‘Power Book II: Ghost’s’ Lovell Adams-Gray and Erik Hernandez on Dru’s Quest for Love, Impact of Lorenzo’s and Gordo’s Murders, and LGBTQ+ Representation (Exclusive)

Dru Tejada (Lovell Adams-Gray) and Gordo Castillo’s (Erik Hernandez) love came to an abrupt end in episode 307 of Power Book II: Ghost. As Dru continues to deal with the emotional rollercoaster he’s on from his past trauma in love and as a member of a crime dynasty, mixed with his father’s sudden passing, things took a dark turn when he turned on his lover, Gordo, ending things permanently. With Gordo dead, and the Tejada family still reeling from their father’s death, along with fighting for power within the family dynasty, viewers can’t predict what’s next. However, there will be continued fallouts from Tejada family patriarch Lorenzo’s murder, and Gordo’s death, which will all have to be answered before the season ends.

Following the explosive episode, Adams-Gray and Hernandez spoke with PopCulture.com about the twists and turns of the season. They also dished on how playing two characters within the LGBTQ+ community in this season provides a more humanized version and representation unlike ever before seen on television. The show airs every Friday on STARZ. 

PC: Thank you both for speaking with PopCulture.com today. Lovell, the last time we spoke about Dru being initially the more stable-minded one of the bunch. And you hinted that this season would show a different side to him, a more impulsive side. Take us through his journey of emotions this season.

LAG: Well, he starts off having inherited the penthouse and wanting to be finding some siblings of his own identity separate from the family. And then once tragedy strikes, Dru is trying to find his way back in and assert his dominance and honor his father’s wishes. And he is wrestling with the fact that he knows that he said he didn’t want it and that’s not what he wanted, but he thought he had more time.

And that regret comes in and it manifests in different ways. And having to exact revenge kind of shows that he wasn’t… He’s trying to prove that he wasn’t distracted, that he wasn’t putting things before the family. It just makes for a lot of confusion and his decisions are made from a place of sadness and heartbreak.

PC: And we’ve seen a lot of his heartbreak manifest this season and how that impacts his decision-making specifically within his love life. How does his not having the comfort of his original partner impact the way he approaches relationships moving forward and having to “X” out his new partner? Do you feel that Dru not being able to find a viable romantic partner is greater or equal to his business instincts?

LAG: I think Dru not being able to – Dru is searching for a viable partner that understands the life that he lives and can see him and he can be seen by him is it greatly affects him, and it greatly challenges what his goals are and what he can go after. Because in his relationship with Everett, it’s kind of like the potential of who he could be that represents a life outside of the gang and outside of killing and drugs and this and that. And that’s not all Dru is, but Everett couldn’t really handle that life.

But walking in now with Gordo as someone who sees him fully, he doesn’t have to hide anything. He doesn’t have to be ashamed, he doesn’t have to protect him in that way. And he can fully be himself and who he is and feel safe and comfortable in this space.

PC: Now, Erik, Gordo has been an intricate part of the Tejada family. We’ve seen him make moves and axe some people out in order to save folks. Initially, he does so to save Lorenzo and Cane, and then we see him seek revenge after Monet revealed the information about Frank to Lorenzo. So his work order seemingly came from the top. Did you feel as if this put the Tejada family in debt to him and that he served as a huge threat level, as a huge threat?

EH: I think so. I think for a couple of reasons. I think that mainly obviously sitting on some important information and being able to hold that over Monet’s head is definitely a threat to her. And we all know that she doesn’t like to be threatened, but I also do think that on some level the Tejada’s were in debt to Gordo in the beginning. I don’t think that that proved to be important enough to the Tejada family, specifically Monet, and I guess also Dru too in the end because I think Gordo put himself on the line quite a bit for the sake of family.

I think he’s, in a weird way, is also a very family-oriented person, and we see that in the struggle in the relationships with his own family and his brothers. And having to go against them I don’t think is an easy thing for him. But then also too with the relationship with these people that are so close to him that they are almost like family. So I think we kind of see all of that play out and it’s not always a win. But yeah, I think that struggle is definitely there.

PC: And as another question for Gordo’s character, because he is so integrated into the Tejada family as far as the business is concerned, and then obviously the relationship with Dru, do you feel as if his emotions get tied up and get the best of him throughout any of this?

EH: Yeah, a little bit. I think it kind of really starts out with this really being a business interaction and I think that Gordo was very true to his feelings in the beginning of not wanting to mix business with pleasure. And then I think kind of like what Lovell said, I feel like Gordo, though a bit more confident in his sexuality and who he is, I think also doesn’t often come across somebody who really understands the life that he’s living as far as how they make their money. So I think finding that partnership is kind of what allows the emotion to come back in.

Gordo has learned lessons in the past about why you don’t mix the two, but I think that he kind of went against those lessons for the chance that this could be different. And then two, in what happens in the dealings with Monet and Lorenzo, obviously Gordo has a lot of grief and a lot of anger and a lot of unanswered questions in losing his father, somebody that was really close to him.

So I think when the opportunity for revenge kind of came along, there were no questions asked. It was, ‘It’s my family first] – and I’ve got a lot of anger and a lot of issues here, and I need to go ahead and do what I need to do to make it right. So I guess at the very least, he kind of got his revenge, whether it’s actually true or not in his head, I think he got that. Yeah.

PC: At what moment do you feel as if Gordo realizes, if any, that he was being used as a pawn by Monet? And what do you feel as if the fallout from his death will be?

EH: The exact moment. I think the funeral was a big moment for Gordo. I think that that’s when he’s starting to kind of realize that he was a pawn. Same thing with the conversation that he has with Monet in this last episode 307, and how Monet’s not really understanding the relationship that Gordo and Dru have. And I think that she’s really just kind of concerned with covering her tracks and not really covering mine as well, or covering Gordo’s as well.

And I think that that really upsets Gordo. I think he kind of came there to see what was going on and really thought that this was a conversation to figure out what’s going on with the Russians. And instead, she’s bringing up the dealings with Dru and this relationship, which seems secondary to everything else that’s going on.

So I think it’s really at that moment that he kind of also betrays his aunt, his play aunt, whatever, but it’s another moment of that betrayal and I think saying that I’m going to handle my own from here on out and you got me to do this, and I don’t know whether it was right or wrong, but I’m going to go forward and do what I need to do and not worry about you.

So I would kind of say that that really is that moment right there. And as far as the fallout goes, I mean, I guess we’re going to see, I’m really excited to see how it plays out because I don’t know what happens past here. I know that I’ve got three other brothers and a mom who have some questions and I doubt they are going to let this one rest too easy, so obviously I’m hoping for some justice for Gordo.

PC: Now, going back to you, Lovell, how does Lorenzo’s death impact the family overall in Dru’s position, and how does that vacuum from his death affect the overall relationship within the family? Because there’s already been some tension and some fight for power, so what do you anticipate seeing?

LAG: I think the family’s going to butt heads a little bit and vie for power. There’s already been Monet trying to lead the family, Cane trying to lead the family, and now Dru trying to take his position in the family as the leader. So I think there’s going to be a lot of muting heads and a lot of fighting for the loudest voice in the room.

We’ve seen though that Dru does make great executive decisions when it comes to the family, and when it comes to being a leader. And he made a very impulsive decision with the Russians, but nothing that I believe Dru and the family can’t handle. So I think there’s going to be a lot more of that. You’re going to see a lot more vying for that hole to be filled and each individual person trying to fill that hole. And Dru really struggling with the weight of what that really means.

PC: And I’ve always found that there’s an interesting dynamic between Dru and Tariq. They interact, but not that much. We’ve seen snippets of them interacting as far as the crime stuff, but I feel like that’s really the extent of it. And now with Tariq and Monet’s alliance, we never really know. Do you foresee more of a relationship developing between Dru and Tariq?

LAG: I think Dru sees Tariq as not a threat, not an opponent, but more of like a means to an end, just a business partner, not necessarily a friend, an ally when necessary, but ultimately above anything else Dru’s loyal to the family, Dru’s loyal to the family, and he wants to make sure that the family’s good, especially with Papi gone.

So as he views Tariq, and if Monet’s messing with Tariq, then I guess that’s what we have to do. If we’re not rocking with him, that’s what we have to do. You what I’m saying? I think it’s a group family-based decision, but he doesn’t hold, I guess any malice towards Tariq, because Tariq hasn’t truthfully done anything against the family.

If that, what is the case and Dru senses any kind of back-dealing or back-biting from Tariq, then I think it would warrant a, no now he’s an op, kind of response, but up until this point they’ve just been, what’s the word I’m looking for? Necessary business partners. I don’t know what the word I’m looking for is, but I feel like there’s a word for that. But I think in Dru’s relation to Tariq, it’s like whatever’s necessary to get us, to mutually get us ahead.

PC: And for you both, what is your take on the way in which LGBTQ+ inclusion has gone on the show? A lot of times when you see characters that are represented within the community on television, they’re side characters. They don’t really have much character development and especially with characters of color and this has been not the case with Power. So how proud are you guys of this whole storyline?

EH: I would say I’m definitely super proud of it. I think that especially in today’s time, there is a decent amount of representation of the community in mainstream media, and I think it continues to progress to show more and more. But I think to really have these storylines, just to really have the representation be not the most important part of the storyline and just something that these characters, it’s just a part of their lives. It’s not like, oh, we need to make everything about the fact that these are gay characters, they just happen to be gay.

I think that part’s really special and I think that the show Ghost and Power is not typically something that serves the community. And so I think to kind of have that in there, whether or not people want to see it, whether or not people do its reality and it exists. And for it to be in there in such a well taken care of way, I think is definitely really special and cool and continues to show that progression and also specifically a TV show for people of color or includes a lot of people of color. And I think it’s an important topic for sure. So to have been able to be able to tell this story was certainly special for me.

LAG: I wholeheartedly agree with you, Erik, that it’s so important to see and understand that there has been more representation and more inclusivity. I understand what you’re saying, in the sense that it’s not normally displayed in a more main character way and as a more highlighted way.

But I do believe that the focus is not that they are gay characters and that they are people in the world dealing with love, dealing with heartbreak, dealing with navigating these specific challenges, and how these things influence how they interact with the world and how they interact with each other. I think we can do better. I think we can do more for sure.

I think it’s important to see queer love on screen because it’s real. It’s love. That’s the thing that’s really important to me with Dru and with Gordo, it’s love. It’s not gratuitous and lustful. It’s beautiful throughout all the gunplay and violence and backbiting and all that kind of stuff, what they have is pure and sweet and genuine and it provides a little bit of respite between all this kind of chaotic energy that’s going around them. And I think we could all in this world use a little bit more love.