Raising Kanan: What Made Him Turn On Jukebox?
The Kanan Stark that Power fans know is one who only knows violence. But after the first episode of Power Book III: Raising Kanan, fans learned that he wasn’t brought up with that mentality. His mother and uncles wanted him away from that life but circumstances forced more than his hand.
While the Power Universe has focused mostly on the present, Raising Kanan is the only show so far to look back at the past. While many would like to see the early beginnings of Ghost, Tommy, and Tasha, Kanan’s story so far has been eye-opening.
As a young child, Kanan was soft. Not one to put up a fight, Kanan did manage to earn his respect the hard way. But what the first episode revealed was not what many expected. The appearance of his cousin Jukebox may have left most viewers confused.
In the original series, it was revealed that they were indeed family but not that close as viewers’ witnessed in the first episode. Kanan and Jukebox practically lived in the same house. That’s how close they were. So why? What would drive him to betray her the way he did in Power?
Yes, Kanan had a tough life and even took his own son’s life but taking the life of Jukebox, now seems a bit extreme. What drove him to be this callous?
When Jukebox was introduced, it appeared that she was like a distant cousin. You know the kind. The ones that come around only during funerals and family reunions. However, Kanan and Jukebox were more like brother and sister than cousins.
The plan was to kidnap Tariq for ransom and a shot at revenge on Ghost. While Jukebox demanded more, Kanan did chose Tariq’s life over his own flesh and blood. I know what you’re saying: “He did take the life of his son Shawn”. Yes, he did but their bond was not as tight as what he and Jukebox shared growing up.
Related: Power Book 2: Is Tariq Finally Seeing The Light About His Dad?
Now viewers are left wondering what could have gone wrong? There must a clear understanding that his family met their demise from their dealings in street life. Maybe that drew a line in the sand between him and Jukebox? With his mom gone, maybe Kanan just turned his back on the family altogether. But their chemistry in the original Power was still evident now that we’ve seen them as youngsters.
Another factor could be the friendship between the younger version of Kanan, Ghost, and Tommy. Jukebox may have been the odd-ball out of that circle. She did go to Baltimore and become a Police Officer. Somewhere along the way, everything changed for Kanan Stark.
The emotional kid who wore his heart on his sleeve turned into a complete monster and managed to turn on his own family. There has to be a reason and for the way that Raising Kanan is setting up the story, we will soon find out.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
