BWW Recap: The EMPIRE Strikes Back

"Mend and charge home, or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe and make my wars on you." Tonight's episode title, "Fires of Heaven" taken from the Shakespeare play Corialanus where Martius declares that he will forget his enemy and turn all his wars on you. Sounds about right?

Lucious is set free on bail after lawyer Thirsty blackmailed the judge, however, the one contingency is that he cannot set foot in EMPIRE. After inviting the family over for a tense and awkward dinner, he offers them all a chance to come back to the company and let bygones be bygones. Cookie adamantly refuses and leaves with Hakeem. Hakeem has an interview at Sway in the Morning on APEX radio in which he mentions his new girl group, Mirage a Trois and promises to deliver them the following week.

Lucious throws himself a big old welcome home party, but thanks to a tip from Anika, Cookie and Hakeem crash into Jamal and Pitbull's performance as Hakeem performs with Timbaland. Lyon Dynasty has arrived. Dre is still desperate to work for Empire, but Lucious keeps pushing him away for his own good without informing Dre that his bipolar disorder actually is hereditary from Lucious' mother. Lucious is happy to hear of Dre's pending fatherhood, but chastises him for trying to use the baby to regain his trust. After Jamal fails to sign her, Lucious tracks down Frank Gathers daughter, Freda. She is super talented, but has a lot of anger. Lucious begs her to let him mentor her and take her off the streets. When Jamal expresses his dissatisfaction at the producers Lucious has been suggesting for his album, Becky convinces him to just ask Cookie. However, Lucious intervenes before he does so and offers to produce Jamal himself.

Cookie works with Mirage a Trois on their hook as well as the choreography and advises the diva, Valentina, that she has to work her butt off or else everyone will just write her off as a whore. The group starts to come together and they all get excited for their debut on Sway in the morning on APEX. When they arrive, Lucious is there. On Dre's advice, he purchased APEX radio and also signed Valentina as a solo artist to EMPIRE Records.

We really never assumed that Valentina was going to accept the role in a girl group where she was only one of three, right? Lucious knows what he's doing. Even so, Hakeem and Cookie's takeover of the party was pretty impressive.

I do enjoy that even with their great rivalry, Jamal and Hakeem are able to be impressed, if not irritated, by their rivalry. It was hard for Jamal to hide his admiration for his brother's moment even if it did destroy his own. Come on, boys, can't y'all just call a truce already? We want more brother performances! And poor, sweet, Dre, man, can't he ever catch a break? Lucious went and took his idea and it was a good one. Is Dre even gonna get credit for that? The sad thing is, all this hurt and pain is being caused because Lucious is protecting Dre. Put the damn pride aside already and tell him about your Mama, Lucious!

I am skeptical and yet riveted at the Anika/Cookie alliance. Sure, we could see it coming from a mile away, but still, I think these two ladies burn up scenes together. And oddly enough it was Anika, not Cookie, that pulled out the line, "You are badder than all the animals whose prints populate your wardrobe." Even with that zinger, we have to acknowledge the queen and all her glory.

Epic Cookie Moments:

• Pulling the runner off the dinner table at Lucious' dragging the food and dishes on to the floor.

• To Valentina: "I'm not talking to you, Guadalupe, you need to find your drawers."

• Informing Hakeem that she learned how to choreograph in prison.

• Outfit/Entrance at Lucious party, need I say more?

Lyon Dynasty had a pretty amazing launch moment, but Lucious and EMPIRE came right back at them. I would never count Cookie down for the count, but that was a pretty strong move for Lucious. Buying up APEX radio to control urban radio so that Lyon Dynasty would have to go through him for airplay? Well done, Dre, even if Lucious won't give you props, I sure will.

Here's a preview for next week's all new episode:

Photo Credit: FOX

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