The Empire Unpossess’d (4×18)

Ghettocides really Eddie?

At least this time Lucious wasn’t shot. But Eddie still has Lucious’ scarf he threw on Shine’s body after his goon shot him. It seems they can’t cover all their tracks with Thirsty’s help every time.

Hakeem & Blake work on a beat. Nice tiger shirt dude. Hakeem looks so much better wearing that then the shirts with the gold chains he sported in Season 1.

The Lyons need leverage over Eddie. It appears Cookie has some. I was expecting her to speak with Diana DuBois as a throwback.

Tory’s sensual tune over the piano is so nice. Jamal swoops into the studio to listen in.

“All right piano lady.”

Tory & Jamal back again!

Tory doesn’t want the tabloids/media, and she’s right to think Jamal wanted to cover his family’s back when they were against the wall

I hope they stick with the Anonymous group

Cookie meets with Anika at a boogie eatery. I really hate Anika’s hair look. I can’t stand seeing it in any context. Their bantering made me miss the Boo Boo Kitty v Cookie days….

Cookie says she’ll back Anika for a new company of hers, if she can get Lucious’ scarf out of police evidence. Or at least Eddie’s custody. Anika isn’t biting and she’s bitter that Cookie came back and took her place when she left prison.

Jamal meets with Tory at Leviticus, calling her phone to discover she’s overdosed again. I was so crestfallen when this happened. Because I wanted the two of them to jam out and make up.

He’s seen humming to her near the hospital bed. Twice now she’s gone back to old habits drug wise. Damn you Eddie for making her circumstances worse.

She implores Jamal that their music should remain anonymous. He says she can be sober and still make music, and he’s got a good point. Is there jealousy there? (As Tory references that Jamal is still “Jamal Lyon” even as he tries to pursue some music distanced from the Empire brand.)

Lucious corners Renee. I honestly thought for five minutes Renee was another one of Eddie’s exes…(can you blame me? Eddie has a lot of women in his life he left behind.)

Apparently her daughter is in prison (Cookie). And that was the ah ha moment. Lucious meets her Momma. This meetup was a long time coming.

“Cookie gave up her freedom, years with the boys, just because she thinks she loves you.” #shade

Lucious suggests he should turn himself in to save the company. Cookie says they need to find dirt on Eddie, or that they should fabricate something. It seems they’re running out of options.

Andre goes to talk with Lucious, and he’s skeptical when passed a drink. Who could blame him though. He’s been through so much with his Dad. Andre needs to buy back Empire when he turns himself in for Shine’s murder.

Andre wants to take the fall, since he involved Shine in the first place. He carries so much trauma and guilt man. I just want to give Andre a hug.

“And more than the others, you have me in you. You’re the Lyon, son.”

Lucious wants to pass the mantel from himself to Andre when he’s locked away.

 

I miss all of Jamal’s low cut shirts he wore last season. He was the epitome of fashion, even at the Lyon family dinner table. Lucious reveals he’s being blackmailed, and that he’s going to pin Shine’s murder on him. What a lovely dinner topic…

It’s like Bunky’s moment;

“I killed Shine.”

“I killed Bunky.”

Yikes….

Hakeem doesn’t like to hear his mentor being scorned, even in death. And he’s alright to think that way, because Shine taught the youngest Lyon so much about rap.

“So we lost mom for 17 years, now we lose you for the rest of your life. All to continue to save some company that doesn’t nothing but destroy our family?” Gotta hand it to Jamal to keep it real… Jamal suggests Lucious let it go, giving it to Eddie to save Lucious from being imprizoned.

Eddie and Anika come by the board meeting, offering the Patel bid. The Lyons come in a group, offering their own bid of $750 million. BUT…..

The bid is zero???? Cookie did that!!!

“Empire’s most valuable asset is this family.” Their kinship is their strongest asset and their largest detriment.

Eddie’s bid is accepted, and Cookie got Lucious’ scarf back. So he’s not going to prison. Empire will have to be rebuilt from scratch. Or rather, the Lyon’s musical ambitions will manifest themselves in a different enterprise. A new dynasty is born.

Cookie will be here this time, and the family will come together. No one will be in prison. Lucious doesn’t appreciate Cookie’s move to pull out of their bid for Empire, understandably.

He retreats to the piano in his studio to work through his angst, playing a song from the past, as he longs for Cookie. It’s sweet.

Uh oh, the plaque is coming down!! Is Eddie regretting it?

Cookie wonders where their car is in the snow, forgetting it was the company car. That was hilarious. Cookie tells him she knows he really cares for her.

Jamal visits Tory in rehab. The doctor reveals to him that Tory suffered a gran making seizure and died as a result of her latest OD. Jamal is crushed, and he’s leaving to take space.

(Is Jussie Smollett leaving Empire?)

Jamal wants to be nobody somewhere else, to disappear where he can’t be recognized, to process his trauma with Tory’s death, his PTSD, etc and make a new life for himself.

I hate Anika’s hair. And she’s gleeful about “defeating the Lyons” before the press conference. Andre offers his congrats beforehand, but something seems amiss.

She has a guilty conscience for some reason?? Andre wants to move on, offering a truce with a toast. Bring on the bubbly I guess.

Rene can’t understand how Cookie could give everything up. She doesn’t seem to support the #Cooscious relationship…

Lucious proposes to Cookie, to start over as husband and wife. The diamond is gorgeous and HUGE, silencing her protests. She says she needs to be first before Empire, to value their relationship fully. Lucious sees her stalling, but Cookie wanted to see him sweat a little. Cookie accepts. Lucious wants to head to the court to legalize things. Cookie was hoping to involve their sons, but they leave for the courthouse nonetheless.

Tiana looks distressed, arriving at Hakeem’s apartment. I’m over it as much as Hakeem is. It seems that Hakeem is willing to overlook everything in their past, especially as Tiana reveals she’s pregnant with Hakeem’s baby. Blake’s SHOCKED. I think his eyes popped out of his head for a second. Tiana looks so young in this scene.

Hakeem says he’ll figure it out with her, maybe receiving a family and relationship he’s wanted so much. But considering his track record with relationships and almost weddings he’ll have to keep trying and crossing his fingers for a long while.

Andre, I hope you’re not going to pull anything at this press conference…Anika hears a baby crying in the distance (Bella?) And sees Rhonda asks if she’s one of the many psychopathic CEOS. Andre drugged Anika with the drink, crushing several pills inside to stir up hallucinations of Rhonda, since she was the one who survived.

In her fit of hysteria, Anika jumped over the balcony, landing on the table. She’s seen barely breathing, lying on a table with crushed glass and spilled champagne underneath her as people look on. So much for the initial press conference.

Andre didn’t need more guilt. But his guilt leads him right back to the church, assumed to annul and confess his latest sin.

Lucious delivers tender vows; and Cookie reciprocates. The judge also speaks with great pride about valuing relationships, as the scene carries over to Jamal wandering with sunglasses on near a subway station, noticing a young artist singing nearby and smiles. He’s in London, getting away from it all.

Hakeem, Blake & Tiana are seen exiting a store, about to board a limo. Only to be ambushed by Blake’s crazed dad, gun in hand, who fires off three shots, as the camera cuts out. Apparently, telling off your white nationalist father doesn’t go over well. I have so many questions after this.

Was Blake shot three times? We’re all three people shot? Who was killed?

Cutting back to Cookie and Lucious being pronounced husband and wife, seemingly elated. Cookie is going to be a mess when she hears the news…..