If there’s one thing “Power Book II: Ghost” proved in the third season, it’s that no one is safe — not even the original characters who survived the spinoff’s spin-off series. In a rather shocking and completely unexpected turn of events, the Starz series has removed a character that viewers have waited nearly a decade to see his demise: Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson).
Over the years, Saxe has magically found a way to escape a much about close calls – including being nearly strangled to death by Ghost (Omari Hardwick) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora) in “Strength” – but his contrived ways eventually lead him to a deadly ending, as with most “Strength” villains.
After six installments of “The Strength” and three parts of “Book of Rights II,” it’s nearly impossible to list all the dirty Saxe has done over the years. In the original series, his relentless hunt to expose Ghost and his drug business almost pushed him to the grave early. He even thought about killing Ghost, even though his son Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) defeated Saxe. In “Power Book II”, Saxe’s hatred of Ghost turns to Tariq when he teams up with ADA Jenny Sullivan (Paton Ashbrook) — with whom he had a brief relationship — to assist with a RICO case she and the federals are dealing. But this time, Saxe’s twisted plan to seek justice by all means necessary turned him into a rat — aka a criminal informant.
If there’s one thing “Strength” fans know, it’s that the rats on the show never stay too long. From working as a double agent behind his partner Davis MacClean (Method Man) to providing Jenny with information about Tariq and his criminal circle, Saxe is always playing a dangerous game with getting too close to the fire. And in episode 8 of “Power Book II,” “Sacrifice,” he ends up getting burned.
So, how exactly does Saxe meet his death in “Power Book II”? Read ahead for details on his final moments on the show and see what Johnson has to say to POPSUGAR about his character’s overdue exit.
How does Saxe die in “Power Book II: Ghost” Season 3?
If “Power Book II” viewers may recall, Saxe played a key role in helping Davis get his dying brother, Theo (Jordan Mahome), out of prison early. Of course, Saxe’s generous (and illegal) favor was one way to get close to Davis so he could implicate defense attorneys for Tariq and the Tejadas drug ring, since Davis represents all of them. all of them. But this then comes back to bite Saxe when he comes into contact with Davis as the CI who is helping Jenny’s RICO case.
In the middle of the episode, Davis informs Theo that Saxe has turned against him as a CI. This also complicates things further for the two brothers as any rift with Saxe could threaten to send Theo back to prison. Then, Theo decides to deal with the matter himself and kidnaps Saxe, shortly after Saxe’s cover as a CI is exposed due to the bankruptcy of the RICO case.
While meeting Tariq at his office, Davis grasps what Theo is doing with Saxe and rushes to them before his brother does something they will all regret. However, Davis and Tariq were too late when they finally caught up with Saxe and Theo, when they saw the latter walking near the edge of the dock with a gun pointed at his back. Theo then informs Davis, “This traitor must go to work as a brother,” before claiming to be the “perfect” person to bring Saxe to his death. Despite pleas from Davis and Tariq, Theo did the unthinkable and shot Saxe in the back. The shocking slo-mo moment when Saxe collapses to his death is punctuated by Theo then grabs his own gun and shoots himself in the head — a moment “Power Book II” fans are sure to miss.
Shane Johnson on His “Power Book II: Ghost” Exit in Season 3
According to Johnson, who has been on the Universe of Powers for about a decade, he didn’t know about Saxe being killed off the show until filming episode six and he pulled host Brett Mahoney aside. to discuss his character. “I said, ‘So listen, it sounds like Cooper Saxe is doing some things a bit too much, like… is Cooper Saxe getting through the season?” the actor recalled asking, adding that Mahoney just shot him a knowing look. “That’s when I found out.”
“If I’m real, I know that Cooper Saxe won’t last forever.”
When filming his final scene as Saxe, which Johnson said was shot more than a year ago, the “Power Book II” star said it was “heartbreaking.” “It was just the culmination of so many years of the show,” he added. “[Creator] Courtney [Kemp] was there and it’s unbelievable to have her there because she obviously started the whole thing.” Johnson also said that his final scene was “really emotional” because he was “real.” love to work with Method Man” and “Michael Rainey.” ” It was just a fluke so it ended up being weird. . . Letting it come to an end is definitely painful,” he added.
The fate of Johnson’s character was unlike anything any “Power” fan could have imagined. The actor noted that he was also shocked when it came to the end of the character’s arc. “If I were for real, I know that Cooper Saxe won’t last forever,” Johnson admitted, adding that Saxe’s “desperation” about winning this season has made him “crass”. drop”. “Do I think it’s going to be some random guy from Method Man? [Davis’s] brother got out of prison? No, but it would be someone.”
Johnson has thought of several alternate endings for Saxe, sharing that he thinks “it would be Tommy” to kill his character. “After Tommy, I thought it would be Tariq; maybe Tasha,” he added. Johnson also suggested that “it would be great if Method Man felt like he was in a position where Davis had to kill him,” adding, “And then Davis turned to Tariq and said, ‘Man, I was do this *t. How do I deal with it?’ And he had to take a body and make this thing go away. For me it was something that was going to happen, so I was definitely surprised but I knew it was going to happen.”
Looking back on his Power Universe tenure, Johnson makes sure he takes pride in the work he’s done, even though he’s well aware of viewers’ disdain for Saxe. “It’s very close to my heart because this show has been such an important part of my life,” he shares of his time on “Power” and its spin-off. “This is the longest job I’ve ever had – the longest job most actors have ever had. Most people haven’t been on a show for 10 years. My kids were 2 and 5 years old when they were young. I started this show, and we’re 13 and 16 years old now, so it really makes things clear. It’s like my family grew up on this show and it’s a blessing worth it. amazed, and I’m so grateful for that.”
He continued, “I am very much indebted to Courtney and [executive producer] 50 [Cent] and Starz for keeping me around. I feel really, really, really grateful for this show and the trajectory that Cooper Saxe has taken.”
New episodes of “Power Book II: Ghost” air on Fridays.
