Jamal and Skye explore last week’s romance, Cookie returns to her roots and Lucious chickens come home to roost on an explosive mid season finale of Empire: “Et tu, Brute."
Label Mates
Jamal and Skye get real affectionate as they discuss their duet and the American Sound Awards award nomination reveals. We still don’t know what’s up with Jamal and whether his kiss with Skye meant that he still identified as gay, straight or bisexual. Lucious is convinced that Jamal has “come back home” to the land of the heterosexual and is absolutely giddy about it, to the dismay of Jamal:
We also discover Skye’s “secret” that could jeopardize her relationship with her fans based: although her recent duet with Jamal has a “pro-black” theme, Skye considers herself bi-racial and hasn’t completed identified as being black. This came to light during the ASA nominations when Charlemagne interviewed Skye and Jamal on the spot!
He challenged the notions that Skye could ambiguously associate herself with black or white at any time, and ironically uses Jamal as an example. Charlemagne thinks Jamal sleeping with women but identifying as gay could be seen as disingenuous to the fans. Jamal, as is the theme of this angle, rejects labels and thinks fans should do the same.
Fans weren’t too kind as they got on social media and meme’d to their hearts content.
Lucious found it hilarious:
Jamal and Skye later discuss their fling and when he tells Skye that he is in fact homosexual, this looks to end any potential advances on her part towards something more than a one night affair.
Conjugal Visit
Cookie decides to revisit the prison where she spent 17 years of her life to give back to her once fellow inmates and throw a concert!
Cookie also goes to visit her friend Jeezy (played by Da Brat) whom she wanted to sign once her bid was over, but unfortunately she received life in prison so those plans are officially derailed. Her old crew welcomed her back with open arms, and were especially welcoming to Porsha:
Cookie lamented on being in jail, losing “Cookies Cookout” and what those losses taught her. Despite that, she wanted to throw the best concert possible and brought Hakeem and Laura to do so.
Hakeem was tentative at first, but in the end represented for his mom and Lyon dynasty.
The Takeover
During Jamal's ASA performance, Luscious announced that Empire has acquired SwiftStream. To commemorate the ideas ion, he invites his business partner Mimi to speak on the merger. Mimi drops a bombshell when she thanks her wife for the support, and the wife is revealed to be Camila - Hakeem's older girlfriend who Lucious paid to leave town!!
The double cross was clear as day. Mimi made a power play to oust luscious as the CEO and Chairman of Empire in an emergency meeting. Her evidence against Lucious was taped conversations where he stated his disdain for the ,board and desire to make any decisions regarding Empire whether the board approved or not!
In order to keep Lucious in power, they had to convince members of the board to vote no and Lucious’s team would do whatever it takes to get those votes!
Cookie gave up her board vote to Hakeem and advised him to vote with the family.
Camila has other ideas as she compelled Hakeem to side with her and Mimi. Hakeem became the deciding vote, and chose to vote in favor of kicking Lucious out! Mimi as new CEO passes control of the company to Camila. The double cross is complete!
Cookie, arriving too late and seeing Camila, decided to show her what she thought of her backstabbing ways:
Needless to say Lucius wasn't pleased. We leave the show with Lucious out of empire, Hakeem against the entire family, Jamaal and Lucious up for song of the year, and Boo Boo Kitty allegedly throwing RHONDA down the stairs?!
It's been a wild ride, and the answers to your questions will have to wait until March. But we will be there waiting with our popcorn in hand. See you in March!
