Heavy is the head that wears the crown and Jamal’s head is pretty darn weighted these days. He’s got Cookie interrupting interviews and buttering him up for Hakeem’s unreleased album and Hakeem pretending to be #TeamEmpire while leaking the album online. Rhonda is tugging at Jamal’s heartstrings by telling Jamal she’s pregnant with his brother Andre’s baby so he’ll re-hire Andre and Lucious is up in prison switching lawyers and cutting tracks. Speaking of Lucious’ track “Snitch B*tch” featuring Petey Pablo, what an infectious monster that one is especially because the Chicago in Terrence Howard cannot be contained. Yes sir, that song will be in heavy rotation when we hit the elliptical. Tweeters agreed. And as an added bonus, we now know what Petey Pablo’s role is and that his character’s name is Clyde.
Lucious and crew got me like #Empire pic.twitter.com/2xe6FKiHKl
— Monaaaa (@____monaaaa) October 1, 2015
As for the newly burdened and more hardened Jamal, he should just leave Cookie alone and let her do her thing. She and Hakeem will be busy with Lyons Dynasty (great label name BTDubs) and she was the one who had Jamal’s back when no one else did or did he forget that? Other high points from the new season’s second installment, “Without a Country,” include Andre Royo aka Bubs from The Wire guesting as Lucious’ shady but effective new lawyer, Kelly Rowland’s brief but powerful turn as Lucious’ mentally unstable mother in a flashback, Cookie cussing out Boo Boo Kitty, the introduction of Valentina the feisty Latina (guest star Becky G), and Ludacris’ cameo as a corrupt prison guard.
Noooooow I get it!!! #Empire pic.twitter.com/mPQ1NthmIm
— Ramel (@itsRamel) October 1, 2015
Low points include Anika aka Boo Boo Kitty not having any real purpose in the episode, Tiana’s body stocking (great song though), Jamal rolling up on Hakeem like he was going to shoot him from the backseat of his Bentley, and the judge’s kinky pictures being enough to get Lucious bail. Really? The prosecutor is just going to let that happen?
All the lawyers on the TL looking like: #Empire pic.twitter.com/6Oy048Ffot
— W.E.B DemBois (@Phil_Cosby_) October 1, 2015
Despite such absurdities, the catchy lines and beats kept us laughing, screaming and glued to the screen.
“You pray to God he forgives you cuz I don’t.” #Empire pic.twitter.com/dmvV2Abx5K
— Nicole (@Nikki528) October 1, 2015
What did you think of “Without a Country”? Weigh in below.