I was less than impressed with most of the season premiere, but Empire redeemed itself with the second episode of the season! Nothing over the top...just the great writing, directing, acting, and music that we all came to expect from season 1.
We didn't have any cameos, but we did have some artists showcase their acting chops. Ludacris played Officer McKnight, an officer planted as a thorn in Lucious' side on behalf of Prosecutor Roxanne Ford, Petey Pablo ("North Carolinaaaaaa" You know that used to be your song!) played Clyde (aka "Big Country") a fellow inmate who joins Lucious in a song and then ends up in the hole after trying to stand up for an ailing Lucious against Officer McKnight...and finally, Ms. Kelly Rowland as Leah Walker, Lucious' mother in a brief flashback scene, but she'll be back in future episodes.
In jail, Lucious finds himself unable to get medication and with Officer McKnight trying to make his life miserable...why? Because the prosecutor is trying to pressure him to plead guilty. But we all know by now Lucious is no punk (in the definition of being punked...), but lucky for him he decides to give a new attorney (with colorful suits and a University of Guam law degree) a chance after he manages to maneuver his way into speaking with Lucious and Jamal during visits, despite the guard telling him no cross table talking. This attorney, Thirsty Rawlings (played by Andre Royo...or as I like to refer to him, "Bubbles" from one of my all time fav shows "The Wire") is very familiar with Prosecutor Ford's tricks (including keeping medication from inmates) and has some tricks of his own. He manages to get Lucious his medicine, a recording studio in the jail, the release of his track on the radio, and then his release on bail (thanks to some 50 Shades of Grey-ish photos of the judge).
While Lucious was in jail, having been let go from Empire, Cookie, Hakeem, and Andre (and briefly, on and off, Anika...you know Cookie ain't having it...) proceed to start their own label (later named "Lyons Dynasty"). They set up shop in the building with the bullet hole ridden studio Cookie took us to last season. They bring on a singer named Veronica, who has an amazing voice. Hakeem works on developing an all-girl group, and ends up with an all Latina group (which he thought was a not so good thing until Andre schooled him on why that is a winning concept). And you know Hakeem, he ends up messing around with one of the girls, Valentina (played by Becky G.). Tiana is also on the label (though she almost reconsidered after Hakeem tried to recruit her to join the girl group). And then of course there's Hakeem. Only problem is Hakeem's album is with Empire. Cookie tries to talk Jamal into giving them the album, but on the other side Lucious tells Jamal to try to get Hakeem back to Empire.
Meanwhile, Rhonda goes behind Andre's back to use her pregnancy to convince Jamal to talk to Lucious about bringing Andre back to Empire. But in seeing how Andre dropped the news to Cookie that he was leaving for Empire later in the episode, but then later was told by Lucious he was not forgiven and would thus not be back at Empire...I wouldn't be surprised if he knew all along Rhonda was talking to Jamal or even sent her to talk to Jamal, despite her asking Jamal not to tell Andre. But womp, womp...looks like he's not at Empire or Lyons Dynasty. When he asked Lucious how it is that he could want Jamal (who he never got along with) and Hakeem (who is sleeping with his ex-fiance) back at Empire but not him, and asked if Lucious hated him, Lucious had a flashback to his mother and then told Andre he didn't hate him. My understanding is that in future episodes we will discover that Lucious' mother also suffered from a mental illness like Andre.
And what about Hakeem...did he go back to Empire? Nope...he leaked his album that was on Empire (for which Andre said Empire would sue him, and Jamal indeed told Hakeem they would sue him), and he proceeded to clean up Lyons Dynasty's new home with Cookie.
Season 1...son vs. son vs. son
Season 2...Empire vs. Lyons Dynasty
Which team are you on?
#TeamLyonsDynasty