Gianni Paolo says Brayden Weston was supposed to be in Power Book IV: Force. Courtesy of Starz
Power Book IV: Force ended its run on January 16 with “Beginning of the End,” a series finale that finally put Tommy Egan and Tariq St. Patrick in the same frame.
Tariq’s arrival played like a franchise handshake. It also played like a pitch.
By the time Tommy and Tariq talk on a rooftop, the message is clear: Chicago is handled, and New York could be next.
What Fans Did Not See
The surprise was not that Tariq showed up. The surprise was that he showed up alone.
On LandonBuford.com, the crossover moment was framed as a favor finally paid, with Tommy making the call and Tariq answering. It was a clean bridge from Ghost to Force.
But on the Crew Has It podcast, Gianni Paolo said the plan was bigger, only to change.
“Obviously you saw the episode. Braden wasn’t in the episode. I was in the episode. I got called by Christy Loftton, and by a couple of other unnamed people. Braden and Tariq are in the episode. This is crazy—they’re in Chicago. I was fired up, thinking, “Oh my God, the boys are going to Chicago. This is going to go into the next thing.” I’m so fired up that it gets out that I’m in the episode to everyone who sees the scripts. Twenty-four hours later the rewrites come out and Braden’s not in the episode. I’m not pointing fingers or saying anything painful, but I was in it and then I wasn’t. So you can deductive-reason that one. I messed up. I was in the episode. Everyone’s been commenting on my Instagram, “You’re going to Chicago.” I was, and then I wasn’t. That’s just how it goes sometimes. I’m not salty about it. I’m so happy the show was amazing this season. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things. I don’t like that Christy Loftton is calling me on TikTok Live saying, “Our show’s better than yours.” Relax. All right. But I love that cast. I love everybody on that show. I’m so happy for them. And I’m so happy that Mike got to go there because the crew has been saying for so long that the shows need to intersect. I was even calling Mike, even though I was like, “Damn, I wanted to be there.””
Paolo believed Brayden and Tariq were headed to Chicago together. Then the pages came back different.
Why Brayden Changes The Math
Brayden is not just Tariq’s sidekick. He is the character who keeps Tariq tethered, even when the choices get darker.
A Brayden appearance would have turned a Tariq cameo into a Ghost package. It raises the pressure on whatever comes next, because it feels less like a tease and more like a handoff.
In an interview after the finale, Joseph Sikora leaned into the idea of a next chapter, with Tommy considering a return to New York and Tariq offering a partnership. Those conversations also kept Brayden on the board as an open question, even if he never made it to Chicago.
People described the finale as bittersweet, but still shaped like a setup, with Tommy contemplating New York once Tariq arrives. TV Insider framed that rooftop offer as the start of a new horizon. Deadline’s finale interviews with Sikora and showrunner Gary Lennon also leaned into future possibilities, even as Force closed its Chicago chapter.
A Rewrite With Real Consequences
Paolo’s comments land because they describe something viewers rarely get to see. Not the twist, but the process.
He does not claim he knows why it happened. He just lays out the timeline: he was in, it got out, and then he was not.
A Tariq-only appearance, keeps the finale focused on Tommy’s goodbye to Chicago. It keeps the crossover controlled.
A Tariq-and-Brayden appearance would have felt like commitment, the start of a wider merger of storylines.
Paolo’s quote carries disappointment, but it also carries support. He praises the season, says he is not salty, and circles back to the same franchise idea fans have pushed for years: the shows should intersect.
What It Means For Power
Force may be finished, but the ending didn’t feel like closure. It played like alignment.
If Tommy’s future really points back to New York, Brayden remains a natural piece of the board, whether he is onscreen or not. Paolo’s reveal suggests the franchise has already considered that version of the story.
Sometimes the universe intersects by inches before it intersects by miles.
About the Author
[[Anthony L. McKnight II]] also known as Krispy was Born in Rochester, NY attending the “School Of The Arts” Class of 2009. He graduated with a Regents Arts diploma while studying Creative Writing and other arts. He recently became the founder of the Los Angeles Lakers Fan Club on Clubhouse. His club has hosted several celebrity interviews inside the fan club, from names such as Robert Horry, Gloria James, Mark Medina, Jovan Buha. His favorite hobby is spending a day out in nature, favorite sports basketball & football.
