Friday, January 16, 2015

Empire - Episode 2

Revelations from episode 2:

  • Bunkie (the friend Lucious killed in episode 1) is one of Cookie's closest cousins! But why was he stalking her for Lucious when she first got out? Why didn't he welcome her home? 
  • Andrae is bipolar and off his meds.
  • Cookie made a deal with an agent, but now the agent (who she's been avoiding) needs her to testify in front of a grand jury. Cookie says this will get her killed! Who did she snitch on? Is this how she got out early?

Recap:

Becky is the first to find out Lucious is dying. She googled his medicine she found in his bathroom. 

Andrae is bipolar but missed his doctor appointment and is not taking his meds. He continues to try to set his two brothers up against each other. When Lucious plans a performance for Hakeem, Andrae makes sure Cookie knows. When Cookie couldn't get Lucious to agree to let Jamal perform too, she sets up a press conference outside of the club where Hakeem is scheduled to perform with the intention of having Jamal come out as gay and then perform. BUT...Andrae then makes Lucious aware of the press conference! Lucious threatens to stop supporting Jamal financially, and Jamal is a no show for the press conference.

But following their brotherly love theme, by the end of the night, Hakeem and Jamal end up performing together! Lucious admits to Cookie they perform well together, and Cookie says Hakeem really does have what it takes. Despite the fact that he is still disrespectful as ever to her. Hakeem is spoiled rotten, as Cookie told Lucious after the performance. During this episode he had his entourage film him exposing himself and calling Barack Obama a sell out. 

Lucious is starting to soften to Cookie, especially after Cookie finally asks what has she done to him to deserve to be treated so badly by him. When Cookie and one of Empire's artists continue to get into it, Lucious doesn't stand up for Cookie. Leading to Cookie, for the third time in the episode, pointing out to him how much he's changed (and not in a good way). After she and the others get off the elevator, Lucious turns around and tells the artist his contract is terminated. The artists asked if it was over Cookie, and Lucious says its because she was right about him being a bad rapper. However, after their sons' performance, he tells Cookie he let the artist go for disrespecting her.

Side note, this same rapper had some controversy that had banks backing out of the IPO (or something like that). Lucious told Andrae if he gets the banks back Empire will be his. Andrae did just that, but no mention of Empire being his. 

Lucious and Cookie definitely love one another. How will they get back together? An unexpected hook up, denial that there is anything there, she slowly becomes the side chick, and then maybe he drops Anika and fully goes back to Cookie? Guess we will have to wait and see. 

Also, Cookie is in with some type of law enforcement. I wonder if this will come into play with Lucious killing her cousin, Bunkie? Vernon already threw out suspicion that no one would kill him over $25,000. 

Another good episode. Looking forward to the next one. But why does IMDB say Malik Yoba (Vernon), Gabourey Sidibe (Becky), and Bryshere Gray (Hakeem) are only in 2 episodes? That can't be right!