‘Empire’ Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Jussie Smollett/Jamal & Bryshere Gray

He might be happy to be back at the label, but something’s not quite right, you can see it on his face as he’s getting a lap dance. And that’s not even the worst part. One pulls a blade, and they make off with her purse before she even knows what happened. Cookie says they’ve been marked and people from the streets are going to try to take money from them. On a “probationary” basis. The clip features another ploy of Cookie’s while on her undying quest to bring down Empire Records with her newly launched label, Lyon Dynasty.

Cookie’s talking to a concert promoter named Laz Delgado, and admits that she needs a few help. The thieves tell Cookie that Thristy sent them as they scramble out of the office with Cookie’s pistol trained on their backs. That’s right, HAKEEM IS KIDNAPPED. Andre breaks the news to Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) that he plans to get baptized. 

Andre, meanwhile, was determined to make amends for his past and approached his pastor, Reverend LC Price, to baptize him. Cookie wants Hakeem to get back in the studio to capitalize on the publicity from his video with Jamal.

Hakeem has more important things to think about. Andre is now the President of Gutter Life Records, which Lucius has revived as a part of Empire. Andre tells Thirsty that he would never do anything to hurt Cookie, and that Lucious can fill Andre in on family matters in person. Not only does Andre say no, he kicks him out of Lucious’ office, effectively ending any possibility of a friendship. Seriously, even Lucious gives the skies a dubious look before heading up those stairs.

In this episode of Empire, all charges have been dropped against Lucious, someone is trying to extort Cookie & friends and Andre confesses his sins. Back to the video get-together, the whole thing eventually backfires as Hakeem is jealous on Jamal’s blossoming career and on top of that, Lucious is calling him a “mama’s boy”.

Jamal threatening to throw the artist off the balcony as his future with Michael was in doubt. And also, somehow, Michael pretends he doesn’t know what heteronormative means.

Ne-yo is the voice of reason for Jamal, who is conflicted about whether he should bring his boo on the road or not. In the meantime, Jamal has a project together with Ne-Yo (guest star Ne-Yo), Hakeem falls in love, and Andre tries to rid his soul of “past sins”. Sigh can’t these insane kids just figure things out?

Guest Star Rank:1. Ne-Yo – That hat game is *fire emoji*. But she’s pretty great at being a mom. But then, what would you expect from the man who co-wrote Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable”? She’s there for the music, not his advances and she shuts him down immediately, which earned a well-deserved “You go, girl!” from us.

How do they decide which stars get to be themselves and which don’t? Just as he didn’t in episode two to beat that guy up in the garage and “get my laptop back”, Thirsty just knew that’s what he had to do to get in Lucious’ good graces.

Tonight is a brand new episode of the hit-series “Empire” on FOX. Is Porsha the luckiest incompetent personal assistant ever, or what? His exact words are “I’m on my mogul swag now”. Needless to say, her band mates are a bit insulted. Jamal and Cookie traded fake pleasantries and subtle digs, before joking the place would catch fire if the “devil” Lucious showed up.