Empire – Strange Bedfellows

By: Gladys Luna

After a wild night, Hakeem (Bryshere Gray) wakes up surrounded by a whole mess and some friends scattered all over the floor and couches still asleep. He wakes them up and lets them know about his birthday celebration plans starting from that day on. He promises it is going to be the time of their lives.

Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is awaken by the sound of his phone buzzing, lying next to him is Phillip (Juan Antonio) with whom he spent the night. In an attempt to shut it off, he mistakenly clicks a button and Derek´s (Tobias Truvillion) live broadcast begins. That is when Jamal realizes that Derek is on his way to see him and he immediately wakes Phillip up and asks him to leave. When the two of them are getting dressed, Derek enters the room looking clearly dumbfounded by the two guys standing in front of him. They get into an argument making Phillip walk away. Derek is trying to prove to Jamal that he´ll be honest and live “his truth” (in regards the decision he had just made of coming out), but it seems that is a little too late for that.

Hakeem is trying to figure out what Lucious (Terrence Howard) got him for his birthday and is looking for a way to sneak into his office. While on the inside, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), Lucious, Leah (Leslie Uggams), Thirsty (Andre Royo) and Marty (Elyse Nylin) are discussing about Cookie´s parole been violated. Leah confesses that she came to Tariq (Morocco Omari) asking for his help when Lucious broke his promise about not taking Anika (Grace Byers) back into living with them making the woman run away at Tariq´s threats. Cookie is trying to make sure that Lucious new wife doesn’t have anything on her and asks Lucious about it but the man doesn’t seem too convinced when he denies that she doesn’t. Still, he can’t control what she may have heard while been around the office. Hakeem breaks into the office much to everyone´s surprised. He still believes they have some hidden gift for him or even planning a surprise party for him. That is when he confirms that Anika is missing.

Nessa (Sierra Aylina McClain) is performing at a club while Andre (Trai Byers) is watching her from the audience. Right at that moment, Giuliana (Nia Long) walks in and shares a small conversation in which Andre proposes for her to hire Nessa for the opening in one of her clubs in Las Vegas. She wants to know what she can get from Empire if she does that and he promises that as Nessa is a star on the rise, they will support her fully and that´ll bring to build some reputation for her business. She agrees to meet Andre the next day in order to discuss said business.

Angelo (Taye Diggs) doesn’t seem to be so content with Lucious helping Cookie to solve her current situation. He wants to know if there is something she is hiding from him, but she denies it. He walks to one of the counters in the woman´s house and takes a glass out of it when he spots a golden gun and confronts the woman about it. She says it´s a gift, but she´ll get rid of it if he wants to. Angelo tells her that if he becomes Mayor their life will change and there’s no place for things like that in their new life. He also asks her if she has ever shoot somebody and then Cookie recalls a time on her younger years when one of Lucious friends arrive at the place they were staying at and tried to abuse her. In an attempt to keep him away, she shot him on the knee. Back to the present, Angelo is still waiting for an answer and that is when Cookie lies to him by saying she has never done that.

Anika meets with her mom (Shanesia Davis) and another man on a car. Her mother doesn’t believe that her daughter´s new plan is a good idea, but Anika assures her that if she had followed Tariq´s orders and Lucious had found her, then she would be dead by now.

Hakeem shares an announcement for his fans that he´ll be celebrating his birthday 21 hours straight. He informs them that he´ll be sending some hints about the club they´ll be in so they can join them.

Derek visits Jamal at his studio and they finally get to talk more calmly. Derek is scared about what´s ahead for him now that he has come out. He confesses to Jamal that he came out for him, but the man tells him that he should have been doing it for himself and not for others. Cookie spots the guys in there and immediately gets mad since she believes that he is the one that supplied the drugs to her son. Soon, she asks him to go away and when she is finally alone with Jamal she attempts to give him some advice on his relationship with Phillip. Jamal asks her not to do that as she hasn’t been able to get rid of his father either.

Andre scolds Hakeem about the birthday party he wants to throw and the money that will cost to Empire. They get into a small argument, but Lucious stops them and asks Andre to let his young brother have his fun. Lucious also questions Andre about an anonymous tip they received about an opportunity to make some business in Las Vegas, but he denies to know anything about it.

Cookie arrives at the salon to get her hair done for her dinner with Angelo, but is advised that another woman arrived earlier than her and now she has to wait. Cookie gets mad and tries to argue with the woman who is revealed to be no other than Giuliana. Cookie is stopped by the owner of the salon. Suddenly, Cookie is interrupted by a call from Lucious who tells her that Anika is back.

Hakeem is surprised by Tiana (Serayah) at his party at one of the clubs. He keeps broadcasting live to his fans throwing some clues at her they are going to be. After a while, Hakeem talks to the owner of the club and asks him to pay him the amount they agreed for showing at his club. At first, the owner doesn’t want to pay him, but when he finds himself surrounded by the young man’s bodyguards he pretends he is joking and gives him the money. Hakeem and his entourage leave the club in search for the next one.

Anika shows up at Lucious house. Juanita (Claudette Burchett) the house keeper, informs her that Bella, her daughter, is at her room. Anika walks over there only to find an empty crib. Soon she realizes that she has been ambushed by Cookie, who walks in the room confronting her, Lucious and Leah as well. The woman intends to explain to them why she left and how she hasn’t snitched on Cookie. Leah wants to kill her, but Lucious asks her to leave the room. Anika tells them that she has a plan in order to make Tariq to drop his hunt on them. She wants to seduce him and then they can use that against him. Leah comes back in the room handing the golden gun she had found at Cookie´s purse and points it at Anika. Lucious manages to convince her to hand him the gun and gives Anika a week to make her plan work. Otherwise, he will let his mother kill her.

Jamal tells Phillip about what happened with Derek and asks him for his understanding. He wants to support Derek and it seems that Phillip agrees to it. Later that day, Derek arrives at Empire, but he finds that his badge is not working so he is not allowed in the building. He asks the front desk lady to call Jamal when he spots Phillip on his way out. Phillip asks Derek to leave Jamal alone, but the other man just won’t give up. The argument between the two gets heated making Phillip to punch Derek while Jamal is watching. Phillip leaves the building in anger followed by Jamal.

Hakeem continues his party at their club and makes sure his fans know about it. There´s a big box at the center of the stage holding a cake at the top. The box opens and Tiana comes out of it saying her Happy Birthday to the young man. Later in the song, Jamal joins Tiana also as a surprise for him. Andre also shows up at the party and congratulates Hakeem. One of Hakeem´s friends begins to tease one of Tiana´s friends at the club and when the girl shows her disgust to him, he beats her. That’s the moment when the fuss begins. Everyone starts to punch at each other and just like that, the party has become a disaster. Andre scolds Hakeem again about his behavior and the things he did in order to throw his own party. Andre tells him that he is a man now so he has to deal with the consequences of his actions and then leaves the place. Tiana shows up and updates Hakeem on her friend status. The girl is now at the hospital and she is going to see her, but before she does she has a discussion with Hakeem as he, selfishly as always, tries to make everything about him. Jamal also tells him that what happened is his fault and he needs to become a man. Hakeem decides to go out of there and pick Bella up from his father´s house.

Giuliana meets with Andre as they agreed. She wants to get to know Andre before she starts business with him so she questions him about his relationship with his father. After some flirting, Giuliana tells him that she´s going to make her people to take a look at the contract the man just presented her and if everything is right, then they have an agreement. Andre is left there watching her go.

Giuliana meets with a man and tells him that she is working her way to Lucious, but she just needs some time. The man doesn’t trust completely in her, but he gives her the chance to prove to him what she can do.

Hakeem shows up at Lucious’ house and tells him he wants to take Bella with him. Lucious asks him for some time to talk to him and begins to tell him the story of the night where he was born. He confesses how he believes the young guy is now a man and that was confirmed to him when he came into his house saying that he was taking his daughter with him showing his new sense of “responsibility.” Also, he lectures him on what being a Lyon means and asks him to protect his daughter with his own life. At the end, he wishes his son a Happy Birthday before he leaves with his baby girl.