Power Book IV: Force

Trust Season 1 Episode 9 Editor’s Rating 4 stars ****

Power Book IV: Force

Trust Season 1 Episode 9 Editor’s Rating 4 stars ****

Power Book IV  wastes no time in forcing Vic to deal with the aftermath of the Serbs’ retaliation and Gloria’s death. Even though he initiated the Flynn-vs.-Serbs beef, Walter convinces Vic that Tommy is responsible for Gloria’s death. He puts together an elaborate theory where Tommy tips the Serbs off to Vic’s whereabouts. At first, Vic doesn’t buy it; he knows Tommy cared about Gloria and tried to warn him about his father. But eventually he begins to fall for his father’s manipulation.

Tommy is unaware that Walter is gunning for him. Business is booming, and his team has proved to be a solid group. D-Mac has been working from his spot at the stash house. He’s the numbers guy. Tommy tells him he’s the smartest kid he knows. The gifted teen, who is also his nephew, reminds Tommy of Ghost. He wants to protect him, so he repeatedly reminds D-Mac of his brilliance and even encourages him to consider alternative activities that don’t involve street life.

At this point, JP is unaware that Tommy has made contact with his son. He is still mourning the grandmother he didn’t really know. He expresses his feelings of grief to his father and opens up about calling Kate. When his father asks how the conversation went, JP tells him he didn’t give Kate a chance to respond (he hung up rather quickly). The moment, unfortunately, wasn’t as magical as he thought it would be. His father reminds him that Kate isn’t going to give him what he’s searching for. This proves to be true. Later on in the episode, when he calls Kate again, her number has been disconnected. Losing his only connection to his mother’s family and being rejected again by his mother sparks a new interest in JP to reconnect with his son.

Over on the other side of town, while entertaining a new lady friend, Claudia is interrupted by a call from her father and runs home to be by her brother’s side. While speaking with Vic, Claudia is shocked that he thinks Tommy is responsible for the hit. She offers several reasons to prove that Tommy wouldn’t target Vic, but Walter clarifies to them that they are collectively against Tommy as a family.

Claudia goes to meet with her father alone. He has a change of heart about her role in the business. He now wishes she held a more visible position. Tommy calls during their conversation, and Claudia ignores him. She makes a vow to her father to stick it out with her family.

Despite successfully getting his children on one accord, Walter takes advantage of the moment and guilt-trips Vic. He tells him if he hadn’t tried to run, Gloria would still be alive. This, of course, is not true. Remember Walter put a hit out on Gloria that Pauly never initiated.

At the Flynn’s estate, Walter tells Pauly his plans to retaliate against Tommy and the Serbs. Like Claudia, initially Pauly is confused about what Tommy has to do with getting back at the Serbs. Walter fails to provide a direct answer. This forces Pauly to once again remind his boss that they do not have the manpower to fight the Serbs.

Walter dismisses Pauly’s concerns and shares with him that he plans on calling in a big favor: He’s calling the Irish mob, the real Irish mob.

While the Flynns identify Tommy Eagan as their enemy and target, Tommy has no idea that Vic and Gloria were hit. Liliana tells Tommy about the hit on Vic. He asks about Gloria and explains to Lilianna that he was trying to save both of them. Lilianna doesn’t have any knowledge about Gloria.

Back at the lab, JP has found his groove. He enjoys working with his brother, and, of course, the pay is sweet. But Tommy reminds him that he has an end-date. Tommy’s goal is to protect his JP from the dangers of this business. And though JP feels safe, Tommy is well aware that everyone is safe until they aren’t safe anymore.

Later in the day, Tommy returns to the lab with news for JP, only to find out that JP has news for him too. He lets JP go first, and he tells Tommy that he called Kate. Tommy loses his shit! He cusses JP all the way out and is concerned if Kate will now be able to find out where he is.

While Tommy loses trust in JP, D-Mac reunites with Marshall. Jenard and Blaxton pushed him out of the deal with cousin Buddy — the same exact move Marshall tried to pull on D-Mac a few weeks back. The two, however, make up, and D-Mac promises to help him come up with a plan to get back at CBI.

There’s a ton of retaliation in this episode — Detective Seamus Bennigan at the beck and call of a more ruthless crooked cop who continues to ask for irrational amounts of money.

Tommy is concerned that Claudia is ghosting him. Liliana tells him what the word is on the streets the Irish mob is coming to Chicago. Things are not looking good for Tommy.

Jenard now knows that Tommy is behind Dahlia, and he is pissed. As he runs his mouth bitching about Tommy, Dahlia, and Diamond, Diamond enters the barbershop and overhears Jenard and Blaxton’s entire conversation — Jenard wants to go to war to steal Dahlia, he’s been playing his brother the whole time, and his big plan is to overthrow him and resume his position as head of CBI. When the two return upstairs and see Diamond (the moment is awkward), Diamond plays it cool.

Tommy finally gets ahold of Claudia. He presses her about ignoring him. She blames her absence on family issues and asks him if he had any involvement with the hit on Vic. Tommy reminds her that he tried to protect Vic. He asks about Claudia about Gloria and is devastated to find out she didn’t make it. He gives her a coded warning about her father, and she tells him to watch his back.

Apparently, everyone has lost their mind. Bennigan robs Diamond by asking for $100,000, but Diamond gives him $150,000. During the robbery, Diamond reminds the cop that they are one in the same — career criminals. After the incident, Diamond opens up a bit to Adrian, but their moment is cut short by Tommy. Now that Tommy is aware the Flynns have a hit on him, he asks Diamond for backup, but Diamond denies Tommy’s request, saying he refuses to go back to jail for anyone. Tommy has no other option but to go straight to the Serbs and make an expensive deal with them that protects him, prepares the Serbs, and obtains justice for Gloria.

Meanwhile, Claudia tries to run up on Tommy and sees him talking to Mirkovic. She runs back to her family and tells them that they were right about Tommy, and she’s all in — now, it’s Tommy against the Flynns.

Cutting deals ain’t for everyone. You got to have some time in the game before the skill is mastered. Without any protection or backup plan, D-Mac and Marshall go to see cousin Buddy. To cancel out Jenard’s deal, they offer him distro and a meeting with the connect.

Back at the safe house, Tommy’s excited to see D-Mac, and D-Mac is equally excited to see him. Tommy tries to tell D-Mac something important, but the teen is hype to share with Tommy what he and Marshall accomplished that day. Once he tells Tommy about Gary, Indiana, Tommy goes off the same way he did on JP earlier. D-Mac doesn’t realize the type of trouble he has caused. While lecturing him, Tommy reveals he is well aware that D-Mac has been shooting up clubs for attention and that JP is his father. He then admits to being D-Mac’s uncle. The news is a bit too much for D-Mac to handle, so he pulls a gun out on Tommy, but instead of pulling the trigger, he runs.

Tommy catches up with D-Mac at his usual spot. The two have a heart-to-heart. They agree to tell JP together that D-Mac is his son and joke about what D-Mac should now call Tommy. Before they make it to Tommy’s car, a jeep pulls up and fires shots at D-Mac and Tommy. Tommy manages to put a bullet right in the head of one of the shooters, but D-Mac gets hit in the abdomen.

Tommy quickly gets him to the hospital and calls JP. When JP arrives, Tommy tells him that the kid who has been shooting up his club is actually his son. Surprised by the news, JP is emotional and lashes out at Tommy for keeping this from him. He rushes into the hospital to see his son before it’s too late.

While Tommy and JP are praying D-Mac survives, the Flynns meet with the Irish mob and outline their plan to kill every Serb in town … and Tommy Eagan. It’s a war in Chicago now!

Power Book IV: Force Recap: All in the Family