Howard finally got his moment in the sun and made the best of it.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 3 saw the long-awaited conversation between Howard and Kanan, which was subdued but effective. Howard got his point across calmly, and at the very least, he got Kanan's wheels turning.

And it comes at a time when Raq is so stressed out that she can't even properly freak out about it when she finds out. But even though we don't get a Raq spiral here, you can feel one coming on because, by the end of the hour, Kanan looks way more believing of his dear, old daddy.

Whatever you think of Howard, and there are plenty of things to think, ever since the shooting, he has mellowed out. The chip on his shoulder isn't weighing him down anymore, and there's an air of vulnerability wafting around him that we're not used to seeing.

And this new sense of self makes me believe Howard is telling the truth about just wanting to be a part of Kanan's life.

Maybe it's naive to believe in the man blindly, but there seems to be sincerity, especially in how he speaks to his son. Kanan obviously has his guard up, and for a good reason. He's sitting next to a cop, not just any cop, but one he shot in cold blood.

He's stiff and unsure, and while he's listening to what Howard says, you can tell the words never truly register with him. But Howard never pushes it, which is for the best because if there's ever going to be a relationship between the two, it will form from a genuine place on Kanan's part.

I'm your father, Kanan. Shit crazy, right? It made me laugh, too. Your whole life, you've been thinking Defcon your daddy, but he ain't. I am.

Howard

• Permalink: I'm your father, Kanan. Shit crazy, right? It made me laugh, too. Your whole life, you've...

Considering the monumental admission he receives from Howard, you can tell how unphased he is at first when he's much more confused about Scrappy's death and that Raq never told him.

Kanan and Scrappy were never the best of friends, but they did have a relationship, so why Raq didn't get ahead of that news is beyond me. Sure, she was busy here, but it sounds like there was enough time for her to let Kanan know that one of the top people in her organization was gone.

Look, everybody got their shit, Kanan. And everybody deal with it different. Scrap made his decision. And it hurts for all of us he left, but it was his call. It's what he wanted. So, let's just remember him for who he was. And how he wanted us to.

Raq

• Permalink: Look, everybody got their shit, Kanan. And everybody deal with it different. Scrap made his...

Staging it as a suicide is an interesting tactic, and the whole conversation between Kanan and Raq was lowkey funny because that's the most you'll ever see Raq sweat.

She had to deflect and double down on two lies within two minutes, and she's lucky that Kanan has a blindspot for his mother, born out of undying love for the one constant in his life.

But Kanan should, at the very least, ask more questions, and it looks like he may if the look on his face at the end of the hour is any indication.

MeKai Curtis has been a fabulous Kanan, embodying that sixteen-year-old naivety while also showing flashes of that later-day brilliance. Because hate Kanan all you will, and I certainly do, but he was a brilliant guy.

Lost in all his evilness was the fact that he helped make Ghost and Tommy, Ghost and Tommy.

About twenty different emotions flicker across Kanan's face as he watches Howard walk away and digests what he's just heard. Howard admits that he could essentially ruin his life if he wanted to at any moment, but he's not. And why isn't he? Because he'd never do that to his flesh and blood.

How can you not be affected by that? Don't you owe it to yourself to at least do your own research?

Hopefully, we'll see Kanan take matters into his own hand and stop relying so heavily on Raq's word.

Speaking of Raq, she was having a rough time when Unique decided to mess with her and steal her money.

Can we briefly discuss how wild it is they store all that money at the bodega with only Juliana there? Raq couldn't spare a few men at the apartment building to monitor the bodega from a distance daily.

I like how Raq deduced it was Unique fairly quickly, while everyone else was on the fence. What makes Raq so valuable, and is the main reason she's the queenpin, is because she cannot only think ahead but also think about exactly what other people are going to do.

And even when she's caught off-guard, like with the robbery, she's put it all together fairly quickly and just needs to wait for the chips to fall into her lap to decide how to make her next move.

Unique stealing the money to barter for his freedom essentially felt performative, like Unique was putting on a big show so that he could hopefully fade into irrelevance while, I'm sure, silently assembling his own comeback. There's no way in hell Unique is just going to roll over and die.

Would Raq? No. She would mount her comeback in the most calculated way possible, which I believe is exactly what Unique is setting up to do. And Raq's also giving him an assist with her desire to expand, which will undoubtedly leave her exposed in some way because she will be spread out awfully thin.

Wanting to franchise the business is fine, especially when said business is doing so well, but the timing is everything. And Marvin was right to push back because New Jersey is an unknown variable. They don't have a real idea of what they're getting into.

And sure, maybe it's open season on who gets the turf, but how do they know they're the only ones in the running to take the shot?

The last thing Raq needs right now is to get in over her head, especially when she's making a move that is more about greed than practicality. She succeeded in taking over her city, and there's no reason to jump into anything else without doing due diligence.

Marvin remains loyal, but Raq still has a Lou-Lou problem because the man only cares about that studio. And on the one hand, good on him for finding something that he's passionate about. But on the other hand, this one foot in and one foot out attitude could get someone killed.

He's in a life-or-death business that requires his full attention, and the distractions will catch up to him even more than they already have.

Crown's proposition to Raq is a win-win for the two of them because they both want the same thing; Lou-Lou out of the music business.

Crown gets his baby back, and he gets to control it the way he wants, while Lou-Lou has no choice but to go back to Raq if he can no longer claim to be the moneybag behind the operation.

I've been highly critical of the studio storyline because it's so disconnected from everything else but bringing in Raq and the rest of the family is precisely what I wanted. Mesh all the worlds together, and you can not only maximize the drama but also give all these incredible characters more reasons to crossover into each other's worlds.

For some reason, I really need Marvin and Famous to have a conversation. And Crown to shrink in Raq's presence more. If they go through with this idea, I've suddenly never been a bigger fan of Bulletproof Records.

Everything Else You Need To Know

• Jukebox better never give into Crown and Lou-Lou. Her voice is a gift. Also, I still don't know where things are going with Jukebox and her mother, but it's about time these two have a conversation. There's only so long we can watch her follow the woman.

• Marvin's anger management classes actually working, and him starting to recognize his failures as a father? Sign me up for this. I don't need a whole redemption arc, but it would do Marvin wonders to do some soul-searching.

• Raq's wardrobe is always next level, but it was something special this hour.

• Worrell is way too fidgety to be someone you put so much faith in.

• Kanan was already showing that hustle by switching out the mixtape for crack.

• There must be actual crimes that Burke should be working on instead of staking out her partner's house. Why is it so important to her to know what he's up to?

• I can respect Cartier shooting his shot woith Raq. A noble endeavor.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 is off to a great start, and there's still so much story to tell. Hit me up in the comments with your thoughts about this hour!

And make sure you watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan online right now to join in the conversation!

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