Monet Tejada in 'The Stranger’ Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 Episode 1

Monet Tejada in 'The Stranger’ Power Book II: Ghost Season 1 Episode 1

Show: Power Book II: Ghost  |  Season 1, Episode 1  |  Network: Starz  |  Premiered: September 6, 2020

Can we talk about how Mary J. Blige walked into this show and immediately made it CLEAR that Monet Tejada was not to be played with? From the very first episode I knew we were in for something special.

What Is This Show?

Power Book II: Ghost is the spin-off series to the hit Starz show Power, and it follows Tariq St. Patrick as he tries to navigate college life while also running a drug operation to pay for his mother Tasha's legal defense. She is in jail for a crime Tariq actually committed. So yes, the drama starts immediately.

But let's be honest. The moment Mary J. Blige appeared on that screen as Monet Stewart Tejada, she became the reason to watch.

Meet Monet Tejada

The premiere does a masterful job of introducing Monet. We first encounter her at a party for Zeke, and right away you understand who she is. She is the matriarch of the Tejada drug family. Her husband Lorenzo is locked up, and while he is behind bars, Monet is running everything. The streets, the family, the business. All of it.

What makes her introduction so powerful is what Mary brings to it. Monet is not loud. She does not need to be. Every room she walks into already knows she is in charge. There is a stillness to how Mary plays her that is absolutely riveting. You cannot take your eyes off her.

What Monet Was Wearing

Earrings are from Mary's Jewelry Line (Sister Love)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikj2foFUefE

Monet and Tariq

The pilot sets up the uneasy relationship between Monet and Tariq that will define the entire series. She sees something in him. She also sees a liability. When Tariq gets entangled with the Tejada family to fund his mother's defense, Monet makes it crystal clear what the terms are. Her rules. Her way. Or else.

That scene where she lays down the law is one of the best moments of the premiere. Mary delivers every line with such control and precision. There is no yelling. No drama. Just the quiet certainty of a woman who has never needed to raise her voice to be taken seriously.

The Chess Analogy

One of the most iconic lines of the entire series actually comes from this era of the show. Tariq compares the Tejadas to chess pieces and calls Monet the Queen. He is absolutely right. And this premiere is the moment we first understand why. The Queen does not chase. She does not scramble. She positions herself, she waits, and then she moves with devastating precision.

That is Monet Tejada. And that is Mary J. Blige from episode one.

What did you think of Monet in this episode? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe for more!