Empire Recap: My Naked Villainy

Lucious Lyon was so sick in “My Naked Villainy” (4-12-2017) that they had to set up a ventilator in his bedroom, after he refused to go to the ICU. He had Thirsty promise to keep watch over the family “snakes.” Cookie, “the only healthy CEO,” went off to listen to Jamal’s efforts at capturing her love affair with Lucious in song and video. She told Jamal that with Lucious bedridden, now’s their chance to shoot the video and release a teaser without any interference. For all her shady moves and tough talk, Cookie was at war with herself in this episode, more than anyone else.

Jamal’s song gave her a flashback to the first time she went out on a drug drop for Lucious. The thing is it was her idea. Lucious did not want her to be involved in his business but she insisted that he work on his music because that was going to bring them success. Think about how she lied to Angelo about ever shooting anyone in the last episode. We think these flashbacks are eventually going to bring Cookie to the realization that she has been blaming Lucious for a lot of things that were her own doing.

Kennedy, the assault victim at Hakeem’s birthday party, and her attorney held a press conference where it was announced that they were suing Empire for $50 million, plus an apology from Hakeem and cancellation of his club appearances. This produced 3 factions: Thirsty out to destroy Kennedy’s credibility by digging up stuff from her past; Andrew wanting to settle, presumably without admitting fault; and Hakeem wanting to take responsbility.

Giuliana showed up while Andre and Nessa were discussing her possible Vegas gig. Giuliana asked Andre to get her a drink, saying “I’m parched.” This woman is a piece of work. That was just a ploy to talk to Nessa alone and she asked Nessa how her “arrangement” works. Nessa had no idea she had the kind of arrangement Nessa was hinting at and later told Andre so. That’s his way of doing business, he smirked. She pointed out that maybe that was so when he was with Rhonda but if he plans on getting her signature on anything, he better can that plan.

After Anika was threatened with dire consequences if she didn’t speed up her Tariq entrapment, she was left alone with Lucious and reminded him that there would be some pretty cool consequences for her if he died. They didn’t sign a pre-nup and she will get everything. To emphasize her point, she grabbed hold of his oxygen hose and demanded that he tell Thirsty to back off. Lucious pulled a gun out from under the covers and shakily tried to point it at her. LOL! She could have just taken that thing right off him in his condition but she left the room. She later went to prevail upon Cookie to take care of Bella in case something happens to her, like jail or death.

Giuliana’s next move was to bring Andre to a meeting with Gino who tried to play the Big Cheese, demanding 25% off the top per month for Empire to do business in Vegas. He had some thugs there to show he wasn’t flexing his muscles all alone. Shine and his thugs arrived shifting the power balance in Andre’s favor and Gino folded like a little wuss, accepting 5%. Guiliana cooed at Andre that she knew there was something about him she liked. Yeah, that she could get to Lucious through him. If Andre wasn’t so enthralled with himself, he might have seen through his.

After voting in the mayoral primary, Cookie and Angelo were accosted by excited fans who just saw the teaser and were babbling about “Team Coocious,” a ridiculous portmanteau of Cookie and Lucious. Angelo expressed his anger and frustration with all that, while Cookie had another flashback to her entry into the drug world. Her old boyfriend Barry saw her standing on the street and wanted to know what Lucious got her into. Young Cookie told him she makes her own decisions.

Jamal and Cookie managed to convince Hakeem that he was doing Kennedy wrong and he could use the power of music on Jamal’s channel to send out a message that no woman deserves to be mistreated the way Kennedy was. Andre was furious that Hakeem made a public admission of guilt with his rap and announced that he was calling a board meeting without Lucious.

But Lucious, even in his sickbed, was a step ahead and called the entire board to his bedside. He called Andre a liar, and a bad one at that. Andre played the role and showed everyone the details of the Vegas investment deal he was working on. Cookie wanted to know what Empire’s hip hop world had to do with Vegas, but Andre said things have changed and it’s all about J-Lo, Bruno Mars and the Weeknd out there now. Everyone except Lucious was amazed at the numbers they were being shown. Lucious told Andre he was fired. Andre reminded him that at a board meeting, he needed a second to take that action. Lucious called for one and no one would back him up. So he kicked them all out.

At the mayoral election, Cookie and Angelo reveled in their Lucious-less evening, despite the closeness of the race. But it was not to be. Lucious showed up and told Angelo he’d buy him a drink when he lost. Angelo won (of course) and Lucious swiftly changed tactics and virtually took over their spotlight to play a song called “You’re So Beautiful,” that he wrote for Cookie many years ago. It had quite the effect on Cookie and Angelo could not have failed to notice.

Giuliana appeared suddenly and touched Lucious’ shoulder. He said she had a lot of nerve (that she does), and wanted to know why he shouldn’t just kill her. Giuliana asked him to play the song he wrote for her and said she is about to make their dreams come true.

D-Major made one appearance in this episode, still not taking no for an answer. Jamal told him if he really cares, he will back off. This situation has to come to some kind of crisis soon. There can’t be any other reason to keep having the obsessed D-Major show up at all other than to have him go off the deep end.