The Power – Season 1 Episode 9 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

The Shape of Power

Does Eve convert Maria to her cause?

In The Power Season 1 Episode 9, Eve’s guilt over hurting Veronica is short-lived due to the voice in her head reminding her that she and Veronica were enemies.

Eve later comforts Maria over Veronica’s passing, but she has the ulterior motive of trying to build her own army. She tries to convince Maria they should honor Veronica by continuing their work.

Continuing to preach her message of God the Mother, Eve and her followers transfer their powers to older nuns, including Maria. But Susannah tries to stop them, to convince them Eve isn’t God’s messenger and that she’s putting them all in danger. But no one comes to Susannah’s defense, and Eve damns her for her doubt.

Who killed Roxy’s mom?

Roxy pays a visit to her mother’s former fiancé, Derek Rena. She attacks him, accusing him of setting those men on her mom, but he denies it. The truth, he says, is that he is a cop who was investigating Bernie Monke’s crime syndicate. Bernie was behind Christina’s death, which was to serve a message to Derek to stop digging.

With this new information, Roxy confronts Bernie about Derek. He tells her Christina knew too much about him. It was dangerous for her to be dating a cop, so yes, he had her killed.

Roxy threatens to kill him, but it’s Bernie she lays hands on. Before she leaves, she shocks Bernie’s wife, Barbara, telling her she’s going to need power if she decides to stay with Bernie.

What happens to Ryan?

Margot’s campaign team works to present Margot as having a pristine image. And Jos dating a guy with a skein threatens that image. So, Helen pays a visit to Ryan’s parents to instruct them about a program that will “protect” their child (aka, get him out of sight and suppress his powers).

Ryan is sent away to the program, and Jos has no idea where he went. But Governor Daniel Dandon does.

What happens during Margot’s debate against Governor Daniel Dandon?

As Margot prepares for her debate against Daniel, Rob gets flirtatious with a journalist, and Matty receives a message from UrbanDox. The streamer requests that Matty spy on his mother’s campaign policies.

During the debate, Margot and Daniel focus on the topic EOD. While Daniel wants to outlaw the transfer of EOD, Margot doesn’t support people making that choice for other women who want to feel more protected in the world.

Daniel then veers onto another topic, mentioning how Ryan was sent to a camp where kids are forcibly given medication to suppress EOD. Margot can’t process the accusation. Angry, she shocks Daniel on stage. He collapses, and she’s escorted away.

Does Tatiana betray Zoia?

When Tunde informs Tatiana how to get in touch with her sister, she ensures his release. But Tunde will have a hard time getting out of the country with people watching him. Since Moskalev’s death, the rumors are that the hairdresser who murdered him was a sympathizer of Zoia.

Tunde wants to find Zoia to warn her, but Declan’s focus is only on his story. Declan finds Zoia, who makes him cross a river to get to them. One of her women then sends electricity through the water to shock him. When Declan responds to insult them, they make the shocks more deadly.

Meanwhile, Tatiana tells her general that she’s decided to sacrifice her sister out of loyalty to her country. She deploys the army to go after Zoia and her women in the North.

Tunde arrives to film the aftermath of the army’s invasion of Zoia’s people. Eventually he comes across many soldiers, in addition to Declan, floating dead in the river. A man–on fire–suddenly runs out to him, and Tunde puts out the fire to discover the general. He says Tatiana must have warned them of the attack.

In shock, Tunde answers a call from Ndudi, who saw his livestream and now asks him to come home immediately. Tunde can only cry in response.

Tatiana and Zoia are self-assured, however. They talk on the phone, then Zoia and her people celebrate their victory and their freedom.

Where does Roxy escape to?

Roxy prepares to leave for New York, but plans change when Darrell informs her that Bernie is after her. So, she asks for a ticket to the first place she thinks of.

Ending up at the convent, she meets Eve. Eve stops her from using her power to show her she’s not a fake. But with enough concentration, Roxy is able to resist her control. Eve remarks she’s stronger than anyone she’s ever seen. She then takes Roxy’s hand and welcomes her to the family.

The Episode Review

I love to see this show delve into the political realm, because it eschews picking a side in favor of pulling back the curtain on the corrupt practices of politicians. The show is obviously not on the side of people like Dandon, who cares nothing for women and their autonomy or safety. But while it aligns itself more with the views of people like Margot, it shows that views and ideology mean far less than the practical implications of one’s actions.

A big takeaway from the show, aside from the fact that power corrupts, is this: The more power one has, the less one’s intent matters.

There was a time for the women in this story where–in their rage and defiance against patriarchal systems–missteps in how they pursued their goals would have been easily forgivable.

Now, much of their intent remains the same: to have freedom and justice. But a new context has not only twisted the virtue in their motives, causing a greater thirst for power; missteps now have much greater and more dangerous consequences. The Power prompts us to wonder about the people who are hurt in a supposed quest for autonomy (Ryan! Tatiana’s hairdresser! The list could go on). Does intent matter if one’s actions result in destruction–even if it’s on the path to some “greater good”?