Hakeem has a birthday alright, but nobody said it was going to be a happy one. Yes, there are certain expectations when a person turns 21, most of which go along with the assumption that you are now a semi-responsible adult. That’s a lesson Hakeem has not learned, but his crash course is coming. It’s actually a relief that that is Hakeem’s biggest worry given all of the larger adult problems his family has to handle. A storm is coming to Empire, and she’s a force the Lyon family won’t see coming until they’re already in her deepest eye.
Angelo is really trying to build a lasting relationship with Cookie, but his first mistake was telling her that certain things from her past don’t belong in “our world”. Angelo and Cookie do not come from the same world, they did not have the same experiences, and he needs to be reminded of that. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love for Angelo to give Cookie her heart’s desire after all the hurt she’s been through with Lucious, but he cannot expect her to change herself for him. She was the girl who had to carry a gun for her own safety at a young age, and her life has only gotten more dangerous since.
I always thought Philip was a healthier choice for Jamal than D-Major, given that Philip always encouraged Jamal to be clean and true to himself. D tries to come out to the world by declaring his love for Jamal, but that’s not the way it works. Jamal is right, coming out is about yourself, not another person. As much pain as D-Major is in, it doesn’t justify alienating the one person who is genuinely in his corner.
The Lyons try to convince Hakeem that they don’t have time to throw him a big birthday celebration with all of their drama. Hakeem is genuinely, happily surprised when Tiana makes it home for his birthday, and his brothers join in on the fun too. However, before that Hakeem makes the mistake of picking up two random strangers as bodyguards. One of them gets a little handsy with Tiana’s friends, and the next thing you know, the party is over. Hakeem keeps saying it’s not his fault despite Andre pointing out every single way that it was. A real man doesn’t have to say he’s a man ten times a day. A real man just takes care of his responsibilities. Before the night is out Hakeem finally does get it a bit. He ends the night not with Tiana or with a dozen of his posse trashing his penthouse, but with Bella. Maybe there’s hope for him yet. Hakeem will need to be there for Bella while Anika is working to get Tariq out of their family once and for all.
Andre has entered into a very dangerous game. The scary thing is that he knows how dangerous, he just doesn’t care. Giuliana Green (Nia Long) is not your average businesswoman. Just what kind of a threat she poses to the Lyon family is yet to be determined.
Will Hakeem step up to the plate for the remainder of the season and beyond? Is Andre biting off more than he can chew?
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