Tonight on FOX Empire airs with an all new Wednesday April 13, season 2 episode 13 called, “The Tameness of a Wolf.” we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, family tensions rise as Lucious (Terrence Howard) throws his energy into directing an emotional music video, which recreates a traumatic interaction with his mother.
On the last episode, Camilla dug her claws deeper into Hakeem, while the rest of the Lyon family work to get him back on their side, but without realizing Empire’s acting CEO had his own plan. Meanwhile, Jamal received backlash from his fans; and Andre and Rhonda’s marriage was tested. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the FOX synopsis, “family tensions rise as Lucious throws his energy into directing an emotional music video, which recreates a traumatic interaction with his mother. Meanwhile, Tiana and Laura unleash a vicious rivalry over the spotlight on the Mirage a Trois tour, forcing Hakeem to mediate between the two divas.”
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 9:00 pm when Empire airs on Fox.
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#Empire starts with Andre and Rhonda attending Camilla’s funeral. Hakeem is there along with his parents and lots of others from Empire. Hakeem takes the microphone and says they lost one of their own and says she was a beast in fashion and he was lucky to know her.
He says no one knows what happened to her but they need to remember her at her best. He announces that Rhonda will carry on running Empire’s fashion line. Cookie mocks Camilla to Jamal who smirks. Andre apologizes to Rhonda for accusing her of cheating.
She thanks him for seeing the doc and he says the new meds are working. He asks if she’ll still move out and she says let’s talk later. Clearly she wants to move. Hakeem finds Lucious in his CEO chair. He says he’s just keeping it warm for Hakeem who asks him to move.
Lucious says he’s proud of him getting rid of Camilla like that with the sex tape. Hakeem says he didn’t kill her. Cookie slaps the door closed and says the state is calling it a murder suicide and tells Lucious to work on his video, Jamal on his album and then asks if Andre is okay.
She asks about his meds and he says he’s fine. Cookie says no more fighting. Lucious says Hakeem actually earned the seat and Hakeem says he always has to jab at his kids. Lucious says raising them around money stunted their growth. Cookie says it’s her first birthday in 17 years she’s been out of jail.
She says she wants peace and no drama. Cookie is with Lucious for his video shoot on location and she doesn’t like the area. He says it’s crazy and says one house on the block hasn’t changed and it was saved for him. She asks why there.
He says he slept in front of that lion when he ran away and says Dwight Walker became Lucious Lyon right there. She asks where his mother was and he says that doesn’t matter – it’s his story. Cookie advises him to put his whole truth into the story or it won’t matter.
Laura’s group opens for Tiana on tour. Tiana says she keeps going over her time. Becky is there and promises to talk to her. They leave the stage to cheers and then Tiana says she’s the headliner and she’s the help and threatens to pull the plug on her.
Becky says she can’t change her set list and go over time and Laura says sorry. Jamal and Hakeem are out looking for Freda. They roll up on a neighborhood and people recognize him and Jamal. They ask about Freda and a kid says he raps better than her.
Hakeem starts beat boxing for him. The crowd cheers the kid and they laugh. Then Jamal sings for them. Hakeem joins in freestyling while some people dance and play bucket drums. Freda shows up and Jamal says he wants to record with her.
She asks if they’re trying to stela her from Lucious but she says he’s like a dad to her. Jamal says their dad set her up with Hakeem. Feda says try not to get jacked on the way back to Soho. Cookie is looking for someone to play his mom in the video and she shows him a head shot.
He says the girl isn’t pretty enough. He says no then says just pick somebody for me and says he needs a minute. She chooses one. Jamal is working on a new song. Hakeem sits nearby going through papers. He tells Jamal it’s too repetitive.
Becky shows up and Hakeem calls her freak nasty and says Tiana is threatening to leave the tour because of Laura. Hakeem says he’ll go to DC and work it out. Cookie shows up to see Jamal about her party and calls Portia country ass when she doesn’t know what peonies are.
Cookie asks what Jamal knows about his father’s mother and he says why would he know. He says he doesn’t know then she asks if he’s mad she’s producing his dad’s video. Hakeem talks to Tiana who says tell Laura to fall back and stay out of her wardrobe.
Hakeem goes to Laura and then he’s back and forth between them. Tiana says Laura needs to be professional like she was when she was starting out. Looks like he gets things worked out until Tiana sees him getting hot with Laura in her dressing room.
Freda is at the video set and asks what’s going on – he says this mess is his life and she asks what happened to his dungeons and dragons stuff. He says he took her verse out and she reminds him she wrote half the song. He says he’ll call her for lunch and she walks out.
Jamal is in studio when Freda shows up. He stops when he sees her. He says damn it still hurts even when you know you’re dealing with the devil. She says her pops was a bastard so she thought Lucious was a better deal. She says her dad has chains on her even though he’s dead.
Jamal says what if they can escape. He has them restart the song and then Freda says it’s dope. Jamal sings some and then tells Freda to sing about her chains. Jamal sings along while she drops rhymes. At the video, Cookie runs people around.
Harper Scott is there and Cookie calls her miss thing who throws shade. She says she’s shadowing Lucious and Cookie says she didn’t know vampires had shadows. Lucious stares at the woman cast to play his mom and he says it’s not real. He freaks out.
Cookie says tell your truth. Cookie calls off the crew and tells Harper if she writes this, she’ll beat her ass. Cookie pulls Lucious out to talk.
Hakeem meets Laura’s parents and her dad says he’s proud of Laura and even though he was a singer too he says you always want your kids to have more success than you. Hakeem gets a little verklempt then says it’s not like this with his family.
Lucious tells Cookie about when his mom held him under the water too long to try and cleanse him. Then he says later that day she got her gun, loaded it, and put it to her head. He says she pulled the trigger. Cookie is horrified he watched his mother kill herself.
She asks who took care of him after that and he says a neighbor lady Miss Pat watched out for him. He says social services was coming so he ran off scared. He says he slept in the streets, abandoned buildings he called abandominiums.
He says he ate out of trash cans for about six months then met a guy named Frank Gathers was 16 when they met and gave him his first bag to sell. He says Frank saved his life. Cookie says they did what they had to do and Lucious says damn right.
Cookie says tell your whole story and show what happened to his mother but he shakes his head. He asks why and she says she did 17 years for a man whose real name she didn’t even know. Lucious is teary and thinks about it.
Lucious talks to the child actor playing him on set. He reassures him that he won’t be hurt. He says she doesn’t know what she’s doing. They start the water and the kid is in the tub. Cookie stares at it. Lucious is having PTSD. The actress looks at Lucious who is in the way.
Cookie says stop the water and clears the set of non-essential people. She tells the reporter to take a hike too. Cookie talks to the kid and says they’re just playing pretend and says when they’re done, he can dry off and go on with his day.
She tells him he’s being brave and will be a hero for a lot of people. The kid smiles and she gets him in the tub then pulls Lucious away and restarts the scene. Lucuosu looks at her as she stares at the scene then he looks too.
In DC at the concert, Hakeem is off stage watching. The song ends and the crowd goes wild. Laura walks out to stand beside Tiana onstage. Hakeem steps out on the stage too and greets the crowd. Then he asks if they’re ready for more.
He does a song with both Tiana and Laura on stage with him. The other dancers join them on stage. Next day, Cookie looks at footage of the video. Jamal shows up with flowers for her on her birthday. He says he wants to take her shopping, to the movies, out for ribs.
She asks if he’s doing that because he won’t come to her party tonight. She says she knows he can’t stand Lucious but after he sees the video, he may understand him a little more. Jamal says his dad sabotaged him for an award.
Cookie says she doesn’t want to choose between them. Jamal says no choosing. He says he’s working with Hakeem now. She says she’ll just have a quiet dinner with his dad and Jamal groans and says she’s falling for him again. She says they have something deep.
She says a few misunderstandings don’t tear that up and he says it’s more than a few. He takes off. Cookie shows up to Lucious’ place and she sees balloons and no one else there. She makes a crack about a build a bear and calls it a sad sorry party for just two.
She says he pissed off all her sons so she can’t have what she wants. He says hit it and piano music starts. She runs and opens the door and sees the kids there with Rhonda too. They sing to her and she’s just thrilled. She asks how Lucious pulled it off.
He says they love her more than they hate him and he calls her cookie monster. Jamal says he wouldn’t miss this birthday since he missed so many. She calls them all into the other room and says they’ve been working on Lucious’ music video and she has the rough cut.
Lucious says no but she says sit. She plays it. We see the drowning scene and the suicide and him sleeping on the streets. Andre thinks back to almost killing himself and has to step away. He clicks the TV off and asks if his grandmother was bipolar.
Lucious says he doesn’t know, he’s no doctor. Andre asks if the video is real and tells his dad to answer him. Lucious says back then they didn’t have a name for it but yeah. Andre says he knew this whole time and made him feel like a freak.
Lucious says how would knowing his mom putting a gun to his head help. Lucious says he wants to make him strong. Lucious says Andre has mental issues and he let him marry Rhonda thinking it would help then says his mother was a nut job and he was embarrassed by her and by Andre.
He asks if that truth helps. Andre stands toe to toe with his dad and tells Rhonda to stand back. Andre says to hell with you Lucious. Lucious screams the same back at him. Hakeem takes a drink and Jamal tries to comfort Cookie.
Later, Hakeem waits for Laura outside the show. She says weren’t you at your mom’s birthday but he says he wants to be with her and says her family is fun and his is always at their throats and he wants to build a family as beautiful as hers. He drops to one knee in front of her and pulls out a ring.
She gasps and he asks her to marry him. Laura says yes. Screaming fans cheer as he slips the ring on her finger. He kisses her and the fans go nuts as security holds them back. Tiana comes out and sees them and offers a friendly smile but is not pleased.
Rhonda is picked up by Anika and tells her she can’t take this anymore. She says she spent a decade looking out for Andre and needs a day or two to look out for herself. She says she can’t go back in that house and Anika says she can stay with her as long as she needs.
Rhonda says and says it will be nice to be around someone sane for a change. Cookie finds Hakeem producing Jamal in the studio. She hugs her boys and Jamal says he’s sorry her birthday got ruined. He says she can still produce if she wants but she says Hakeem is doing fine.
She says he got engaged and slaps his head. Freda shows up and Cookie is surprised. Jamal says Lucious iced her out of the video then they do their verses for Cookie to hear. Cookie is surprised to hear her mention that Frank Gathers is her daddy and Cookie stops the song to ask her about it.
Freda says that was her dad and he died in prison then asks if Miss Cookie knows her dad too. She says she did back in the day then Cookie takes off. She goes outside and has a little freak out.
THE END!
