Empire 3×07 What We May Be preview

Cookie Lyon has been the eternal savior and the pivot of the Lyon family.

According to TV Guide’s synopsis for “The Unkindest Cut”, Andre (Trai Byers) sabotages Cookie’s (Taraji P. Henson) fashion event in order to get Nessa (Sierria McClain) in the spotlight. She’s getting set to attend a fancy event that she knows Angelo Dubois’ mother Diana is going to be present at, and she wants to make as good of an impression as possible. The two kiss and they become a serious couple. Jamal adds that he’s not going to sit in between Andre and Hakeem Lyon (Bryshere Y. Gray). Hakeem shows up with his crying baby. After the incident with Jamal, Cookie is late to meet Angelo’s mom and she quickly criticizes of her son’s choice to date her. Jamal has opened himself up creatively to create a music video diary dedicated to Cookie. The videos are of Cookie’s upbringing with her sisters, Candace and Carol. “You’re changing in some way that I’m not sure I got a handle on”, she tells her son.

Meaning what, exactly? And where did all these storylines go in the end?

Lucious and Andre interrogate Tiana, and they suspect her ex-boyfriend Gram is behind the cyber-attack.

Of course, Lucious finds a way to ruin things for Cookie’s new relationship. Cookie loves it until images of her father come on the screen. In a montage of homemade clips for a music video, Cookie’s relationship with her father was revealed. But, Cookie stands them both up after she is rattled by Jamal’s videos.

Will Cookie be able to win Angelo DuBois’ support in time, or reconcile with Lucious? Cookie’s anguished dad kicked her out of the house for the good of the family. While she’s inviting her children to this dinner party, she tells Jamal the tragic conclusion of her childhood saga. Apparently, she wasn’t in the mood to take a trip down memory lane. Finally, Andre and Nessa smile at each other while Freda raps about her father, but *GASP* Shyne is secretly recording her. Nessa says it’s to honor the anniversary of the death of her brother Stone. He wanted to prove that he was loyal to Nessa while also proving to Shine that Freda would work with Empire again. He may not have realized it, but Andre is playing right into Shyne’s (Xzibit) hands because of his fixation on Nessa. She has already pulled the weakest string of the family by winning Andre’s compassion. Diana is basically like a more refined, slightly older version of Cookie. Lucious calls his sons “the gay one” (Jamal), “the irresponsible one” (Hakeem), and “the insane one” (Andre). To put the cherry on top, Lucious and Anika show up. He approves of Jamal’s new direction, and it’s a painful reminder that he might need to let Cookie live her life without his interference.

I get that Lucious and Cookie have a past and three kids together, but, for the love of Pete, can she please stay with Angelo?

Empire airs Wednesdays at 9PM EST on FOX.