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Empire: "The Devils Are Here" Review

Empire
Season 2 Ep. 1
“The Devils Are Here”


“Empire” is back and is steam rolling ahead to continue its’ juggernaut status on prime time television. It’s obvious when a show is doing well, and last night’s episode had too many cameos to count! This show is here to stay!

Three months after Lucious’ arrest Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) throws a Free Lucious (Terrance Howard) concert, not because she wants to but because Cookie is that business woman! Always making moves, Cookie brings on lesbian mogul, Mimi Whiteman (Marisa Tomei), as a potential investor of Empire Entertainment in an attempt to create a hostile takeover. Jamal (Jussie Smollet) is still in control of the company, and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray), Andre (Trai Byers), and even Anika (Grace Gealey) can come together to see that that changes in this episode.

The show flexed its’ muscles with social commentary; interweaving current events in the real world and the world of “Empire”, the writers know that it has a platform and people are listening. While at the concert, Jamal says“Bill Clinton is out there”  to which Cookie responds “He need to be. If he want his wife to get elected.” Cookie dresses as a guerrilla and is locked in a cage while making statements on the current prison and policing system in a beast mode monologue! I’m interested to see how the influence of this show will manifest in the real world.    

If you remember last season, Cookie snitched on Frank Gathers, the drug kingpin that Cookie and Lucious used to deal for. In perhaps the worst casting ever, Chris Rock showed up as the highly feared man. I’m sorry, but not enough building his character up by everyone else, and big dudes standing around him can make Chris Rock scary. Yet, there he was as Frank Gathers the cannibal.

Once Frank found out Cookie snitched, he sent flowers to the house and included the head of her cousin, putting everyone on alert and on lockdown at Lucious’ home. Cookie finally goes to see Lucious in prison to get him to handle Frank. As much as I didn’t like his casting, it was a dope exit for Chris Rock as Lucious turned the tables on him and had him murdered. While Porsha had to booboo, Booboo Kitty had to dance with Mimi and some. As the attempt to takeover the Empire went south, Lucious proved that he still runs things, even from a federal prison. With one visit from Mimi, Lucious talked her into siding with him and kept control of the company.

After Frank’s death, Jamal kicks everyone out of his father’s home. It’s interesting to see Jamal’s loyalty to his father after last season. Cookie slaps the mess out of him twice before leaving. The possibilities for this season’s storylines are endless!


Cookie Crumbs:

  • Jamal ain’t fit for the thrown! He’s not ruthless, and his heart is divided between music and the business. We’ll see where this goes.
  • The music is still on point in this show. I’m looking forward to hearing the soundtrack for this season.
  • If I may geek out for a second. The hero shot of Cookie, Andre, Hakeem, and Anika walking toward the board meeting was dope. Simply because it was the typical set up with the characters turning the corner and walking in slow motion, but the kicker was Hakeem on the scooter! It said so much about his character and the show’s knowledge of bucking the norm at the same time.
  • It’s obvious Lucious is getting out soon from the previews for next week! Let’s see what happens.

Best Empire Tweets This Week:

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Empire: "Unto the Breach" Review

Empire

Season 1 Ep. 9

“Unto the Breach”

“Empire” is back to incredible, unexpected openings! I mean, was this an episode of “24” or “Empire”? Honestly, if this was the ‘90s you wouldn’t have been able to get up for a bathroom break on the commercials. Thank God for DVR! 

If this episode could be summed up in one word, it would be urgency. The urgency that every character had to save the label after Anika crossed Lucious by going to Baretti was palpable the entire episode. With one move from Anika, suddenly Empire Records went crazy. Terminology was used that hadn’t been before, like Lucious belting  out “Lock down the empire!” What is the empire? I don’t know, but it sounded great.

The key to “Unto the Breach” is that we never really find out what Anika said or did, but the entire Empire team knows that she could crumble the business with the information she has. Therefore, everyone scrambles to secure artists already on the roster and gain new ones in an effort to counter whatever Baretti has. 

Cookie does what Cookie does and drank an artist under the table to keep him on the roster. She also teamed up with Hakeem to prevent Anika from getting to Tiana in a smooth move that once again highlights the tender, emotional beats in the show that continue to build. In fact, Jamal secured Delphine (Estelle), a major artist who will keep Empire on top, but Lucious had to swallow his pride and work with his son to make it happen. 

Pressure doesn’t help everyone in the family thrive, and Andre cracked under it. Trai Byers finally got to show serious range in his performance all night. The ending was perfect in that even though Empire seems like it will survive, there is a big issue inside named Andre that has to be addressed. We’ll see how they get him the help he needs next episode. It looks like it’s going to be a prescription of Jennifer Hudson!

Cookie Crumbs:

  • Was it just me or did Trai Byers channel the “Denzel Mumble” in the elevator scene?
  • The Cookie/Malcolm connection is growing stronger. He may be breaking his rules soon!
  • Andre may have gone crazy this episode, but mentioning that Lucious chose the son that knows he’s a murderer is key. That’s going to come back in some way.

Best Empire Memes This Week: 

Post by The Tasha Mac Page.
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Empire: "The Lyon's Roar" Review

“Empire”

Season 1 Ep. 8

The Lyon’s Roar

If someone were to ask you, “what’s “Empire” about?” You would automatically answer “It’s about a family...”. The show is centered around the Lyons family, the record label is centered around family, and the IPO is all about family. So “Empire” is at it’s best when it hits familial themes, and this episode certainly did!

Most of the characters are motivated by love. Whether it’s love of money, or family, it’s usually one of the two. Hakeem and Jamal’s brotherly bond is really starting to become palpable. Watching them squash their beef, that stemmed from “Dangerous Bonds”, in the beginning of the episode was a nice moment. It’s the genuine, emotional moments that pull you in to the relationships of the show. So when Hakeem tells Jamal “that was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen” towards the end of the show (we’ll get to why in a second), it almost got a little dusty in my house! 

Cookie  and Hakeem had a break through in their relationship. Hakeem finally said why he was so mad at Cookie. Cookie explained that she didn’t love Jamal more than him, but she just understood Jamal better. It was nice to see them finally working at their relationship. In fact, Cookie read Camilla (Naomi Campbell) and put her in check for messing with her son! 

The Cookie/Lucious affair seemed like it would last at least a few episodes. NOPE! I guess the network said that’s for average shows! One of the things I love about “Empire” is that, while predictable at times, it knows when to go in another direction. Lucious was calculated the entire episode. His dismissal of Cookie was stone cold, especially after she gave him the idea for the legacy album and documentary to help with the dynasty hand off.  Lucious is showing his true colors as we get toward the end of the season. Jamal told Cookie not to love him because “he’s only capable of loving himself”.  

Regardless, Terrance Howard knows how to knock the emotional beats out of the park, helping us to love him and hate him from scene to scene. Lucious didn’t do a good job of juggling both Cookie and Anika. After Anika convinced him to push the date of their wedding forward, she also pushed for him to make the announcement during the all white Legacy party. Of course Cookie wasn’t going to be shown up, and she made sure that Anika knew about her and Lucious’s hook up in the studio that morning. I’m glad that rivalry will keep going!

Jamal came out in style during the legacy white party! He changed the words to “You’re so Beautiful”, which was his father’s song, to fit his personal self expression. Everybody was on board with Jamal’s admission except Lucious. We’ll see how that goes. 

Andre is about to go off the deep end. After being shut out by the board from being made CEO of Empire Records in case Lucious was incapacitated, Andre took it hard. (Lucious’s nay in the vote was a dope scene!) It’s sad enough that he is struggling with his Bi-polar disorder, but he admitted to feeling inadequate in comparison to the rest of his talented family. Those two combinations pushed him to what seemed like a suicide attempt. 

I have to geek out on the production of the episode for a moment. During the all white party, people walked in and out of frame in handheld shots with other characters in a beautiful choreography that supplemented the emotions of the environment. Like opposite ends of magnets, one person would come into the frame and someone would leave. For instance, as Cookie was talking to Jamal, Lucious approached which sparked Cookie’s exit. They also took advantage of the spacing of the room. After Cookie dug into Camilla, the camera tilted up to show Vernon and Andre coming together to talk in the balcony above. We then cut to their conversation. It’s these cinematic touches that “Empire” infuses that make the show great.

Cookie Crumbs:

  • Lucious is really proving to be a racist homophobe to the point that it’s not a good look. How marrying a white woman shows you can’t be trusted is beyond me. I hope they give his character redemption in those areas, or at least dial it back a bit before making him Walter White unloveable.
  • Although “Empire” probably could go on without Andre, he is going to have to get help or he’ll destroy himself. As in, only be back in Season 2 in flashbacks! lol
  • Cookie and Lucious are still destined to be together, and the writers are giving us more rope to be strung along with their relationship. 
  • Anika is about to be outted for her treacherous activity with drugging Elle, likely by Cookie because she wants to be with Lucious deep down and Anika messed up her hard work with that move.
  • Will they kill the whole Jamal's little girl story please!? I mean, these "smart" people don't believe in a paternity test at least? 



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Empire: "Out, Damned Spot" Review

Empire

Season 1 Ep. 6

“Out, Damned Spot”

“Empire” never ceases to please with explosive openings. We find Cookie getting dolled up to meet with Lucious. She walks into a ritzy restaurant wearing her best fur. As she meets Lucious near the entrance, she quickly learns that he invited her not for the date that she thinks, but to tell the family he’s engaged to Anika. Never to be bested, Cookie spills the beans on the rose Lucious sent her in “Dangerous Bonds”, and reveals the lingerie she had under her coat for everyone, and especially Lucious and Anika’s eyes. 

What I’m starting to enjoy about Cookie is not only that she’s real, but she doesn’t mind speaking up and acting a fool! While it is becoming a bit one note, Taraji P. Henson slays the role with every Cookie tantrum and pep talk. This week she hooked Jamal up by getting a big sports star to tweet about Jamal’s song, helping it get buzz.

Jamal’s slow rise to success is already weighing on his paranoid boyfriend. While it’s good to have vision and awareness, Michael is doing too much. At first I thought his insecurities were going to rip their relationship apart, but Cookie didn’t help much informing him that he should be prepared for Jamal to be busy. Jamal didn’t help his relationship either in not telling the world that he had a boyfriend during a Sirius radio interview with Sway. Honestly, Jamal looked like he was over Michael the entire episode. 

Remember how I talked about Andre covering for his father in “False Imposition“? It came back to haunt in this episode. As Vernon confronts Andre with a choke hold to get the truth about his false alibi, Andre confirms his role as his father’s eternal way out whether Andre knows what he’s covering for or not.

Hakeem is dealing with Tiana’s side chick in the only way someone with something to prove would. Looking like a fake Nelly, Hakeem shows up drunk in the club. He once again asks for Jamal’s help and is rejected for what seems like the final time. He does, however, manage to put out another banger to combat Jamal’s music.  

Vernon gets a little more screen time and new layers to his character are added. We find out that he’s a recovering alcoholic. We also learn that Vernon and Andre have a coup in the works. Although, I find it hard to believe that Vernon is really going to play second fiddle to Andre after he questioned Bunky giving his life to serving Lucious. 

This week had lots of cameos. Courtney Love came in as Elle, one of Empire’s first artist, a former chart topper now broken and strung out. Derek Luke came in as the new head of security. Yet perhaps the most out of place cameo was Raven-Symone as a (distant?) friend of the family, claiming the girl with her was Jamal’s daughter. We know how this is going to go! I’m predicting blood tests next week, and the next episode will be Michael’s last! 

Cookie Crumbs:

  • Anika is actually starting to stand her ground against Cookie. She still isn’t the head honcho though.
  • Raven-Symone was doing a little too much in her role. I hope we won’t see too much of that character. How about Courtney Love’s appearance as Elle? It wasn’t a stretch for her to play a version of herself, but it was a decent performance.
  • What do you think Vernon is cooking up? I’d say a double cross on Lucious and Andre. Why go from serving the devil to serving the devil’s bi-polar seed? 
  •  As a recovering alcoholic, Vernon has a weakness. I think Lucious is going to use it to his advantage down the line.
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Empire: "False Imposition" Review

Empire

Season 1 Ep. 4

“False Imposition”

 

The race for the throne is still on at Empire Records. Yet, this week, Lucious (Terrance Howard) reveals why he’s been riding everyone so hard in a tender moment with Anika (Grace Gealey). Lucious letting the truth about his ALS out to Anika is likely going to come back and bite him with the feud Lucious allows to persist between his two loves.

The competition between Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Anika is still burning strong. Cookie continues to establish herself as a true manager, scoring Tiana by promising to protect her music and make her a star, and talking to Titan’s (a new rapper character) mother to get him on Empire’s roster. While Anika has enabled Takeem to get a spot at the Teen Choice Awards, Cookie’s reach is still apparent as Tiana texts for approval. At every turn “Empire” is showing that Cookie is the better woman for Empire records and Lucious.

This episode also reveals more of Andre’s relationship with his father. As Andre gives an alibi to the cops for Lucious on the night that Bunkie was murdered, we realize that this is a pattern stemming from childhood. It simply cements why Andre will go ham when he doesn’t get kinged. Bi-polar disorder to the side.

Jamal proves himself to be the man that his homophobic father doesn’t belief he is by returning a check sent to him after playing for Hakeem. Jamal’s stance also shows that he’s the better artist. He believes in himself, knows his worth, and isn’t afraid to stand alone in the struggle to make the world know. As he finds inspiration in the projects where he’s now living, we know he is going to have some hits soon. 

Wrapping things up we’re introduced to Lucious’ rival and old boss, Baretti (an almost unrecognizable Judd Nelson). He promises to dig up old dirt and bury Lucious if he continues down the path of securing Titan as his artist. Unfortunately, this felt more like a filler episode with fragmented storytelling. 

Cookie Crumbs:

  • The Nation killed Lucious’ father. Cookie specifically mentions this in the episode which means his father has some sort of importance to the show, and we’re going to likely find out how the two relate.
  • Hakeem is a spoiled brat. When he’s not in a hot tub with Naomi Campbell, he’s still salty about his mommy issues while lampin’ in his $2 million dollar apartment that his father pays for. 
  • Takeem’s performance. While Tiana sounds like Empire’s Rihanna, Hakeem can barely be heard. The musical performances continue to feel so forced and staged, while the show still speaks to the current state of authenticity (and the lack there of) in hip hop.
  • Lucious and Cookie’s tango. It’s super obvious they should and possibly will hook back up as a power couple, but this is going to get dragged out to the end of the season.


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East Los High: Season 1 Critique

Since I’ve been looking for more shows and movies with diverse content, I recently decided to give “East Los High” a viewing. If you have Hulu Plus you probably have seen promos for the web based tv series between whatever you’re watching. I could excuse it away with I study what works and what doesn’t in the screenwriting of these shows (which I do), but honestly I have a guilty pleasure soft spot for soap melodrama. So that means turning a blind eye to some of the poor acting and contrived storylines to take the ride. If you’re ready to enroll and attend a class at East Los, you’ll get a lesson or two in love, violence, and revenge...and you don’t want to be tardy.

Jessie (Janine Larina) & Jacob (Gabriel Chavarria)

“East Los High” follows Jessie (Janine Larina), a good student who is socially awkward. She and her friend Soli (Noemi Gonzalez) are two peas in a pod. What could pull two best friends apart? A boy of course. Jacob (Gabriel Chavarria) is the high school stud that every girl wants to be with. His attention turns to Jessie after his girlfriend Vanessa (Tracy Perez) is caught red handed cheating on him via cell phone footage.

The show brings cultural music and dance into the lives of its’ teens through the Bomb Squad, the high school dance team. The squad is led by Vanessa and Ceci (Danielle Vega). Vanessa is your classic queen B, who runs the girls with an iron fist. That fist is actually Ceci, a vocally unfiltered, untamed teen with plans to take down the queen.  

Vanessa (Tracy Perez) & Ceci (Danielle Vega)

What would a soap be without a stranger moving into town and shaking things up? Maya (Alicia Sixtos) comes into town to escape the past, but of course, that past follows her and puts a lot of people in danger. With the stage set, the students of East Los High deal less with tests and studying and more with their interactions with one another. Whether they’re hooking up, trying to avoid danger, or trying to tear each other apart, there is always something going on.

Numerous times while I was watching the show I kept thinking “this feels like a PSA for sexual health.” It actually is, but by the time you realize that, the message has already been delivered. The key to understanding the show is knowing who is really pulling the strings. Population Media Center (PMC), a nonprofit organization that creates serialized content to promote social change, is the creator of the show. Frankly, I think PMC is a genius for creating the show. “East Los High” puts the various outcomes of teen sexual experiences (or lack there of) at the feet of its’ viewers and asks them to make the decision for themselves. It also supplies viewers with online resources to help. It basically delivers medicine encompassed in dessert like your mom used to do.

Season 1 is clunky in its’ writing and very melodramatic most of the time. After finishing Season 2 I can say everything gets better, although it could still benefit from less foreshadowing...it’s entertaining. Like most online series, if you can get past the first few episodes, you’ll get invested in the characters and melodrama as you binge. It’s the kind of series that you love to hate at times, but with a worthy message for teens that may be the only “talk” they have...it’s worth supporting.

Check out my Top 5 characters of Season 1!

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