Alas, it’s time for the Empire midseason finale. The show won’t be back with new episodes until March 22 (seriously) and while that’s a very long wait, the series gave us a juicy enough finale to keep us satisfied until then.
Let’s get to it, then. When Angelo’s ability to relate to middle-class votes comes into question at a campaign speech, Cookie steps up and vouches for him. This becomes a big boon for the campaign — “The Cookie Effect” as they call it in the episode, because she is getting middle-class voters to back Angelo. She announces that the DuBois Captain’s Ball will be held in the streets with the people.
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At the new Captain’s Ball, Hakeem and Tiana perform and the crowd loves it — and them together. Hakeem whispers that he can’t wait to introduce Tiana to his daughter, a sweet gesture of commitment to her, and she kisses him on stage. It’s Takeem, take two.
Andre reveals his Bipolar disorder to Nessa, who wants Andre to be able to manage it on his own. At the beach, he pledges to do so, and bids farewell to Ghost Rhonda, who leaves him with the most encouraging words: That he is the best and most ruthless Lyon brother. That and she wants him to avenge Anika for her death. She disappears into the ocean.
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Jamal promises to perform his new song at the Ball and Cookie makes him dump all of his pills — until he goes through painful withdrawl symptoms that almost keep him from performing. So she literally breaks open the sink, retrieves the pills, gives him one and he’s up and ready to perform. Jamal knocks the performance out of the park, but after his triumphant comeback, the family unites to send him to rehab.
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Lucious seems to have loosened his grip on Cookie: He is sexually intimate with Anika again (despite interruptions from his mother), and he even seems to threaten an investigative journalist from exposing Angelo so he can make a deal with Diana DuBois.
Instead, Lucious has the journalist confront Angelo about his DUI — and the woman he left to drown during it! — at the ball, with a video camera.
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While repeating Rhonda’s words that he is indeed ruthless, Andre confronts Shine and decides he wants to partner with him to kill Lucious.
