There’s a certain sense of satisfaction that comes with knowing Tommy Egan will cancel Christmas for at least one person in the Power franchise. With snitches, feds and business rivals in the mix in Power Book IV: Force, fans can expect him to show up in his infamous black hoodie and increase his also-infamous body count.
When Power Book IV: Force kicks off its final season on Starz on Friday, the series finds Joseph Sikora’s character swimming (not drowning) in multiple conflicts and spinning his now-iconic blue Mustang around Chicago for one last time. He’s facing threats while being a threat himself. Where will season 3 take Tommy, Diamond, Mireya, the Flynns and all the rival drug gangs as the show wraps?
I had a chance to watch the first few episodes of this final season and spoke with Sikora about Tommy’s history and story arc in this last installment. It turns out that even after all these years of playing one of the franchise’s most ruthless — and fan-favorite — characters, the actor found there was an unexpected element in the narrative this time around.
Power Book IV: Force season 2, where Tommy chats with Mireya at a bus stop.
Tommy’s romantic relationship surprises Joseph Sikora in season 3
Viewers have known Sikora in his role as Tommy Egan for over 10 years, and we’ve seen the character have love interests in both the original Power series and this Force spinoff. There was Holly, the troublemaker (whom he loved deeply), there was also LaKeisha, and for a short time in Power Book IV, Gloria had Tommy’s attention.
Season 2 brought Tommy and Mireya together, but it’s a forbidden love, as she is the younger sister of local drug lord (and frenemy) Miguel Garcia. That said, there’s something about the pair’s dynamic that surprised Sikora after playing Tommy for so many years.
Sikora explained how Lennon has written him as a complex character, drawing from his own history, family, flaws and humanity. “I always say this character is truly equal parts Joseph Sikora and Gary Lennon,” he shared. “I’m surprised at the relationship with Mireya,” Sikora said. “I think it’s reflective with us in a way — like the Rolling Stones said, you can’t always get what you want — I think Gary Lennon says you can never get exactly what you want. It never happens like that.”
Speaking on Tommy’s tendency to try to create a family wherever he goes, the actor said, “When he’s either successful or unsuccessful this season with Mireya, making [her] family and whatever else transpires, I think, ‘Is that a good thing?'” Given Tommy’s track record, it’s a fair question.
Miguel (Manuel Eduardo Ramirez) and Tommy love threatening each other over Mireya and cartel business.
There are opposing forces in Power, always
Longtime fans know Tommy’s love life has never been stable, and that every one of his partners has died a violent death. Whether he and Mireya make it remains to be seen as the season progresses, but Sikora knows his character, and he knows how things tend to unfold in the Power universe.
“Tommy’s idea of what is going to be great for him never quite is the great thing for him,” he said. Pointing to Tommy’s goal of wanting to eventually become “the biggest drug dealer in the world, taking over a cartel,” he said it never ends, and the character’s consumed with the business.
“But as in classic Power style, is that going to make him happy? Of course not,” Sikora added. “In every other success that he has along this journey, regardless of where he goes, there’s always going to be an equal failure. We are living in the Power world of yin and yang. We are showing yang, but we are never forgetting about yin. You’ll never get it all.”
Be sure to tune in to Power Book IV: Force every Friday at midnight ET on the Starz streaming service, or Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Starz’s cable channel in the US (9 p.m. ET/PT in Canada).
