Powers Review: Requiem (Season 2 Episode 6)

D-Day.

It’s the clue that’s loomed over Walker since Janis’ death on Powers. The date circled on her calendar — the date that would be her last.

We finally know what it all means.

This hour is filled with death, from the first moments when Triphammer meets his very sudden (and senseless) demise all the way to the final moments when Moody seemingly faced his own curtain call.

Each death helps to move the plot forward, and by the hour’s end there is no question left regarding who killed Retro Girl. There are only more questions about what can possibly come next after an episode that feels so finite.

There is no way to defeat Heavy. How do you conquer a villain with the mental ability to crush you from the inside? It’s no wonder that the FBI wanted him.  He’s a weapon of mass destruction in his own right, someone who cannot be stopped.

I’m glad that it’s addressed and that Heavy is merely arrested, not killed. The man who is powerful enough to kill Retro Girl and Triphammer can not die by the hand of anyone. If it was a possibility, Retro Girl would still be alive, and the world would be cheering her defeat over Heavy.

As I mentioned earlier, Triphammer’s end comes very suddenly, and happens so quickly that there isn’t time to properly digest it. Though, him reminding Walker of the good times they’ve had together is a blaring red flag that something heavy (I swear, I didn’t do that on purpose, but I’m leaving it in because it works) is about to go down.

It’s not surprising that Zora and Martinez would take comfort emotionally and physically with each other. Though these two characters have had very little time to interact with one another, the chemistry between them is magnetic and only heightened by their circumstances.

The journey that the writers are taking Zora on is lovely in the grand scheme of the series. We’ve had the pleasure of watching her mature, find her inner powers, and focus on the important reasons for being a hero. I think that if Triphammer has a legacy, it will be helping Zora realize her full potential as a hero, and I can’t help but feel like Martinez is exactly the right person to stand by her side while she does it.

While happiness with her partner may be in Zora’s future, Walker can only lament what could have been, yet again, for his future with Janis.

D-Day was Janis’ final hurrah. The date circled on her calendar was to be the day she hung up her cape and quit, ready to live the rest of her days leading a happy and simple life with Walker, powerless and in love.

Unfortunately for Janis, Colossal Fun’s stock was tanking and the only way to get it back on an upswing was to kill a Power and profit from the sales of their commemorative merchandise. Moody showed Janis her commemorative figure just moments before Heavy killed her, and held that figure tightly in her grasp even after her death.

It’s a sick, sneaky, and gruesome way to make money.

We finally understand why Craig, Janis’ agent, was so torn up inside. He knew what was set to happen to her, and the guilt of that knowledge forced him to put a gun in his mouth.

I’m a little surprised that Moody admitted his role in Retro Girl’s death so easily. I’m appalled that, in an attempt to create a box set, his plan was to kill Triphammer and Walker as well.

All of that aside, I’m still hesitant to believe that Moody is dead. Yes, Walker pulled him out the window. The writers reminded viewers endlessly that Moody was not a power, just a regular person, so a fall from the penthouse of a building would most likely kill him.

But in the same way that Calista saves Walker, another power, one who would have been watching for this exact moment, could have saved Moody from death. Until I see a body, I can’t believe it.

The MVP of “Requiem” is Pilgrim. Susan Heyward’s emotional range as Pilgrim is put to the test as she copes with death, life changes, new love, and standing up to her partner. She nails every one of those emotions, and overwhelmingly steals each scene she is in.

Pilgrim: I do not need to be saved. I do not need special protection…What I need is a partner who will treat me as an equal.

This speech that Pilgrim gives to Walker is passionate. While I’ve only included a snippet of it above, the biggest takeaway from that moment is how unafraid Pilgrim is to be emotionally naked with Walker, despite how embarrassed she is to be physically naked in front of him earlier in the episode when he discovers that she and Kutter are knockin’ boots.

Pilgrim doesn’t need to remind Walker that she’s an asset. He knows that. She doesn’t need to remind him of her loyalty or of her sacrifices in recent weeks. What I love is that she does it anyway. She reminds Walker that everything he’s going through is also happening to her.

Walker needs to hear that, not because he’s so self-absorbed that he’s blinded to the fact that someone else is fighting alongside him, but because Pilgrim’s passion drives Walker. Their partnership is the most important relationship on the show because they push each other to be better, to be the best versions of themselves.

Calista needs a partner like that. She needs someone who will drive her as she attempts to fight for the right things and live up to the impossible legacy of the first Retro Girl.

Hopefully her partnership with Zora and Martinez will do just that, and Triphammer’s vision of creating a new team will be realized in way better than he could have imagined.

What did you think of this episode of Powers? Is Moody dead? Were you satisfied to receive answers? What will happen next? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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New episodes of Powers stream Tuesdays on the PlayStation Network.

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