Chicago Is About to Erupt
With Episode 3 raising the stakes on every front, Power Book IV: Force is clearly gearing up for a decisive turning point. If the first three episodes have been about survival, shaky partnerships, and moving pieces into place, then Episode 4 is shaping up to be the moment where those pieces finally collide. The storm cloud that’s been drifting over Chicago isn’t just a metaphor anymore; it’s the next chapter, and it’s coming fast.
Episode 3 ended with nearly every major player boxed into a corner. Tommy ignited a new alliance, Miguel formed a sinister partnership of his own, Diamond’s leadership began to crack, Claudia took her first steps toward reinvention, and Stacy watched her world slip further out of her control. Episode 4, if the show sticks to its trademark pacing, will almost certainly dive into the fallout, the confrontation, and the brewing chaos.
Tommy’s deal with the Serbians may be the most explosive thread leading into the next episode. Forming an alliance with them was bold, even brilliant, but the move wasn’t subtle , it was loud enough to echo across the entire city. Killing Ortega’s uncle was more than retaliation for Chavo’s murder. It was a direct challenge to the Marquez cartel and a dare for them to respond in kind. Tommy has never been the type to duck a war, but Episode 4 is going to start showing the weight of what he stepped into. The Serbians give him muscle, but muscle comes with expectation. They’ll want results, territory, blood and Tommy will need to deliver or risk becoming the next problem they eliminate.
This Serbian partnership is also threatening to push a wedge deeper into Tommy and Diamond’s already unstable alliance. Diamond may not fully admit it, but fear and frustration have been simmering in him for weeks. D-Mac’s close call, J’s impulsive leadership, and the political pressure from rival crews have stretched him thin and Tommy’s decision to move with the Serbs without looping him in? That’s the kind of move Diamond sees as a breach of trust, even if Tommy sees it as survival. Episode 4 may be the first time they openly confront the growing cracks between them, and once those words are spoken, they’re not coming back.
Meanwhile, Miguel Garcia is looming like a shadow that only gets darker with each episode. The deal he made with Ortega is more dangerous than viewers may realize. Ortega doesn’t need freedom to unleash hell; he just needs loyal men in the right places, and Episode 3 made it clear he already has them. With Sang working as his inside hand, Ortega now has influence in law enforcement and the streets simultaneously. Episode 4 is likely to show Miguel leaning on Ortega’s resources to craft a more coordinated, lethal move against Tommy. Miguel’s last attempt failed, but this next one will be calculated. He isn’t reacting emotionally anymore, he’s strategizing and a strategic Miguel is far more frightening than a furious one.
But the real emotional explosion may come from Mireya. She spent most of the third episode wrestling with the truth she keeps trying to avoid: her brother isn’t the man she believes he is. Miguel’s lies, his controlling behavior, and his escalating violence are cracking the illusion she's clung to. Episode 4 may finally push her to confront reality, and that confrontation could come with serious consequences. The gun she held at the end of last episode wasn’t an accident. It was foreshadowing whether she uses it against Miguel or someone connected to him remains to be seen, but Episode 4 could lay the first real brick in a storyline that pulls Mireya into the dark life she’s tried so hard to escape.
Claudia Flynn, on the other hand, enters Episode 4 with nothing left to lose. Her fight in jail showed she’s tougher than most assumed, but the moment Ortega pulled her protection, everything changed. Claudia is alone now; no security, no allies, no power structure keeping her afloat. And yet, that vulnerability might be the exact thing that pushes her into the most dangerous version of herself. Episode 4 could show Claudia beginning the long climb back toward relevance, but this time, she won’t be doing it through force. She’ll be doing it through leverage, manipulation, and deals struck in shadows. Claudia is at her best when she’s underestimated, and right now the entire city is sleeping on her. That’s a mistake she’s about to make very costly.
While all of this plays out in the streets, Stacy Marks’ life is falling apart from the inside out. Her political allies are abandoning her, the warrant failure is unraveling her credibility, and Vic’s undercover mess is spiraling beyond her control. Stacy began this season as the beacon of order in a corrupt city, but Episode 4 might show her descending into desperation. When law enforcement loses stability, they become just as dangerous as the criminals they’re chasing. Stacy may be approaching that threshold now, and Episode 4 could be the moment she crosses it.
And then there’s CBI! As fractured as the streets are, CBI might be the most unstable entity heading into Episode 4. D-Mac is back but not fully accepted, Diamond is conflicted, J is unpredictable, and Tommy is drifting toward the Serbians rather than his original crew. Episode 4 may be the moment internal tension in CBI finally boils over. A family war inside a city war, that’s the kind of chaos Power loves, and fans are expecting this season to deliver exactly that.
Episode 4 has all the makings of a turning-point chapter: new alliances being tested, old alliances breaking, enemies getting bolder, and characters finally facing the consequences of the choices they’ve been dodging since the premiere. Chicago is about to erupt, and Episode 4 will be the first spark hitting the fuse.
Read more: Power Book III: Raising Kanan
