Lyon Family Business: A Guide To 'Empire' Thus Far


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Episode 2: “The Outspoken King”

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Lucious attempts to move ahead with Empire’s IPO launch but controversy with his artist Kid Fo-Fo threatens to puts the business move in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Cookie tries to get Jamal to launch alongside Hakeem at a showcase at Lucious’ club, Leviticus. But all plans come to a halt when the body of Cookie’s beloved cousin Bunky is discovered and the family briefly bonds in the wake of Bunky’s death (including Lucious’ snake ass, whom the audience knows is Bunky’s killer).

But soon, the plotting resumes, with Lucious doing damage control after the Kid Fo-Fo controversy heats up and Hakeem pulls a foolish stunt in a restaurant that provokes the ire of even the president of the United States. And Cookie, denied a showcase opportunity for Jamal, stages a press conference for Jamal to announce his sexuality as well as his arrival onto the music scene. Unfortunately, Jamal ditches the conference while Lucious takes to TV to defend the label (though he ultimately drops Fo-Fo, not because of his actions, but because his “lyrics suck” and he disrespects Cookie during an elevator ride).

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At the Leviticus showcase, Andre is acting erratically and talking about himself in the third person (oh, did we forget to mention that he’s secretly bipolar and that this is apparently a symptom?). Rhonda ain’t having his crazy ass ruin their nefarious plans and she lets him know so before leading him away from his family’s prying eyes. Despite their parents’ attempts to play them against each other, Jamal and Hakeem join forces on stage and bring the house down. Hakeem’s performance also gets him the attention of new Empire signee Tianna (a poor man’s Rihanna) and we see the beginnings of a budding romance. After the showcase, we learn that the reason Cookie got out early is because she turned informant, but now the feds want her to testify in open court.

Sidenote: This is also the episode that introduces the world to the blow job bib. The BJB, as we like to affectionately call it, is used by Rhonda as she “persuades” Andre to go for his. The BJB, for the woman that only wants an actual pearl necklace to go with her blouse. -- D-Money

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