Empire: Discussion Thread

[ajsp35801]

I binge watched the first 5 episodes of the season last night. And I loved it. It finally feels like the show I liked last season. Good and the bad. LOL. Cookie is less of a caricature. Lucious is still evil but has soft moments, which are very much needed so that he won't look a total sociopath.

 

I agree about the complaints about Rhonda and how fast they moved on. I liked Rhonda but realized the need to get rid of her. Andre was kinda boxed in being married to her. Now he is single and there are far more possibilities with his character. I am enjoying the reboot for him. He needed and has gotten far more focus this season cause of it. One of the biggest changes is now he and Hakeem can fight over women, which is a soap staple. I am sure the show would have loved to have Jamal and Hakeem do this. I noticed last night that their on air fight focused mainly on Jamal and Hakeem when Hakeem's anger was about Andre taking Hakeem's "girl". So if they could, they would. But alas, Jamal is gay. So they have no choice but to use Andre in this role. I can also see them killing Rhonda for the female demos, specifically for black women. He's is the hottest guy on the show. Fantasies must be fulfilled. And I like Nessa. She has a young Cookie vibe going. But I doubt she lasts past this season.

 

Angelo Dubois is a great character. I appreciate the show giving viewers another side of wealthy blackness. It is subculture that I could see some young black people might not know much about.  I grew up in rural south. One of the poorest counties in this country and I had no clue until one day when I was in college I purchased "Our Kind of People" by Lawrence Otis Graham from the bookstore  with my book stipend scholarship money. It was eye opening. So the Oaks Bluffs, Jack and Jill references were spot on. It'd be interesting to see Lucious' power collide with Angelo's power. I just do not want Angelo ruined and destroyed for Lucious to look like "the man".

 

I feel an Anika and Lucious hook up coming. DO! NOT! WANT! Angelo could have been a child hood boyfriend of hers that she reconnects with after the inevitable Cookie and Lucious reunion. She can convince him to fund her music dreams. He can be written to agree because of his vendetta with Lucious. If the Lyons must have a rival family then the Dubois are it.

Edited November 12, 2016 by ajsp35801

[Cheap21]

Nah she's dead

[MoTheGreat]

Once again this is moving too fast. Andre didn't suppose to reveal to Nessa until after they been together for 5 years.

[ajsp35801]

 

You know, I didn't get why he'd trust her with such a secret so soon. but I'm  going to assume it was a test of sorts. either way, I'm digging it. Andre's sexy factor has multiplied exponentially. I just hope it's not the results of being off his meds. 

[MoTheGreat]

I  figure Tiana  was  lying on that  guy because he diss her. This the best  acting that girl ever did.  But, I wonder did Andre talk to her before Lucious  went to her.

[NothinButAttitude]

Last night was a good episode but as others have said, this show is moving at the speed of light. At lot of these plot lines could be played out for years. 

 

This is where a good, out of work soap writer would come into play. 

 

Lee seriously needs to get an ex-writer from soaps just to help with pacing. They skip over so many potential beats by going at a rapid pace. 

[Vanguardian]

This show is usually painfully predictable, but something happened last night that I didn't see coming. It seems that Jamal's potential love interests know each other. I loved that reveal because it was a good soapy move. I look forward to learning the exact relationship between those two.

[MoTheGreat]

 

Well, we know D Major lives on the down low. So, I wouldn't be surprise  if he met the other guy at  a club of  so sort. Or, know  they same group of people.

Edited November 17, 2016 by MoTheGreat

[ajsp35801]

 

I don't think Tiana lied. I think Gram said those things and Andre used it. 

 

And I agree, the actress has improved alot. 

Lee just hired Charles Pratt, Jr to run and write his new show Star. I fear who he'd pick if he hired someone else with a soap background. 

 

Star is definitely DOA. I never liked the premise anyway. then you add chuck pratt. nope! 

They know each other? I missed that  

[xtr]

 I was hoping that Rhonda would be alive. I had thought they would have both women survive but show one hanging over the ledge before she got rescued.( I think that the aftermath of Rhonda's death has been rushed but I am okay with Andre and Nessa)

 

I actually think that Anika is getting to the point to where she doesn't serve much of a purpose. Hardly anyone really cares about her or Bella. Lucious and her seem to be the only ones that really cares about Bella. Hakeem hasn't been shown visiting Bella often and doesn't talk about her much. I don't think Andre or even Jamal have ever been shown holding her. I believe Cookie visited her once or twice. None of them seem that interested in her.  I wish they wouldn't have made Anika become pregnant with Hakeem's baby. He really doesn't seem like he's ready to be a father.

 

I think it's kind of telling that Anika's baby ended up being a girl instead of a boy. If the baby was a male heir I feel like more people would pay attention to the child. I feel like making the baby a girl may have been done to lessen the child's importance to the family.

 

I also hope Anika doesn't end back up with Lucious. I could actually see her getting with Shine. They are interacting more and he seems to like her.

 

Also, I really like Angelo too. He's different in a good way. I think he's also sexy and I like how he treats Cookie. I would like to see him and her last a while. I think that if this were a daytime soap they would get a shot to be together for a while. But this show doesn't really let Cookie have a romantic relationship with a good man (or even Lucious since she's been out of prison) for a significant amount of time. I wish that would change with Angelo. Also, I have noticed (unless I missed it) that she hasn't been shown kissing him on the lips yet. She is always dodging kisses from him. I think that is deliberate on the part of the show.

 

I also like Jamal's counselor friend who is helping him with his PTSD. I think he is kind of sexy in a serious straight forward type of way. But I do not like trifling D-Major, lol.

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by xtr

[MoTheGreat]

 

Why  would Andre hold Bella??

[xtr]

 

I could understand him having uneasiness about being around her because of the things that happened between Rhonda and Anika. But he did tell Hakeem that he believed he could be a good father and seemed like was supporting him trying to be a father to Bella. So maybe Andre doesn't necessarily have any ill feelings towards Bella. Heck, he hasn't even gone after Anika in any way for revenge and didn't even target her in the cyber attack against Empire. So he might technically be okay with being around Bella. (Even though he really hasn't been shown around her).

 

I think it's interesting how no one outside of Lucious/Anika and Hakeem and Cookie briefly have been shown around/talking about Bella. Even if Andre didn't want to be around her, I think that at least Jamal would come see her/ask about her more. But the family outside of a few people are barely acknowledging her.

Edited November 18, 2016 by xtr

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Well Lee is a dumbass for hiring Pratt.

 

But there are a plethora of out of work soap writers that could easily help this show with continuity and story beats. They don't even have to help with story. They just need to help this show stretch certain stories out over the years. 

 

When it comes to Pratt, he's hack regardless. Whether it is daytime or primetime. I seriously doubt Lee Daniels saw his daytime credits and felt that's why he had to hire him. He saw Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and other Spelling shows (that didn't pan out) and got wet. He had to have him! 

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[MoTheGreat]

 

I still  think it's going  to  take time  for Andre. He couldn't even do  Nessa without his wife help.

[ajsp35801]

 

I can't see Anika with Shine. I'd think she'd have some standards. although, for story purposes to give Cookie and Lucious a rival couple, I can see why the show would go there. I agree that Anika seems pointless. It's a shame because Grace is a gem. 

 

You're right about Cookie kissing Angelo. in the last episode, she says she lives him. I'm thinking the point of them not having sex is to show that their relationship is true and pure. I really hope I'm right and it's not for her to turn back to lucious "unsoiled". 

 

You're also correct about the baby being  a girl lessening her importance. the show even played the beat when they had Lucious upset about Anika lying to him about the sex of the baby. It's interesting that Lucious seems to care more about Bella than Cookie. Do you think there is a possibility of a rewrite with someone unrelated being her father instead of Hakeem?