Raising Kanan Season 2: Mekai Curtis & Patina Miller Unpack Kanan’s Paternity Reveal and Family Betrayals
The intricate web of family dynamics and dangerous secrets at the heart of Power Book III: Raising Kanan is set to unravel further in its explosive second season. As the prequel series delves deeper into the formative years of Kanan Stark, the central mystery of Detective Malcolm Howard’s true relationship with Kanan looms large. Raq, Kanan’s fiercely protective and calculating mother, has meticulously guarded the truth that Det. Howard is Kanan’s biological father. This bombshell secret, coupled with Howard’s unexpected survival after a hit orchestrated by Raq—and unknowingly carried out by Kanan himself—promises to ignite a powder keg of conflict that will redefine every character’s loyalties and motivations. Ahead of the highly anticipated season, HollywoodLife had the exclusive opportunity to speak with stars MeKai Curtis, who portrays Kanan, and Patina Miller, who embodies the formidable Raq, about the seismic aftermath of Kanan potentially discovering his true paternity and the escalating stakes for the Thomas family.
MeKai Curtis articulates the profound impact such a revelation would have on his character. “That will change things a lot for sure. Raq is Kanan’s world, and everything that Raq has told Kanan up until this point he has believed with his entire heart,” Curtis shared during the show’s season 2 junket. Kanan’s entire understanding of his lineage is anchored in the belief that Def Con was his father—a figure whose legacy he has strived to honor and emulate. For this foundational truth to be shattered would not merely be a surprise; it would be a complete dismantling of his identity and worldview. The trust Kanan places in Raq is absolute, making any deception on her part a betrayal of the highest order. “So for him to find out that Def Con wouldn’t be his father would change a lot of things and make Kanan question basically everything about his relationship with Raq or even Raq herself. That will change a lot of things. That’s the sort of realm that relationship falls into [in season 2],” Curtis elaborated, hinting at a deeply emotional and tumultuous journey for Kanan as he grapples with an altered reality.
Patina Miller echoed Curtis’ sentiments, underscoring the monumental stakes for both Kanan and Raq. “Everything that he’s tried to live up to has been trying to live up to not just as mom but who his father was, right? Def Con and all of the choices that he’s grappling with, and one is about I’m Def Con’s son, so to find out that’s actually not it, that’s a big ole thing.” The perceived legacy of Def Con has shaped Kanan’s aspirations and his understanding of his place in the world of the streets. Learning that his true father is a police officer would not only erase his perceived identity but also position him in direct opposition to everything Raq has built and represents. For Raq, this secret is a double-edged sword. Its exposure jeopardizes not only her manipulative control over Kanan but also their very safety. “And for Raq, the stakes could not be higher for that. First off, finding out that he’s the son of a cop puts them both in a very unsafe space,” Miller explained, highlighting the inherent danger of such a revelation within their criminal empire.
Raq’s decision to conceal Kanan’s paternity was driven by a complex mix of fear, protection, and strategic maneuvering. She understood the perils of having a child with a man on the other side of the law, especially as her own influence in the drug trade grew. This wasn’t merely a personal secret; it was a matter of survival. “I mean, Raq sort of dealt with this in a way where she didn’t want that to be the secret, but that’s just a secret. She’s had to keep them safe, keep both of them safe,” Patina clarified. While Raq’s intentions may have been rooted in protecting her son from the inherent dangers of their world, the methods she employed have created a ticking time bomb. The weight of this secret has been a heavy burden on Raq, constantly forcing her to make difficult, often ruthless, choices to maintain its concealment. As Miller ominously put it, “It doesn’t justify what she’s doing now, but I think their relationship will be tested, and it is going to be tested. If he finds out, that just puts a whole other layer of chaos that she just does not have time for right now.” The impending disclosure threatens to unleash an emotional and strategic pandemonium that Raq, despite her meticulous planning, might not be able to contain.
The finale of season 1 left viewers on a cliffhanger, with both Raq and Kanan unaware that Detective Howard had miraculously survived Kanan’s attempt on his life. Kanan, albeit with a visible flicker of skepticism and doubt, had assured his mother that “he finished the job,” believing he had eliminated the threat. This crucial misapprehension sets the stage for an even more volatile season 2. Patina Miller confirmed that the truth of Howard’s survival will come to light for both mother and son soon enough. However, Raq, ever the pragmatist, doesn’t outwardly fear Howard’s continued existence as much as she fears the consequences of Kanan discovering the full extent of her deception. Her primary concern isn’t Howard’s physical presence, but rather his knowledge and potential to expose her carefully constructed lies. She’s not afraid of a dead man; she’s terrified of a living one who holds the key to her undoing.
“It’s about how she keeps the secret, how she maneuvers within that to make sure that he never tells. Will she let him tell? Will she not? So I think it’s just an uncomfortable place for her, and it’s one that’s going to play out and that people will have to just watch, but Kanan is coming back to town, Howard is alive. There’s this a lot of juiciness,” Patina tantalizingly teased. This “juiciness” points to a season brimming with high-stakes cat-and-mouse games, desperate negotiations, and potential betrayals as Raq tries to silence Howard and control the narrative. The dynamics between Raq, Kanan, and Howard are poised to become an intricate dance of manipulation, power struggles, and psychological warfare. Kanan’s return, combined with Howard’s resurrection, creates a potent cocktail of emotional and physical danger for everyone involved, particularly for the already fractured mother-son bond.
The growing fracture between Raq and Kanan dates back to the first season, initiated by Kanan’s burgeoning desire to follow in his mother’s footsteps—a decision Raq herself describes as “spinning the world into chaos.” From the outset, Raq has struggled with Kanan’s increasing involvement in her illicit empire, constantly battling between wanting to keep him safe and molding him into a formidable successor. Her trust in his judgment, especially in the treacherous world of drug dealing, has always been conditional. As Kanan grows older and more assertive, seeking to prove his worth and capability, the tension between them intensifies. Now, with the stakes elevated by Howard’s survival and the looming paternity reveal, that fragile trust is poised to shatter. The core conflict shifts from Raq protecting Kanan from the world to them both trying to protect each other—and themselves—from the devastating repercussions of their intertwined secrets and actions.
“Now we’re in this face of she doesn’t need Kanan to protect her, and that’s the thing that she’s always saying is like, ‘I don’t need you to protect me. That’s not your job to protect me.’ That’s just the way she feels about it, so she’s sort of like ‘I’m doing the protecting.’ All of that was what the first season was about, them going through this journey of protecting one another,” Patina explained, delving into the core of Raq’s character. Raq is a woman who thrives on control and independence, believing herself to be the ultimate protector of her family. The idea of Kanan needing to protect her challenges her authority and her carefully constructed worldview. This shift in dynamics, where Kanan actively seeks to shield his mother, often through violent means, is a source of both pride and profound anxiety for Raq. It forces her to confront the monster she might be creating, a monster she herself unleashed by bringing him into her dangerous world. Season 2 promises to push these boundaries even further, exploring the complex, often contradictory, emotions that bind and separate this powerful mother-son duo. With Howard alive and the paternity secret hanging heavy, the emotional and physical battles ahead will test the very foundations of their relationship and redefine the legacy of the Stark family.
Fans can witness the intense drama unfold as Raising Kanan season 2 airs Sundays on STARZ, promising a season rife with shocking revelations, deep betrayals, and the brutal realities of power.