Empire (2015–…): Season 5, Episode 18 - The Roughest Day - full transcript

Previously on Empire...

I'm sorry.

What you have there is
an injunction ordering you

to allow the Empire Trust Tour
to continue.

- Cookie, I'm pregnant.
- What?

The Feds are after you.
Watch your back.

The chemo drugs I took
destroyed my heart muscle.

I'm gonna end my life, Pop.

You don't have to do this. I love you.

I love you, too.

Andre! Andre!



Andre! Andre! Andre!

COOKIE: Andre, please don't go. Andre.

- Andre, Andre!
- Oh, no.

- What do we got?
- NURSE: Unresponsive male, not breathing.

- Been down 30 minutes.
- COOKIE: Oh, Andre!

- Starting amiodarone. - There's no pulse.
- (MONITOR FLATLINING)

- No.
- All right, charging 200.

- Andre!
- Clear.

- Hands off. Clear. - Shocking.
- (ELECTRICAL THUMP)

- Please. Please!
- Checking for rhythm.

LUCIOUS: Come on, Andre,
come on, come on.

COOKIE: Oh, my God.

- DOCTOR: Do we have a rhythm?
- (MONITOR CONTINUES FLATLINING)

- Andre...
- Shock him again.



- Shock him again! Shock him again!
- Shock him again!

- I'll do it my damn self!
- All right, all right, all right.

- Let's go again.
- Hit him again!

- Charging.
- (ELECTRICAL WHIRRING)

- Come on, son.
- Clear.

- Andre, please. - Hands off.
- Shocking.

- Clear. - (ELECTRICAL THUMP)
- Oh, my God.

(MONITOR CONTINUES FLATLINING)

Come on, man.

- Come on, son.
- Andre.

(MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY)

We have a rhythm and a pulse.

(GASPS, CRYING)

See, see, see.

Don't you touch me!

You tried to kill him!
You tried to kill my baby!

What were you thinking? Hmm?

You was just gonna
let Andre kill hisself?

What, you wanted me
to let him die alone?

Y'all need to just calm down, okay?

No, he was suffering.

Yeah, I couldn't even
talk his ass out of it.

I would've talked him out of it.
You should've told me.

He didn't want you to know!
He talked to me!

- I'm his mother. -Hey, hey, hey.
Stop, stop, stop, hey. Hakeem.

- Please come take your father.
- Yeah, take your father out of here.

- I was trying to do the right thing.
- Come on, Dad.

Yeah, you wouldn't know
the right thing if it was

- staring you in the face, Lucious.
- Let's go.

(SIGHS)

(EXHALES)

Andre must've been so scared.

(BREATH SHUDDERING)

I just, I just, I just see him
with all those pills, you know,

and Lucious just standing there.

CAROL: Sis, Lucious loves that boy.

Real talk.

In that moment, he was just a father

trying to be there for his son.

CANDACE AND COOKIE: Shut up, Carol.

If Cookie hadn't come along
when she did, I hate to...

- No, no, no, no, no.
- I...

I don't want to think about that.

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

It's Jamal.

Hey, baby. You on your way?

What?

Wait, what do you mean?

Okay, boy, I'm calm. Just tell me.

(QUIETLY): What now?

Okay, I-I understand.
There's nothing you can do.

Just stay safe, all right?
I got enough to think about.

I love you. All right.

Is he okay, sis?

Yeah, he's fine. He's just...

He's stuck at the Seychelles.
There's a storm.

He can't get a flight out.

(GROANS) So mad!

- Can't even look at Lucious.
- I'd never look at him again.

All right, Candace, that's not fair.

Don't defend him.

He wasn't even thinking about her.

As usual, Lucious will
always be "Lucious."

COOKIE: This time it's different.

We're talking about my son's life.

Sis, that's what you need to focus on.

You know, Andre... he needs you
to be strong right now, sis.

The doctors, they revived him,
but he still needs a new heart.

He's in the fight of his life.

♪ ♪

Teri?

Hi! Hi.

Hi.

(TERI SOBS SOFTLY)

I wish you would've come to me.

- Can't be angry, okay?
- I'm a nurse.

Andre, I could've helped you
through this.

Teri, I'm dying.

I don't want to put you through that.

I told you, this is not
the end of our story.

It's just the beginning.

My mom said you're pregnant.

- We're having a baby?
- A son.

- Boy?
- A boy.

- (CHUCKLES)
- A son?

WOMAN (OVER P.A.): Dr. White,
please call your office.

Hey, how is he?

He's awake.

- That's a good sign.
- Man, shut up.

Look, you stay with him.

I'm gonna head back, and Giselle
and I are gonna figure out

what to do with the last leg
of the tour, okay?

(QUIETLY):
Look, come here. You're okay.

(SIGHS) I got you.

You know, I know a Stanford
cardiologist who could help.

Cool. You should leave the card
with the nurse.

I can call him right now
if you'd like.

Your face is not the one
Moms want to see right now.

You ain't family, so get out of here.

Okay. Got it.

I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to intrude.

No, no, Kingsley. I'm...

- actually glad you came.
- (PATS CHAIR)

Thanks for coming.

Yeah.

- I hear Andre's stable.
- Yeah, for now.

Cookie won't let me
go anywhere near him.

She just don't realize I would
give my heart for that boy.

You know what?
You should get out of here.

Clear your head. Give her some space.

Come on.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

(SIGHS)

♪ ♪

Yeah, just... Tiana can open
and then throw it to Devon.

Yeah, that works.

Um, also, um, I know
we're in crisis right now,

but I just want to be honest
with you about something.

Go ahead.

Okay, so, Def Jam offered me a job.

- Ew.
- And, unless the Empire fans come back,

I'm gonna be forced to take it.

And walk away from all this
Black Girl Magic? (SCOFFS)

Okay, but is this Black Girl
Magic gonna pay my rent?

'Cause it's not.

Look, the test of whether
the fans come back

is based on the relaunch
of Empire XStream

after our final concert, right?

Yes, but that's if
the apology tour actually works.

Of course the fans will be
willing to subscribe again.

So all we have to do is come up
with the right incentives.

There ain't gonna be
no incentives that...

Think.

Huh.

How about we release a compilation

of the live Trust Tour performances?

Making it exclusive to XStream
with videos from the tour

and exclusive backstage footage

and the promise of more every month.

Exactly, because if they love
the Trust Tour so much,

they're gonna want
to reminisce about it,

and that they would be...

BOTH: ...willing to pay for!

Bitch, we got this.

- We're so smart. We're geniuses.
- (CLICKS TONGUE)

Well, mostly me.

You mad at me, too?

Lord knows I want to be so bad,

but I am too happy that you're alive.

So you were really
trying to say goodbye to me

at the roller skating rink, Andre?

I wish you would've told me
what was going on.

Would you have agreed to help me?

Help you kill yours...

Hell no, boy.

Look, Andre, if you can't
fight for yourself,

then I will fight for you.

I don't know what the hell
Lucious was thinking.

Don't blame him, Ma.

He was only doing what I asked,
and that comes from love, too.

It does.

- We can't beat this, Ma.
- Mm-mm.

I don't want to hear that, okay?

Miracles happen every day, baby.
You got to have hope.

Miracles don't happen for me, Ma.

Andre, you are not going to die.

- (SNAPS FINGERS)
- Okay?

Mm-mm.

Not on my watch.

Not on my watch.

(HORNS HONKING,
SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE)

LUCIOUS: Look at this.

- What up, baby?
- Hey.

Mr. Lucious, how you doing today?

- Hey, you got any of my stuff in here?
- I got all this.

Check it out.

- (LAUGHS)
- Wow.

Something about the vinyl
I can't just pass up.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, when that needle hits the...

hits the wax, the sound
that it makes, it's just...

digital can't get next to it.

Hey, Webb! (LAUGHS)

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, you mind, brother?

No problem, Mr. Lucious, no problem.

Can't tell you how many times
I used to

- stare at your album covers,
- ("WHAT THE DJ SPINS" BEGINS)

wondering who Lucious Lyon really was.

I bet your mama had a whole lot
to say about that.

Oh, you?

You were the Devil in our house.

(BOTH LAUGH)

I used to scour your lyrics
looking for some sign of me.

Something that said
you knew I existed.

Hey, remember this one?

That's my favorite one.

That one right there reminds me

of Andre's big old
Australopithecus-ass head.

- (CHUCKLES)
- It's huge.

I recorded it right after he was born.

Uh, Cookie thought she was
gonna have a little girl,

but I knew my firstborn was
gonna be a strapping young man.

♪ Live it up to the break of dawn ♪

♪ Live it up 'cause life is all free ♪

♪ That's what the DJ spins. ♪

Oh.

- Let me.
- No, no, I got it. I can do it.

Okay.

Guess I can't tell you anything.

I'm sorry.

I didn't know about the baby.

Now you know.

So, is that gonna change your mind?

- Are you gonna fight now?
- Teri, you're an RN.

You know the reality of my situation.

You know it better than anybody else.

All we have to do
is get you healthy enough

to get on the heart transplant list.

Right.

In the meantime...

(LAUGHS) Andre.

Uh, where-where'd you get that?

Uh, Hakeem bought it
in the hospital gift store.

I think it's quartz.

- (LAUGHS): Quartz?
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

Teri, will you marry me?

Andre, let's-let's just wait
until you're well.

I want our son to have my name.

I want you to be taken care of.

I love you.

So, let's do this, then.
Come on, let's do it.

Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it.

All right, who can say no
to quartz? (LAUGHS)

But when you are better,

we're gonna have
a big old church wedding

with all of our families
and all of our friends, and...

I'm gonna be such a bridezilla.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Promise me.

♪ ♪

- I promise.
- ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ They say that I'm reaching
for the stars, I know ♪

♪ I won't let this diamond
get away from me ♪

♪ I just want to be
right where you are even ♪

♪ If it's in a whole other galaxy ♪

♪ Can't focus, focus,
you're all I need ♪

♪ My purpose, purpose, my ecstasy ♪

♪ I won't come down ♪

- ♪ No ♪
♪ I'm-a stay up here for now ♪

♪ And keep you on my mind 'cause ♪

♪ When I'm without you,
thinking about you ♪

♪ When I'm not around you,
I want you closer ♪

♪ Thinking about you,
I feel your heart, too ♪

♪ Out in the open, full exposure ♪

- ♪ Now you got me hypnotized ♪
- ♪ Baby ♪

♪ There ain't nothin'
I won't sacrifice ♪

♪ I pull up, pull up
when you call my name ♪

♪ You're like a drug,
you're my dopamine ♪

♪ I can't focus, focus,
you're all I need ♪

♪ You're my purpose, purpose,
ooh, whatever you need ♪

- ♪ I'm in the clouds ♪
- ♪ Mm-mm ♪

♪ And I'm-a stay up here
for now, yeah ♪

♪ When I'm without you,
thinking about you ♪

♪ When I'm not around you,
I want you closer ♪

♪ Thinking about you,
I feel your heart, too ♪

♪ Out in the open, full exposure ♪

- ♪ I want you closer ♪
- ♪ Thinking about you ♪

- ♪ I feel your heart, too ♪
- ♪ Your body right here ♪

♪ Out in the open, full exposure ♪

- ♪ When it comes to the heart ♪
- ♪ When it comes ♪

- ♪ It's a shot in the dark ♪
- ♪ To the heart ♪

♪ The dark ♪

- ♪ When it comes to the heart ♪
- ♪ When it comes ♪

- ♪ It's a shot in the dark ♪
- ♪ To the heart ♪

- ♪ The dark, yeah. ♪
- ♪ Yeah. ♪

(CROWD CHEERING)

They say I'm well enough
to get out of here.

Are you sure that's a good idea?

You remember what happened last time

and the time before that?

(SIGHS) So, I should just give up?

What's the matter with you?

You look like
somebody fried your hard drive.

Andre needs a new heart.

Andre Lyon?

Uh...

How would you know that?

Uh, I-I was at the hospital.

With Lucious?

(SIGHS)
I'm trying to get to know them.

Oh. I see.

(CHUCKLES) He got to you.

- He's my father.
- Your father?

(SCOFFS) I thought you hated him
as much as I do.

You're pathetic.

What have you been doing?

Hmm? You've been going over there

and shuckin' and jivin'
for the Devil's approval?

- Shut up!
- Shut up?

You mean nothing to them!

Do you think if it was you

in that hospital bed
instead of Andre...

do you think he would care?

You will never
mean anything to them...

- Mom, please.
- ...next to Cookie's boys!

He said that he wanted to try again...

He's a liar! God!

He doesn't know you.

I'm sorry.

(SCOFFS)

Lucious was gonna give me $200

to get rid of you
when I was knocked up.

I should've just taken the cash.

Mom.

Get out.

I can't stand to look at you anymore.

Get... out!

(TRACY SCOFFS)

Loretha, have you slept?

(WHISPERING): Shut your ass up.

Have you slept yet?

Sis, you got to go home and...

You're not gonna be any good to him

- if you make yourself sick.
- I'm fine.

Can you just go home
and get some rest, please?

Yeah, take a shower,
change your clothes 'cause...

(SNIFFS)
You're smelling a little ripe.

- Shut up.
- Okay.

CAROL: Oh, gosh, seriously, sis.

Let us carry the load
for a little while, okay, honey?

We won't let nothing happen to him.

Yeah, we got him.

(MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY)

(SIGHS) Okay, I guess
I could take a shower.

- Yes, you could. Okay.
- Stop it.

Okay.

My baby.

Okay.

- We got this, sis.
- Okay, okay.

Okay, okay, okay.

(COOKIE SIGHS)

Cookie, I apologize

about how I tried to tell you
you should be living your life.

You need to make
your own choices about Lucious.

(SIGHS QUIETLY)

♪ ♪

(SIGHS)

♪ Pray God you can cope ♪

(CLICKS TONGUE)

- Oh, darling.
- ♪ I'll stand outside ♪

♪ This woman's work,
this woman's world ♪

♪ Ooh, it's hard on a man ♪

♪ Now his part is over ♪

♪ Now starts the craft ♪

♪ Of the Father ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Give me these moments ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Give them back to me ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Give me that little kiss ♪

- ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪
- ♪ Give me your ♪

- ♪ I know you have a little life in you ♪
- (CRYING)

♪ Give me your hand, baby ♪

♪ I know you have
a lot of strength left ♪

♪ Give me that pretty hand ♪

♪ I know you have
a little life in you ♪

♪ Oh, so make it go ♪

♪ Just make it go away. ♪

(MUTTERING QUIETLY)

("ABOUT TO GO DOWN" PLAYING OVER TV)

Maybe I can... turn it to Blake.

What's Blake number?
Um, uh, it's 438. 438.

- (SIGHS)
- (MUSIC CHANGES)

Okay.

What are you doing here?

I need to talk.

I wish I could, man,
but I've got a deadline

to get these streaming videos
from the tour out.

(SIGHS) Otherwise, I'd be over
at the hospital right now.

No.

I really need to talk to you.

Like I said...

- we got to do that later.
- (MUSIC CHANGES)

Okay, I can do Jamal.

One, two, three.

I don't know how to start.

Look at me!

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

Everything going on
with Andre, yeah...

everybody's talking about
death and funerals.

I need to know,

if we were writing your obituary
right now,

what would it say?

Would I be listed as your firstborn,

or would Cookie's kids come first?

First off...

...you want to be treated like a Lyon,

you start acting like one.

And anybody with my DNA in 'em knows

you don't pull out a gun unless
you're planning on using it.

Got it.

So, I'm not acting like a Lyon.

What about now?

Am I acting like a Lyon now?

Tell me one thing
that you know about me. Now!

I know you're scared.

And I know you're hurting.

And I know that you feel alone.

And I know what that feels like

'cause I watched my father
get murdered at nine years old

and I watched my mother abandon me

from that point onward.

So I know what it feels like
to be alone.

(VOICE BREAKS): No.

I lost my mother today...

trying to be your son.

But she was right.

- You didn't want me.
- No, she's lying.

I...

Every boy needs his father, man,

and-and I would've been there,
but she kept me from you.

All right. Enough.

You want to shoot me?

- Yeah.
- Do me a favor.

Do it. Do it.

You just make sure
you do it right here,

and you give my heart to my son.

You're right.

Every boy needs his father.

No!

NURSE: Patient, Jeffrey Kingsley.
No brain activity.

All major organs appear to be viable,

- but he's not in the donor registry.
- DOCTOR: Family?

Someone traveled
in the ambulance with him.

Not sure of relationship.

We need approval for him to donate,

so who's his next of kin?

I am.

He's my son.

Lucious! Is that blood?

Oh, my God. What happened?

Lucious.

What did you do?

We have a heart for Andre.

You told me they would be taking
him to surgery any minute.

I know.
I signed all the damn consents.

Stay with him!

Hey, nurse!
What are y'all doing out here?

Where in the hell is that trauma team,

and why isn't my son
being prepped for surgery?!

You son of a bitch.

You killed my son!

- I killed him? I didn't...
- You killed my son!

- You killed him!
- I did not!

- That's my son!
- You killed him!

He's my son, too!

He's my son! I would never hurt him!

(CRYING): You did it for her.

He killed my son for you!

No, I swear, Tracy.

- I swear.
- GUARD: Calm down, ma'am.

Your son will get nothing from mine.

You know what?

I already signed
the damn papers, right?

You don't have a say-so in this!

You're the reason
that he killed himself

- in the first damn place!
- (TRACY GRUNTING)

- You put that stuff in his head!
- Lucious, Lucious, Lucious.

Lucious, please.

Go be with Andre, okay?

Just leave. Go be with Andre.

LUCIOUS:
Get my son prepped for surgery!

Get off me.

- (TRACY PANTING)
- Tracy.

Tracy, I swear on everything I love

that... we had nothing to do
with what happened to your baby.

Okay? He was in a lot of pain, Tracy.

You know nothing about him.

You're right. I don't.

I don't know anything about him.

But what I do know is
that Lucious lied to both of us.

And I know you hate him for that.

- (CRYING)
- And I hate him sometimes, too.

But our-our boys are innocent.

They're innocent.

And I am so sorry

what happened to your baby Kingsley.

I'm so sorry.

But right now
only your son can save mine.

(CRYING): And that has got
to hit you somewhere inside

as a mother, please.

Please. Please.

Yeah. Yeah.

- Yeah.
- Please.

It hits me.

Makes me realize I'm wasting
my time talking to you

when I should be holding
my son's hand for the last time.

(SCOFFS)

Tr-Tr-Tra...

(SOBBING)

(MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY)

(CHUCKLES)

You really gonna do this to me, God?

(CRYING SOFTLY)

You gonna take my baby from me?

I don't know what to do with this.

This is too much.

(SNIFFLES) Not my baby.

Not my baby.

(WHISPERING)

(SNIFFLES)

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

It's not gonna be that easy.

Definitely won't be free.

Is he out of surgery yet?

No, not yet.

- (PHONE VIBRATES)
- Oh.

(CHUCKLES) It's Jamal.

"Sorry I can't be there, Ma."

(EXHALES) Well, I'm sorry, too.

You want something, Ma?

No. I'm okay, baby.

(LUCIOUS SIGHS)

Did you kill that woman's child?

- Hell no.
- (SCOFFS)

There's no way in the world
I would kill my own son.

You were about to do that to mine.

Oh, that is not even fair, Cook.

You should've come to me.

Okay? That's what we promised.

Not to go behind each other's back.

- Yeah, I know, but...
- Yeah, yeah, see,

the difference is what you know
and what you do.

- That's the problem.
- No.

What you need to understand
is that was the hardest decision

I've ever had to make in my life.

What I need to know
is if I lied to Tracy,

and did you hurt Kingsley.

No!

I put it on our children.

- On our grandchildren.
- Okay.

You know what, spare me
that dramatic BS, Lucious.

Just tell me the truth once.

I just did.

♪ ♪

SURGEON: We're not out of the woods,

but I'm very happy with where we are.

The surgery was successful.

- Oh! Oh! Oh!
- Thank God.

- Oh, my God.
- Thank you.

- (CROWD CHEERING)
- ♪
♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ One, we don't lack,
yeah, we get this done ♪

♪ We stay grindin', we wake up ♪

♪ Run, built an empire
with these big guns ♪

- ♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ With all that we've been through ♪
- ♪ Been through ♪

- ♪ We all, we got stay true ♪
- ♪ Stay true ♪

- ♪ For we, I'm gon' ride ♪
- ♪ Uh-huh, yeah ♪

♪ As long as they're
right by my side ♪

♪ Been through it all, yeah,
we seen it all, yeah ♪

♪ Rise and we fall,
but we're standing tall, yeah ♪

♪ Steady, getting blessing,
we done heard the call, yeah ♪

♪ Don't be a fraud,
you should just applaud ♪

- ♪ We the all-stars ♪
- ♪ It's been a minute ♪

♪ We beat the odds like that ♪

♪ Yeah, we learn how to stick
with each other ♪

- ♪ We always come right back ♪
- ♪ Come right back ♪

- ♪ Try to shut us down, so we put up ♪
- ♪ Come back ♪

♪ We hold it down, we all family ♪

♪ That's how we keep a handle
on our enemy ♪

♪ We gon' shine bright,
yeah, we the stars ♪

- ♪ We are, we are, we are ♪
- ♪ Uh ♪

- ♪ We the stars, we the stars, uh ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Yeah, we are, yeah, we are, uh ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ We the stars, we the stars ♪
- ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, we are,
yeah, we are, uh. ♪

(CROWD CHEERING)

Hey, everybody.
The numbers just came in.

Uh, the fans are, uh,

signing up for XStream in droves!

- Empire is back!
- Yes!

(SQUEALING, EXCITED CHATTER)

Let's celebrate!

(CHUCKLES) Okay.

MAN: We did it! Yeah!

GISELLE: Champagne for everybody.

Congrats, everyone.

- Congratulations. Yeah.
- I told you, brother. I told you.

- Yes! Yeah!
- That's right.

Congrats.

- Congrats.
- Becks.

- Look at this.
- Hey.

Yeah, no, congrats.

What's wrong?

I'm about to be poppin' bottles,

and you look like
you about to cut somebody.

All right, look,

Empire is 100% back
because of you and me.

(SIGHS)

They have no idea. You
think they know that?

- I know.
- WOMAN: More champagne?

Thank you.

I've read the industry sites.
I know what they're saying.

"Cookie and Lucious
did it again." Whoo.

But, girl, we know.

- Is that enough, though?
- Yeah.

No, seriously, is it enough?

Because, look, I know this business.

Perception is reality.

- Yes.
- And if they think that Lucious did this,

then Lucious did this.

- I hear you, sis.
- WOMAN: Uh, Ms. Sims?

I just need you to trust me.

- Hi.
- (CHUCKLES)

Let me do what I do.

(CHURCH BELLS TOLLING)

Wait.

I need to see him one last time.

Can, uh, we open the casket, please?

Thank you.

(SNIFFLES)

My firstborn baby boy.

(SIGHS SOFTLY)

This is my music.

You keep it... with you.

♪ ♪

- (DOORS CLOSE)
- THIRSTY: Are you kidding me?

This is a funeral. The man's grieving.

We understand that,
but we need to talk to him.

Now.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

We both know that Damon Cross

is a snake
that needs to be taken down.

If you excuse us,
my client needs to bury his son.

The thought of your wife
in the throes of passion,

screaming Damon Cross's name,
that doesn't bother you at all?

See this photo?

This was taken long before
their business trip to Panama.

Did your little Chocolate Chip
tell you that she knew him?

As a matter of fact, she did.

Did she also tell you
about all her little visits

to his apartment while your son
was dying of cancer?

What do you suppose
they were doing in there, huh?

Relax, relax. It's gonna be okay.

First you tried Thirsty,

then you try and flip my wife.

Then you come here the day
my son is being buried

and try and make me betray
everything that matters to me

just because you
and your little flunkies

know how to play with Photoshop?

Bitch, please.

(PHONE CHIMES)

(PHONES RINGING IN DISTANCE)

To what do I owe the pleasure,
Mr. Cross?

Well, the word on the streets is
you have political aspirations.

I just so happen to have $20 million

to throw into
the next governor's race,

but for the right candidate.

Are you the right candidate,
Ms. Conway?

You're gonna have to offer
more than money

to get me off your ass, Mr. Cross.

Well, I can get you Lucious Lyon.

Do you think you can get him
before he kills you?

Beg your pardon?

Well, I told him about
your obsession with his wife.

Didn't go over too well.

Turns out, he's obsessed
with her, too.

You might've wanted me, but
he's the big flashy takedown.

Exactly what you need
to make a name for yourself.

I see where you're going.

You want another
little nibble of the cookie.

I get Lucious; you get his wife.

I'll take Lucious now.

Next year, the 20 mil.

Um, girl, why you got me up in
here breathing in this asbestos?

Because I heard you, sis,
about being tired

of not getting credit for what you do,

and because I share your pain.

See, I thought
we should present the Lyons

with a business plan
for our own imprint.

Way we could make our own
decisions, sign our own artists.

But if we have our own imprint,

Lucious would still be
pulling the strings.

If we had our own label,

owned by women... us...

run by women... us...

for women... us.

With what money?

I spoke to my business manager
this morning,

and I'm dumping my equity
in Empire, all of it.

And if you do the same...

The same?! Bitch, I ain't got it!

It's 80/20. That's the split.

80/20? Are you out your mind?

Do you even know
how many record labels fail?

Why would "us" do this?

Because I believe in us.

What we have together is real,

but what we can do together is epic.

- We could pull our own strings.
- Yeah.

Finally get credit for what we do.

30/70.

(BOTH SCREAMING)

Welcome to Bossy Records, girl.

- Bossy? Bo... You sure?
- Yes, Bossy.

What about The Shempire, huh?

- GISELLE: Uh...
- BECKY: What about Okurrr?

What are you doing, man?

Taking care of my business.

No, you're-you're being emotional.

Okay, let's just,
let's just take it easy.

Take it easy? I will take it easy

when Damon Cross' ass
is six feet underground.

- That's when I'll take it easy.
- Uh, look...

He tried to take my wife!

Wh-What, you think Conway
showed you those photos

'cause she wanted to play
marriage counselor?

Come on, she's just trying
to wind you up. Think about it.

She is good at her damn job
'cause I'm wound up!

Listen to me. My peoples
tell me Cross flipped.

He's working with Conway.
He fed her enough lies

so she could get a warrant
with your name on it.

Yeah, well, don't you even
want to hear my plan?

Okay, man. All right.
Tell me your plan.

Plan is I go and finish him.

Then I'm-a take off for a little bit

until I find out
what Conway has on me,

and then I'm gonna return.

Well, Conway's plan is
to arrest you by noon,

throw your ass in Rikers
where she can hold you

for two years with no bail!

But you go ahead, you go ahead
and waste time chasing Cross.

You'll be playing yourself.

Come on, man.

Okay.

We'll cross paths another day.

Thirst, I built this empire
for my boys.

Please make sure that they
look after it until I get back.

Your boys are men now,

and I will be there
whenever they need me.

♪ ♪

Come on, baby. It's about time.

That damn U.S. attorney chick
is spreading all these lies,

trying to pin me down on some stuff,

so I figured we'd take off
for a little bit,

and then, when things get better...

Now-now-now, look.

Baby, I know, I know.

I know it's a lot,
but she is relentless.

She has gone to manufacturing
pictures to try and look like

you and Damon were sleeping together.

You hear what I'm saying?

I'm not leaving my son, Lucious.

I'm not leaving my family again.

Wait, wait, wait, no, no, no, no.

No, you don't have to worry
about Andre.

I talked to Teri.

Teri promised me that she was
gonna look after him. Come on.

You promised we would be better.
We ain't better, Lucious.

Will you get... just get on
the damn helicopter.

No, I'm not.

Ride or die is over.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

Back when I got out,

I told you I wanted
half of my company.

I gave you half of the company.

But all I really wanted
was all of you.

That's what you got
is all of me right now...

You...

you and Empire,
you're not good for me.

Mm-mm.

I will not sacrifice me
or my sons for you anymore.

Baby, you... you love me.

It's not enough, Lucious.
It's not enough, Lucious!

It's not enough, okay?

I can't trust you.

Your lies, your s... blindsides.

You hurt me too many times, okay?

I got to put me first.
I got to put me first!

- I got to put me first, Lucious!
- I-I understand that,

and I promise you
I hear everything you're saying,

and when we get to where we're
going, we're gonna talk about...

- Damon Cross! Damon Cross!
- Wait, what...

I slept with him, okay?
I slept with him.

I said it.

Do you still want me to get
on that helicopter with you?

(CRYING SOFTLY)

♪ Say that you don't want me ♪

♪ Say that you don't need me ♪

♪ Tell me I'm the fool ♪

♪ Tell me you've been tortured,
tell me you've been beaten ♪

♪ And what I've done to you ♪

♪ And even if it doesn't matter ♪

♪ Matter what's true, oh, no ♪

♪ Say that you don't want me,
say that you don't need me ♪

♪ Tell me I'm the fool ♪

♪ Tell me that it's over ♪

♪ Tell me that you mean it ♪

♪ This time is true ♪

♪ Tell me that I'm unknown ♪

♪ To you ♪