Can Cookie ever catch a break?
fell over a balcony railing.
So whats the rational behind the crazy cliffhangers?
Credit: Chuck Hodes/FOX
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Can you confirm that someone actually was thrown from the balcony?
Can you say who?
Did someone die in the finale?
If someone went over that balcony, I dont think there was any chance of survival.
You saw how high up we were.
Was it pure coincidence that the season ended with a catfight, just as season 1 did?
Is this going to be an ongoing tradition?
It wasnt, Lets do another catfight to end the season.
It was more that we had to!
How could we not?
[Laughs] I have no idea what the last scene of season 3 will be.
If its something new and fresh that we havent seen, theres no reason why it wouldnt be.
Presuming Anika lives, what does her future look like on the show?
I cant even answer that because I dont even know whether she survives.
Her future could be very short, a matter of seconds.
It was a marriage of necessity.
Is there a chance of a split in season 3?
She really pushed him in this episode.
She pushed him to embrace his darkness, which is contrary to everything Andre has tried to do.
She challenged him in front of his family and then walked out on him.
Theyre going to have to figure out if its a marriage that can be saved.
Did the team always plan on introducing Lucious half-brother?
What if Tariq is Lucious half-brother?
Will Tariq have a big part to play in the season ahead?
The third season ofEmpireis a Godfather-styled opus of crime and hip-hop.
The finale also saw the introduction of another character: Shyne.
Is he someone that will be an important part of season 3?
Hes a very important character.
Both he and Tariq are very much in the mix in our third season.
Shyne isnt necessarily an adversary, although I think he could become an adversary.
Did Xzibit have to audition for the part?
We made him a straight offer.
We were all in for getting him this role.
Hes so good as this character.
It feels like were really in it, and representing the world were purporting to represent.
Will Grandma Lyon be seen next season?
Shes not going away soon or easily as much as Lucious would like.
He can no longer pretend she doesnt exist.
And shes going to be a huge challenge for him.
What are the consequences on the relationship between Cookie and Lucious?
The consequences are huge.
Nobody was cheating, and they were ready.
They love one another.
They pretty much said it, and then this happened.
And when Cookie said she was done, I sure believed it.
Shes not up for having her heart broken by this man one more time.
So thats a very, very big story for us in season 3.
How do you even begin to think about upping the ante on the fabulousness that is Cookie Lyon?
The subject of guest stars is something weve talked about a lot.
We had too many stars in the first half of the season 2.
Now, the casting and the guest stars on the show will always be story driven.
It wont take over our stories and it wont necessitate us going off story to accommodate someone.
Its just not as good for the show and the storytelling.
What kind of themes will be explored in season 3?
Our father was a good cop but a bad man.
It looks like each of us got half of him.
Thats going to really stick in Lucious craw and be a big part of his drive going forward.
Thats our season 3.
