Original subtitles

Previously on "Empire"...

I'm gonna spot you $10 mil

for your 20 For 20.

I could do another "Drip Drop" in my sleep,

but I need to go harder.

She's not used to you yet.

You were gone five months.

PAMELA: You don't need your attorney.

I'm off duty.

I trust you, right?

My father has a serious brain injury.

We got to keep it under wraps.

DIANA: Get a grip, Angelo.

Put this floundering self-pity to rest.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist

to figure out you're up to something.

Was I a violent man?

COOKIE: I was gone for 17 years

because I was in prison.

I want to know everything.

What's up, y'all?

Welcome back to 106 & Park, BET's top ten live.

Now, I need y'all to do me a favor.

- Y'all ready to do me a favor? - (applause and cheering on TV)

That's my man up there.

(on TV): All right, mark down this date,

this time, who you're with, where you are, because

this brother from Philly, Lucious Lyon,

- is making his TV debut... - Change the channel.

And history.

Uh, I-I was watching that.

- Yeah, now we're watching this. - CHYNA: Yo.

- Don't even bother. She got it on lock. - Ugh.

Nah, man.

Poundcake, right?

LUCIOUS: Wait a minute. Poundcake?

Why-why was her name Poundcake?

Look, how you want me to tell the story? Huh?

You want it blow by blow, with me telling you

how every bitch got her wack-ass nickname,

or you just gonna let me tell the story?

I mean, ever since I've been out, you've never cared

about my prison life.

That was Lucious, but I'm asking.

It's important. I need to know everything that happened.

All right.

Well, then, let me back up and set the scene for you.

I got real cool with Chyna

and all the Philly girls, of course.

And, uh, we was cool with the Latina chicks

and was cool with the Chinese, Japanese, or the Vietnamese.

Whatever. The Asians.

Child, the Asians.

And we did not get along

with them white chicks

or the wild-ass Jamaicans.

And Chyna had the...

Ugh. She had a serious beef with them D.C. girls, man.

I don't know what it was, but

they was wild, man. They had nicknames

like Yunk Yunk, Butterball, and Poundcake.

Look, I ain't trying to disrespect you,

but I'm gonna politely ask you to turn that back

- to BET 'cause I was watching that. - Oh, well, since you asked

so pretty, I'll politely tell you no.

Now move your bama ass out my sight lines.

- LUCIOUS: So, what'd you do? - COOKIE: What you think I did?

(groaning, indistinct shouting)

Then she leaned down to my ear, talking about,

"You know why I'm in here? For eating

bitches like you for breakfast and going on about my day."

(Cookie yells)

LUCIOUS: And she cut you?

She sure did.

That wasn't my first fight, Lucious.

And it sure as hell wasn't my last.

But there were things that happened to me in prison

that cut deeper than a knife.

Believe that.

*EMPIRE* Season 04 Episode 04 Title: "Bleeding War"

- Lucious can't see me like this. - So don't pick a fight

with a chick named Poundcake day before a visit.

You're lucky nobody told, or you'd be in the hole.

Ouch. Can you...? Do you know what you're doing?

Are you questioning my skill set?

- I was good enough for Lil' Kim. - Just go easy.

- Come... - Still sore.

- What the hell is this? - Both: Nothing.

- Huh? - Nothing.

- It's contraband. - I know, but my husband's coming

- to visit me today. - Well, he's gonna have

to see you the way God made you...

hood rat turned into a punching bag.

Wipe that off your face before I throw you in the hole.

Beauty tips, huh, Chyna? (scoffs)

COOKIE: Yeah, she snitched,

but her fat ass was the least of my worries.

(Cookie laughs)

- (door opens) -Hey. - LUCIOUS: Like I said, I'm gonna

- take care of you for this. - (Cookie sighs)

Hey. - I tried to get us a little privacy, but...

It's okay.

- It's not o... What happened to her face?! - I'm okay.

- Lucious. Lucious, come here. - (bangs on table)

Look, our time is too precious to be thinking about that.

Look, I saw you on BET.

You was so fine up there. (laughs)

- That was nothing. - Oh, come on now, Lucious.

Don't downplay it like that. It was everything.

It was exactly what AJ said...

"Remember where you are at this moment."

So all I'm thinking about is where I'm at and where you are.

- And where... - Hey, look, Lu...

Lucious, I'm gonna be here for a long time, okay?

So might as well get used to it.

I can deal with what comes at me in here

as long as I know you're out there growing what we built.

'Cause it's you and me... Cookie and Lucious forever.

Tell me about my babies.

How are my babies doing?

Well, Andre... he's a little...

Something not right.

But Jamal... he's been good, and he...

he wants to see you for his birthday.

Mm, no, Lucious.

This ain't no place for no boy for his birthday.

Not unless he really want to come, just, I guess.

LUCIOUS: I remember this.

I brought Jamal to see you the next time.

Wait. Am I remembering this correctly?

You did bring Jamal, but...

(indistinct chatter)

Where's your father?

LUCIOUS: I never came back, did I?

I guess it was just hard for you to see me like that.

It hurt.

It hurt me to the core,

but it made me self-sufficient,

and, on the inside, it-it... it made me strong.

It made me hard.

That's a sad lesson to learn by yourself.

He should have been there for you.

He should have.

He should have after everything you sacrificed.

- He who? - He.

Him. Me. Lucious.

If he loved you half as much as he says he did,

he would have never abandoned you.

He would have... put you first.

I'm gonna be a better man than he was.

I'm gonna make it up to you for everything he did wrong.

(sighs)

How can you make up for something

you don't even remember?

(Cookie sighs)

The sun's up. I got to get ready for work.

Okay, well, maybe you're right.

Maybe I can't make up for a yesterday I don't remember,

but I can make today right.

I can go down to Empire with you

- and support you. - No, no, no, no, no.

Remember you said it didn't go so well when Jamal took you.

It wasn't that bad, and...

- Okay, maybe it was. - (both laugh)

What I'm saying is, I'd like to try it again.

And I think, with your help, I could make it through it.

With my help?

Okay. Well, then, let's go.

CLAUDIA: Where are we going?

Dwight. Cookie. What'd I miss?

- (cheering and applause) - MAN: Welcome back.

WOMAN: Nice to have you back, Lucious.

- Nice to have you back, Lucious. - Welcome back, Lucious.

- WOMAN: Looking good, Lucious. - MAN 2: Happy to have you back.

MAN 3: Look out. Here he comes.

If this gets too stressful for Dwight, I'm gonna...

I-I don't want to hear Dwight stuff, okay?

- Wow. - This is the house

that Lucious built. Our house, our rules.

- Lucious! Lucious, hi! - (Lucious laughs)

- It's so nice to see you. - COOKIE: That's Becky.

Becky was promoted to head of A&R after

- all those years of being your assistant. - Wow.

Well, you know what they say. Cream always rises to the top.

- Congratulations. - Thank you. It is so good to see you.

- You, too. - You say I'm reckless, but I hid him

when I brought him here. What was the sense

if Mom was just gonna walk him in the front door?

- Yeah. What the hell is she doing? - These came for you.

There's a card in there, too.

Who they from? _

Yeah, thank you. None of your business.

"For tomorrow?" Who you meeting with tomorrow?

Hey. I need all hands on deck keeping our family secret.

- Lucious! What's up?! How you doing? - Huh?

- Good to see you! - (laughing): Hi.

Welcome back. Where your suit?

You looking like a... hippie and stuff.

But you look good. You look good.

- Why didn't you keep him home? - Because he wants to be

a part of all of this, and I couldn't say no.

So we'll just keep it short and sweet.

We'll have him listen to Hakeem's song,

and we'll send him home with Nurse Ratchet. -Well, Mom,

Hakeem's not even here. He's at his house

arguing with Anika about Bella's birthday.

Uh-uh, uh-uh-uh. Tell him to get

his ass down here. He can bring my grandbaby.

Can y'all believe she having a birthday already?

- (laughs) - Yeah. Time flies. - COOKIE: I know.

Come on. I need help with your dad.

- ♪♪ Classical music playing... - DIANA: Amnesia?

Like in a soap opera.

(laughs) He don't even know his name.

He wants them to call him Dwight.

- You're not serious. - I'm serious.

He has migraines, outbursts.

He treats his nurse like family and his family like strangers.

Hakeem never breathed a word of this.

And how did you get this information?

In bed with your catamite?

- (laughs) - Excuse me? Catamite?

DIANA: It's a line from an Anthony Burgess novel.

Okay, so you found your razor, you made it to your meeting.

That does not entitle you to be a snob.

Right. I'm just saying,

how do we know he's not playing you... cuz?

Because I'm not like you... cuz.

'Cause when I sleep with a Lyon, I get the goods.

- And there it is. - DIANA: Thank you for sharing.

- That's good work. - Thank you.

Much appreciated, and, Angelo,

the running commentary from the sidelines

is interesting.

But why don't you do something useful?

- Really. - (Warren laughs)

(sighs)

You want to use some ear plugs?

No. No, I want to participate and not really hide.

- But thank you. - HAKEEM: Hit it, Rekkhan.

- ♪♪ Music plays... - ♪ Shut up, shut up ♪

♪ Hey, shut up, trick, that means don't talk ♪

♪ Don't call me, my phone's off ♪

♪ I'm good now, that's your loss ♪

♪ I'm self-made, my own boss ♪

♪ Now who's trippin'? My roof missin' ♪

♪ My jewels glistening, who's listening? Ya heard that ♪

♪ My new whip got two engines, that's too expensive ♪

♪ Lower ya voice 'cause I don't wanna hear what you sayin' ♪

♪ I'm tired of talkin' ♪

♪ Ain't no conversation, hope you understand ♪

♪ I don't like you, you, you, you ♪

♪ You're cool, but the rest of y'all... ♪

♪ Shut up, bitch, ooh... ♪

♪ Shut up, shut up ♪

♪ Uh... ♪

- (music stops) - What you think about that, Dad?

Does it remind you of Jay-Z on Blueprint?

I mean, I don't know much about architecture,

but I was really inspired by

the amount of effort you've put into that.

BECKY: Okay, Hakeem, that definitely was not

the song you were supposed to be working on.

'Cause I got to keep it real, track by track.

Exposing hypocrisy in democracy.

What do you think, Ma?

Uh, there were some nice things in it, son.

You know what? Why don't you go get something to eat?

Come on, y'all. Marcel. And, uh, let us discuss it.

All right, Dad.

(indistinct chatter)

What was that?

- I do not know. - What? You didn't like that?

I just bet $100 million of other peoples' money

that Empire would showcase a legacy

with that boy's album as the Alpha

and Jamal as the Omega.

But guess what. That wasn't it.

I mean, I really didn't like the-the nature of the song,

you know, but he was so passionate

in how he was delivering that.

BECKY: You know, Lucious, you just came back

at the perfect time because you always come up

with some crazy, Machiavellian scheme to save the day.

Like, remember that time

Diddy canceled on us 24 hours right before

- the Radio City Music Hall show? - Uh, no, no.

Not-not, uh, Radio City.

Um, just last night, Dad was

telling me about one of the concerts

he had in Philly, and you're right, Pop.

What you did there was exactly what you said we should do

with 20 For 20.

Oh.

Um...

exactly.

Here's the thing.

All of Empire's artists want to be a part of this 20 For 20, so

let's get 'em out in front of us right away, see what they got.

Tell them to bring their sharpest weapon to the fight,

because they are all competing for the Alpha spot,

and only one is gonna be left standing.

- (laughs) - COOKIE: I like that.

A fight to the death.

Well, let the games begin.

You did it again, Lucious. Genius.

♪ Leave 'em in the dust, arrivederci ♪

♪ One thing that's for certain, I don't do the circus ♪

♪ With you clowns, I close the curtains ♪

- ♪ I'm just out here working ♪ - ♪ Working ♪

- ♪ Yeah, you see I'm surfing ♪ - (whooping)

♪ Swimming with the sharks, and, nah ♪

♪ It never made me nervous. ♪

- HAKEEM: Good job. - COOKIE: I really like his look.

Mm-hmm. Let's see what we working with today.

- Hello. - What's with all this fight-to-death, Ma?

I gave you gold.

Boy, right now, I'm not your mother. I'm the label.

And what you gave me ain't gonna cut it. Excuse me.

BECKY: So, you're all Empire's premier artists,

and what we're looking for is...

I need somebody else to launch the 20 For 20, okay?

So that means all of you are competing for the Alpha spot.

You, too, Jamal. -Well, I'm already Omega, boo, so I'm good.

Uh, we past that. Everybody's competing.

TIANA: The creative process doesn't

- work like that, Cookie. - Well, it does today,

sweetness, especially if Empire decides to shelve your project.

You know what? That's exactly what I will do

to anyone who hands in crap.

Mom, are you ser... Y'all trippin'.

- Y'all have fun with that, enjoy. - COOKIE: Good-bye, boy,

'cause don't nobody have time for that.

- Bye, Ma. - I don't have time for your poor,

your tired. I want your passion, your pain,

your drive. Show me how you fight.

- (Tiana scoffs) - (overlapping chatter)

Yes, showtime.

Cookie, this is just too much and too fast for Dwight. I...

Okay, didn't you say that, um,

he should tell us what he wants and needs?

Well, he already said he wants to be here, so

why don't you go home and take a load off?

I'll take it from here, okay?

Do what nurses do, child, I don't know.

(clears throat) Who's... who's first?

- Uh, Tiana. - Mm-hmm, and she...

is-is-is... who is this? Is she after her?

♪♪

♪ Put that sexy on 'em, put that sexy on 'em ♪

♪ When you're fed up and you been giving your all ♪

♪ He don't wanna return your call ♪

♪ Put that sexy on 'em, put that sexy on 'em ♪ -Yeah!

♪ He be wildin' out ♪

♪ You don't know what he take you for ♪

♪ Ladies, I think it's time to show 'em ♪

♪ What he'll be missin' ♪

♪ All the ladies in the club, throw your hands up ♪

- Yeah! - ♪ Shake it in his direction ♪

♪ Let him know what it is, show him what's he's neglecting ♪

- Yeah! - ♪ Throw it like that ♪

♪ Like you trying to get a check ♪

♪ You know how a dog like to chase the cat ♪

- ♪ Ladies, turn it up ♪ - ♪ Turn it up ♪

♪ T-Turn it up, when yo' man don't wanna do you right ♪

♪ Just throw that sexy on 'em ♪

Yeah, Tiana! -♪ Rather hang out with his friends all night ♪

- ♪ Just throw that sexy on 'em ♪ - ♪ Throw that sexy on 'em ♪

Yeah! -♪ If he looking at her with wandering eyes ♪

♪ Throw that sexy on 'em ♪

♪ Got your heels on, face beat ♪

♪ Just throw that sexy on 'em. ♪

All right, girl!

(cheering)

You better secure the number one spot!

What you think?

I mean, she sure can shake a branch,

um, but I don't think she's the root of the tree.

- Hmm. - So she's not the Alpha for me.

- Okay, that is cold but true. - Yeah, I agree. Next!

PORSHA: Uh-uh, not Tory Ash, mm-mm.

COOKIE: Sorry, but the... (laughs)

The first one out the gate cannot be

a white girl. I am so sorry.

- Thank you but no, thank you. - LUCIOUS: Wait.

That sounds really unfair.

Oh, what, you gonna talk about how unfair

affirmative action is now? Please. Sorry, not sorry. Next.

♪ Leave 'em in the dust, arrivederci... ♪

So, here we have Paintbruh. He made some noise

as a street rapper and was selected

for this year's XXL Freshman Class.

♪ I'm just out here working, look at me, I'm surfing ♪

♪ Swimming with the sharks, no ♪

♪ It never make me nervous, okay, okay, okay ♪

♪ Perfect, coming for your crown 'cause... ♪

- (grunts) - COOKIE: Hey! Hey!

- Hey, security! - This punk stole my beat, man.

I'm not... No, y'all trippin'...

- I didn't take no beat. - What you talking about?

Man, get off me, though.

You're a beat jacker?

- Bye-bye. - I didn't take...

- Bye-bye. Bye-bye. - That's crazy. All right.

Wow. This is so wrong.

- No. That's a no. - File 13.

- Next! - This is wrong.

- (sighs) - (door opens)

Your mom has gone full Lannister.

She's chopping heads down there.

That's why I'm not down there.

Not to be about that competition life.

But even if I was, I have literally nothing to present.

What about that song that you played me the other night?

That duet. That was the hottest song I've heard in forever.

Oh, yeah, but that was about addiction,

and I want to make an album of all love songs.

Well, love can be just as powerful a drug

as any other substance.

- (laughs) True. - It's two people

singing about their addiction to love.

Plus, didn't Lucious and Mary J. Blige do a duet back in the day?

(laughs) My mom said wasn't no white girl gonna be

the Alpha, right? -Well, there ain't no mountain high enough.

I actually like that. Let's try it. Come on.

No. No. No, no, no, no.

Remember, I said the motorcycle needs to come

before the guitars and the doves, okay?

And please remember to charge all of this

to Hakeem Lyon's account. And the balloons. Thank you.

- Party planning with the Lyons, are we? - Oh, dear God.

(laughs) Last time I saw you,

you were in my mother's living room,

pledging your loyalty to Team Dubois.

Well, your mother let me rot in jail for five months,

so she can kiss my ass.

Look, I know Cookie got you out of jail,

but do you really think

that the Lyons have your best interest at heart?

I mean, they bit you before. Trust.

They will bite you again.

So, when you're ready to bite back,

why don't you hit me up?

I'm for real.

♪ Proud to say I'm from the motherland... ♪

Kendra took South By by storm.

She every nerd's favorite Empire artist.

♪ 'Cause now they all want the braids and the dreadlocks ♪

♪ Get the money just to keep the curves that I've got. ♪

It's a concept album.

Black female warriors colonize Mars,

except it takes place on a spaceship in 2047.

- Uh... - Question.

Was there a problem on Earth

that the warriors had to leave?

- We're actually supposed to... - Okay. All right, sweetheart.

All right, baby, well, we're not gonna make the remix of

Ziggy Stardust and Kunta Kinte.

I'm sorry. Thank you.

Power to the people, though.

I think you're hurting a lot of people's feelings.

Lucious, look, we are not in the game of building confidence.

Okay? This is the music industry,

and we're on a deadline.

- Next! - (tapping on table)

Send 'em through, baby.

♪ Come up and rise... ♪

BECKY: So, Tommy's won more Grammys than

any other Empire artist... three on his last album.

♪ The one ♪

♪ The father and the son. ♪

(applause and cheering)

All right. Vocals.

You hear that, Lucious?

I think he might be the one.

I...

I feel so much when you're singing.

I see visions of...

burnt umber

mixed with a deep magenta,

like hope coupled with a tremendous amount of fear.

Are you suffering?

Yeah. I am.

My brother, uh...

- he was shot up last week. - BECKY: Oh.

Sorry to hear that.

Is he gonna be okay?

We actually don't know, so...

Well, you definitely have the voice of an Alpha. - Mm-hmm.

But I don't think it's time for you to be an Alpha right now.

I think it's time for you to go home and be with your family,

and when everything's okay there, you come back, and...

I don't know.

You know, Empire's got you.

Thank you.

So much.

Thank you.

All right.

God bless you.

Um, I think I'll take a break.

- Yeah, five-minute break. - Yeah.

- That's good. - (tapping on table)

What was that?

What? - He brought his pain in here because that's

what fuels him.

(Lucious sighs)

I came to Empire with you today to help you heal the pain.

- Oh. - But you seem to thrive with it.

I've watched you be needlessly cruel all day.

No, you've watched me be you, Lucious.

Yeah. See, that's what it takes to run an empire.

The empire that you built,

the empire I spent 17 years in prison for.

You know, if you don't think this is worth fighting for,

why don't you take yourself home?

I mean, don't-don't be here to do me no favors, okay?

Hey, the break is over. We still have a deadline. Next!

♪ I like your smeared lipstick ♪

♪ Your eyeliner ♪

BOTH: ♪ Damn ♪

♪ You got me addicted ♪

♪ And I'm a first timer ♪

♪ You got me good ♪

♪ Because love ♪

♪ Is like a drug ♪

♪ And you ♪

♪ Must be the plug ♪

♪ I can't get away ♪

♪ Want you every day ♪

♪ When you medicate ♪

♪ All the pain goes away ♪

♪ Because love ♪

♪ Is like a drug ♪

- ♪ Yeah ♪ - ♪ Yeah ♪

♪ And you must be ♪

♪ The plug. ♪

These new lyrics are not there yet.

Everybody understands substance abuse,

but, you know, do they understand love

and sex addiction?

What, it's too hard-core?

(scoffs) Please.

When I get around certain people,

it's like...

it's like I'm getting high.

(chuckles) Like you trying to get high off of TaKeem?

(laughs)

Well, more her than him.

I don't know, I just get really overwhelmed by my feelings

and end up acting out really intensely,

and I think I scare people away. Then I end up alone.

I'm the exact opposite

'cause that kind of intimacy...

freaks me out.

You seemed pretty intimate with Warren the other night.

- I know. Right? - (laughs)

- Yeah. - I don't know.

I just... I feel like he's different.

You're the first person I said this to out loud, but...

I think he could be my one.

- Your one? - Yeah, maybe.

My dad would say that about my mom.

"She's my one."

And right before his accident, I got a glimpse into that,

and it was so...

so pure and so real.

I don't want to settle for anything less than that.

Hey, Pop.

What are you doing here?

I thought you were helping Cookie choose the first album.

I think your mother's had enough of me for the day.

I mean, she can't see what I hear,

and I can't hear the things she see.

I just think it's better I go home.

Crimson.

That's the same sharp,

bleeding pain

that I see in you.

Are you okay?

You seem so different.

(chuckles softly) Come on, Pop.

I'll walk you out.

- Why those colors? - I don't know.

Somebody sent them to me.

- Well, get rid of 'em. - Pop.

Hakeem, I've tried.

There's absolutely no way that I can get that many berets

in that raspberry color.

It's one for each guest. We need tambourines.

We need doves. Write that down.

Okay, look, that's enough.

Y'all can figure it out. It's not that deep.

It's a princess and Prince birthday party.

May he rest in peace.

(chuckles): And, Anika, you are here as a courtesy.

So you need to calm down.

ANDRE: Hey, everybody.

Pop wanted to see his office before...

- Nobody told me my granddaughter was here. - HAKEEM: Shh.

She's asleep in her stroller.

Anika is here,

um, because she's planning her daughter...

(whispering): your granddaughter's...

- (normal voice): birthday party. - Anika.

COOKIE: Yes.

Hi. How are you?

Better now that I'm out of jail.

- She was in prison, too? - Uh, jail ain't prison,

and she wasn't in there long enough to break a nail.

Look, Lucious is leaving. He just came to stop by.

- I wanted to see Bella. - I'm sorry I did not come

see you in the hospital. I'm sure you would have come

to see me in jail if you had been able to.

After all, you are the reason that I was there.

Listen, I'm...

Anika, I'm sorry for anything I did wrong to you.

I really am.

A sincere apology?

(chuckling): Wow.

Lucious, what is this for?

For, uh...

forcing me into a sham marriage?

Or for ripping my child

out of my arms for six months?

Who the hell you think you are

- to judge anybody? - Andre!

- What, you forgot? Did you forget? - Andre!

- Do you need me to remind you? - Calm down!

LUCIOUS: Orient yourself. (Bella crying)

- Just breathe. - Just breathe.

- HAKEEM: Just calm down. - LUCIOUS: Breathe.

Orient yourself around the room

and find another way to express

- what you're feeling. - (sighs)

HAKEEM: Just breathe, Dre.

(inhales deeply)

(exhales)

You're not the only person in this family

to forget things.

Something else happened the day Bella was born.

Rhonda.

(whispering): Oh, I'm so sorry.

Somebody sent me flowers today.

(sighs)

I thought it was one of you, but...

(exhales)

I should have known better.

I told you my wife died, Pop,

but I didn't tell you how.

Screaming.

Every bone in her body...

broken.

And the last face she saw,

it was...

But because you all felt that protecting family secrets

was more important than telling the truth,

she got away with murder.

And now here you are,

planning her baby's birthday party

while my family,

- my family... - (screaming)

- rots in the ground! - Andre! (sighs)

But that's how it goes, Pop.

That's how it always goes for me.

(Bella crying)

(exhales)

You were right. I was wrong.

Oh.

Is there...

is there something that-that you need?

Just a big, fat "I told you so."

(chuckles)

Well, he was, um...

disoriented when he got home.

We were gonna do some somatic work,

but I just put him to bed.

I just wanted Lucious' first day back to Empire

to be amazing.

Guess he wasn't ready.

I did read the book you gave me.

- Great. - And there's a section in it about, uh,

identifying, uh, the crossroads?

I'm looking for it with him.

We're using lucid dreaming.

I think I know Lucious' crossroads.

I've been there.

Seen it.

I'm-I'm thinking about taking him.

- Like it says in the book... - Oh, no.

Please, please don't.

Don't take him there.

It's too soon.

Listen, Cookie, this really could be a critical tool

once his core identity is more stable.

But in the right time.

Tell me about it.

Well, it's back in Philly.

It's a lion statue in the hood.

And Lucious slept under it

the first night he was homeless.

Back when he was, uh...

Dwight Walker.

He was only nine years old.

Don't you think it's a little late in the game

for you to be changing your tracks now, baby?

Yeah, but I can't help that. I mean, Tory and I

kind of tweaked the lyrics last night,

but it's still bothering me.

Let me see.

Well, unless you secretly been into Taylor Swift all this time,

maybe it's the line about smeared red lips

and smudged eyeliner.

What am I supposed to do?

I'm supposed to sing about scruffy faces in the morning?

No, I didn't say all of that.

But, you know, I don't know.

True. I mean, honestly, why not?

What?

Well, scruffy faces, no.

But it's been feeling fake,

and if I'm gonna sing about love,

I should sing about the way that I love.

Love?

They don't call it "making like," do they?

♪♪ Playing piano...

♪♪

♪♪

PORSHA: We just heard all the best Empire has to offer.

- Still not good enough. - What in the hell is this?

So, what-what-what do we do now?

Well, thank the music gods

Jamal actually agreed to come in and audition.

And he's doing a duet.

With who?

Oh, no, no.

No, Snow White. Didn't I tell you no?

Cookie, just listen to the song, okay?

It'll knock the rocks off your little collar there.

No! Jamal,

- can you fix this? - JAMAL: Yo, I-I'm...

I'm sorry for, um, being late.

I was working on the song all night long.

Tory, I love you, you know I do,

but I had to take you off the song.

- What? - Yes. I'm trying to make an album

- full of love songs. I'm sorry. - What?

- And that can't include me? - No, it can't.

I'm sorry.

Take your little song. I don't need you anyway.

I'm done. You guys are ridiculous.

- This is just absolutely absurd. - All right, she mad at me...

Bye-bye. Thank you.

(clears throat)

Anyway, I've got to make music that...

If it's gonna be a love song,

it's got to reflect the way that I love.

So I'm going to sing a duet,

but it's gonna be with a man.

Warren?

Warren?

Uh-uh. Warren is a lawyer.

He is not an Empire artist.

Becky, chill out, okay?

'Cause, first of all, you know the boy can sing.

- He's all right. - He's just gonna demo it for now.

- Just listen. - COOKIE: Okay, well,

can y'all hurry up? You're wasting my time.

I'm on deadline.

Don't pay attention to anybody. Just sing to me.

- Go! - Looking

- pretty nervous for a performance. - Come on.

♪♪

♪♪

♪ Oh ♪

- ♪ Ain't nobody ♪ - ♪ No ♪

- ♪ Business ♪ - ♪ Uh-uh ♪

♪ If I'm hooked on you ♪

♪ And keep coming back ♪

♪ Nah ♪

♪ No nicotine ♪

♪ In cigarettes ♪

- ♪ Ain't got nothin' on you - ♪ Nothin' on you

♪ You help me relax ♪

♪ It's unbelievable ♪

It's cute.

♪ How good you make me feel ♪

♪ Damn ♪

♪ You should be illegal ♪

♪ Baby, my lips are sealed ♪

♪ I know it's real ♪

♪ I know the deal ♪

♪ 'Cause love ♪

♪ Is like a drug ♪

♪ And you ♪

♪ Must be the plug ♪

♪ I can't get away ♪

♪ Want you every day ♪

♪ When you medicate ♪

♪ All the pain ♪

♪ Goes away ♪

♪ Because love ♪

- ♪ Is like a drug ♪ - Yeah, you better sing.

They better sing.

- ♪ Yeah ♪ - (whoops)

♪ And you must be ♪

♪ The plug ♪

♪ Oh, yeah. ♪

(cheering)

COOKIE: Yes! Okay...

- That was really good. - Okay.

- I like that. - All right. All right.

(clears throat) That was amazing.

It was beautiful, it was real, it was from the heart.

PORSHA: We got our Alpha.

WOMAN: Happy birthday, Bella!

- Hakeem, yeah! - (applause and cheering)

Make some noise!

- (whooping, whistling, cheering, applause) - Welcome.

Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Listen, I want to thank y'all

for coming out to celebrate my princess's first birthday party.

Bella Lyon!

(applause and cheering)

This for you, baby.

- Let's hit it. - Yay.

♪♪ Synthesizer plays intro to "Let's Go Crazy"...

- HAKEEM: Dearly beloved... - (applause and cheering)

We're gathered here today to get through this thing called life.

Electric word, life.

It means forever, and that's

a mighty long time, but I'm here to tell you

there's something else.

The afterworld.

A world of never-ending happiness.

You can always see the sun,

day or night.

(applause and cheering)

So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills...

you know the one... Dr. Everything'll Be All Right...

instead of asking him how much of your time is left,

ask him how much of your mind, baby.

'Cause in this life, things are much harder

than in the afterworld...

Now, y'all know, uh, Prince don't celebrate no birthdays?

- Ain't that right, Tyka? - See? That's what I said.

That's exactly what I told him, but what do I know?

I'm nothing more than a guest here.

Go crazy

Punch a higher floor

(whoops)

♪ If you don't like the world you're living in ♪

Take a look around

At least you got friends

So, called my old lady

For a friendly word

♪ She picked up the phone, dropped it on the floor ♪

"Ah, ah" was all I heard

♪ I'm not gonna let the elevator bring us down ♪

Oh, no, let's go

Let's go crazy

Let's get nuts

♪ Let's look for the purple banana ♪

♪ Till they put us in the truck ♪

Let's go

We're all excited

But we don't know why

Maybe it's 'cause

We're all gonna die

- ♪ And when we do ♪ - ♪ When we do ♪

- ♪ What's it all for? ♪ - ♪ What's it all for? ♪

♪ Better live now before the grim reaper ♪

♪ Come knocking on your door, tell me, baby ♪

♪ I'm not gonna let the elevator bring us down ♪

♪ Oh, no, let's go ♪

♪ Crazy ♪

- ♪ Say let's go crazy ♪ - ♪ Go crazy ♪

- ♪ Let's go - ♪ Let's go

- ♪ Let's go, let's go - ♪ Let's go

♪ Dr. Everything'll Be All Right ♪

♪ Will make everything go wrong ♪

♪ Pills and thrills and daffodils ♪

♪ Will kill, hang tough, children ♪

♪ He's comin', he's comin' ♪

♪ He's comin' ♪

(high-pitched): ♪ He's comin'! ♪

(applause and cheering)

(♪♪ Guitar solo)

Yeah! Happy birthday, Bella.

(song ends)

(grunting)

(gunshot)

Hey.

I thought you were supposed to be getting ready

for Bella's party.

That man that Cookie wants me to be...

he keeps trying to come back in my head. Uh...

I don't want to be him.

He's not a good person. I don't like him.

Dwight?

Hey, just because you know him

doesn't mean you have to become him.

This is a really important moment.

You're at a crossroads.

Let me help you choose a different path.

Come with me.

♪ It's your birthday, your birthday, your birthday... ♪

This is amazing. Oh, I'm sorry. I got to go -I thought you...

- say something. - ♪ Your birthday

♪ Your birth, it's your birthday, your birthday... ♪

I'm so sorry that we forgot

how sad this day was for you, for all of us.

It's not Bella's fault.

This family needs to find light where it can, so...

Yeah.

Dre, look, you know we love you, right?

We're not a family without you.

We need you.

Maybe Pop was onto something

with this whole, you know, kumbaya business.

Yeah, he was. You know what?

I owe him an apology. Where is he?

I don't know, I haven't seen him.

Okay, glad to see you, though.

- Okay. Porsha? - ♪ Better recognize.

- For you, ma'am. - Thank you, James.

You're welcome.

Hmm. I cannot wait to see what is happening

in the Metro Observer.

Ooh!

- Wow. - Huh.

They work fast.

Well, they owe me more favors than I can count.

Enjoy the sneak preview.

The final edition will be lethal.

If you're here to arrest me, you could at least do it

in some place other than my niece's birthday party.

I was looking at your files.

I saw that today is the day your wife...

I've already been incredibly unprofessional,

and I'm probably an idiot for it,

but I thought you might be in for a tough day.

You sent the flowers.

CHICKEN: What's up, Dre?

- What's up? - (chuckles) Okay.

Let's get the hell out of here.

- Oh, man, that's shady. - COOKIE: Wait a minute.

- What? - What are you doing?

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Before we open up any gifts,

where is Anika? We-we can't open up gifts until her...

Mom, we don't need Anika to open gifts up.

I don't know, y'all. All these gifts, I swear.

North West and them, they about to call us gauche.

COOKIE: No. Shut up. North West ain't got nothing on Bella Lyon.

Bella, look. (whoops)

Bella, boo. There you are.

Happy birthday, Bella.

Can't believe it's already been a year.

- Uh, what the hell are you doing here? - I invited him.

Oh. So I see you still like my sloppy seconds.

(scoffs): Oh, Cookie.

Though Anika may be more my taste

- than your ghetto ass ever was, she... - Ha.

- No, what you come up in here with this? - No, no, sit down.

- He ain't worth it. - We didn't come here as a couple.

I came with a gift, though not for Bella.

This gift is for... the baby's father.

So this is how you treat us after we include you?

Thank you for including me

in my own daughter's birthday party, Cookie.

But if there's anything that I've learned

in the last few years, very personally,

is that the Lyons will destroy everything

- that they put their hands on. - Mm.

Therefore, I will not allow you to destroy my daughter.

Angelo is here as my attorney.

I am suing for sole custody of Bella.

- Ugh. - (Bella crying)

Here are our demands.

Happy reading.

Happy birthday.

(indistinct conversations)

Where... where are we?

This is the crossroads where little Dwight Walker

became Lucious Lyon.

Do you see him there?

He looks so sad and alone.

I understand. I know what that feels like.

To be sad and alone.

But he doesn't ever have to be alone again.

If you want to change that,

you can choose a different path right now.

It's up to you.

Would you come with me?

Yes, if you want me to.