S03.E11: Play On

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Cookie tries to move forward with Angelo, while struggling with guilt over her run-in with Lucious. Elsewhere, Leah seeks out Tariq's help in taking down Anika; and Jamal and Tory team up in the studio.

[SimoneS]

Yeah, Jamal got some with the hot counselor although it was sad that he killed my fantasy threesome when he dumped hot as f Derek. And they could have shown a bit more of a sex scene to spice things up.

Why is Lucious so evil? Why? He just cannot help himself. Lucifer Lyon is right. He cannot let his children have anything. This is why I hope that Andre succeeds in damaging him somehow. However, Andre just seems to be playing with fire. These are some dangerous people.

Leia is as evil and bigoted as her son. She is going to get Cookie locked up as she guns for Anika. I have to say that Anika was slick winning over Becky.

I like Angelo, but I don't have a lot of faith that he can go up against Lucious.

The baby is adorable. I had forgotten that Hakeem was the real father.

Edited March 30, 2017 by SimoneS

[Dee]

I ADORE this show.

Nana Leah is the best.

[wanderingstar]

"He gave her a job, because she gave him one."

Grandma Leah gets the best lines. Leslie Uggams looks like she is having a ball playing this role.

So happy to see Tiana and Hakeem together again. I wonder if Bella will continue to be a source of tension between them.

I liked that song Jamal and Tori were working on. Too bad Lucious hijacked it. Ass.

Candace subtly grilling Angelo was hilarious. And I love that she calls Lucious Lucifer. So completely accurate.

[Racj82]

I was waiting for someone to point out that Rodney Jerkins totally flipped his own song the boys is mine to make the song luscious created in this episode. He ain't slick.

Edited March 30, 2017 by Racj82
Jerkins got auto corrected to her mind. Don't know why.

[Eolivet]

I'm sure others have said it, but I LOVE the actors playing young Cookie and Lucious. They capture the essence of the older characters, and they're just so well-cast (and the young actors have chemistry, too). I think it adds so much to that story. Their wedding was such a nice scene -- you can see where it went wrong, but I think those scenes are effective in showing why Cookie can't quite let go of Lucious all these years later.

I'm loving Andre this season, too. "I'm gonna kill my father" Andre is 10x more entertaining than "I know I'm messed up/I found religion" Andre ever was (IMO).

[SimoneS]

15 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

So happy to see Tiana and Hakeem together again. I wonder if Bella will continue to be a source of tension between them.

I am conflicted about Tiana and Hakeem. I love Tiana and it is great to see her being featured so prominently again, but she and Hakeem were cheating on each other the last time they were together. This time there wasn't any emotional build up to their reunion. It feels like they have been thrown together to create the rivalry with Andre and Nessa. Oh well, I am enjoying the rivalry.

I was hoping they wouldn't skip the fall out of Lucious and Cookie's confrontation last week and they didn't. I loved how Lucious was pretending he didn't know who wrecked the office and had the security tapes wiped. He doesn't even bother confronting Cookie about destroying everything, instead he was upset that she left him sexually frustrated while she demands that he doesn't tell Angelo. I also loved the scenes at the end with Angelo confronting Lucious and Cookie enjoying it, but also trying to prevent any violence. Lucious didn't tell Angelo about the kiss. He is probably picking his moment to play that card. Also, I had to agree with Lucious that despite their complaints about him that his family always expects him to clean up their messes. No doubt, he will have to save Andre when his schemes with Shine and his associates go wrong.

I hope that the show doesn't just put Jamal in a relationship with the counselor (can't remember his name). I would like to see Jamal in a triangle with that guy and Derek. Maybe Derek comes out and is determined to win Jamal back. 

Overall, I did like the music in last night's episode.

Edited March 30, 2017 by SimoneS

[Primetimer]

Which one of our Lyons (and their associates) is taking control of the here and now?

View the full article

[Dakisela]

8 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I was waiting for someone to point out that Rodney Her mind totally flipped his own song the boys is mine to make the song luscious created in this episode. He ain't slick.

I'm sorry, WHAT?????

[LilWharveyGal]

The "little ballerina's" rear end was inspirational.  If anybody needs me, I'll be in the gym for the next three months.

[Racj82]

2 hours ago, Dakisela said:

I'm sorry, WHAT?????

Rodney's last name got auto corrected to two different words. Don't know why.

That song lucious was working on was just a altered version of the boys is mine by brandy and Monica which Rodney Jerkins produced. So he flipped his own song.

Edited March 30, 2017 by Racj82

[tennisgurl]

Oh my God, I was eating up every second of the slow motion operatic music while Cookie took and shower, and the cleaning crew put the office together again. Oh show, you so dramatic.

Grandma Leah is just great. She is without a doubt the person who spawned Lucious, who seemingly cant go five minutes without being an asshole for no reason at all.

The songs were pretty on point this week, although what was that outfit they had Tiana in? She looked like a dancer from one of the crappier shows on the Los Vegas strip! I also liked Rumor Willas and her song with Jamal. I hope they get back together (musically, not any other way!).

[SimoneS]

I miss Freda and Jamal's music collaborations. I loved their music. I miss Freda, period. I hate that she is caught up in the drug business.

[thuganomics85]

Oh, Lucious.  I already knew you sucked as a human being, but now you are pretty much stealing your own son's music, so now you suck as an artist.  You truly are the worst.  And, yet, I love hating your horrible ass, so I don't want you going anywhere!

I enjoyed seeing the clean-up of last week's craziness, mainly because I wonder if any of the clean up crew was shocked, or if they were all thinking "Really, it's only a matter of time before something like this happened" instead.  Granted, it sounded like Lucious created some kind of break-in cover story, but I wonder if there would still be suspicions over what really happened.

Knew Grandma Leah was up to something (a surprisingly unsuccessful vetting process from Thirsty over that guard!), but I didn't predict her going to Tariq.  But instead of convincing Anika to turn, she's getting the hell out of dodge, and leaving Hakeem with the kid.  I doubt she will be gone for long, but I imagine that will change things.  I'm glad Tiana at least seemed to be warming up a bit to the baby at the end, but I fear that this still will be too much for their relationship at the end.

Always happy for a Candice appearance!  She would totally be pushing for a Angelo/Cookie marriage.  Don't see that happen.  And, nice effort, Angelo, but your threat towards Lucious really lacked bite.  If it ever came to it, I just don't see him being able to be a threat to Lucious.

On the other hand, Andre certainly seems to be making the moves.  Now, he is trying some kind of angle with Vegas, and he and Shay have aligned with some character played by Nia Long, where naturally ended with both her abusive ex and some gangster who called himself "Danger", all getting shot.  Classic Empire!

Rumer Willis' singing voice is surprisingly good.

Jamal dumps Derek, and now seems to be moving on with the counselor guy. We will see.... Jamal's relationships tend to never last for very long.

[wanderingstar]

I forgot to say how much I loved the Young Cookie and Lucious flashbacks (that wedding, y'all!)

On a related note, at one point during this episode, I was marveling at the sheer joy I get from watching this crazy cast of characters played by a veritable who's who of Black Hollywood. 

Long may it continue.

[jhlipton]

On 3/29/2017 at 10:06 PM, SimoneS said:

I have to say that Anika was slick winning over Becky.

I have to say that Becky was out-of-character naive to believe one word of Boo-Boo Kitty.  And right after that other guy schmoozed her up and tore her down.

On 3/29/2017 at 11:28 PM, Gillian Rosh said:

S0 happy to see Tiana and Hakeem together again. I wonder if Bella will continue to be a source of tension between them.

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I'm glad Tiana at least seemed to be warming up a bit to the baby at the end, but I fear that this still will be too much for their relationship at the end.

some gangster who called himself "Danger", all getting shot. 

I don't want to see Tiana and Hakeem hook up and really don't want to see Tiana bonding with a baby.  Not all women are baby-mommas; Tiana is better than that.

=============================================================

ETA: It's apparently OK to pressure and cajole into doing something she said she Does Not Want, as long as it's not sex.  Because she secretly wants to. 

=============================================================

The gangster's name was Dian-Ja.  Because of course it was!

8 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I miss Freda and Jamal's music collaborations. I loved their music. I miss Freda, period. I hate that she is caught up in the drug business.

Jamal and Frieda were fierce (and she'd never have left the tracks unprotected, Jamal, you idiot).  This show has a problem with strong, independent women, doesn't it?

Edited March 31, 2017 by jhlipton

[ChiefWiggum9-1-2]

Last night's episode was the series-low ratings wise.  This show used to be a great old fashioned soap opera about a family who just happened to be in the music business. More and more it's a disjointed music video show, where in between songs there's a little bit of storyline.

And it just keeps shedding viewers.  I used to watch the show live, now I record it and fast-forward through most of it.   I got through the latest episode in 10-15 minutes.  Soon I'll even stop recording it. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by ChiefWiggum9-1-2

[Dee]

8 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

I forgot to say how much I loved the Young Cookie and Lucious flashbacks (that wedding, y'all!)

On a related note, at one point during this episode, I was marveling at the sheer joy I get from watching this crazy cast of characters played by a veritable who's who of Black Hollywood. 

Long may it continue.

Lucious & Cookie's wedding song was Casanova by Levert! How cute!

And you're right that this show is so well cast. It provides an endless amount of fascinating pairings and combinations for story. Like, who knew Hakeem, Nana Leah and Tiana would be so much fun together? Or Andre, Freda, Nessa and Shine? Or Candace, Angelo & Cookie?

[ParadoxLost]

22 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I was hoping they wouldn't skip the fall out of Lucious and Cookie's confrontation last week and they didn't. I loved how Lucious was pretending he didn't know who wrecked the office and had the security tapes wiped. He doesn't even bother confronting Cookie about destroying everything, instead he was upset that she left him sexually frustrated while she demands that he doesn't tell Angelo. I also loved the scenes at the end with Angelo confronting Lucious and Cookie enjoying it, but also trying to prevent any violence. Lucious didn't tell Angelo about the kiss. He is probably picking his moment to play that card. Also, I had to agree with Lucious that despite their complaints about him that his family always expects him to clean up their messes. No doubt, he will have to save Andre when his schemes with Shine and his associates go wrong.

I read that originally they Cookie and Lucious had sex during last weeks confrontation and it was the actors that decided it made more sense that Cookie would walk away.  So I'm not surprised that they followed up this episode because it would have been written assuming fallout from Cookie and Lucious sex..  Cookie's reaction to everything out seemed out of proportion and I think that is why.  They had to tweak the episode based on the previous but didn't want to scrap the direction they are taking Cookie/Angelo.

[Dee]

One thing I'm loving about this season is that it's made Lucious legible. Taraji's Cookie has been a pop culture icon from the pilot but it's taken awhile for the writers and TH to find their groove.

Over the run of the show, TH's performances have been uniformly flawless but Lucious has largely felt like an emotional cipher (even with his slowly unfolding backstory). The first season Lucious was hindered by being The Heavy for everyone else to bounce off, and last season the character felt more arbitrary than integral.

However, this season Lucious has become a revelation; that final scene in the spring premiere wouldn't have been half as thrilling if he hadn't been as fully committed as Taraji, and the show is infinitely stronger for it.  

[Margohill]

On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 6:52 AM, ChiefWiggum9-1-2 said:

Last night's episode was the series-low ratings wise.  This show used to be a great old fashioned soap opera about a family who just happened to be in the music business. More and more it's a disjointed music video show, where in between songs there's a little bit of storyline.

I am so surprised why the ratings dropped so low. I was expecting a ratings rise after the great premiere. I just think the writing for this season has been much stronger than S2. S1 was much more focused on Cookie being a very loving mother trying to reconnect with her kids after being released from jail and also trying to get her own share of Empire. That really resonated with the audience.

I guess the audience may not be liking this direction of the storyline and may prefer the family coming together and fighting against outside enemies. 

 So far, I am enjoying the show and curious to see the direction Andre's character takes as well as his relationship with Nessa, and also the fate of Cookie and Angelo's relationship.

[wonderchica05]

"Boo Boo Kitty knows things!!" made me literally LOL. Never change, Grandma Leah!

[Lovecat]

Cookie scurrying out from behind a dumpster in that big ol' Muppet coat was *everything*.

[OhioSongbird]

I am totally on the Empire train.  Love, love, love this show!!  For all the afore mentioned things.  I missed the first ep...forgot to set the timer dammit.....

I am so naming my next cat Boo Boo Kitty.

[darkestboy]

Crazy enough episode but good fun too.

Anika turns on Lucious again, Andre and Shyne bring in this Guiliana person who seems interesting enough and Cookie can't move with Angelo either.

I did like Jamal/Tory's song and him dumping Derek clearly means the latter is being set up to come out as well.

Interesting enough drama with Tiana struggling to bond with Bella and Hakeem stepping up a little more too.

Leah is pretty nasty when she wants to be.

Great music this episode too, 7/10

[RealReality]

I normally live for a long weave/wig, but im disgusted that nessa started out with a cute, short, unique beautiful do that did her gorgeous face justice.  And now they just slapped a long weave on her so she looks like everyone else on this show.  Like every other "pretty" black girl on tv.