Talk about a cliff hanger. On the winter finale of Empire, fittingly titled "Et Tu, Brute?,” things took a shocking turn for the Lyon clan. Lucious and his family were blindsided by betrayal and double-dealing. Camilla, played by Naomi Campbell, made her return in a surprising way and Hakeem solidified his resentment towards his father. Elsewhere, Anika does the unthinkable.
This week’s episode centers around the American Sound Awards and its nominee announcements. As everyone anticipates the big reveal, the Lyon family encounters mind-blowing game changers. Jamal racks up a heap of ASA nominations and Lucious looks on with greed and envy in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Cookie is busy planning the family day concert at the prison where she served time. She also uses her prison visit as an opportunity to check on a rapping inmate named Jezzy, played by Da Brat. Cookie soon finds out that her jailhouse friend is now serving a life sentence for killing her cellmate over toothpaste.
Mimi and Lucious meet to go over the Swiftstream deal and she secretly records him making snide remarks about the board. The entire Empire Entertainment gang then heads over to a nominations party hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, who scolds Skye Summers for “being black when she wants to be.”
During this episode, Jamal’s sexuality comes into question after it is revealed that he and Skye hooked up. In other parts, he racks up more nominations and debuts his Pepsi commercial. Freda Gatz beat Hakeem out for best rap artist.
Lucious throws his own nomination party and announces the Swiftstream deal. Soon thereafter, Mimi gives an emotional speech about her breast cancer diagnosis and introduces everyone to her wife and Hakeem’s ex-fling, Camilla.
At a board meeting later that night, Mimi reveals her scheme, which includes successfully convincing the board to vote out Lucious using the evidence she covertly recorded. Among those voting against Lucious is Hakeem, who had vivid flashbacks of tainted encounters with his father. Once Lucious is out, Mimi takes his place and hands over her proxy to Camilla. Cookie then hocks a loogie right in her face.
Although Rhonda and Anika’s new found friendship seems to be blossoming, Boo Boo Kitty is green with envy. In the middle of the night, she sneaks into Rhonda and Andre's palace and shoves pregnant Rhonda down the stairs.
Interestingly, Lucious and Jamal are both nominated for Song of the Year.
Empire is slated to return in March.
