Original subtitles

LUCIOUS: Previously, onEmpire...

MAN: This is what you staked

your name and reputation on?

I told you she wasn't ready!

Did you let 'Keem hit or not?

TIANA: If you don't trust me,

then you don't need to be here.

[phone buzzing]

[dramatic hip-hop music]

I'm leaving, Andre.

Mommy's going bye-bye, Walker.

Unless she wants to say

and help planour pretty wedding.

We had a family!

We had a life, and you took that.

-She killed Durrell. -What?

We messed up your life, too, bitch.

-BECKY: Hey. -PORSHA: Yeah!

PORSHA: Get is, sis!

Yes!

-[upbeat music] -BECKY: Hilarious.

Yeah, you better get it.You better get it!

-You better get it! -[Becky laughs]

PORSHA: You better get it.Yes, sis.

COOKIE: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

A little sprinkle of that, a dash of this.

That makes a perfect soup, honey.

That there is the new Bossy sound.

-Bring it in for a toast. -[all cheer]

all: To Bossy!

And to Tiana debutingthat Bossy sound

and being ourflagship release, okay?

And I havethe perfect anchor song,

a cute, sweet little number for my boo.

BECKY: Okay, but which boo?

The new booor "original recipe" boo?

PORSHA: Okay, get out her business.

First of all, don't listen to Becky, okay?

Devon is a real one.

You got a good one on your hands.

Okay, enough; enough of the chitter-chatter, guppies.

Let's get back to work. Come on.

Come on, come on.

-[overlapping chatter] -KEISHA: Aunt Cookie?

Keisha? Uh, what are you doing here?

Is Carol okay?

I don't think so.

[indistinct chatter]

COOKIE:Come here.

BECKY: She got two other guys in her business.

TIANA: Oh, my God.

She won't let me come over,and she won't leave the house.

Where your brother and sister?

At Aunt Candace's.

Please.

I'm worriedshe's gonna kill herself.

[dramatic music]

COOKIE: Hey, I gotta make a run.

♪

[dramatic hip-hop music]

♪

You're gonna have to forgive me eventually.

You threatened to takemy son away from me.

I'm trying to keep our family together.

Andre, I've been thinking.

We shouldn't get marriednext week.

We should postponethis wedding.

I can't think straight.

I get it.

Lots of change recently, you're overwhelmed...

That's why I got you an assistant.

Courtney.

Courtney is gonna help you out with whatever you need:

driving you around, errands, wedding planning,

changing diapers...

24/7.

You're busy, and you're stressed...

And I'll feel better knowing that you're safe.

Just think of Courtney as an extra set

of eyes and hands...

whenever you need.

You're right.

[uneasy music]

Walker has his six-month appointment this afternoon.

So we're gonna have to leave here around noon.

COURTNEY: Yes, ma'am.

♪

[clicks tongue]

I gotta run to the office.

♪

I love you.

♪

[door closes]

I want to introduce Yana to the world

in a big, gigantic way,

and that's why we got you here, Destiny.

DESTINY: You're looking for a banger?

BECKY: Yeah.

Lizzo broke with "Truth Hurts."

I know that might work for other artists,

but Yana's special.

Uh, Lucious, can we talk in private?

-Of course. -Oh, anything you need to say

to Lucious,you can say in front of me.

We don't keep secrets.

Then out of respect for you, I'm gonna keep it real.

I'd appreciate that.

The song you want for Yana

is some...

"reserved for Beyoncé"caliber heat.

You feel me?

Okay, Destiny,

Yana is an extremely talented singer.

I'm sure you have some song up your sleeve--

No offense, but I saw your girl here bomb

on the Music Weeklyshow.

BECKY: Destiny, a lot of artists have bombed

on their way up to the top, and you know that.

Okay, that was Lana Del Rey on SNLbad.

Wow.

DESTINY: Your girl's in a deficit right now.

All right, okay.I get it.

I am inexperienced,and I have a lot to prove.

But can I ask you something?

When you started out,

how did you let everybody know that you were for real?

I wrote my ass off.

And that's exactlywhat I'm gonna do.

Uh... [laughs]

Yana, you're very talented,

but we need something iconic to launch you.

We will pay you top dollar.

YANA:No.

If this song is supposed to

represent me as an artist,then I need to write it.

It needs to come from me.

And with all due respect,Ms. DeVereaux,

I know my voicebetter than anybody else,

and I know how to represent it.

[dramatic music]

That's what you would do,Lucious.

♪

Absolutely.

In all truth, I mean, anyone that doubts Yana--

and that's pretty much everybody in the damn industry

right now--is not really worthy of writing

a song for her, with all due respect.

Come on.

Cancel the rest of the meetings.

We're out. Come on.

[bright piano music playing]

NICOLE: Quit playing around, Lucious.

We gotta finish this album.

HAKEEM: Just give me a minute.

-MAN: Yo, what was that? -Wait, play that again.

[snaps fingers] Hit record, fool.

MAN: I got you.

♪

Remember to stay above the mix.

♪

MAN: Spit some bars, Lucious.

♪ Look, I don't need no introduction ♪

♪ Finna do it big as Paul Bunyan ♪

♪ Flows be hitting hard enough to give concussions ♪

♪ Pardon the interruption

♪ But I don't pull no punches ♪

♪ And I really need to kill a beat ♪

♪ A little keys and some percussion ♪

♪ Like it's nothing, you already know who it is ♪

♪ They ain't never "Lyon" when they saying ♪

♪ "Lucious equipped," living legend in the making ♪

♪ Yeah, I'm flipping the script ♪

♪ Made it to the studio

♪ From slangin' dope as a kid, dig ♪

♪ Selling CDs out the trunk

♪ $7, what you want

♪ I could never fake the funk ♪

♪ Know you smell me

♪ Toothpaste, boots laced

♪ That's the routine

♪ Block hot, dodge cops, that's the routine ♪

♪ In the game where there ain't no referees ♪

♪ And the only guarantee

♪ Is that nothing come for free ♪

♪ Toothpaste, boots laced, that's the routine ♪

♪ Block hot, dodge cops, that's the routine ♪

♪ In the game where there ain't no referees ♪

♪ And the only guarantee

♪ Is that nothing come for free ♪

-Cut. -MAN: Cut it!

ERIC: That's our last scene.

It's a wrap, everybody.

-MAN: Yeah! -[cheers and applause]

[phone line trilling]

ANDRE [over phone]: Did they get it?

Uh, yeah, no, the last scene

was actually amazing.

Great, that's one less thing to worry about.

MAYA [over phone]: What do you mean?

The latest tracking numbers came in,

and they're garbage.

Who's bright idea was it to setthe release date for our movie

on the same day as a Marvel movie?

Oh, marketing said that it was good counterprogramming.

ANDRE [over phone]: People love an underdog story,

but if nobody knows we're out there,

it won't matter.

Find a way to get people talking.

Andre, I'm not a Kardashian.

I can't just get the Internet to do

whatever you want it to do.

You showed me how far

you were willing to go to wrangle

that recording contract out of me.

Use that to generate some buzz for this movie.

Or maybe you don't deserve that contract after all.

[indistinct chatter]

[Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It"]

SINGER: ♪ Let's go show the guys

♪ That we know how to become

♪ Number one in a hot party show ♪

♪ Now push it

♪ Push it, push it good -CAROL: Whoo!

SINGER: ♪ Ah, push it

-Carol! -SINGER: ♪ Push it real good

Carol!

♪

SINGER: ♪ Push it good, ah

♪ Push it, ah, push it real good ♪

♪

Have you lost your damn mind?

What?

You--this is my house.

How in the hell you bitches even get up in here?

I bought you the damn house, Carol.

-I got a key, stupid. -Is that what you're doing?

You gonna throw all your money up in my face again?

Is that what you came here for?

-You are out of control, Carol.-CAROL: Yeah, bitch!

You damn right I am. Now get out, both of y'all.

-CAROL: Get out. -You need help!

I don't need a damn thing, bitch,

but to be left alone.

And you know what? Who the hell you think you is?

You ruined my life.

You think I can't do the same to yo' ass?

COOKIE: What you mean by that?

Carol, stop talking crazy. Carol!

-CANDACE: Carol! -[Carol yelling] No, stop it!

-You are going to rehab. -[Carol moans]

-Give me my joint. -COOKIE: Come on. Come on.

CAROL: No, give me my joint.

-No. -Stop! Come on.

SINGER: ♪ Now I know that I done wrong ♪

♪ I'm gonna keep trying, trying, trying ♪

[soulful music]

♪ Been alone so many times before ♪

♪ I'm gonna keep biding

♪

♪ Everybody's gonna fall down sometime ♪

♪

All right, y'all, wherever y'all trying to take me,

I'm not going.

It's not up for negotiation.

A rehab program is the best for you.

They're gonna get you cleaned up.

All right, come on, y'all.

Come on.

Just take me back home. I'm good.

Y'all ain't got to worry about me no more.

Y'all, I'm saying "no" to drugs.

You are still clearly highif you think that you are good.

Mm, soon as we pull over,you'll ditch us in five seconds

to go cop you a fix, honey.

-Mm-hmm. -You need to be thinking

about your kids, Carol.

Girl, please.

You need to be thinking about your own damn kids.

Okay.

You wasn't there during

Andre's bipolar breakdowns,

and you damn sure wasn't there

when Lucious was shunning Jamal for being gay.

Hell, you didn't even see Hakeem learn how to walk.

I don't need a recap, okay?

One of the biggest regretsof my life...

not being thereto raise my boys.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, you knew

what it was like to not have a mama,

and you still abandoned your boys, you stupid bitch.

So what does that make you,stupid bitch?

Huh?

You want your kids to be without their mother?

CANDACE: Yeah, Mama leaving changed all of us, didn't it?

No one should have to grow up without a mother.

[horn honks]

JOHN: This is your fault, not mine.

Stop it. Stop.

You're always making excuses

for the girls.

No! No, you can't see them,

'cause I'm their father.

Renee, stay away from here.

We don't want to see you ever again.

Stay away from the girls.

[dramatic music]

Dad, where's Mom?

Candace, go get your sisters ready for school.

[door clattering]

[door hinges squeak]

Candace, where's Mama?

CANDACE: We'll need to get ourselves ready.

I'm sure Mom will be right back.

But Mama said she was gonnahelp me with me outfit!

Loretha, help with Carol.

You heard her, Carol. Don't start acting up.

[grunts] I want Mama now!

-Carol, Stop it! -[Carol crying]

-CANDACE: Get up! -CAROL: Ah! Leave me alone!

-Come on, Carol, let's go! -[Carol crying]

CAROL: Leave me alone!

[singer sings indistinctly over radio]

You are so full of it, Candace.

You are. You lied about Mama

just like you lied about Franklin.

Carol, please.

Okay, I'll admit it.

Sometimes the truth is too damn hard to face.

Yeah, 'cause your saditty assis fake.

Look...

I know I made a mistake with my son.

I'll admit that.

Thought Cookie was crazy for calling the cops.

[singer sings indistinctly over radio]

But that was the wake-up call that I needed.

I was blessed to have my sisters there with me.

Y'all both saved me and Franklin,

just like we're trying to save yo' ass.

Oh, I don't need no saving.

-[Candace scoffs] -Oh, yes, you do, honey.

By the grace of God,yes, you do.

-Amen. -Huh.

And if you was real, you would face that reality.

SINGER: ♪ Oh, whoa, oh, oh

♪ I'm going to be saved

[soft R&B music]

Let's see. So...

♪ See me, feel me

♪ Touch me, heal me

♪ You and I...

No, it needs to go... ♪ See me

♪

Can you give us a minute?

LUCIOUS: How's it going?

This is what I got so far.

"See me, feel me, touch me, you and I intertwined."

[blows raspberry]

Lucious, I know. Okay, it sounds terrible.

No, it's more like

a little baby trying to be born.

-LUCIOUS: Now... -[groans]

Why don't you start with, um,the chorus,

and we'll just build the verse off of that?

Seriously, the last thing I need right now

is a music lesson.

Yeah, I know.

The truth is, I mean,stressing about writing a song

only makes it harderto write the damn song.

Don't worry. I mean, we'll...

we'll figure it out together.

No, we won't.

Look at you. You don't think I can do it.

I don't put anything pastyour abilities.

But my experience has taught meyou don't just sit down

and write a love song.

It's somethingyou've gotta live

before you can put it to words.

You know what I mean?

I might be young, Lucious,

but I've had my fair share of pain.

But I'm not talking aboutjust any old kind of pain.

I'm talking about having your heart

ripped out of your chestby the person you love the most

and being forced to watch them devour it

piece by piece in front of you.

That's what makesthe greats great.

They don't tell you what they felt.

They make you feel what they felt.

Thank you. Okay.

Well, you are stressing me out right now.

So if I'm gonna do this,I just need some space, please.

[solemn music]

Okay.

♪

I'll give you your space.

Thank you.

♪

[door closes]

All right, let's talkabout this ASA push.

What happened with your voicewas a setback,

but it won't happen again.

I've lined up several performances.

You'll be lip syncing to a backup track.

A what?No.

People will notice.

I have a responsibility to my fans, Andre.

Would you give us a minute?

[unsettling music]

♪

[door opens and closes]

This isn't a negotiation.

Do as I say,or you'll be replaced.

Andre, what happened to me is your fault.

DEVON: Chill, all right? Everybody relax.

It's--we all on the same team here.

When I want your opinion, Romeo, I'll ask for it.

Instead of worrying about Treasure,

maybe you should focus onthe other ladies in your life,

like that gimp sister of yoursor Tiana.

What'd you say to me?

If you did,maybe Tiana wouldn't be

running back to my brotherfor that sweet Lyon--

TREASURE: No!

Oh, my God.

♪

-[Devon grunts] -TREASURE: Oh, my--ah!

There's that junkyard dogI know.

-[Devon grunts] -Stop, Andre!

ANDRE: There's a manwho wanted to put respect...

Stop!

Between the legs of every woman in America.

Put that same fire in your music,

and don't come back until you do!

-TREASURE: Andre, stop. -Get the hell out!

-TREASURE: Stop. -Get out!

-Go! -Oh, my God!

Okay, come on.Come on.

♪

[chuckles]

[panting]

[indistinct chatter]

T!

Oh, my God. What happened to your face?

Did you sleep with Hakeem?

-Wait, what?-DEVON: Did you sleep with him?

You know what, you act like you want a good dude,

but the truth is,

you don't know how to be with one.

Devon, look, I'm so sorry.I was--

I treated you like a queen.

All this time, you just-- you weren't nothing but trash.

[Brittany Howard's "Stay High"]

It's over.

-TIANA: Wait, Devon-- -It's over.

Come on, we can...

♪

BRITTANY: ♪ 'Cause once you know

♪ Then you know

♪ And you don't wanna go

♪ Back to wherever it is that you come from, yeah ♪

♪

♪ I just want to stay high

♪ With you

WAITER: Okay, ladies. What'll it be?

CAROL: Uh, let me see.

I'll have the, um--

the Roadside half-pounder,

medium rare with, um,

all the extra little fixings on it.

And give me some extra avocado.

Uh, sorry, we're out of avocado.

"Out"? All right.

So you just gonna sit here and act like

I don't see the Golden Girls over there,

feeding their greedy faces?

Hey, Betty White!

Why don't you save some

for the rest of us, old ass?

Okay, hey. Hey, Carol, that's enough.

-[Carol scoffs] -Ma'am, we--we just ran out.

Those ladies ordered before you.

Oh, really?

They just ran outbefore me, huh?

Is that--you know what?You need to watch your tone.

I don't even likehow you talking to me.

Your ass will get whacked.

Sir, I am so sorry.

Um, please excuse my sister. She's having a bad day.

-It's okay. -I ain't having no bad day!

Shut your ass up.

-Get off. -You want a scene, huh?

'Cause I will drag youby your nappy weave

out to that parking lotand beat your ass.

Is that what you want?

Why don't you back off of me, Cookie?

You always trying to tell me what to do.

-Because you... -Ow.

Are incapable of makinggood choices.

Stop it. Ow.

-Shut up. -You put your nail in my face.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

That's why I always tell your ass the truth.

-Stop. -All right. All right.

[Carol sighs]

[traffic roars]

-[Carol crying] -CANDACE: Come on, Carol.

Carol, we have to get ready for school.

-What's going on? -I've been trying

to get Carol ready for school.

COOKIE: Candace, where's Daddy?

-[Carol crying] -CANDACE: Come on, Carol!

CAROL: Leave me alone!

[Carol crying]

[sniffles]

[breathes shakily]

-[whimpers] -[door creaking]

[somber music]

♪

She's gone, Loretha.

♪

She's not coming back.

♪

[John sniffles]

♪

[sniffles]

♪

[sniffles]

♪

CAROL: I don't wanna! Where's Mommy?

Where's Mama?

Carol, shut up!

Candace,you help her with her hair.

I'll get started on breakfast.

Who made you the boss?

Mama's gone,and she ain't coming back.

We need to start taking careof each other now.

CAROL: All right, so you know--so while

you were busy bossing me aroundand being "my mama"

like I was one of your boys,

that gave you the right to kill my man?

-COOKIE: Shut up! -CANDACE: Lower your voice.

COOKIE: Durrell was beating you.

He was dangerous,so I had to do something...

-Oh... -Like I always do.

Bitch, please.

I was a grown-ass woman, and it was complicated.

And we sitting up in here right now

because you still think you my mama.

But guess what, heifer. You ain't.

-I'm not. -Carol, stop.

Matter of fact,

I done lost my damn appetite.

All right. No, the crack made you

-lose the appetite. -CANDACE: Stop it.

CAROL: Get off of me!

You know what? You can't go nowhere.

I got the keys, dumbass.

Wow.

Andre is really excitingabout giving your readers

a behind-the-scenes lookat Birth of an Empire.

I love how y'all flipped that title

and took it back from whitey.

-Thank you. -Where's Hakeem?

Uh, he's actuallybeen working on

the movie soundtrack nonstop.

Actually, how would you feel

about an exclusiveinterview/listening session?

Yes. [laughs]

Looks like Hakeem's putting in work, all right.

Isn't that the actressplaying his mama?

HAKEEM: Get the hell of here, yo.

Oh, my God!

-Studio B. -Get out!

-Um, oh, my God. -NICOLE: Move!

I, uh--I'm so sorry.

Uh, we should...probablytry that again a little later.

Oh, I've got all I need.

Jill, you weren'tsupposed to see that.

But I can't unsee it, can I?

[mischievous music]

♪

[beeping]

[beeps]

[melancholy music]

♪

[ding]

-[tense music] -[beeping]

♪

[sighs]

You're ruining my life.

You'd have nothing without me.

[Andre sighs] Get out of my head.

♪

Are you all right, son?

Oh, I'm fine, Pop.

I--just a little stressed.That's all.

Seems like that crownis a little heavy on your head.

I'm handling it just fine, Pop.

You may not like my methods,

but you can't arguewith the results.

I'm not worried about Empire.

I'm worried about my son.

I mean, your heart, your cancer.

You've been through so much, son.

I'm fine, Pop.

You bringing all this upmakes me think

you're trying to undermine me.

That's not what I meant.

Your worry feels like envy.

Are you afraid I'm doingbetter job than you

at running Empire?

Not at all. I'm--

Then why are you here?

[dramatic music]

That's a real good question.

♪

Ahh.

[chuckles]

TERI: Courtney, I don't need you to come in.

No, just stay in the car. Bye.

-Dr. Lockett. -Yes?

I know my husband, Andre Lyon, came to see you.

Please.

His behavior has been very erratic.

And I'm worried...

that his medication isn't working.

I'm afraid I can't discussa patient's medical care,

not even with their spouse.

Andre is not the same person anymore.

We have a--a baby.

Doctor, please.

Just--just--just answer me this.

Am I in danger?

[uneasy music]

Is my baby in danger?

♪

Hypothetically,anyone close to a patient

experiencing the symptomsyou're describing

-Uh-huh. -Should take every measure

to protect themselves and those closest to them.

♪

Okay.

♪

Thank you.

Eh. Well, I'll be damned.

Did you see the post about Hakeem

and the actress playing Cookie?

-[door closes] -BECKY: Uh, yeah.

He has hella mommy issues. So...

Uh, you know you gota 3:00 p.m.

with Rihanna's managementand then--

BECKY: Eh, You gotta cancel that.

We have to find Tiana

and get her back on track.

Yeah, about that...

[dramatic hip-hop music]

♪

Oh.

Okay. Okay.

All right. All right.

Becky, I think we might needto give Tiana the day off.

BECKY: Oh, no, no, no. We can't.

We need to use that

because we are burning through money

with engineers and studio time.

I was gonna write Devon a song.

-BECKY: Okay. -And then he walked in

and embarrassed me in front of everyone.

Okay. What if we flipped it on him?

-What, a breakup song? -BECKY: Yeah, a breakup song!

-[sighs] I don't know. -BECKY: Okay.

No, no. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

T. T.

What better way to get back at Devon

and all these man-slut, he-bitches in your life?

-BECKY: Huh? -PORSHA: I agree, hands up.

-Give me five. -She agree, okay?

Look, I know that Devon is fine as hell,

and I know that he's slanging it.

But you know what's hard? Monogamy.

You can just swipe and get you a new one.

-Sis, I swipe all the time. -Boom.

I mean, we never really fullyeven defined our relationship.

-I don't think you did. -See?

-He don't own me. -BECKY: Uh-uh!

He can't own you, okay? 'Cause you're not a cat.

What's wrong with a little hoe-ism?

-BECKY: Nothing. -Okay.

God, men do it all the time.

PORSHA: But Tiana, that don't mean it's right.

Okay, but what's right? [laughs]

Right? What's right?

What's wrong? Like, who's to say?

How 'bout we pull out the pen and the pad

and get messy?

TIANA: ♪ Slipping like a mudslide

♪ Too far gone, too little, too late for help ♪

♪ And I can't apologize

♪ For living a double life

♪ I blow and I roll the dice

♪ Two wrongs, no right, and I'm making a mess ♪

♪ And it's killing me to be confessional, uh ♪

♪ I move too fast in my double life ♪

♪ Burned and I crashed in my double life ♪

♪ Went too hard in my double life ♪

♪ Broke two hearts in my double life ♪

♪ I'm a bad girl in my double life ♪

♪ Been a bad girl in my double life ♪

[upbeat hip-hop music]

♪ Double life

♪

♪ Double life

[sighs]

[soft music]

♪

[exhales]

♪

[door opens]

Cookie's been asking about you again.

Man, it's been months

since you've been up there to see her.

I'm getting tired of coveringfor your ass, man.

Yeah, I've been trying to go up there and see her,

but last time, they damn near locked me up

because I can't bear to see herin there like that.

I've been trying to write her a freakin' letter...

nothing seems to come out right.

BUNKIE: There ain't nothing you gonna write on that paper

you can't say in person.

Quit hiding behind these damn letters

and get your ass up to that prison.

♪

[sniffles, grunts softly]

CAROL: Let me out. I gotta pee.

COOKIE: What is taking Carol so long?

She didn't even eat.

If you hadn't beenso hard on her,

she would have.

Oh, please, I told her the truth.

Well, you can't always talkwith no filter, Cookie.

That may work with your boys,but it doesn't work

with someone who's unstablelike Carol.

You gotta learn to weavea little white lie

in there every now and then.

Look, I can't pretend like everything's okay

when it's not, all right?

That's you.

[both scoff]

[dramatic music]

Damn.

That bitch.

What?

[cell phone bleeps]

♪

COOKIE: Where the hellyou think you going, huh?

You know you can't outslick the slick-ster.

-[Carol scoffs] -Get your chalky ass on.

Bitch, I know your little messyass set this whole thing up.

Okay, um, I am so sorry about earlier.

I didn't know that...

she was supposed to be there for an interview--

I'm a Juilliard-trainedactress.

I went to Brown.

I have a reputationto maintain.

I don't have time to playyour little ghetto games.

Whoa. Excuse me.

-"Ghetto games?" -HAKEEM: Hold on, Nicole.

You gotta fallall the way back.

Lean back.

You better handle this.

-[Maya scoffs] -[sighs]

Did she buy it?

She has no idea you're in on it,

so street: one, Ivy League: zero.

You ain't street, girl.

Uh, yeah, but she doesn't seem to know the difference, so...

HAKEEM: Well, uh, the movie's getting a lot of buzz.

-You was right. -You're welcome.

I think "Hakeem Lyon Falls in Love with Actress

Playing His Mother" kind of writes itself.

You a shady-ass bitch.

Aren't I?

[upbeat music]

♪

[keys clacking]

[dramatic music]

♪

ANDRE: Teri.

[whimpers softly]

In here.

So what do you think?

[sighs] Isn't this bad luck?

We're already married.

What happened to your face?

Oh, that's nothing.

It's just, uh, a little something at work, you know.

It's all taken care of now.

We can't go through with this

if--if your face lookslike that.

Everyone will see, and--

Teri, this wedding is my...

[sighs]

This wedding is our coronation.

We're the new king and queen of Empire, babe.

I don't want a crown.

Listen.

Whatever is going on,

it needs to stop.

We should postponethis wedding.

[sighs]

[unsettling music]

Get it through your head.

This is happening.

I know you lied to me.

I spoke with your doctor.

You did what?

Because of the wayyou've been acting.

I've been so frightened for me,for the--for the baby.

♪

You listen to me.

You're gonna wear this dress...

[Teri whimpers]

You're gonna smile,

and you're gonna suck it up.

You hear me? You're gonna suck it up.

Andre, you need help.

You know I will help you.

Please,

please let me help you.

♪

Please.

[whispers] Go, Teri.

-Run. -What?

You need to run. Go.

♪

[Carol sighs]

How did you get them damn drugs out, huh?

'Cause we TSA'd your ass before we left the house.

Did you hide those drugsin your--

Ah-ah-ah-ah. I don't need that visual.

Taking your ass to rehab ASAP.

Yeah, I don't have to deal with you like this

one more second.

-Amen to that. -Oh, shut up.

I'm so sick of y'all judging me, I swear.

Y'all think y'all so perfect, huh?

You know what?

Since we all in the mood of truth telling,

I'ma give it to y'all straight.

You know what?

You ain't nothing but a plastic,

self-righteous phony who hide behind your lies

and your white husband to hide your insecurities.

And you, Cookie, you ain't nothing

but a lonely, domineering control freak

with no love and no man

because all your truth telling pushed everybody away.

Now, let me out of this damn car!

Get me out of the damn car.

-Stop it! Stop! -[growls]

CANDACE: You the onethat became a damn drug addict.

Stop.

Nobody forced you to do no drugs.

You think this what I wanted my life to be?

[horn honks]

[solemn music]

CANDACE:Why are you dressed for church?

You need to get ready for school.

I'm waiting on Mama.

Mom had to go on a trip.

♪

-CANDACE: She'll be back soon. -You're lying.

You need to get changed now, Carol.

I don't wanna. [crying]

Stop it, Carol.

You're the youngest, but you're not a baby anymore.

Me and Candace are gonna try our best,

but you have to try yours, too,

'cause Mama ain't coming back.

♪

[Carol sighs]

♪

[crying]

I knew you were lying

the day Mama left.

She promised to take me to see Alvin Ailey that day

in the city for my birthday.

It was our little secret.

[whimpering]

♪

I never got over Mama walking out on us like that.

I tried to be there for you.

We all tried to bemothers to each other.

♪

It wasn't enough.

Then Durrell came along.

He may have had his flaws...

But he made me feel good.

It was like he was my protector...

and you took that away from me,Cookie.

It's like you're taking away every good memory I ever had.

Look... [chuckles]

It's the truth.

-Yes. -COOKIE: Okay?

I had to protect you and your kids,

and I did that because I love you, Carol.

We love you. You can't understand that?

[whispers] But you can't fix me.

You can't.

[dramatic music]

That ain't your job, sis.

♪

Just like we couldn't fix you

when we triedto get rid of Lucious.

Carol, shut up. Don't you say another word.

Not another word! Look, we almost there.

I know where we at! Let her talk.

She been trying to get this off her chest for a minute.

-What you got to say, Carol? -[Candace mouthing words]

♪

You remember that day back in the day

when--when you got busted for hustling?

-COOKIE: Yes.-How you think they caught you?

It was a DEA investigation with the Philly cops.

Carol.Shh.

No, no, you, shh. Let her talk.

CAROL: Who told you that, Cook?Huh?

We called the cops.

-Shut up, Carol! -CAROL: Me and Candace.

We the one tipped the cops off...

-Carol, why? -CAROL: So that they would

bust Lucious' shady ass and send his ass to prison.

I spent 17 years in prison rotting

because of two snitch bitches.

[brakes squeal]

CANDACE: What are you doing?

[somber music]

CANDACE: Come on, come on. Get out, get out.

[Carol groans]

♪

Cook, let me explain.

Look,I didn't even wanna do it.

Candace made me do it.She said we had to.

Okay, look--you know what? I did.

Cookie, I did.

Baby girl, Lucious had you out in the street dealing.

We thought that you might end up dead

or that your boys might take a bullet.

We were scared, and you wouldn't listen to us.

You left us no choice.

That wasn't your choice to make!

What if Mama was around, huh?

-Mama? -CANDACE: Yeah.

You think that Mama would have you living that life?

We had to do something!

And we didn't think youwas gonna be stupid enough

to take the fall for Lucious.

[foreboding music]

"Stupid"?

♪

My own damn sisters...

[sighs]

♪

[sniffles]

You know what?

The rehab is about a mile down the street.

You can walk.

CANDACE:Cookie, it's freezing out here.

CAROL: No, so how does it feel?

Huh, Cookie? How does it feel?

We was just tryingto protect you, mother you.

-Does that make it any better? -Stop.

♪

Cookie.

CAROL: Yeah, ain't that the pot

calling the kettle black?

[engine turns over]

♪

[melancholy piano music playing]

♪

Yes, Lucious?

♪

[music stops]

[whispers] Oh, my God.

What was so important that could not wait until tomorrow?

I have something for you.

What is this, the answer to all of my prayers?

Maybe.

Wait. ♪ There it goes

both: ♪ Got through another day without you ♪

-[Lucious chuckles] -Wow.

"I reach out to touch you,

but realize you're miles away."

This is about when we were apart.

I had no idea that you felt this way about me.

You think maybe you could,um...

breathe some life into it?

[melancholy R&B music]

I would be honored to bring life to this.

-[chuckles] -Now, actually.

-YANA: Let's do it now. -LUCIOUS: Okay.

♪ There it goes

[melancholy piano music playing]

♪ Got through another day without you ♪

♪ Going through the motions

♪ 'Cause there ain't no other way ♪

♪ I swear that I can feel you ♪

♪ Don't know if I'm asleep or awake ♪

♪ I reach out to touch you

♪ Then realize you're miles away ♪

♪ And every chance I took for granted ♪

♪ Never again

♪ I won't let you go

♪ I'm like a heart without a soul ♪

♪ So I'll

♪ I'll count down the days

[Walker crying]

YANA: ♪ And try not to break down

♪ I'll keep the faith

♪ 'Cause home is on the way

♪ I know

♪ That I haven't

♪ Called you lately

♪ Sometimes it's easier

♪ To say it face-to-face

♪ 'Cause lovers come and go

♪ But we're more than temporary ♪

♪ I know when I see you

♪ It'll feel like nothing's changed ♪

♪ Ooh

♪ I told you once, I told you twice ♪

♪ I'll tell you again

♪ You and me

♪ Is all that we'll ever need ♪

♪ So I'll

♪ Count down the days

♪ I'll try not to break down

♪ Keep the faith

♪ 'Cause home is on the way

♪

♪ We'll make up the time

♪ No matter the distance

♪ It's worth the wait

♪ 'Cause home is on the way

-[breathing heavily] -YANA: ♪ Yeah

♪ Home is on

♪ The way

We made it. Huh?

We made it.

Huh?

[gasps]

[sinister music]

Andre, wha...

[gulps]

No.

No.

-Give him to me, Teri. -No.

-Teri! -No!

Give him to me now.

No.No, no--

-Let go! -Oh.

-Oh, no! -[Walker crying]

-Look what you did. -Shh.

You try to take my son from me again,

it will be the last time you ever see him.

Do you understand?

[Walker crying]

I asked you a question.

-Do you understand me? -[Teri shushes]

I do.

Walker's everything to me, Teri.

He's irreplaceable.

You are not.

[Walker crying]

Now let's go home.

Go!

-[Walker crying] -ANDRE: Let's go. Come on.

♪

Let's go home.

♪

[luggage clatters]

♪

[dramatic hip-hop music]

♪