S04.E09: Slave To Memory

[Princess Sparkle]

Quote

Cookie and Lucious devise an elaborate plan to take down Diana Dubois and her family once and for all. Andre recovers from his mental breakdown in the hospital, Shine tries desperately to protect his secret and Eddie Barker is concluding his tenure at Empire. Amidst the chaos, someone's life hangs in the balance.

[Dee]

THAT. WAS. ABSOLUTELY. AMAZING.

[mtlchick]

Every single scene at the Ball was OUTSTANDING.  Taraji destroyed every single second. 

 

....only to have it end with Misery, Empire style.  Ugh.   I hope the final Claudia/Cookie show down is worth it.

 

Complete aside, Trai really needs to sing more.  I may have swooned.  

 

See you in the spring, y'all!

[missbonnie]

2 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

 

 

....only to have it end with Misery, Empire style.  Ugh.   

 

Ugh is right. Outside of that, awesome episode. 

[Jeopardy15]

This episode was ???! The ball scenes were epic!  Anika finally got her comeuppance. Serves her right for getting involved with The Dubois Family. I was surprised that Angelo was man enough to shoot Warren. Could see him being killed in the struggle for the gun a mile away. Poor Jamal; he is not about that gangsta life. I know Claudia’s crazy @$$ kidnapped Lucious. Can’t wait until the spring!!!

[Queena]

Fantastic episode! 

 

I agree Trai should sing more often. 

 

I feel bad that Jamal accidentally killed someone, but I'm sorry that he's dead. That damn dude, who's name evades me, annoyed me. 

 

Spring should be good, with the crazy nurse back on some Misery type of shit. 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Queena

[wanderingstar]

That was fun. Didn't love it all plot-wise, but there were some nice character moments like Cookie and Lucious' conversation in the car on the way to the ball. Hakeem's scene with Anika was also great. Yazz really has come a long way since season one.

I need more of Trai singing. DAMN.

At first, I thought Warren was going to die, then I realized it made more sense for Angelo to get killed and for Jamal and Warren to bond over covering it up. That's way soapier.

In addition to an amazing performance, Taraji looked absolutely stunning in that ball gown.

Not happy to see Nurse Claudia, and really not looking forward to the coming Misery takeoff.

[Artsda]

That was a great ball! Loved the performance. 

[phoenics]

That was an amazing batshit crazy episode and I loved every minute of it.  WOW.

[chocolatine]

44 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

At first, I thought Warren was going to die, then I realized it made more sense for Angelo to get killed and for Jamal and Warren to bond over covering it up. That's way soapier.

They're not covering it up. Jamal called 911.

45 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

In addition to an amazing performance, Taraji looked absolutely stunning in that ball gown.

Truth. When they showed her racks of clothes being taken out of Lucious's house, I wondered why we never see her with a stylist, having fittings, etc. That kind of look doesn't just happen.

47 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Not happy to see Nurse Claudia, and really not looking forward to the coming Misery takeoff.

That was terrible, and not least because of Demi Moore's cheesy acting. And while I knew she would come back for Lucious, for her to have infiltrated the hospital where Andre is and to show up at the exact moment when Andre was confessing to Lucious was too much.

[MyAimIsTrue]

8 hours ago, chocolatine said:

That was terrible, and not least because of Demi Moore's cheesy acting

My thoughts exactly.  I don't mind the Misery-style plot (I audibly gasped when it happened) but at least get someone as good as Kathy Bates, if possible, to play it.

Was Trai actually singing?  I love The Carpenters and always swoon at their songs and that was a damn good and sultry cover of "Superstar." (and yes, I know The Carpenters didn't write the song but their version is the most famous.)

The smackdown of Diana DuBois was incredible on all levels!

[darkestboy]

That was brilliant. Cookie's public takedown of Diana was absolutely glorious and the fact that she's heading to jail probably means we'll see her again as well.

Glad that Angelo died, even if Jamal killed him by accident to save Warren though. I can see Jamal/Warren getting back together in the second half of the season.

Anika having Bella taken off her was justified. Nice to see Hakeem deal with it in a mature manner though.

Andre needs to sing more on the show. Not too shocked he confessed to Lucious about his role in the car bomb though.

Claudia snatching Lucious at the end was a decent cliffhanger but I hope the Misery style plot doesn't last too long next year, 8/10

[Empress1]

Trai can sing, yes. I saw him on a daytime show once and he was like, “they never let me sing, but ...” and he sang a few bars.

I was thinking “Doesn’t Jamal have a doorman?” right as Warren was saying he paid the doorman off.

 I don’t care that Becky is pregnant. 

Taraji looked fantastic. That dress was gorgeous. Anika’s formal hair wasn’t her best look. I’m glad she got some semblance of a comeuppance- she needed to.

Best line: “Chicken? Beat?” from Phylicia Rashad.

[MyAimIsTrue]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I don’t care that Becky is pregnant. 

I wish the show wouldn't go there but on the other hand if it means more screen time for Gabby Sidibe I'm all for it.

[LilWharveyGal]

If y'all will excuse me, I need to go watch Andre's opening number on repeat.  

[luckyroll3]

4 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Was Trai actually singing?  I love The Carpenters and always swoon at their songs and that was a damn good and sultry cover of "Superstar." (and yes, I know The Carpenters didn't write the song but their version is the most famous.)

That was defintely more of a sexy Luther Vandros version.

 

23 minutes ago, LilWharveyGal said:

If y'all will excuse me, I need to go watch Andre's opening number on repeat.  

LMAO!  I never liked satiny/shiny pants on guys, until that shot of Andre on the stage from behind......

Great episode and great take down of Diana.  Although, I was hoping for more of a Dynasty-style showdown and confrontation between Diana and Cookie.  I'm hoping Angelo is dead, because he became so damn annoying.  And I really hope that this doesn't help to rekindle Warren and Jamal's relationship.  I don't like them together.  

[BunchOMalarkey]

I don't care about a Becky pregnancy although I do like Gabourey. The tango was delicious. Trai's singing was oh so lovely. I wish the takedown had been a bit more intricate but it was satisfying. Can't wait for Dre to wakeup. He is truly like a box of chocolates. 

[tennisgurl]

Oh that was extremely satisfying! Cookie and company delivered an epic take down of the DuBois family, AND got a kick ass performance out of it! Granted, I would have have gone with a slow rendition of Drip Drop while Cookie runs a sword hiden in a microphone through Mrs. DuBois as she says "The Lyons send their regards". But this was pretty cool too. I especially loved the crowd at the Captains Ball getting into the drama of it all. There was one lady who was standing behind the DuBois table who just looked like she was about to pass out from shock. And I loved how, in all of the dramatic "gasps!" from the crowd, the one that got the biggest GASP was when Cookie called Mrs. B a...common criminal! I could practically hear the monocles popping out! Then everyone starts cheering for Cookie, and things basically turn into an Empire concert, I love it. 

 Trai clearly needs to sing more. He has some serious talent. I think I`ll be in my bunk...

Hakeem seemed to handle getting Bella back with surprising maturity. That was nice to see, as was Anika crying and carrying on. Serves her right. Boo hoo Boo Boo Kitty. 

Then, of course, crazy Claudia shows up, ready to reenact Misery. I hope it doesn't go on for too long, but I am still interested to see where this goes. Great half season, hope the second half lives up to all of the fun of this half! 

[byrd]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 9:33 AM, Princess Sparkle said:

Quote

Cookie and Lucious devise an elaborate plan to take down Diana Dubois and her family once and for all. Andre recovers from his mental breakdown in the hospital, Shine tries desperately to protect his secret and Eddie Barker is concluding his tenure at Empire. Amidst the chaos, someone's life hangs in the balance.

I knew that nurse Claudia was a PHYSCO!!   I have to give Phylicia Rashad her props. she was tailor made for this role of Diana Dubois. I don't know why after Lucious gave Anika  25 million dollars , her freedom and her baby to start a new life , why couldn't she just disappear and try to live happily after ? I know it's because the show doesn't work without her. I have to remember that Anika  and Andre are married in real life. It's their job. Was it worth it  Diana to have the reputation of your family dragged through the mud. I am betting that Angelo is not dead after all. Diana Dubois will have her own gang in prison and I'll bet she get's out of doing time. 

Edited December 14, 2017 by byrd

[Biggie B]

I didn't think the takedown at the ball was that good. I kept waiting for something bigger to happen but it never really did. I mean, we the viewers know all the horrible things Diana did - but the partygoers did not, and I don't feel as if they got enough information to be as shocked as they were. I know it wasn't possible for Cookie to spell out every single detail of every bad deed, but...I felt as if it was just a lot of scenes of Cookie yelling into the microphone, punctuated by Diana ordering her lackey to get the police. It was unsatisfying to me, somehow. I did enjoy seeing Hakeem and Jamal in tails, though. Very nice. 

I'm glad Hakeem got Bella back, and that he even mentioned that he'd let Anika see Bella. He handled that scene well - stayed calm, was forceful without going overboard, and made it work out. Good for him!

I didn't like that Cookie slept in her ball gown. Even with all of her own clothing removed from the mansion, surely she would've slipped into something of Lucious' to sleep in - that was silly, to sleep in that dress.

I, too, fail to see the point of Becky being pregnant. 

OK, so how is Angelo's shooting going to work out? It does NOT look good for Jamal, although assuming Warren is not seriously injured, he can provide the eye witness account of what actually happened (assuming, too, that he's believed). 

[Margohill]

Great episode and Cookie's takedown of Diana Dubois was epic. With these 'uppity' people, the best way to destroy them is to destroy their image/reputation amongst the people in their society. Diana knew right there that she was toast after all her nasty deeds were exposed to her 'high society' friends and that was topped off by her arrest. Nice play Cookie.

I was glad that Jamal never forgave Warren for his deceit. I can never understand how some could think that Jamal and Warren had chemistry and made a great couple. I never ever thought that relationship was healthy from the get-go. You cannot think a relationship is great when it is founded on lies and deceit. Warren only broke down and confessed to Jamal after he was caught with Mrs. Dubois and after Jamal's brothers had been very badly hurt. I hope Jamal kicks Warren out of his life FOR EVER. He is toxic.

Hakeem handled Anika with maturity. I agree that he has grown. Anika seemed so small the way she was handled by Hakeem. That was a very touching scene when he took his daughter from Anika. All her lies and deceit and she is still alive on that show...SMH. Good thing Hakeem is not as EVIL as she is. She deserves worse than has been done to her so far. She should DIE. #Anikamustdie

The whole scene with Claudia abducting Lucious was such a downer. I have never liked Claudia or any of her scenes. This is not very encouraging for me come March. I hope the story line with Claudia is not going to last too long because Claudia is not a favorite on this show.

Becky pregnant???? To imagine that Thirsty was the one who had it figured out for her....LOL!!! "Who's the lucky father?" 

For a moment, I thought Shine was planning on suffocating Andre with a pillow had Lucious not shown up. Shine should never be trusted. 

So far, a great winter finale, though it doesn't beat Rhonda getting pushed down the stairs. That was a great cliff-hanger.

Too bad they'll be gone for 4 months. These Empire breaks have really hurt the show's ratings....SMH

Edited December 15, 2017 by Margohill

[jhlipton]

On 12/13/2017 at 7:29 PM, chocolatine said:

On 12/13/2017 at 6:38 PM, Gillian Rosh said:

At first, I thought Warren was going to die, then I realized it made more sense for Angelo to get killed and for Jamal and Warren to bond over covering it up. That's way soapier.

They're not covering it up. Jamal called 911.d to show up at the exact moment when Andre was confessing to Lucious was too much.

6 hours ago, Biggie B said:

OK, so how is Angelo's shooting going to work out? It does NOT look good for Jamal, although assuming Warren is not seriously injured, he can provide the eye witness account of what actually happened (assuming, too, that he's believed). 

It seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.  Warren and Angelo were shot by Angelo's gun, so there's no reason not to believe that he was shot in the scuffle.  Plus Jamal called 911 immediately, so that backs up their story as well.

17 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Was Trai actually singing?

9 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Trai clearly needs to sing more. He has some serious talent. 

It's funny -- I seem to recall that a major plot point of the early shows was that Dre couldn't sing, so he had to work behind the scenes.  I wonder if Trai took lessons (possibly from the staff of the show) over the past 4 seasons.

[Dee]

Trai, in real life, has always been able to sing.

Also, it's never been stated Andre couldn't sing, just that he wasn't as musically gifted like his younger brothers.

[Rae Spellman]

14 minutes ago, jhlipton said:

 

It's funny -- I seem to recall that a major plot point of the early shows was that Dre couldn't sing, so he had to work behind the scenes.  I wonder if Trai took lessons (possibly from the staff of the show) over the past 4 seasons.

Trai could sing before being cast on  Empire.  Dre doesn't sing. 

Near the end of season 1, Jamal told Lucious that he though that  music was the way to get his father to love him.  And, we've seen Jamal and Lucious connecting over creating music together several times.  In this episode ,Andre was announced as the "once and future king." I took that to mean that Andre was dreaming that IF he could sing, he might be the king of Empire.  Rather than 3rd choice to run the company. He might be happy. He might feel more connected to his brothers/father/family.

Also, if Andre could sing, I imagine the show could figure out a way to get him to do it like the reveal with the singing assistant on Star.

[Dee]

2 minutes ago, RaeSpellman said:

 In this episode ,Andre was announced as the "once and future king." I took that to mean that Andre was dreaming that IF he could sing, he might be the king of Empire.  Rather than 3rd choice to run the company. He might be happy. He might feel more connected to his brothers/father/family.

Except Lucious & Cookie personally chose him as Empire's next CEO.

It isn't a situation, like with Nessa in the previous season, where Andre felt he needed a proxy.

If anything his dream/nightmare in this episode was about his severe abandonment complex where Lucious is concerned IMO.

[Dee]

The Becky pregnancy story has the potential to be really good.

Between her resolve to prioritize her blossoming career over her personal life and J Poppa's religious beliefs, their situation should provide for quite a bit of interesting story during the back half of the season.

[phoenics]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the old white brotha at the Captain's Ball gettin down to Jamal and Hakeem's "Love is like a Drug"?

[Kaiju Ballet]

On 12/13/2017 at 9:38 PM, Gillian Rosh said:

Hakeem's scene with Anika was also great. Yazz really has come a long way since season one.

I need more of Trai singing. DAMN.

I was really impressed with how that scene went down. Hakeem showed a huge level of maturity in agreeing to let Annika remain a part of Bella's life. Plus telling Annika to stop crying because she was upsetting Bella.

 Annika looked stunning in the both the white lacy shirt/pants outfit and the red dress, Hakeem and Jamal in tuxes on stage were delicious (they also were able to meld their completely different dancing styles into a seamless and entertaining performance), Cookie's dress from the ball--magnificent! The costume designer for this ep outdid him/herself.

On 12/14/2017 at 7:25 AM, MyAimIsTrue said:

Was Trai actually singing?  I love The Carpenters and always swoon at their songs and that was a damn good and sultry cover of "Superstar." (and yes, I know The Carpenters didn't write the song but their version is the most famous.)

I've been increasingly in awe of Trai's acting, but with that pantymelting cover? More of him singing, PLEASE! After all, if Lucious recovered from his brain injury with synesthesia, maybe Andre's musical talent can also suddenly emerge?

On 12/14/2017 at 2:54 PM, tennisgurl said:

 I loved how, in all of the dramatic "gasps!" from the crowd, the one that got the biggest GASP was when Cookie called Mrs. B a...common criminal! I could practically hear the monocles popping out! Then everyone starts cheering for Cookie, and things basically turn into an Empire concert, I love it. 

 Trai clearly needs to sing more. He has some serious talent. I think I`ll be in my bunk...

Hakeem seemed to handle getting Bella back with surprising maturity. That was nice to see, as was Anika crying and carrying on. Serves her right. Boo hoo Boo Boo Kitty. 

Then, of course, crazy Claudia shows up, ready to reenact Misery. I hope it doesn't go on for too long

DD's comeuppance (and I loved her being referred to as DD from the stage!) was served Lyon-style and well worth the wait. 

I hope that Lucious thinks of Andre's confession as a result of the psychotropic drugs still in his system--that is, if he doesn't forget it altogether due to having more immediate things to worry about. Demi Moore looked scary as hell at the reveal. (Spoiled for me because of the preview or seeing her name in the credits so I kept expecting her to show up. Plus the needle in the neck isn't really Shine's MO)

Also fingers crossed that Eddie's new need to make serious money at Empire doesn't foreshadow both Lucious and Cookie being stuck in a Misery storyline for the rest of the season. And writers, if that's where you're going, please remember that Eddie caused the strike that happened recently and the Empire staff may respect him as a music legend, but hate him as a person in charge.

22 hours ago, Margohill said:

Becky pregnant???? To imagine that Thirsty was the one who had it figured out for her....LOL!!! "Who's the lucky father?" 

Thirsty is awesome. I like Becky in small doses, partially because for me GS is still limited as an actor. I still have trouble believing that she went from Lucious's PA to the head of A&R so quickly, whereas other actors give me less issues with even more ludicrous plot contrivances.

Somehow I don't think we've heard the last of Diana....

[Jeopardy15]

On 12/14/2017 at 0:17 PM, luckyroll3 said:

LMAO!  I never liked satiny/shiny pants on guys, until that shot of Andre on the stage from behind......

Yaaaaaasssss! Grace is a lucky woman. 

[jhlipton]

3 hours ago, phoenics said:

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the old white brotha at the Captain's Ball gettin down to Jamal and Hakeem's "Love is like a Drug"?

I laughed at that and told my wife "That's me!"  She could not but agree!!!

Edited December 16, 2017 by jhlipton

[Rae Spellman]

23 hours ago, Dee said:

Except Lucious & Cookie personally chose him as Empire's next CEO.

It isn't a situation, like with Nessa in the previous season, where Andre felt he needed a proxy.

If anything his dream/nightmare in this episode was about his severe abandonment complex where Lucious is concerned IMO.

Yes the dream/nightmare was about being abandoned by Lucious.. But, I meant maybe Andre wondered if he might have been first choice if he had the musical talent of his brothers. 

Also, Cookie, Hakeem, and Jamal cheered Andre on in that dream/nightmare, valued him in a way that he may not feel in his waking life.  

Of course there was always more going on with Andre besides not being musical.  Or being bipolar. For example, choosing a wife who wanted him to destroy the bond between his brothers. 

[phoenics]

I just listened to Trai's performance again.  Damn.  He was already the sexiest Lyon son to me, but now... damn!

Edited December 16, 2017 by phoenics

[luckyroll3]

9 hours ago, phoenics said:

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the old white brotha at the Captain's Ball gettin down to Jamal and Hakeem's "Love is like a Drug"?

Yes!  All that was missing was his wife knocking him across the back of the head for enjoying it too much.

[Dee]

On 12/16/2017 at 1:02 AM, RaeSpellman said:

But, I meant maybe Andre wondered if he might have been first choice if he had the musical talent of his brothers.

But it doesn't make sense for Andre to be having that type of nightmare. He's always contended he'd be the heir apparent if he was an artist.

Besides, he's never been shown to harbor even the slightest reservation about the logistics behind his being chosen, so for him to suddenly be obsessive about that particular issue, now that he nearly has everything he's always desired, doesn't work.

And his mother and brothers have always wholeheartedly embraced him, on every level, so for him to subconsciously feel they value him in a dream, in a way they don't in real life, also doesn't make sense.

Andre has always been perfectly willing to sacrifice his relationship with his brothers for personal gain. Rhonda just functioned as his personal Lady MacBeth.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Dee

[jhlipton]

11 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

Yes!  All that was missing was his wife knocking him across the back of the head for enjoying it too much.

My wife would be yelling "Get down, Jeff, get DOWN!!!!"  One of the many reasons I love her!

[thuganomics85]

Finally got around this and it was worth the wait!

OK, I really hope going forward they use Andre's breakdown to make him try his own luck as music, because Trai Byers was pretty damn impressive up on the mic. I so want to hear more from him.  And for the finale to end with a Andre/Jamal/Hakeem song!

Glad that Cookie and the Lyons finally took Diana and the  DuBois down a few pegs, but with this show, I still wouldn't be surprised if Diana manages to worm out of any actual jail time, even if her reputation will be ruined.  Maybe it's just my love for Phylicia Rashad talking, but I have to imagine Diana won't go down without a fight.  Still, it was great finally watching her be unable to talk and smirk her way out of this situation!

I had a feeling Angelo wasn't going to last much longer because as much fun as he seems to be having, I suspect Taye Diggs probably could find bigger roles elsewhere.  I don't see Jamal getting accused of murder or anything since it seems clear cut that it was self defense (plus Warren seems OK and I have to imagine will back him), but I'm guessing this will not only effect him mentally, but earn the wrath of a likely still dangerous Diana.

Hakeem was surprisingly mature with Anika when it came to Bella.  Almost felt bad for her until I remember everything she's done.

Seems like they might be setting up Charlie to be up to no good with him being broke and this ex played by Nicole Ari Parker.

Shine is so going to be an issue going forward.

Becky's pregnant, it seems.  Liked Thirsty supporting her.  They've surprisingly become one of the best duos here.

Lucious finds out that Andre help planted the bomb, only to be drugged and kidnapped by Claudia.  Only moment I wasn't wild about, but hopefully this won't drag out for too long.

Great mid-season finale!

[wanderingstar]

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I like Jamal and Warren, and I want them to get back together.

[Dee]

I actually really like them together too. It will be quite interesting to see how the rest of the Lyons will react if/when they reconcile.

[journalism16]

I like Warren and Jamal together, too.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Me three.  Warren was the first love interest for Jamal that actually made sense to me (which sounds crazy given the backstory of why Warren was there) and the actors have incredible chemistry together.

[TobinAlbers]

If Becky wasn't revealed as pregnant, I'd have pegged Annika having a surprise pregnancy with Angelo's child making her second kid the Dubois heir. That is if Diana has any money after hiring a ton of lawyers and mounting a hell of a defense for her multiple charges. 

If Angelo is dead, Diana is gonna either go batshit nuts or stroke out and die. I don't see her in prison. If she lives Diana seems like she'd mount a last stand kamikaze burn it all down revenge scheme to avenge Angelo but with her luck she'd end up killing just Annika and Warren instead.

Oh, Andre. Looking fine as hell and singing like a boss in his dream. The backup singers were dead ringers for Rhonda and Pamela/Nessa, right? 

I don't always root for the Lyons, but I will say that this season they've become interesting again. Looking forward to the second half of the season.

Also props to Phylicia Rashad and Lee Daniels for crafting a complex diabolical gives no shits villainess- especially a smart, intelligent WOC villainess. Diana has been a joy to watch and is ruthless, unbent, and arrogant and has been a great rival for the Lyons. She knows how to play thug but she also had the clout and money in a world that the Lyons couldn't easily manage and that gave her a nice upper hand to keep this going.  Its funny how Lucious drew the parallel between him and Angelo having similar mothers that propped up their sons to tear them down. If you didn't know any better, Diana seems like she could've been Lucious' mother or at least a mother figure he'd have patterned himself after and emulated. They're really a good match.

I'm guessing Shine is going to step up as the villain again in the second half of the season. He's been playing nice but while Andre called off the hit, Shine said hell to the no and let the bomb go off. He's gonna pay for that and the fact we and Hakeem were shown Shine's 3 baby mommas and gaggle of kids is going to factor into that. 

[wanderingstar]

I miss this show. Can't believe we have to wait another month and a half for it to return.

[TGinKY]

When does the new season start again? I've been watching the last three episodes to refresh my memory.

[Dee]

It's not a new season.

It's the second half of the fourth season.

And it starts March 28th.

[TGinKY]

Thank you Dee - I thought it would be sooner :(. Why is everything coming back in March?? UGHHH

[wanderingstar]

So, since I'm missing the show, I went back and watched the winter finale, and I really do love everything about Cookie's takedown of Diana and her various henchpersons. My favorite part: "You can't swing a hair weave track without it brushing up against one of those shady-ass Dubois family members."

I had to rewind and watch Taraji's delivery at least 3 times.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Gillian Rosh