Empire: Discussion Thread

[MoTheGreat]

Lucious arch enemy knows about Cookie involvement. To Keep Cookie quite Lucious going to have to marry Cookie again.

That gag order definitely not working now.

[ajsp35801]

My thoughts

1. The show has finally shown us that Kitty and Lucious have something real. She isn't just arm candy or someone that he is with because of what she brings to the table. It's not just convenience. I loved the scene with Kitty and Lucious when he tells her he is dying and she shaves him with tears in her eyes. She doesn't weep and wail. She has strength! More strength than Lucious gives her credit for. That is going to come to bite him in the butt with her. I see her surprising him when she doesn't just slink away when he gets with Cookie cause that is going to happen. Segue...

2. Cookie Lyons. She is still carrying this show IMO. The highlight for her her this week was her outsmarting everyone and going to see Titans mother. It takes a mother to understand that connection and see the benefits of paying her a visit. No one else in that room thought to do that. It works because all were men except Kitty and I assume she has no children. I really like how Cookie embraced Tianna. She seemed to genuinely like her. Another segue

3. Tianna is not what I expected at all from when I first met her. I really like how the show presents a character and allows you to form opinions but have you change it as the character isfleshed out. Tianna is a VERY smart and ambitious girl. Most women would have acted a fool if they walked in on their man with another woman. She didn't. And when he thought she would have an attitude, she was about business. I respect her for not allowing Hakeem to ruin what she had worked hard for. I can't wait to see how she handles this. I doubt the fall out from that will be this easy.

4. Andre and Lucious relationship was fleshed out more. Andre is ride or die and has been from the beginning. He worked hard for that company from childhood. He had promising talent as a child. I wonder what happened there. Is he hiding it? Does the medicine he takes stifle it?

5. Lucious. Does everyone know that Cookie is his weakness? Everyone but her, that is? I am interested to see where this show goes with Beretti.

There are alot of storylines going on the show. Am I the only one that thinks it's too much? Lucious is dealing with ALS, battling love interests, relationships with his sons, trying to elude being caught for murder, now he has a business rival, and just inserted himself into some gang warfare when he signed Titan. It's a bit much. Or is it just me?

Edited January 29, 2015 by ajsp35801

[ajsp35801]

They just upped the stakes for when Lucious decides he wants Cookie back. Kitty is going to play the woman scorned and get her a piece of the empire. Do your worst Kitty! Make him pay! I am here for it!

[Vee]

Every week is better for me, honestly.

[Vanguardian]

I don't think any of it is a bit much, I do think all of it is improperly executed to the point of blandness. Where's the REAL crazy?

[ajsp35801]

I like the way you think.

But I don't think Lucious marries Cookie to keep her quiet about the drug money. I think he marries her to keep her from testifying against him about his skeletons that they guy said he would dig up. Cookie would surely know all Lucius' dirt. We know he killed some drug dealers back in the day because Bunky told us. You know Cookie knows all this.

[ajsp35801]

This episode was a little flat to me. It wasn't bland but I didn't see much drama. It was more about character building. I guess...

[MoTheGreat]

You think that gang thing going to pop up again.

[Vee]

I just don't see why it's "bland" if they're not all knifing each other or having fights in the pool like Dynasty.

[ajsp35801]

Most definitely. Not sure who is after Cookie in that preview. It could be anyone. Could be those gang bangers out for revenge over the Titan shooting. Could be whoever it is that Cookie is testifying against. Could be some of Beretti's people. Could be anyone.

[MoTheGreat]

I think Beretti can use Cookie against Lucious. This is where Lucious got to remarry Cookie to shut her up. I think it's who ever Cookie testifying against that is trying to kill her.

[ReddFoxx]

Anika was trying to be hard, but she does not have it and Cookie aptly called her a bougie debutante. Anika would have not seen the drive-by coming had she gone by herself, which is why Lucious wanted to go along.

Jamal doesn't want to take money from his father, but at the same time, he doesn't want to do any work. He's plucking my nerves.

Andre continues to be the most crafty son.

I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that Hakeem is going to want Cookie's help at some point, because I think Camilla is going to be trouble for him and Cookie will have to come to the rescue somehow.

[Vee]

I don't get why people call that episode slow - I think episodes like that are what good soap are built on, daytime or nighttime. They packed so much character in for people like Anika and Hakeem, who needed it (the Anika stuff, and her sort of shutting out Cookie when she arrived at work, was especially excellent - kudos to Grace Gealey for the look in her teary eyes as she shaved Lucious).

The sophisticated editing schema is still working out beautifully since the pilot, too - the montage on Jamal wandering Bushwick (so they did move to Brooklyn), working up the song, was neat. And I loved the Andre flashback.

I loved Tiana shrugging off Hakeem and Camilla. She knows what she's there to do.

Everything at the end with Lucious and Cookie was so adorable. I have to wonder if that last line exchange was improvised. You know they're going to be ripped apart just as they got close (and for bigger reasons, I suspect, than Anika), but this is really wonderful, wistful romance.

[DeeeDee]

Ta'Rhonda Jones is keeper.

[Vanguardian]

Another thing that bothered me about this episode is that it didn't even bother to end with at least a semi-formidable cliffhanger. It ended with some playful crap between Lucious and Cookie. Where was the cliffhanger to rope the audience into next week?