Patina Miller Delves Into The Complexities Of Raquel Thomas In ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’s Third Season’

Patina Miller is no stranger to playing the roles of powerful, nuanced women. The Tony Award-winning actress’s portrayal of Raquel Thomas on the Starz series Power Book III: Raising Kanan proves this. Whether commandeering business operations or showcasing the highs and lows of motherhood, Miller has received praise for embodying these complexities of the fan-favorite character. As the hit series recently debuted its third season, the South Carolina native assures that this season will find her character having to come to terms with the decisions of the past while being the best mother she can be.

“This season, Thomas is coming clean. She’s finally having to deal with the consequences and everything that happened in the first two seasons. Now, she and her son are at odds, and her lies have all run out. There are no more lies that she could tell to her son right now, and he sees her for who she is so she has to deal with that. At the end of the day, she is still a mother who loves her son and wants to be connected to him while also having to come to terms with the life that she’s decided to live. With her being close to death in the way that she was in season two, I think it has her seeing a little bit more clearly now. She’s decided not only to come clean in her personal life but her professional life. You’ll see her have this come to Jesus moment of giving it all up and that’s a big thing for her. She decides to sit still to think of other ways that she can be useful to do something else while still trying to watch over her son from afar.”

While Miller and Thomas live vastly different lives, the actress does share one commonality with the fictional character — both of them are faced with the intersection of their careers and motherhood. Miller teases that this season will find that balance a bit skewed for Thomas.

“I feel like she had more of a handle on it early on before Kanan came in and did all that he did in the first season and made them all less safe. But now, all that is so chaotic and all over the place that her head is all over the place in a way that it’s never been. She’s always been laser-focused. But, because of the danger that presents itself all around her from so many different people, it does cause her to have moments of anxiety. She is trying to be the matriarch of a family that is doing their own thing right now, and everyone has gone away. That family that used to sit around the table for dinner is not doing that this season. Everyone has their own battle they’re fighting for this season, and she’s sitting here dealing with not having any of that and fighting for it in a way.”

If Miller were to offer up any hypothetical advice to Thomas, it would be to slow down. She also feels that, conversely, the fictional protagonist could give her the same guidance.

“I would’ve told her to slow down and chill, and she decides to do that this season. I think she could give me some advice at this moment, which is to chill out more. As a mother, you’re never going to be chill. That’s just what it is. I think I thrive in chaos, and she absolutely thrives in chaos. I think that makes her relatable to people because there is no right answer to how to mother. There’s no right answer to how to mother while also having to be the head of this major operation and put food on the table for so many people. It’s a big responsibility but I think she takes it on. What I love is that she’s also real, makes mistakes, and does things that people question. She does things that aren’t always good, but anyone put in her shoes would probably do the same thing.”