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Last time Power fans saw Tommy Egan (save for his cameo in Power Book II), the gangster was on the way to the West Coast to start a new life. But, as the first episode of new show Power Book IV: Force showed, he never quite gets there.
Episode 1 of the new show (streaming now on Starz) sees Tommy (played by Joseph Sikora) make a brief stop in Chicago to relive some childhood memories. By the end of the first episode, he has met a brother he never knew he had (Anthony Fleming), met a new love interest (Gabrielle Ryan), and made a powerful new foe in crime boss Walter Flynn (Tommy Flanagan).
After the latter orders Tommy to leave Chicago, he decides to stay.
In the lead up to the premiere of Power Book IV, Newsweek spoke to Sikora about his new show, what fans can expect from future episodes, and how his Power character compares to his role on Ozark.
Newsweek: How quickly after filming the end of Power were you told about the plans for Book IV?
Joseph Sikora: 50 Cent [Power creator] told me it was happening pretty soon after. And then more time went on and more time went on and 50 said 'it's still happening.' I said, 'okay,' and he said, 'Joe, just trust, just trust.' So I did. So I just waited until it was my turn...It was a long wait!
N: Last time we saw Tommy, it seemed he was on his way to California. Was there ever a version of Power Book IV set out west, or was it always going to be set in Chicago?
JS: As far as I knew it was always going to take place on the West Coast, though I didn't have any part in the decision-making of the show taking place in Chicago.
I was excited to re-explore the character of Tommy whatever city it would be in. But Chicago was great for me because I was born and raised in Chicago. I haven't lived there though since I was 21. So it's been a long time gone. So it was really fun for me to rediscover the city, just like Tommy was discovering the city. So art was imitating life in a lot of ways.
N: What are the biggest differences between the original Power and Force?
JS: I think that the most significant is the easiest one to see – it is outside of New York. The Power universe has really expanded in a way that was necessary for it to go beyond the borders of the five boroughs and all the way to Chicago.
Tommy's also a very different person now. We find Tommy as a shell of the person that we have known. The exciting thing for the audience is going to be to see how he acts now that he has lost everything – LaKeisha and his brother Ghost are gone, Tasha and Tariq have turned their back on him. Also, the mob is after him.
He can't return home so he really is an orphan. People are gonna see I'm the same Tommy, but they're going to see how Tommy got to be the Tommy that they know and love.
N: In the first episode, we see Tommy run afoul of the Flynn family. What else will Tommy face in the upcoming episodes?
JS: Tommy is pulled in two different worlds. In Chicago, we explore the division of the city in terms of race, and we have the suburban white gangster conglomerate of the Flynn family. And then we also have Diamond and Gerard Sampson, the Chicago Brothers Incorporated [CBI].
So we see that Tommy obviously gravitates towards that hood, gangster street lifestyle of the CBI family, but also he sees that this very substantial crime boss base in the Flynns needs to be utilised. So he's trying to put people together, take what he needs to take from certain things. Tommy is really thinking he's got to be quick on his toes, but he also has to be as strong to his commitment for the takeover as he's ever been.
N: What effect does the change of city have on Tommy?
JS: Tommy knows New York like the back of his hand, he is New York. It's his heart. It's his blood. But if Tommy acts like Chicago is New York, he's in for a big surprise. So we have to see what pitfalls lie ahead of him for keeping the two, two different entities different and not making the mistake of thinking one is the other. Trouble always seems to find him.
N: Are we likely to see any other characters from the Power universe make their way to Chicago for a crossover?
JS: I think that there will be probably more and more crossovers as we go on. The more popular Tommy gets in Chicago, the more notoriety he has, and the more word spreads. We are in the information age, it's almost impossible to hide. So anything can happen from within that universe. I'm excited to see what crossovers happen.
N: This year, viewers are getting to see you play Tommy in Force, but also Frank Jr. in Ozark. How do the two characters compare for you?
JS: Frank's the exact opposite of Tommy Egan. Both are gangsters trying to live that lifestyle, but as good as Tommy is, is how bad Frank Jr. is.
N: Hopefully, Tommy's not going to get his penis shut off anytime soon like Frank did.
JS: No, but he might shoot off a bunch of penises!
Power Book IV: Force airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Starz.
