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S03.E09: A Furnace For Your Foe

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in Empire

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Tara Ariano

Tara Ariano

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In the fall finale, Cookie organizes a free park concert in order to help broaden Angelo's mass appeal while he works to win the mayoral bid. Elsewhere, the FBI freezes all of Empire's assets, a move that has major repercussions, as the investigation into Lucious continues.

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SimoneS

SimoneS

(edited)

I know Andre's meds probably need adjusting and he will change his mind, but when he talked about killing Lucious, I cheered. It about time someone talked about killing that evil fucker. He has had it coming for a long time.

I was glad that Cookie finally realized Jamal has a drug problem and sent him to rehab. Even Lucious had a momentary lapse and seemed like a loving father. Jamal, when you get out have a threesome with those hot men who are all over you!

So Angelo has a Ted Kennedy secret. For Cookie's sake, I hope that there is more to this story and he didn't leave that woman to die.

I liked all the music at the concert, but Tiana can do better than Hakeem. She needs to stay away from him.

Thirsty cracks me up. He is so slick and scummy.

Edited by SimoneS
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Jodie Landon

Jodie Landon

Well, Angelo's mother is no Claire Hanks Hunt able, that's for sure. Getting in bed with Luscious after her racist friend warned her about the Lyons was a bad idea, but going back on her promise was just stupid. 

I was kind of hoping that Andre went to the club to kill Shine, but killing Luscious is even better. The scene with Andre and Rhonda tugged at my heartstrings a bit. 

I know nothing about plumbing but would those pills have stayed intact in those pipes for that long? I was disappointed in Cookie for giving Jamal the pills, but I figured she was about to send him to rehab.

I thought it was funny when Hakeem told Tiana he couldn't wait for her to meet Bella, considering he's barely met Bella himself.

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Dee

Dee

(edited)

That was FANTASTIC.

I'll be back with my full thoughts later but the cast was acting for their lives tonight.

Lucious & Cookie's intervention scene with Jamal and the entire extended Empire family was amazing and genuinely moving.

As stated above, Trai Byers is definitely the MVP of the first half of Season 3, but Jussie Smollett is selling Jamal's agonized desperation for everything he's worth & Bryshere, unsung as always, is doing wonderfully subtle work, tapping into the inner sweetness of Hakeem.

Edited by Dee
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wanderingstar

wanderingstar

(edited)

Good episode.

*Ghost Rhonda was practically giving Andre a checklist. Make Nessa a star. Control Empire. Take down Anika. For a dead woman, Rhonda sure has a lot of demands.

*I wish we'd seen more of Jamal's family sending him off to rehab. That whole storyline felt truncated to me. I loved his performance though.

*Also, not enough Takeem. I hope they really do team up during the second half of the season. I always loved them together.

*I don't know why I thought Lucious would let Cookie be happy for 5 minutes. Asshole. If Evil Andre and Shine really are going to give me my who-shot-Lucious mystery, I'm all the way here for that.

*I'm really enjoying Xzibit on this show.

*Tariq needs to get better at playing the long con. And he should know better than to trust Shine.

*Angelo has lots of explaining to do. Wonder if Cookie will give him the chance.

Edited by Gillian Rosh
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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

I guess that officially it for Ghost Rhonda!  I will miss the craziness she brings, but I'm glad that Andre is moving forward, even if moving forward apparently means murdering his father.  Then again, it is Lucious, so I'm sure everyone has wanted to murder him at one point or another.  I am surprised that he is going to team with Shyne though.  Did not see that coming.  Also didn't predict that Shyne was actually playing Tariq, and was just using the FBI to freeze Empire's assets, and then he gets to play hero and get a "seat at the table."  Never would have predicted he would become such a big factor.

So, Angelo does have a skeleton in the closet, and it is basically that he pulled a Ted Kennedy.  Uh oh!  Knew something was going to happen when Diana backed out of her deal with Lucious.  Never do that!  Frank Whaley slimed it up as always as the reporter.  Although, Lucious strategy of bringing him to hell by having Sticky Fingaz perform a threatening rap towards him is certainly an interesting method!

Jamal finally performances in front of a big crowd and succeeds, but now is going to rehab, since he is still addicted to those pills.  The right call, but as with most of these types of stories, I'm sure it will lead to him resenting Cookie for making him do this.

Why, yes, show.  Keep finding ways to have Anika walk around in her underwear!

Oh, boy.  Hakeem and Tiana are at it again!

Overall, I've been loving the first half of this season.  Hope they keep it up.  In particular, Trai Byers has been the MVP so far.

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SimoneS

SimoneS

10 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

*Tariq needs to get better at playing the long con. And he should know better than to trust Shine.

It was ridiculous that Tariq got played by Shine. However, he is so obsessed with taking down Lucious that he didn't see Shine's game.

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vibeology

vibeology

I liked this episode but it was really disjointed. It was like the writers realized they had too many things to cram in and just randomly jumped from one thing to the other. The cut to Lucious showing up at the FBI was random. The way we never circled back around to Anika and Momma Lyon bugged me. The first time we saw Andre came out of nowhere. The writers knew they had to end GhostRhonda but forget the set-up. And I know that Bipolar can have swings where suddenly you're dealing with depression, but on a TV show to go from GodfatherAndre last week to laying in a ball on the couch is too much. I feel like scenes got cut for time there.

Still, the beach scene was perfect. The stuff with Jamal was genuinely touching and even Lucious stepped up and acted like a father. Hakeem pleases me by just being low-key. Shine and Tariq made me laugh.

Angelo Kennedy there is in for some serious trouble. I have a hard time believing that story could be kept quiet in this day and age even if Lucious hadn't given the reporter a hand. Someone else would find it. I'm sure the story will end up being more complicated, but you ain't shit if you drive drunk, let alone have someone die as a result.

Cookie was pretty amazing. She put together an outdoor concert in days, had control of her children and did her very best to impress Angelo's mommy. I was disgusted when she fished those pills out of the drainpipe (serious, imagine how gross they'd be) and horrified when she gave them to Jamal, but she had that intervention in her back pocket and did the right thing at the end of it.

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darkestboy

darkestboy

I liked it but I thought the last few episodes were better though.

Jamal needs rehab and I'm glad this episode finally had Cookie step in and send him there. 

Lucious/Diana's team up was interesting as was that revelation about Angelo as well.

Andre and Shyne working to kill Lucious .... because that's gonna be successful. I did like him letting go of Rhonda, the scenes with Nessa and Tariq realising that he had been played big time.

Tiana and Hakeem being back together, I'm a bit meh on though, 7/10

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Neurochick

Neurochick

(edited)

Trai Byers

8 hours ago, jay741982 said:

I'd root on Andre to kill Lucious and Anika 

But if that happened there would be no show. 

I loved the very end when Andre said he would kill his dad and for a split second, he looked in the camera, right at us.  I don't know if that was deliberate, but it was hysterical.  This show is SOOOO dramatic. 

Edited by Neurochick
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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

(edited)
5 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I loved the very end when Andre said he would kill his dad and for a split second, he looked in the camera, right at us.  I don't know if that was deliberate, but it was hysterical.

I know! You could practically hear the dundunDUN in the background! I love it!

Andre has been the seasons MVP. He just fascinated me. He is clearly becoming Bad Andre, but I still have a lot of sympathy for the poor guy. He has had a horrible time of it this whole season. I also miss Rhonda, both alive and dead. She and Andre were a fun, scheming couple. 

So, are we heading for a Who Shot Lucious story? I`m imagining a Who Shot Mr. Burns story,where everyone is a suspect, and it turns out that it was Baby Belle the whole time! Or a classic Who Shot JR, which I feel like this show has always been leading up to. I mean, I am horrified to see how dark Andre has become, but...if you have to kill SOMEONE...

Oh Jamal. Your so messed up your even making Lucious seem like a decent person. Damn it Lucious, stop making me not hate you every once in awhile. 

So, Angelo has a bit of Kennedy in him? I knew there had to be something! I hope there is more to his story, and that he and Cookie could stick together for a bit. I am really enjoying Cookie as a politicians wife!

Edited by tennisgurl
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Chairperson Meow

Chairperson Meow

5 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Trai Byers

But if that happened there would be no show. 

I loved the very end when Andre said he would kill his dad and for a split second, he looked in the camera, right at us.  I don't know if that was deliberate, but it was hysterical.  This show is SOOOO dramatic. 

It was, but I think that Trai Byers saved it a bit with the look on his face tbh in the long run.  It's definitely an expression that they should use on promos.  I think they had him looking in one of the mirrored walls.  I wonder if he's hallucinating talking to someone else, since he let Ghost Rhonda go.  It looked like he was looking away from Shyne, but at someone. 

I did really dig the Cookie/Jamal scenes.  I think she gave him the pills because he was in withdrawal and came very close to/pretty much told her that Lucious caused his PTSD- so if Jamal didn't perform then Lucious would win.  I was glad that she and the family as a whole put him in rehab after. 

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Joimiaroxeu

Joimiaroxeu

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But if that happened there would be no show. 

Heh, I think that's how the producers keep TH in line. If they keep the threat of killing Lucious in the storyline he knows not to act out unless he wants out. I doubt they'd really do it though because the rest of the cast probably isn't strong enough to carry the show without him. Lucious is the central instigator for most of the other characters' behavior.

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jhlipton

jhlipton

On 12/14/2016 at 9:09 PM, SimoneS said:

So Angelo has a Ted Kennedy secret. For Cookie's sake, I hope that there is more to this story and he didn't leave that woman to die.

My God, I thought we were finally done with Chappaquiddick when Kennedy died.  Sorry, but I don't think Diana and her family had the money or power to smother the story the way the Kennedys did for so long.

On 12/14/2016 at 10:22 PM, Gillian Rosh said:

Also, not enough Takeem. I hope they really do team up during the second half of the season. I always loved them together.

I like them as an "entertainment couple" not as a romantic one.

On 12/14/2016 at 10:59 PM, thuganomics85 said:

Frank Whaley slimed it up as always as the reporter.  Although, Lucious strategy of bringing him to hell by having Sticky Fingaz perform a threatening rap towards him is certainly an interesting method!

If I was a journalist meeting someone as notorious as Lucious at his club, I would have worn a wire.  Either way, the next day, he'd be reading about a little visit where Lucious used a "Big Black Man -- really, Lucious, isn't that juyst a bit on-the-nose? -- to send a "veiled" threat (yeah right) about killing a 7-year-old boy and a dog (Hey, I have a 7-year-old son and a dog! What a coincidence!) like my family has never received death threats before.  What, you thought that just because they were inferred, they wouldn't appear in my column?

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Dee

Dee

(edited)

So I loved this mid-season finale. Not the least of which is because it was well paced and extremely character rich.

Terrence Howard is a fantastic actor and has had many a great scene with men this year (Xzibit, Bryshere Gray & Jussie Smollett in particular), but he truly comes alive in the company of women.

His scenes with Diana were an absolute delight. The subtle trepidation Diana expresses, purely through her eyes, after welching on her agreement with Lucious, was an acting master class by Phylicia Rashad & Lucious unmitigated glee at Diana's willingness to get her hands semi-dirty during their 'Strangers On A Train' meeting on the ferris wheel was Terrence Howard at his devilish best.

By this point, almost everything said about Terrence & Taraji's trademark chemistry is old hat, but the immediate way Cookie slaps Lucious hand away when he attempts to flirt with her and Cookie's relieved deflation at Lucious playful, yet still serious, insistence that he remains vigilant about the family's safety (especially after their emotionally fraught interactions last week), is further proof Taraji was right to insist Terrence be cast as Lucious.

The two share such an emotionally intimate chemistry that its almost easy to forget how thoroughly toxic Lucious is and how Cookie's intrinsic impulsiveness can sometimes cause more trouble than its worth.

Speaking of emotionally intimate, it was great that Andre finally confided to Nessa about his mental health struggles. After several weeks of flying very high, bordering on manic, Andre, finally, crashes back down to earth and his main concern, once he steadies himself, is that he's gonna lose the one good thing (Nessa) that's happened to him, personally, since the loss of his son & wife. The fact that Nessa still wants to be with him, while refusing to baby him, bodes well for their relationship. Nessa rocking chain link earrings as a subtle nod to their intertwined status was a nice touch by Paolo, who is seriously earning his checks this year.

Andre & Rhonda were ride or die for each other, but they were also quite co-dependent. She served as much as a symbol & a guardian for Andre, as much as she did a partner in crime, and that's kept him from reaching his true potential. That said, the scene where Andre finally bids goodbye to Rhonda was wonderful. Trai & Kaitlin Doubleday (who will truly be missed) seriously knocked that scene out of the park.

Jussie Smollett continues to do good work. His innate likeability, as an actor, keeps Jamal's prissy moodiness from subsuming the character, even as he self destructs. The scenes when Jamal emotionally manipulates Cookie into indulging his addiction were intense. Jamal has expended so much energy (especially this season) into proving Lucious wrong, that he felt he had nothing to lose; and as wrong as Cookie knew it was to coddle Jamal in that moment, it broke her heart to see her son in such distress, so she did what she felt she had to do to in order to rectify the situation. The scene of Cookie, on the kitchen floor, dismantling a kitchen sink, in a couture gown is an immediate classic.

Jamal getting back onstage was a given, but his performance of Born To Win was pretty great. Sanaa Hamri continues to outdo herself as a director.

Much like Terrence & Taraji, Taraji & Jussie's chemistry is off the charts, which made Jamal's impromptu intervention all the more emotionally affecting. Jamal immediately seeking out his brothers, once the performance high wore off & he understood what was happening, coupled with the single tear running down Taraji's cheek was great acting. Jamal finally breaking down when Lucious joined the intervention, proves that Jamal knows that his Dad loves him deeply, even if his father refuses to be to the person Jamal hopes he would be.

I also loved that the intervention included the majority of the extended Empire family, minus Leah & Anika, because it underscores what Cookie told Tiana long ago. That above all else, Empire was built on family, and family takes care of each other, no matter what.

As much as the audience enjoyed Takeem's onstage antics, Hakeem is clearly headed for another heartbreak. Tiana is clearly only into ther public reunion to rehab her image, which is a rather brilliant move on her part, even if it hurts Hakeem in the process.

I continue to love Leslie Uggams & Grace Byers. Anika regaining her place in the Lyon Family inner circle by tapping into her inner thug & Leah proving crazy as a fox has been wonderful to watch.

Thirsty & Lucious setting Tariq up was great. Tariq is supposed to be the good guy, but his single minded desire for "justice" is all wrong. He isn't a killer but that doesn't make his intentions pure. The irony is, had Tariq approached Lucious, as his brother, he'd be much closer to nailing Lucious than he is now.

I've never been a fan of Xzibit as an actor, but he has truly come into his own as Shyne. The writers have done a great job of making Shyne a believable businessman without sacrificing his penchant for extreme violence. He's not some random thug waiting to be dispatched by Lucious & Cookie. He's a wily old friend who wants a stake in Empire, because it affords him immediate credibility in an industry that's essentially blackballed him, because of his antics.

Lucious springing the reporter on Angelo, was a total Lucious move, it was also shockingly shortsighted. Angelo has made a lot of headway, emotionally, with Cookie in the past few months; and once Cookie understands the full extent of Angelo's situation, it will drive her closer to him & further from Lucious.

Andre wanting to kill Lucious is hilarious because if there's one thing Lucious adores, it's a killer instinct, especially in his children.

Edited by Dee
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jhlipton

jhlipton

2 hours ago, Dee said:

Diana's willingness to get her hands semi-dirty during their 'Strangers On A Train' meeting on the ferris wheel was Terrence Howard at his devilish best.

Now I want to hear a hip-hop version of the Third Man theme...

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jay741982

jay741982

On 12/15/2016 at 3:05 PM, Neurochick said:

Trai Byers

But if that happened there would be no show. 

I loved the very end when Andre said he would kill his dad and for a split second, he looked in the camera, right at us.  I don't know if that was deliberate, but it was hysterical.  This show is SOOOO dramatic. 

I'd cheer him on but I know at least Lucious wouldn't die at his hands. And if the baby murdering Bitch died there would still be a show.  Lucious is needed not Anika. I'd cheer her death. 

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Neurochick

Neurochick

On 12/26/2016 at 8:33 PM, jay741982 said:

I'd cheer him on but I know at least Lucious wouldn't die at his hands. And if the baby murdering Bitch died there would still be a show.  Lucious is needed not Anika. I'd cheer her death. 

When did Anika murder an actual baby?  Do you mean when she pushed a pregnant Rhonda down the stairs?

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Michel

Michel

On Wednesday, December 28, 2016 at 10:24 AM, Neurochick said:

When did Anika murder an actual baby?  Do you mean when she pushed a pregnant Rhonda down the stairs?

Yes.  Even if the baby hadn't technically been born yet, causing a miscarriage on purpose equates to killing the baby.

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