Empire: Discussion Thread

[Faulkner]

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[ReddFoxx]

A recast certainly will sting and I think that would be a good punishment for Jussie. As long as the recast is not a terrible actor it shouldn't matter too much for viewers.

[Khan]

You know, there's a part of me that wishes they would recast -- and with Jack Coleman.  ;)

[ReddFoxx]

LOL. Joking aside, I've noticed Jack Coleman seems to be typecast as struggling gay men. Maybe he could play new Jamal's older white husband that he met after losing his memory and ending up in Los Angeles

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[DRW50]

 

Was his character on Heroes gay?

[ChitHappens]

 

[DRW50]

That is hilarious.

[Vee]

[Chris B]

Honestly this is a real prime time soap so I’d have no problem with a recast. I hate that shows don’t do that anymore in prime time but instead will create these exact replica characters with a new name. Hell, call Corbin Bleu. I don’t think he’d be hard to recast. 

[Faulkner]

I think primetime viewers are just not accustomed to recasts. They form a stronger bond to a character “as played by so-and-so” instead of a character who is just part of a larger whole. It’s certainly easier on a show with a massive canvas like GoT to recast a secondary character like Daario, but I doubt they’d ever have recast Cersei, Tyrion, or even Sansa unless it was *very* early on. Fans would have rioted. Empire still has a relatively tight ensemble, so a new actor in a pivotal role can really throw off the energy. 

 

 

[Vee]

It's a tough move in mainstream TV these days beyond a season or two, but this situation absolutely warrants it.

[Faulkner]

I can see both sides. At the end of the day, the show has totally burned itself out, but I do see how vital Jamal is/was in showing what an unapologetically gay black man could look like to an audience who’ve only known black gay men in a certain way. I’m sure Lee sees the show as a vessel to deliver that image.

 

Still, this is way more ink than Empire has had since that surprisingly huge first season (where it felt like every black person in the country watched). For a lot of people, this story’s a reminder that the show’s still airing. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by Faulkner

[DramatistDreamer]

The Onion has been getting a bit too real these past couple of years.

 

[xtr]

 

Right. I am one that is NOT in favor of a recast for Jamal. And I think it might not go over well with a lot of viewers. Especially for many of us who have consistently watched this show from the beginning.  I would rather they just bring in a new character.  But we'll see what happens, and things may work themselves out one way or the other. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by xtr

[Vee]

 

Again, it's something where if the show is going to wind down soon I wouldn't recast, just write him out. But if they apparently intend to continue indefinitely, then yeah, go for it.