Empire (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 14 - Time Shall Unfold - full transcript

- Previously on Empire...
- Lola wanted to meet her daddy.

HAKEEM: I'm very excited to be

the new chief executive officer
of Empire Enterprises.

- Will you marry me?
- Yes.

You got to tell the truth.

Why?

Because I did 17 years for a man
whose real name I didn't even know.

ANDRE: Was my grandmother bipolar?

LUCIOUS: I was embarrassed
by her, the same way

- I'm embarrassed by you.
- To hell with you.

(CRYING): I just can't take it anymore.



Stay with me for as long as you need.

How you doing, Ms. Cookie?

I thought you'd be working with Lucious.

She was till he iced her out the video.

COOKIE: Freda, did you say
something about Frank Gathers?

Yeah, that's my father.

Was my father. He got
murdered in prison.

("POP OFF" BY FOOLISH PLAYING)

♪ You don't wanna ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Pop off, you don't wanna pop off... ♪

WOMAN: Lola, get the ball.

♪ Getting knocked off ♪

♪ Tell them haters stop... ♪



Here you go, Lola.

Your hair is so pretty.

Your mom comb it for you today?

- Yes.
- Yeah?

Ow! That hurt.

Sorry, sweetie.

Had to do it.

♪ Make me lay 'em down, after that ♪

♪ It's no waking, don't make me... ♪

RHONDA: I love him with all my heart.

I really do, but I just
cannot be in that house.

Is he still having the visions?

Actually...

the reverend finally
realized that he does need

to recalibrate his meds.

Hmm. And he has

stopped insisting that somebody
pushed me down the stairs.

- That's a good sign.
- Yeah.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

Okay.

I'll leave you guys to it.

(SIGHS): All right.

- (DOOR OPENS)
- RHONDA: Hi.

- ANDRE: Hey.
- How are you?

ANDRE: I'm good. How you doing?

- Good.
- You look nice.

Thank you.

Just give me a minute.

I'll be out of your hair.

Oh, no, no, no, th-that's
not right, Anika.

This is your place.

You know, Rhonda and I, we can...

we can go for a walk.

- Yeah.
- ANIKA: Oh, please.

My place is your place, okay?

Make yourselves at home.

So, you're not staying
with the reverend?

I haven't been going to church.

I'm staying at a hotel, and
I'm not off my medication,

so you don't have to ask.

- Okay?
- Why haven't you been going to church?

I been wrestling with some issues,

spiritually, and, um...

...I didn't think Reverend
Pryce would understand.

Why do I find that weirdly comforting?
(CHUCKLES)

Listen, what if we just...

lease an apartment?

You know, just a...

a small space where we can be together.

Now I'm thinking, like,
brand-new, you know, no...

bad associations, no memories.

Yeah, but then what?

Honestly, I don't know what.

You know, I just... (SIGHS)

I just know that I miss you.

- Yeah.
- Okay? I miss us.

We were a team.

- Yeah.
- Us against the world.

Ride or die, right?

Yeah, well, we haven't been
that for a long time, Andre.

Well, tell me what it's gonna take.

For us to be on the same team again?

That's right.

I think that we need to
want the same thing.

When were you happiest?

When... we were excited
about our future, I guess,

and wanted to rule the world
and take over Empire.

(ANIKA RETCHING, COUGHING)

Oh, my God. Whoa.

(RETCHING, COUGHING)

Anika? Oh, my God, are you okay?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Do you think it was
something that we ate?

I feel fine.

No, it wasn't anything we ate.

Well, what do you think it... it is?

I cannot.

Especially not after what
happened to you guys.

Are you pregnant?

Who's the father?

(WHISPERS): Oh, boy.

It's Hakeem.

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪

♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪

♪ From the bottom I got up
to the top of the pros ♪

♪ From the gutter to the shutter ♪

♪ Trimmed out in gold ♪

♪ Life bless my soul... ♪

Lucious, your video is amazing.

(CHUCKLES)

It's so gritty, so real.

(SIGHS)

The whole music business,
the whole world...

all anyone is talking about
is little Dwight Walker.

A.K.A. my boy.

- My man. Thank you for coming.
- (LAUGHS)

Lucious Lyon, wouldn't miss it.

You know, that's the Lucious Lyon

that inspired me to buy into Empire

years before he took the company public.

Look, I know I speak for all
the majority shareholders

when I say... we want
you back in charge.

Hear, hear.

Look, I'll tell you one thing,

I really appreciate the
vote of confidence,

but the board has spoken.

They've anointed Hakeem, and
all I can do is support that.

The board answers to the shareholders.

Besides, Hakeem's support was

entirely predicated on Mimi Whiteman.

May she rest in peace.

But you know what,

after hearing you guys' thoughts...

I'm gonna think about it long and hard.

If the board calls on me to serve,

I will consider it.

We're counting on you, Lucious.
Empire needs you.

Nobody else can do what you do.

THIRSTY: You're right about that.

LUCIOUS: I am so impressed with you.

WOMAN: Well, thank you.

So, when do we get to talk again?

Well, just call me,

and we'll arrange.

Well, I'd love to put some
of your thoughts to work.

Let's do that. Have a great night.

You know, you done crossed a line.

I mean, you really crossed
a line this time, Lucious.

What you doing up in here
with all these white people?

Winning their hearts and minds, my dear.

Yeah, it sounds like you
winning something else.

You sound a little jealous.

Oh, please, stop flattering yourself.

I'm here because I want to make sure

if you do something against Hakeem

at that shareholders
meeting that you tell me,

'cause I'm trying to bring
this family back together.

(SIGHS)

Okay, how did I cross the line?

Uh, Freda Gatz?

Excuse me, Gathers.

She's not a problem.

(QUIETLY): You killed her father.

I don't know what you're talking about,

but I was nowhere near
that man when he died,

and you are bone deep with me.

I don't want that dangerous
bitch around my boys.

♪ I know they know I gotta lotta ♪

♪ I'm in that VIP with 50 bottles ♪

♪ And all these women foreign ♪

♪ What's the motto? ♪

♪ What happens here, we
gon' leave it here ♪

♪ So don't mention that tomorrow ♪

♪ Livin' that luxury ♪

♪ 'Cause where we come
from close to hell... ♪

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

♪ Tonight Death come for me ♪

♪ I'm-a be too turnt up to tell... ♪

- Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Wait, listen.

♪ Livin' like my last night ♪

♪ Hey, my last night ♪

♪ Like my last night, oh ♪

♪ My last night ♪

- ♪ Like my last night... ♪
- Yo, son.

Please tell me that's the hook.

That's it right there.
You know, I'm-a put that

as the last song on the
Black and White album.

No, no, no, no. What
about "Shine on Me"?

Nah, nah, nah, that, too.

I'm saying, I'm-a set up
the recording session.

So you telling me I'm on
two tracks on the album?

Yeah, that's what I'm telling you.

- Oh, we lit!
- That's what I said.

- (JAMAL CHUCKLING)
- Oh, man.

Yeah, let me know.

- All right.
- Yo, peace, man.

All right.

BARBER: Yo.

Can't sit there. You
know the rules, bro.

It's the old man's chair.

Ain't nowhere else to sit though.

Y'all past ridiculous with all this
memorializing Frank Gathers, man.

(CLIPPERS CLICK OFF)

Hey, what you say?

I mean, for real, no disrespect, but...

Gathers been dead, so...

Yo, what part of "Don't sit there"

don't you understand?

Yo, that's her pops, man.

Hey, hey, come on, relax, shorty.

Ain't no relaxing!

I told you, don't sit there!

Don't... sit... there!

(GRUNTING)

Get him up out of here, man.

Hey, man!

♪ Wild in the streets like
there ain't no police. ♪

JAMAL: ♪ My last night,
yeah, my last night ♪

♪ My last night, my last night ♪

- ♪ MY LAST NIGHT ♪
- FREDA: ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ If I take one more shot
of this agave, I be gone ♪

- ♪ I'll be lit ♪
- ♪ Just keep on sippin' ♪

♪ We gon' feel it in the mornin' ♪

- ♪ Mix that... ♪
- (MUSIC STOPS)

Yes!

That was so dope!

Yo, you and Freda are like
Ri-Ri and Eminem in reverse.

- Oh, my goodness.
- Y'all about to kill it.

You got a hit, boy!

Ma.

It's dope, right?

Yeah, it's a'ight.

You're not serious. Look...

I'm not saying the song's not cool.

I-I'm just saying

that I know you did this
track with Freda Gatz

to get at your father.

That's all I'm saying.

JAMAL: I can't lie about that,

but...

I'm not trying to just get at him.

I'm trying to blow
past him, which is why

the Black and White album needs
to be released before the ASAs.

Right.

But all anyone's talking about

right now is Lucious's

Dwight Walker video. Right? Am I wrong?

I mean, I just don't know how
you gonna do it with that

- Freda Gatz girl, but good luck!
- Ma, you wrong, you wrong.

Oh, I'm wrong? I'm wrong? Okay, wait.

- I'm wrong?
- Okay, okay, a'ight, a'ight.

- Ain't never wrong.
- A'ight, a'ight.

But come on, all of the stories

that you told me about
Lucious being in his zone.

Mm-hmm.

Y'all losing track of time when
you were creating his classics.

That's what me and Freda have.

Fine, Jamal, fine.

You-you got it all under control,

but you need to tweak that

'cause it's not 100, baby.

All right.

HAKEEM: And then I'm-a
have Cookie speak on

where she's going with all the
Empire music divisions, okay?

Why ain't she here?

I told you, she's trying to
get Tiana back to perform.

Okay, good. Steve and Chicken,
why don't y'all run the stats

on the fashion pre-orders, so...

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

JAMAL: Dre.

Bro, you made it.

Hey.

Chicken, um, give us a few.

Yeah, Steve and I will go over
the stats for the fashion show.

Yeah, no problem.

Baby brother.

- My man.
- Good?

Yeah, yeah.

You sure you're all right?

I'm-I'm good.

I been... I been staying at a...
hotel, but I'm-I'm good.

Talk to Rhonda?

We're talking.

But, hey, listen, I, um...

I want to let you guys know
that I'm-I'm... I'm back.

Okay? I'm on board for the
shareholders meeting.

I'll, uh, do the CFO presentation

and, uh, I'll help you
and Cookie prepare.

Now you know you got to
bring your A-game, right?

I know. But are you okay?

I'm all good, baby brother.

Have you, um, talked to...?

Lucious and I actually just spoke.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Was he groveling at your feet?

(CHUCKLES)

You better not have apologized.

I'm onto his games, Jamal.

All right, the old man wants to talk,

and I'm ready to listen, so, uh...

Tell me what you got planned. What's up?

Hey, check this out.

So, Mom is bringing out
Tiana to perform, right?

So, what you think about
J Poppa coming out

to perform for the churchgoing folk?

It was Becky idea.

That's a smart idea.

But the shareholders meeting

is more than just a show, all right?

It's an opportunity for
management to engage

in a face-to-face dialogue

with the shareholders.

And the shareholders will engage.

I guarantee you that, okay?

These meetings... one wrong
word, one wrong number,

they get hostile fast.

So your message about all of
Empire has got to be on point.

You understand?

Lucious is gonna be a challenge for you.

- I don't want him there.
- He's a shareholder, all right?

Anybody with even one share in
the company is free to attend.

And you should know,

to the shareholders, big or small,

he's still the face of Empire.

Especially now with the
whole Dwight Walker video.

He's got a whole new
surge of support, so...

he's definitely gonna come for you.

So what should I do?

Let's review any pending deals you have.

Which is most important to you?

Well, I got this capsule deal with Saks

I did with Antony & Cleopatra.

It's gonna be big for the company.

That's what he'll go after.

♪ ♪

All right, fellas, remember,

my ass is out here, okay?

Let's make this clean, quick and pretty.

♪ Red and black J, lookin'
like a ballplayer ♪

♪ Pimpin' like I'm Motown,
rockin' all gator ♪

♪ Baby, have you ever
seen a black card? ♪

♪ I'm livin' good, countin'
money in the backyard ♪

♪ Pay it up ♪

♪ The city wit' me on that
thug, I'm the mayor of it ♪

♪ A young getter gettin',
givin' 'em the flavor lovin' ♪

♪ Every little bit of that dope, boy ♪

♪ gimme that dough, boy ♪

♪ What you got up in
your pockets is a joke ♪

♪ Throwin' racks, show me somethin' ♪

♪ Throw it back ♪

♪ We shuttin' down the club, boy ♪

♪ You ain't know that you was
messin' with a thug, boy. ♪

You think I don't know it was you

who ran up in my warehouse
with your boys?

So now my warehouse is your warehouse,

not Empire's.

But of course,

I have no idea what
you're talking about.

You gonna give me all my Empire

Antony & Cleopatra merchandise
before the shareholders meeting,

or all the security footage
is going to the police.

I wrote a song in the joint
about people like you

called "Snitch Bitch."

But of course, we don't
drop dimes in this family.

You gonna take me out like Jamal?

Or treat me like garbage like Dre?

But know one thing, old man,

I ain't never bowing down to you.

I thought you might say
something like that.

(PHONE RINGING)

You might want to answer that.

Hello.

There's no equipment, like, nothing.

No lights, no... no instruments.

The only thing that's here is wardrobe.

What? What happened?

The roadies got stopped and
searched on the way here.

The police found drugs and
confiscated everything.

All right, I'm-a hit you back.

Dude, you planted drugs on my trucks?

What if I did?

It's just a simple boss move.

I mean, any half-assed CEO
should know how to...

clap back.

But... you don't bow down.

(HIP-HOP BEAT PLAYING)

MAN: There we go.

COOKIE: Damn, that's fire, Mal.

That's for you and Freda, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Well, you weren't lying when you said

you was gonna knock your father off.

Look, Ma, I know that you are somehow

caught up in his web right
now, so if you are coming

to tell me to pump my
brakes, just please...

That's not what I'm here to tell you.

I think competition is healthy.

As long as you're using
it to push yourself.

So what's up?

Nothing. Never mind.

I... had a surprise for you,
but you got it under control.

I'm sure you and Freda got what it takes

to knock Lucious off his throne.

Oh, my good... Ma.

Come on, what is it?

Well, it's just that I set
you up with a certain...

high-profile celebrity
superstar emcee who just broke

all kinds of records with her single

by doing 2.3 million
downloads in one day.

You did not get Stacee Run-Run.

Get the hell up out of here.

- COOKIE: Hey!
- Cookie.

I can't believe this.

Oh, hell yeah, you can. (CHUCKLES)

- How you doing?
- Good.

Believe it or not,

couple years ago, I crept up
in the Incognito Coffee House

on Bleeker Street, and
I caught your show.

And I knew right then, yo'
ass was gonna blow sky high.

Thank you so much.

Congratulations on everything.

STACEE: Thank you.

I can't wait to get
them into the studio.

- It's gonna be sick.
- We'll lay down the music

- and record verses tomorrow.
- Mm-hmm.

Stacee wants Auto-Tune.

- You're good with that?
- I'm good with that.

Also, Stacee sings the bridge, and...

I'm good with all of that.

I just want the promos.

Well, I'm-a personally promote our song

on every public appearance I
have leading up to the ASAs.

My Twitter and my 'grams.

And she'll shout-out the
Black and White album

- every chance she gets.
- Yes!

JAMAL: Maybe we should rethink
the sequence of the tracks,

you know what I'm saying, like,

- so that this can get the upfront shine.
- COOKIE: Okay.

You know, maybe move Freda
to three and seven.

I thought we killed that.

Killed what?

Uh, look, give us a second.

Help yourself to some snacks.

Come here, let me talk
to you for a second.

- Uh, look... (CLEARS THROAT)
- Mom?

I just found out that Stacee has

an exclusivity clause in her contract,

so... no other female rapper
can be on your album.

Ma, I can't just dump Freda.

It's not me, baby, it's Stacee.

Look, you're the one stressing

'cause you want to drop
your album before the ASAs.

I'm just trying to help you.

Two tracks with Stacee Run-Run?

Boy, you will give Lucious
a run-run for his money.

LUCIOUS: Son, say hello to your
grandmother, Leah Mary Walker.

ANDRE: I don't know what to say to her.

Whatever you got to say, say it quickly.

It's cold out here.

You know, the funny thing about my mama,

you'd never know who
was gonna answer back.

Some days, it was this...

terrifying and abusive woman.

But, hell, what I remember
most about my mama

was how she could make the
sun come up at midnight.

Yeah, that's exactly
how Rhonda describes

what it's like to live with me.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Hi, Grandma. It's Andre.

I'm-I'm your oldest grandson.

I wish I could've met you.

Medical science has made
things more hopeful

for people like us.

If you were still here with us,

today you could stand a chance

of being whoever you dreamed of being...

on your good days.

Wish she could have met you, too, man.

Really proud of you, son.

You know, whenever you say that,
you have an agenda, so...

I mean it.

Yeah, there's a lot of things I'm trying

to accomplish right now

that I could use your help with, but...

I'm not going against my brothers.

I'm not asking you to go
against your Christian faith.

I know you live by the
straight and narrow.

What, you don't?

I'm not...

I'm not sure.

Look, I understand.

You know, how can you worship some God

that let your babies die, or...

war and hunger.

Look, at the end of the day,

you got to have faith in yourself.

'Cause you the one that pulled
you up out of the lion's den.

I know you and your brothers,

y'all all want the same thing I want,

and that's for our Empire to be great,

but you know that I'm
the best man for that.

I want us all to try to be better.

Being that woman's son...

gave me a whole lot of gifts, man.

But she also did a lot of damage to me.

But I know you and me working together,

man, we could fix a whole
lot of that stuff.

So what do you say? We good?

So exactly why is the new
fashion line being delayed?

It's not being delayed.

It's being refined based
on testing, people.

No, no. You can't say that.

That makes it sound like the
clothes did bad on the test.

Or I can say my dad stole
them to sabotage me.

No, you will not say that either.

Just say there's been some minor
factory delays and the line

will still be in stores by Christmas.

Nah, nah, man. I just told you,

I need something to announce
to blow everybody away.

So where's Dre at?

He's supposed to prep me
with the Swiftstream thing.

STEVE: Andre said there's
been a hiccup with the app.

He has our tech team solving
it, but it messed with

the first quarter numbers, so...

you can't bring up profits
because we don't have any yet.

Tell Dad to back the hell off.

Okay, all right, hey.

Can y'all give us five minutes, please?

- Thank you, I'm sorry.
- HAKEEM: Ten minutes.

Okay.

Look, I doubt your father
had anything to do with it.

Whose side are you on?

I'm not on anybody's side, Hak...

Would you sit down, please?

All I ever want is what's
best for my family,

and right now, that is you killing it

at the shareholders meeting.

And if you are the man for
the job, then you have

my support, 1,000%.

But you really need

to get your act together,

'cause you getting emotional
in these meetings,

it's childish.

Get it together.

Can't be exploding in meetings.

♪ I'll be gone, just keep on sippin' ♪

♪ We gon' feel it in the mornin' ♪

♪ Too turnt up, we goin' in ♪

♪ Mix that purple with that yellow ♪

♪ I know they know I gotta lot of ♪

♪ And all these women
foreign, what's the motto? ♪

♪ What happens here, we
gon' leave it here ♪

♪ So don't mention that tomorrow ♪

- ♪ We livin' that luxury... ♪
- (MUSIC STOPS)

What's up, bro?

Yo, that's dope.

Yeah, just tightening up
this verse a little bit.

You feeling it?

Yeah, it's hard.

Let's just hope it flies
with Mama Cookie.

(CHUCKLES): Yeah.

Look, Freda, I got to talk
to you about something.

For sure. What's up?

Well, Mama Cookie... (CHUCKLES)

set me up, uh, to do a
song with Stacee Run-Run

for the Black and White album.

Bro, that is big!

That chick is official
status right there!

Yeah.

Only thing is, is that she got me

on this exclusivity thing,

so I got to choose between her or you.

It's cool.

I mean, I don't want
to stop what we doing.

I mean, 'cause it's pure magic.
It's just, you know,

with everything I'm up
against with my dad.

Look, man, I get it.

Stacee Run-Run's spit
game is next level.

She hot across the world.

You can't choose me over her.

Hey, look, I promise you
that after I'm done,

then... we'll pick up where we left off.

Come on, man, it ain't no
need to make promises.

Just do you and win.

Ain't that the point of all this?

ANDRE: Yesterday, I told Dad

I wanted us all to try to be better.

So... we all know

that sometimes this family

doesn't treat people
as well as we should.

But I've seen that we can change,

that we can rise above our past,

and I'm hoping that
we can do that today,

because there's someone here

who has something really
important to tell you.

Rhonda?

COOKIE: Uh, what the
hell is she doing here?!

Anika.

LUCIOUS: What would
this woman have to say

that would be of any interest
to anybody in this family?

I'm just asking that
everybody remain civil.

Okay, Anika, please.

I'm pregnant.

So?

It's Hakeem's.

COOKIE: What?!

Are you that thirsty, you trick-ass ho?!

- Wait, Ma. Hold on, hold on one second.
- Are you serious?!

Did you know?

No!

Look, how I even know the baby mine?

You're the only one I've
been with after your father.

COOKIE: And you want us to believe that?

ANIKA: I'm happy to do a paternity test.

So you don't know how to
use a condom, stupid?!

Anika, um... you gonna keep it?

I begged her to.

You did what, stupid?

This family has already
tragically lost an heir.

This family uses the term "heir"

as if we're in a Shakespearian play.

Technically, if we're
talking about heirs,

we need to find Lola.

No, we don't.

You're not the father.

How do you know that, Lucious?

Had a DNA test done.

Her daddy's name is, uh, Marcus Jones.

(SIGHS)

Great.

Sorry.

I guess that's that, huh?

Okay, little lady.

What do you want?

I want something very valuable,

something almost priceless.

Right. So, Lucious,

why don't you just write
this bitch a check

so she can get up out of here.

Cookie, please.

Let her finish.

I want my child to have a family.

(SIGHS): Girl, bye.

ANIKA: Look, I-I know that things
haven't been pleasant among us all.

And I fully recognize the
role that I played in that.

I am taking full
responsibility for my actions.

(SIGHS) I'm sorry.

I'm trying to make amends.

(SIGHS)

I hope that you will all think about it.

ANNOUNCER: Empire shareholders,
please welcome Tiana!

♪ Na, na, na, na ♪

♪ Na, na, na ♪

♪ I been workin' all week ♪

♪ Standing on my two feet ♪

♪ Shake it off and let it go ♪

♪ Seen you from across the room ♪

♪ You look like you got that boom ♪

♪ Come and raise my tempo ♪

♪ I've heard it before ♪

♪ I don't wanna hear anymore, no ♪

♪ You got that somethin'
that I can't resist ♪

♪ And I'll show you just what it is ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ It's your touch I'm cravin' ♪

♪ Feel the rush ♪

♪ Don't say a word ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Say no words ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Sick of talkin' ♪

♪ Make that body speak ♪

♪ Shut your mouth ♪

♪ Let it come naturally ♪

♪ Body, body ♪

♪ And, baby, if you're worth it,
I'll give you lip service ♪

♪ That body speak ♪

♪ Make that body, body speak. ♪

(CROWD CHEERING)

COOKIE: Yes!

That was Lyon Dynasty artist Tiana,

ladies and gentlemen, fresh
off of her sold-out tour.

And now that Lyon Dynasty is back
under the Empire banner, that song,

which is on its way to hitting

two million in sales right
now, as we speak...

(CROWD CHEERS)

...only means money in
all of your pockets.

So, ladies and gentlemen, shareholders,

without further ado, I
would like to introduce

my son, my baby boy,

and your chief executive officer,

Hakeem Lyon!

(CROWD CHEERING)

(EXHALES)

Seeing how much you adored lions,

I thought I'd bring you one.

Oh, you really didn't think

you were gonna make a surprise visit

to my house, and me
not return the favor.

No.

Please, make yourself at home.

I did.

So what took you so long?

Well, if I knew you felt like that,

I'd have come sooner.

(CHUCKLES)

Look...

I want you to take your
prenatals, get good rest,

bring the baby to term.

When you have it, give
it to Hakeem, and...

I'm-a give you ten million dollars.

Do not be absurd, Lucious.

I don't want your money.

If I did, I would think

that carrying the Lyon
heir would be worth

a hell of a lot more than ten
million, don't you think?

What do you want?

A trust fund?

Big old mansion like
Rhonda and Andre got?

I told you what I want.

A family?

If you wanted a family,
why'd you betray me?

I betrayed you?

I mean, sleeping with Beretti...

I could have gotten over that.

But you slept with my baby boy,

with my son.

I never slept with Beretti.

But it was okay to sleep with my son?

You cheated on me first!
You slept with Cookie!

I was never gonna leave you for Cookie.

You broke my heart.

You made me behave like
some kind of lunatic.

I made you behave?

Look, you can't blame
me for your actions.

If you acted like a lunatic,

it's 'cause you made those choices.

Look...

I done said my piece.

Take my offer.

It's a good one.

Please, don't make me get ugly.

No, no, no.

My baby... he is making me

believe in myself again, Lucious.

He? He.

And if that is something
you cannot understand,

then I will have to do what I
need to do, too, just like you.

What does that mean?

"Do what you need to do."

When the FBI was coming for
you, I never dimed on you.

What could you possibly know about me

that would be of any
interest to the FBI?

Five years...

of being with you, Lucious.

Living under your roof,

working for you.

I know more than you think.

If I didn't know better,

I would say you're threatening me.

But I do know better.

I would be very careful.

You know, a lot of women,

they...

they don't survive childbirth.

(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

And our recent acquisition
of Swiftstream

has put Empire in a position

to be the world's leader
in music streaming today.

(CROWD CHEERING)

Yeah.

Now I'll take questions.
I know y'all got plenty.

WOMAN: Hi. Um, I'm Marti Monroe.

I'm from Toledo. This
is my neighbor, Olive.

We have an Empire investment group.

Hey, Marti and Olive from Toledo.

What's your question?

We love, love your music,
and we just want to know,

why haven't you released
any new stuff lately?

Well, to be honest,
I've been a little busy

with Empire for the past few months,
watching after y'all money,

making sure y'all don't go broke!

(CROWD CHEERING)

But I promise you, ladies, I
got music coming very soon.

Very soon. Next question.

LUCIOUS: Um, over here, Mr. CEO.

It's a simple one.

(CROWD MURMURING)

Y'all may know this man

as Lucious Lyon, my father.

(APPLAUSE)

LUCIOUS: Thank you.

Thank you. It's nice to know

there's still some love
left for the old man.

Okay, ask your question

so other people can have a chance.

Okay, okay.

What do you think

are the five biggest challenges

facing the music industry
over the next, say,

ten years?

Monetizing new releases.

Declining physical CD sales.

I don't know, Lucious. What, piracy?

Rising ticket prices for live shows.

And an all-around lack of
innovation for the music industry.

I don't know. I'll break it
down for you if you want.

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)

It's really funny you
mention live shows.

Didn't Empire just scrap
an entire concert tour

under your expert leadership?

Okay, if you want to talk about
that, my father actually...

LUCIOUS: See, that's where you're wrong.

This isn't about me.

I'm actually asking on
behalf of Clair here.

Clair, baby, please stand up.

Now, Clair Templeton,

- she's a schoolteacher from Dallas.
- (QUIETLY): What is this?

It turns out that money is
so scarce in her district

that she has to pay for her
students' school supplies

out of her own pocket.

Which means Clair depends
on Empire dividends,

or her students don't get an education.

Am I right?

You're damn right, Lucious.

(CROWD MURMURING)

LUCIOUS: And then, uh,

Mitch here, Mr. CEO,

he came all the way from Albuquerque.

Mitch was wondering what in the world

happened with the Antony & Cleopatra

clothing line that you got us

so hyped up about?

Well, Mitch, there's
been a slight delay.

Why is that?

Our warehouse was broken into.

You mean a security breach,

under your watch.

Now, we're talking about

millions of dollars of
merchandise down the drain.

I mean, why wasn't
there better security?

Nah, man, you can't
take over this meeting.

No, I'm-I'm not taking
over your meeting, son.

I'm just asking the simple questions

that any competent CEO could answer.

But I am concerned about Swiftstream.

I heard there's a problem with the app.

(CROWD MURMURING)

Now, that's just a temporary delay.

(QUIETLY): Did you do
what I think you did?

LUCIOUS: Now we've all heard
him say how Swiftstream is...

(QUIETLY): That's how we get back to us.

...positioned to be the
leader in music streaming,

but I don't know how in the
world that's ever gonna happen,

if we can't even launch the damn app.

(CROWD MURMURING AGREEMENT)

It's a temporary delay.

Oh, another delay.

Damn, you got a room full of people here

all waiting to hear your
vision, but instead,

they're hearing delays, mishaps

and mismanagement.

Now, this is their meeting.

Clair,

tell him what you need.

We need Lucious.

- No, no, no, no.
- MAN: That's right! Lucious!

- (CROWD CHEERING)
- LUCIOUS: That's not what I meant.

That's not what I meant!

CROWD (CHANTING): Lucious!
Lucious! Lucious!

(CHANTING CONTINUES)

COOKIE: Uh, okay.

All right. Okay, okay.

Everybody, settle down.

Let me explain what's happening here.

What we have is two great
men fighting over Empire.

They both love this company so
much that they would kill for it.

And I mean that figuratively, of course.

But what it means is that
they will kill it for you.

And I know that's what you want.

Am I right?

(SCATTERED MURMURS)

Okay, Lucious is a legend.

Can't take that away from him.

Yeah, that's right, give it up.

(APPLAUSE)

But my son, Hakeem, has become
a mogul in his own right.

He helped me build Lyon
Dynasty from nothing,

and for that he deserves your respect.

And yours, too.

So why don't you come up here
and show these shareholders

that you will not fight
with one another,

but instead you will
fight together to make

this company great like they...
like we all deserve, right?

(CROWD CHEERING)

Empire was built on family!

Son.

(CROWD CHEERING)

What Empire needs is you, Cookie!

- Thank you.
- To the Empire!

The Empire!

What did the board say?

They did it. They voted me out.

They like you, Mom.

Come here, boy.

I'm proud of you.

You did the best you could
steering this mess of a ship.

And you should be proud of yourself.

You can tell your kids you ran
Empire for all of ten minutes.

Really?

You must feel good about yourself,

humiliating him in front
of all of those people.

(SCOFFS)

You know you love me, baby.

You said

you wanted to bring our
family back together.

Now, you know what happens
after this, right?

Yeah, they come groveling back to
you like Apple did Steve Jobs.

You... you are a piece of work.

Congratulations.

What's up, y'all?

Hey.

Oh, Stacee Run-Runnin' late?

(CHUCKLES)

What?

She's in Tokyo,

but she sent over her
pre-recorded verse,

and, Jamal, it is hot!

Hit it.

STACEE: ♪ They choose
me, I'm like treasure ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I'm state-of-the-art ♪

♪ On all measures ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I symbolize... ♪

(MUSIC STOPS)

When will she back?

Uh, she's in Tokyo,

Jamal, as in Japan.

She's on a promotional tour,

but, look, she will be
back in time for the ASAs.

- The ASAs?
- Listen...

Jamal, a lot of artists do this, okay?

Lil' Wayne is forever spitting
a hot 16 on somebody's track

from the comforts of his own tour bus.

Technology.

Didn't that tour bus get shot up?

Jamal, please, don't fight with me.

Just do this, okay?

- Ma, I'm-a do it.
- Please, please, please.

- I'm-a do it.
- Okay, thank you. Thank you.

(SIGHS): Okay.

♪ I'm like treasure ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I'm state-of-the-art ♪

♪ On all measures ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I symbolize
grade-A pleasure ♪

♪ Take what you want, no
playin' hard to get ♪

♪ Oh, you got it like that ♪

♪ Well, let's see what comes next ♪

♪ Run, what you got ♪

♪ It's a stickup, hands up in the air ♪

♪ Are you down or what? ♪

♪ Are you down or what? ♪

♪ Tell me ♪

♪ Tell... tell me if... ♪

Jamal! Come on, baby,
you were bringing it.

- Come on.
- I know.

I just got to, I just got to catch it.

It'll be fine. Mm-hmm.

♪ I'm like treasure ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I'm state-of-the-art ♪

♪ On all measures ♪

♪ Maybe 'cause I symbolize
grade-A pleasure ♪

♪ Take what you want, no
playin' hard to get ♪

♪ Oh, you got it like that ♪

♪ Well, let's see what comes next ♪

♪ Run, what you got ♪

♪ It's a stickup, hands up in the air ♪

♪ Are you down or what? ♪

♪ Are you down or what? ♪

♪ Tell me if you're ready ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm willing to
take what I want tonight ♪

♪ Are you down or what? ♪

Ma, I'm sorry. Like, I-I don't...

I don't even want to work like this.

It is so disrespectful for
her not to even show.

You are the one who said you want to burn
down this town and leave your father

- crawling around in your ashes.
- O-Okay.

Then, you know what, I
don't need Stacee Run-Run.

You know, I was burning the city
down already with Freda Gatz.

And I don't understand why
you got such a problem

with what we're doing.

Like, usually, we're right
on the same creative page.

Jamal... (SIGHS)

(CLIPPERS BUZZING, RAP
MUSIC PLAYING QUIETLY)

(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

MAN: Hey, Jamal.

What's up?

Yo.

Listen, I don't want somebody
giving me an ultimatum.

I want you on the Black and White album.

And if I got to choose between
you or someone, anyone...

I choose you, all right?

So, what, you wasn't
feeling Stacee Run-Run?

Nah, man, Stacee's cool.

Her spit game is crazy.

She said she used to watch
me perform at this place

on Bleeker Street called Incognito.

Oh, yeah, I know that place.

Couple brothers used to play
blues there on Friday night.

Thanks, Freda.

Look, Freda, look, the
way that we make music,

that's how I used to feel when
I would perform at Incognito.

I wasn't worried about
beating my dad or...

winning some ASA.

It was creating music

for the joy of creating music, you know?

I know you know.

I think I figured out
the bridge of the song.

♪ Life ain't easy for
anybody livin' it ♪

♪ Rich man, poor man,
goin' through the same ♪

♪ If they talk about me
at the time of my death ♪

♪ May they say I turned up... ♪

(TRAILS OFF)

All right.

Yo, maybe we could record it tonight.

You come by, that'd be cool.

I'll think about it, a'ight?

All right.

Yeah, I'm-a just be there all night,

so it ain't no, you know...

You roll through...

A'ight.

(DOORBELLS JINGLE)

(BELLS TOLLING)

There you go. That's a good one.

See if you can beat that one.

Hello. Can I help you?

The name is Thurston Rawlings,

regarding Leah Walker.

Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.
Rawlings.

Yeah, I just stopped by to make sure

everything is copacetic over here.

Everything is fine and dandy.

Uh, would you like to
say hello to Mrs. W?

No, no, no.

No, no.

Long as everything is fine and dandy.

I don't want to bother her.

(WOMAN HUMMING FAINTLY)

(HUMMING "MONA LISA")

♪ Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa ♪

♪ Men have named you ♪

♪ You're so like the lady ♪

♪ With the mystic smile ♪

♪ Is it only 'cause you're lonely ♪

♪ They have blamed you... ♪