Empire: Discussion Thread

[Errol]

Damn the bullet to the head aired on a broadcast show? Wow. Good drama.

[Errol]

"Don't be sad. Don't be mad. Can I still sing the Lyon song 'cause I'm still a Lyon, right?" Such a precious little girl. Best child actress in YEARS. Gonna miss her Lyon ass, lol.

[Errol]

"You just don't want to die alone." Cookie knows Lucious so well. "Take me somewhere with you, Malcolm. I want to be alone with you." YES!!!

[All My Shadows]

As I figured, the only major thing that really carried over from last week was the Andre stuff, and even that wasn't heavily featured. The Empire/Creedmoor beef wasn't given a line of dialogue unless I missed it, which I was fine with because had they waited to do that for S2, it could have given us an entire season's worth of story with the build-up, climax, and a cliffhanger. Maybe they'll revisit it next season.

[Errol]

Ya'll talking about Booboo Kitty pulling Cookie's hair, but what about Jamal about to shove some white dude off some roof/building? Barretti maybe?

Oh, and who's GINORMOUS boobs is about to hang out after the zip down? My lord, some lady has good knocks.

[Errol]

Looks like the Cookie accidental murder will be revisited as expected next week. I just want to know what they'll pull off next week that'll have us salivating until next fall/spring. CAN'T WAIT!!!

[SFK]

I don't know if you all are familiar with my old pal, actor Malcolm Goodwin, but I can't help but smile that Derek Luke's character is named "Malcolm" because I always said they favored one another.

[Vee]

Hakeem sampled Suzanne Vega and Tom's fuckin' Diner tonight! It's all the music I grew up with. I am in love.

[Vee]

I thought that was fun and a solid hour, but at times a bit much even for Empire - they seem to enjoy doing this episodic thing, where they play certain little sub-stories out week to week, and some carry over and some are one and done. It works for them a lot IMO, but the whole hostage situation thing was a bit off for me. The good stuff, which was most everything else other than Evil Reg and his gun, worked for me. I also doubt we've seen the last of Camilla. Naomi Campbell was great tonight. And Bryshere Gray is adorable. It was not my favorite episode, though.

The show's only real flaw, IMO, is the rushed story in some episodes, like this one. Part of that is due to their producing most of this in a vacuum, not knowing if they'd be picked up, and part of it is IMO the pressures and expectations of most modern network TV, where many other shows rush far more plot or character beats than Empire. Still, they need to slow down a bit next season. It's their keen, deep interest in the characters and their dynamics that carry the show through those rougher spots.

I'm glad they didn't have Jennifer Hudson jump to seducing Andre, and they didn't have him on enough for me. I was hoping the Mary J. Blige cameo would amount to a bit more as well. But as long as they stick with the Andre story, as they clearly are, I'm willing to wait.

Also, Chit, you need to get over your selective POV on the showrunners and Ilene Chaiken. I never watched The L Word and I have no experience with her, I don't care what she did there, but the plain fact all of the creators have stated is that she is the day to day showrunner when Daniels and Strong are not around, and for my money she's done a pretty damn solid job. They're all three doing good work. Pretending anything you don't like is on the only person who's there everyday and everything else is the dudes don't make sense.

And now, talk of Season 2 in the Hollywood Reporter.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Vee

[Cheap21]

that was me trying to be careful bc of Toups in here last week

[Vee]

I'm not surprised to hear (in the above article) that Macy Gray's guest stint was scrapped because she's still nuts. I think Naomi Campbell's character may have replaced hers. I hope Spike Lee really does come in and do an episode, as they're suggesting.

Raven on last night for THR.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Vee

[Cheap21]

[All My Shadows]

This show could definitely handle 22 episodes, IMO. They have the story, and that's half of the battle. They can fill the hours with meaningful stuff each week for sure. Might there be a filler ep here or there? Sure. But Empire doesn't feel like a show that will plod on without purpose at any point. Not now, at least.

I feel you on the episodic thing, Vee. It does have a crisis-of-the-week feel, but I'm good with that. Because I want to annoy Taraji, I'll call attention to the fact that Dallas and Knots began the same way. Borh shows had hostage episodes early on, IIRC.

[Cheap21]

Man I felt last night could have served as a season finale. The climax with the drama at the house could have ended the show with the sound of the gun being shot and a fade to black. It was that intense

[xtr]

I enjoyed last night's episode. I am looking forward to next weeks finale.

Can Jennifer Hudson stay, lol? I thought her and Andre had great chemistry together. He was feeling it. I am looking forward to whatever time they are given together, even though I think unfortunately they won't get much time together.

I thought it was interesting how he threw Rhonda out of the room. I understand that a lot of that is because he's hurting/suffering, but I also wonder if maybe he thinks on some level she's part of his problem. Right now it seems like Andre doesn't want much to do with the family business. I think he feels that it has contributed a great deal to his suffering, all the fighting, scheming etc... Maybe he wanted Rhonda out of the room, because she has been apart of the scheming/drama in the family. Granted Andre is responsible for some of that too, but I could see him blaming Rhonda for some of the problems he's had with the family.

I wanted that sweet, pretty little girl to be Jamal's too. I had figured that Lucious would eventually have another kid pop up somewhere. I had thought that maybe Anika would end up pregnant, or a woman from his past would show up with a child, or even a surprise fourth pregnancy with Cookie would happen later on. I know that on soaps that usually happens, but I would have preferred the child had been with someone else, and not Olivia.

I had wanted little Lola to stay Jamal's. I did like how the family responded to the news though. At first shocked, then a bit disgusted but ultimately understanding that is something Lucious would do, and all of them still continuing to love Lola. If she ever returns she will continue to have plenty of love and support from everyone in the family.

Also I think that Cookie might really fall for Malcolm.

Edited March 12, 2015 by xtr