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GREAT GREAT EPISODE!
Nice to see the episode open with Andre and Lucious holding hand.
Of course Cookie showing know respect for the gone.
Oh Rhonda is the new lead of the Empire fashion design.
I have a problem with Andre accusing Rhonda of cheating because umm... I remember their extreme open relationship from Season 1 but okay.
I like how Cookie and Jamal relationship is sort of the way they were during Season 1 when they always went to events together, and were the two together at all the times. Nice that the writers caught on quickly with how ridiculous the idea to ever part Cookie and Jamal was. It was the core relationship of S1 for me.
I loved Cookie fashion and hair in this episode.
I liked how Cookie organized everything.
Nice that everybody remembered it was Cookie's birthday, although wouldn't this be her second birthday since she was back since Empire aired in January last year?... well I guess according to today's storyline, it hasn't even been a year since Cookie has been out of jail.
I liked Lucious showing Cookie the spot where Dwight Walker became Lucious Lyon.
Tiana frustration for Laura and her Mirage a Trois group surely keeps growing in this episode.. Tiana feels that Mirage a Trios want to be the headline instead of the sidechicks on the tough. lol Becky just at the sidelines like. um okay..... although in the end I guess Becky knew how upset Tiana was so she had to go at Laura in front of her.
I liked both Becky and Jamal for not liking how Hakeem handles his group.
I completely agreed with Tiana being upset, and her quote pretty much summed it up: "Look, nobody gave me special treatment when we were dating. We always kept it professional."
Also Laura hair surely looks different and more mature with the new hair due. I guess all she had to do was lose her v-card to look all grown up.
We saw Laura's parents. I didn't expect to see that! Happy to see that. It was also sad when Hakeem realized his family was not at all like Laura's.
I loved the Porsha and Cookie interaction. Funny dynamic even if it was short.
Jamal and Hakeem just rolling through the hood. I really love how things are so great in their relationship again. Their relationship is so up and down also that young boy had some nice bars. If he keeps with that pace, he will have a pretty dope career when he cross up.
Of course Jamal is obvious with his singing bars. lol
I loved Jamal being upset with his mother even though he's not trying to show it too much..
Also I liked Freda during that scene. She told Jamal and Hakeem not to get robbed out in the streets, however, they did warn her that Lucious will abandon her even if she does consider him as a father. Of course she didn't want to believe that because of her loyalty to Lucious and how much he's helped her but as the episode progressed I think the words of Jamal start to sink into Freda's mind and she starts to think of his offer to make a duet together.
I can be down with Freda and Jamal's friendship because I like how they probably can relate to one another through their connection with their fathers.
The duet of Freda and Jamal is good because of the realness they pour into their music.
I like to see Lucious struggle with his past, and I like how Cookie was sort of the one uplifting him up while throwing shade at Harper Scott.
This Lucious and Cookie scene was probably my favorite of the series. I just loved how open Lucious was to Cookie and when he revealed how Frank Gathers saved him. However, if everyone remembers, Lucious made sure he died in that prison... he did it because of his love for Cookie.
I didn't think this until now but I hope Andre didn't push Andre down the stairs. Just by the way Lucious describe what happened with his mother, and her memory loss... it really made me think that Andre could've pushed Rhonda and has no memory of it although it can be his self conscious because Andre is keep on talking about the vision God is giving
It was sad but very powerful for Lucious to have had to relive his past through the music video.
I loved Cookie's natural motherly instincts. And how the words she was telling to the young boy was really to Lucious. Seems like Lucious probably fell for Cookie harder than before... and the sad thing is that he probably doesn't even deserve her love but Cookie love for Lucious is powerful.
This Tiana song grow on me each episode. I went from not liking it, to liking it and to liking it even more in this episode. lol
Aww Jamal is such a great son. He didn't want to be at the family dinner but for Cookie's birthday he gave her flowers and had a day of mother/son day planned out. Just so lovely.
I do understand Cookie being sad over feeling like she's "forced" to choose sides... however, Lucious made Jamal choose between him and her. So I don't get how she can bring up being "forced to choose sides" especially to Jamal of all people... I loved when he brought
I love how Jamal saw straight through Cookie and he knew she was falling for him again. He might not understand it but at least he told her to be careful.
That was nice that the Cookie's son's surprised her. I love how much Cookie loves her family through everything.
"Apparently they love you more than they hate me." Great sons you have Cookie.
Why did Cookie show that video!
Poor Andre. That scene between Andre and Lucious was wow. Andre anger about getting rejected his whole life for no reason and not understanding why even though Lucious had all the answers. Trai Byers KILLED THAT SCENE. and Terrence Howard as well. One of the best scenes of the series for me.
Hakeem asking Laura to propose. I didn't expect that one. Too bad it's probably about to get ruined with Anika's sercret. However, I loved how Hakeem being around Laura's family made him want to have a better life.
Also when Cookie found out Freda was Frank Gathers daughter.
Wow Rhonda got in the car with Anika.
It sure had a creepy feel to the scene.
It's so obvious that Anika is the baby killer. but I don't know.... it still seems so obvious.
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I agree with almost everything you wrote about this episode. The only thing I do disagree with is the part about Anika being a "baby killer".
I don't know whether it was Danny Strong or maybe even Lee Daniels but one of the two has stated that the person who pushed Rhonda down those stairs is NOT Anika. That was the only clue they gave to that whole arc.
My thoughts on that are focused on two people. The first one being Ms Roxanne Ford, the Federal prosecutor/former Federal prosecutor. In the "Poor Yurick" episode in the 1st half of this season, when Roxanne had Cookie brought in on that bogus warrant, she flat out told Cookie in the interview room after Cookie bragged about how strong she and her boys, her family were, Roxanne said: "Even that bipolar son of yours...Yeah, honey I will hurt your kids real bad.....How is Andre going to respond when I leak his recent medical reports? Child, I sure hope he don't kill himself". Cookie then responds back with: "You need to kill yourself with that whack weave uptop yo head". Roxanne laughs and then retorts back: "Go ahead and laugh Cookie...play hard but I got you. Now if you don't give me what I want, I'll come after your boys". She was dead stinking ass serious about those threats and meant business and Cookie knew she meant business. Also when Roxanne walked into that small holding area where Lucious was pulled out to meet with her, which was against every single law because Lucious did not have his attorney there with him, she was trying in vain to send a message to Lucious. However for every threat that she made to Lucious about the amount of time he would be spending in prison, he came back with quips like "See that, you just gave me goosebumps" to her threat of "I'm going to be your worst nightmare". However she got very offended when he said to her "So that's your campaign. You plan on running for attorney general but as a Republican..and you think that being a black bitch in cheap shoes who took down hip hop is your way to victory...let me share something with you Ms Clarence Thomas...I don't care how many of us you lock behind bars, you're never gonna be more then a black bitch in cheap shoes to me". Of course her response was "A black bitch in cheap shoes that'll jam they right up yo yellow ass...Is that how you want it?" Of course one of the best Lucious Lyon come backs happened with "Pay good money for it". It was however the next line that made me think it could possibly be Roxanne Ford as the pusher because of all the comebacks that Lucious had, him referencing her "cheap shoes" really seemed to bother her when she told him she had made him the best offer and closed with "And their Tom Ford by the way". The look on her face showed how offended she was that he didn't know they were Tom Ford shoes. Now juxtapose that to the scene after Rhonda is pushed down the staircase and she glimpses the bottom of what appear to be Christian Louboutin studded flats with the signature red soles. There was a reason why those shoes were seen by Rhonda. My thought is they are going to be seen by Rhonda at some point in a fleeting glance and those memories will come rushing/flooding back in and she will remember that Andre is actually right when he says that someone caused them to lose their child.
The second person who it possibly could be would be Thirsty. I know it sounds weird but when Andre first told Lucious that Rhonda was pregnant Lucious first thought was "Aren't you worried about the child's mental health". When Andre said "No because bipolar doesn't run in our family" he clearly didn't know that Lucious knew otherwise because of his mother. So would Lucious go so far as to kill his own grandchild for fear that this disorder could be passed down to the grandchild? Yes, I think unfortunately it is all too possible when you have a character like Lucious who is a sociopath in every sense of the word. Also when you watch the movements of the "pusher" as I refer to him/her, it does somewhat look like a male figure and Thirsty has a strange walk or gait.
So those are my two guesses as to who pushed Rhonda.
Loved, loved, loved this episode. Taraji and Terrence just killed that scene of them together. I actually felt sorrow and hurt for Lucious in having to witness what he did.
Of course in a coming attraction called "Rising Above" it seems that maybe Lucious didn't see what he thought he did....just saying...
