(Maybe Fox had to save all its drama for the premiere ofStar,which followed the episode?)
Cookie senses hes lost the crowd, so she takes the mic herself.
She doesnt stop there.
Credit: Chuck Hodes/Fox
Jamal will headline and everyones invited.
Angelo readily accepts the change and they get to planning, but Mrs. DuBois is skeptical.
Youre getting a little too local, darling, she warns him.
Lucious drops by as Cookie plans the event in a fever.
Meanwhile, Tariq finally seems to be making progress on his case at the FBI.
But in those 30 days, Tariq must procure a murder indictment.
And the boss has one other thing to add: This smells personal, Agent Cousins, he says.
It better not be.
So much for all that Cookie love she apparently felt after Jamals song at the dinner?
Its basically designed to threaten him I have dogs I can sic on you, that kind of thing.
The reporter seems kinda racist, so it works.
Theres a problem, though.
And as a result, Angelos numbers have gone up.
Theyre even calling it The Cookie Effect!
So, Mrs. D asks if theres something else Lucious wants instead: A seat at the state dinner?
Lucious is pissed but says hell just consider it a personal contribution to Angelos campaign.
New York deserves a good mayor, he says again but it still feels purposefully vague to me.
Cookie heads to Jamals to talk about the event.
Thats intense, Andre, Nessa says.
Im not gonna do any of those things for you.
Whoa is this all it took for Nessa to walk away?
I want you to learn how to do those things for yourself, Dre.
And Im not going anywhere.
Its a sweet moment until Ghost Rhonda shows up.
Weve missed you, GR!
She warns Andre that Nessa is trying to take him away from her.
Well, yeah… Wasnt that why you guys had a Ghost Threesome?
Wasnt that, like, the whole point?
Back at Empire, the freeze has taken effect.
Cookie asks Lucious why she cant use any of her Empire credit cards, and he explains somebody snitched.
He tells her to stay calm, but Cookie shoots back, Youstay calm!
I did 17 years!
Theres a flashback to when Cookie first kissed Lucious that feels kinda pointless.
Lucious tells her he has someone on the inside at the FBI, so everything will be fine.
Oh, and he also warns Cookie that Angelo is just another opportunistic politician with skeletons in his closet.
Cantanybodyon this show be 100-percent good?
I guess thats not realistic, but still.
Lucious decides to take matters into his own hands and waltzes into the FBI with his wrists out.
Here I am, he says to Tariq.
You sent errand boys with calculators to take the food out of the mouths of my employees children.
I know what you want, but youre going about it like a coward.
Whoops… Noweveryoneknows its personal.
This aint what brothers do, he says before he left.
That was pretty impressive power move.
Also, Im curious as to when Luciousdidfind out Tariq was his brother.
It was earlier than the season 2 finale, right?
Anyway, its time for The Peoples Ball.
WOKE performs, then Hakeem and Tiana do their duet and, amidst cheers of TAKEEM!
from the crowd, kiss and seem to get back together.
But Becky and the team are freaking out because Jamal isnt there.
Cookie heads home to get him and finds him sick on the couch, puking.
Hes in withdrawal but he still wishes he could go onstage so Lucious wont win.
Lucious is not the enemy, Cookie says.
He wants you to get better!
But through his tears, Jamal disagrees.
Hes not ready for his career to be over, so Cookie once again takes matters into her hands.
(Sothatswhy they didnt have her flush them down the toilet.)
How much you need?
Shyne says, offering to spot him.
You gonna burp out $50 mil?
Lucious seems grateful but wants to know the catch.
I want a stake in Empire, Shyne says.
A seat at the table.
I need you to let me go, he tells her.
She tells him (or he tells himself?)
hes the smartest, most devoted and most ruthless of the Lyon sons.
He likes the ruthless part.
She tells him to make Nessa the biggest star, and then youll control the music.
And then youll have all the power.
Yeah, yeah, weve heard this before.
We know this is the plan.
I really thought Rhonda already authorized this.
Anyway, they say a tearful goodbye and in a way, Rhonda finally gets her funeral.
Andre kisses his wedding ring and hurls it into the ocean.
Ugh, I hate seeing potential money go to waste.
WOW, I FORGOT ANIKA KILLED THEM BOTH.
I cant believe I let Anikas mothering and enviable lingerie distract me from the murder!
I wish I was being sarcastic, but Im not.
Heres something good to know: Sludge-covered sink-pipe pills still work!
Jamal performs and hes fantastic.
The crowd is thrilled to see him again and everything goes off without a hitch…basically.
Youre going to rehab, okay?
Cookie tells him, though its clear its breaking her heart a little.
Mom, yo dont do this to me right now, Jamal pleads.
But its no use he has to go.
Over at Leviticus, Tariq and Shyne are at the bar, but its not a friendly meeting.
Maybe you just got played, Shyne says.
But Lucious got played, too… Its confusing.
Still, Tariq has one more question.
Why wouldnt Shyne just start hisownlabel if he had all that money?
Its the crown jewel of all labels.
Its the iron throne, Shyne says.
Everybody wants to be king.
Tariq pours out his drink and leaves.
He has a gift he forgot to give Angelo.
Mr. Cruise, the reporter, asks Angelo about Oct. 5, 1988.
The night of my DUI, Angelo says.
He was 17 years old, so Cookie jumps to his defense right away.
Well, maybe none of thosepresidentsdid anything too bad…
This is not good.
But Andre doesnt just want to tell on him he wants something else.
Time to kill my father, Andre says.
I thought you were going to go after Anika first!
Then again, LuciousisSatan, as I find myself typing literally every single week.
So, maybe its time?
