Empire Recap: Strange Bedfellows

“Strange Bedfellows” (4/5/2017) unfolded around Hakeem’s 21st birthday. Hakeem interrupted a meeting to tell his parents about the car he wants. Lucious, Cookie and Thirsty were trying to find out what Leah Walker knows about Tariq and the missing Anika. Leah owned up to going to Tariq for help in getting rid of Anika. Then they have to figure out what Anika knows that could get any of them in trouble. Lucious claims he never told Anika anything incriminating about Cookie himself.

Cookie sought Angelo’s help in locating Anika, but first, Angelo wanted to know what she’s hiding from him. What could Anika know that she is so worried about it? On top of that, he flipped out when he found a gun in her apartment. Cookie said it was a gift and she has never used it. Angelo realized Lucious gave it to her. He made her promise to get rid of it, then asked her if she ever shot anyone. Cookie had a flashback to her youth when she was alone and one of Lucious’ friends came by and tried to get handsy with her. She shot him in the knee. In the present, in Angelo’s arms, she denied ever having shot anyone.

Anika contacted Lucious on a burner phone so she could return and tell him how she did not cooperate with Tariq. Upon her return, she was confronted with Lucious and Cookie threatening to do her in if she didn’t have a good reason why not to. Anika’s plan involves seducing Tariq so the Feds will have to drop the case for good. Mama Walker barged in with a gun, claiming that Tariq was too smart to fall for “lying snake” Anika. Lucious got the gun off her and told Anika if it didn’t work out he would let his momma shoot her. Seriously, you have to laugh at this stuff. Lucious complained about the bodyguard letting his mother give him the slip, but he’s got handguns lying around his house where mentally unstable old women can just grab them up whenever the mood strikes.

Speaking of unstable, can you say Derek, as in D-Major unstable. This dude ain’t about taking no for an answer from Jamal. He came out of the closet on live video and sauntered over to Jamal’s place, where Jamal and Philip were just waking up together, thinking that Jamal would fall into his arms. But Jamal told him to get out! Philip left instead, saying they need to straighten things out. Jamal wasn’t having it. Derek angrily threw his phone on the floor, demanding to talk but Jamal walked away.

Later, Derek showed up at the studio and laid a guilt trip on Jamal about how he came out for him. Jamal explained that you don’t come out for someone else, and said Derek was wrong to drop his name as the reason on social media. Derek cried about how scared he is now that he did that because he’s already lost 3 gigs behind it. Cookie appeared and rudely attacked Derek, calling him one of Jamal’s suppliers. Jamal defended Derek on that but asked him to leave so he could talk to his mother. Cookie told Jamal he better dump Derek before he loses Philip. Jamal has already dumped Derek, right? But instead he told Cookie that she ought to drop Lucious before she loses Angelo. They agreed to deal with their own dirty laundry and she wanted to know if she is losing her street cred by being with Angelo. Jamal didn’t think that would be so bad.

Jamal later explained to Philip why he was trying to help Derek. Philip doesn’t understand what it’s like to come out in the music business. Philip said it’s the same in the military. A confrontation between Derek and Philip ensued. Derek taunted him and Philip responded with a punch in the face. Where is this all leading? It certainly is a parallel to the Cookie/Lucious/Angelo triangle.

And speaking of triangles, Andre tried to put the moves on Guiliana but she never messes with another woman’s man, at least not without permission. Andrew claimed he has an arrangement with Nessa and that she is aware that this is how he does business. Guiliana took the contract he proposed and said she will get back to him. She went to meet a guy named Gino, who wanted to know where her husband Rafael is. Guiliana said Rafael was skimming money and she got rid of him. She gave Gino a bag with the money Rafael supposedly skimmed. Gino considered getting rid of her. If he does, she said, he’ll never get to do business with Lucious Lyon. This is Gino’s Achilles’ heel, evidently and he is all ears and ready to let her live. And evidently, Lucious is getting wind of some of this Vegas stuff because he asked Andre if he knew anything about a huge business opportunity for Empire out there. Andre denied it.

Hakeem’s birthday turned into the worst one of this life after he got in a beef with a club owner and some local thugs offered their assistance. Hakeem thanked them by letting them join the party and one of them took a fancy to Tiana’s friend Kennedy. When Kennedy didn’t take a fancy to him, the guy punched her and a melee broke out. Andre jumped all over Hakeem for bringing this all down on Empire’s head. Tiana was angry that Hakeem was complaining about how his night got ruined and didn’t even care what happened to Kennedy, who was at the hospital. Jamal tells him it’s all his own fault because of the misogynistic lyrics he spits. Hakeem decided to go to his father’s to get Bella. Lucious asked himm to talk for a few minutes and flattered him by blaming his own overindulgence for Hakeem’s fault. Lucious said tonight Hakeem has shown that he’s a Lyon who looks after his responsibility over everything else and tells him to protect Bella with his very life. This all seemed so stuck in there and out of place but whatever Lucious does, you always wonder what’s up his sleeve.

Just like Tariq must have been wondering what is up Anika’s sleeve when she extracted a promise from him that he will personally protect her. They shared a big hug.