Walter is getting everything he ever wanted, and he barely had to lift a finger.

Gloria's untimely death allows Walter to do what he's wanted to do all along; get Vic firmly on his side without any outside distractions. And if he's also able to throw Tommy under the bus in the process? Well, so be it.

Power Book IV: Force Season 1 Episode 9 is the final hour before the finale, which looks more and more like it's going to be a battle royale for control of Chicago.

Tommy is a bit out of sorts during this hour. He's on edge, which isn't unusual, but he seems extra annoyed, and that's before he even realizes all the chaos going on.

Warning Vic about Walter came from Tommy's heart, and it wasn't part of some big master plan. To know Tommy is to know that if he wants you dead, he doesn't need some big elaborate scheme to make it happen. Plus, he'd never hurt Gloria, and if Vic were in his right mind, he'd realize that.

Paulie: You hit the Serbs again, Walter, it's gonna mean an all-out fucking war.
Walter: I'm gonna fucking annihilate the Serbs. And Tommy Egan.

Permalink: I'm gonna fucking annihilate the Serbs. And Tommy Egan.

But Walter pounces on his son when he's at his most vulnerable, and he doesn't let up. Seriously, Vic is in the hospital getting patched up, Gloria's blood is probably still underneath his fingernails, and here's Walter is spinning the Tommy tale immediately.

It's wise for him, if not incredibly sadistic, because what has Walter wanted from Power Book IV: Force Season 1 Episode 1? He's wanted Tommy Egan out of Chicago.

Getting Vic on board with the plan to go after Tommy and the Serbs is easy enough, but what about Claudia? With Vic's main reason for "abandoning" the Flynns no longer an obstacle, he's ready to get revenge. And if that means pledging himself over to the devil, then he's more than willing to make that deal.

On the other hand, Claudia has no reason to jump back in with her family without thinking things over. She loves Vic and would protect him, but just Walter's words about Tommy were never going to be enough. For starters, she knows Tommy better than her father and her brother.

Nothing about Tommy going after Vic and Gloria makes any sense when you think about it on a fundamental level. But heightened emotion and manipulation will go a long way in turning something that's obviously wrong seem right.

And make no mistake about it, Walter is manipulating his children to get the outcome that works best for him.

He can hide behind Vic's near-death experience as the reason he suddenly wants his family to all be together, but he knows that them all on the same page, and with the support of the Irish mob, is his best chance of eliminating all his enemies.

It's family over everything in the world of Walter Flynn. And by any means necessary, will he get his family the way he needs them.

Tommy: Who told you that I was behind this? Was it your father? Answer me.
Claudia: It doesn't matter.
Tommy: You might wanna consider your source.
Claudia: And you should watch your back.

Permalink: And you should watch your back.

You got to love Claudia, though, who has to see visual evidence of Tommy working with the Serbs before she commits fully to Walter. Of course, she doesn't realize Tommy has only gone to Mirković because she tipped him off to Walter's big play, but that just sets us up for the drama coming our way.

Going to the Serbs is a clever play for Tommy, even if it's not his first choice. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Or something like that.

In this scenario, they're all enemies, but Tommy should be the least of Mirković's worries right now. The Flynns are the more significant and more immediate issue that needs addressing.

And poor Tommy, as I was saying earlier, he's just a ticking time bomb the whole hour. He feels something isn't right with Gloria not returning his phone calls. And then Claudia starts being a sketch ball. JP drops that Kate bomb on him, and he's suddenly got D-Mac under his wing.

Then he finds out that Walter's set him up and that Gloria's dead, and that's when everything slots into place for him.

Since he's arrived in Chicago, he hasn't had a moment of peace. And that's not crazy considering this business, but somehow he's actually regressing at a pretty spectacular clip right now.

But speaking of Tommy and his family, in hindsight, Tommy should have told JP about D-Mac as soon as he found out. I'm not sure why he felt the need to keep it secret. Sure, he and JP's relationship is still new and somewhat tenuous, but there was no reason to keep this information from him.

And on the flipside, Tommy could have told D-Mac he knew about JP being his father long before he did. His decision to sit on these massive revelations could have crazy consequences now that D-Mac is fighting for his life.

D-Mac truly is an intelligent kid, but nothing about that Cousin Buddy situation was smart. For starters, he makes this massive move on behalf of an organization he's just started working for, and he does it behind Tommy's back.

Then on top of that, he's doing this partly to screw over CBI, apparently not considering they'd find out about his plan.

It wasn't well thought out, and what should have been a potentially wonderful night of family bonding turns into D-Mac fighting for his life.

Whether you are on Team Jenard or Team Diamond, you have to admit Jenard is a loose cannon. Is he forward-thinking and willing to get his hands dirty? Yes. And those kinds of qualities are definitely necessary in this game, but he also shoots first and asks questions later, which will almost always wind up biting you in the behind.

How many times is this man going to shoot at Tommy and miss? If this were Diamond, he would have conjured up a plan to hit D-Mac and Tommy with something other than bullets.

And that's where the two brothers differ. But at least now Diamond knows what's going on, and he knows where he stands with Jenard.

It's not as if he hasn't known that Jenard wasn't his biggest fan as of late, but to actually hear right from his mouth that Jenard is done with him has to be a hard pill to swallow. That's his brother.

When did CBI become greater than family?

Whatever happens, at least Diamond is aware of the dynamics at play, and he can move forward seeing the entire chessboard and not just his half. Is it naive to want the brothers to somehow find a way to come together? Are we too far past that now?

As long as Tommy is in the picture, it's hard to imagine Jenard will ever play second fiddle to him in any way. And I'm not saying he should, but Tommy, Diamond, and Jenard working together to take on the Flynns is literally the storyline I've wanted since the beginning.

But alas, it may not be in the cards for us.

Heading into the finale, we know that war is starting, and it's going to be the Irish versus the Serbs. This fight doesn't involve CBI, but everyone will undoubtedly be affected by the fallout.

There are so many possibilities for where this season ends up. From who makes it alive to what the new power dynamics could be heading into the next season.

One thing that's for sure is no one has seen Tommy Egan when his back is against the wall. And underestimating him has led to the downfall of many.

Everything Else You Need To Know

So, finding out that Adrienne is a reporter and you were her subject didn't scare Diamond off? Imagine if Jenard knew this. It would just feed into the narrative he has in his head about Diamond not being fit enough to lead CBI, and I couldn't even disagree with him on this one.

Liliana suddenly knowing Tommy Egan better than anyone is the plot twist I didn't see coming.

It would be so easy to feel bad for Bennigan, but he just doesn't do himself any favors. My money is on him if we're placing bets on someone who may not make it out of the finale alive.

Uncle Tommy has to have such a negative connotation for Tommy now after everything that happened with Tariq, but you just know he will embrace D-Mac saying it. And the fact that D-Mac called him that after the shooting? Oh, this boy can not die! Tommy will never forgive himself.

Power Book IV: Force Season 1 flew by! But here we are on the precipice of the end, and there are so many different ways for these stories to end. And as some stories end, new ones will be born.

Hit me up in the comments with all your theories and predictions for what's to come, and please watch Power Book IV: Force online right now so you can join the party!