It was only a matter of time before one of these overzealous characters ended up dead.

If you haven’t had a chance to watch Power Book II: Ghost Season 3 Episode 4 yet, then keep reading at your own risk because we're starting at the big death during the hour and working our way back.

This death will have little emotional fallout, but that information the dead man was sitting on has the potential to change the course of an entire family's life.

RIP Kevin Whitman.

He was extremely annoying, wildly unethical, and kind of a jerk, but that doesn't mean he deserved to die. And the way he died at the hands of the woman he was harassing on the regular must have been one hell of a gut-punch for him.

Whitman has been on a rampage since Carrie's death, as he obviously felt a tremendous amount of regret regarding their relationship as it stood before her death.

At some point, he cared a great deal for Carrie, but he wasn't very kind to her before her death, so he made it his mission to avenge her death by any means necessary! And in doing so, he made himself a massive target for Monet, who has never been above killing someone who was a threat to herself and her family.

Whitman's instincts had taken a back seat during his entire revenge tour, to the point where he'd gotten himself suspended, and he was falling for Diana's sob story without a second thought.

Whitman has been desperation personified, but Diana just waltzing up to him and telling him that Monet wanted her to lie and she's ready to give him Monet on a silver platter was way too good to be true.

If he hadn't gotten himself banned from the RICO task force, they would have laughed in his face the second he took that information to Jenny and Blanca.

He was always completely out of his element when it came to the Tejadas, and he proved that here by being so obsessed that he never stopped to think for a second he could be getting played.

Throughout Power Book II: Season 3, Whitman boasted about being a cop as if that made him bulletproof. In all his research of the Teajada family, he should have realized they would do whatever it took to protect themselves.

Monet's decision to kill him was her own, and it was the best way she could get out from underneath him, especially as she realized how close he was to putting things together.

Whitman: Alright, look. Don't do this. I'm a fucking cop. There's no way you'll get away with this.
Monet: Thanks for the advice. But imma take my chances. You tell that bitch, Carrie Milgram, I said what up.

• Permalink: Thanks for the advice. But imma take my chances. You tell that bitch, Carrie Milgram, I said...

Involving Diana and keeping her in the dark about the whole plan worked in her favor as well, so she could enact her plan flawlessly without pushback. And Diana played her part well, even getting a much-needed swing in at her mother.

Diana started the series as an afterthought of a character, which is ironic because that's the position she takes up within her own family.

She was the baby, constantly told what to do, and when she finally pushed back, unleashing dark family secrets and finally making sure her family heard her voice, she got shunned for it.

Now, she's off on her own, trying to build her independence, but it feels pretty false, doesn't it? Salim is in her ear telling her to break free when hours earlier Lorenzo was back dropping off more bricks for her to sell.

Diana is stuck in this place where she desperately wants to have her own life without the baggage of her family, but she's also loyal to her family. And with a family like the Tejadas, you're either in or you're out.

And she doesn't even realize how close her family is to imploding again.

There was no way Lorenzo was going to get away with Zeke's murder. Let's be for real here.

Whether Cane eventually slipped or something else came about, Monet would always find out it was Lorenzo. Nobody in the Power universe can get away with anything when you think about it.

But now what? Knowing that Lorenzo was, at the very least, at the hangar the night Zeke died will have her trying to connect all kinds of dots. And she'd be wise to start with Cane, though he may feel a bit differently toward his father these days.

If she can get Lorenzo to admit what he did, I see a path for him to save his life. Perhaps Monet will just want him banished far, far away. But there's also a strong possibility that Monet kills the father of her children and sleeps perfectly fine the same night.

Her path forward with the information she obtains regarding Lorenzo will change her family's dynamic forever, no matter what she chooses to do. And it's the most exciting storyline moving forward because of the ramifications for so many characters.

All the Tejada children have different relationships with Lorenzo, but he's still their father. Monet makes a move against him, and she potentially loses her children forever. And then what does she have?

Lorenzo and Cane's relationship has been on thin ice for a while, and Cane's power trip has been a sight to behold. He's been so cocksure in all his decisions, and the whole gun exchange was a great way to showcase how much he still has to learn.

Noma forcing the crew to sell guns on top of the drugs is wild, but they also asked for it. If they wanted to be the new Mecca, they had to do exactly what he did.

The deal was always going to be dangerous, but Cane never thought beyond what was right in front of him. He dismissed Dru, threw Brayden out there, and then decided it was smart to linger around that motel when anyone could have been following Brayden right back to them.

Cane isn't new to this, but he's not a seasoned vet like Lorenzo, who thinks five steps ahead. He had Dru and Gordo follow them because he knew there was a chance that something could go wrong, and he wanted backup.

And it's a good thing he did because they were dead without them.

I don't have much of an opinion about Lorenzo one way or the other at this point, but I will say that the most consistent thing about him is his desire to protect his family. When he says family first, he means it. And most of his actions seem to back that up, even if he constantly puts said family into potentially harmful situations.

It feels like, in his mind, he sees everything as being for the greater good.

Diana selling drugs on a campus just at the center of a drug scandal? For the greater good. Covering up Zeke's murder by his hand? For the greater good.

So while it's nice to see him speak about his family and this obsessive need to protect them, you can't deny that so much of the danger they're in comes directly from him.

Now that Lorenzo and Cane are straight, does that mean he's letting Lorenzo back in charge?

I don't know why I'm even asking this question when Lorenzo is dead meat anyway. I kid, I kid. Maybe.

While we await the inevitable Tejada family drama, Tariq is in the midst of a hell of a good stretch watching his bank account get fatter and seeing his relationship with Effie flourish.

Effie's decision to ultimately not tell Tariq about what happened to Lauren will come back to bite. Still, I can understand why she didn't directly tell him after Tariq showed her more care and comfort than probably anyone else.

Effie has busted her ass to get where she is, and she's done it primarily on her own. But now she has this person who supports and protects her and wants what's best for her. Is it selfish to keep this massive secret from him? Duh.

But I'd like to see how many people would upend their life, especially considering she believes Lauren is dead. In her mind, no one will ever know the truth unless Cane or Brayden says something.

Effie doesn't need a man or anyone, but it's a good feeling to be loved and accepted, which Tariq does wholeheartedly. She's not ready to lose that.

Tariq is pouring his heart out to Effie at every turn, fully invested in them and their future. And I keep saying it, but it's going to be so devastating when he finds out the two people he loves most aren't being truthful with him.

Power Ghost has genuinely done the impossible in making me feel bad for Tariq in any way, shape, or form, but here I am. Tariq isn't blameless in how his childhood turned out, but Ghost did so much to taint those years, and now Tariq is doing everything he can to get back some form of a family around him.

It's pretty damn sad when you think about it, especially when you're reminded just how young Tariq is.

If this sounds like I'm defending Tariq and all of the awful things he's done, I'm not. But it's a testament to how gripping this series is; it brings out such complicated feelings toward a character you once loathed more than anything.

Tariq is a terrible human, but also a human who was continuously let down by the people meant to protect him. Can you denounce him and feel somewhat sorry for him simultaneously? That's for you to decide.

Power is intended to be entertaining, right? A crime drama with a ton of bloody action and fascinating characters. But it also causes us to ask questions and even question ourselves, and it's what sets it apart from so many other series on television.

Don't let anyone tell you it's mindless entertainment about drugs and violence when it's a whole lot deeper than that and always has been.

Everything Else You Need To Know

• Lorenzo stepping in to save Cane, who's been nothing but a brat to him, was a nice moment for the pair and a good segue into that chat in the van, but it may be their last if Monet has anything to say about it!

• Saxe is so close to finding out about Lauren, and when he finds out Jenny has been lying to him, petty Saxe is going to make his return, and it will be BAD for Ms. Sullivan.

• I totally forgot how much beef Saxe and Blanca have. I can't see them working together in harmony at all. There is way too much bad blood.

• Now, why did Jenny leave Lauren in that big house with no food and no Netflix? No wonder she's blowing her up like crazy!

• Dru and Gordo hooking up will somehow backfire on one or both of them. But at least with Gordo, Dru can be himself and not try to hide his family or other parts of himself. He's a Tejad. Always will be. And he can be that with Gordo.

• This whole RSJ thing is boring, BUT who would have thought his presence would cause us to hear the words 'QCP' again?

• Tate is such a smarmy man, and Larenz Tate plays him so well. Getting money off Tariq in exchange for information like the practiced politician he is!

• Cane has a soft spot for Effie, but you're mistaken if you think he wouldn't sell Tariq down the river in a second.

• So the lead racist of the gun gang being a CI who has pictures of Brayden on his phone will end terribly for Brayden, huh? Also, how was that man able to escape with that gunshot wound to the SPINE?

Somehow, we're approaching the middle of the season, and it feels like they just got back! Secrets are bound to be exposed, and the action will only ramp up.

Hit me in the comments with all your feelings about the hour, and make sure you watch Power Book II: Ghost online right now so you're not missing out!

Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.