After a failed double romance by Cookie and Jamal Lyon with this family, this family has sworn to end the Lyons at all cost. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: In the end, why Kingsley? Producers hope to some day make their planned finale, but under difficult circumstances the six-season series did a solid job concluding the story of the Lyon family and its hip-hopempire. Empire Season 6: Taraji P. Henson on Cookie's Supposed Death, Lucious "Playing Cookie has really made me lean into my 'Don't take no sh-- from nobody.' BRETT MAHONEY: This season, with the whole idea of the coffin, we wanted some aspect of mortality to touch the Lyons. Yet again, Jamal's ex - lover swore to end the family and that was all the author has talked about him up till now. While Henson usually shared the screen with big-name actors, Kelley L. Carter said Empire is "most certainly Henson's moment." During the finale of Season 3, Cookie and her family are together once again at the Laviticus nightclub in Las Vegas, where Jamal performs 'When Cookie Met Lucious'. In the season 5 premiere, Empire unveiled a flash-forward structure that featured Lucious standing over a mysterious coffin. "[6], BuzzFeed said Henson "delivers one of her finest performances to date" as Cookie. Andre will surely be thankful, but Cookie and Hakeem should probably feel some guilt for how they treated him. "Wewant to be able to film the intended finale we came up with and think we owe it to the fans to do that. Andre (Trai Byers), still recovering from his heart transplant, is the permanent CEO of Empire and secured deals with Fox Sports and more, with a son on the way. The launch of the Empire movie also may have meant a big shift in his career and the public perception of him. Lucious managed to beat Damon to death with his prosthetic leg. And in that question lies several others. r/EmpireTV on Reddit: Empire's final two episodes unable to be Empire just threw another Lyon to the wolves. It's hard to imagine. How shes feels inside matches her outside." Andre has been through more than anyone on this show, and now, he's lost a brother but gained a heart, wife, and, soon, a child. Given Cookies jittery, guilty-as-hell energy as she exited her house and made her way to her TNT-rigged automobile, the show clearly wants us to think that Cookie murdered Lucious before running straight into the Grim Reapers clutches herself. She's a. All things considered, given how many odds were stacked against the end of production, Empire's denouement could have been a lot sloppier. He seemingly resumed his work at Empire. But, after Andre meets with his father to quit, Lucious decides to play hardball: He. "[5] "She's a lot of things," Henson said of her character in an interview with E!. Given her family's penchant for drama and Lucious' persuasive nature, however, that might be easier said than done. This has been a powerful man for years now but Coocious made a public show of him recently and crashing his American Singers Awards (ASA). Damon died, however, in what aired as the series finale after a confrontation with Lucious, who Damon had been trying to shoot when he accidentally killed Yana. Whenever we get to shoot 20, it will start with [the Episode 19 cliffhanger]. That's exactly why she does it. Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants and she will cause "havoc" along the way. Cookie "doesn't compromise at all? He is out of the hospital and plans to become a missionary in South America until his brother Hakeem (Bryshere Y. "It's bittersweet and it's heartbreaking, but Lucious has a hard head. The Cookie-Lucious relationship is the romantic relationship and marriage between Cookie Lyon and Lucious Lyon. Bunkie Williams | Empire TV Show Wiki | Fandom Cookie Lyon - Wikipedia Fans will remember that Lucious ordered Gathers killed in prison at the beginning of this season after he threatened Cookie. Now, in the season 5 finale, you split up Lucious and Cookie. 'Empire' Recap: Season 2 Finale, Episode 18 Rhonda and/or Anika Die His former lover Cookie could also be the triggerman as shes made it clear hes caused her so much pain, especially after the revelation of his oldest son, Kingsley (A.Z. * Cookie begins seeing a therapist to get to the bottom of her pesky insomnia. Cookie Lyon | Empire TV Show Wiki | Fandom "Never in million years did I think it would end like this," Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) pondered at the start of this week's Empire. However the series was intended to end, it wasn't with the confrontation between Lucious and Damon at the mansion. Since it was the united efforts of Lucious, Cookie, and Andre that ended in Tracy's death, not to mention everything that went down before she snapped. October 15 2019, 6:58 PM PDT. I'm not sure yet; we will see as we start things next season how things play out. Yes, he is the second person on my List of suspect, though he is a minor suspect. Gray), who persuades his brother to stay and try to establish a relationship with his young son, emphasizingthe finale's theme: "Family is everything. [27] She was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to Viola Davis for her role in the ABC legal drama series How To Get Away With Murder. Carol was furious with her for a time, but not quite "kill Cookie with a car bomb" furious. The Fox drama series' fifth season first introduced the mystery of the coffin in the season premiere episode, when Lucious (Terrence Howard) was seen crying over his dead family member. Bunkie Williams (uncle) Jermel (cousin) Andre Martin Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama Empire, on Fox. Who knows, maybe we'll give them more. His therapist Michelle (played by Jennifer Hudson) has served as his spiritual guide throughout the process. Several people have a motive for killing the Empire owner, starting with Cross if he finds out the nature of Lyons relationship with his daughter. The episode picked up where last week's left off . Discover your new favorite show: Watch This Now! In other words, Kelly is a strong man. She is now much of a comic character when addressing real life issues. But, I think that he may leave and discover some new things about himself before he comes back. Producers say that was initially planned as the Episode 18 cliffhanger, but the violent action quickly moves to its resolution, as viewers learn Damon had bad aim as well as bad judgment: His daughter is dead. Hurt and tired of fighting, Cookie finally put an end to their current feud over their luxe mansion by yielding the home to Lucious. Who could it have been, and will we never know? Why was Cookie at the mansion in the first place, and why was she rushing out of it in such a hurry? ", Mahoney says they had to leave out a few revelations regarding earlier mysteries:Who shot Lucious? He's a great puppeteer and he's been pulling at her heartstrings for years and that's just not something you can easily free yourself from. What he tells us is that he's going to disappear for a while so he can find out what exactly Damon and the federal prosecutor have against him. Empire Season 6 began similarly to last season, with a flash-forward of a main character dead. Why Cookie's Big Secret Could Mean Disaster For Empire 'Empire' Series Finale Explained: What Happened in the Last Episode? In that way, it was successful. It's been a long time coming for a character who, in the past, has had trouble leaving him and his never-ending issues behind. Follow me to get more from me. Alita: Battle Angel Producer Gives Hopeful Update On The Sequel, And How Avatar 2 Is Connected, Jason Momoa Clarifies Feelings On Aquaman, Talks Frustration Of The Lost Kingdom Not Using Many Of His Ideas, David Arquette Admits To Feeling Inferior To Courteney Cox While She Was On Friends, And Explained How He Worked Through Those Feelings, Polite Societys Breakout Star Talks Breaking Social Norms And Making A Kick-Ass Movie For Young Brown Girls, The Mandalorian Season 4: Here's What's Been Said About Plans For The Next Season, Blake Lively Had A Funny Response When Asked About Which Met Gala Look She Loves The Most, Universal Orlando Teases Halloween Horror Nights With New Video And I'm Completely Creeped Out. Gray) as their father. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. He was portrayed by Antoine McKay, and he first appeared in "Pilot". Gizelle has a lot to fight for as Cookie and Lucious has virtually ruined her life and career. On the plus side, Brett Mahoney seemed highly confident that Empire will eventually get the intended ending that the writers had planned to wrap the series with. Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) capitalized on her newfound social media fame and joined a daytime talk show, similar to The View where shes openly discussed no longer dating Lucious and doesnt get involved with Empire anymore. However, Yana's father Damon (Wood Harris) sees this hug and sees it as a sign that Lucious has been lying to him and is sleeping with his daughter. She wants some respect, but it isn't coming her way, and she is under the influence of drugs which makes her highly unstable. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. At some point, before she turns to dust in the ground, she needs to live a life that fulfills her needs instead of fulfilling everyone else's needs," Henson said. She owns the armor of her fashion. Now, Empire didn't go nearly as far to confirm Cookie's death as it did Lucious after he was shot, since he looked pretty definitively dead in that particular flash-forward. Would the show still have an unsatisfying ending even with the full 20 The setting and timing of this week's Cookie-killing flash-forward it occurred at the Lyon family estate roughly nine months in the future suggests that her demise is directly linked to. Giselle and Patel were still alive and with serious bones to pick with Lucious. This reunion began at the start of the episode where they team up in their business lives to fire Pamplemousse employees Kelly (Pej Vahdat) and Giselle (Nicole Ari Parker) to regain control of the Lyon family music empire. In Season 2, after the arrest of Lucious, she attempts to make a hostile takeover in Empire but fails due to their investor siding with Lucious and Jamal, further damaging Jamal and Cookie's relationship. As an actress, because Henson is so "uninhibited," the writers tend to write her "really big." Also Read: 'Empire' Raises the Stakes in Battle Between Lyons, Camilla I mean, I haven't gotten all of the writers together so we don't really have our plans for next season. Gross! I think what's interesting is if they do come back together, they will be coming back together with their eyes wide open and knowing how difficult it will be. The one where EW follows up with the cast. At first Mouse wants a job, but then gets greedy after realizing that Andre is now the permanent CEO of Empire. It's unrealistic to not think about how it should end and how do you draw the empire to an epic conclusion. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"fURWVvkzH7lBGR776O5hJguXZlFxdQ3WNIj4056.2yo-3600-0"}; * Pro-choiceBecky is incensed when Giselle signs out and proud pro-lifer Tiana to a record deal. In the show's first episode, Cookie gets released from prison and immediately visits Jamal, her gay son (Jussie Smollett), the only member of the family that has kept in touch with her. It's still in the process of being figured out. Cookie seems to want to permanently set ablaze to the relationship when she says that she slept with Damon. Mahoney directed questions about the exclusion of Smollett, even in flashback, to Fox. Producers of "Empire," created byLee Danielsand Danny Strong, say they still hope to make the actual series finale, which would have been the sixth season's 20th episode, Mahoneytells USA TODAY. Even Yana couldn't snap and kill Cookie in a jealous rage due to her own unexpected death. They have three sons: Andre, Hakeem, and Jamal. However, this finale is ultimately about Lucious and Cookie. ", "This has been one of the most incredible joy rides of my career," she continued. In typical Empire style, the series finale did this by killing her off. Unless Empire somehow gets those last two episodes, fans will never get to see how all of these questions and more were supposed to be answered. The show dropped clues here and there about who might have done it, but Empire moves so quickly and Lucious creates so many enemies for himself that it's difficult to narrow down the list unless characters are killed off. Empire spent almost the entire final season building to the reveal of who shot Lucious Lyon in the flash-forward in the Season 6 premiere. Additionally, Hakeem used to have a thing for guns after he got shot. 'Empire': Cookie Has Heart Attack? Season 4 Episode 11 Recap Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. It's just like if you know who you are and you own it, no one can use your past or you against you because you already beat them to the punch. By "[8] Henson admitted that she can identify with Cookie's "mentality" because "I am from the 'hood.' "The Inside Track: The Rise of EMPIRE Part 1", "How Lee Daniels' Real-Life Experiences Helped Create Empire", "Taraji P. Henson Nabs Female Lead in Fox's Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire', "Taraji P. Henson Is Finally Having Her Moment With "Empire", "The Cast and Director of 'Empire' Discuss Their New Show", "Mo'Nique Says Lee Daniels Wanted Her To Play Cookie On TV Hit 'Empire', "Taraji P. Henson on Her New Empire Character: "Oh, We're Going to Piss Off So Many People", "Taraji P. Henson as Cookie at Heart of TV's 'Empire', "Lee Daniels Builds a Soapy New Hip-Hop Empire for Fox", "Here's the Real Reason Why Taraji P. Henson Almost Turned Down Empire", "9 Fashion Staples You Need Inspired By Cookie Lyon From 'Empire', "Cookie Lyon's Empire Wardrobe Is Basically a Dream Closet of Leopard, Foxy Furs, and Tight Skirts", "Taraji P. Henson builds fashion 'Empire', "The Empire Cast on the Bib, Cookie's Style, and More at Their Very Lively Panel", "Almost 10 Million Tune in For Premiere of Fox's New Super Soap Empire", "All 38 Of Cookie's Fierce Looks In "Empire", "TV's 'Empire' arrives with much promise", "Empire: Are we ready for a black 'Dynasty'? Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) is hiding from the federal government who want him on money laundering charges, so he wears a Bob Marley-like wig and glasses, and has a new girlfriend. [26], In May 2015, Henson won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Cookie. "This show taught me about my power in this industry and about my worth because Cookie came in kicking down the door, and that's where I got 'roaring like a lion' from. Many shows are airing their season and series finales, so be sure to check out our list for all the big TV finales airing this spring and summer. A good chunk of this season will see Cookie continually receiving professional help from her therapist (Keesha Sharp) as she attempts to break free of that vicious cycle with Lucious and finally start taking proper care of herself. The Empire team might have to make some tweaks to the original plan due to what was cobbled together to serve as the series finale, but the creators haven't given up on a real end to Empire. Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) is hiding from the federal government who want him on money laundering charges, so he wears a Bob Marley-like wig and glasses, and has a new girlfriend. The sun has set on Fox's "Empire" at least for now. Did you just ask that? A lot of shows are coming back," Henson said. Wait, Is Empire Killing Off Cookie In The Final Season Too? Even a TV movie event tying off the loose ends could be enough. By the closing minutes of the Empire series finale, titled "Home is On The Way," two characters had died, and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) had reunited. Cookie and Lucious have a big problem on their hands. So what should we expect for him moving forward? Cookie then confronts Lucious (Terrence Howard) demanding half of the company, but he refuses and instead offers her a seven-figure income and living arrangements. Dis tew much. It would have felt less abrupt than her getting shot and then we [immediately] come back after a commercial break and were mourning her death. Empire was never a show that was short on drama, but the Fox series' finale managed to get two episodes worth of action into one. ), Still, it's a triumphal closing moment for the Lyons as Hakeem takes to a throne on stage and the screen goes dark, with Lucious proclaiming: "To the Empire!". Hakeem, too, appears to find peace with new wife Maya, recognizing her intelligence and value and ending his struggle to get out of their marriage. Still bitter that Cookie left him at the airport last season, Lucious has been at odds with her, leading to a tumultuous back-and-forth that saw Cookie publicly announce that Empire was founded on her drug money. She knew the content would "piss off" a lot of viewers, but added, "isn't that what art is supposed to do? The episode, titled "Stronger than My Rival," kicked off with another flash-forward nine months into the future that alluded to Cookie's untimely demise. Heres how Mahoney explained it: Yes. ©2019 Fox Media LLC CR: Chuck Hodes/FOX. Yes, they love each other, but is that enough? So, it is only natural for viewers to Predict their killers, so here we go. There is already a death, possibly two in the premiere episode of the final season when Andres prison friend Mouse visits him looking to collect on a debt. ? New Romance Brewing on Superman, Fox News 8 pm Viewership Down Sharply Since Tucker Carlson's Ouster, Stephen Amell Doesn't Think He's Done Playing Green Arrow, Lyon patriarch taking three bullets to the upper body, TVLine Items: Pose Vet Joins AHS, Fox Orders Lifeguard Drama and More, 9-1-1: Lone Star Staging Firefly Reunion With Adam Baldwin and Gina Torres, Bryshere Y. Grays reduced Season 6 workload. Seriously? Could Cookie have shot Lucious? Sadly, this is the end of todays Note on a movie. To avoid a surprise attack by Damon, Lucious pounces first, furtively moving about his rival's home as security guards lie on the floor. "This man has been manipulating her since she was a child and now she's an adult with three grown children and she still can't free herself from his pull," Henson explained. (He said he hasan opinion on the matter, but declined to share it. "If Samuel L. Jackson had a baby with Bette Davis, it would be Taraji", says Jussie Smollett, who plays Henson's son Jamal in the series. ", "Empire's Taraji P. Henson Wins Best Actress at Critics' Choice Awards (Full List)", "Emmy nominations 2015: Complete list of nominees", "Taraji P. Henson Wins Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cookie_Lyon&oldid=1149514455, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 18:26. Cookie has her suspicions when Claudia begins to inappropriately amuse Lucious, but eventually his memory returns and he kicks Claudia out of the house, satisfying Cookie. News ), Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. I hope that it will resonate. Eventually, Lucious learns that Jeff is actually Lucious' son that he had with another woman, Tracy Kingsley, before he married Cookie. After bringing them together, why did this feel like the appropriate move? But appearances on Empire which has a long history of playing bait-and-switch with viewers can be deceiving (see also: Andres terminal cancer diagnosis that wasnt and last seasons anti-climactic coffin reveal). After only one premiere show, women are asking how to look like Cookie. "I felt like her character was unprecedented in that I'd never seen a woman or a mother like this on TV, so full of trouble and saying all the wrong things and yet you understand where she's coming from. Was Cookie inside of the car? With The Good Doctor Losing A Character, How Worried Should Fans Be For The Season 6 Finale? Lucious, fearing that Damon will come for his family, orders extra security and tells Cookie and his sons that he wants to cancel the premiere of the movie celebrating his life, "The Birth of an Empire." Lucious and Cookie over the years have stepped on a lot of toes and offended so great a number of people just for the sake of their own dearly beloved "Empire", they have rendered children orphans, people jobless, homes broken, loved ones death, images tarnished, dreams and aspirations cut short, destiny shattered and a lot hopeless. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. The beginning of Episode 19 wouldve [picked up] after her death and then the episode ended with the movie premiere. "Cookie is trying to spread her wings. Cookie could have done it, although she was back to considering Lucious the love of her life by. Here, I will be giving you likely killers and reasons why they are termed "likely" but I will also like you to give your opinion in the comment section. 'Empire': Cookie & Lucious Back Together - Hollywood Life And what about Hakeem? Empire Recap: So That's How Cookie Ultimately Crumbles? - TVLine Giddens also appreciated the character's grit and joked, "Cookie is no Claire Huxtable. Cookie-Lucious Relationship | Empire TV Show Wiki | Fandom The Views Sunny Hostin Shares Her Thoughts On Don Lemons Firing: It Doesn't Make Sense. All Rights Reserved. She quickly realizes that her youngest son Hakeem (Bryshere Y. I love dressing up, as you can see, I love to play," said Henson. With the threat extinguished, the show ends with the family (except Jussie Smollett's character Jamal) settling down for a screening of Birth of an Empire, in what is (for now) the last ever scene of the Fox show. Lucious was on good enough terms with his sons (albeit off-screen with Jamal). They already have the scenes involving who killed Lucious and Cookie so hopefully they can edit it to where it makes some kind of sense. Cookie is a "strong" woman who puts her "family first." [2] Cookie is devastated when her cousin Bunkie is discovered murdered. [29] Later that year, Henson was nominated again for another Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but lost to Tatiana Maslany for her role in the BBC America sci-fi drama series Orphan Black.[30]. Cookie and Lucious get divorced again later in Season 6. And that's an ongoing question; that question isn't answered in our finale. In the season one finale, Lucious is arrested . He agrees to stay and do this, but Fox viewers did not see him reunite with Walker, presumably because those scenes remain unfilmed. Yana realizes that Lucious' heart is still with Cookie and the pair break-up in amicable terms with a friendly hug. In Season 4, Cookie is the CEO of Empire while Lucious is receiving 'help' from Nurse Claudia after the devastating explosion. One of the first moments that stood out for its absurdity happened in the pilot episode. Her family then starts to fall apart after the arrival of Giluana, Lucious' former lover and the removal of Bella Lyon by child services. TVLine Items: Pose Vet Joins AHS, Fox Orders Lifeguard Drama and More He staged the coup with Gizelle but failed, how has Kelly managed to own those many shares for a very long time is still a mystery as the Lyons would normally have tried a lot of times to get it from him, but yet failed. She climbed into her car, found a note, and then was seemingly blown up in her car. Even Becky (Gabourey Sidibe), the Lyon assistant who has risen in the music business, has her own happy ending:A bigbirthday bash that leads to a reconciliation with Porsha(Ta'Rhonda Jones). ? Even if the answers never come on screen, fans can only hope that the answers are revealed somehow. "I was blown away like the car," Taraji P. Henson told TV Guide of her initial reaction to the flash-forward. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. He continued, "She's the perfect leading lady. Cookie is later confronted by federal agents who want her to testify in front of a grand jury against the drug dealer that she ratted out to obtain her release who was Frank Gathers. As we moved forward, we narrowed it down, but I think we made the final decision that it was Kingsley before we started into the back nine episodes. So I don't think the door is closed, it's just a matter if they can come back to itand if they do come back to it, they'll come back to it in a more mature way. Empire has officially ended its run on Fox after six seasons with a finale that unfortunately left some major questions unanswered. Empire Spoilers: Is Andre The Final Season Villain After Game-Changing See More, Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. ", "Was 'Empire' inspired by these real hip-hop stars? In order to "be a boss woman", Cookie sets up a wardrobe that allows her to "look like one. Like Henson, who lost her son's father three years after giving birth, Cookie "did whatever she had to do" to support her family. Is Empire Killing Lucious Lyon In Final Season? Here's What The "[23] TV Guide's Michael Logan said Henson played Cookie with "fire and fabulosity. ), Cookie arrives on the scene, fearing Lucious is dead, before he utters, "It's over. Early in the episode, Lucious and Cookie team up professionally, ambushing and firing Pamplemousse rivals Kelly Patel (Pej Vahdat) and Giselle Barker (Nicole Ari Parker) in their corporate.