Why won't there be a Power Book II: Ghost season 5?
It's the end of the road for Power Book II: Ghost.
Now that Power Book II: Ghost season 4 is officially over, fans of the Power spin-off series will undoubtedly be wondering whether or not there will be anymore episodes to come.
The finale certainly brought with it some explosive drama and answers to some of the series loose ends but it does sadly mark the end of the series, with Starz having cancelled the show earlier this year.
The series focused on Tariq St Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr), the son of notorious drug dealer Ghost (Omari Hardwick) from the original Power series.
And while this spin-off may have reached its end, there are still some exciting further instalments set to come of Book III: Raising Kanan, Book IV: Force, as well as a newly announced prequel series focusing on Ghost and Tommy.
But why has Power Book II: Ghost reached its end and why won't there be another season? Read on to find out.
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Why won't there be a Power Book II: Ghost season 5?
The news of Power Book II: Ghosts's cancellation was made earlier this year in March. It was announced after Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch revealed that the platform's current plans were to focus efforts on expanding into new shows, rather than sustaining old ones as they become more expensive.
He said (via Deadline): "You look at the [Power] map and say, ‘OK, if I take one of those characters out and spin one of those out, I can bring that on to replace the Power show at half the cost.' Now I’m putting a lot of money right to the bottom line.
"And I’m really not losing anything in terms of acquisition costs and subscriber viewership, because we know what those demos want. And we know how to line those up. And so that’s really the core of getting to that 20 per cent [margin] — turning that slate over with fresh content to drive the business."
Due to the money-saving tactics employed by Starz, it's clear that Power Book II: Ghost would've gotten impacted as one of the first series. As well as original Power cast member Michael Rainey Jr, the cast also boasts the likes of iconic singer Mary J Blige, rapper Method Man and recent season 4 addition of Girlfriends star Golden Brooks.
With big names like those, it's likely that employing a new cast of rising talent makes more financial sense for Starz.
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On the announcement of the show's cancellation and season 4 being its last, Kathryn Busby, President of Programming at Starz, said in a statement: "This explosive season of Ghost is a fitting crescendo in a decade of an immensely popular franchise — fans will not be disappointed.
"While this marks the conclusion of one chapter, our commitment to the Power Universe endures with more compelling storytelling on the horizon."
Similarly, Power Book IV: Force is being cancelled, the spin-off series that focuses on Joseph Sikora's Tommy. But the news of the series cancellation doesn't necessarily signal the end of Tommy's story as it's also been announced that Power: Origins is in the works, a new prequel series focusing on the early years of Tommy and Ghost.
For now, it's the end of Tariq's story in the Power universe, but that's not to say we may not see the character crop up in another series or cameo in some episodes of a different spin-off.
Power Book II: Ghost seasons 1-4 are available to stream on STARZ in the US and on MGM+ through Prime Video in the UK.
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