It is not a hidden fact that women’s treatment as second-class citizens comes from them being thought of as such simply because men can, due to a prevalent patriarchal system that the world runs on. “The Power” Episode 7 highlighted how this thinking hasn’t changed despite women becoming more powerful than the men who oppress them. A common theme among the women of the show is when learning to use their power, each one of them was told to channel their pain and anger. It was understood that if you are a woman, you have been let down by the men in your life at some point, and we believe that it is the collective grief and anger that has given rise to the power in them. This is how the episode unfolds, incorporating these sentiments into its storyline.
Spoilers Alert
How Did Roxy Use Her Power?
Roxy is making power moves, literally and figuratively. She starts making money by teaching girls how to use their power. Roxy’s power is extremely strong, and she is more in control of it than anybody else, which she translates into a profitable business. While teaching some girls physically, she also uploads instructional videos, the likes of which are being watched by Jocelyn to help herself. Roxy pays her rent with the money she earns, and though Barbara accepts it, she is still not happy with Roxy. As for her father, he has been figuring out a new way to split his property since Terry’s death. Barbara suggests that since Terry worked together with Vicky, he should get his share. But Bernie holds out on making a decision and asks Roxy to start working with the brothers. When Roxy goes to the house of Bernie’s supplier with them, she finds the client from Episode 6, David, the one who had not paid Bernie money. She makes it clear to him that he has to pay up or he will have to deal with her. David understands that he needs to take her threats seriously because she gives him a taste of what it would be like to mess with her, which leads to a very unpleasant situation in the pool.
Does Jocelyn Get Past Her Trauma?
Considering the incident at her mother’s rally, Jocelyn is accompanied by security personnel at all times. It might even be a real necessity considering how an Urbandox supporter tries to intimidate her at school. But Jocelyn is dealing with the trauma caused by what happened at the rally. She sees it for what it is: an extreme display of hate by a man named Paul Jordan, and hence, she wants to be able to protect herself better. However, amidst all this fear, a good thing also happens for her. Ryan stands outside her house, using his power to illuminate some fairy lights that he has arranged in the shape of a heart. He tells Jocelyn that he should have been there for her, and he wants to do what he couldn’t before by supporting her. Both of them reconcile, but unknown to them, Matt has recorded Ryan using his power. If he releases the video, it might lead to some indiscriminate violence against Ryan since only women are known to have the power. If Ryan’s secret is ever revealed, the growing atmosphere of fear can clash badly with existing prejudices, which does not bode well for the couple.
What Does Tatiana Do With Her Power?
We saw in “The Power” Episode 5 that Tatiana was ready to risk it all for power. But now that she has it, she is still debating her next course of action. Meanwhile, her husband, the President, has come up with yet another indignity for the women to bear: for them to wear a device on their legs to keep track of who has the power and who is using it. Tatiana is no exception, and when she was wearing the thing, the fury on her face was evident. Later, when she is with her hairdresser, the girl who gave her the power, she lets loose a little. Both women exchange clothes, and their dance around the room makes us think of a slumber party fantasy. The hairdresser tries asking Tatiana for a favor—to help her brother in jail. But Tatiana is thinking about her own sibling, Zoia. We are not sure how to describe what follows next. Tatiana kisses the girl, who looks visibly uncomfortable. We are not sure if Tatiana pushes it further, but it looks like harassment to us.
Why Does Tunde Meet Zoia ?
Tunde’s next assignment for CNN takes him to Declan Glease, who wants him to meet Zoia and write her story. Zoia and the other women have burned down villages in an area famous for its trafficking business. When Tunde reaches there, he finds the villagers, mostly men, stranded by the riverside, not knowing where to go. Tunde’s escorts call Zoia the General, and their disdain for her is clear. They ask Tunde to shoot her if he can. When Tunde goes to the women’s settlement, wanting to meet her, he is approached with suspicion, but it is clear soon enough that the women are just taking his case when, in fact, they are enjoying his presence.
Meanwhile, Zoia is in the middle of birthing her child, and we are not sure how to put this scene into words. Just know that it was as difficult to look at as it was beautiful. Once she recovers, she meets Tunde and lets him know that she has no interest in him using her story without an ounce of benefit to her. She wants him to help her contact her sister, Tatiana, to see if she still cares about her. Tunde agrees for the sake of his story and also to further canvas the changing landscape of the world.
‘The Power’ Episode 7 Ending Explained: Do The Girls Think That Eve Is God?
Eve is aware of the developments in the world, of the men not taking kindly to the women gaining power and of the struggles of women themselves with the men’s resistance. One of her friends in the covenant, Savannah, is desperately trying to get her mobile phone that the sister has confiscated so that she may talk to her daughter. Eve helps her break into the room. Additionally, motivated by the voice in her head, she further practices her power and discovers how she can control people’s movements in bodies of water. But at that time, Sister Rebecca comes and announces that Eve has lied about her identity and that she will throw her out of the convent soon. Eve is heartbroken and wonders whether she really is anything other than a fraud. But just then, she snaps back to reality when she finds that the girls are looking for Savannah. There is a lot of blood in the bathroom, and Savannah is missing. As they look for her, Eve spots her ready to jump from the top of the building and saves her just in time.
Savannah’s mother got the power, which led to Riley (Savannah’s daughter in her grandmother’s care) being put in a foster home, another example of the policing of the EOD. That is why Savannah wanted to remove her skein, and she was extremely depressed at her helplessness, which is why she tried to jump. Eve comforts her, telling her that things will be alright. That night, the girls sit around the fire and talk about the many ways in which they have been let down or harmed by the men in their lives. It is clear that, despite some of the current problems, letting go of power would mean reverting to being helpless. At the end of Episode 7 of “The Power,” Eve leads the girls into the water and talks about how God is finally paying attention to them. Using her power, she makes the girls fall back into the water as a way of kneeling to the God who was finally looking out for them.
We can understand that Eve is positioning herself as the messenger of God, much like Jesus was hailed as the son of God. She is trying to validate the power of women and clearly wants to lead the girls to a new future as their leader. The girls see what she can do, and they know that they need her. They have been harmed for way too long, and they are unable to refuse a voice that is not only teaching them how to protect themselves but also validating their existence. It remains to be seen how far this can go.
Final Thoughts
We complained for the first 5 episodes or so that the series was not getting to the juicy stuff when women actually take control of things, and we see the ramifications of an inverted power balance. With just two more episodes left to go in Season 1, we believe the makers have saved it for “The Power” Season 2. Either way, we expect the next episode to bring to light that Margot has the power and whether it is an advantage or not to her political ambitions. There is also a major turn in the story for Jocelyn with what we think is going to happen to Ryan. It is going to get equal parts grim and exciting, and we look forward to the next stage of the narrative.
