The battle lines have officially been drawn. And they’ve been drawn in the most permanent of markers.

With the walls closing in on virtually everyone Power Season 5 Episode 10 was always going to be a bloody battle, but it seemed like the unlikely foursome of Ghost, Tommy, Angela, and Tasha were going to finally find a way to be on the same page for once.

But this is Power. We should have all known it can just never be that simple.

I should have known better to think Angela would ever just lay over and cooperate. Much like Ghost, she will not go down without a fight or trying to execute a plan, no matter how convoluted or doomed to fail it may be.

The plan to keep all the people who could flip on them close and get Dre to expose Alicia as the mastermind behind the Lobos and Sandoval murders was actually a decent plan. It was a way for many people to get what they want and stay safe.

Angela’s career was going to be over no matter what she did at this point, but at least she could salvage her life and Ghost, Tommy, and Tasha would be in the clear as well.

And everything looked to be going according to plan until the wheels fell off, doubt took over, and the fragile bonds of trust that had been created began to fracture.

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One of the biggest things in this life is loyalty. Being a rat is worse than being a cheater. Or a drug dealer. Or a murderer. You live, and you die by your word.

That’s why Tommy killed his father. But the remorse and indecision for Teresi’s death were clearly at the forefront of Tommy’s mind. And all he needed was a little push to get him to see the machinations that lead to him finding out that Teresi was a rat.

And he got many pushes; 2-Bit, Keisha, Saxe, and Vincent all lead Tommy to the biggest rat in his life; Ghost.

We’ve been down the Ghost versus Tommy road before. Holly is dead because even when Tommy was completely done with Ghost, he wasn’t ready to fully pull the trigger.

Related: Power Season 5 Episode 9 Review - There's A Snitch Among Us

But that was then, and this is now. Long gone are the brothers and partners from seasons past. Neither trusts the other, for a good reason and at this point, they’re doing more harm to one another than good.

Now let’s get to the stairwell because there is so much to unpack there, from Ghost continuing to lie to Angela, we think, at just who Tommy was aiming the gun.

If there is one way to break Ghost, to truly just break his spirit, then you don’t kill him outright. You take away the things that matter to him.

Tommy: You understand why I did what I did?
Keisha: Yeah. And that's why we have to get away from Ghost and Tasha, Tommy. Ghost was supposed to be your family.
Tommy: He could have come to me if he knew about Teresi. He didn't say a goddamn word. And then this morning when I told him that I did it...I gotta go out.
Keisha: I know. Tommy? I'll be here when you get back.

• Permalink: I know. Tommy? I'll be here when you get back.

Love her or hate her, Angela is an important piece of Ghost, and if there’s one person who knows that better than anyone, it’s Tommy. The minute she entered his life, nothing has ever been the same for any of them.

Eliminating her allows blame to be placed on her without it affecting everyone else, but it also means that you’ve lost Ghost forever.

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But was Tommy even trying to kill Angela? Tommy had the gun aimed at Ghost’s back, and if Angela hadn’t moved him out of the way, that bullet surely would have hit Ghost. So what was his plan?

Maybe his original aim was Ghost, but then seeing the agony on Ghost’s face made him realize that the better plan all along was to leave Ghost with that pain for the rest of his life.

After the first season finale, I know better than to pronounce people dead before the new season starts, so there will be no eulogy for Angela here. Although, a bullet straight to the center of the chest doesn’t seem like something from which she will come back.

And that leaves us in limbo for the long offseason. Whether or not Angela lives or dies, the stage has been set for war. Ghost versus Tommy part 70 is coming. Let’s go.

Everything Else You Need To Know

• There are so many things I want to say about Dre, but none of it is good. How many shootouts and ambushes can one man survive before it just becomes laughable? This was supposed to be the season the ultimate rat was dealt with and one of the biggest surprises of the season is the fact that he’s still alive.

• Keisha went from an indecisive participant in criminal activity to a full-on alibi and enabler in an episode, huh? Tasha's blatant selfishness pushed Keisha to Tommy. Seeing how these two navigate a relationship next season will be very intriguing, considering if she said the wrong thing he was ready to shoot her.

• Did anyone else think Ghost was going to kill Proctor for a second? Clearly, his loyalty is to Ghost, but he's always willing to throw Ghost's people under the bus at a seconds notice. 

• There was no Tariq this week. That was a bonus.

• So Ghost killed Terry. Or did he? It looked more like Ghost just choked him so that he wouldn't make the meeting with the judge. I like that version better than one of the last thing he potentially ever says to Angela is another lie. 

If Angela does die, that is two major characters to leave us this season, and their absence will be very, very noticeable. Without Angela playing both sides, the government angle of the story loses a lot of its steam. And as much as I loathed Kanan, these past two episodes have felt noticeably different without his presence. 

For a show with too many characters, I do wonder if their decision to go with the shock kill hurts the show more than it helps. Only time will tell, and we know Power Season 6 is a go, so we'll just have to wait until next summer to see how everything shakes out. 

In the meantime, let me know what you thought about "When This Is Over." Is Angela dead? What will Dre do next? What are you hoping to see next year?

Leave me some comments so we can talk it out. And look for my Power Season 5 report card in the coming weeks. And as always Watch Power online, so you don't miss a second of the action!

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