Is Jussie Smollett’s Exit the End of Empire?

By: Jamie Steinberg and Kelly Kearney

One week before the season finale of “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon, announced he’s leaving the Fox hit drama to focus on his music and film career. The announcement came one day after the “Empire” cliffhanger that found Jamal taking a bullet that was meant for his father Lucious (Terrence Howard). So what kind of impact will this departure have on the series? I’m guessing this is the first nail in the music/drama’s coffin.

Hakeem the Playboy

With Jussie out, the showrunner’s have to find a way of making this Lyon son multi-dimensional. Hakeem’s freestyle rapping, sensitive playboy role isn’t enough to keep viewers interested. He’s predictable and his storyline is fairly repetitive. Now that he has a baby on the way, his role might change, but it’s doubtful. His baby mama drama will continue, but the most interesting player in this will be Anika (Grace Gealey). With Anika’s jealousy, assault on Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) and her vengeance for Lucious could leave Hakeem in the background juggling women while trying to balance his new role as a father. While that might show a more mature side of Hakeem, it certainly won’t be riveting TV and will most likely be a catalyst to boost Anika, Lucious and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson).

Mental Illness is a Lifetime Struggle but not a Lifetime Story

Andre Lyon has been pigeonholed into this Bipolar storyline for two seasons and it doesn’t look like there’s much room for anything else. Now that his assumed dead grandmother is back and he’s come face to face with his father’s lies and disappointment, where does he go from here? His faith in God was the one thing that set him apart from the rest of the family, but after the loss of his child, he lost his faith and his uniqueness. To fill the void of Jamal, Andre has to move away from the angry Bipolar son and tackle something new and unexpected. Will the discovery of his mentally ill grandmother, topped with the loss of his brother and his wife’s miscarriage fuel a new side of Andre? Maybe, but Andre took a step back from his family thanks to Lucious and I don’t see him stepping into Jamal’s shoes and tying the family together. Coupled with the fact that he is the only brother that doesn’t perform music of any kind, the character has been written into a corner. Andre manages the numbers at Empire, but a juicy plot to take down Lucious and possibly even the desire to become a music producer could be Andre’s saving grace, especially if it’s to avenge his brother’s death and step up to the plate at Empire.

The Cookie Lyon Show

Cookie Lyon might be the only character that could help fill the void Jamal’s left behind. With her endless sass, secrets and outbursts, Cookie has quickly become a fan favorite and a force to be reckoned with. This season we saw Cookie in more of a referee role. She fought to bring her family back together and she will be instrumental in doing the same in the aftermath of Jamal’s presumable death. She might be the best chance Empire has to hold its ratings but Empire is not a one-character show and Cookie feeds off familial drama and her mama bear instincts. Jamal was the only character that supported her through all the highs and lows and showcased a softer side to her that was buried under all that “shade.” Can Taraji carry the show on her own? Talent wise, absolutely but unless the writers really delve into what makes that character tick and maybe put Cookie out of her comfort zone, I don’t see much hope for a Cookie take over. The loss of Jamal will be a huge obstacle for the writers to tackle over the hiatus and if they can’t add some dimension with new and remaining characters, Smollett leaving might just be the end of Empire.

Side Piece

“Empire” has had a lot of side acts that keep the storylines moving along. We have Hakeem’s former love interest Tiana (Sereyah) that recently went on tour. Hakeem originally mentored Valentina Galindo (Becky G) before she ditched him for a bigger label. Next came great success with girl group Mirage a Tois as they toured as an opening act for Tiana. Unfortunately, Hakeem has just told girlfriend/lead singer Laura (Jamila Velazquez) that her career isn’t taking off in the way they thought so he didn’t think she’d be making it as a star at Empire. Things can change at the drop of a dime so maybe it’s time to focus more on the side acts. Hakeem can always reconsider his marketing tactics for Mirage A Tois and get them back on the music scene. Maybe Hakeem can throw himself into his work and start a new group. When the Lyon boys made their way to find Freda, they discovered a little boy who killed it in a rap battle against Hakeem. Why not mentor him to be the youngest rapper in the game? There are plenty of fish in the sea!

Label It

This season saw the creation of the Lyon Dynasty label, short lived as it was. When Lucious spit venom, the rest of the Lyon family took a departure and started their own empire. That’s where Hakeem first found Valentina and got the idea for Mirage a Tois, but when fences were mended, they let Empire absorb Lyon Dynasty. With the family name (and possibly Empire’s as well) being tarnished in the shooting, maybe it is time to revisit the idea. A new label could breathe life back into the family and give them a reason to come together and remerge bigger and better. With all those new artists coming on the scene, we know Cookie and Hakeem are sure to easily be able to find a diamond in the rough.

Lucifer Lucious

Last, but never least, let’s take a look at Lucious Lyon – the OG of Empire. He created the company with Cookie and made it successful while she was locked up. Does he have what it takes to bring his business back after suffering such a public set back? Sure, his mom is nuttier than a can of cashews. Yes, he lied about her being dead. But she’s returned to his life and is now making her presence known in the media. Next season could always focus on life with Leah Walker who is looking to take full-on revenge for being sentenced to a life in the loony bin. Also an option is dipping back into the Lucious Lyon life in prison. Maybe it comes to light that Freda (Bre-Z) shot Lucious as payback for the murder of her father. We’ve seen him do time before and that inspired some incredible music that took Season 2 by storm. A trip to the pen could be just what he needs as punishment and a way to find a new muse. Another option is to revisit Lucious’ neuromuscular matters. He’s been taking medicine as management, but maybe a new medical mystery is just what he needs to bring the focus away from the loss of his son.

Regardless of who takes the lead in Season Four, the fans will desperately be missing the presence of Jamal and Jussie. Both possess an incredible talent for music and passionate performance. Jamal made the Lyon family human and was the light to the darkness that hovered around them. Can “Empire” sustain itself without such a powerhouse? That remains to be seen. Regardless, we wish Jussie luck in all his endeavors and look forward where ever they take him. Let’s just hope Empire can rise when the prince falls.