Like everybody else, I came in with low expectations. A Tariq-centered show has a very high chance of failure, but this first episode was pretty good. Even though it's a spin-off, it feels like a continuation of the original series.
One thing I'm noticing is that despite Tariq being the main character, he's not going to be the reason people tune in. The writers and producers know this, which is why they have all these other characters getting storylines. I know Power had several different characters, but it was always Ghost's show. The world of the show revolved around him. I don't think this show is going to do the same thing because Tariq is already one of the least interesting characters they have right now, but that's one of the only ways they can salvage it.
Also, is it me, or is this show more self-aware than Power was? A lot of ridiculous, over-the-top shyt happened on that show, but most of the time, the characters just accepted it without even acknowledging it. Already in this episode, there were scenes where the teacher was pointing out how weird it was that Tariq was already in college, Saxe's brother predicting that Saxe will do something stupid to embarrass the family, and then Tariq didn't understand the motivations behind the main character in "The Stranger," kinda like we don't understand his motivations. They should have more scenes like that.
Overall, this episode did enough to make me interested in watching more, but I don't want to overrate the show or trash it yet. I need to see how things play out over the next few episodes.