With baby Bella still missing, the Lyons take the DuBois family to war.
(I am asuckerfor group walking scenes.
Sitting across a gleaming conference table, the differences and similarities between the two families are apparent.
Credit: Chuck Hodes/FOX
Cookie has to physically be held back to avoid climbing across the table and scratching Mrs. DuBois eyes out.
(Bitch, do you want me to jump across this table?
Mrs. DuBois hisses, You feelin froggy?Leap.)
The meeting ends with a stalemate: Cookie shoves her hair over and the Lyons storm out.
Due to some paperwork issues, Child Services haslostBella.
This is very odd, the supervisor says idiotically.
Several motions have been filed… theyd take a month to untangle.
Youre not going to see her for some time.
Are you kidding me?
Is there a lawyer reading this recap?
They all agree to come together and be stronger.
(I dont see why theyd wait?)
Meanwhile, Vegas is still in the works and getting messier than ever.
to represent him on the track.
They head into the studio, where the MC stumbles in with his entourage, wobbly from pain meds.
For Lucious, this shows that hes literally putting his blood and heart onto the track.
For Jamal, its a reminder that while he too has taken a bullet, Lucious actually hasnt.
I want to work with you, but Im not backing down, he tells Lucious.
But Lucious isnt convinced yet.
It has a solid through-line, and the star power of Empires artists.
The man is in as long as Lucious is.
(Well, two murderers, counting Lucious.
But thatssoseason 1.)
He flies over to Anika and starts choking her.
You think you’ve got the option to kill my wife and kill my kid?
Im gonna make you pay!
But to his surprise, Anika reacts strangely.
I wanted so badly to be a Lyon, I sold my soul, and now my baby…
I deserve to suffer.
This makes Andre change his tune, though.
No, he wont kill her.
Shes already suffering, so hell let her continue.
He kicks all his partying friends out of his apartment to hang with hisreal friends a.k.a.
do yet another live monologue on Empire Xstream to tell all his fans about Bella and the DuBois.
The fans messages pour in in realtime: The DuBois are going down!
Quickly, we see what kind of army Keem can assemble with just a few minutes of livestreaming.
Didnt expect that, did you, Mrs. D?
and said he wouldnt work with Lucious.
She also tries to stand up for Andre… and Cookie slaps her across the face.
Bitch, next time hold your mouth!
Cookie yells as she leaves the room.
Andre doesnt stand up for Nessa at all.
Is this his depression talking, or was he never that into her?
A small reconciliation happens between Lucious and Jamal: Leah gives Lucious a box of photos of his father.
Im going to do the song your way, Lucious tells him.
Im sick of fighting.
I was fighting against the natural course of things.
Every son takes up after his father your music will be Empires legacy.
When Cookie comes in, he thinks shell save him but hes dead wrong.
You know I wouldnt go this far!
he pleads with her.
You know those things your mama said about me being ghetto and hood?
In a moment of anger, Angelo screams, Youre not going to get away with this.
WATCH ME, BITCH!
Cookie yells on her way out the door.
Is it just me or are her bitch exclamations extra satisfying this episode?!
But then Giuliana waltzes in fresh off a flight from Vegas.
Marcone called me and told me about your conversations, she says.
I wanted to fly in and see to it we were on the same page.
Lucious turns to Cookie and tells her thatInfernois the Vegas deal, andInfernois going to launch Empire Casino.
So youre saying no to something that could bring this family together?
Lucious continues stroking Giuliana, and Cookie leaves with her favorite refrain: I did 17 years for you!
But its not Lucious who responds.
Its Giuliana: Thank you for that.
But Ill take it from here.
Cookie, attack her!
More drama: After the slap heard round the world, Nessa is furious with Andre.
she asks about Vegas.
I know you dont expect me to sit and watch from the audience.
What he says shocks her: you’ve got the option to do whatever you want.
Its between me and my family.
This doesnt feel like the Andre Nessa has known, but its definitely a side of himweknow.
Quickly, it all clicks for her.
This was never about me, was it?
You needed an artist that you could control, she says.
He tells her it could still work out, and she tells him hes crazy.
He kisses her and she punches him in the stomach.
Good for her for getting out, but I cant imagine Shyne is going to be happy with this.
And we saw how Nessa herself can lash out when shes threatened (Ahem… Is it bad that Iwanther to get revenge on Andre?
He wants to see all the Lyons in jail.
No, she says.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
They ruined one of mine, so I took one of theirs?
Then, to Bella: Didnt I?
This is not the Claire Huxtable we once knew.
Im sure the Lyons will figure out a way to get her back… but how?
