The Ivy League drug lord fantasy
The show lives in the friction between Tariq’s life as a "legacy" student at a prestigious university and his side hustle as a high-level distributor. It’s a specific kind of wish fulfillment that works because the production doesn't blink. Critics have pointed out that the classroom scenes can feel like filler, but the real draw is watching a student try to outsmart adults who have been in the game for decades. If you’ve seen the original series, you know Tariq wasn't exactly a fan favorite, but this sequel manages to make his struggle for independence compelling enough to anchor its run.
Soapy, not gritty
While the 7.5 IMDb score is solid, don't mistake this for a somber prestige drama. It is a soap opera through and through. The plot twists are loud, the betrayals are constant, and the wardrobe budget is clearly astronomical. Some viewers complain about "fluff" or sex scenes that feel inserted just to hit a maturity quota, but that’s the Starz brand. It’s designed to be bingeable and a little bit ridiculous.
If your teen is coming off a Gossip Girl or Elite kick and wants something with more "edge," this is the natural escalation. It trades high school hallways for courtroom drama and penthouse shootouts. Just be aware that the "edge" here includes frequent, graphic violence that rarely carries a traditional moral lesson. It’s about survival, not redemption.
Managing the Starz of it all
Because this show is a flagship for the platform, it’s often the first thing that pops up on the home screen. If you have younger kids in the house, the "college" aesthetic of the marketing can be misleading. It looks like a campus drama, but it plays like a cartel thriller. We break down the specifics of locking this down in our Starz Streaming: A Parent’s Guide to PINs, Profiles, and 'Power'.
Why the "Ghost" matters
The title refers to Tariq’s father, and that shadow hangs over every episode. The show is at its best when it explores whether you can actually escape a family legacy or if you’re just doomed to repeat the same mistakes in a different zip code. Mary J. Blige’s character provides a great foil here—she’s a matriarch who is just as ruthless as the men, proving that in this universe, power is the only currency that doesn't devalue. It’s cynical, flashy, and exactly what fans of the original franchise are looking for.
