S04.E14: False Face

[Dee]

Quote

Lucious and Thirsty try to squash Eddie's takeover by confronting him with legal papers. Cookie recalls her complex relationship with her mother, while she continues her search for her friend's orphaned daughter. Meanwhile, Andre flounders, Hakeem anxiously prepares a release strategy for his 20 for 20 single and Jamal and Tory try to find a new team to make their own first non-Empire single.

[Jeopardy15]

Alfred Woodard!!!! Can’t wait to see what she adds to this drama. Tiana remains the dumbest. I’m tired of Jamal’s whinning. Can we be done with the “Eddie tries to takeover Empire” storyline already?  

[MyAimIsTrue]

I love Alfre Woodard. That is all.

[wanderingstar]

Enjoyed this episode, though not as much as last week's. 

Of course Eddie sidled up to Anika. That should be interesting. 

Loved the Cookie flashbacks. Yay to Alfre Woodard! Can't wait wait for Cookie to reunite with her mom

The Takeem hookup was HOT! And I loved that it was soundtracked by classic En Vogue.

Thirsty is everyone's secret keeper. Long may he reign.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Gillian Rosh

[Dee]

32 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Thirsty is everyone's secret keeper. Long may he reign.

Yes! Andre Royo is the gift that keeps on giving.

[crowceilidh]

YAWN.  Anika.  HUGE YAWN.

[Apprentice79]

11 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

YAWN.  Anika.  HUGE YAWN.

She is Teflon. She always gets away with her many crimes.

[tennisgurl]

When is Anika finally gonna get hers? I know thats ridiculous for this show, where pretty much everyone has so many skeletons in their closet they might as well be a cemetery, but she just seems to have nine lives. She jumps on any bandwagon to get herself ahead and screw with the Lyons, and somehow manages to be the one to crawl out alive, even when everyone else gets burned. She`s like Doctor Claw escaping at the end of every episode. "I`ll get you next time, Lyons. Next time..." 

Good episode, if not as good as last week. Loved the 90s themed party, and Hakeem and his new proteges song sounded really great. Oh Hakeem, he really has fallen so hard for Tiana, and she is just not down right now. She needs to check herself, no way will hitching her wagon to Eddie go well. Eddie might be a manipulator, but she needs to realize whats going on here. 

Speaking of, Eddie is super sketchy. Giving Tori drugs is a shitty thing to do, even if Tori is a mess in and of herself, and he apparently has a history of crap like that. He is all kinds of two faced, on every level. I do love seeing him and his machinisms though, especially as it gets the Lyons all together again. Nothing brings the family together like a common enemy. 

Tori is a mess, but I do buy her friendship with Jamal, and I think she does care about him (which, with all the two faced people on this show, is pretty impressive) and I am actually interested in seeing what their musical collective, whatever that means, is, and who all they bring in. 

 Alfre Woodard! Hell yeah! Cant wait to see her show up in the present! Cookies stuff with Poundcake is still heartbreaking.

[Racj82]

Shout out to the great 90s film Set It Off with that love scene. The exact same song playing when Jada Pinkett and Blair Underwood were getting it on.

[Biggie B]

I think Cookie mishandled the situation with Poundcake's daughter Maya. There's no "good" way to tell someone that their bio parent is dying and wants to see them, but not telling Maya from the get-go that she (Cookie) knew Poundcake from prison might not have been the best way to go. Maya got all worked up and excited about being in Tiana's video and then Cookie just blurts out the actual situation - of course Maya was going to be furious and feel tricked and blindsided. Again - no easy way to deliver such information but I feel like Cookie came off as deceptive, even though she truly meant well. I'm not even sure I have a better suggestion as to what Cookie should've done, but at the very least, she should've told Maya at their first encounter that Cookie knew Poundcake and considers her a good friend. Maya was immediately star-struck by meeting Cookie in person - Cookie should've used that to her advantage -to help Maya understand that if the famous Cookie cares so much for Poundcake then perhaps Poundcake isn't such a monster after all. Surely the story line isn't over yet, though.

Speaking of Cookie, she looked gorgeous in that outfit she was wearing when she was watching Maya dance. Great shirt, she looked very Versace-ish. And I loved her telling off Tiana! There's only one bitch at Empire, and it's Cookie. Do not try to out-Cookie Cookie! 

Ugh - Eddie and Anika - not looking forward to their nonsense. 

Quote

Tori is a mess, but I do buy her friendship with Jamal, and I think she does care about him (which, with all the two faced people on this show, is pretty impressive) and I am actually interested in seeing what their musical collective, whatever that means, is, and who all they bring in. 

Agree! I just hope Jamal doesn't fall off his wagon because of Tori, though. But I do like their friendship so far. I wonder what Tori's tattoo looks like!

The addition of Alfre Woodard is great. And yes - is there anything Thirsty doesn't know about anyone? Yeesh - he could do a number on that family if he wanted to.

I liked Becky's wig at the 90's party. Love her.

[Dee]

I love Jamal but he needs to stop being condescending to Tori.

It wasn't that long ago that stress caused him to compromise his own sobriety.

[wanderingstar]

Quote

Ugh - Eddie and Anika - not looking forward to their nonsense. 

Despite Anika's comments to the contrary, it would not surprise me if she ended up being Mrs. Barker #4.

[Margohill]

I loved this episode as the Cookie/Poundcake storyline continues to keep me hooked. It's just so emotional and I like the way Cookie's search for Poundcake's daughter also ties to her relationship with her own mom.  It's just heartbreaking to hear the kind of stories were fed to Mia about her biological mom. Terrible, just terrible. I hope Mia has a change of heart and sees Poundcake before she's gone or she'll forever regret it when she eventually finds out the truth, and she will in the future.

Alfre Woodard was a delight. Perfect casting. I can't wait for next episode.

I'm sick and tired of Tiana and her pre-mature diva behavior. It's Eddie this, and Eddie that. I was glad Cookie knocked her down quite a few notches. I hope when  she falls from her high horse she hits the ground hard. 

I don't like Jamal with Tory. She's into drugs again and that should be the last person Jamal should be around if he wants to continue to stay clean. I don't like Jamal's new music style. His father is right. He should go back to his old style of music.

Eddie is a hard one to get rid of. Luscious should know you can't beat your teacher at his own game. Eddie knows Lucious to the core and is always one step ahead. Luscious has his work cut out for him.

Andre tries to warm his way back into the family. Interesting. We'll see how that will play out. 

Anika is back again. God help us all. Hope she doesn't kill someone else's baby.

Thirsty is the man, the real deal. Best lawyer Luscious could ever find. 

Great episode overall. 8/10

[darkestboy]

A strong episode. Cookie got the best moments though.

I liked her taking Tiana down a peg, liked her getting Lucious to talk about taking down Eddie and her scenes with Poundcake, Maya and Renee were pretty great as well.

Not too into Jamal's new sound and maybe he should be firmer with Tory but the Preacher Azal character might have potential.

Hakeem and Tiana hooking up again, I did see coming.

Why won't this show get rid of Anika? The character is past her sell by date and this team up with Eddie won't be any different, 8/10

[Jeopardy15]

12 hours ago, darkestboy said:

A strong episode. Cookie got the best moments though.

I liked her taking Tiana down a peg, liked her getting Lucious to talk about taking down Eddie and her scenes with Poundcake, Maya and Renee were pretty great as well.

Not too into Jamal's new sound and maybe he should be firmer with Tory but the Preacher Azal character might have potential.

Hakeem and Tiana hooking up again, I did see coming.

Why won't this show get rid of Anika? The character is past her sell by date and this team up with Eddie won't be any different, 8/10

This last statement! Isn’t it past time for Anika to get the hell on?!?! 

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, Jeopardy15 said:

This last statement! Isn’t it past time for Anika to get the hell on?!?! 

Being with of the leads in real life (Andre) may be giving her staying power. 

Also, I don't disagree with you guys but nighttime soaps are filled with those types of characters that just live on and on to be a thorn in characters sides. 

[darkestboy]

I like antagonistic characters but Anika is a boring antagonist, which is why I'd be happy for her to go.

[Vixenstud]

On 4/27/2018 at 9:24 AM, darkestboy said:

Why won't this show get rid of Anika? The character is past her sell by date.

Put Tiana's name in this sentence and holla back at me.  I only wish Cookie had smacked the shit out of her before she finished telling her ass off.

I knew I loved EnVogue's Don't Let Go for a reason....oh my, that was so fucking hot!  (fans self)