Empire Season 2 Episode 9 Recap

Cookie and Candace are taking a tour of Philly's hottest crack dens, with Cookie dressed, naturally, in blazing red furs and Chanel sunglasses, without once getting robbed or accosted - seems legit.

While they're away, Hakeem holds down the fortress.

Cookie is stressed out about the upcoming Cookout Concert, which is now sold out thanks to Hakeem's public victory at the rap battle. He calls his mom to cajole her back to the office, but she reassures him that he's running things well. Candice inadvertently blames Cookie for Carol's addiction, and the two go about finding Carol in their own way.

Meanwhile, Laz quickly realises that he's got to cut ties with his old crew.

Season 2, Episode 8, "Sinned Against", ends with Jamal and established singer Skye Summers (Alicia Keys) performing a stirring new song, then sealing it with a passionate lip lock. The scene is a window into the workings of the industry. Skye is ready to turn the page in her career. Summers' manager proclaims that they are happy that their label has allowed them to work with the "legendary Lucious Lyon" and Lucious bristles, "What's up with this legendary stuff? Y'all making me sound neolithic or something", is pretty impressive simply because Lucious uses the word "neolithic".

Lucious is still processing Hakeem's public disavowal of his father's name. Like I said, satisfaction. Lucious replies that should Empire sell any assets, it will cease to be an empire. Rhonda offers advice in the best way she knows how based on the information she's been given. Cookie tells Lucious that when they were beyond broke, all they had was the music. And, of course, Cookie isn't exactly forgiving.

To move things along, Anika shows up at Hakeem's house unannounced as usual and pounces on Laura. In the official synopsis for "Empire" season 2 episode 9 it was revealed that Cookie will be asking the help of a former inmate which will be played by guest star Rosie O'Donnell to help them rescue her sister.

Carol, who has been on the run from the authority since season 1 will be helped by her sisters.

The three sisters are together for a moment and here the audience gets to see the complexity of black families, and class, in particular. Anything can happen with Cookie in the mix! Her power is her fluidity: it can take on both the boardroom or the gutter (and some boardrooms are just cleaner gutters). Carol resists at first, but then agrees, but not before the two cry. The show misses the opportunity to render this in dialogue but the optics are all there. And after she throws up on Candace's shoes. Much like Lucious, her older sister virtually abandoned her in jail. "I'm the only one who sees the bigger picture", she tells him. We also learn that Cookie's real name is Lauretha. Lucious looks into Laz's background.

This is not the first time Lucious has been told this, and Daniels comments hit Lucious right in the non-turkey-filled gut, encouraging Lucious to make what I believe are some risky business decisions (more on this below). Jamal is crushing the commercial shoot, which makes Lucious jealous, so he goes to Andre and tells him to leverage everything to get Swiftstream. While Skye would have difficulty branching in a new direction with her new album given that Luscious (Terrence Howard) wants her to stay in her lane, Lyon family's middle son Jamal (Jussie Smollet) will be there to push her in following what she really wants to do. Daniels zings him, reminding Lucious that Jamal "is the future". But Jamal encouraged her to live her truth and the result was "Powerful", a song with some clear, if heavy-handed, social commentary. The two will be drawn together by a musical collaboration and eventually become friends.

Goodbye Laz Delgado, it was a nice fantasy while we had it. It's obvious Carol likes Cookie better. Single White Female/Fatal Attraction Anika is really grating.