The countdown has officially begun for the final chapter of Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and if the Season 5 Episode 1 trailer is any indication, the war inside the Thomas family is about to explode in ways fans have long anticipated. The Starz crime drama, which has traced the transformation of Kanan Stark from a manipulated teenager into the ruthless force audiences first met in the original Power universe, now stands at the edge of its most dangerous turning point. With one season left, viewers are asking the same burning questions: Will Kanan finally kill his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas? What role will Breeze play in the reshaping of Queens’ drug empire? And when will the final season be released?

Season 5 carries the weight of inevitability. From the beginning, Raising Kanan has never been about whether Kanan would become hardened — it has always been about how. Over four seasons, audiences have watched Raq build a criminal empire with icy precision, manipulating allies and enemies alike while keeping her son close enough to control. But control has always been Raq’s illusion. The trailer for Episode 1 signals that illusion is finally cracking. Kanan appears colder, more distant, less willing to accept the narratives his mother feeds him. Their conversations, once layered with maternal authority, now simmer with suspicion. The emotional tension between them suggests that betrayal is no longer hypothetical — it feels imminent.

For years, fans of the broader Power franchise have speculated about the infamous moment when Kanan turns fully against Raq. The original series established that Kanan eventually becomes a ruthless strategist with no hesitation about eliminating threats, even those tied to blood. The final season of Raising Kanan appears poised to dramatize the moment that shapes him permanently. The trailer hints at violent confrontations, shifting alliances, and a growing sense that Kanan is no longer reacting to events — he is beginning to orchestrate them. That evolution is perhaps the most significant development heading into Season 5.

Raq, portrayed as both visionary and tyrant, may face her greatest challenge yet: her own son. Throughout the series, she has justified deception as protection. She lied to Kanan about his father, about rival factions, about threats in the streets. Each lie was presented as a calculated move to preserve the empire and shield him from harm. But the cumulative effect has been corrosive. The Season 5 trailer suggests Kanan is now questioning everything — including whether Raq ever saw him as anything more than a piece on her chessboard. If Kanan concludes that his mother has been using him all along, the consequences could be irreversible.

Another looming figure in the conversation is Breeze. Long referenced in Power lore as a key player in the early days of Ghost and Tommy, Breeze’s presence in Raising Kanan has fueled intense speculation. Fans understand that Breeze is not just another dealer; he represents a foundational piece of the empire that will eventually shape James “Ghost” St. Patrick and Tommy Egan. In the trailer, Breeze’s demeanor suggests quiet ambition. He watches more than he speaks. He calculates more than he reacts. With Raq’s grip potentially weakening and Kanan stepping into his own authority, Breeze may see an opening. Whether he aligns with Kanan or positions himself as a rival remains unclear, but his importance to the Power timeline makes his every move significant.

The stakes extend beyond individual survival. Season 5 is tasked with aligning Raising Kanan’s narrative with the established mythology of the broader franchise. Viewers know where certain roads lead, but the journey remains unpredictable. The transition to Power Origins, the upcoming series centered on young Tommy and Ghost, adds another layer of anticipation. Raising Kanan does not merely need to conclude its own story; it must serve as a bridge to the next chapter. That narrative handoff raises expectations for major events in the final season. If Kanan’s transformation reaches completion, it must do so in a way that naturally ushers in the rise of Ghost and Tommy.

Release details have become a focal point for fans eager for confirmation. While an exact premiere date has yet to be formally announced at the time of discussion, industry expectations suggest a strategic rollout that maintains momentum within the Power universe. Starz has consistently leveraged overlapping narratives and carefully timed premieres to sustain audience engagement. With Raising Kanan concluding and Power Origins on deck, the network is unlikely to leave a prolonged gap between installments.

Season 5 Episode 1 appears designed to waste no time. The trailer showcases immediate tension, suggesting the final season will begin in the aftermath of unresolved conflicts from Season 4. Trust is scarce. Alliances are fragile. And the Thomas family dynamic seems irreparably fractured. For Kanan, this may be the season where emotional ties are severed entirely. His progression from manipulated son to independent operator has been gradual but deliberate. Each betrayal, each revelation, has stripped away a layer of innocence. Now, the trailer frames him as someone prepared to make irreversible decisions.

The central question — will Kanan kill Raq — hangs heavily over the narrative. From a storytelling perspective, the answer carries enormous weight. Killing Raq would symbolize the ultimate break from his past and the final step into the persona fans recognize from the original series. Sparing her, however, could introduce a different form of tragedy, one defined by distance rather than death. The trailer carefully avoids giving away the outcome, instead emphasizing escalating hostility and the erosion of trust.

As the Power universe expands, Raising Kanan’s conclusion represents more than just another season finale. It marks the closing chapter of a story that reframed one of the franchise’s most notorious figures. Kanan Stark was once introduced as a villain. Raising Kanan humanized him without excusing him. Season 5 now carries the responsibility of reconciling those two portrayals. The transformation must feel earned. The violence must feel consequential. And the ending must resonate within the larger mythology that includes Ghost, Tommy, and the empire they will build.

If the trailer is any guide, Season 5 will lean heavily into psychological warfare alongside street-level brutality. Conversations appear loaded with subtext. Gunfire is implied more than shown. Characters move cautiously, as if aware that every decision could be their last. That atmosphere suggests a final season less about spectacle and more about reckoning.

Ultimately, Raising Kanan Season 5 is positioned as both an ending and a beginning. The fall of one dynasty may pave the way for another. Kanan’s choices will not only determine his own fate but also influence the environment into which Ghost and Tommy will emerge. For longtime fans, that interconnected storytelling is part of the franchise’s enduring appeal.

With anticipation building and speculation intensifying, one reality is clear: the final season will not be gentle. Whether through betrayal, ambition, or necessity, someone will not survive. And when the dust settles, the Power universe will look very different. Season 5 Episode 1 is poised to light the fuse.