has round him, clearly, apart from Mother and stuff like that.

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So far as anybody else, he places essentially the most belief into Brayden, in comparison with anybody else. It is zero belief with regards to anybody else, however Brayden, it could be just a little, 35%, 50%, or one thing like that there.

We have seen Tariq have his again in opposition to the wall greater than as soon as in his lifetime. However I do not know that he is ever been in a worse predicament than when he begins this season.

Popping out of the occasions of the finale, what’s he pondering? What is going on by his head when he is going by that complete day of, “What am I going to do?”

Tariq’s again has been on the wall his complete life. This season is much more as a result of, like I mentioned, everybody flipped on him.

It is actually solely him and Brayden. And the truth that he may belief him, however he may barely belief him. So he would not know if it is actually him and Brayden or not. He would not know.

He is in that predator mode, so he is aware of how you can function. He isn’t on protection anymore; he is on offense, so he is making the strikes.

He isn’t ready for individuals to maneuver to him, after which he has to defend himself. Now, he is ensuring individuals know that they acquired to defend themselves in opposition to him.

Tariq and Brayden have that dialog within the automobile the place he is like, “Think about if we had been simply school college students and issues,” every part like that. And I used to be like, “I do not know if Tariq actually believes that.”

Nah.

Precisely. Do you assume there’s something inside Tariq that might ever quit and stroll away, or do you assume he’ll at all times preserve preventing?

I do not assume he will stroll away. I feel it is in his blood. That is simply what it’s. He simply has that in him, and he has that battle he is preventing like, “Oh, I am not something like my father.”

However clearly, he is fairly just like his father. His father wished to cease the loopy stuff he was doing, however he could not actually; as soon as you’re form of in that life, it is virtually unattainable to get out with out both going to jail or dying.

So Tariq is making an attempt to determine how he may proceed this way of life with out going out the best way his father did.

All through the collection, and perhaps it hasn’t occurred but, and we’ll see, however what has been Tariq’s largest misstep?

I do not know, as a result of I do not wish to reply that and say an excessive amount of, as a result of I acquired to consider it. I have been doing this for ten years now.

Properly, if you cannot reply, you may’t reply, however…

Yeah, I do not wish to say an excessive amount of. I do not wish to say an excessive amount of.

All proper. One thing to stay up for.

What’s certainly one of your favourite moments from Energy by seasons one by three? Not this season, however by the previous seasons?

I used to be going to say I do not even bear in mind half of what we did. That’s out the window for season 4.

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When Uncle Tommy got here again, that was a fairly enjoyable second, simply having Joseph on set. That was fairly cool.

So many issues occurred on set between the unique Energy and the spinoff that I am unable to even select which second stood out to me essentially the most.

One second I’ll always remember, although, and I at all times maintain near my coronary heart, is once we had been filming the final scene of season six, the place Tasha will get arrested.

That was only a tremendous emotional day, being that was actually the final day of filming Energy, quite a lot of our final days. And we simply weren’t positive who we’d see once more.

Clearly, we knew we had the spinoffs and every part coming, however we weren’t positive who would make a return or what crew members could be again. It was simply tremendous emotional.

Everybody was lastly ending a chapter, and actually, everybody within the studio and everybody on set had been crying. It was simply tremendous emotional. That was a loopy day.

It has been so many moments, these ten years that I have been engaged on this present. How may I select one second? I do not even know.

Maintaining with that theme, the Energy fandom is so enormous and so vocal. What do it’s a must to say to the followers who’ve taken this experience with you guys for the previous ten years?

Man, I like the followers, I like the supporters. As a result of our writers, the best way they write the tales, they write, principally, based mostly off of the followers’ reactions. Regardless of the followers react to, the writers see that, they usually construct on that.

So, the followers helped us create a brilliant dope story as a result of every part they reacted to motivated one thing that was within the story. The supporters positively performed a giant half within the route of the present, they usually simply saved us motivated; they saved us working.

They at all times made us really feel like they had been ready for the subsequent season, so we had been working for a motive. The followers actually, actually performed a giant half, they usually modified my life. So, shoutout to the followers.

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Did you ever foresee how far his storyline would preserve going like this whenever you had been enjoying Tariq again within the authentic Energy?

Heck, no. Not till midseason three, going into season 4. Season one and two, I used to be like, “I am simply right here. Y’all name me on set, come see my hello’s, and byes, no matter, I am right here.”

After which, throughout the hiatus from season two, going into filming season three, I filmed a film, Barbershop: The Subsequent Minimize. And I really feel like that gave them a unique kind of confidence in me, a unique kind of perception. They noticed my potential, and that is after they actually began constructing my story.

After that, it was historical past. I used to be simply beginning to work much more, and it was no extra “Hello” and “Bye.” I used to be like, “Rattling, I am working with you. That is completely different.”

I did not count on that in any respect, however when the time got here, I used to be positively prepared for it.

I do know you say you do not bear in mind a lot from season 4, however what are you able to tease just a little bit for us?

Motion-packed, quite a lot of plot twists, and y’all know this universe, man. Y’all know, within the Energy universe, anybody may go; anybody is expendable.