‘Empire’ Season 2 Fall Finale preview: Cookie visits prison; Anika’s

And for good measure Charlamagne Tha God also noted that Jamal was vibing a little too much on Alicia Keys for a gay man. Anyway, long story short, Empire really shines when it allows social commentary into its show, especially when it’s directed at its supposedly sympathetic characters. He thinks Jamal is “fixed”.

Don’t get me wrong: “Et Tu, Brute?” was an occasionally fantastic, thoroughly engaging, and exciting hour of dramatic television. And guess what? Hakeem was NOT nominated, but Freda Gatz WAS. How was Hakeem even in the running for Rapper Of The Year when all he had on the books this calendar year was a leaked album and a couple of freestyle verses? Lucious’ jealousy towards Jamal, his refusal to be usurped, is a great dynamic, and his tantrum after losing Empire was a great scene. Jezzy rightfully called Cookie out for spending more time on her phony #FreeLucious campaign than on keeping in touch with her prison family. “Because she’ll get pushed”. It’s been a year since she got out and it’ll be her first time going back. There was a nice moment when she started complaining about all her problems (including her recent broken heart), but then got clear-eyed and told them that they had it worse, and she knew it. And it was even more lovely when Hakeem put aside his reservations about being there and then entertained them all with a genuinely rousing duet with Laura. He commends the duo on their song, but quickly finds a way to erase the compliment by challenging Skye and her racial identity. Backstage, Twitter has joined in, photoshopping Rachel “What’s Her Name’s” (Dolezal) wig on top of Skye’s head. Although this isn’t true, Lucious may have done damage to Jamal’s career if Jamieson turns around and uses this false information against the singer.

The episode opens with Jason Derulo (!) announcing the nominees for the American Sound Awards. Soon thereafter, Mimi gives an emotional speech about her breast cancer diagnosis and introduces everyone to her wife and Hakeem’s ex-fling, Camilla. Upon further investigation, Lucious dug up Laz’s past and as I have been saying all season, Cookie does not play when it comes to her kids.

While they were voting, the alarm went off at Rhonda and Andre’s house.

Mimi and Lucious meet to go over the Swiftstream deal and she secretly records him making snide remarks about the board. And although Cookie, the Lyon brothers and other board members voted in favor of Lucious, at the end only one vote would decide: Hakeem’s. Sure it is, just like it’s possible for Porsha to jump a subway turnstile, pretend to be Cookie when she gets arrested, then get rehired by Cookie on the strength of bringing a dog into the office.

I was all set last week to quit Empire and rail on the writers for the Jamal/Skye Summers relationship as a cowardly walking back of a central premise of the show because 50 Cent and the Internet scared them out of embracing a gay main character.

On stage, Cookie has a small monologue about the incarceration of women and how they are still mothers, daughters and sisters despite the circumstances that landed them in jail. Jamal gets plenty, while Hakeem is overlooked in the Best Rap Artist category and storms off in a huff. Andre tracked them down at the prison and told Cookie about the takeover and emergency board meeting. After years of hard work, dirty deals and violence, Lucious had his company stripped away from him, thanks to his youngest son Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray), in the Season 2 fall finale of Fox’s hip-hop drama “Empire”.

Evidently, Camilla got to Hakeem, as he votes to remove his father from power during the vote.

As Cookie says in the preview for tonight’s Empire winter finale, “Lyon Dynasty may be our company, but Empire is our family”. Skye is completely understanding of what went down when they hooked up, calling it “beautiful”, but admitting that she “doesn’t want to change” him.