“Empire” is back, and in our excitement we almost forgot just how diabolical the Lyons are. This family deserves each other (and we mean that in the best way).
The episode started with a #FreeLucious concert in Central Park. Lucious, who was arrested on murder charges in last season’s finale, has been in prison for three months awaiting his bond hearing.
The star-studded concert paved the way for obligatory celebrity cameos — Swiss Beatz, Andre Leon Talley and Rev. Al Sharpton all appeared within the episode’s first 10 minutes.
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On the surface, the event was billed as a way to highlight the mass incarceration of black men. Cookie basically took the crowd to church, delivering an impassioned sermon-like speech about the topic: “The American correctional system is built on the backs of our brothers, our fathers and our sons. How much longer?”
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From prison, Lucious watches on a rather plush, big-screen TV as his family masquerades for his freedom. It’s the most he’s seen of the majority of them — Cookie hasn’t yet visited him, but that pales in comparison to the years he refused to visit her during her prison bid.
Backstage, when Hakeem reminded his mother that Lucious was in prison for a murder he actually committed (of their cousin, no less), Cookie revealed her master plan: “This is about us taking the empire. Stay focused.”
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Ah yes, the hostile takeover. (Isn’t it weird how everyone just casually throws that term around? We’d like to imagine that they have a shared Google Doc titled “Hostile Takeover!!!” that is open to anyone who has the link.) With Jamal at the helm of Empire at Lucious’s behest, Dre, Hakeem and Cookie have been working to obtain a controlling interest in the company.
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Cookie maintains that she wants to take control of Empire away from Lucious so that her sons can control the company together. But the Lyon brothers are divided even among themselves. Jamal is struggling to balance his CEO duties with his promising career as a musician and has a pretty short fuse these days. His relationship with bratty-as-ever Hakeem is particularly fragile and, at times, comical. When Jamal takes issue with the proposed artwork for Hakeem’s still-not-released album, Hakeem says he’s “going to tell mom!”
Becky, upgraded to A&R from her role as Lucious’s assistant, has the best response to the animosity, telling Jamal: “You’re rude, he’s crude and the both of y’all are socially unacceptable. You need to fix this.”
Already an outcast because of his lack of musical talents, Dre is further alienated from his entire family. The eldest Lyon brother is paranoid about his role in covering up Vernon’s murder and holds particular contempt for Jamal being the chosen heir to their father’s legacy. Dre pretends to be committed to working with Cookie, Hakeem and Anika while secretly plotting his own takeover with his pregnant wife, Rhonda.
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The most important component of the hostile takeover is money, of course. Enter Marisa Tomei as Mimi Whiteman, a wealthy potential investor who isn’t shy about what she likes (Anika) and what she doesn’t (people trying too hard). Cookie and Anika pull out all the stops to try to woo the billionaire and her funds. There’s a lavish party thrown at Hakeem’s ridiculous bachelor pad, which leads to poor Anika half-heartedly twerking for Mimi on the dance floor.
Share this articleShareUltimately, Anika’s efforts are for naught. Mimi buys into Empire but opts to partner with Lucious instead, adding insult to injury when the takeover team arrives to a board meeting in formation (with Hakeem on a hovercraft because of course). “I thought I told you to sleep with her,” Cookie snaps at Anika. “I did,” Anika says, looking pained.
Lucious then appears on a screen in the Empire board room, laughing and essentially concluding his monologue from the first season finale. “Game over, b—–s.”
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But let’s talk about Lucious’s prison situation. The rules seem pretty lax there: In addition to watching television and joining video conferences, the inmates appear to be free to move about the facility with little oversight. This is how Lucious comes face-to-face with Frank Gathers (played by Chris Rock), the drug dealer whom Lucious and Cookie used to work for back in the day. Frank is also the person whom Cookie was tricked into testifying against at a grand jury hearing last season.
After that grand jury hearing, Cookie received roses and thought it may have been a message from Frank — roses were his calling card. In her panic, Cookie and her sister Carol called in reinforcements and Teddy McNally, a henchman of Frank’s, wound up dead. Ultimately, Cookie discovered that the roses were an anniversary present from Lucious. It’s nice to see “Empire’s” writers revisiting this particular storyline, which seemed to vanish amid all of the late-season melodrama earlier this year.
Frank, who seems perfectly at home in prison, immediately centers on an inmate he strongly suspects was involved in Teddy’s murder. Under pressure, the inmate divulges that it was Cookie who testified against Frank. Both Cookie and Carol begin to get unsolicited roses. Unfortunately, Porsha, Cookie’s space cadet of an assistant, doesn’t realize this is a problem. Carol visits Cookie in person to let her know everyone is in danger.
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Cookie sends the entire Lyon clan to Lucious’s house in a last-ditch effort to protect them. While Carol is a sobbing mess, Cookie is calm and collected and decides to finally pay Lucious a visit. The two exchange their usual snarky banter, with Lucious telling her that he still loves her and is sorry that he never went to see her in prison. Cookie tells him that Frank is out to get her and asks Lucious to handle it.
Lucious goes to visit Frank and it looks like a scene from a mafia movie. “You came alone, that shows respect,” Frank tells Lucious. Frank tells Lucious that his beef is with Cookie, not him, and asks if they’re good. Lucious looks around and the other inmates appear to be staring him down. “Cold-blooded,” Frank says. “I always liked you.”
“I always liked you, too,” Lucious says. “But I love Cookie and if you got war with her, you got war with me.”
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This is where things looked really bad for Lucious. Frank orders the other inmates to kill him. “Make it fast and quiet,” he says. Lucious then reveals that he paid off the inmates and that their loyalty now belongs to him. Bye, Frank!
“Kill him,” Lucious says.”Make it loud and make it long.” Judging by Frank’s screams, it was both.
Back at the Lyon compound, the family is confused but seemingly safe. “It was an old beef with a very dangerous man,” Cookie tells Rhonda. Jamal, still smarting from the takeover attempt, orders everyone — including Cookie — out of his father’s very divided house. Cookie doesn’t take kindly to his demands or tone and slaps him twice. But Jamal holds his ground, breaking down in tears after closing the door behind her.
Lingering questions: How long before everyone makes up? Is Jamal on his way to a nervous breakdown? Is Dre? What will Mimi do with Empire? Also: How did Frank Gathers manage to get a fork and knife in prison?
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