Empire Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Et Tu, Brute?
Whitney Evans
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So, in Empire land, the ASA's are like the Grammy's on steroids, right?
Nominations for the big award show came and went throughout the hour with Jamal getting a boatload of nominations and Hakeem getting bested by Freda Gatz. Add that in with the sudden reappearance of one Ms. Camilla, and Hakeem was bound to make some rash decisions on Empire Season 2 Episode 10.
One decision in particular has completely changed the scope of Empire as we know it.
Lucious is hard-headed, impulsive and the true definition of a man who always gets his way. So, it wasn't surprising that he was willing to do whatever it took to acquire Swift Stream. And he thought he had Mimi on board with him.
Little did he know, Mimi had a few tricks up her sleeve.
Remember me, Lucious?
Camilla
Camilla was back...as Mimi's wife! I did not see that coming, and neither did Lucious. Though, I have to wonder why Lucious has been so quick to trust Mimi all this time considering how their partnership started.
It's like my Mom always said, "If he'll cheat with you, he'll cheat on you." Mimi cheated Cookie to come to Lucious, and now she's cheating him. That karma will get you every time.
With Camilla back in the picture, it was only a matter of time before she swooped in and preyed on Hakeem. She's been gone for so long now, I'd forgotten about the bond those two had. She was the motherly figure Hakeem so desperately wanted before Cookie fully came back into his life.
When the vote to oust Lucious out of Empire came down, I think it was pretty obvious that Hakeem was going to vote against his family. Aside from Camilla's presence, Lucious has been absolutely AWFUL to Hakeem. Was he really expecting loyalty from a son he's treated so terribly?
Cookie: Lyon Dynasty is our company, but Empire is our legacy. And anybody that tries to steal that from us is our enemy. Do you understand that?
Hakeem: I know, Ma.
I know, family before everything, but could you really blame any of Lucious's three sons for turning against him at some point? I most certainly can't.
With Lucious out at Empire, what in the world is going to happen next? You've got to assume Hakeem is headed back to his former company, but then where does that leave Cookie and Lyon Dynasty? Might she team up with Lucious now? The possibilities are endless!
Aside from the family drama, Jamal was dealing with the fallout from his kiss with Skye. The kiss the two shared on Empire Season 2 Episode 9, felt like an in-the-moment burst of passion between two people with great chemistry. I never thought Jamal was going to decide to date Skye or anything like that, and I think the episode did a good job of having the two talk about things maturely.
Lucious, of course, was less than mature and decided to blab Jamal's business the first chance he got, as he felt his son was now "fixed." Bye, Lucious.
With all the moving parts, the fallout from Lucious' comment to Jameson was never addressed. But you have to imagine it's not something that's just going to be swept under the rug.
Now a midseason finale wouldn't be complete without a cliffhanger. And we got one in the form of a mysterious intruder pushing Rhonda down the massive staircase in her mansion. Is there any doubt it's Anika, though? She's trying to get her paws on Lucious' money by giving him a grandchild, and she knows the key is for her child to be the first born.
Knocking Rhonda out of the way seems just like something crazy Anika would do. I'll be hoping for a miracle here, but that looked like a pretty nasty fall.
Random Notes
- Cookie traveled back to her old prison and had Hakeem and Laura put on a show for her old cell mates. It was a nice sentiment, and I loved Hakeem's speech about how starting Lyon Dynasty being one of the best things in his life.
- So many guest stars tonight! It was hard to keep track. My favorite had to be Charlamagne Tha God, who got to come in and just be a complete jerk to Alicia Keys.
- Lucious vs. Jamal for song of the year. Lyon vs. Lyon. I have nothing to really say here, except to woonder in what universe is "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" would nominated for anything.
- Camilla's not going to like stick around forever, right? RIGHT?!?!
- So, is that Pepsi commercial a legit thing because it was pretty cool.
Empire left us with a bang, and now we have many, many weeks to discuss the first half of the season. What happens next on Empire? Will Rhonda and the baby be okay? Will Hakeem and Camilla get back together? And just how close are Lucious and Cookie going to get?
Can you believe we have to wait until March to see what happens next? In the meantime, watch Empire online so you're all caught up on the action.
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
