04x07 - The Lady Doth Protest

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Empire...

CLAUDIA: Synesthesia.

His brain's been rewired.
He listens to music

- and sees colors.
- LEONARD: Mr. Barker would

- come on board at Empire?
- Special advisor to your CEO,

- Cookie Lyon.
- This is Simon Lambert.

He's a medicating psychiatrist
with a very

exclusive patient list.

I started seeing somebody.

Morning, Detective.

JAMAL: He's different.
He could be my one.

DIANA: Warren, you're up next.

I trust you're up

- to the task?
- I'm ready.

COOKIE: She played you.
She played you against

- your own family.
- BARNES: This court awards

- full custody to Anika Calhoun.
- Yes! (LAUGHS)

- (GAVEL BANGS)
- LUCIOUS: That's the last time

I'll sit in a courtroom
where people decide

what's gonna happen to my babies.

I want blood to pour like a river,

and I'm-a make that happen,
I promise you.

(PIANO PLAYING)

LUCIOUS: This is green.

Add a little yellow.

Here it is, right here.

All in sequence.

- Lime green...
- (STARTS PLAYING)

...yellow, violet

and magenta.

LUCIOUS: Get up.

Do it.

Warren, can you move, please?

(STARTS PLAYING)

Hell yeah, you play piano.

(CHUCKLES)

You're back.

(KIDS LAUGHING)

ANIKA: Um... (LAUGHS)

No, it's true.

Classical music is proven
to make children smarter.

- They have books written about it.
- I'm sure they do.

I'm just saying, you know,

you got to make sure she gets

- a little Luther, you know...
- Right. - (FUSSES)

- Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder...
- (LAUGHS) Yes.

And maybe when you're old
enough, some Rick James?

- That's what she's singing right now.
- "Rick James."

"Rick James." (LAUGHS)

- Your daughter is beautiful.
- Oh, thank you.

- What's her name?
- Her name's Bella.

Hi, Bella. What a pretty name.

- Say "Thank you."
- (LAUGHS)

Yes, yes, it is.

- And she has her daddy's eyes.
- Oh...

(WOMAN CHUCKLES)

- How old is she?
- Uh, she's months.

Well, you're a lovely family.

- I wouldn't do that if I was you.
- What you doing here?

Stopping you from
doing something stupid.

You know what's stupid?

They're out there showing off
Bella like she's theirs.

- ANIKA: Thank you.
- Yeah, well, what do you think

running up on them in broad
daylight's gonna accomplish,

other than you getting
locked up? And not for nothing,

- Cookie would leave you in jail.
- Yeah, but I'd get her back.

Hak, we're gonna get her back, okay?

- We just got to be smart about it.
- Aah! (VOCALIZING)

All right, now, let's
get out of here before NYPD

shows up saying
the sight of two black men

made them fear for their lives.
Come on.


♪ From the dawn of creation ♪

♪ From the dust of the womb ♪

♪ From the bowels of the matrix ♪

♪ We will rise like the Louvre ♪

♪ Camera flashes and torchlights ♪

♪ Ceremonial hues ♪

Here comes the hook.
Drop the EQ on the drums now.

♪ Every day we could lose, so ♪

♪ So don't bring me no bad news ♪

Hey, don't... What are you doing?

- What are you doing? Come on, man.
- What?

We've been thr... How many times
have we done this Al...?

Tory, we're gonna start
from the top, all right?

- Why, what's wrong?
- Got a little EQ problem, no biggie.

Okay.

My bad. I guess I'm a little tired.

BECKY: Actually,
we're all a little tired.

Eddie, we've been here all night.

Guys, once we nail this,

it's gonna be worth it, I promise you.

Becky, you want to order some coffee

and breakfast or something?

(SCOFFS QUIETLY) Wow.

Uh, can you get on that?

- Yeah, I guess.
- Thanks.

- PORSHA: You okay, babe?
- Any more coffee

and I'm never gonna sleep again.

I-I don't know
what you're looking for.

- But I think we got this, my brother.
- That's not your call,

my brother. I need you
to keep your head in the game

- till I tell you we got it, all right?
- Hold on.

- My head is in the game.
- Yeah, Eddie, that's not really fair...

- we've been here all night.
- Yeah, he's doing his best,

- and I'm tired.
- Are you sure your head's in the game?

'Cause I don't think you're
hearing anything that's going on

- right now.
- Yes, it is in the game.

Why don't you play it back?
I'm ready...

- Are you serious, man?
- Hey, hey, guys, guys.

Guys. My voice is pretty sh*t.

I could really use a rest.

How about we take a little break?

- All right.
- Cool. Thanks.

Okay.

- Let's take , okay?
- We need more than .

We need to go to bed.

Calvin.

You need to talk to Cookie, Porsha.

- About what?
- About Eddie.

I mean, you saw him in there.

He's pushing us way too hard.

(SCOFFS) That's his job, right?

And don't he kind of remind you
of Lucious, in a way?

Lucious is a perfectionist,
but at least

he treats us like family.

We all respect Eddie,
but we don't know him like that.

He's cracking the whip
like we're picking cotton.

And this has been going on
for weeks, Porsha.

And it's on Cookie, too.

The way she treats you.

You need to stand up for yourself.

Boy, what is wrong with you, huh?

Didn't we tell you to stay away
from those people?

I don't care about those people.
I was looking out for Bella.

ANDRE: That distinction
won't matter to the courts.

We already filed
for an appeal, but your

stalking her's
gonna get it tossed out.

I wasn't stalking.
I'm her father, not Angelo.

Ain't nobody been saying
Angelo was her father, Hakeem.

- HAKEEM: This ain't my fault.
- COOKIE: Oh,

so we're gonna play
the blame game, huh?

Well, maybe you
shouldn't have been having

secret playdates
with dirty Diana Dubois,

- running down this family.
- Okay, Ma, name one thing I said

about this dysfunctional-ass
family that wasn't true.

You need to take that bass
out your voice,

or Bella won't have a daddy
to come home to.

So, what we doing?

Lucious is handling it.

- Lucious?
- ANDRE: Ma, don't you think

- that's a little risky?
- Look, his doctor

said that he has to
continue his rehab, but...

Lucious is back.
You saw that in court.

Right? So show some respect.
Let him handle it.

Bella's not here.
She's with my parents.

And you have no visitation
rights, if I remember correctly,

so unless you want me
to get a restraining order...

I didn't come to see Bella,
I came to talk to you.

Can I come in, please?

I said please.

Do you mind if I sit down?

Apparently, you're going to.

Angelo's gonna be here any moment,

so, please, make this quick.

Do you know I lost my memory

after the accident?

Oh, you're... calling it an accident?

But I'm starting

to get a lot of it back.

Do you know what I remember?

I remember you.

I remember how badly
you wanted your daughter

to be the only heir
to the Lyon throne.

My throne.

I don't know what
you're insinuating, Lucious.

Oh, I'm not insinuating anything.

I'm here to offer you something.

Agree to share custody,

and I will make Bella
joint heir with the boys.

It'll make her a very rich woman.

(CHUCKLES)

You'd put that in writing?

Just as soon as you sign

the co-parenting agreement.

I'll think about it.

While you're thinking about it,

as a show of good faith,
Hakeem and the rest of us

wants to see Bella.

I'll agree to a family visit.

One-time thing in a public place.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SIGHS)

Cookie, you got a minute to talk?

Uh, when aren't you ever talking?

Look, there's this
kind of rebellion brewing...

the engineers talking
about going on strike

- a-and they g-g...
- Wait, wait, strike?

- Yes.
- Yeah, hey, Porsha.

Hey, I took care of that, um,

Anika thing.

Oh. Uh, thanks, Porsha.

- But, Cookie, it...
- I said thank you.

Don't you see me talking to Lucious?

The engineers
are talking about striking.

Yeah, I know. I talked to Eddie.

I gave him my proxy
to go and handle the matter.

You gave him your proxy?

Last I checked,
I was running this company.

Yeah, no, I figured
you got so much responsibility,

you didn't have time to deal
with disgruntled engineers.

I got your back, Cook, like always.

I thought your memory was coming back.

What are you talking about?

Like you've "always"
been there for me?

- (INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
- (LOCK BUZZES, LATCH CLICKS)

WOMAN:
Oh, they're coming around, baby.

(CHYNA CHUCKLES)

- Here you go.
- Just give me my mail.

Yo, you get any mail?

- No, I'm still waiting.
- Check it out.

My nephew got all dressed up and-and

camped out for that new Phantom
Star Wars movie or whatever.

Isn't he the cutest thing?

Yeah, he is cute.

Holloway, here you go.

- Thanks. (WHOOPS SOFTLY)
- What is it?

I don't know, girl. Let me see.

What?

It's from Lucious.

He's divorcing me.

Lucious...

you haven't always been there for me.

Okay, if I wasn't there,
I-I will be there in the future.

You look like you're getting
mighty comfortable

in my seat, baby.

Old Lucious might be
rattling around in there.

- Mm-hmm.
- Hmm.

(SCOFFS)

♪ Would you ever
ride a wave with me? ♪

♪ Would you ever
take a chance with me? ♪

♪ Would you ever
take a leap with me? ♪

Hey, I could never
do this with Hakeem.

- Thank you.
- Ain't no way in hell. Ever. (LAUGHS)

♪ Would you ever change
the frequency? ♪

♪ Would you ever? ♪

♪ Would you ever? ♪

Why the hell your eyes so damn big?

Don't act like
you wasn't also looking.

- I was looking at Chicken.
- Right.

You're looking like

- you want to do more than just look.
- Yeah, I was thinking

maybe we should take him home.
(LAUGHS)

Oh, word?
That's what we're doing now...

we-we're just gonna cop
a big old threesome?

Don't act like
you ain't never tried it.

I have had every single
opportunity imaginable.

Yes, because you are

- Jamal Lyon.
- Thank you.

- I understand.
- Yes, thank you.

- Mm-mmm, thank you. Thank you.
- It's true.

Nah, but it's just...
it's not for me, you know?

I mean, you good with that?

- You-you gonna be all right?
- I'm fine.

I'm just saying,
if it's something that you

haven't tried, I haven't tried it...

maybe it's something
we could try together.

Let's try a threesome.

You do realize that
that's, like, textbook ho.

And furthermore, if we do try it,

- it ain't gonna be with Opie over there.
- (LAUGHS)

WARREN: Why not?

Picking up a bartender at the club...

you know how cliché that is?

All right, that's fair.

♪ Would you ever take
a leap with me? ♪

(EXHALES)

(DIALING)

PAMELA: You've reached
Detective Pamela Rose

of the New York City
Police Department.

Pamela, it's Andre.

I'm sorry for leaving you
a hundred voice messages, but...

(SIGHS)

You haven't called me back,
so I'm a little worried.

I owe you an apology for
the fight we had the other day,

and, um, let's talk about it, okay?

Over dinner? My treat.

I miss you, call me back.

REPORTER: We're getting
new information right now

from the newsroom. We have
breaking news out of Brooklyn,

where there's been
an officer-involved sh**ting.

The condition of
the NYPD detective and at least

one suspect are unknown at this time.

We can confirm
that the officer involved

is NYPD Detective Pamela Rose.

- PORSHA: Andre.
- A police spokesperson confirms reports

- that Detective Rose...
- You got a second?

This thing with the engineers
is about to get crazy.

I saw Calvin trying
to e-mail the union...

Uh, not-not-not now, Porsha, okay?

Just, um, tell Cookie I-I had to go.

- What?
- Tell her I had to go.

♪

Calvin, what is this?

If you and the other engineers
think you're gonna start off

some kind of rebellion,
it's not gonna end well.

You need to call this off right now.

Uh, what's going on?

Look, Cookie, those signs
weren't supposed to get out yet.

But all the sound engineers
and studio musicians agree...

the long hours,
the short turnaround times,

working weekends and holidays...

- it's got to stop.
- I understand,

Calvin, I really do,

but I need you to bear with me.

Just-just until we get through
this For .

The union pre-authorized a strike.

All I got to do is send this e-mail...

and we walk.

- What'd he say?
- Strike.

Lucious told me
you were handling this.

Oh, I am. Believe me.

Boy.

Did you just thr*aten the woman
who signs your paychecks?

I ain't your boy.

Is this the e-mail you talking about?

- Eddie, don't... (SIGHS)
- You want to strike?

Strike. It's not gonna
end well for you.

- You're good to these people, Cookie.
- I am.

Okay.

EDDIE: So don't cave to them.

Let's go, Porsha.

CALVIN:
Porsha, what did we talk about?

Oh, I see how it is. This is new.

So your man says, "Jump,"
and you say, "How high?"

(CROWD MURMURING)

(SCOFFS)

My man's not the one
I wake up for at : a.m.

and don't go to sleep for until
she's asleep, and in between,

waiting on her hand and foot
all damn day.

All right, Porsha, we're not
gonna do this right now.

Nah, you're not talking
over me this time.

I let you call me out my name

'cause I know it's not true,
but lately

I feel like maybe I am stupid.
I let my job

become my life without
even getting a thank you.

This ain't about me and Calvin.

It's about me and you, Cookie.

I know y'all tired
of Empire treating us like

we're not the ones making it happen.

- WOMAN: Yeah, Porsha.
- MAN: We're with you.

Empire don't work without us.
So we deserve some damn respect.

(CROWD MURMURING)

- WOMAN: Let's do this. Let's go.
- Strike!

Strike! Strike!

Strike!

Come on, Calvin.

Strike! Strike!

- Strike!
- (SCOFFS)

He looks even hotter in person

than he does
on his pictures, right, Jamal?

Yeah, man, you look like you work out.

Y'all want some grapes
or oranges or whatever?

Usually there's nothing
but trolls on that app,

but, uh, I really lucked out.

Yeah, you sure did.

Look at him, Jamal.

Mmm. All right, man.

- Let's open this up.
- Yeah.

Yo, yo, yo, what's up,
is everything all right?

Uh, just hold on, all right?

Yo, what's the problem? I thought

- you was down with this.
- No, you didn't. You actually

- knew that I wasn't down with that.
- Come on, Jamal.

He's here and he's hot as hell,
so we should...

Yeah, okay, well, whatever. I
only entertained this foolishness

because I love you.

Maybe if I didn't care about you,

then it would be easier for me,

but you wanted it, I didn't.

Come here.

Look, man, this is not gonna
work out. You got to go.

Are you kidding? Why?

You see that guy over there?

- Yeah?
- I'm in love with him.

And I probably don't even
deserve him at this point.

But I got to try to fix
what I messed up.

So, no hard feelings, but you...

- Right on.
- Just head out, all right?

Yo, man, thank you for coming.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

What?

- You know, you're right.
- I know I'm right.

No, you have no idea.

Look, there...

there's something
that I need to tell you.

Listen, no matter what happens
from here on out,

no matter who says what,

just remember that I love you.

- I know you do, and I...
- No, listen to me.

I need you to know that this is real.

That I love you.

I love you, too.

I really do.

All right, come here.

(KNOCKING)

I've been freaking out.

- Looks like it.
- What happened? Are you okay?

I'm starving. Let's
get something to eat.

Hey, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, hey, look.
Look, I texted you a million

times, been to every hospital
between here and Coney Island,

thinking you were dead,
and that's all you have

to say to me... "Let's-let's
get something to eat"?

I don't want to talk about it.

Sit down.

- (GRUNTS)
- It's okay.

Sit down.

(SIGHS)

Okay.

Cards are on the table.

I know you don't trust me.

And that's why
you've been holding back.

But listen, when I thought that you...

It made me realize
I don't want to lose you.

The guy threw sh*ts at me.

I sh*t back.

He went for his g*n,

and it was him or me.

I sh*t him.

I k*lled him.

You didn't have a choice.

That's what I told I.A.

The truth is...

...I planted that g*n to make
the sh**t look justified.

It was wrong.

And I'm gonna get away with it.

Now you know something about me

that could put me in a cell
for the rest of my life.

Do you still believe
I don't trust you?

(INSTRUMENTS WARMING UP)

Hey, everyone.

I've been writing a symphony.

(PHONES BUZZING AND WHOOSHING)

The painting is my music.

It's gonna be my masterwork.

Here, the color's green, we're gonna

use F-shar...

(DOOR OPENS)

Where's everybody going?

On strike.

I'm really sorry, Lucious.

This is a damn mess.

Can't do nothing without my musicians.

Only other cat who could paint
like that and make music...

was Miles.

I can't make a whole symphony
by myself.

Labor disputes happen at all companies

sooner or later.

It's just a hiccup. They'll be back.

But the main thing is that
you're feeling that you're back.

I am.

That's good news.

Back in the day,
you'd be writing a song

on that keyboard of yours. (CHUCKLES)

Old keyboard.

And I'd come back the next day,

and you'd be in the same spot,

wouldn't have moved.

You're a beast.

The only musician that you need

is sitting behind that piano
right now.

Or else you're not Lucious Lyon.

LUCIOUS: Two, three, four...

♪

I am a beast.

♪

Question is: is it in your head,

or is it in your heart?

♪

♪

I am Lucious Lyon.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Look, I know you guys tired
of Empire treating us

like we're not the ones
putting in the work.

- (CHEERING)
- Fired up, won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- CROWD: Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Uh, Shine?
- Yeah.

- What the hell are you doing?
- What's it look like?

I'm rolling with the %.

You do realize you own
a percentage of the company?

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

It don't matter.

My mother worked
in the school lunchroom.

I got union blood.

- Let's move.
- PORSHA: Fired up!

- You got dumb blood.
- Fired up!

CROWD: Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

- Fired up!
- Won't take no more!

(CHEERING)

- What's our wages?
- Empire wages!

- What's our wages?
- Empire wages!

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Give it up for Porsha!

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Y'all know me, I'm Tory Ash.

And it's no secret
that I've made some mistakes.

But knowing who to be loyal to
was never one of them.

(CHEERING)

Now, the Man wants me to sing
at Laviticus tonight.

(JEERING)

But I'm not gonna sing for the Man.

I'm gonna sing for the people!

(CHEERING)

♪ From the dawn of creation ♪

Oh, great, the song.

♪ From the dust of the womb ♪

♪ From the bowels of the matrix ♪

♪ We will rise like the Louvre ♪

♪ Camera flashes and torchlights ♪

♪ Ceremonial hues ♪

♪ We will put all we
have on the line ♪

- ♪ Every day we could lose, so ♪
- Yeah!

♪ So don't bring me no bad news ♪

♪ No, no, no, no bad news ♪

♪ Don't you bring me no bad news ♪

♪ No, no bad news,
when it's all too much ♪

♪ Enough is enough ♪

♪ Build a wall, and we will climb up ♪

♪ It's dedication, one nation ♪

- Tory!
- ♪ Feel the fire, we light it all up ♪

♪ Push us higher, where we belong ♪

♪ Every voice, it's a revolution ♪

♪ It's a revolution ♪

♪ It's a revolution ♪

♪ So we light it all up. ♪

- What's disgusting?
- Union busting!

- What's disgusting?
- Union busting!

You hear them out there? They hate me.

They don't hate you, Cook.

You can't let 'em get to you.

Look, we talked this
over with Lucious.

We got a plan. First off,

we got a bus pulling
into the rear loading dock

- full of engineers.
- Uh-uh. Wait a minute.

- Are you talking about scabs?
- Replacements.

It's just temporary.

But we got to show them
that we're not gonna take

this kind of nonsense...
we got work to do.

Yeah. Meanwhile, back at the
ranch, I got my people out there

collecting dirt on all
the strike leaders.

They're a skeevy bunch,
especially that Calvin.

- No, no, no, we're not doing that.
- Both: Why not?

Because those people
are like family to me.

- What about For ?
- What about it?

You staked everything
on delivering that,

and now they're derailing it.

If they were family,
they wouldn't be doing that.

That's because right now,
they think we're the enemy.

So it is up to us to show them
that we have more in common

than what separates us.

WOMEN: Ta-da!

WOMAN: Happy Divorce Day!

Thanks, guys. I'm not hungry, though.

Forget Lucious. He gone.

TAMARA: I mean, we all
been there, Cookie.

I was only here a month
before my old man

dropped divorce papers on me.

Damn. A bitch can't even be invited

to your little pity party.

You know what, Cookie?

I saw your man Lucious
whopping it up with Mary J.

And he was dancing up against Mya...

Get out of here, Poundcake.

And what you gonna do
about it, Loretha?

No.

(INMATES MURMURING, SHUSHING)

Are you knocked up?

You don't know what the hell
you talking about, bitch.

Look, Cookie, I've dealt with
a lot of work uncertainties,

and y-you got to trust me on this one.

What's your title again, Eddie?

(CLICKS TONGUE, CLEARS THROAT)

I'm a special advisor
to the CEO, Cookie Lyon.

Right.

So you, Lucious and Thirsty...
manly men

running around doing manly things.

But, you see, men always
screw things up in the end.

Look, get everybody
in the conference room.

Try not to swing those big,
salty things around,

scaring everybody.

You're the boss.

Yeah, she is. I'll start upstairs.

There they are, the boss men.

Y'all know Lucious and Thirsty.

You're getting to know Eddie.

Lucious, do you remember

who the people in this room are?

Janet, Marsha.

Calvin.

You and me, we made a lot

of hits together, right?

Yeah.

Jared, Kaela.

Now, a lot of y'all have heard
that I lost my memory

as a result of, uh,
an expl*si*n with my car.

I'm here to tell y'all that I'm back.

So, you remember
referring to this room

as your Empire family?

Yes, it's my family.

And sometimes families do what?
We fight.

That's right. Sometimes we fight.

There's a time for fighting
and then there's a time

to pull people together.

You know what,
let me tell you a story.

Something that happened to me
when I was in prison.

- What you gonna play? I got a...
- That's you?

- How many is that?
- . Count it up.

- See, you cheating.
- Yo, can y'all get me some water?

Okay.

(LAUGHTER)

(GROANING)

There's something wrong with the baby.

Then go to the infirmary, bitch.

No, no, no, I can't, because
if I go to the infirmary,

they're gonna make me have
an abortion.

Serves you right for getting
knocked up by a guard.

(GROANING)

I'll go call the C.O. on watch.

No, no, no, Chyna.

It's okay, Poundcake, we got you.

Why are you defending this bitch?

Because I got three sons
on the outside I'm living for.

But in here, we're
the only family we got, so...

- Can you walk?
- Yeah, I think so.

Come on.

Mm.

Come on, here.

LUCIOUS: Wait, wait, hold on.

This is the same chick that cut you

that you're now calling your friend?

No, not friend. (CHUCKLES)

I mean, none of us got along,
really... it's prison.

But we realized that on the inside,

all we had was each other.

- (POUNDCAKE GROANING)
- COOKIE: Shh...

Calm down. Oh, you are burning up.

No doctor.

I know, but keep it down.
Keep it down.

We gonna get through this.

You gonna have that baby,
don't you worry.

Mm.

I remember when my first was born.

It was snowing like crazy.

One of those "once in a decade"
kind of blizzards.

(COOKIE CHUCKLES)

And all the plows got sent
to Center City

while the black folks in North Philly

had to plow their own asses out.

(CHUCKLES)

There was snow everywhere.

I was so scared.

I didn't have a mama,
didn't have a daddy.

And that's the night my water broke.

Lucious had an old hooptie
with one windshield wiper

and bald tires. (CHUCKLES)

Man, those streets were so deserted.

And we was trying our best to
make it to that hospital, boy.

Don't you know,
that damn hooptie broke down

right on Girard Avenue.

Wait, don't tell me
you had no baby in no car.

Oh, no, girl.

Let me... let me finish the story.

So, there was this white Lincoln
that appeared out of nowhere.

It was like a angel
dropping from the sky.

And guess what he said to Lucious.

What?

"I caught your set at the Grape Room,

and your lyrics is dope."

- What?
- Girl, next thing I know,

we pulling up to the emergency room

in a white Lincoln.

And that driver was bumping
Lucious' latest banger.

(CHUCKLES)

minutes later,

Andre Martin Lyon was born.

(KEYS JANGLING)

Under those circumstances,

we had to be family.

And under the circumstances
of this company,

you all are our family.

And I just wanted
to remind you of that.

Jared, when your mother became sick,

who gave you three weeks' paid leave?

You did, Cookie.

Mm-hmm.

And, Kaela, when you
lost your voice, what happened?

Empire paid for me to get rehab.

That's right,
and that was all Lucious.

Jordan, who paid
for your children's tuition?

Hmm.

Now, Empire may not follow
every union rule,

but when you are in need, we
are there for you like a family.

So I'm asking that you
be there for Empire.

Porsha, I hope you know
I don't mean to call you stupid.

That's just the way I talk.

I think you're very intelligent.

If I didn't think that,
you wouldn't have the job.

Now, can you tell your man to lay off?

We good, babe?

Do you trust her?

I think we got this.

So the strike's settled?

Yeah, we're good.

(APPLAUSE)

(SIGHS)

- What?
- I know you saw me

out there when Tory Ash was singing,

and I was hyping up the
crowd and everything.

I saw you acting a fool.

Look, don't think I settled this
strike because of you, Porsha.

But you did good.

- Cookie, I waited three years
to hear you say that. - Ah.

(CHUCKLES)
And you gonna wait another ten

before you hear it again.
Get off me, girl!

Look, fix this. It's broke.

Cookie, you had the ringer off.

Uh, like I said, it's broke.

Get out, Porsha.

Thank you.

ANDRE: Mmm.

I think it's time.

Time for what?

Time for you to meet my family.

Mm... (LAUGHS)

What's so funny?

How will we tell them we met?

Will we tell them about your
little equipment failure?

(LAUGHS) It's working just fine now.

- Mmm, yeah.
- Mm-hmm.

(PHONE BUZZES)

Damn.

My family's going to see my niece.

Leaving me here alone?

(CHUCKLES)

Tell you what.

Next time...

you'll go...

with me.

(GIGGLES)

- Okay?
- Okay.

- Deal?
- Yep.

All right. I'll see you.

LUCIOUS: Here's Dre. Let's do this.

Hey, guys.

- JAMAL: Hey.
- COOKIE: Thanks for helping me

settle the strike.

ANDRE: Look, I'm sorry, Ma.

I had a little emergency, that's all.

Uh-huh. I know what that looks like.

- ANDRE: Mm-hmm.
- JAMAL: You take care of that emergency?

- (ANDRE LAUGHS)
- JAMAL: You looking good.

It takes one to know one.

I'm about to have Warren
move in with me.

Uh, if I was you, I'd slow my roll.

You don't even know that boy.

Ma, could you just be happy?

'Cause I am. This is huge for me.

I really think he's my one.

I... wouldn't say that so soon.

Dad, can you please tell your girl?

He's been there for me
every single step of the way.

He's been there for you, too.

Mm, I've met him. I like him.

Uh, I wish I could spend
a little more time with him.

Well, we all will get
plenty more chances

'cause he's joining the family.

LUCIOUS: Oh, really?

Family of the new

and improved Lucious Lyon, right?

(LAUGHS)

Well, I guess I'm supposed
to be happy for you.

Yes, Mom, you are.

- Come on, girl, bring it in.
- LUCIOUS: Don't she look happy?

Seriously, both of y'all booed up?

LUCIOUS: Andre, when are we
gonna meet your woman?

Um, I was just... I was making
sure that it was real...

that's all... before I said anything.

Or before your wild-ass
family scared her away.

That's right, 'cause you would.

Let's go get our baby.

HAKEEM: We're really gonna do this?

LUCIOUS: Damn right, we are.

- JAMAL: Will y'all act right?
- ANDRE: Yeah.

(ELEGANT CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

So the threesome didn't happen.

I thought you said you could
get Jamal to do anything.

It had nothing to do with him.

I couldn't go through with that.

Really?

Look, I'm out.

(CHUCKLES) You fell in love with him.

What is it about these Lyons?

Must be pheromones, hmm?

It was the last thing that
I expected to happen, but...

Oh, I expected it.

- Excuse me?
- (CHUCKLES)

Yes, that's why
I asked Anika to step in,

because she's really committed

to helping me take down the Lyon cubs.

- It's not about...
- And look who comes.

WARREN: What the hell
are they doing here?

Oh, the entire Lyon clan.

- Welcome, everyone.
- HAKEEM: Where's Anika?

Welcome.

Where's Bella?

Warren, what are you doing here?

Cookie, do you want to tell
your family what's happening?

So, I guess this is a setup.

Yes, it is.

And my nephew Warren
can provide full details.

Your nephew?

Jamal, I was gonna tell you.
I just didn't have a chance...

DIANA: Oh, Warren, please.

His job was to make you
fall in love with him.

And then take pictures of you.

In a ménage à trois
for the world to see.

HAKEEM: Dad, do something.

COOKIE: This is the time for fighting.

LUCIOUS: I'm back.

ANDRE: Pop, let's go.

- (SCREAMS)
- LUCIOUS: I'm back.

HAKEEM: Dad, come on.

LUCIOUS: I'm back.

HAKEEM: Dad!

JAMAL: No, this is mine.

Jamal, listen to me.
I was just gonna...

Bitch!

(GUESTS GASPING)

Lying-ass bitch, huh?

Ooh.

- WOMAN: Oh, my God.
- JAMAL: Die!

- That's enough.
- Mal!

Mal, get off of him. They're filming.

JAMAL: Why?! Now, you gonna tell me.

- I want to know why. Why?!
- Come on, Mal.

Huh? Huh? Huh?

'Cause your bitch-ass son
got his feelings hurt? Huh?

- Can't be mayor?
- HAKEEM: They filming, Mal.

Huh? I don't give a damn
if they filming.

Come on, film, film this.

Hello! Hello.

All of y'all can film,
I don't give a damn!

- Come on, Mal.
- Come on!

Get off, get off.

We're coming for you, bitch.

Put the damn cameras away!

Lucious, come on, let's go!

See?

God, I wanted to slam his ass
on that table.

And stomp his head
with my prosthetic leg.

Yeah, I know.

- (COOKIE LAUGHING)
- Pop, the car!

What?! Wha...?

LUCIOUS: Go!

Let her go.

sh**t me right here.

- Hey, get your ass out.
- Hey.

The old Lucious would have done that.