Take it out, all of it!
Of course, its all Lucious doing.
She does keep one thing, though: A gold pistol.
Credit: Chuck Hodes/Fox
I aint got time for your mess.
He overreacted, obviously, but I think its a fair point.
Its just not Anikas fault its Hakeems.
Maybe if Bella had two parents looking after her, Anika wouldnt be so overwhelmed.
The scene also yielded another amazing Cookie-ism: I dont trust polite people,stupid!
You know whos NOT polite?
Lucious finds his content soon enough, as he offers to host the WOKE Summit at Empireandpay for it.
He still cant find a way to get to Cookie, but hes getting closer.
I knew right then and there
That we were meant to be together, Lucious tries to finish.
that I was meant to domusic, Cookie says.
I need you to understand that I amdone.
NEXT: Can Jamal still perform?
Back at Jamals, Andre continues to completely break my heart.
I need your help!
he cries to Rhonda, whose voice shows up, this time without her body.
He clutches his pill bottles, and when Jamal comes to see whats wrong, he breaks down.
Im not gonna make it, Jamal.
She used to manage all of this.
She took care of it for me.
Hes happy to take care of Andres, too.
I love seeing them all get along.
Even if theyre all suffering in private, they have each other.
Lucious figured it out: He sends Biz Markiehimselfto perform right outside her bedroom as she wakes up.
Its adorable, shes delighted, and Cookie and Biz do a little duet.
So Lucious makes a confession.
That jawn got a nice ass, doesnt she?
Lucious friend says to him.
Do you know her?
Good, cause Im about to make her mine.
So watch your mouth.
You knew that my destiny was music and my destiny was you, he says.
Man, he isnotletting up!
He races into the hallway.
He really does have PTSD from Freda.
It keeps happening, he pants as Lucious says, Youre starting to bore me.
He is suuuuch a great father!
Im scared, all right?!
I cant get on the stage.
I cant do it anymore.
Has Empire lost its crown jewel?
What will become of the label if it cant count on a Jamal Lyon performance to save the day?
Shes furious: Who asked you to do that?
Lucious gave me a job when no one else would even talk to me.
Over at Lucious, Bella is asleep in his arms, and Anika comes in to check on them.
But when shes putting the baby monitor away, she hears a strange buzzing in a certain place.
Lucious hears it and wakes up, and they discover Tariqs camera in Bellas teddy bear.
It looks like he knows theyve found it, but nobody quite knows what to do.
In one last flashback to the Just A Friend scene, we see it from another perspective: Tariqs.
How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from that boy?
But you said hes my brother!
He and his crazy-ass mama are the worst thing that ever happened to us, Mom says.
Well, that definitely gives us a peek into the complicated, lifelong relationship between Tariq and Lucious.
I wonder where we go from here.
Andre calmly tells them he lives there, but they press on.
Lot of break-ins in this neighborhood, one says.
Got any ID on you,yo?
He shuts up, but hes already traumatized.
Hasnt this guy been throughenough?!?!
This one felt awfully realistic and nauseating to me.
What did you think?
