Empire - S2E4 - Poor Yorick
Previously on Empire, ‘Fires of Heaven’
“Alas, poor Vernon! I knew him, Lucious.”
Roxanne Ford wastes no time in retaliating against Lucious for his successful bail hearing. She has the FBI raid the Empire offices and Dynasty’s. To present a united front, the family decides to collaborate on a song/video. Because nothing shows the FBI you mean business like a hot beat.
Hoping to get back into Lucious’ good graces, Andre decides to dig up Vernon’s dead body to make Ford’s case go away.
Ford makes Cookie an offer, which Cookie uses to her own advantage to tank Lucious’ radio deal. Jamal and Hakeem come to blows on the set of their video. Drowning his sorrows in liquor, Hakeem stumbles upon Valentina 2.0. Cookie refuses to trust Anika.
Cookie’s best line
“Tell me a grandma that’s got an ass like this.”
Number of times you wanted to slap Hakeem: 0
You know, his attempts at being a “mogul” are laughable, but you have to admire his drive to separate from Lucious and his willpower in resisting his father’s plays to win him back.
I’m also not mad at him for slicing that ugly-ass painting.
Most triflin’ character
I’m sorry. I gotta go with Porsha hopping her ass over that turnstile.
Health check-up
Via more flashbacks: Lucious told a social worker that he wanted to stay with his mom, who had been reported as displaying erratic behavior.
Who should jump the line for relationship counseling
Why are Jamal and Michael together? Guadalupe has serious insecurities and hasn’t made any strides in coming to terms with the negative side of Jamal’s profession. I’m sick of seeing him pout.
Best Family Moments
“I’m ride or die.” - Rhonda
You go, girl! Seriously, I would have gone with my husband, too, if for no other reason than to make sure he didn’t fuck up and land us both in jail. And it’s a good thing Rhonda did go because Andre would have never noticed all the trees with holes.
Special mention to the absolute look of terror on Rhonda’s face when Andre admits God’s been talking to him.
Best Cameo
Adam Busch’s chest hair.
Best minor character moments
Thristy has easily become one of my favorite characters. He’s shady as fuck, yes. But they’ve also played Roxanne Ford as a dirty prosecutor so I’m okay with it.
Him waking up Lucious (in bed with some new random) with coffee and news of the feds impending visit was hilarious.
“How’d you get in here?”
“What do you mean? I slept over in the guest room with the twins. By the way, thank you for that. I needed it.”
“Right on.”
The BET award goes to
Ain’t About the Money (featuring Jussie Smollett and Yazz)
Leave your thoughts on the episode in the comments and we’ll read them on tonight’s Empire podcast!
Empire S2E4
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Drama & Shade - 7/107/10
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Music - 7.5/107.5/10
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Entertaining - 8/108/10
Summary
So far this show has been able to maintain a balance where we can enjoy the family drama between the Lyons, but also experience genuinely heartfelt family moments. Taraji needs an Emmy for the flashback prison scene alone. Still not thrilled with the lack of development in Anika. I was really looking forward to her and Cookie working together. It’s always more interesting to watch people who don’t get along try to cooperate than watching them fight. This season has featured about one good episode for me. I’m downloading ‘Ain’t About the Money.’
Y’all….y’all….. OK first Tits McGee is doing the most having the FBI attack those pillows and family photos like that. Too bad Cookie wasn’t free from the raid. Question: why oh why do they insist on playing Terrence Howard as a sexy figure. We all know the truth. Stop it Lee Daniels you’re the only one with that fantasy.
That photographer was doing the most and so was forgotten boo side eyeing. I thought he was going to tell Jamal “lose the robe” for sure.
Is it just me or isn’t it customary to ask a child about their home safety away from the mentally ill parent? I know it’s a flashback but even back then that seems standard.
I’m sorry Nina but I laughed when Kelly Ripa said “I’m ride or die” she’s been watching too much Love and Hip hop. But good thing she did go since Andre doesn’t know how trees grow. Foreshadowing of digging his own grave perhaps? Even when Dwight and Thirsty joined the plan it seemed idiotic. “Let’s cover one murder by exposing another one!”
Hakeem is trying but he’s a spoiled brat. Where did he find this random ass bar that sings standards AND Latin ballads.
Good job Cookie for twisting her story into a release.
Oh and did anyone else notice Dwight just stole his video concept from the California love video?
That’s it from me. Sorry it was a little scattered but I *just* finished watching and in all of the crazy all I can say is
“Game time bitches!”
For the podcast
This episode was alright. I did actually like the song. The video was a obvious California Love reference.
I laughed way more then i should’ve at Previous have to roll on her side to get up off the couch when the feds came in. I know, i ain’t shit.
Last thing, Come on, there’s no way rhonda is actually pregnant right?
FOR THE PODCAST:
Empire is back. This episode was 🔥. I haven’t laughed and hollered this much since season 1.
I feel like I need a Cookie in my life. I am drinking in all of her pettiness.
I am going to find all the music from last night’s episode. Hakeem was right, that painting was garbage. I feel like Michael’s mouth was hanging open all episode. Michael better handle his business with that painter!
I have heard that all black people look alike, but now all the trees look exactly alike? My advice for the Lyons is that they shouldn’t trust a man who rolls around with his own corpse detection system.
Thanks for reading my feedback and I am looking forward to hearing the podcast.
FOR THE PODCAST
Sorry for the length!!! There is a rant I have at the end you can skip if you want.
Straight out the gate Empire gave a song from Jamal that I love. Excellent. All of the music was on point. All of it. Therefore, this was the best episode. So they are going to use the California love (the tupac song) dome for that video I see. I dig it because that song was hot fire and best music happens with Baby Trainer and Jamal. It was so funny watching them fight while the music was playing.
Poor Baby Trainer: Wants to be a mogul but he ain’t a god because he can be manipulated so easy to stick a knife in that damn painting. I fucking could not breathe when I saw Baby Trainer listening to Michael Buble 2.0 singing and he is drinking and pouting. I lost it so many times in this episode because of him. And I am down with this Latina! She can fucking sing her ass off.
Cookie was great in her pleather Thriller outfit. Mimi is bleh.
Ms. Ford’s titays are back on display while Baby Wipes telling her she can have whatever she likes. Nasty ass Baby Wipes. The lines, *If the cops raid your house then you a G. If the Feds raid your house you an OG, t is game time bitches, and this is when we roar* made me holler especially its game time bitches because all I could hear was John’s voice when I heard Baby Wipes. So Baby Wipes gon lie about killing Bunky. Yeah he didn’t lay his fingers on him, so he wasn’t lying but come on. He was struggling to talk while he eating the sucker. All I heard were sucking noises. *shudders* Also I see Ms. Ford’s titays are in her suit for Cookie so maybe she is trying to get some of that god sex from Baby Wipes.
What the fuck was the is going on with that photoshoot? You got Jamal looking like a neo soul monk, you got this useless photographer lifting the camera over his head as he is telling him he wants to see his soul and get inside him, and then you have Dora sitting there doing nothing. Dora should be on adventures not the couch! Wait there’s more the photographer said that Jamal is gorgeous and hell the fuck yeah he is but that look Dora gave him when he said that? Priceless. It looked like he wanted to swipe that awful hair off his scalp and he kept giving that look to that man all episode. Dora’s going to kill him if he can get his ass of the couch.
THIS IS A RANT SO YOU CAN SKIP THIS IF YOU WANT
Poor Dre. He is now going to use that death to his advantage. I don’t see why he cannot get a new job. He has a MBA from UPenn! Just go work on wall street or something. Fuck Baby Wipes and empire. But he is Baby Wipes son. One more thing, the fuck is god saying to Dre for him to think digging the body up is a good idea? They should have called the police after they hit Vernon and moved the fuck on. They have fake Kelly Ripa! She’s white. All they had to do is lie. Historically we know white women tears work! Dre is working too hard for all of this and Ms. Ripa has the same fucking degree too so she need to get a damn job and make that money rather than that ride or die shit and of course when Kelly Ripa said lets move on that it wasn’t going to happen because of Baby Wipes. And he never woke up? Bitch he is dead!
One last thing, I want Anika to get her own fucking episode where she reads all these bitches for treating her like shit. Give me just one episode with just her getting back at them because she can do her job and do it well and none of them are using her!
Great recap!
“Because nothing shows the FBI you mean business like a hot beat.” Bwahahaha!
FOR THE PODCAST:
Love the episode! Pacing-wise, this season 2 episode has felt the most like a season 1 episode. So much happened. A Danny Strong written and directed episode. I still can’t believe that this is little Jonathan from Buffy. And just how successful he’s become post-Buffy. Speaking of Buffy — EEEEEEEEW, the photographer was Jonathan’s buddy Warren. Man, he looks so gross and dirty. Jonathan killed Tara, the lesbian witch (RIP), so Michael is justified in his side-eyeing. This actor is in the gay handbook as a killer of gays. “I want to be inside you.” Ew, just, ew! Stay away from my boo, gay killer!
On to the episode…
The FBI raid. What the hell was that? Did you see all that fire power as they stormed Empire? Was that really all necessary? And at the beginning of the raid, did you see that artist walking towards the FBI carrying the guitar case? I so wanted her to whip out a semi-automatic out of there.
Prosecutor Titties is back. While I am a huge proponent for heaving bosoms, it’s a bit disconcerting during an FBI raid. But how interesting that the boobies were on super lockdown and covered when she interrogated Cookie.
Yay, My Cousin Vinny is back! “This is how players play to win!” And Cookie calling her kd lang made me spit out my lesbian water all over my lesbian couch! Bwahahahahaha! All hail Cookie.
Speaking of Cookie let’s go through… THE VARIOUS LOOKS OF COOKIE:
Why was Cookie’s looking like Aunt Jemima?
Ooooh, we got another Cookie ass-smacking moment. I loved that colorful power suit. Fabulousness.
But what was up with Cookie rocking the Asian-bowl-cut bangs?
And c’mon with that red leather Michael Jackson jacket. What? The? Hell?
“Pop” count during Lucious + Andre scene at Leviticus = 3
And poor, poor Andre. When Rhonda walked into the bathroom, raise your hand, how many of you thought she was going to get on her knees? And when that didn’t happen and we got a hug instead, raise your hand, how many of you thought he was going to snap Rhonda like a twig? Just me? This is what I get when I watch Criminal Minds before Empire. But I loved her acting here when Andre told her God was speaking to him. She was sad and terrified. I’d start counting his pills if I were her.
Yay, for flashbacks. First Luscious and Mama Kelly. Now we’re seeing glimpses of Cookie in a jail. LOVE it. I’m craving back stories and flashbacks. QUESTION FOR THE GROUP: are there any back stories or flashbacks for any characters that you’d like to see? Any periods of time only spoken about that you’d like to see? I definitely want to see more of Cookie in prison. And how she learned how to be Debbie Allen.
Very much looking forward to the podcast (my favorite of the bunch) and hearing your thoughts!
[/END OF FEEDBACK FOR PODCAST]
(I’d love thoughts on the length of this feedback… thank goodness this is a highlight only podcast because this show makes me feel like no other.)
FOR THE PODCAST:
Ok I know I’m gonna take some heat for this, but 🍪 needs to have several seats!! I’m so done with this 💩💩 kitty hate!! I mean I get it 🍪 is a bad bitch and all but it’s seems like her hate is irrational!! How can you know Dwight lying and still tell her kick rocks!! Like you said I wanna see more from Anika and I hope they have something planned for her where she ruins 🍪’s life tbh!!
Now onto another person I once loved but now hate is Jamal!! I hate everything about him this season!! We loved Jamal last season bc he was independent, now he’s always crying for Dwights attention and I need him to kick Dora to the curb yesterday!! His jealous facial expressions are annoying as hell!!!
Lastly is Dwight!! He’s the best thing about the show!! From him standing ass out for Ms ford and them thangs, to him slamming the trunk on Vernons corpse, I love every shitty thing he does!! Speaking of the corpse, why did they give the body to ms ford?!? This better not end up biting my
❄️🐇 in the ass bc she is truly ride or die!!
That’s all I got can’t wait to hear the podcast
For the podcast
Enjoyed the episode/liked the video shoots though can’t remember if I’ve seen the tupac California luv video on which they are was based
DA Fords mams were front & center again for all to see-does this woman ever cover up?
Painting-would it have worked as a photograph b/w or color?
My cookie-ism of the night was the comment re: no grandma has an ass like mine 😄 but I don’t know about that do-rag she wore-looked like an urban Rosie riveter
Andre-I feel 4 him so wanting of his dads luv, conflicted, torn-wonder if he’ll go off-he needs a hug!
Hakeem didn’t bug me 2night & he may have discovered a more in depth Valentina
Confab b/t cookie & ford @ jail-cookie set luciuos up re apex stations? Women throwing shade @ each other over the weave & wig😄
Looking forward 2 nxt wk!
For the podcast
I haven’t watched live tv in a minute So I don’t know if this an east coast thing but anyone else noticing the news bumpers during commercials are including “hot beats” in their promos?
Anyway this was another great episode. You got your nudity, murder cover up, muder un-cover up, sibling rivalry, Blackmail, Identity theft “Portia”, and the glorious return of the D.A’s breasts.
I wonder if the reason they ‘re out because it’s October, reminding people to get checked .
Hakeem really needs to get with it , you can say moguls all you want but if you don’t smarten up your dream is gonna turn into a nightmare quick .. Who else thought Hakeem and Lucious was gonna fight in that music video scene .
Oh poor Andre hearing voices , digging up bodies …this isn’t the Leftovers, you sir are gonna have a different outcome digging up that corpse. This scene was tense ,when Ronda started looking in those holes I so thought that they were gonna see some sort of cameras in those trees.
:Here are some of my quick predictions based on what I’ve seen on the show
1. that Tom green looking painter seems like he’s setting up to be some type of stalker and become obsessed with Jamal . The way he was talking about Jamal’s throat being cut as being art just smells of bad news. Dora gonna end up in a pot . Fatal Attraction style.
2. Andre gonna die , Jesus and murder cover ups just don’t work out in the end
3. Uncle Vernan is still alive some how . If we really are treat this like the night time soap it is, people come back from the dead all the time. He’s coming back some how .
4. I think Anika has some sort of Heisenberg/ Kaiser Soze plan she’s working on cause the way their portraying her is pretty sad and pathetic. I caught myself saying “awww” went she was left in that studio by herself So I’m hoping there’s a reason behind it.
FOR THE PODCAST
Loved tonight’s music! I just love Jamal’s songs and I can tolerate Hakeem when he’s accompanying Jamal.
How does Hakeem get in these bars & whatnot? He’s only 19 and he has a baby face. And he’s famous so they should know exactly how old he is? He gets on my last damn nerve!
Thanks to the group I now know why I hated that Rolling Stones photographer on sight! It’s punk ass Warren from BTVS! He’s just nasty looking on here! And wtf was his concept for that photo shoot? Jamal looked like he was wearing a muumuu. Michael needs to handle his business & find Willow to skin this boy again!
I love Cookie so much! She was really going through it when they had her in that room. But she’s always plotting and I love it!
Andre stays breaking my heart. I hope digging up Vernon and getting back to Empire gives him some of the peace he’s looking for.
Clearly Lucious & Boobs are gonna hook up. Ewwwww!!
That’s it. I barely pay Anika any mind but I don’t blame Cookie for not trusting her. While Lucious will lie all day every day, she knows him. She don’t really know or trust Anika. She’d have to constantly watch her back with her and vice versa.
That’s it. Can’t wait to hear the podcast! And I hope this is an appropriate length.
FOR THE PODCAST
So first a couple of scenes that just made me go UGH!:
1) So apparently Lucious and his lawyer having sex parties with groupies now?
2)The lawyer had her breasts all the way out and baby wipes had his dick out. EWW
3) The artist told Jamal “I want to be inside you”
Now for Lucious:
Technically he didn’t lie when Hakeem asked if he killed Bunky. He didn’t touch him, he shot him. Pretty slick lol. I see now they are implying that Luscious doesn’t trust Andre to not be a hazard to his child and thats why he has been pushing him away but he was doing that even before he knew about his grandchild. Also, he is the worst for only letting Andre back into the company after learning him and Kelly Ripa killed Vernon. What the hell device does Bubbles have.I’m assuming that device is something like what they use to detect the bodies that were in 911 but I don’t think you can just get that type of tech commercially.
Kelly Ripa and Andre:
I love how Rhonda looked like “you crazy” but instead she just asked “how has God ben speaking to you? “. Also, isnt it going to be suspicious as hell that the body of the lawyer’s witness ends up in car….doesn’t that just scream someone connected to the case did it?
Jamal and Hakeem
I really liked the music this episode. Of course we all wanted to slap Hakeem when he stabbed Jamal picture and held a bat over him. . I loved Micheal giving the artist the constant side eye.
Cookie:
What was that shot out to Eddie Murphy red leather outfit cookie had on? Then she gave another shot out to the Sandra bland case. Also, clearly Cookie isnt paying Porsche enough if she doesn’t get paid enough to catch the subway. And I see the lawyer didn’t have her breasts out for Cookie. I loved cookie using the radio over Lucius!!!! Brilliant! And I literally laughed out when she said her weave was good. I think cookie is making a mistake with Anika. She will probably be her enemy now.