Empire Recap Episode 9 – Unto The Breach (VIDEOS)

When Anika found out that Lucious had slept with Cookie once more, even after he promised he never would again, she went straight to his arch enemy, Beretti, for some payback. Maybe she realized at that point that Lucious was hopelessly bound to Cookie by their history and their sons. Maybe she realized she was fighting a losing battle. In any case, she decided to betray Lucious.

At the start of this week’s episode, Cookie storms into the house, interrupting a wedding planner who was helping the couple stage the perfect nuptials. Well, that’s all over. Remember when Anika tried to woo Porsha to her side? I was wondering if she would betray Cookie, and I am happy to say she did not! Porsha went to work for Anika, but it turns out she was a double agent, actually spying for Empire. Cookie and Porsha (get that gurl a raise!) blew the lid off of Anika’s schemes. How awesome was it when Cookie kicked her ass once and for all. After revealing Anika’s traitorous ways to Lucious she turned on her fashionable heels with a BYE FELICIA! And promptly set about throwing her clothes out of the house. Hilarious.

Cookie Uncovers Anika’s Nefarious Plot! Go Porsha!

http://youtu.be/sOD8-rc0zHk

But then, things got serious. Anika’s betrayal included helping Beretti steal away as many of Lucious’ high profile artists as possible. Their rivalry turns into all out war.

After Lucious tasks Malcolm with locking down Empire, the family meets in the corporate war room. It’s time for everyone to put their differences aside and band to together. And they do! But there’s is one terrible problem. Andre, still hurt that his father turned down his bid to be interim CEO, stops taking medication for his bi-polar disorder. He goes crazy, really crazy. And it’s one more thing on Lucious’ already full plate.

The one thing Lucious has over Anika? Her father’s signature on the Key Man policy. If she tells Beretti about his ALS and it jettisons the IPO, Anika’s father will go to jail for fraud. It’s the only thing keeping Anika from being able to totally sink him.

Both Jamal and Hakeem prove their worth to Empire this week. Jamal’s new boyfriend, Ryan, who is filming the coming and goings of  Empire for the Legacy documentary, is also shooting a video with the A list singer, Delphine (Estelle). She’s a big fan of Lucious Lyon, and now an even bigger fan of Jamal after she heard about him coming out with a remix of his dad’s hit. When Ryan introduces them, sparks fly. They duet together, and Delphine becomes a fan for life. It just so happens her current record contract is about up. Jamal sees an opportunity to woo a HUGE artist to Empire.

Ryan videos Jamal’s “All of the Above Music Video

Jamal and Delphine (Estelle) sing “Conqueror”

http://youtu.be/t-WWU696CYE

At first, Lucious’ pride interferes. Delphine would be one of their biggest artists, if they could nab her. To have his gay son responsible for that? It’s too much for the homophobic Lucious, who seems to be a bigoted island unto himself. Literally NO ONE ELSE cares that Jamal is gay, except for Lucious. Jamal finally tells his dad to man up, put his feelings aside, and join with Jamal in taking some heads off. Lucious has got to give Jamal the respect he deserves.

Anika manages to steal away V, the beautiful singer from the pilot. Remember her? And a white rapper, who Lucious believed he had a handshake deal with. When he finds out that Baretti is whisking the rapper away on a plane in order to sing him to Creedmoor, Lucious tries to head him off.  Beretti and his men stop Lucious in the street. They all get out of their cars. It’s like a showdown at the OK corral. Beretti insinuates that he’s sleeping with Anika just to enrage Lucious. “I got what I needed from her,” says Lucious, unruffled. “And then I got rid of her.” He adds, “Oops. I think I did that to you too.” Beretti’s men draw their guns on Lucious, who says he used to pity his old friend. Remember that Lucious used to be one of Beretti’s artists, before he broke away to create Empire. It’s also revealed that Beretti lost a 9 year old child to Leukemia.

V sings Black and Blue for Beretti

http://youtu.be/kh99VKGmqYg

It’s becomes clear that Anika is in over her head. Beretti is looking to take everything away from Lucious. He comes on to Anika, but she actually resists. Lucious is complicated. While Cookie is his destiny, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have feelings for Anika. He wasn’t JUST using Anika to get her dad’s signature on the keyman policy. And Anika still loves Lucious. The regret she has over backstabbing her lover is palpable. But she has no choice but to move forward on the path she has chosen.

Cookie hits up the grody uptown studio where Jamal cut his record. She’s there to win back Royalty, another Empire artist who is about to defect to Creedmoor. She holds her own in a roomful of thugs and they come to respect when they learn of her jail time. She challenges Royalty to some two fisted drinking involving some nasty homemade hooch. If she can out drink him, he’ll stay with Empire. Guess who wins. She’s so drunk when she leaves the studio, that she nearly gets rolled. Good thing Malcolm the security guy shows up to save her. She’s so drunk, she comes on to Malcolm with hilarious lines. “Cookie. That’s my name. Take a bite.” Malcolm says he has rules. He’s paid to read people. And the way Lucious looks at her? He’s still in love with Cookie. That means hands off. See that? Yup.

As the crisis worsens, so does Andre. Off his meds, he takes a suitcase full of money that was meant to pay off defecting artists and blew it on a Lamborghini. When he finally makes it back to Empire, with everyone looking for him, he gets stuck on an elevator with his brothers. The lights are out and he’s trapped. He begins to panic. A fist fight breaks out, but then Andre loses it. The scene is so heartbreaking, as he confesses how inferior he’s always felt to his talented siblings. They were still babies when he was working impossibly long hours for Empire. He protected them when they were kids. It’s so clear how much these three brothers have been through together. It bonds them. In a bid to calm Andre down, Jamal reminds him of the song he and Cookie would sing to him and Hakeem when they got scared. The three of them sing Bill Wither’s “Lean on Me” and Andre dissolves. The brothers hug and sob.

Hakeem has to prove his worth to Lucious as well. He’s callow and immature. Can he step up to the plate? He finally does when he teams up with Cookie to keep his ex-girlfriend Tiana on the roster. Anika, on her way to meet Tiana, is sidelined by Hakeem who tries to stall her, while Cookie takes her place at the dinner meeting. “I know my dad didn’t do right by you,” says Hakeem, “but I got to do right by him.” When Anika realizes what’s going down, Hakeem’s posse emerges from the shadows to keep her away from Cookie and Anika, while he exits to join them. Anika was feeding Tiana her usual bull to lure her away to Creedmoor. Hakeem sticks up for his mom. He says there’s NOBODY who will fight harder for her than Cookie. Tiana is skeptical at his change of heart. He says out loud that he didn’t mean the shitty things he said about his mom, and that he hoped she would forgive him. A very heartfelt mother/son moment ensues. Tiana wants to stay at Empire, but she also wants Hakeem back. Nope. Hakeem is in love with Camilla. He won’t lie to Tiana, much to his mama’s chagrin. Empire is family says Cookie. Beretti only cares about settling some old score with Lucious. Empire will take care of Tiana.

Hakeem and Cookie are trying to keep Tiana in the fold. Jamal and Lucious are signing Delphine at Leviticus. Eventually, they all come together at the club and sing “You’re so Beautiful” together, and it’s awesome.

http://youtu.be/P2Q1Dh6H17U

The episode ends on a shattering note. Andre’s wife, Rhonda arrives. Andre, completely out of his mind, screams at her. When Lucious enters the room, Andre’s maniacal wrath turns on him full force. When choosing the son to take over Empire, Andre advises his father, “pick the one who knows you’re a murderer.” Finally, the EMTs arrive and strap him forcibly onto a gurney. Rhonda tearfully signs the 48 hour hold.

And until next week, where it looks like Jennifer Hudson plays his “music therapist” who might be offering more than a couple of nice songs. Hm. Mary J. Blige also stars.

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