'Power Book III' Season 2 Stars On 'Fractured' Raq and Kanan Relationship

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is back for Season 2.

The Starz show is the third spinoff in the Power universe, taking fans back to the 90s and the early life of villain Kanan Stark.

The infamous character of Kanan was originally played by 50 Cent in Power but is portrayed by actor Mekai Curtis in the origin story series.

Ahead of the launch of Season 2, Newsweek spoke with Curtis and The Hunger Games star Patina Miller, who plays Kanan's mother Raquel "Raq" Thomas on the show.

At the end of Season 1 of Raising Kanan, Detective Malcolm Howard (played by Omar Epps) was revealed to still be alive after Kanan shot him.

Kanan, who does not know that Howard is actually his father, was ordered to kill the detective by his own mother after Raq became worried that her secret (Kanan's paternity) was going to be revealed.

She also managed to frame her rival, fellow drug dealer Unique, in the process, leaving her as the biggest drug dealer in New York City.

Naturally, the relationship between Raquel and Kanan has now changed immeasurably since fans were first introduced to the characters at the start of Season 1.

For years Raquel had kept Kanan away from her business but, now that she has crossed the line and brought him into the fold, can they rebuild their close bond?

Discussing how things have changed between his character and Raquel, Curtis told Newsweek how he would describe their relationship at the start of Season 2.

"It's fractured, [it's] rocky, it's tumultuous," he said, "It's in a rebuilding phase I guess you could call it. It's uncharted territory for each of them in [their own] personal respects."

With so many secrets being held, fans will see Raquel and Kanan tiptoe around each other as the events of Season 1 continue to haunt them. Curtis explained: "Even though it's a mother and son [relationship] there is still this kinship, this partnership that's there between these two and there's so many factors that lead to this very...egg-shell-y-walking, very fractured space that they are in."

Praising his co-star Miller, Curtis added: "It's really fun to be able to pick that apart and play with Patina in so many ways and so many different fashions."

Miller echoed Curtis' statements, teasing that viewers will see Raquel scramble to keep all the different areas of her life under control in the coming episodes.

"Raq knows that the dynamic has shifted a bit so, for her, it's about how she can get a handle back on Kanan," she told Newsweek.

"That's why she always pushed him away, because she knew that once she put him in the business their dynamic would change, that he would not just be her son, he would be one of her soldiers," she added.

She continued: "To have to treat him like Scrap, to give him orders like Marvin, and [for Kanan] to see that side of her that he hasn't, up until this point, seen, she knows it's about to get tricky."

"You watch this woman try to navigate this relationship, to get back in with her son, but also bring him on as an employee. She's going to do whatever she needs to do to keep Kana [close]," Miller added.

As well as Miller and Curtis, the majority of the main cast are back for the new instalment of Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Ballers star London Brown will reprise his role as Marvin Thomas alongside Malcolm Mays as his brother Lou-Lou Thomas. Hailey Kilgore is also back as Laverne "Jukebox" Thomas.

Elsewhere, Grown-ish star Joey Bada$$ will return as Unique alongside The Royals actor Toby Sandeman as Symphony Bosket and The Conjuring's Shanley Caswell as Shannon Burke.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 will premiere on Sunday, August 14 on Starz.