Welcome to Raw Reflections

This is where curiosity gets loud, opinions get honest, and no topic has to fit neatly into one box. Raw Reflections is a collection of deep dives, personal essays, cultural commentary, and the thoughts I probably spent way too long analyzing before turning them into a blog post.

Here, I write about true crime and courtroom drama, psychology and human behavior, motherhood and identity, relationships, pop culture, sports, media, and the experiences that shape the way we see the world. Some posts are heavily researched. Others are deeply personal. A lot of them are both.

If you like thoughtful analysis, strong opinions, uncomfortable questions, and writing that refuses to pretend life is simple—you’re in the right place.

Trinity Barnette 7/27/25 Trinity Barnette 7/27/25

All Hail the Queenpin: Why Raquel Thomas Runs the Power Universe

From her first scene, cigarette in hand while her son serves vengeance, Raquel Thomas proved she’s not just another player—she’s the whole board. Here’s why Raq is the queenpin who runs the Power universe.

Carrying the Weight of a Legacy: Power Book II and the Rise of Tariq St. Patrick

Tariq St. Patrick didn’t ask to be a kingpin. But by Season 4, he’s not just haunted by his father’s legacy — he’s living it. ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ isn’t just a sequel. It’s a strategic, emotional, and bloody blueprint for how legacy can shape, twist, and consume you. And by the finale? Tariq isn’t running anymore. He’s the one calling the shots

The Rise, Reign, and Ruin of Ghost St. Patrick

He wanted to be James St. Patrick — a husband, a father, a businessman, a politician. But he died Ghost. A king without a crown, a dreamer undone by his own delusions. This is the rise, reign, and ruin of Power’s most tragic antihero — and why his story still haunts us.