BWW Recap: Death Will Have His Dre on EMPIRE

And just like that, EMPIRE goes out with a bang, or a fall, to be exact. Yes, it's mid-season finale... season (?) and EMPIRE's list of guest stars almost broke the bank tonight. Not to mention the coveted (and fictional) ASA nominations. Will Jamal and/or Hakeem make the cut?

The American Sound Award nominations are an all day long event, apparently, as a parade of stars announce the nominations including Jason Derulo, Nicole Ritchie, Da Brat, Joel Maddon and did I hear Quest Love's voice? I guess it's a big deal. Jamal is raking in the nominations, however, none of them matter (at least to Lucious) except Song of the Year. The big surprise when Hakeem is snubbed for Best Rap Artist, but Freda gets a nomination. Yes, Hakeem won the rap battle, but that may be about it.

Cookie and Hakeem are scrambling to find a location for the cookout since Laz was exposed and they lost their security team. In the meantime, she decides to do some charity work and go back to prison to visit her pals. She brings Laura and Hakeem with her to perform to raise their spirits. She has a couple PTSD moments, but realize that she needs to support these women who supported her all those years.

Meanwhile, Jamal and Skye are bathed in awkwardness after their night of passion. Skye is under the wrong impression that they have a future and Lucious is overjoyed that she "fixed" Jamal. When they perform their new duet at Charlamagne's ASA party, "Tha God" calls her out for not being black enough and to go back to singing her white pop music. A PR nightmare, she goes to perform at the EMPIRE party and is more positively received, however she sees Jamal flirting with a guy and realizes, it was just one night.

Lucious announces the Swiftstream merger, but then Mimi drops the big bombshell. Her wife has arrived.. and it is Camilla! (Naomi Campbell) Yes, it is Camilla who has been pulling the strings and having Mimi secretly take down Lucious. Mimi plays recorded conversations for the board and then asks them to vote him out as CEO/Chairman. Dre and Thirsty to dirty work (literally) to get the board on their side, but they need the family's votes. Cookie signs her proxy over to Hakeem on the condition that he vote to keep Lucious on as CEO. Yeah... he doesn't do that and Lucious is voted out and the new CEO of EMPIRE is Camilla. Yup, that happened. Lucious, on the verge of a breakdown hears the final nominations for ASA for Song of the Year and not only is Jamal nominated, but so is Lucious for "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom."

Oh, and one last thing? An intruder broke into Dre and Rhonda's house and shoved her down the stairs in the most epic, horrifying and ridiculously over the top way, that it was hard not to laugh. Regardless, if she survives, that baby sure didn't.

Anyone else betting that the 'shover' was Anika? That's pretty much a given, right? Did ANYONE see the Camilla twist coming? Like, seriously, that was pretty clever. To be fair, why would you ever go against Naomi Campbell. She will always win.

Music wise, still loving that Skye and Jamal duet, but Tiana's song was super weak. However, those guys who were dancing on those hoverboard things were pretty dang cool. Wouldn't have minded hearing "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" one more time for the finale.

Most hurtful moment? Lucious welling up with pride thinking Jamal had been "Fixed" by sleeping with a woman. Good Lord, Lucious... big picture! Hard to feel sorry for him getting screwed over when he pulls stunts like that. And you can completely understand why Hakeem would decide to vote against Lucious. The entire flashback montage of his relationships with his family, I get it. Regardless? Do you really do that to your family? Even in his most hateful moments, I just don't believe Hakeem would hurt his mother and his brothers that way. Is he even redeemable at this point? I know he got snubbed hard core for those nominations, but, man... taking down your whole family with one word, that's pretty cold.

And that does it for the first half of the season. EMPIRE is back on March 30, 2016. See you in the Spring!

Photo Credit: FOX

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