Empire: Discussion Thread

[Nate4]

You got: Lucious

You’re the king of the jungle, but your roar is not worse than your bite. You didn’t get to the top of the game by backing down from threats. You may rule your kingdom with an iron fist, but you have a heart underneath it all. You just happen to know what’s best everyone else.

Fox

[ajsp35801]

Finally saw the episode and so late to the party.

I loved the episode as usual.

I had no problem whatsoever with Cookie tossing Kitty's stuff. That's Cookie's house damnit! It all came from her 400 Thousand! She owns all that IMO. Including Lucious' raggedy ass. That's her house, her cars, her company, her sons, and her damn husband as far as I'm concerned!

Andre. My Andre. I just want to hold him to my breast and heal him with my vagina. I truly do. And did you all catch that look Lucios gave as he passed off next of kin duties to Rhonda. Oh, I think he's setting her up for Andre to break up with her over having him committed.

I see people up in arms over Lucious having issues with Andre being labeled mentally ill. Did we expect any different? this is a very common response. I have two step cousins who are schizophrenic. First cousins. And both their mothers are in denial. Two sisters. The oldest got help on her own because she knew something wasn't right. She was in her mid 30s when the illness started to manifest. But the male was about 19 and he's now 25. He's a mess. I digress. Back to the show. Lucious is quite ignorant but I can't hate him. He is the embodiment of every man over the age of 65 that I know (regardless of color/race). They are just from a different era. Lucious is far too young for these opinions though.

Trai better get an Emmy nomination for that performance.

Jamal standing up to Lucious always makes me happy. Lucious as well if we go by the look on his face.

For some reason I want Tikeem back together. Hakeem was my least favorite character for the longest. But they gave him a heart and some vulnerability, so I have come to really love him. I'm still waiting on Lucious to sleep with Camilla and set Hakeem up to see it. That would be so soapy.

I like the new role they have found for Kitty. She can't really tell Lucious' secret because it ruins her father. Well written. Those are true stakes and it now makes sense as to why she would hold back the information. I've found that alot of times soaps writers have characters making nonsensical choices just to serve a plot (i.e. Nikki lying for Neil on Y&R). Anika's choices make perfect sense.

[Skin]

This is so odd to me, to see Luscious actions being apologized for, he just seems like such an obvious manifestation of everything wrong with the world be it homophobia, racism and now his archaic responses to mental illness, he's just an all around fail in the world we live in and I can't tolerate it. I want him destroyed. I'm hoping that the ALS kills him slowly and with maximum pain. That kind of ignorance can't exist in the world. I don't find him charming or sympathetic in the least -- no matter how good Terrance Howard is an an actor or how good looking some people may see him as. I'm getting flashbacks o Archie Bunker and JR Chandler from AMC here. I just can't excuse him, not matter what time period he comes from, or what community he grew up in.

[Vee]

You're not supposed to. He is the patriarch and the antihero.

[Skin]

My response was to the posters who have described him as being charming and likable, despite his various issues and I just don't see it. I don't have any affinity with the character of Luscious, and I don't really want to.There's just this massive feeling of "do not want" when I see him on screen. It's was more just my opinion. Some posters are seeing good aspects to his character though, and I am just wondering what they are seeing.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Skin

[Vee]

Because there are decent aspects to a character who is also morally repugnant. He's not just one thing, none of them are. The tragedy of Lucious is that all his prejudices and hatreds pollute his talent and love for his family, and the show illustrates that tragedy every week.

If you don't get it, fine, but the show is not meant to provide some moral exemplar. It condemns Lucious' behavior.

[ReddFoxx]

Lucious is a prototype of urban black men who follow old, traditional thinking and are set in their ways, but you can't totally write them off.

[Skin]

Fair enough. However I completely disagree with the assessment of making him a heroic protagonist, he isn't one. I would say even as an anti-hero he fails. Attempting to make others sympathize with him, won't work specifically because of the pain he inflicts on all of these characters. There's a difference between grey characterization, and a disgusting person.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Skin

[Cheap21]

Lucious is one of the more interesting character on the show. I don't and can't hate him. He can be an awful person, but I really don't see him as just some vile, evil, disgusting person. I think the relationships he has with his family are among the the most dynamic and real ones on TV today. I find him very intriguing

[ajsp35801]

That kind of ignorance does exist in the world and from people that I'm sure most of us love. You can love a person and not agree with their antiquated ideas. Lucious and his relationships with everyone around him are very realistic. His sons love him because, while he's a disaster, he also loves them and we have seen it shown in many ways. He's toxic but that doesn't mean they shouldn't love him. Who hasn't or doesn't love a toxic person? So what you may see as Lucious apologizers might simply be empathy from people who've lived the life of those around him.

[DeeeDee]

+1.

[ChitHappens]

+ 1,000,000,000,000

[Cheap21]

I love that the show finally has enough black people to do something like this
 

 

 

 

[Antoyne]

I'm amazed at how much I don't care for Jamal at all now. I literally groan everytime he comes onscreen.

[ChitHappens]

I can only tolerate Jamal when he is performing with his brother. Otherwise, he's cringe worthy, and for Daniels to even imply that this clown can go toe to toe with a man like Lucious is CLEARLY a fantasy. It's always laughable to me.