04x01 - Noble Memory

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Empire...

Your entire family will
burn to the ground.

We are happy to reunite
you with your daughter.

But, it comes at a price.

WARREN: Jamal Lyon thinks I'm gorgeous.

- Fabulous.
- MAN: This is Franco.

- He's the best at blowing stuff up.
- Boom.

I want to see the world with you, Cook.

I want to write a new
page in our story.

- Hey, I'm calling it off.
- You started this. I'm gonna finish it.

Oh, Lucious!

COOKIE: Look, I know you're
some kind of special nurse,

but it's been three months.

Lucious! (gasps) Lucious!

Who are you?

(applause and cheering)

Are y'all ready for this?

COOKIE: We're making this TV special,

sh**ting interviews

and rehearsals so the audience can see

all the work and love that
goes into building Empire.

Thank you.

Look, there's a lot of me in Empire.

All right? My blood, my sweat

and my tears.

INTERVIEWER: And Lucious... will he be

a part of the special?

This year is Empire's
th anniversary, so...

- (cheering)
- You can't speak about

Empire's legacy without Lucious.

There would be none
of this without Lucious.

EMCEE: I said, are
y'all ready for this?

He is our legacy.

You know how I get down.

Funk Flex... I'm in the building.

Act like you want it. This is what

New York City sounds like!
This is gonna be

on TV in about a month.
I need y'all to look live,

act live and be live, you hear me?

INTERVIEWER: You and your family
have suffered a great deal

of pain in the last five months.

Is this anniversary bittersweet?

(Cookie sighs)

It sure ain't sweet... (laughs)

...when that kind of pain comes at you,

and it came at us fast and hard.

And you just do what you got to do.

You stick together, 'cause
that's what family does, right?

(shouting)

They don't call us Lyons for nothing.

(chuckles)

COOKIE: How many of you are old enough

to remember Motown's
th Anniversary, ?

ANDRE: Yeah, we grew up on it.

Our dad would play it over and over.

They had Stevie, Marvin, Smokey,
The Jackson Five.

BECKY: Mm-hmm, it was the first
time anyone had ever seen

Michael Jackson moonwalk
to "Billie Jean."

It was the big bang of pop.

JAMAL: Our television special will

make this th anniversary
be our big bang.

And it's gonna be hot,

so, to the Empire!

ALL: To the Empire!

To my father.

(camera shutter clicking)

ALL: Lucious!

- (whoops)
- ♪ years never looked better ♪

♪ Bought a brand-new panorama,
sold my soul to the devil ♪

♪ You can call me Mr. Greatest
on a whole nother level ♪

♪ Uh, now you got me in my element ♪

- ♪ All of you others irrelevant... ♪
- (whoops)

Well, my parents made the sacrifices

to build this company,

and, uh, they looked forward to the day

when they would hand
it over to one of us.

- Jamal!
- ♪ Everybody want to build an empire ♪

♪ But don't nobody want
to go through hellfire ♪

♪ Say they working harder,
they a damn liar ♪

- ♪ Because we hit the two... ♪
- ANDRE: But...

if I had a choice between having Empire

or, uh...

or having my father...

I, uh...

(sighs)

I'm sorry.
Um, don't... don't print that.

Let's... start over again, please.

(applause and cheering)

(plays dramatic melody)

(crying): Can we stop?

I can't... do this again.

- (applause and cheering)
- EMCEE: Tonight,

at Laviticus for the Empire
th Anniversary Special,

making his first public appearance

since that fateful night in Las Vegas

when we almost lost him,

Lucious Lyon... will... be... here!

(applause and cheering)

♪

Ready?

Okay.

(music playing, crowd chatter)

WOMAN: Hey, Cookie!

Hey. Lucious. Yeah.

WOMAN : Looking good.

Yes, he's back. He looks good, right?

- (laughs quietly)
- Mm-hmm.

WOMAN : Welcome back, boss!

All here for you.

- Okay?
- CARLOTTA: Lucious.

- Ma'am.
- It's okay, Webb.

Really? It's me... Carlotta.

You're looking damn good, brother.

LUCIOUS (laughs): Mmm!

And you're wearing that dress, Cookie.

Thank you... Carlotta.

Were you in that girl group...
that duo with that white girl?

- Mm-hmm.
- Carlotta... What was it?

- Brown.
- Yes.

- Mixed Harmony. Me and Mary Davis.
- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah, we sang the hook on a couple

of Lucious's tracks back in the day.

Remember how you used to tell Mary

how much you loved her voice?

It was her tone.

Her tone.

Well, she passed.

- dr*gs.
- Oh, we are

so sorry to hear that.

But you look good, girl,
but we gots to get on.

Well, I'm managing her daughters now.

I mean, they're a girl group,

and I thought you might want
to help 'em out.

You know, as a favor to Mary.

Maybe lend one of your producers
to do a couple tracks for 'em.

I mean, y'all got the best ones.

- Well...
- Yeah, we got the best,

and they very busy.

Yeah, but I'm sure
we can do something for them.

I mean, even if it's just for...
for Mary.

Okay, I tell you what. Call the office,

and we'll see what we can do for you.

- Webb? Come on.
- Thanks.

- No, thank you.
- Uh-huh. Thank you. Watch yourself now.

LUCIOUS: I...

I didn't know who that was.

That's okay, baby. You're doing good.

- Hey, Lucious. Welcome back.
- Hiya, boss.

COOKIE: Okay, wait a minute. Back up.

How's it going? What's up, Lucious?

...drinking in your honor.

- MAN: We missed you, man.
- COOKIE: Okay.

- Right here, Lucious.
- COOKIE: All right, back up.

(camera shutters clicking loudly)

Okay, back up. Back up.

Hey! Hey, Lucious!

I can't believe... Hi!

(chatter, camera shutters clicking)

(loud, distorted voices)

Aah! Get away from me!

Get me out of here!

Hey, boss man, I got some...

I got some news.

- I'm not your boss.
- Look,

Las Vegas PD is coming back
for one more round.

- All right, just pro forma, no biggie.
- It's been five months.

I already gave them
my statement, Thirsty.

Well, give it to 'em
again verbatim, all right?

You overheard Giuliana in
the alley behind the club,

popping off at somebody about
how Lucious betrayed her,

and now he was gonna pay with his life.

She said something about his car.

Yeah, and that's when
you ran to warn him.

- Have they found her yet?
- My people

are telling me Vegas PD is
getting ready to bring her in.

- All right? This is good news, right?
- (door opens)

BECKY: I told them we're
just giving news divisions

access for five minutes,

and they're exclusive
for everything else.

THIRSTY: I'll work it out.

Well, you can tell MTV and BET

they can thr*aten to pull
coverage all they want.

I'm not the one bluffing here.
I want every network

to catch Lucious
walking out on that stage,

live and in the flesh.

Cookie, I pushed back
your investment review

so you could do that press briefing.

(sighs) Child, did you run it by Andre?

Because I can't do all that financial,

high-English double-talk with him.

I'm here, Mom.

Thank you.

It's mainly business press.
They'll throw you

some questions about when Lucious plans

- on coming back to work.
- Why?

Our share prices are high,
our revenue is strong.

Lucious's back catalogue
is more valuable than ever.

Wall Street just likes to be reassured.

They'll chill after they
see him at the anniversary

- concert tomorrow night.
- I hope so.

I got to run. I got to
do something real quick.

I'll, uh, be back in half an hour?

Uh, wait, wait.
I want you to look at something.

Thank you.

This pitch from Big Ten?

Oh, yeah. Um, I say

we play hard-to-get
until after the anniversary,

then reevaluate.

I say so, too.

Have you heard from Pop?

Are they back from Stanford yet?

Claudia said, um, everything went well.

They should be landing in .

Okay.

Thank you.

Mm.

HAKEEM: ♪ I break the rules
like the government ♪

♪ I do it just for the fun of it. ♪

What do you think about that, baby?

You like that song?

The old man might like it, right?

What about Auntie Di Di?

May I come in?

You didn't show up
for our visit, Hakeem.

I got a lot going on.

Mm-hmm. I heard about

your family's
Empire Anniversary extravaganza.

So nice to know that
your father's doing so well.

Well, he is, isn't he?

- Yeah, he doing good.
- (Bella coos)

Oh, and what about
Bella's mother, Anika?

Still incarcerated?

They denied her bail again.

That was harsh, but I'm not surprised.

Look, I've been bringing Bella to you

for the last five months every Tuesday,

and I still don't know
what you want from me.

Maybe I just want you to keep
bringing Bella to see me.

We done.

I don't think so, dear.

You threatening to take my baby again?

Now don't get that twisted.

I'm the one who gave
your baby back to you.

(Bella cooing)

But tell me, Hakeem, what do you think

your mother would do if
she were to see this?

Or this?

She'd probably b*at my
ass like she always do.

But it would hurt her, wouldn't it?

Consorting with the enemy.

That's the definition of treason.

That's like taking a Kn*fe

and stabbing her in the heart.

I'll see you on Tuesday.

And I'll see you, too, little

- boobala.
- (makes kissing sound, laughs)

(door closes)

♪ When I pull up, they notice me ♪

♪ Come and talk to me like Jodeci ♪

♪ But don't you be too close to me... ♪

Thirsty tells me the Vegas cops
are about to arrest Giuliana.

(laughs)

It's not possible.

Unless she's on some kind
of zombie tip.

And even then, zombies don't talk.

Hey, who wants it bloody?

Just one?

You guys are a bunch of weenies.

Then why are they still investigating?

Somebody is talking, Shine.

Dude.

I got my side of things.

We had a plan.

I cancelled the plan.

Nah. See, we took Lucious out

'cause you said we'd be running things.

All I see is Cookie calling the sh*ts.

The board asked Cookie to stay on

until Lucious gets back on his feet.

Then they can both announce

they're handing Empire over to me.

It's gonna happen.

- You better hope so.
- ♪ . , the option is the roof ♪

♪ Greens is a secret to the youth ♪

♪ Your goals are malnourished ♪

♪ Please, spit the juice ♪

♪ Y'all be Bapein' ♪

♪ I be human-made and... ♪

(grunts)

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Say it like you really mean it ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Gotta see us to believe it ♪

- (chuckles)
- Hey.

- What's up, handsome?
- Hey.

Here's your father's notebook.

Don't know why I keep on
leaving stuff at your house.

It's textbook psychology.

You clearly wanted to stay
a little while longer.

Like until the sun
came up this morning.

Ain't nobody stuntin' you.

- Get up out of here.
- (chuckles)

All right, I got to go.

I got a deposition this morning.

Yo, Warren.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you for what?

I don't know. Bringing the book.

(both chuckle)

But, you know, y-you
didn't know me like that.

And you didn't have to
stick around, but you did.

Haven't asked for anything,
so... thank you.

Well, your dad almost d*ed.

And I'm glad I just could be
the one to be there for you.

♪

CLAUDIA: Hello, Juanita.

Welcome back, Miss Claudia.

You should have informed me if
the family was gonna be waiting

- so that I can prepare him.
- JUANITA: Oh, I'm sorry.

I wasn't aware.

- Hey.
- What's up, Dad?

ANDRE: Welcome back, Pop.

LUCIOUS: Hi.

CLAUDIA: All right, Dwight.
Nice and slow.

Where's his new leg?

Well, it was bothering him,
so he took it off on the plane.

(Lucious grunts)

Uh, Lucious. What's up, Dad?

Lucious, Thirsty... Try "Dwight."

Huh?

Dwight.

Thirsty said it was an emergency.

(grunts) Oh. Um,

I'm really sorry, Cookie, but I've...

I'm afraid I've changed my mind.
I won't be able

to participate in your show.

No, no.

Uh, we made this
announcement weeks ago.

Look, there are millions
of people waiting

to watch Lucious Lyon
walk out on that stage.

That's not me.

I don't even know who that is.

- (sighs)
- Sorry.

(grunting): All right.

LUCIOUS: Physically, I
can't walk that far yet.

And my leg hurts too much.

Well, use your crutches,

or we'll wheel your ass out there.

Mom.

(sighs)

Lucious, if you don't
show up on that stage,

the board will have questions.

CLAUDIA: It's okay.

Maybe, um,

let's not make this about your board.

It's not my board, okay?

It's mine and Lucious's.

Uh, look. Can I talk
to you for a minute?

I thought you said
he'd be ready for this.

I said it could be possible, Cookie.

But that's up to Dwight.

Now, see, Dwight...

He calls himself Dwight, but that...

not wanting to walk out on stage talk?

That is Lucious's bullheaded
pride coming through.

No. Cognitive rehabilitation
is an unpredictable process.

It's about him setting the pace.

And I've told you this before,

if you push too hard,
it could backfire.

HAKEEM: You know that word.

He keeps saying he won't
walk out on stage

because he can't pretend.

He doesn't remember anything.

Is it possible that we can just
make him remember something?

...this about electricity
and magnetism...

Please.

♪

♪ Say it like you really mean it ♪

♪ Oh-oh, oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ They got to see it to believe it ♪

♪

♪ Baby, we're still undefeated ♪

- ♪ Ah-ah... ♪
- (door opening)

You sound fantastic.

Look, I just wanted to...

I've been working on the steps

and I just wanted to come
and make amends, okay?

- I'm sorry.
- Please.

I am trying to work
right now, and I cannot do this.

I got her. Now is
not a good time, okay?

I had a dream about you last night.

- You were licking my...
- BECKY: Mm-mm.

- ...my toes.
- Uh-uh. Come on.

Ew.

Here, start at the top.

Let's do it again.

CLAUDIA: You know, hearing your
music might spark a memory for you.

Would you like to try
listening to this?

What I would like
is one of those cookies.

The little ones. I think
we can arrange that.

But, Dad, this right here,

this is OG, old-school Lucious Lyon.

- It's your very first CD.
- ♪

It's still one of the best rap
records of all time, Dad.

COOKIE: Here's all the
family photo albums.

Oh, I need to look those over before.

Make sure there isn't
anything that's disruptive.

Ah, I already did. We good.

"I hear that sound, I look around.

Her body's on the floor,
blood all around."

Are all my songs this violent
and hateful?

W-Why would I write
something like this?

Would you like to see Bella?

Yes. Where's Bella?

She's very soothing for him.

Yeah, we already know that.

Um, Hakeem, why don't you
go get Juanita and tell her

to bring the baby down
if she's finished napping.

- Yo, Juanita!
- COOKIE: Hey.

Bring Bella down!

I coulda did that, boy.

I like her mother.

Who's she?

I think he means Tiana.

HAKEEM: She's rehearsing, Dad.

She's performing with us tomorrow.

(Cookie clears her throat)

I know you didn't
bring Tiana over here.

Nobody's supposed to see him

in that condition except family.

It's Tiana. I trust her.

CLAUDIA: Well, look who's here.

- Hey, boo-boo.
- Somebody's standing.

- Hi, boo. Did you sleep well?
- (Lucious babbles)

Come on. Show me.

Yay, clap for me.

- Clap for this.
- Yay.

It's on you, now. It's all you.

Yes.

- Come here.
- COOKIE: Lucious, why don't you

take a look at those pictures?

Hakeem, grab Bella.

You know what I notice
in all of these albums,

I don't see your picture
in most of them.

Were you taking them?

Remember, I told you, there was a, um,

great chunk of time
that we spent apart.

How long?

years.

years, huh?

BECKY: I hope this has been helpful.

THIRSTY: Got everything we need.
Thank you so much, Becky.

Car bombing.

I don't know about you guys, but that,

that seems like a t*rror1st att*ck, no?

I mean, who does car bombing anymore?

- Hey, Becky. What's good?
- Hey.

Are those the Las Vegas cops
you were in there talking to?

Yeah. I told them you did it.

(chuckles) You funny.

What'd they ask you, for real?

Same as before.

Um, except this time,
they were pressing me

- about some wannabe pop stars.
- Hmm.

They thought I might have scouted them.

Like who?

I don't know. Uh, Jimmy Partridge,

Bug Masters

and Franco Gianni. Oh, you know him?

- Franco?
- Uh, nah.

Uh, you know I don't do pop stars.

I'm into that hardcore hip-hop.

But, anyway, you're
looking good, woman.

What's up? Let's get some
drinks some time, you and me.

No, thanks.

But you are welcome to watch
the view as I walk away.

(chuckles)

WARREN: All right, I'm getting closer,

but he's still got some barriers up.

Please, it's been five months.

You promised to have him mesmerized

by your prowess by now.

He's still preoccupied by what's
happening with his father

- and then they got this concert...
- Excuses, excuses.

Tools of the incompetent
used to build monuments

to nothingness.

You reminding me of
your father, Warren.

I'm nothing like my father!

Alex,

would you wait for me
in the next room, please?

Just so we're clear,

I don't give a flying fig about
complications with his father.

Cookie Lyon ruined my life's work

and my son's future

and sullied the family name.

Now, I intend to see that she suffers

threefold for that by destroying
each of her offspring.

I will pick the meat from their bones

as she watches helplessly.

You got that?

Yeah.

I won't let, I won't let you down.

Alex, you can come back now.

♪

SHINE: Becky said the cops are
asking about the b*mb maker.

ANDRE: Franco? I thought
you said he was cool.

"You're not supposed to hear
about guys like me

if we do our jobs right."

Hey, cheap seats.

You don't get to give me orders.

Hold up.

You do your job and I'll do mine.

(exhales)

Damn it.

Okay, so we need three rows
of reserved seats for the...

board of directors.

Becky, let me call you back.

You-you got this.

(sighs)

- Can I kiss you?
- (laughs)

Okay. You got minutes

to pack your bags and
kick rocks, bitch.

- Excuse me?
- No, no, no.

You are not excused.

I know what you're up to.

I saw you and Lucious.

I don't think you
understand what you saw.

Yeah. Well, it doesn't
take a rocket scientist

or a PhD to figure out
you're up to something.

Look, it's a common occurrence.

It's called "transference."

He's redirecting his feelings
and his desires onto me

in order to explore them safely.

Can you speak English?

His memories are blocked because...

well, they're ugly,

and he can't face them.

Oh, so all his memories are ugly,

that's what you're saying.

He don't have no good memories

rattling 'round in there.

They're just tied up with the bad ones.

I mean, if he trusts me,
he'll let me lead him

back to those memories.

But for a while, he may confuse
that trust with something else.

(chuckles)

Lucious has had a lot of
something elses in his life.

He's had a hard time
keeping 'em in his pants.

Okay.

(Cookie sighs)

Hey.

Hey.

How are you?

Good.

Look, uh...

...I didn't mean to disappoint you.

It's all right.

You can't help it.

(sniffles)

It's just, I see you

trying and working so hard.

I just don't understand it.

It's because
that's who we are, Lucious.

Or who we were.

We're fighters.

We get knocked down, we get back up.

It's just how we do.

It's...

I really thought...

that we had won, that night in Vegas.

Mmm.

Was that the night of the...

accident?

You gave me everything
I've ever wanted that night.

I know you don't remember, but...

You could tell me about it,
if you like.

I'd like to hear it.

You sang me this song...

just to me.

And it made me feel really...

blessed.

Special.

Then you asked me
to travel the world with you.

And you, um, you told our sons

how much you love them.

And we gave Andre the company.

- Andre.
- Yeah.

He's a strong one.

He's a good son.

I like him.

Then what happened?

Did somebody do this to me?

Did I do something

to make this happen to me?

I can't remember.

Why can't I remember?

Lucious.

You saved my life.

Okay?

When you could have...

chosen your own life,

you saved mine.

You did a good thing.

And so that's how this happened to you.

And... that is why I'm fighting so hard

to get you back.

It's okay. Don't cry, Cookie.

JUANITA: Will there
be anything else, sir?

COOKIE: Uh, do you have

- some real food? 'Cause I'm not a rabbit.
- (classical music playing)

I'm sorry, that's what
Ms. Claudia likes

- for him to eat.
- Ms. Claudia.

I'm getting sick
of Ms. Claudia's ass, okay?

(scoffs)

Is she always like this?

Always.

I like that.

COOKIE: Well, now that she's
letting us talk for real,

what do you want to know, Lucious?

It's funny, I look, and it's...

I see, Hakeem, you have

your daughter Bella and Tiana.

Andre.

Who do you have?

Do you have someone special?

I had a wife.

She d*ed.

I'm sorry.

That's sad. When did that happen?

Long time ago.

What about you, Jamal?

Someone special in your life?

Yeah, I'm, uh...

I'm seeing someone.

Have I met him?

What makes you think it's a him?

I'm sorry.

It's not?

No, it's a him, Dad, it's fine.

It's, uh...

uh, you never met him.

I like him.

But I'm taking it slow, you know?

Why?

I mean, if you like him
and he likes you, and...

you're good for each other...

Do you know how short life is?

Is it because of me?

You see, love is, um...

love is,

um, uh...

It's love.

Exactly.

Lucious. Uh...

Dwight.

Have you, uh, had a chance

to listen to any of your music?

Did it bring back any memories?

See, that's the problem.

You know, I've...

I try, I try

to listen to 'em, but most
of the songs, they just...

they gave me a most terrible headache.

Like a migraine.

But there was this
one song, man, there was

one song that...

Mr. Webb,

um, can-can you, um...

what's... have whoever's
in charge of the music

play that song that I love,

you know, over the loudspeaker?

The one from that album

where I've got the l-lipstick on.

Um, and bring that album cover

for me, please. Will do.

I'll have them play it right away, sir.

Music change. Play
album four, track five.

♪ Yesterday I had a dream
that we were family ♪

Yeah, that's it.

♪ I woke up, you weren't next to me ♪

- ♪ What happened to you... ♪
- Tell me about

when I wrote this one.

♪ We're like ivory and ebony ♪

♪ I should be next to you-ou-ou-ou ♪

♪ Okay, okay ♪

- What's wrong?
- Thank you.

(whooshing)

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Okay, we gon' stop listenin'... ♪

COOKIE: Yesterday I had a dream

we were a family.

(sniffs) And I woke up
and you weren't next to me.

♪ No more fighting, fighting ♪

(sighs deeply)

(sniffles)

♪ Love me ♪

Love me.

♪ I just want... ♪

Why can't you just love me?

♪ Family ♪

♪ I woke up... ♪

Mom wrote this song.

Jamal.

Why can't he know it?

I'm saying it's-it's a happy memory.

- Thank you.
- JAMAL: You were working on

your fourth album and you had this...

massive block.

And it was driving you crazy.

ANDRE: Well, not crazy, uh, literally,

- but...
- (chuckles)

- ...you were very frustrated.
- JAMAL: Anyway.

It was Mom's idea to change your sound.

She was all like,

(imitates Cookie):
"Ain't no reason why a rapper

can't sing a love song."

(Lucious laughs)

So, she wrote you a love song.

This love song.

LUCIOUS: It's a Bunkie

and Vernon Turner

record.

I don't see your n...

Where's your name on the credits?

COOKIE: That's because it, um,

it was important for Empire

and for your fans

to think the song was written by you.

But that's the only song,

in a-all of your albums,

that-that you didn't write.

Baby, that... that's-that's not right.

How'd that make you feel...
not being given credit

for what you did?

It's wrong.

Is everything

- all right over here?
- We're fine, Claudia.

Yeah. Uh, just-just
answer the question.

- Do you think you need to take a break?
- No, no.

I want you to answer the question,

please.

Why we can't just tell him

- the damn truth?
- Because we're not

supposed to talk about

anything painful, Hakeem.

- What's wrong with you?
- What's wrong with you?

All right? You always pretending
that you better than us.

- But you just as shady as him.
- COOKIE: Hey, hey,

- come on, come on.
- Let's be real.

- God, no. Come on.
- Right.

- Okay, let's-let's...
- I know.

- No, no, no, it's just...
- I know, I know, okay,

okay. I get it, I understand.
I-I understand.

- I understand.
- We're limited to a shallow well

- of pleasant memories.
- It's okay.

ANDRE: Leaves us with nothing
to talk about. That's okay.

I just think maybe this isn't the time.

Don't tell us what to do
in this house, okay?

Lucious Lyon was a mack.

The biggest don in the game.

Not this bitch-ass hopping on

one leg, singing love songs.

- COOKIE: Hakeem!
- JAMAL: God, are you seriously

doing this right now? Okay, so

- here we go again.
- I think we should...

Little stupid-ass gangsta wannabe...
...we should...

...Hakeem, but you gonna
call out the man

that's the reason why you got that damn

silver spoon hanging from your

- ugly-ass chain.
- Can we please... I think

- we need...
- Stop! Stop!

Enough! Shut up!

I don't want to be here!

CLAUDIA: Okay, just...

- I don't want to be here.
- J... Okay. Okay.

- Dad...
- CLAUDIA: It's all right. It's all right.

- LUCIOUS: Want to go.
- Okay. I've got this.

No, I got this.

- JAMAL: Dad!
- ANDRE: Dad, come on.

COOKIE: Lucious, be careful!

- JAMAL: Dad.
- HAKEEM: Come on, Dad!

COOKIE: Lucious, be careful,
you can't swim!

- HAKEEM: Dad!
- CLAUDIA: Don't crowd him.

Just move slow.

Y'all keep trying to tell me
who I'm supposed to be,

and y'all don't even like yourselves!

Wait, wait. I'm stuck here

in a place in the dark and confused!

And y'all keep telling me to stand up

or, or walk or be,

- and I don't...
- Pop?

Dad, we didn't mean
to hurt you, all right?

Dad, I'm sorry for getting loud.

- COOKIE: No, go, go! Go get him.
- (all clamoring)

Dad! Pop, Pop, Pop!

I got you, I got you, I got you,
I got you. I got you.

- You okay?
- We're sorry we're so messy, all right?

HAKEEM: Listen, Dad, you don't have
to remember nothing no more, okay?

Look at me, Lucious.

This is your family.

And we love you. We got you, okay?

(voice breaking): My family.

Yes.

This is your family. Come on.

- Are y'all ready for this?
This is gonna be on TV - (cheering)

in about a month. I need y'all

to look live, act live

and be live. You hear me?

Hiya, boss.

COOKIE: Okay, wait a minute. Back up.

- Right here, Lucious!
- COOKIE: All right, all right..

(shouts) Get away from me!

- Get me out of here!
- Lucious!

I want to go home. Just get away...

Just get away from me! Get away!

HAKEEM: I ain't comin'
out till y'all make

- some more noise.
- (cheering)

Y'all can do better than that, right?

Yeah!

♪
(grunts)

♪ Yeah, one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight ♪

♪ Yeah, nine, ten, , , , ♪

♪ , ♪

- ♪ , ♪
- (whoops)

♪ ♪

♪ years, never looked better ♪

♪ Bought a brand-new panorama,
sold my soul to the devil ♪

♪ You can call me Mr. Greatest,
on a whole nother level ♪

♪ Uh, I break the rules
like the government ♪

- ♪ I do it just for the fun of it ♪
- Jamal!

♪ Everybody want to build an empire ♪

♪ But don't nobody want
to go through hellfire ♪

♪ Say they working harder,
they a damn liar ♪

♪ Because we hit the two ♪

- ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
- Oh...

♪ Say it like you really mean it ♪
♪ Come on ♪

♪ Oh... ♪
♪ Oh... ♪

♪ They got to see us to believe it ♪

♪ Oh... Hey ♪

♪ Oh, say it like you really mean it ♪

♪ Oh... ♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Baby, we're still undefeated ♪

Lucious, it's okay. It's okay, baby.

You don't have to do this
if you don't want to, okay?

Calm down.

- Make some noise for Tiana!
- (cheering)

♪ And it won't stop and it won't
stop and it won't stop ♪

♪ We do this for the people ♪
♪ 'Cause we on top, 'cause we on top ♪

♪ 'Cause we on top ♪
♪ There'll never be a equal ♪

♪ And it won't stop and it
won't stop and it won't stop ♪

♪ You may want to leave peaceful ♪

♪ 'Cause we on top, 'cause we on top ♪

♪ 'Cause we on top, top, top, top... ♪

- COOKIE: Oh, Lucious, don't worry about it.
- What happened?

Is that Anika's dress?

I-I don't know.
It was in the closet. Hey.

I'm right here.

What's going on?

I feel... lost.

It's okay. It's okay to feel lost.

Let's take some deep breaths. Okay?

Let's start orienting around the room.

(exhales) Slow that breathing down.

There you go.

Slow it down.

(exhales) Nice.

Remember what we talked
about last night?

Just focus on

what's real,

what's right in front of you.

I mean, you've achieved a lot.

You survived an expl*si*n.

Came out of a coma.

Yeah.

You taught yourself to walk again.

I'm real.

I'm real.

So if this is something
that you want to do,

you can do it.

Mm.

Or you don't have to do it, Lucious.

We've survived it all.
We can survive this.

I'll take you home,

and I will take care of you, okay?

Okay?

HAKEEM: ♪ Yeah ♪

TIANA: ♪ Oh... ♪

- ♪ Undefeated
- ♪ Yeah... ♪

It's Empire. We came
from the bottom all to the top!

- (cheering and applause)
- Thank you.

Thank you. Listen,

we know why we are all truly here,

the true reason why Empire
is standing after years.

(cheering and applause)

It is because of so many people,
but especially this man,

our fearless leader, our father,

our king, Lucious Lyon.

(cheering and applause) ♪

(murmuring)

(murmuring)

WOMAN: There he is! It's Lucious!

(cheering and applause)

JAMAL: And here he is.

(murmuring)

To the Empire!

AUDIENCE: To the Empire!

(cheering)

AUDIENCE (chanting):
Lucious! Lucious! Lucious!

Lucious! Lucious! Lucious!

Lucious! Lucious! Lucious!
Lucious! Lucious!

(cheering and applause)

As y'all can see, I got lucky.

'Cause the big, bad people upstairs

wasn't ready for me to check out yet.

But I will never be the same.

(audience gasping, murmuring)

Y'all see this, right?

This ain't nothin',

because I got the love of my family

and the love

of the Empire behind me.

(cheering)

And I've got a secret for y'all.

Although this song was credited to me

many years ago, I did not write

this song.

It was written by that lovely
woman standing back there,

Ms. Cookie Lyon.

(cheering and applause)

So without further ado, I welcome

to the stage Jamal and Hakeem Lyon

performing "Love Me."

(cheering and applause)

We love you, Lucious!

MAN: Lucious!

(cheering, whooping)

♪

♪ Why can't we see
the bigger picture? ♪

♪ Mmm

♪

♪ Hey

♪ I just want love, I just want love ♪

- ♪ I just want you to love me ♪
- Yes!

♪ Yesterday, I had a dream
that we were family ♪

♪ I woke up, you weren't next to me ♪

♪ What'd I do to you? Damn,
I kind of miss your energy ♪

♪ Don't know how you got ♪

♪ The best of me, baby, but you do ♪

♪ No, I'm not perfect,
no, you're not perfect ♪

♪ Baby, I know that I can be ♪

♪ Petty, petty, petty, petty ♪

♪ Baby, I'm worth it,
baby, you're worth it ♪

♪ I don't know why we got to be
messy, messy, messy ♪

♪ Messy ♪

♪ The way I miss you,
it should be against the law ♪

♪ I'd do anything
to be with you tomorrow ♪

♪ It don't matter,
'cause I'm gonna keep it loyal ♪

♪ Hold you now, hey ♪

- ♪ 'Cause you're my life, I just
want love ♪ - ♪ You're my life ♪

- ♪ I just want love, I just
want you to love me ♪ - Hakeem!

- ♪ Is that a crime? ♪
- ♪ Is that a crime? ♪

♪ I just want love, I just want love ♪

♪ I just want you to love me ♪

What's the matter, woman?

You forgot the words?

♪ I just want love, I just want love ♪

♪ I just want you to love me,
yeah, love me, yeah ♪

♪ Love, yesterday, I had a
dream that we were ♪
♪ Uh ♪

♪ High school sweetheart
valentines, I don't want ♪

♪ To leave you, baby, 'cause
you took a while to find ♪

♪ Make me want to overstay my
visit till we're out of time ♪

♪ Love you more than people
love to see a dollar sign ♪

♪ Love is all that we need,
love is all that we need ♪

♪ Don't be petty,
petty, petty, petty... ♪

(line ringing)

- (phone ringing)
- (indistinct chatter)

I thought you were coming
to the taping.

Just handling some business.

I was supposed to go in
tomorrow and cut a deal,

but I hate office buildings.

I'm going to the Bahamas.

Damn, the Bahamas. Hey,

you know where else is
nice this time of year?

Hmm?

Hell.

I'll call you back.

I hate snitches.

Thank you.

That was... that was perfect.

That wasn't me, Cookie.

I was faking, just like you
and I practiced last night.

It was you.

Look, I promise you, Lucious,

you are still in there.

I wish I could remember.

I just don't.

Where's Claudia?

I'm right here.

I'm ready to go home now.

Okay.

We're ready.

Lucious.

You're gonna remember me.

I'm Cookie Lyon, baby.
I'm unforgettable.