Recap of Season 5 of the Empire: Lyon returns in Steal from the Thief

If you have a case of whiplash trying to remember everything that happened in the final of last season, Empireyou are far from being alone. What other feeling could you draw from an hour of featured television? * deep breathing * The last snoring of Boo Boo Kitty (courtesy of André); Lucious and Cookie are remarried; Jamal leaves for London after the fatal overdose of Tory; Hakeem, Blake and a newly pregnant Tiana get shot by Blake's white nationalist father; and most important of all, the Lyonnais lost the empire they created.

Tonight's episode begins with Lucious doing the vigil next to a closed white casket. Six months ago, we saw a sweaty Lucien watch a video of the whole Lyon clan in the studio working on a piece for Hakeem and Tiana. While he is about to replay the video, Cookie pops up. She responded to Lucious for missing a meeting on a possible role of judge on a Voice-like the singing competition. Lucious tells Cookie that he can not even think of such hopes before they can take Empire back, and he thinks he has what could keep them afloat: unpublished images and Hakeem's music. "Look at our boy," Lucious said sadly. "Are you telling me that Keem did not intend to do that?" Before we can understand the reason for this sadness, Jamal calls from his new home in London to ask how his parents celebrated their wedding anniversary. Yes, we are jumping ladies and gentlemen. After quickly touching Jamal's love life (his new man's name is Kai, but Cookie thinks he's calling Kale) and his new label, we discover that Cookie and Lucious have come in and out. with Eddie in the hope of getting their business back. This led to the financial ruin of the Lyonnais and they resorted to selling their art collection and Cookie's wardrobe to stay on top of the water. But the family has a plan outside the legal system: they will ambush Eddie at MVP Movie Awards and use Andre 's information to regain control of the Empire. "Andre will deliver, do not worry about it," Cookie says.

But where is André? It turns out that he is in maximum security prison for the murder of Anika. In another step back, Thirsty reveals to Cookie and Lucious that there are cell phone photos of Andrew drinking Anika's drink, so the best option is to take the proposed advocacy agreement: two years of prison for charges of danger. While his parents refuse to consider him, André tells them that if Cookie can survive 17 years in prison, he can certainly survive to two years. And survive, that's what Steve, former Eddie's CFO, did during a game of chess. After using his relationship to transfer Steve (the supposed mastermind of the Ponzi scheme that brought Eddie to the first attack) of the Fed Club, Andre tells him that he hopes he really committed the project. If he did, Steve would have the financial information that André needs to claim the legacy of his family. And if it was not behind that? "You do not use me, and it's not good for you," Andre said coldly.

To the still living empire (which has become a more glorious gaming room than the last time), we join Giselle with her lover Kingsley. He worries about what will happen if his ex-husband, Eddie, discovers their case. "He's too busy driving hotel mattresses with his new assistant," says Giselle. She points out that once Eddie gets tired of running Empire, the company will be his. While Becky runs across the office staff with scornful nicknames such as "glasses" and "man-bun," Giselle announces that Empire's profits are "all the way up" for all four quarters. . Giselle then asks Becky if she got the MVP Movie Award for Best Original Song in a movie for Hakeen and Tiana's single "Ibiza," which Becky confirms as Becky's saying she "caressed everyone" ". Turns to how Cookie and Lucious (who produced the piece) will also be attending the awards ceremony, Giselle says that they doubled the security for Eddie in case something happened.

Becky then mentions how "Ibiza" was the last single of Hakeem and Tiana, giving rise to a flashback of the shoot that ended season 4. Blake's father shoots Hakeem in the chest before his son tear off the rifle. Blake gets shot in the leg. Blake then turns the gun on his father and kills him before joining Tiana with the help of Hakeem. When we see Hakeem again, he is following a physical therapy after losing a part of the lung during the shooting. When he loses his temper with his physiotherapist, Tiana (joined by Bella and her baby Prince) assures him that he can regain his strength and return to the stage. Hakeem, however, says he can not rap live in his current state, and it's out of the question to use a backing track because his fans would "drag me for life". Tiana claims that playing again would show fans that he is still alive, and that she would also put her back in the good graces of Eddie (who had botched her when she revealed her pregnancy). "To hell with him and his Steve Harvey costumes!" Tiana tells Hakeem that she must return to the public stage and wants him to be by her side. Despite her physical uncertainty, Hakeem finally agrees to join Tiana for the performance.

After visiting Andre in prison, Cookie notices a woman dressed professionally in a parked car singing and rapping (beautifully, of course) in her phone. Before Cookie can approach the woman, Porsha tells her that she is late for the MVP Movie Awards. We go quickly to the red carpet where the past of Empire (Cookie and Lucious) and the present (Eddie, Giselle, Becky and Kingston) are the center of attention. Interviewed by an interviewer where he and Eddie kept abreast of their legal battles, Lucious said the blood is thicker than water and they will always be brothers. However, the tension grows as Eddie and Lucious get closer to the mat. When Eddie's safety starts to gather, Cookie shouts, "Look how scared we are," adding, "Punk slut!" When Giselle and Cookie intersect at the bar, the shadow flows like the wine in the Cookie glass . When Giselle tells Cookie that she would have handled the Empire takeover differently from Eddie, Cookie mockingly replies, "Do you think I care about what Eddie would have done differently?

As Blake looks backstage, the matador-chic performance of Hakeem and Tiana with "Ibiza" at the MVP Movie Awards goes off to a great start – until Hakeem kneels in top form, unveiling his title. With the audience wondering what's going on, Hakeem fled to the scene and motioned for Blake to replace him. Blake replaces his friend and immediately wins the audience, while Hakeem, blood on the lips, looks from the wings. After checking behind the scenes of Hakeem, Cookie returns to his seat at the same time as Eddie and Giselle, security officers, are moved by a production assistant who sits right next to Cookie and Lucious. Eddie resists at first, but Giselle insists that the Lyons will not act with them because they will be on camera all the time. Of course, she was mistaken right away because Cookie spilled her glass of red wine on Giselle's dress.

As Giselle flies away, Eddie (eyes on safety) asks Lucious what's funniest. Lucious insists that both are sitting next to each other, but as quickly as Eddie sits, Lucious and Cookie hit him with blackmail information (with permission of chess games with Steve). When Eddie says they can not prove he stole money, Cookie promises they have all the receipts. "We were brothers and you just blushed in the toilet, is not it?" Lucious is emerging as Eddie is about to leave. "Sit down," say both Lyon at the same time. Lucious then says very clearly to Eddie: if he wants to avoid going to prison for his financial projects, he will leave Empire on stage and put the Lyons back under control. As everything happens in the audience, the best original song is announced and "Ibiza" wins. Despite his participation in the winning song, Eddie is a defeated man as he heads for the stage.

Back at the Empire headquarters after the awards, a drunk Eddie is busy shredding documents when Giselle rushes to ask him why he resigned without telling him. "We have lost!" Said Eddie several times while he tells him that the Lyonnais have discovered his "indiscretion". Giselle implores him, saying that she did not work hard to lose everything. "I was the one who led Empire as you walk around here as if you were leading it," she says. More and more drunk, Eddie tries to kiss and catch Giselle but she pushes him away, finally pushing him to the edge of a table. Giselle runs to find a napkin for Eddie who is bleeding, but as he loses consciousness, she just gets up and watches. "I'm sorry," she said calmly. "I can not help you anymore, Eddie."

With Eddie's death destroying their plans to take over Empire, Lucious attacks Cookie for not making the effort to keep the company two years earlier. "I did it to save your ass from the prison," Cookie replies, while Lucious continues to rip him up for not being present while he's building Empire into a multi-billion dollar legacy. Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson launch an incredibly fiery moment as they pitch verbal grenades with an intensity that comes from playing these characters for five seasons. Before things get even hotter, Jamal enters the mansion with his war correspondent, Bae Kai, for a very embarrassing and tiring encounter between the parents. Having reached the bottom of the chasm, Lucious and Cookie can no longer hide two years of misfortune from their son and tell him the truth. Jamal takes the news with a spiritual stride, telling his parents that they should drop the pain that Empire has brought and use their creative magic to build something new.

The day after her failure, Hakeem returned home angry at Tiana for not helping her, saying she was more concerned about being in the limelight and winning a prize than her health. Hakeem and Tiana argue louder and louder until Bella enters the scene, letting her father tell her that they have a "big talk". With things now calm, Hakeem tells Tiana that he needs space to pull himself together. More than ever, Cookie and Lucious discuss Jamal's idea of ​​creating something new. Lucious seems resistant and cynical about this possibility, saying that they can not simply create a label without money. "Broke never stopped us before," Cookie answers. "What we need is a new sound," she adds, citing NWA, Whitney Houston and Prince. "Old school with a new sound." As Lucious says that they need to find someone who stops them completely, Cookie laughs and tells him that she thinks she has found this act.

During another visit to Andre in prison, Cookie asks for help to find the rap girl in the car, considering that she is the sister or the girlfriend of one of his fellow prisoners. "Are you trying to get me killed?" Andre is wondering about this request. Cookie begs her not to have any problems that would prevent her from being released on time, but as she tells him, the woman in the car is crossing the visiting area next to her. an inmate in a wheelchair. She turns out to be a social worker named Treasure. "I'm going to change your life," Cookie told him. Meanwhile, Giselle is expected to become Interim CEO of Empire at Eddie's funeral. She immediately said yes, saying that she can not think of a better way to continue her legacy. And continue the legacy she makes, throwing Eddie's ashes into the sewers like a woman on a mission.

Back in Lyon, Cookie invites Treasure and his smarmy manager to play for Lucious. Things get tough when the manager is rude and energetic with Treasure, calling him "a ghetto kid without training." That's enough for Lucious to take the manager out (with a baseball bat, as can be done), leaving Cookie and Treasure in the impromptu recording booth together.

In Jamal's apartment, Kai is arrested by an angry Hakeem, who wants to know the type of Jamal. When Jamal says he goes out with Kai, Hakeem (who made the apartment a total mess) insists that the weapon was not loaded. Kai asks for the gun and dumps it himself, showing that he still had a bullet in the room. Seeing the state of his apartment and his brother, Jamal wonders what's going on. An injured Hakeem jumps into Jamal to show up only two days after his shooting, although Hakeem has always been stuck by Jamal during his fits. Finally, Jamal recognizes that Hakeem has always been there for him and that both share a fraternal embrace.

After taking care of the scary manager ("he met something," Lucious said as he walks into the room), Lucious and Cookie are working to calm Treasure's nerves. When Treasure says that everyone has always doubted her, Cookie tells her to never let anyone stop her from doing what she was born to do. These words give Treasure the confidence she needs to sing for Lyonnais, and her voice (and her rhymes) gives Lucious the creative boost he needs to join Cookie by creating a new label. Announcing their label projects to Jamal and Hakeem in the dirtiest mansion in the state of New York, the Lyons meet some resistance from Jamal, who insists he has his own label and his life in London. Lucious and Cookie, however, implore him to stay and help with their etiquette until he takes off. The reluctance is clear in his eyes while the four Lyonnais have a new beginning. "May we get up," Lucious toasts; "As always," adds Cookie as the glasses tinkle. We then reduced the scene that opened this episode: Lucious doing the vigil on the coffin. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, and we get white after a really busy first season.