Empire – What Remains Is Bestial

By: Kelly Kearney

Lucious’ “Extreme,” Frenzy

Empire’s streaming service, Extreme, is up and running but maybe not for long. Lucious (Terrence Howard) needs 10 million subscribers by Friday or the company will lose millions. Without subscribers and new content, Extreme won’t make profits so Lucious wants to release Jamal’s (Jussie Smollett) Black and White album. Since Jamal’s shooting, he’s shelved the release on that album and is changing his focus while he deals with his panic attacks. So, Lucious tells Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) if he can’t release the album then she needs to find him someone who can lay down tracks in order for Extreme to drop by Friday. He hands her keys to half a dozen luxury cars and tells her to come back with an artist. Of course, this is all a setup. Not that Lucious doesn’t need the music, but he knows that Cookie and Angelo (Taye Diggs) agreed to go on a date and who better to use against Angelo then one of is bright and talented kids, Zeah (Ezri Walker) from Woke. He offers the young man money, cars and fame but before he can sign over his life to the devil Cookie rips up the contract and tells him the world doesn’t need another rapper – his future is too bright. She goes on to promise that if Zeah finishes school that they’ll talk in the future.

The bottom line though is Lucious wants Extreme to be successful, but he wants Cookie more. His marriage to Anika (Grace Gealey) is a sham to keep Tariq (Morocco Omari) off his back and keep his granddaughter under his roof. Cookie was and always will be his weakness. Unfortunately for the Lyon patriarch, his lioness Cookie wants no part of him.

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Jamal’s “Intoxicating” Duet

Jamal’s still struggling with the fallout from his public panic episodes. Besides Lucious threatening to release the Black and White album against his wishes, both his parents are urging him to get back in the saddle. Lucious wants him to be Extreme’s artist and while Cookie wants that too. She also wants to see her baby boy happy and healthy, which is why she sets up a meeting between Jamal and pop superstar Kitty (Mariah Carey). Kitty offers Jamal a spot on her South American tour and a feature spot on her album. Jamal awkwardly declines and the two wind up recording a single. Kitty even releases the rights to Empire to stream it. The song is a huge hit and Lucious gets his 10 million subscribers. Still not wanting to face up to his fears though, Jamal walks out of a support group meeting. The counselor Phillip (Juan Antonio) still pleads with him to get help.

Hakim’s On Fire

Hakim’s (Bryshere Y. Gray) loses it when Tiana (Serayah), his ex and hopefully new boo, replaces him with some competition both on stage and in a lip lock. The songstress does a stage performance with Gram (Romeo Miller) and embarrasses the young Lyon with a very public make out session. He’s livid and Lucious can’t believe he’s letting Gram show him up. Lucious tells him to clap back and show him who the real lion is. Hakim gets his frustrations out in the studio with some aggressive and violent lyrics about Tiana. Shyne (Xzibit) tells his sister Nessa (Sierra McClain) to get ready to sing the hook on it, but she’s not about all that violence against women. Shyne grabs her and threatens to hurt her unless she gets in that studio and does what she’s told. Hakim breaks the siblings up and tells his father about Shyne manhandling Nessa. Of course, Lucious doesn’t see the problem and says Shyne was just trying to get the hottest track for Lucious. He makes some jabs about Hakim being weak for ratting out Shyne but Hakim, unlike his father, isn’t ok with violence against women – even if it’s to get a hot track.

Andre Gets a Taste of Reality

When we last saw Andre (Trai Byers) he was wrongfully arrested and beaten by a few cops who racially profiled him outside his apartment. This week, Andre is free, but his CEO status can’t save him from being black in America. Lucious and Cookie console their son and beg him to let Thirsty (Andre Roy) handle the cops. Andre believes his innocence is enough and wants Thirsty to stay out of it.

In court, Andre assumes his lawyer will handle this mistake, but the judge (Mary Beth Burns) reads a list of violations and it’s pretty clear he is being railroaded. Lucious tries to open his sons’ eyes by taking Andre, Hakim and Jamal for a ride through his old neighborhood in the projects. The trip is meant to remind them who they are. No fortune or fame can change the fact they’re black men in a society with racial tension. He even goes on to ask them if they even know they’re black. He tears into each of them, calling his sons weak and attacks Andre for having a white wife. Andre loses it and Jamal follows suit. They both storm out of the van, only Hakim stays behind ready to prove his father wrong in the studio.

Later, Andre gets stopped on the street by Tariq (Morocco Omari) who tries to tempt him into turning states evidence against his father. Apparently Tariq used his clout as an FBI agent to convince the arresting officers in Andre’s case to lie about what happened. He leaves his nephew with an eerie warning that things will only get worse for him if he doesn’t cooperate. His money and connections won’t save him now that he’s in the system.

Anika’s special Delivery

Things are not getting any better at the Lyon mansion. Anika is desperate to get out of the house and back to work and she’s got her eye on the empty A&R position at Empire. After rubbing his affairs in Anika’s eyes, Lucious tells her that her job is being a mother to Bella and keeping her mouth shut with Tariq. Not being one to back down, Anika turns the tables on her husband with a little adulterous scene of her own. Payback seems to be Anika’s style and the scene she just gave Lucious is just the beginning. She warns that she knows all of his secrets, which is why she was forced into this marriage made in hell. So, from now on, she will do what and whom she pleases or she’ll go right to Tariq and the Feds.

Cookie’s Ready To Crumble Lucious

Last week Cookie accepted a date from Councilman Dubois, but after Lucious tries to hire Zeah, it seems Cookie gets a taste of what exactly Angelo does for their community. At first, the councilman insults Cookie by saying the world doesn’t need more rappers because what it needs is bright successful black men and women making a difference in their community. After a quick tour of Woke, Cookie is sold, but she reminds Angelo of who he’s dealing with. Cookie isn’t ashamed of where she came from or Empire and if they’re going to date he better be ok with that. Dubois is smooth and apologizes with a kiss that Cookie declines, (for now) but leaves it open for a rain check.

As the episode closes, Cookie and Lucious go head to head over the release of Jamal’s album. This is personal and Lucious smugly agrees. He’s made it clear he wants her back, but she’s spending time with Angelo. He goes even further and says he’s taking Empire and the CEO job back, no more of this divide between “business and talent” that they agreed on. Cookie reminds him that she has the board backing her and this takeover would mean war. Lucious looks her right in the eye as if to say, “If you want war, you’ve got a war!”

Who will win the war over Empire and will it even matter if Anika or Andre hand Lucious over to the Feds? Find out all the Lyon drama, next week on “Empire.”