Empire (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Devils Are Here - full transcript

LUCIOUS: - Previously on Empire...
- I will start grooming someone.

And it can
only be one of you.

COOKIE: It's my $400,000
that started this bitch,

and I want half
my company back.

LUCIOUS: One day Empire's
gonna be all yours, Hakeem.

ANIKA: - Don't do this...
- Andre, put your heart into this company.

ANDRE: Which makes me the most
qualified to run the company, Dad.

- We got to call the police.
- No, no, no-- babe, I'm pregnant.

LUCIOUS: Your sexuality--
that's a choice.

Do you want Empire or don't you?

I need to know that
you got that monster



in you that does
what he has to do.

JAMAL: The songs that I'm writing
will only further prove that

I'm you, but on steroids.

LUCIOUS:
The empire is yours, Jamal.

CARTER: For 17 years you
kept your mouth shut

about what Frank Gathers did.

Help us make sure
he never gets out.

COOKIE: Teddy McNally
left that rose, Jamal.

- I'm gonna get at him for you.
ANIKA: - They call him "Tricky" Trichter

'cause he's the best
at hostile takeovers.

HAKEEM: We got to stick
together if we gonna do this.

LUCIOUS: Sometimes you gotta be
willing to sacrifice your queen.

JAMAL: You made a deal-- you let
her back in the company.

LUCIOUS: That was before your
mother tried to murder me.



COOKIE: Jamal, that's not
what it looks like.

Lucious Lyon,
you're under arrest

for the murder of
Bunkie Williams.

You did this to me?

No, I swear!

LUCIOUS:
Game time, bitches.

(crowd cheering)

♪ ♪

Did you know
there are 1.68 million black men

being held
under mass incarceration

in America's prison system
today, right now.

Just like my brother Lucious
Lyon has been for three months,

- (crowd clamoring)
- held without bail.

Free Lucious!

- What you say?
ALL: - Free Lucious!

What's wrong with you, boy?

So we out there frontin'.

You know and I do--
he killed Bunkie.

Shut up!

You're just mad 'cause
he chose Jamal over you.

That's not why.

Mom, you got us here doing
a "Free Lucious" concert

when we should be performing
for the brothers and sisters

that are innocent.

You think I don't
know that, stupid?

This is about
us taking the Empire.

- Stay focused.
- Jamal not gonna like us

doing this
hostile takeover.

He's gonna think
it's us against him.

Jamal will understand.

I am doing this for y'all.

Look...

you're right.

Your father is a tampon.

He is a egomaniac.

But today is all
about impressing

that investor lady
Mimi Whiteman.

Now, come on, boy,

we got to get her $250 million
so we can get our Empire.

COOKIE:
Jamal.

- You see this crowd out here?
- Yeah, I see the crowd.

They gonna have to give Dad
a new bail hearing after this.

Bill Clinton is out there.

Yeah, he needs to be,

if he wants his wife
to get elected.

Look, what you want, boy?
I got stuff to do.

I just felt...
felt bad and stupid

for thinking that you could
ever sell Dad out.

I ain't no snitch.

You need to go
visit that man.

Did y'all bother
to tell him that to him that

when I was rottin' away?

All right, Ma.

FEMALE STAGEHAND: Mrs. Lyon,
they're asking for you.

(gorilla growling)

(grunting, hooting)

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

(grunting)

Hah!

(crowd cheering)

How much longer?

How much longer

are they gonna
treat us like animals?

The American correctional
system is built

on the backs of our brothers,

our fathers, and our sons.

How much longer?

It is a system that must be
dismantled

piece by piece,

if we are to live up
to those words

that we recite with our hands
on our hearts--

justice for all.

Not justice for some.

- (crowd clamoring)
- But justice for all!

How much longer? Say it!

ALL:
How much longer?

How much longer?

- How much longer?
- How much longer?

ALL:
How much longer?

CROWD: How much longer?!

(crowd cheering, clamoring)

CROWD: How much longer?
(hip-hop intro playing)

(crowd cheering)

Porsha, get me
out of this thing.

- What's the head count?
- Uh, I don't know yet.

Cookie, Andre needs
to see you.

Okay. Tell him
I'll be there.

♪ I got my hands in the air--
Officer, don't shoot ♪

♪ Told him I couldn't breathe,
then he gave me the boot ♪

♪ 'Cause they be giving the time
but never gave me the loot ♪

♪ They got my back to the wall
so what a brother gon' do... ♪

I loved it, Cookie.
I really loved it.

Mass incarceration is
such an important issue.

- I love you, Reverend Al Sharpton.
- Love you. Love you.

- Can you help me with Lucious?
- Lucious? Word in the street

is he ain't right on this.

I can't get involved
in nothing wrong.

- He's not right...
- Thanks for coming, Al.

Andre! Oh, my God,
you made it.

Miss Thing, what is this drag
you have on?

Tom Ford.

Gucci.

Last season.

- And you said Anna Wintour was coming.
- Shut up.

♪ Took a couple of L's,
they say a try is a fail ♪

♪ It's either put on a mask
or throw the work on the scale ♪

♪ Times done changed,
but I can't even tell ♪

♪ It's only two ways to go, it's
gon' be freedom or jail... ♪

- Cookie?
- Uh, hold on. Excuse you.

- I want an interview with Cookie.
- No, I'm not feeling what

you did out there in Peterson,
so the short answer is no.

- Peterson? What are you talking about?
- It's Ferguson, brain-dead.

I got this-- Don, I'm-a take
care of you, but I have to look

- for my artists, okay?
- Thank you, Cookie.

- And you did good in Ferguson, brother.
- Thank you.

- He did all right.
- Yes, you did good.

But he did mess up
that "N" word with...

♪ They gave Lucious a case,
and he couldn't even bail ♪

♪ Judge gave him a option,
go to trial or tell ♪

♪ Now he sittin' in prison,
while the governor fishin' ♪

♪ We gotta draw up the plan,
then accomplish the mission ♪

♪ You put a cat in a corner, he
gon' be scratching and hissing ♪

♪ We gon' survive in the ghetto
'cause the people ain't livin' ♪

♪ So how a leader gon' lead,
if he ain't got the vision? ♪

♪ I had a dream in my head,
I gotta break outta prison ♪

♪ Oh, Lord! ♪

(whooping, shouting)

♪ I wanna live ♪

♪ Wanna live my life today ♪

♪ Make a better way
for me and you ♪

♪ When the sun woke up ♪

♪ I got on my knees to pray ♪

♪ Yes! ♪

♪ Let the injustice be solved
and ended today ♪

♪ Do you live for the love? ♪

♪ Do you live for the hate?
Oh-oh ♪

♪ Yes! ♪

♪ It's like you make it,
then they take it ♪

♪ And you can't get it back,
oh-oh! ♪

♪ Do you believe in the Creator?
♪
♪ Yes! ♪

♪ Do you even know anymore? ♪
♪ Yeah! ♪

♪ It's like you make it ♪

♪ Then they take it and
you can't get it back, oh-oh! ♪

♪ I wanna live ♪

♪ Wanna live my life today ♪

♪ Make a better way
for me and you ♪

♪ When the sun woke up,
I got on my knees to pray ♪

♪ Let the injustice
be solved and ended today... ♪

(klaxon buzzes)

♪ Do you live for the love?
Oh-oh... ♪

♪ Do you live for the hate?
Oh-oh ♪

♪ It's like you make it,
then they take it ♪

♪ And you can't get it back,
oh-oh! ♪

♪ Do you believe in the Creator?
♪
♪ Hands up ♪

♪ Do you even know anymore? ♪
♪ Whoo! ♪

Lucious... hey, Lucious,
I gotta holla at you.

- We good?
- That's Cookie cousin.

Yo, Frank Gathers is
getting shipped here.

So? I ain't got no
beef with Gathers.

No, but something went down,
so we got to handle business,

- 'cause Cookie-- she...
- Look, wrong name, brother.

Gathers might come after me
because of Cookie.

Look, whatever problem
that nightmare

done got you involved with,
it's your business.

- Go on.
- My business? Lucious? Lucious?

Not up in here, man!

♪ ♪

♪ No justice, no peace in these
troubled times like these ♪

♪ I'm down on one knee, and
I'm praying for what I need ♪

♪ So whatever's in that dark is
gon' always come to that light ♪

♪ So if you shot him
in his back ♪

♪ Two wrongs ain't never
made it no right ♪

♪ Try to test my strength and
I fought with all my might ♪

♪ Took a page out this chapter,
just to reconcile my life ♪

♪ You hate
that Lucious going through it ♪

♪ We know that
he ain't do it... ♪

(heart beating in rhythm)

♪ Let's change for the better,
make the world a better place! ♪

WOMAN: So, this is the woman
who's trying to get my money.

(laughing)
Hey.

Tricky, you sexy devil.

And this must be Ms. Whiteman.

- Call me Mimi.
- And I love your drag, Mimi.

It's screaming,
"I'm dripping with money,"

- and I know how to spend it.
- (Andre chuckles)

- Easy, Mom.
- Don't you "Easy, Mom" me, boy.

- I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.

And so do Tricky and Mimi.

And let me
take y'all to the stage.

Get you up close
to your future investments.

♪ United as a people,
be the winners of the race ♪

♪ And never kill the joker,
'cause it used to be your ace ♪

♪ It's things outta life that
you just can't replace like ♪

♪ The sketches to the drawing
that the pencil couldn't trace ♪

- ♪ Empire! ♪
AUDIENCE (chanting): - Hey! Free Lucious!

- ♪ Let's work! ♪
- Lucious! Lucious!

Lucious! Lucious!

♪ Let's work! ♪

Lucious.
The reason we're here.

I hope that's not the only
reason why you're here, Mimi.

You in that dress, Cookie?

I can think of all
kinds of reasons.

CROWD: Free Lucious!
Free Lucious! Free Lucious!

Free Lucious! Free Lucious!
Free Lucious!

- (whispering inaudibly)
- Free Lucious! Free Lucious!

(indistinct conversations)

(grunting with effort)

You see that?
They bringing in Frank Gathers.

Nobody touches
Frank Gathers.

(quietly):
Yeah.

(indistinct conversations)

What you trying to do,
scare somebody?

Lucious Lyon.

Seems like yesterday

you were moving biscuits for me
at 50 a pop.

He used to work for me.

Him and his old lady.

Yeah,
that was 20 years ago, fool.

(laughing)

How's Cookie?

Hell if I know.
You talk to her?

Not since before
she got locked up.

You look good.
It's nice seeing you.

You, too.

- You know, we inspirational
figures, you and me. - No.

No, no, you the
inspiration.

You inspire fear.

That's how you win
on the streets.

Hell, yeah.

You be safe.

COOKIE: 50 Cent's still
taking jabs at us.

Look what he put on
the gram, thirsty ass.

Ooh, Krispy Kreme!

No! No!

Didn't you say
you was on a diet, Mom?

Give me my phone, boy.

Why you got these here?

I'm going to check
on Tiana,

and then I'm coming
to your session to check on you.

And you better not be smoking
weed, Hakeem, I mean it.

- Hey, Ma.
- All right.

Look, I need for you

to cover me tonight

- with, uh, Derek at the studio, all right?
HAKEEM: - Jamal?

- You serious?
- Hold on a second.

- Yeah. Do I look like I'm not?
- Uh-uh...

- Jamal?
- Hold on!

- Marco's gonna be furious.
- Jamal!

- Shut up. - Excuse us. Excuse us.
Marco's gonna be furious.

He's been trying to
sign Derek for months.

I couldn't care less. You have
a ten times better ear than him.

Hakeem, I looked
at the, um... the artwork

for the cover of your album.

- And?
- I don't like it. It's amateurish.

You just don't get it,
do you?

What the hell
is wrong with you?

I'm telling Mom. Mom?

Trying to help him out.

You're rude, he's crude,

and the both of y'all are
socially unacceptable.

You need to fix this.

No, he needs to fix it.

Give me a meeting with him
after this meeting.

Uh, you have
a marketing meeting.

- Well, after the marketing meeting.
ANDRE: - Don't forget we have

a BOD phone call at 11:30,

and then lunch
with the Apex Radio guys.

- (sighs) This don't stop.
- Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm just trying
to get into the studio, Andre.

Of course you are.

Set a meeting
with Hakeem after lunch.

After lunch,
you're seeing your father.

- Figure it out, little boy.
- Yes, sir.

You get a chance to...
see the concert?

Have you written any new songs?

No.

Running your Empire's
taking up all my time.

Yeah.

- My album dropped to number 22
on the charts, Dad. - I know.

It's because I'm supposed
to be touring by now.

Look, get me the
hell out of here,

and you can tour the world.

Lawyers say
that your bail hearing's

gonna go in your favor.

- Well, anybody seen that
lying snake Vernon? - Shh.

No. He needs
to be... handled.

Not yet.

All right. So how's Andre
doing with Apex Radio?

Good. We had a good lunch today.

No. No, I need him
to close that deal.

- All right.
- Did you talk

to Hakeem about the artwork?

Mm-hmm, he's pissed.

Well, he'll get
over it, man.

He hasn't recorded his
new track yet, has he?

No, Cookie's trying,
but he's unfocused or whatever.

'Cause Cookie
can't manage him.

I'm the only person
that can manage him.

You know your mama
ain't even seen me.

Not once.

Okay. Payback for the past.

I get it.

Who was that...
lesbian bitch

in the red suit?

- Who?
- At the concert.

That was cuddled up
with your mama.

I don't know who you're
talking about... at the...?

Find out who she is.

Her and your mama
are up to something.

(groans)

Dig.

(gasps)

They know.

If we were suspects, we would've
been hauled in already.

Then they're stalling.

You think
he was their only witness?

Yes, I do.

And you know if they don't find
any evidence against Lucious,

they're going to throw his case
out sooner rather than later.

We need
this hostile takeover thing done

before he gets out,

- or it'll never happen.
- It's okay.

- Baby, it's gonna happen, okay?
- All right.

It looks like
Mimi Whiteman is gonna bite.

(sighs)

You haven't told your pastor,
have you?

Told him about what?

About Vernon.

- Why you asking me that?
- What do you mean,

why am I asking you that?

No.

(sighs)

Babe.

You need to relax.

Okay?

This deal is gonna go through,

and this company is
gonna be yours.

(sighs)

There's no way anyone
in their right mind

would leave a half
a billion dollar investment

to Cookie and Hakeem.

I still can't believe
he gave it to Jamal.

I know.

How's my boy?

He's tired.

(fingers snap)

(TV playing indistinctly)

I heard you got five years
for armed robbery, Jermel.

Yeah, well, I ain't do it.

Just like you didn't kill
my boy Teddy McNally?

Smell the roses!

No.

I know you did it.

No fight, man.

I wouldn't do that
on my mama, man.

Ain't do that.

I'm hungry.

You hungry?

♪ Look at the flicka da wrist ♪

♪ Look at
the flicka da wrist ♪

♪ That wrist ♪
♪ Look at
the flicka da wrist ♪

♪ That wrist ♪
♪ Look at the flicka da wrist ♪

♪ Look at the flicka
da wrist... ♪

So, how do you like

this little party we
put together for you?

Just wanted to welcome
you into the family.

Very enterprising
of you, Cookie.

Speaking of
enterprising, Mimi,

Empire still runs
a hip-hop circuit.

Music, fashion,
liquor, sports.

What is she doing here?

- She's in my house.
- Oh, really?

- If I'm here, she here.
- Oh, what's...?

Okay.

ANDRE: We're trying to bring
in $250 million tonight.

We need her,
or I can't get these people,

I can't get this money.

Please do it
for us, okay?

ANIKA:
Heard a lot about you, Mimi.

- Tell me what you've heard.
- Well...

Who'd you hear it from?

(laughs)

Oh, look at that. I like this
little beauty mark right there.

- (Mimi laughs)
ANIKA: - Do I have one there?

Welcome home, Mimi.

Look, these dudes
from Atlanta think

they giving us a run
for our money.

But you know your boy Keem got
some hooks into those cats.

Here you go, baby.

Ooh! Do you?

- We have our eye on the future, Mimi.
- Yes.

We're making a big,
streaming play.

- It's gonna go global.
- I hear L'il Wayne may be a free agent soon.

Oh, yeah? So, who do you got in
the streets in your ear, Mimi?

- Don't you worry your pretty
little weave about that. - Okay.

(laughter)

No, what I'd really like
to know is,

why do you want
to depose Lucious?

He's lost his way, and I
need to get my company back

before he destroys it,
or destroys my family.

I'm saving it for my sons.

Oh.

For my babies.

So it's for the children?

- Yes. For the children.
- Okay.

- ♪ Catchin' plays ♪
- And the pretty babies.

♪ Catchin' plays ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ I woke up feelin' like ♪

♪ I was on the moon... ♪
♪ On the moon! ♪

(classical music playing)

MICHAEL:
Nothing, thank you.

Get rid of Ricardo.

Tell him to get out of here.

Ricky, you can leave now, okay?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Why you gotta be so nasty?

(sighs)

(sighs)

Empire.

So...

You like it?

(sighs)

You know what turns me on?

Yes?

You're blowing up, baby.

Ten weeks
on the Billboard charts.

That's impressive, Jamal.

You know what turns me on?

What?

You.

Putting together
this whole LGBT party.

It's good for you.

You made me look good.

You always look good.

So you are going to make it
to the meeting tomorrow.

Right?

(sighs)

Yeah, I'm gonna figure it out.

Well, we can have the meeting
at your office.

I miss you so much.

What about Ryan?

Ryan is a ho.

Yes, he is a ho.

I made a mistake.

You still want me, though.

(man trilling)

♪ Jello beats, come at me... ♪
♪ Ah... ♪

♪ And Chewy I'm some hot boy ♪
♪ Hot ♪

♪ Like I talked to Shyste
when I... boys ♪

You're pretty.

- How you doing?
- Good.

♪ And Montay keep it on him ♪

- ♪ He done drop boy ♪
- I like that tie.

Thank you.
Here, you want to try...?

You're trying too hard. Move.

ANIKA:
What did I miss?

Anita,

- would you care to dance?
- Oh...

no, no, no, no.
(chuckles)

No, I'm good.
And, actually, it's...

Anita, dance with her.

♪ Broad daylight and we gonna
let them thangs bark ♪

Why don't you take
your little sweater off

so she can see your sexy body.

♪ Free breezy, yo ♪
♪ Breezy ♪

♪ Tell my, tell my Shmurda teamin', bro ♪
♪ Teamin' ♪

♪ Caught about a week ago,
a week ago ♪

♪ With us and then
we tweakin', tweakin'... ♪

Damn, Cookie. Where are you?
It's Jermel.

I need you to get Lucious to
protect me from Frank Gathers.

You're in danger.
And your kids, too.

Ms. Whiteman office
called back again.

And somebody sent you
some ugly flowers.

Who?

- I don't know.
- Ma, Jamal's assistant

busts onto the mixing stage
while I'm rehearsing,

ordered me to come
to some meeting.

You know I don't take orders
from Jamal

- or his punk-ass assistant.
- Hakeem...

(phone ringing)

That's Carol trying
to videoconference you.

Yeah, tell her
I'll call her back later.

(ringing continues)

Hey, Carol. Cookie says

- she gonna call you back.
- Porsha, did she get some flowers?

- Yeah. You sent them? Ooh. I got to go.
- No, it's the guy.

- It's that crazy guy.
- I-I'll tell her you sent 'em. I got to go.

- I got to boo-boo.
- Porsha, wait...

Oh, this bitch.
(groans)

Put that damn phone down
and listen to me.

Ms. Whiteman has committed
$250 million.

She's in.
She is going

to make her move
in the next 24 hours.

We will get our company,

and I want Jamal
to be a part of it.

Y'all gotta be
in a good place.

(lock beeps, door opens)

Leave us alone.

You must be the
new prosecutor.

According
to the federal statute,

this meeting is... illegal.

I saw an old friend of yours

the other day.
He sends his regards.

I got a lot of old friends,
Roxanne.

You don't mind
if I call you Roxanne, do you?

What you should call me
is your worst nightmare,

because that's
exactly what I'm gonna be.

See that?
You just gave me goose bumps.

So what did this old friend
of mine have to say?

Vernon thinks
that Bunkie's murder

had to do with more
than extortion.

Plead guilty

and then we can start talking
about some of the other killers

in your business.

You help us take them down,
I promise you won't die in here.

So that's your campaign, huh?

You're planning
on running

for attorney general,
but as a Republican.

And you think that being
the black bitch in cheap shoes

who took down hip-hop,
that's your way to victory.

Let me share something with you,
Ms. Clarence Thomas.

I don't care how many of us
you lock behind bars.

You ain't never gonna be nothing
but a black bitch

in cheap shoes to me.

A black bitch in cheap shoes

that'll jam them right up
your yellow ass.

Is that how you want it?

I'd pay good money for it.

If I were you,
I would consider my offer.

It's the best one
you're gonna get.

And they're Tom Ford,
by the way.

(knocks on door)

Hey.

(door opens)

(indistinct chatter)

- How's your music?
- Good.

Spit something for me.

He in jail. Do it.

(sighs)

♪ They tell me
if you really want it that bad ♪

♪ You better go out and get it, so you
know I'll be writing songs forever ♪

♪ But since a young'un, I been on
but never had the time to shine ♪

♪ These people fear what they don't
know, manipulated my grind ♪

♪ I played the bench, applying
pressure from the sideline ♪

♪ Never gave a damn about a
hater try and take mine, I was ♪

♪ My own boss, always took
my own loss, solid as a rock ♪

♪ But when I slipped,
I took my own fall ♪

♪ They askin',
"Why you do that, baby?" ♪

♪ I'm whilin' on the block,
like, "Why you do that, baby?" ♪

♪ They wonder... ♪
♪ I like the way you
rhyme and how you grew that daisy. ♪

That's your little girl?

- Yeah, that's my girl.
- Wow,

you are powerful, miss.

Lucious,
you got another visitor

in Room A.

I'm not complaining,

but I have 20 minutes before
the board meeting, Becky.

Complaining.

They're trying to do
something nice for you.

- Turn that around, boo.
- (man singing nearby)

- Who's singing?
- Michael's in there

with the gay and lesbian people.
They've been waiting.

BECKY:
The GLAAD people.

Fix your face, come on.

♪ I've been dancing
on the floor, darling ♪

♪ And I feel like
I need some more ♪

♪ And I feel your body ♪

♪ Close to mine
and I know my love ♪

♪ It's about that time
to make me feel ♪

BECKY: - Be nice.
- ♪ Mighty real ♪

♪ You make me feel ♪

♪ Mighty real ♪

♪ You make me feel ♪

♪ Mighty real ♪

♪ Oh. ♪

This is beautiful.
So great; that's great.

- Hi, Jamal.
- How you doing?

I'm so excited
to be giving you an award.

Thank you.

Let's do a duet after.

Oh.

Becky, let's think
about that.

Don't be shady.

It'll be fun!

- (laughing)
- Becky,

Donnie McClurkin will be there.

Donnie McClurkin?

I love him!

Do you?

We fall down,
but we get up, don't we?

- Won't he will!
- Will he won't!

Ooh, shando!

(laughter)

Hakeem, it's happening.

Let's get it.

♪ They tell me if you really
want it that bad ♪

♪ You go on and get it ♪

♪ So you know I'll be
writing rhymes forever ♪

♪ But since a young'un,
I've been, on but never ♪

♪ Had the time to shine;
these people fear ♪

♪ What they don't know,
manipulated my grind... ♪

I know that we were
all surprised

by the large share purchase
from today,

but I just want to let
all y'all know we're fine.

Empire is just as strong
as we've even been.

Actually it's much
stronger, Jamal.

'Cause we're taking it over.

COOKIE: Didn't I tell you to
let me do the talking?

Now, let me explain
how this is gonna work.

Hey, sister girl.

(groans quietly)

In partnership with a woman
by the name of Mimi Whiteman,

we have taken a controlling
interest in Empire.

But that doesn't mean we're
gonna take it from you, Jamal.

ANIKA: We're taking
it from Lucious.

Our first order
of business

is removing
Lucious Lyon as CEO.

Sorry, brother,
it's just business.

Don't be so mean.

No, it's just business.

Yes.

Right, Mimi?

We had a deal!

I met with Lucious this morning

and made a better deal.

(chuckles)

I thought I told you
to sleep with her.

I did.

You can't even dyke right.

I'd give Anita an A for effort.

You made all
the right moves.

I wanted a little music company
to play with.

You convinced me
to invest in Empire.

You just forgot
one little detail.

Lucious Lyon is Empire.

Empire is Lucious Lyon.

Without him,
the company's nothing.

Oh, someone
wants to say something.

(laughing)

Hi.

(Lucious laughs)

Game over, bitches.

Bye-bye.

Come on, man, just stop.

Just tell me
what I need to know...

and we okay.

It was Cookie.

Come on, brah.

Cookie Lyon ain't no snitch.

You got to do better than that.

It was Cookie.

Frank Gathers.

That bitch.

Can't you see
I was doing this

to protect you, Jamal?

- Y-You can't see that?
- No.

You call it protecting,
I call it back-stabbing.

When he threw me in a trashcan,
he did it to my face.

I pulled you out
of the trashcan, Jamal.

I didn't betray you.

You were always gonna be
a part of the company.

Was I gonna run it?

No, because you wanted to.

It was my sacrifice that
started this company.

"My sacrifice
that started this company."

I'm so sick and tired
of hearing the same old thing.

Yeah, Ma, you sacrificed.

But that don't give you
the right to tear us down.

(laughs quietly)

You're turning into
your daddy.

(wry laugh)
I'm watching it happen.

(door closes)

KIDS:
Hey, Aunt Cookie!

Hey.

Carol?

How did you get
in my house?

And why they playing
with my wigs?

'Cause I like this one.

Oh, girl, you better
put that brush down.

Cookie...

I tried to tell that dumb-ass
assistant of yours

that the roses
isn't a mistake this time.

What roses?

Cookie, the roses.

They're really
from Frank Gathers.

Kisha, Kisha!

Hey, hey! Luther, you guys,
go in the other room.

Go, go, go go!

Ah! Put that down!
Put that down!

(both gasping)

Oh, no, no, no...

No!

They kind of
sprung the whole

Miss Lawrence thing
on me, Jamal.

I know you're
not comfortable

around flamboyant
dudes like that.

That ain't true.

Oh, come on.
You just hate him

'cause he's too
real for you.

But it puts me
in a bad position.

All right, well...

what you want me to do?

Y'all-y'all want some money--
like 50,000?

(scoffs)

So you're gonna
buy us with $50,000

'cause you're canceling
at the last minute?

What you want?

You want 100?
That what you want?

You want all this
money off Empire?

This is my company.

- Yes.
- Mm.

Well, look, make
the announcement tonight

and you apologize for me
not coming.

You're shady.

JAMAL:
♪ If I had to sell ♪

♪ Just a piece of me ♪

♪ Tell me what you see ♪

♪ In my life ♪

♪ For what can I keep ♪

♪ If you empty me ♪

♪ A catastrophe ♪

♪ A waste of time ♪

♪ So I ♪

♪ Won't sell it ♪

♪ I'm gon' keep it ♪

♪ You won't get ♪

♪ What's mine ♪

(phone rings)

♪ Whoa, yesterday ♪

Yeah.

♪ I had to pray ♪

♪ I'm looking ♪

- ♪ For a sign... ♪
- Yeah, I got it. Hold on.

- (music stops)
- Yo.

- Your mother's on the phone.
- Just deal with it.

- No. - Boy, I'm not taking
another Cookie cuss-out

- 'cause you don't want to answer the phone.
- Well, I don't care

- about it either way.
- I ain't, either.

Please just deal with it.

Thank you.

Ma, seriously?
This is the first time

I've been in the studio
in three weeks.

Jamal, listen to me.
This is not a joke.

Stop what you're doing right
now, go to your father's house.

- You will be safe there. You hear me?
- Why?

I am not joking.
This is very real. Okay?

Hey, what is this?

Jamal, just go.

I'll see you later.

(sobbing)

Why are you over there
crying like Tammy Faye Bakker?

Get your ass together. Get them
kids and go over to Lucious's.

Go, Carol!

(lock buzzes, clicks)

Why you looking like Mr. T?

Ain't nobody come
all the way out here

to play no games
with you, Lucious.

(chuckles)

For whatever reason,
I still love you.

- Oh...
- I do,

and I'm so sorry I didn't...

come and visit you
all those years in here.

This place is hell.

Three months.
You been in here three months.

Talk to me after five years.
If there's

any justice,
we'll have that conversation.

- You mean that?
- What, you think I don't,

'cause I threw
that little concert?

Nah. See, I know you threw
that little concert

'cause you was trying to impress
that big investor of yours.

Real sorry that
didn't work out for you, babe.

I did that
for our sons, Lucious.

That's...

It's tearing my babies apart,
having you in here.

You always were
ride or die.

Save that for Anika.

Or one of these little boys
you messing around with in here.

(laughing)

That's crazy how
I can love your ass

and hate you at
the same moment.

All right, so,
uh, why'd you come?

They messing with us, Lucious.

Who's messing with you?

That skinny...

animal.

Idi Amin.

Frankie?

I need you to fix it.

So, what'd he do?

FRANKIE:
Lucious. Over here.

Came solo.
It shows respect.

Sometimes that's
all we got.

Brother, I wanted
to tell you...

if there's a problem
between us,

we... we can always
work it out.

(playing discordant notes)

Oh, my God.

That damn piano.
Can you make them stop?

Aunt Carol, did she say how long

we're supposed to be here?

No.

Okay, well, did she say
what it's about?

All right.
Listen,

there's this guy

that we used to move drugs for
back in the day.

And he was...
he was really dangerous.

How dangerous?

LUCIOUS:
Now, first of all,

I want to apologize
if I overstepped some bounds

with you and your
little girl, and...

she's just
really talented.

- Yeah, thanks a lot, man.
- She's special,

and that's why
I think there's a...

a home for her at Empire.

With your blessing.

We got a bigger problem
here, Lucious.

And you throwing my daughter
a bone ain't gonna fix it.

Cookie's a snitch.

She rat me out to the Feds.
That's how she got out so early.

Now we both know I got to do
something about that.

This is between
me and Cookie.

Me and you are cool.

Unless you tell me
something different.

Um...

Yeah, we good.

Cold-blooded.

That's why I always liked you.

Always I liked you, too.

But I love Cookie,
and if you got war with her,

then you got war with me.

Wow.

You are crazy.

Crazier than I thought.

Kill him.

Make it fast

and quiet.

Bye.

I'm sorry,
I think you're confused.

Now, please sit down.

See, Frankie, you always
wanted to run the streets.

But me, I wanted
to rule the world.

Like Mike--
now, he may never

see his mama again
'cause he's serving life,

but he ain't got to
worry about her mortgage,

'cause I took care of that.

And Bamm-Bamm,
his baby girl is sick.

And she gonna need some help in
this cold-ass world that I rule.

And, Guy, wh-what
was it again, Guy?

Just the music, man.

LUCIOUS:
That's right.

He's a musician.

Just like Freda.

Kill him.

Make it loud, and make it long.

And by the way,
I'm-a sign your baby girl.

And then I'm-a
slip her my bone.

Bye.

♪ Power ♪
♪ For the power ♪

♪ Power... ♪
♪ All for the power ♪

♪ For the power... ♪

♪ For the power ♪

(Gathers screaming)

♪ All for the power ♪

♪ Power ♪
♪ Of the empire... ♪

(Gathers' scream echoing)

I'm gonna bury
your album, Hakeem.

It's never gonna see
the light of day.

You'd do that to me?

Empire's not gonna spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars

on a artist that would
try to take us down.

Nah, that's not
why you killing it.

You don't want anyone to hear it

'cause you want to be
the only one.

I've always been the only one.

That's what you thought.

You know my album gonna
sell more than yours.

But it's cool.

You're right, Hakeem.

That's the reason why.

I deserve to be the king!

COOKIE:
It's over.

It's all over.

Where's Andre?

Hey, Mom.

Where's Carol?

Upstairs in the playroom
with the kids.

Can you please explain what
the hell is going on here?

It was, um...
(chuckles)

it was an old beef.

With a very dangerous man.

He took care of
it from prison?

Yeah, well, your father's
a son of a bitch.

(chuckles)

But he's still your father.

And I'm still your mother,
don't you ever forget that.

Get out.

You, you!

Out! Andre, out.

- Jamal.
- Rhonda, get out. Right now. - You trippin'.

- Jamal...
- Get out of my father's house.

- You betrayed him, all of you.
- Your father's...

And we don't want
anything to do with it.

- I'll happily leave, okay?
JAMAL: - Thank you. Bye.

Come on, babe, let's go.

Andre, I'm gonna
take care of this, baby.

- It's not even your house.
- Come on, Hakeem.

I got it.

No, just go ahead.

Jamal, look.

I can fix this, baby.

You know I can.

Uh, look, we can
be a family again.

Get out.

Who you think
you're talking to?

You done now, lady.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.