There’s a new regime in charge at Empire and now it’s Hakeem in the CEO seat. The same seat that Lucious was recently kicked out of. Naturally, Cookie and the rest of the family aren’t happy about Mimi and Camilla taking over Empire or about Hakeem helping them. A lot is going to happen on this week’s episode and we’ll end with a big twist that will have a lasting impact going forward. Here is what you can expect:
The Lyons stand Together. Almost. Cookie is the new head of A&R for all of Empire and Lyon Dynasty. After the regime change shake-up, Andre is still CFO and Jamal is stepping down as Vice Chair and focusing on his music. And Lucious? Cookie says he’s making a video for “Boom Boom” and producing Jamal’s video. The Lyons are clearly trying to keep up a good public face, even as they scheme and seethe behind the scenes. And Cookie has a warning: Hakeem needs to stick to what they’ve discussed, because Cookie has a plan. Lucious, meanwhile, is using Richard II as inspiration for his new video and he tells a reporter that he’s confident Empire will come crawling back soon, just like Apple did with Steve Jobs.
Putting their Stamp On It. Hakeem doesn’t seem to care for Cookie’s warning because he already has a change: a new logo. Gone is Lucious’ face, and Hakeem’s profile is now the face of Empire. And then Camilla slashes the budget for Lucious’ video, which clearly angers the former CEO. But the continued presence of Laura in Hakeem’s life is something that Camilla is not happy about.
Tested. Andre is convinced that someone or something is responsible for the death of their child and he’s determined to solve the mystery. Rhonda is worried he’s having a breakdown as a result of his paranoia, but he’s insistent that he’s fine. He wants her to attend church with him, but all she really wants to do is get back to work and this time she wants to work for Camilla’s new high-end fashion line. She does agree to speak to his pastor for counselling, but it’s clear she’s concerned about him, as are the rest of his family. All of this leads to a beautiful moment between Andre and his siblings.
Backlash. Jamal is getting public blow-back from the gay community for the recent rumors about his relationship with Skye and it becomes clear who is responsible for it, which causes more of an issue in the family. It also leads to a new song that exposes a long-held secret, although the reaction to that exposé is unexpected.
Trouble Behind the Curtain? Camilla clearly has her own plans for Empire that don’t include Mimi and it’s clear that Mimi’s continued presence now that Camilla has gotten what she wants doesn’t make her happy. We won’t spoil what happens, but let’s just say that the big twist at the end will involve the two characters, as well as two other big players in the show.
Don’t miss an all new episode of EMPIRE tonight (April 6) at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
