Empire -- Andre Spins Out Of Control
But will anyone notice?
Previously on Empire. Andre played Russian Roulette and survived.
Annika and Luscious are planning their wedding when Cookie storms in with Porsha. She tells Luscious that Annika is working with Baretti. Porsha reveals Annika tried to get her to spy on Cookie, too, but she's loyal to Cookie. Luscious asks what she did, as Cookie starts throwing all of Annika's clothes out the window. Annika says she's tired of him and he's turning into someone she isn't. Luscious threatens Annika when she won't hear him out. Annika gets in Baretti's car and leaves Luscious, while Luscious vows to Baretti that what he started he will finish.
I can't believe it, but I actually felt a bit sorry for Annika. And while I'm glad Cookie outted Annika, I think she should have left it at that. I don't think it was her call to go up and start throwing Annika's clothes out the window, like she was afraid Luscious might not go through with kicking his betraying girlfriend out so she needed to do it for him.
Jamal looking at his steamy vid with his potential new boyfriend. Actually, he's not potential. It was actually him that inspired Jamal to finally come out. Which is kind of sad. He just met this dude but wouldn't come out for the guy he was living with. So it seems Michael made the right choice dumping Jamal. Especially, if he could move on so fast. Seems Jamal has more of his daddy in him than he thinks.
Porsha interrupts them in a saliva sharing moment saying they're at war and Cookie needs him at Empire.
Meanwhile, Andre flushes his meds down the toilet, as he recalls Luscious disdaining who Andra married. Although I don't recall being so nasty and vulgar when he die it as Andre recalled in his mind.
Luscious scorns Hakeem for his suggestion on how to fight this mess. He seems to think it was idiotic. I believe that's the first time Luscious has ever put the boy down. Luscious also scorns Jamal's attempts to help. Meanwhile, Annika is helping Baretti steal talent from Luscious. Baretti wants Tiana next.
Jamal is against buying artists with hookers and blow to keep their artists. Luscious starts digging Jamal about coming out. And Jamal digs Luscious back about not being able to control his bedwarmer.
Baretti tries to get Annika to tell him dirt on Luscious. But Luscious threatened her before leaving if she revealed he has ALS her father will go down for fraud. So she keeps her lips glued shut on that little bombshell.
Cookie has to go downtown to see Royalty to get him back from Baretti. She challenges the thugs working for Baretti to a drinking [possibly laced with drugs] contest.
Another artists says Luscious is old and dying. He doesn't want to be associated with a label and doesn't want to share 30% of his take. Andre actually saves the deal. Meanwhile, Jamal is trying to get Empire the artist named, Delphine. Jamal performs a song with her. She's impressed about Jamal coming out.
Cookie manages to out drink most of the men in the room. Royalty says if she can handle one more shot he'll stay with Empire.
Hakeem is pissed that Andre stole his thunder and Luscious let him, saying he's the one who is going to run Empire. Luscious says he's basically letting Hakeem learn from his brothers. Talk about being blind-sighted. Lucious' your chosen one doesn't have the brains to run your company. Lucious' bodyguard rescues a staggering Cookie and he says he sees the way Luscious looks at her and it's too intense for him to mess with her.
The brothers get locked in the elevator. Hakeem starts getting up in Andre's face, while Jamal tries to calm him down. When Andre jokingly kissed Hakeem, he told him to stop the gay stuff. Andre starts muttering to himself about himself in the third person. Hakeem better not mess with this Andre or he'll give the little punk the beat down he deserves. Dude has a volatile hair-trigger temper when he's like that and is capable of anything.
Luscious and Baretti have a showdown. Baretti beat him out on another artist. Baretti and Lucious' people pull guns on each other. Luscious says he used to pity him when he first lost his son, now he's beyond pity. Baretti managed to get the artist Andre seemed to have nailed down.
Andre starts freaking out and says Luscious never sees him the way he sees Jamal and Hakeem. He says he was the one who was there when it was really bad and they were just babies. That he worked and built Empire. He worked from 8 to 10 every day and then went home and worked, too. Jamal manages to talk Andre down by reminding him of the song he used to sing with them when they were afraid. And the boys sing the song together.
Luscious orders his men to get Rhonda down to Empire and to not let Andre leave. Andre nearly tussles with security when he tries. Seems the brothers must have tattled to daddy about Andre's behavior in the elevator.
Hakeem keeps Annika busy while Cookie tries to talk Tiana to come back to Empire. Tiana wants Hakeem to agree to get back with her, [why is anyone's guess] but he tells her no. Cookie tells Tiana that Luscious cares about her and Baretti doesn't and that at Empire she's family.
Luscious goes to help Jamal get Delphine signed. Luscious, Delphine and Jamal perform on stage, “You're So Beautiful.” They're joined by Hakeem, Tiana and Cookie. Even though Hakeem told Tiana he didn't want to be with her because he loves Camilla, she agrees to stay with the company.
Andre is completely out of control and this time Rhonda can't calm him down. Andre says Luscious should pick the son to run the company that knows he's a murderer. A stretcher is brought in and Andre is tackled and drugged. Luscious says that Rhonda can sign the 48 hour hold for them to keep Andre. After not wanting to do it, she finally does.