05x09 - Had It From My Father

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Empire...

I'm gonna help you

- get out of here.

- Someone confessed to the robbery.

- So Quincy's getting out?

- (LAUGHS): Yeah!

I'm not here to talk about all your past daddy issues, Jeff.

- I am here to talk about my future.

- So Empire's data mining?

He's selling it to law enforcement.

" Mercer." Your name is on the deed of trust.

- You a bird, Tee.

- Get out of my way.

- Where you going?

- Don't stand over my son like that.

- Stop it!

- Everything we did was a lie!

All of our relationship is a lie!

Give me my son back!

Tata, Tata, look what I found.

- Bella, put it down.

- Right here.

- Put it down, baby.

- Give it to Grandma, Bella, please.

- (GASPS)

- TIANA: Put it down, baby.

Don't...

- No, no, no, no, no.

- No, no, no.

Give it to Grandma.

- HAKEEM: Bella, come here.

- TIANA: Put it down, baby.

Bella, get over here right now.

COOKIE: Give it to me, baby.

Everybody just, just be quiet.

- (SHUSHES)

- TIANA (WHISPERS): Bella.

LUCIOUS (QUIETLY): Hey, baby.

♪ Twinkle, twinkle ♪

♪ Little star ♪

♪ How I wonder what you are ♪

♪ Up above ♪

♪ The world so high ♪

♪ Like a giant in the sky ♪

(SIGHS)

♪ Twinkle, twinkle ♪

♪ Little star... ♪

- Oh, God.

- ♪ How I wonder what you are. ♪

(TIANA SIGHS)

I let myself get pulled in so many different directions

- that I almost let...

- No, no, no, no.

Come here, come here, sweetheart.

No, this is not your fault, okay?

And it is not your fault, Bella.

(SIGHS)

If anything, we tried to sell y'all on that "ride or die" stuff, treating y'all like y'all were some kind of Cookie and Lucious . .

LUCIOUS: This whole thing got me feeling like it's all my fault.

I practically raised y'all around g*ns, and I've been strapped since I was years old, son.

Can you imagine, in the sixth grade, having a g*n?

I just think I need to be by myself right now.

Boy, sit your ass down.

I'm talking to you.

Now, I carried out of necessity.

Me and your mama, we lived that life so that you and your brothers wouldn't have to.

But as it turns out, everyone in our family got blood on their hands except you, Hakeem.

Which means, man, it's time for me and your mama to really think about some of the karma that we got coming to us.

But it's not too late for you to pull yourself together.

COOKIE: We were so wrong. Just wrong.

Ride or die is a lie.

It traps you in absolutes when the truth is, we grow and we change and need different things along the way.

(SIGHS)

What you need to do is take care of you...

...and Bella and Prince.

Let Hakeem do Hakeem.

This family is busy taking one step forward and two steps back.

(SIGHS)

LUCIOUS: Clean your house, son.

It doesn't have to become a vicious cycle, unless you make it one.

But you got to keep moving forward, okay?

And just...

maybe Hakeem will catch up.

You hear me?

Mm-hmm.

Babe, what the hell?

Come on back to bed.

I'm just finishing the final cut.

Mal, everything your dad gave me about Kingsley's data mining has checked out.

Getting involved in Lyon family drama is not smart.

So if you're trying to impress my dad, please don't.

Ah, I'm not doing this for your dad...

get off me.

You're going after his enemy's jugular, homie.

I'm just following where the story leads.

Of course I want your dad to like me, but I'm also a journalist.

Mm-hmm.

Empire has been selling its users' data to the highest bidder.

Jeff Kingsley has been allowing law enforcement to track and follow Empire XStream customers without a warrant.

This is a huge breach in public trust.

You're cute.

And you're right.

Can you, uh, finish saving the world and come back to bed,

- please?

- One second.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Please.

- (COMPUTER WHOOSHES)

- There.

- World saved.

Okay?

- World saved.

Now what exactly were we fighting about?

It's a two bedroom condo, Mr.

Thomas Crown Affair.

Look, we just dodged a b*llet, literally, and you want to sit up here and argue over , square feet right now?

Please.

Yeah, but you and me, we got, we got things we need to fix.

Damn right we got things we need to fix.

You know, all this craziness is because no one in this family feels secure.

And we won't until our future is secure.

Until LFM is secure.

Wait, so you and me, we just about money now, right?

Ugh, Lucious, I love you, okay?

You know that.

But love don't pay the bills, man.

(CHUCKLES)

And until our future is secure, we got to be all about the money.

Okay?

So that means landing label deals and sponsorships for all of our artists.

Because if we don't, Lucious...

- (SIGHS)

- We lose everything.

Yes.

Baby, I'm sorry.

Mm-hmm.

It's just all this Kingsley, knocking down everything...

Mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm.

Please, please don't mention his name to me again.

Lucious, I need you to focus on this showcase.

Can you do that for me?

Please.

(COOKIE MOANS)

GISELLE: So here's how I see it, Jeff.

I run Empire, or tomorrow's front page tells the world about the littlest Lyon cub.

- Eldest.

- Oh, sorry.

I don't like to be blackmailed, but I've got to give it to you.

You've opened my eyes to exactly what the two of us would be capable of together.

These are a lot of words, Jeff, and I just need one.

Yes or no.

Yes.

With a caveat.

Be my co-CEO.

Ha.

I've laid a whole lot of landmines around here, and you are going to step in all of them without my help.

But together, we can run Empire and destroy Lucious Lyon.

Thick or thin.

Sink or swim.

Deal?

What's the company policy about drinking champagne before noon?

("JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING ON PIANO)

TERI: Here we go.

And...

Welcome home, Quincy.

Wow.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, you got a tree.

That's right.

Merry Christmas, son.

It's not even Christmas yet.

TERI: Well, open it anyway.

It feels like it to me.

My son is home, fully exonerated.

Thanks to you, Andre.

And the man who stepped forward and admitted to the crime.

Now, you need to stop that.

I know what you did to help me, I know what you did to help my son.

And so, you need to hear this: you are a blessing to us.

Open it, man.

(CHUCKLES)

"Welcome home.

Anything. Anywhere."

Anything.

What do you want to do?

- Hot dogs, at the beach.

- (CHUCKLES)

The beach?

In December?

Yeah.

That sounds perfect.

And I have all of tomorrow off, so we can make a full day of it.

Listen, I should, uh, get going.

Welcome home, soldier.

TERI: Why don't you join us tomorrow?

I mean, I-I got a lot of work to catch up on, but, um, if you need anything, you know, call me.

Thank you, Andre.

Yep.

Later, Quince.

All right, man.

Come here, come here, come here.

Aw!

(LAUGHS)

And make sure it's V.S.O.P., because we can't have people complaining about we had cheap liquor sponsors.

- Are you getting all of this?

- You see me taking notes?

Yeah, I don't see nothing.

I see that tree ain't finished.

What is all of this?

- Watch our boy do his thing.

- ...the Empire.

Has the once African American-owned Empire become a law enforcement w*apon used to surveil its black and brown customers?

Empire has been gathering customer data: user preferences, spending habits, even Geo-tracking, and selling it to the highest bidder.

Tech companies have been selling your info for over years.

Their customers are usually other companies wanting to sell you something.

But after investigating the shadow entities paying top dollar for your info, we have discovered Empire's biggest client.

Law enforcement.

- Officials have been...

- Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Damn, why it got to be Po-Po?

And if you're wondering who's responsible, Silicon Valley superstar, recently-appointed CEO of Empire and the mastermind behind the whole operation...

Jeff Kingsley.

Kingsley, a graduate of Stanford University and right-hand man to Kelly Patel...

- Bye, bitch!

- (ALL LAUGHING)

That's what he gets for putting my music in a vault.

Yeah, and y'all can thank my fiancé, mine.

- Yeah, yeah, he did his thing.

- All right.

- He did it.

- So are we all happy now?

- Yeah, it's a start.

- What you mean, it's a start?

It's a finish.

That's the end of that chapter.

The end, okay?

We're starting a new one.

LFM Management, okay?

And hey, aren't you supposed to be at rehearsal?

- We're having a Lyon moment.

- No, you standing up here drooling at the TV, at him, like a bobblehead.

Oh, come on.

Get your big bubblehead-ass out of here.

We was having a good time, man.

- You're just a buzzkill.

- Daddy...

You know what?

You can keep shoving food in your fat piehole.

That's sexy.

Nubby leg and a fat gut.

- Keep talking, see what happens.

- What you say?

- Nothing.

- Mm-hmm.

Now, I want, I want you to just focus.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

I don't know what's worse: the data mining or selling customer info to the government.

I had nothing to do with this.

This is entirely Lucious Lyon.

His son is shacked up with this hack reporter that ran the story.

Save it.

This little sideshow is now damaging the parent company.

I've got brand partners jumping ship like it's sinking and on fire.

All I need to know is which one of you is gonna fall on their sword.

GISELLE: First thing is damage control.

I'll have publicity draft a letter that I will deliver myself.

Can you have media relations increase bandwidth

- on your end?

- Yeah.

What do you need?

Oh.

I need your entire press corps.

What do you have to say?

When I find the person responsible for this, I will bring you his head on a platter.

I swear.

You better.

Let's go.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Okay, here we go.

So let's take it from the top.

- With some attitude, ladies.

- BROOKE: No, they keep messing up.

That's how I've been doing it.

Five, six, seven, eight.

One...

No, no, no.

- I need you to start upstage...

- Eight.

Five, six,

- seven, eight.

- (SNAPS FINGERS)

Get it together.

Fix it.

- You don't have to...

- He's telling me...

CHOREOGRAPHER: Five, six, seven...

(LIGHT CRASHES)

- (PEOPLE GASPING)

- MAN: Sorry about that.

If another one of you chumps drop another light fixture, just-just drive me back to prison, 'cause I'm gonna commit mass m*rder up in here!

No, you're not, 'cause I'm not putting on no gorilla suit to get your crazy ass out.

- Give me a kiss.

- MAYA: Okay, let's-let's try it again.

Try it again.

You finished stomping on Kingsley?

Can I have your attention now?

- I am all yours.

- Well, look here, I'm trying to get these left-footed knuckleheads into shape, but as you can see...

(CHUCKLES)

none of them can find the b*at if it was taped to their asses.

- Can I just have a second?

- Ow!

Damn it, you stepped

- on my bunion, Carlito!

- MAYA: Carlito, again, it's your other left.

Let's just...

let's just start from the top.

Here.

Yeah, start from the damn top.

COOKIE: Now, see that spot over there?

The empty spot?

That's where your youngest son is supposed to be, but he decided to be a no-show.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Ugh.

My fourth pain in the ass is here.

Ma.

- I said no.

- "Loving You Is Easy" is a ten times better song than this one.

Yeah, it's smooth, it's sexy, but it's not a showstopper.

Dad, can you please talk to wifey, please?

- Boy.

- Okay, my fiancé literally did a solid for this family, and I'm just trying to sing a song for him.

Like, can I live?

You could sing all the songs to Kai you want to, after the showcase.

- Jump in anytime, nubby.

- Wait, what do you expect me to say?

And "nubby"?

COOKIE: Why don't you get up there and talk that Shaka Zulu-meets-Malcolm X mumbo jumbo you be preachin'?

LUCIOUS: Nah, I think you got this one, baby.

I'll be back.

Bye.

Listen here, listen here!

(SIGHS): All right, y'all...

you're about to step into the big time.

Now you got to impress the big check-signers.

The real check-signers.

Nike's gonna be in the house.

Apple.

Live Nation.

Look, you are performing for your future.

Okay?

What you do on that stage tomorrow night will define the rest of your life.

Yeah, well...

where's your man Hakeem at?

Ain't he supposed to be listening to this speech, too?

You got commentary, Devon?

- I'm just sayin'.

- See, that's what's wrong with you celibates.

You got all this pent-up energy.

Why don't you put it in your performance and make this count?

How about that?

Come on!

Get back to rehearsing!

Here we go.

From the top.

And five, six, seven,

- eight.

- (SNAPS FINGERS)

What's up?

Really don't think you should be here right now, Hakeem.

- I'm just here to talk to you.

- (SIGHS)

Look, Tee, on my kids, Bella and Prince, I'm sorry for what I put you through.

I know you're sorry, Hakeem.

Look, I am, too.

But all this constant drama and beefing and v*olence, I just can't anymore.

Maybe we're not meant to be.

I don't know.

Maybe we're just not good for each other, you know?

I know, but we got to be there for our kids.

Regardless, Tee.

Well, look...

we may not be good together...

but we can be good to each other.

(SIGHS)

Yeah.

The kids deserve that.

They deserve two parents that's gonna be there for them.

Let's be that.

Look, I can't.

I'm gonna get out of here.

There's blood in the water, Pop.

Empire is losing strategic partnerships with two major tech firms, and that's just the beginning.

- No, no, no, no, no.

- (LAUGHS)

I got calls from a bunch of people

- (PHONE VIBRATING)

- that want to jump ship from Empire and-and swim over to our little bitty boat right now.

- Oh, that's your girl?

- It's nothing, Pop.

The one you won't introduce me to that now you ain't taking her calls.

What, she ain't important no more?

She's important.

You know, she's got a son.

He's a good kid, you know.

They make me feel calm.

I'm not seeing a problem.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

Pop, being with me puts a target on the backs of anybody who gets too close.

You know, maybe I'm cursed, right?

Teri and Quincy don't deserve that, and, you know, I-I probably don't deserve them.

You know?

So...

And that's perfectly fine.

I mean, have you ever stopped to think...

maybe you deserve all of it, son?

I mean, I've watched you spend your whole life trying to...

wrestle these demons and put them in their place, and you've...

been successful at times.

But that just makes you a survivor.

It makes you like me, and...

we're Lyons, man.

Lyons don't just survive.

We thrive where everything else perishes.

So if life is offering you something good, take it, accept it.

You deserve that, man.

Enjoy it.

♪ Man, I think ... did it on purpose ♪

♪ I'm-a hit him in the face on purpose ♪

♪ If I catch , it was worth it ♪

♪ It was worth it... ♪

All right, watch this, man.

I'm about to take your money right now.

♪ They give a ... about a g*n charge ♪

♪ Catch - and do the service ♪

♪ ... round me if you nervous ♪

Check out homie at the door, dawg.

♪ I turned the roof into a Lamb ♪

I'm good.

I ain't strapped today.

♪ I built a castle from the sand ♪

- (CLEARS THROAT)

- ♪ My homie might die in...

You know...

before, you said you look at my kids like they were your family.

I still do, man.

Almost lost my little girl.

♪ In the Lambo, hangin' off the horse like Rambo... ♪

- ("SILENT NIGHT" PLAYING)

- Damn.

I'm sorry that happened, bro.

Look...

I need you to know, nothing ever happened with me and Tee, Keem.

But I'm sorry I let the diss track get out of hand.

I don't know how to make that right, but...

whatever it is, I'll do it.

("SILENT NIGHT" INSTRUMENTAL CONTINUES)

TERI (LAUGHS): I mean, I know they're good, but... four?

Look...

I'll save one for Andre.

ANDRE: Just one?

- Ah.

- (CHUCKLES)

Ha-ha!

Yo, man!

- Whoo.

- Man.

I'm gonna go and get some sodas.

You guys want anything?

I'm good, baby.

- Good?

- I'm good, man.

- All right.

- All right.

And wipe your lip, brah.

- Oh, thank you, man.

- (CHUCKLES)

Hi.

(SIGHS)

Last time I came here...

was to say good-bye to my wife.

♪

I thought that...

being alone and in the dark was what I was meant to be, it was...

it's what I deserved.

- Andre, you...

- And then you...

came wandering in with this light...

...and I just want to be near you.

I want that, too.

I'm a dangerous man, Teri.

That's not what I see.

What I need to know is, are you willing to take the risk of being around me?

Ugh.

It feels more like Santa's funeral in here, or the funeral of one of his dumb little elves.

One of his elves has nine lives, and this isn't his last.

Ms.

Williams.

Come with us.

- What the hell's going on here?

- What?

Kingsley showed me what you did.

You've been working with Lucious Lyon to take advantage of our customers.

What?

I have the e-mail chain right here that proves it.

You set me up.

What are you talk...

Give me...

What are you talking about?

- What e-mails?

- Your things have been collected.

- These men will show you out.

- My things?

- Come on.

- You could...

No, okay, f...

He's a liar.

- Ma'am...

- He is a liar!

Y'all gonna

- get off of me!

Hey, he's a liar!

- Jeff...

Somebody call my mom!

- Becky.

- What you need to do

- is stop manhandling!

No, no!

- Ma'am.

Get out.

What is going on?

Let me see that.

Sink or swim.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

No, no, no!

Pull it back just a little bit so it stay in line.

- Lucious, we got to talk, man.

- Hey, man, I got two hours

- before this showcase.

- My man, my man.

We got to talk.

What is it?

I just heard through the Thirstvine, Becky got bum-rushed out of Empire.

Walked her right out the front door.

You think Kingsley knows she's been working for me?

No, no, Becky knows how to cover her back, and the keylogger I gave her is untraceable.

Come on, you know she's not the real target here.

- Yeah, he knows we go way back.

- Exactly.

So he's gonna try and pin this whole data mining on her

- and say it was for me.

- Okay, now, look.

I will take care of the Becky situation.

That's on me, all right?

I just got to make sure you don't do anything

- to jeopardize this showcase.

- Showcase?

To hell with the showcase!

This is my reputation.

I've never dropped a dime on anybody my whole damn life!

Nobody's talking about you...

It's not about dropping dimes, it's about taking care of business, man.

I've been trying you all day, Mal.

What's up?

- Hold on, give me a second.

- All right.

Babe, I'm sorry.

It's been crazy with this, all this.

How you doing?

- I'm sorry.

- Uh...

I got a call from a new source who saw my Empire story.

He had a lot of new info about your dad.

What'd he say?

Well, when Lucious was in charge of Empire, he kept a dossier on all of his artists, and every single one of those names had been mixed up in some kind of drama.

Domestic abuse, assaults, drug trafficking.

You know, the kind of drama that kills careers.

Yeah.

And your dad buried it all.

I mean, I know that sounds awful now, but back then, obviously, he was just protecting his artists.

Yeah, but, Jamal, what about the victims?

Who-who has their back, or...

What, it's okay that we just bury this all?

Well, wait, I mean, if you...

if you look deeper in that dossier, you'll see my name next to "a drug addict." Nobody knows what really went down with that except me and my family.

Just like you don't know what really happened to those artists or my dad or whatever they did.

The point is is that my family certainly don't need the noise right now, so it's not like you can run it.

Okay, so you're asking me to choose between what's right and what's right for your family?

You are my family, babe.

Mal, you know what...

you know what half-truths and partial-truths can do.

I'm a victim of a partial-truth, you know that.

- Truth conquers all, Jamal.

- Babe, it's not the same.

No, baby, listen to me.

- It's not the same.

- Jamal, listen to me.

I know myself, and if I don't release this story, I'm gonna end up resenting you for asking me to k*ll it.

Oh, my God.

I'm so sick of people trying to make me choose between my fam...

It's not the same.

It's not.

Baby, give me the dossier.

You know I'm-a do the right thing.

I'm gonna hold off on the story for now, but, uh...

I think I need time to think about our story.

Is that a joke?

No.

What exactly does that mean?

My producers want to talk about giving me a permanent slot,

- in London.

- In London?

And I'm gonna go over there and talk to them.

That's amazing.

I still don't know what-what this is about.

Is this you leaving me?

Look, I just need a...

I need a break, or-or a new perspective, or-or just something.

I think we both do.

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, whoo ♪

♪ Zone, zone, zone, zone, zone, zone ♪

♪ Where the love go? ♪

So, no one's seen Lucious, right?

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, no.

You want me to call him?

What you think I've been doing, Porsha?

Here.

I can't wait for his ass no more.

The show must go on, honey.

♪ The night is young though ♪

♪ The diamonds still shine ♪

♪ In the rough, ho ♪

♪ Where the love go? ♪

♪ Five, four, three, two... ♪

- (CHEERING)

- Yes!

I love you!

Whoo!

Tonight marks a new era in music.

- (CHEERING)

- Yes.

And that new era is defined by a new wave of talent.

(CHEERING)

A new talent and a new way to find that talent and nurture it and bring it to the public.

(CHEERING)

Ladies and gentlemen, we are the Lyons.

(CHEERING)

And tonight, we are proud to introduce to you our family.

(CHEERING)

♪

♪ Ooh, yeah ♪

♪ Empire ♪

♪ Ooh, yeah ♪

♪ Ooh, yeah ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ My life flashes ♪

♪ Ahead is my desertion ♪

♪ His trigger finger makes me contemplate if I deserve it ♪

♪ I'd be damned if my family would take the hit ♪

♪ So be a man ♪

♪ And step in front of this angry man ♪

- ♪ Without a purpose, yeah ♪

- ♪ Let's go ♪

♪ Tell me this ain't a conclusion ♪

♪ My body can barely react ♪

♪ I'm thinking it's just an illusion ♪

♪ But the b*llet is telling me facts ♪

♪ 'Cause that's my girl, and that's my kid ♪

♪ If they ain't breathing, I ain't living ♪

♪ Can't express the feeling, praying ♪

♪ Give me one more minute, yeah ♪

♪ Lost all control in the blink of an eye ♪

♪ Just a single thought went across my mind ♪

♪ I'm asking, I'm begging ♪

♪ I'm pleading just for one more minute ♪

- ♪ One more minute

- ♪ What you say? Yeah ♪

♪ Eyes opened up, no, it's not my time ♪

♪ Need to make a choice, am I willing to fight? ♪

♪ I'm asking, I'm begging ♪

♪ I'm pleading just for one more minute ♪

- ♪ One more minute ♪

- ♪ One more minute ♪

♪ Just one more minute, yeah ♪

♪ Just take me back ♪

♪ So I can think for seconds ♪

♪ Back when I seen inside Tiana's eyes ♪

- ♪ She needs protection ♪

- ♪ Protection ♪

♪ Just take me back when I was rapping ♪

♪ I could see perfection ♪

♪ Take these fragments out my lungs ♪

♪ So I can breathe for seconds ♪

♪ Pardon me, I don't get this ♪

♪ Yeah, I get that I'm not sinless ♪

♪ I ain't perfect, and I understand ♪

♪ I could live life so senseless, I don't get this ♪

♪ I don't get this ♪

♪ I mean, what's a prince without a princess? ♪

♪ What's a prince without a princess? ♪

♪ It's worthless ♪

♪ Lost all control in the blink of an eye ♪

♪ Just a single thought went across my mind ♪

♪ I'm asking, I'm begging, I'm pleading ♪

♪ Just for one more minute ♪

- ♪ One more more minute - ♪ What you say? Yeah ♪

♪ Eyes opened up, no, it's not my time ♪

♪ Need to make a choice, am I willing to fight? ♪

♪ I'm asking... ♪

Kingsley, you know good and damn well Becky had nothing to do with any of that.

Giselle, I've seen the e-mails, and you're in there, too.

- What the hell is your problem?

- I saw some stuff in there...

You're gonna try and turn me

- into some snitch?

- Oh, my God!

- I never snitch!

- Lucious, stop it!

Oh, my God, stop.

You're gonna k*ll him!

Lucious, please, don't do this!

He's your son.

He's your son!

Lucious, he's your son.

What are you talking about?

(GROANS)

GISELLE: It's true.

His mother's in Lakewood now, the rehab place.

You know her as White Tracy.

That's not possible.

You want to hit me again...

Dad?

(MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY)

("IT'S LIKE THAT" BY RUN-D.M.C. PLAYING)

♪ Don't ask me, because I don't know why ♪

♪ But it's like that, and that's the way it is ♪

Look, you might want to slow your roll, all right?

♪ People in the world tryin' to make ends meet ♪

I know what I'm doing, Lucious.

We hanging out later?

Maybe.

I don't know yet.

♪ You want to compete ♪

I'll catch you later.

♪ And that's the way it is ♪

♪ Huh ♪

What's up, Shine?

- What's good, bro?

- Chilling, man.

So, now you're hitting White Tracy.

You trying to hit all the girls?

Shut up, Shine.

I'm just saying, man.

You need to get you one girl.

Lay off these chicks, cuz.

Well, I ain't found that one yet, so that's a no.

- (SCOFFS)

- Let's roll.

(LUCIOUS SIGHS)

Lucious.

(TRACY GASPS)

Hey, Tracy.

It's been a long time.

(TRACY SIGHS)

I knew you'd come back, Lucious.

Come back?

Uh...

I don't know what you're talking about.

I mean, you know, you and me, back in the day, we hung out a few times, but that was it.

Doesn't take more than that.

Look, I don't know what your condition is, but there's no...

Look at him.

Please just look at him.

You can take a DNA test if you want.

Just... look in my baby's eyes.

Tell me he's not your son.

♪

All right, go break a leg.

What happened to you?

- Did you fall into a damn toilet?

- Look, baby, I really need to talk.

I can't talk to you right now, Lucious.

You know what I'm up against.

You didn't even have the common decency to call me back, return my texts, nothing.

- I need to talk to you.

- Well, you will talk to me at home because the show is almost over.

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

- (CHEERING)

- HAKEEM: You know who it is.

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

HAKEEM: The young prince.

♪ Ooh, oh, ooh-ooh ♪

♪ Okay, crown got my name on it, bow to the Royal Prince ♪

♪ Started in the game and right now I'm gonna finish it ♪

♪ Down but not limited, pain is my benefit ♪

♪ When you take a Lyon out the jungle this is what you get ♪

♪ You get ♪

♪ You're trying to ride with the mob, yeah ♪

♪ Boy, you better get up on your job, yeah ♪

♪ All that cappin' got to do it from the side, yeah ♪

♪ Make sure you don't cross the line when I slide, yeah ♪

♪ I've been bent, but I'm unbroken ♪

♪ I got some regrets, but I know where I'm going ♪

♪ 'Cause in the end, it's never the end ♪

(IN HARMONY): ♪ You know I'll get up ♪

♪ And still come back for more ♪

♪ I, I, I put it on the line ♪

♪ Every dollar, every dime, why not ♪

♪ I, I, I made it through the fire ♪

♪ Came out on the other side ♪

♪ Shout-out to my enemies, know this ain't the end of me ♪

♪ Keep that same energy, wonder why I'm winning ♪

♪ Aye-aye, aye-aye, aye-aye, why not ♪

- ♪ Aye-aye, aye-aye, aye-aye - ♪ Why not, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

- ♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Stop it, no, you can't stop it ♪

- ♪ Somos los padres... ♪

- Look at this.

The curtain's not even closed yet, and we already got sponsorship deals on the table from Nike, Live Nation and Apple.

How much are they talking?

$ to $ million.

I love you, Lucious.

♪ We be putting in the work and now we're running the show ♪

(IN HARMONY): ♪ And when we move, there ain't nothing ♪

♪ We can't do ♪

♪ And y'all can't break us ♪

♪ Shout-out to my enemies, know this ain't the end of me... ♪

What are you doing here?

I have something to tell you about Jeff Kingsley.

COOKIE: Everything I need to know about Jeff Kingsley can fit on one finger.

Guess which one.

I agree with you, Cookie.

I don't believe the accusations he made against you and Becky, Lucious.

You came all the way down here to tell us that?

What if I told you I could have him out of Empire for good, and get you back running the company you built?

Yes, because while all this is cute, I'm offering you the throne.

♪ Out of the ashes, the star in the making... ♪

With me as co-partner.

Oh...

(SCOFFS)

You might want to think about it.

We'll think about it.

♪ Options, no hay no options ♪

- ♪ We got to pop this.

- (CHEERING)

♪

Man, that was a crazy-ass plan that Giselle had, but it just might work.

Yeah, the question is, do we want it to work?

Oh.

Look, we just built something mean and lean that can withstand any new challenge in the music biz.

Yeah, or do we go back and reclaim what we spent years of our lives sacrificing for?

(COOKIE SIGHS HEAVILY)

So we got to choose between our future and our foundation?

Says who?

Aren't you the same one-legged wise man I heard tell his son he can have it all?

Well, why can't we?

Why can't we have it all?

Why can't we be the label and the management company to our artists?

We don't have the bandwidth, baby.

Well, we can raise it.

With the money we rake in tonight and...

...from this.

What's this?

(GROANS SOFTLY)

- You okay?

- Yeah.

That's...

$ million.

You sold the condo?

(CHUCKLES)

Did you make up with your sister?

Oh, I didn't need to talk to my big-mouth sister to sell that condo.

Look, Lucious...

I'm all in with you.

Every step, every penny.

I don't know what to say.

Say we deserve it.

(LAUGHS)

You know what?

Look.

- There's something I got to tell you.

- What?

- Now...

- PORSHA: You guys, the song is over.

You two are up.

Okay, look, talk to me when we get home, Lucious.

Come on, let's go get what's ours.

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Thank you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for making tonight such a resounding success for the LFM family and our artists.

You know what?

As a matter of fact, I'm gonna bring up the "LF" in the LFM...

our boys!

Come on up here!

You, too, Andre.

Get up here.

Whoo!

Yes, my handsome babies.

That's right.

(CHEERING)

These three are why we do what we do.

And I'm telling you, ladies and gentlemen, tonight is only the beginning.

- (CHEERING)

- Soon, our family will have some news to share with you, and that news is going to take the Lyon name to higher heights.

You have to consider...

Does that include every Lyon?

What?

Is that Kingsley?

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

(SINGSONGY): Lucious, do you want to tell them or should I?

No.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Don't... don't answer.

Since a flare for the dramatic seems to run in this family, allow me the honors...

Dad.

(KINGSLEY CHUCKLES)

Yeah, you heard it here first.

Lucious Lyon is...

- my father.

- (AUDIENCE GASPING)

You've all heard the story about when Cookie met Lucious, right?

But have you heard the one where Lucious met my mother, got her knocked up, hooked on cr*ck, and then left her to have me and raise me on her own?

Bet you didn't.

He's lying, Pop.

- No.

Stop, son.

- No.

You're gonna be Mommy's little man today, okay?

Today's the day you're gonna meet your daddy.

Go on.

Jamal, give me the car.

LUCIOUS: Who is it?

Hey.

Tracy?

What are you doing here?

I don't sling out of my house.

Uh, no.

Yeah, I know.

I-I figured.

I mean, you know, you were going places.

No, I've been to rehab.

Then with my grandparents.

Good for you.

Um, look, like I said, I don't, I don't sling out of my house.

What-what do you need?

Um, Jeffrey...

this is my son.

Jeffrey, honey, come on.

Come and say hi to...

Lucious Lyon.

Good-looking kid.

Hey, man, how you doing?

Like I said, that's not what I do from here.

Look, if you need something, Bunkie's still a couple blocks away.

He'll take care of you, you know.

Just...

Just give him this and tell him...

tell him it's for old time's sake.

- And I'll look after...

Hey.

- COOKIE: Lucious, who is it?

No, baby.

Cook...

Now I got to go.

Ain't nobody.

Don't come here.

- Lucious?

- (DOOR SLAMS)

Okay.

Hey.

Let's go.

That was the last day I saw my mother sober, Lucious.

So while your other kids were playing with their little Tonka trucks, I was left to be my mom's dirty little secret.

Dad, this can't be true.

I've spent my whole life trying not to hate you.

Dad, you need to say something.

You need to say something now.

You better tell me this is not true, Lucious.

And I was jealous of you three.

But today I got a taste of what it is to be a Lyon son.

Got my face b*at in by Lucious, and then I found my mother lying on the floor, screaming his name after he paid her a little visit today, and then left her again.

Good news is I'm not jealous anymore, because I wasn't raised by that man, and that makes me the lucky one.

So, what, you're gonna leave?

Move!

KINGSLEY: Oh, here comes one of the three blind mice.

- You gonna hit me, too?

- Nah.

I'm gonna end you.

Unless I end you first, baby bro.

Bring it.

♪

- Doctor, please, please.

- There's no pulse.

- Start compressions now.

- You got to save him!

- There's no pulse.

Start compressions.

- No, no.

Doctor.

Doctor, no, you got to save him.

Somebody get her out of here, please.

You got to save him!

Please!

- Clear.

- Look at me.

Get your hands off of me!

- Come on.

Come on, baby.

- No.

No, please!

- We got to go.

We got to go.

- Not my baby!

- Let them do what they...

- No, no, no, no!

- Get off me, Lucious!

- Clear.

- No!

Please!

Not my baby!

- There's no pulse.

Start compressions.

- No, Andre!

Andre, no!

- Clear.

- (MONITOR FLATLINING)

- No, Andre, please!