Tonight, on Empire, “Dangerous Bonds,” Hakeem and Jamal get to work on their singles, with the former shooting an expensive video while the latter has has to scrape his pennies together to afford time in a seedy (but well repped) uptown studio.
Meanwhile…ANDRE and his wife, Rhonda, plot and plan to undermine them BOTH.
AND we find out why Tiana isn’t the least bit bothered that Hakeem has a “side piece.” In the end, it’s kind of a win/win for Hakeem!
Lucious proposes to Anika and she says YES. They have dinner with Anika’s parents to break the news. But also, Lucious needs a HUGE and morally suspect favor from Anika’s father, a well respected doctor.
Cookie testifies in front of the grand jury, and almost immediately, weird scary things begin to happen. However, she makes a grave and shocking mistake that will reverberate through the rest of the season.
Tiana and Hakeem are the new “it” couple. The press can’t get enough of them on the red carpet, where one reporter refers to Hakeem as “son of Lucious Lyons.” Tiana is defensive, “Soon everyone will be referring to Lucious as the father of Hakeem.” The rapper drops a scoop. He is about to drop the video for his new single “Drip Drop.” After the event, Tiana excuses herself early rather than continue to suck face with Hakeem in the car. It turns out, Hakeem ain’t the only one with a side piece. Hakeem ain’t even the only one with another WOMAN. Tiana’s real significant other is a pretty blond female model. Steely and ambitious, Tiana’s relationship with Hakeem is ALL BUSINESS.
Next, Lucious has a romantic evening planned for Anika that includes a private concert from Anthony Hamilton. Telling her that he’ll fight ALS with everything he has, Lucious gets down on one knee and proposes. The diamond is HUGE. Just like the one Richard Burton gave to Elizabeth Taylor. Of course, Anika says YES YES YES. Lucious wants to keep the engagement secret until they break the news to her parents at dinner in a few days.
Jamal and Cookie arrive at a seedy uptown studio. Forced to use his own money after breaking off from his dad, a crummy joint with bullet hole ridden doors is all he can afford. While Cookie turns up her nose, Jamal reminds her that lots of hits came out of the place. His meager budget only allows for ONE DAY to cut a song.
As soon as they get settled, Cookie’s phone goes off. It’s Agent Carter. She has to leave. Before she departs, she says to the producer, “You take care of my baby boy. If not,” she pats her purse, “I’m holding. The name’s Cookie. Ask about me.” YASSSS.
All I Can Afford
Cookie and Jamal arrive at a seedy uptown studio.
http://youtu.be/zCryN6zEzEo
Agent Carter meets her outside. Cookie must testify in front of the grand jury. She doesn’t feel right about it, but Carter insists her testimony will be sealed and nobody will know. We find out a little bit more about why they want Cookie to talk. A really bad man will get out of prison if she doesn’t.
Hakeem plays “Drip Drop” for Lucious and Anika. They are digging it. Hakeem insists that he has to reinvent himself. Play to peoples’ fantasies. “We got to be audacious,” says Hakeem. Lucious is impressed. The only problem is that, with the IPO looming, projects HAVE to stay under budget. Lucious, taken with Hakeem’s vision, insists that Andre FIND the money.
Rhonda has pulled her husband down to her photography studio for a surprise. “God loves us!” she chirps, leading him to a corner where Tiana and her girlfriend (a model) are making out on a divan. Rhonda whips out her smart phone and begins snapping photos.
Cut to the grand jury, the scene, filled with awkward exposition, reveals exactly why the feds want Cookie to testify. At one time, she sold cocaine for the Frank Gathers organization. They have photos of her meeting with a buyer. Flashback 17 years to Cookie getting out of a car to sell a ton of drugs to a man who is suddenly gunned down by Frank Gathers himself. He pulls up in a car, where Cookie gets a clear look at him. The Feds who come bursting out, guns blazing only see the man get blown away. Cookie is busted.
After Cookie confirms the identity of the shooter, she learns that the man who Gathers shot was also a fed. This makes her situation a million times worse. “Dead bitch walking, that’s me,” says Cookie. She has no faith whatsoever that ANYBODY can protect her. “Men like Frank Gathers reach from prison and drop people dead every day,” she tells Agent Carter.
Can You Protect Me?
Cookie testifies in front of the Grand Jury.
http://youtu.be/_aFIkZN-CoI
Andre has come up with a plan to find more money for Hakeem’s video. He suggests to Lucious that they feature Tiana on the video, thereby allowing them to pull money from her budget. The only problem of course, is dealing with her manager, Cookie. Lucious behaves as if it’s the most brilliant idea ever. But, since Hakeem and Tiana are a thing anyway, wouldn’t the idea have been their first thought?
Vernon has some bad news. The underwriters are insisting that they get a policy, signed by a physician, that states Lucious is in good health. Of course “set to die in 3 years” is not exactly “good health.” Anika’s father is a prominent doctor. The wheels in Lucious’ head begin turning. He mentions to Vernon that he just proposed to Anika with an 18 carat diamond. He also mentions, a little wistfully, that his wedding anniversary to the “Cookie Monster” was coming up. It’s so obvious that he still has feelings for her.
Cookie is finally out the door, on her way to the studio, when she finds a rose dropped on the welcome mat. OMG. The rose is the insignia of the Gathers organization. She is convinced that he knows she snitched and that she is now a marked woman. She begins to freak out. Carter isn’t reachable. She packs a gun and a ton of cash….Andre is at the door to ask if Tiana can appear in Hakeem’s video which is shooting TODAY. NO says Cookie at first. Andre begs her, appealing to her motherly instincts. ‘I’m asking for help,” he says. When he mentions that “the board” won’t allocate more money for the video, Cookie want to know what that is, and she’ll make Tiana available for the video shoot ONLY if she’s asked to sit on that board. “No board, No Tiana, No Video,” says Cookie, shooing Andre out the door.
At the video shoot, Hakeem and Tiana film in front of a green screen. Not exactly location shooting. But OK. Meanwhile, back at the ghetto studio, Jamal is struggling to get his sound right. The tune is a total diss track, aimed at his dad. YOU CAN KEEP YOUR MONEY he sings. He knows something isn’t right, he just can’t figure it out. He plays it for Cookie over the phone. Talking before the intro is dated, she says, Get right to the song. “You got a good hook, baby.” She advises switching up the beat. In the meantime, she’s hailed a cab, and after waving some cash, the driver agrees to take her to Philadelphia.
“You people always misbehave,” grouses the Indian cabbie. “What you mean by ‘you people'” shoots Cookie. “YOU BLACK LIKE ME.”
Hakeem gets all braggy with his friends. “Drip Drop” is gonna put Kendrick, Drake and J. Cole on notice. He apologizes to Tiana for not thinking of her for his video first. The song plays, He’s surrounded by busty woman on a bed. He’s living the life of a king. The video is about fulfilling fantasies. It’s 180 degrees from the realism Jamal is laying down uptown.
As Andre eyes Hakeem’s thuggy friends, it gives him an idea. He steps outside to call Rhonda to make sure “operation out Tiana” is on point. He instructs her to anonymously upload the photo to all sites. Which had ME ROARING. NOPE. NOT. NO. That’s not how it works I screamed, as Rhonda personally uploads the photos of Tiana and her girlfriend to Perez Hilton’s site. Immediately, the photos go viral. The sight of Cookie’s assistant, Porsha, freaking out after she finds the photos online, is pretty hilarious.
When Hakeem learns of Tiana’s extra-curricular activities, he’s upset. Hurt, actually. NOW YOU UNDERSTAND why she didn’t care about YOUR side chick. She has one too. All’s fair, dude.
The Secret Is Out
Tiana’s secret life goes viral.
http://youtu.be/v6ZeIhc-aTo
“Is this how we really roll,” Hakeem says as he confronts Tiana. “We supposed to be a team. What you do reflects off me.” And what about the other way around, dude. She reminds him, loudly, that he’s got someone on the side, too. The assembled group is HIGHLY amused by this. Hakeem storms out.
Andre isn’t finished. He runs an idea by Rhonda. What if he sent Hakeem’s freeloading posse uptown to hassle Jamal? He’s sure they’re harmless. “Do it!” says Rhonda. Andre lets it slip within earshot where Jamal is and that he’s wearing expensive clothes and jewelry. They head up there. Nice friends, Hakeem. About to roll your brother.
Uptown, Jamal has incorporated Cookie’s ideas, and the tune is beginning to gel, “Even though you’ve got the gay thing going on, ” says one of the team, “You got heat boy.” In other words: This shit is so amazing, typically homophobic hip hop fans aren’t even going to care. Jamal STILL thinks something is missing. He suggests flipping the beat. Just as he is about to go back in the booth, Hakeem’s posse shows up brandishing guns. One of the dudes freaks out and shoots a guy. The dude demands Jamal’s jewelry. He isn’t wearing any. He peers closer, and recognizes Hakeem’s friend. He’s disgusted, assuming his brother put him up to robbing him in order to ruin his session. Ya got the wrong brother, Jamal.
Next, the studio owner bursts in with a shot gun. “We can make this a standoff, or make it a multiple homicide.” That’s a pretty easy decision for Hakeem’s “friends” to make.
Cookie arrives at her sister, Carol’s, house in Philly. She don’t want the drama brought back to her, but she agrees to help Cookie out. She’s convinced that the guy running things on the outside for Frank, left the rose. “He like to play mind games,” says Carol, “And then he kills you.”
Uptown, everybody has bailed on Jamal. “When musicians are shot, that’s the end of the day,” says the producer. He begs the studio owner to allow him to finish. If it has been one of the owner’s enemies who had kicked in the door, Jamal would have gotten a free day! Meanwhile, Cookie is the fixer. Pulled into everyone ELSE’S silly problems, via multiple cell phone calls. AND SHE HANDLES IT ALL. She tells the studio owner to put some rookies on the song. She calls Tiana a freak, but she ain’t mad, cause they can sell that. She calls Lucious to persuade him to get Hakeem back in the studio. NOW WHO SHOULD BE RUNNING EMPIRE? Bitch, please.
Lucious and Anika have dinner at their home with her parents. The dad, Steven, is a very staid and prominent doctor. And as waspy as they come. Lucious compliments dad for raising an “extraordinary woman” who has agreed to marry him, despite having ALS. Eyebrows raise. The doctor didn’t know. In another room, Anika’s mom, a very elegant black woman, reminds her daughter that she threw a Julliard education, and a promising career as a pianist away, to hook up with a womanizing thug. Anika insists that “things have changed now.” Mom whispers ominously “YOU’LL SEE.”
Meanwhile Dr. Steven promises Lucious he’ll reach out to the ALS specialists he knows, but there really isn’t anything out there that changes the prognosis. He wasn’t initially supportive of the engagement, but he knows Anika loves Lucious, so he’ll do everything he can. Then Lucious brings up the policy for the IPO. When he suggests Steven sign off on the document fraudulently, the doctor becomes angry, “You’re just a thug.” But when Lucious reminds him that his daughter will become a billionaire “in her own right” if Empire goes public, he considers it. “Does Anika need to know about this?” asks the doctor. “No” answer Lucious. He promises NOT to tell her.
Back in Philadelphia, Cookie pays a neighborhood dude who used to run drugs for her, to “make the roses stop.” She hands him five grand and says, “You do know what I mean when I say handle this bastard.” He answers, “I takes care of business.”
Jamal is back in business, but with what amounts to a bunch of studio interns. The kids are green, but they turn out to be talented. It takes a little time, but they make progress. They finish just as Cookie pulls up. She suggests they mix Jamal’s voice up, making the track PERFECT.
Jamal’s Keep Your Money
Seriously. This is perfect.
Vernon convinces Hakim to come back to the shoot. When he arrives, he’s annoyed to find both Tiana and her girlfriend there. Lucious reminds Hakeem that Jamal is in the studio RIGHT NOW cutting a new jam. He can’t afford to waste time. Also. Lucious reminds him, “Your girlfriend has a girlfriend. Add that up.” THREESOMES STUPID. “It’s a mathematicians dream,” says Lucious, “It’s trigonometry!” Tiana introduces Hakeem to her girl and it looks like they’re on their way to a beautiful friendship, if you know what I mean. And I think you do.
Hakeem and Tiana Drip Drop Video
We cut back and forth between Hakeem and Jamal finishing their respective projects. Jamal is uptown, raw and real. Hakeem is covered in gold and girls. A complete fantasy. The thing Empire sells to the young black kids who LIVE that uptown reality.
When Hakeem comes home, Jamal is waiting for him. He confronts him about his posse. “Somebody got shot, because somebody wanted to ruin my session.” Hakeem denies it. “I wouldn’t do that to you.” Hakeem hits back, “you’re still worrying about singles, when I’m going to be iconic.” Jamal says angrily, “You ain’t nothing but Lucious’ little boy.” Hakeem shoves him. Jamal shoves back “You always come to me for advice, now I’m going to give you some,” he says.” And he punches Hakeem right in the gut. “Don’t ever underestimate me,” says Jamal. “Little brother.”
Never suspecting that Andre was involved, Hakeem calls to tell him what went down uptown at Jamal’s studio session. Andre plays stupid, and doesn’t seem at all upset that the confrontation became violent. What Hakeem wants is more money, fast, to finish the video. He wants to drop it ASAP ahead of Jamal. Andre promises to “help.” QUOTES INTENDED.
Lucious drops by to see Cookie. He mistakes a baby photo of Jamal she has displayed as Andre, which shows you how detached he really is from his children. He thanks Cookie for lending Tiana to the video shoot. But then. The thing he really has to say. He gets romantic. Sentimental. Almost coming on to her. Then the bottom falls out. It turns out that it was HIM. HE DROPPED THE ROSE AT HER DOOR AS AN ANNIVERSARY PRESENT. Cookie instantly realizes the grave mistake she has made. She calls her sister. But it’s too late. Cut to the runner pulling up to the victim’s car. “Smell the roses,” he snarls, before shooting him in the head. A group of cronies pop up behind the hit man to finish the dude off. Cookie is f*cked.
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