Tonight on FOX Empire airs with an all new Wednesday May 4, season 2 episode 16 called, “The Lyon Who Cried Wolf.” we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, the discovery of a dark secret by Andre (Trai Byers) threatens to sabotage Lucious’ (Terrence Howard) deeply personal music video about his mother;
On the last episode, Lucious threw a fund-raiser with help from Andre in an effort to show the board that they should reinstate him as Empire’s CEO. Meanwhile, Hakeem decided if he’s interested in being a father to his child with Anika. 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, “the discovery of a dark secret by Andre threatens to sabotage Lucious’ deeply personal music video about his mother; Hakeem and Jamal put everything at risk to pursue secretive affairs; and Rhonda begins to piece together the identity of her attacker.”
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 a bingo game at the old folks home. Andre is with Leah playing. Another patient says Leah cheats. Andre asks if the treat her okay there. She says not Monday because of meatloaf. The other patient keeps talking.
Andre asks if Leah’s family comes to see her. Someone else says BINGO and Leah throws her pieces and says check his card. She says the boy is famous now and he never gave her a chance. Leah says his eyes and reaches out to touch his face.
She asks if they’re kin. Jamal and Jakeem are in the studio recording and Becky is there listening. Becky tells them to come out and says it’s dope. Hakeem says he needs to get the song into the Ryan Keegler movie. Becky asks which girl will you use and he says Tiana.
Jamal and Becky thinks Laura won’t like that but he says it’s business. Cookie talks to the ASA guy about how much stage time she needs. Lucious comes in and greets D-Major. D-Major wants them to perform one of Jamal’s songs since he’s most nominated.
Lucious insults Cookie who calls him fatass and takes D-Major to meet Jamal and Lucious tags along. Cookie calls Jamal over and introduces him. He says he’s excited about the remix as the Lyon family anthem. Lucious says his mother traded in his solo.
Jamal says no trading his solo and D-Major says it’s the ASAs and says if you want to be on the biggest stage, don’t throw a hissy fit then walks fof. Becky goes to Porsha and hands her the Empire “bible” and says it tells you what to do and not do.
She says read it cover to cover. Porsha hugs her and Becky says step up your game and makes a face at her clothes. Hakeem tells Cookie he’s not singing backup for Lucious at the ASAs and she says don’t be late to rehearsal.
Candace shows up and calls Cookie “Loretha” and Cookie says don’t call me by my government name. Carol is there and asks if something is wrong with her kids and Candace says they need to be with you but Cookie says she just got out of rehab.
Candace says the kids are coming there after winter break. Cookie says she only has two bedrooms and Candace says get bunk beds. Cookie walks away annoyed. Jamal talks to D-Major but he wants the anthem. Jamal says he’s tired of old things.
Jamal gets pushy with him and D-Major says don’t grab me then kicks everyone out. He tells Wink to shut the door. They go and then D-Major says he knows he’s visionary and he has a show to present. They get in each other’s face and D-Major kisses him.
He says he’s been wanting to do that all day and says Jamal does for what he wants and so does he. They kiss passionately. Tiana is recording with Hakeem. D-Major backs off after a rough kiss. Jamal goes to him and they start pulling off clothes.
Hakeem raps as Tiana sings. Jamal and D-Major are rough with each other and are heating up fast. Hakeem stares at her. Hakeem tells her it’s hot and he wants it on the soundtrack. He says it’s late and she says he’d usually go to the club but now he’s got a wife and a baby mama.
Tiana kisses his cheek and goes and he stares at her butt as she leaves. Cookie tells Porsha to do some stuff and she says that’s not CEO assistant stuff. Hakeem and Jamal sit talking.
Lucious wants all the food out of there and the boys joke about him trying to lose weight for the ASAs. Lucious plays piano and Jamal says you changed my song and it’s played out.
Cookie says they will get Hakeem’s verse in there. Cookie makes suggestions and Lucious says he wants his plan. Cookie says they sound like snitch bitches and says she’s running this show and won’t let them mess it up. She says put your big girl drawers on and work it out.
Cookie asks if they even know what family means and Andre is there and interrupts and says the question is intriguing then says he has someone with him with a point of view. He brings Leah in, calls her grandma and says this is your family.
She walks over to them and Jamal says what does he mean grandma. Cookie asks who is this lady. Leah toddles over to him and says Dwight? Cookie asks what this is and Andre says this is Leah Walker, Lucious’ mother.
Andre says tell them how you sent her to a home for 21 years and left her there and sent hush money. Jamal says it can’t be true. Andre says Harper Scott gave him the files and he can’t lie his way out of it. Lucius shudders and steps back from her.
He tells Andre he has no idea what he’s done and he storms out. Hakeem and Jamal are in shock. Jamal says the look on his face is something. Hakeem takes a call from Laura. D-Major gets offended when Jamal says there’s family stuff going on and he walks out mad.
Cookie asks Lucius why he lied. He says he didn’t. She asks about the video. He says it’s the truth. He says his mother tried to drown him and put a gun to her head, pulled the trigger, and told an eight-year-old boy it’s his fault. He says there were no bullets in the gun.
He says his mother died the day they locked her up. He says he tripped over her when they had two kids and were on welfare after she was put on the street. He says he needed her to stay dead and says none of them understand how dangerous she really is.
Laura rants to Hakeem about using Tiana on a song that will go platinum. He blames it on the producers and says she can’t be on all his duets. She says Tiana’s still feeling you but he says he’s with her and kisses her then hugs her tight.
Rhonda is not happy that Andre wants Leah to stay with them. Thirsty loads Leah up in the SUV but Andre pulls her out. Leah says she wants to go home with Dwight. Lucious tries to explains she’s not like him. Lucious takes her home and she eats then puts crumbs under her place mat.
She says she wants to go to bed and he says the nurse can take her. Lucious tells Juanita, the maid, to make sure she takes very pill and says make sure she doesn’t see anyone without permission and says take the phones out of her room.
Lucious glares as his mother walks way. Thirsty has Harper Scott with him and she asks where they’re going. She thinks they’re going to see Lucious. He says she thinks running her mouth about Leah is not smart. Harper says she can’t be threatened or bought.
He drives her to a shady area and she asks if he’s going to try and hurt her. He says get out. She does. She’s grabbed from behind and a bag is put over her head and she’s hauled away.
D-Major comes to see Jamal at home and kisses him and says stop playing me. Jamal says you blew me off and D-Major says that was a work situation and Jamal says you’re not out. Then he says he’s out with girls at clubs for the paparazzi.
Jamal says he works hard to walk in his truth. He tells Derek to stop and tells him he likes him a lot but he won’t be a secret. He asks him to go. Derek is upset but goes. Lucious relaxes and listens to music and Cookie shows up.
She says that whiskey is not part of his juicing cleanse. She asks what he’s afraid of and says she’s a feeble little old lady. He says that’s what you think and that’s what she wants everyone to think. Cookie says he’s afraid of a scandal and he’ll lose the Boom Boom love.
Cookie says it won’t get out if he does right by his sons. He says this is about the ASA performance. She says that’s not what it is stupid. She says he acts like he’s in the projects and says he’s the king and has nothing to fear. She grabs the bottle and says she’s the one should be drinking.
Carol has lunch with Candace and asks her to keep her kids a little longer. She says she needs to tell Cookie about her and Lucius but Candace says that’s crazy. She says what are you going to tell him – I promised your ex-husband murder some people while you were in jail.
Candace says no way – hurricane Cookie will go category five on us. A guy sits nearby listening. Anika is happy with all the baby stuff that Hakeem sent over and Rhonda also sent a bunch of stuff she had for her baby. A box falls and someone shoves Rhonda out of the way.
That triggers a flashback to her fall and she says she felt like she was at the top of her stairs and felt hands on her back. Anika asks if she’s saying she was pushed. Anika says she thought it was an accident. Rhonda says she thought that too.
Leah sits at the piano playing and singing. She asks if he remembers the song and calls him Dwight. He says his name is Lucious. She calls him that then. He sits beside her at the piano and plays it for her. They sing together.
She says he told his family bad things about her then says she was sick but now she’s better. He kisses her hand and says his name is Lucious when she calls him Dwight again. He kisses her cheek then leaves. The boys are with Cookie and they think Lucious is skipping rehearsal.
Then he shows and tells Jamal he made some changes to the song. Jamal says no. Lucious plays the song his mother was playing. Cookie asks what it is – he says his mama gave it to him. Jamal says he likes it. Then he tells Hakeem put your verse here and be honest unless you’re scared.
Hakeem rhymes about their family scrabbles. Jamal does his falsetto behind it. Hakeem sings about being ratchet like his mama and papa. Cookie says it’s so good. Lucious says he knows they’ve thrown a lot of blows over the years and will throw more.
He says no matter what, he’s still their father and Cookie is still his first love then calls them punk asses. The eavesdropping guy approaches Carol at a bar as she’s about to take a drink. It’s Tariq.
She asks why he’s in New York and he says he quit the force long ago. He asks what she’s drinking and she says Wild Turkey. He asks what’s wrong with it. He says the ice has melted and she hasn’t touched it.
She says she was waiting to toast. He orders a drink and says freshen hers but she says just cranberry juice. Tariq says you won’t make me drink alone right and she says she’s got to get up early. He’s got an FBI shield in his wallet.
They toast and she drinks her juice. At the club, Andre takes the stage and talks about family and choosing one another. He says that’s family. He says we’re not perfect, but that’s all we got. Lucious plays piano and Jamal sings first. Andre stands by Becky to watch them perform.
Derek is there and sits beside a beautiful girl. It’s their rehearsal for the ASAs. Carol is there too and grooving along. He puts his hand on his dad’s shoulder. Derek is eating Jamal with his eyes. Then Hakeem takes the stage and does his verse.
Andre likes the song. Rhonda enjoys it too. Hakeem also slaps his dad on the back. Lucious then does his big verse. It’s an amazing song. Then they all sing together. The song ends with the little ditty that Leah played. Cookie whoops.
Cookie asks Derek if they get their spot at the ASAs. He says fire, fire, fire and says they’re a beast. Porsha tells Carol she’d be jealous if her sister had everything and she had nothing then says Carol isn’t petty. Jamal follows Derek out and asks if he wants to come by later.
Derek says he doesn’t want him to do anything that makes him uncomfortable. Jamal says he can handle it. Derek takes his hand and says okay. Jamal says later and walks back to his family. Anika tells Rhonda the wine looks good when she pours a glass.
Rhonda says one glass won’t hurt but Anika says she’s scared after the hospital and her mom wants her on bed rest. She says her feet are killing her. Rhonda look at her shoes as she rubs her feet and remembers them from walking out her door while she was on the floor almost knocked out.
Rhonda says the wine is making her light headed. Lucious asks why Leah is up at 3 am. She tells him to sit at the table and there are cakes all over it. She cuts a slice and he asks where’s Juanita. She says she sent her away and doesn’t like anyone else in her kitchen.
She says Juanita doesn’t work here anymore and gestures with her butcher knife and says sit. He sits. She says eat it and gives him a slice. He says he’s not hungry and she says eat it. She says she slaved making those cakes and he left her all by herself all day. He says he has to work.
She says everyone leaves. She gestures with the knife and says she was fine til he was born and he brought all this wickedness into her life. She says I didn’t tell you to stop eating. He eats more cake. He says it’s good. She says do you love me.
She touches his face. Lucious says yes and she says liar. She says if you loved me you wouldn’t have put me away for 21 years. He says she was sick and she told him. She says she was sick and now she’s sorry she was too weak to kill him when she had the chance. She cuts another slice of cake and serves it to him.
THE END!
