Empire - Out, Damned Spot - Advance Preview

I am reeling! I just screamed so loud, my neighbors might think I'm getting murdered. Empire is the gift that keeps on giving, and this week, watching the last few minutes, I just couldn't deal anymore. While this week Cookie's predicament from last week isn't addressed, there's still plenty of soap-goodness to go around. I swear if that last scene doesn't have you amped for what's next, you've lost yourself. So what goes down in this week's episode Out, Damned Spot? A whole lot.

A big part of the show's success has been how fantastic Taraji is at portraying Cookie, so I'm not going to waste time and just start diving in to what's going on with everyone's favorite foul-mouthed hustler. As we know, last week Lucious dropped an anniversary rose for Cookie on her doorstep, but I don't think he knew just how much that rose was going to mean to Cookie. The divalicious Cookie shows up to what she thinks is a date and it turns out to be a family dinner where Lucious and Onika are announcing their engagement, and trust and believe Cookie cuts up. (She also shows off all the curves she's got hidden behind that fur coat!!!!!!!!!!!) When she's not wrecking her Ex-husband's engagement party, Cookie is trying to help push Jamal's single to the chart, and trying to manage one of her favorite artists and a former top seller for the label, Elle Dallas(Played by a convincing Courtney Love). Elle is in danger of being dropped from the label and has a reputation for being hard to handle, but Cookie sees the value in keeping her. Lucious agrees to let Cookie manage her, but Elle is not as immediately receptive as Cookie thought she would be. Cookie later finds Elle at a hotel strung out and gives her tough love and manages to get her back in the studio, and that ends up being a disaster until Cookie encourages her to be real with who she is now and make music from there. When not dealing with Elle, she's meddling in Jamal's personal affairs as well as getting his single off the ground, she manages to finagle some good publicity for the song, but it looks like it just might be outshined by an even better single and subsequent little bombshell.

You can't mention Cookie, without touching on the other half of the crazy power couple that founded Empire, Lucious. Lucious, this week when not busting Cookie's bubble, is a bit rattled when during a fit from his ALS, he sees the detective investigating Bunky's murder digging through his trash. Lucious calls over Vernon who suggests that if the detective is looking in to him, he must already be a suspect and he wants the truth, which Lucious tells him and then asks him to take care of. Vernon is hurt, but suggest that Lucious beef up his security, by higher a new head of security who comes highly decorated and recommend(He also has eyes for the former Mrs. Lyon). Lucious' confession leads Vernon to question whether Andre knew about this when he gave an alibi for Lucious' whereabouts for the night of the murder to the cops. Andre says he didn't know(But calls Rhonda to confirm what he thought he knew about Bunky's death) and that he was just taking care of his father like he always does. Vernon finds a way to help Lucious out, but he's still firmly #TeamAndre in the fight for Empire. When he's not worried about being busted, Lucious is looking into finding a way for his ALS to be treated. Leave it to Lucious to spare no expense and take every risk in order to save himself. For a man who talks about letting his Empire go, until the IPO goes through he's doing everything he can to fight for it.

Not much is seen or said from Hakeem this week, and honestly I'm cool with that. It's a testament to how well the character is portrayed that I find the character so arrogant and annoying, that I want someone to teach him a lesson. I root for #TeamJamal, not just because he's better, but because Hakeem is just too childish. He's so caught up on his video that's about to drop, he doesn't realize that Jamal has a single that's about to put him on the map. Hakeem is still hurt because he hasn't heard back from his older lady, and it is most certainly holding him back musically, and he even begs Jamal to help him finish a song he's stuck on. Jamal ends up putting him in his place for not only disrespecting his mother but disrespecting him as well. Hakeem eventually finds some genius in himself that is sure to make Jamal's single an afterthought after Onika and Lucious get through with it though.

And last but not least Jamal. Question, did anyone really know what Jamal's boyfriend's name was? I have to admit I didn't. I just thought of him however Cookie referred to him that week. I ask because this week as Jamal is on the verge of breaking out, looks like Michael(his Latin Lover) is on the verge of a breakdown. Michael feels like Jamal has been different lately, but instead of confronting Jamal, he goes to Cookie, who delivers my favorite line from the episode. "He's becoming a top, that's what you gotta do to make it to the top". Cookie tells Michael that Jamal is going to change and that's it's best he has his own thing, which Michael replies is culinary school. (Cookie's face is so priceless here). Michael mentions the conversation to Jamal, and he assures them he's not going to change anytime soon, and that Michael will always come first, Jamal even makes plans with him for the weekend to cement that fact. Later, as Cookie hustles to get his single some play, Jamal asks her to stay out of his private life, and Cookie, in true Cookie fashion, just reminds him she's looking out for him. Too bad, it looks like fame really does change Jamal because not only is he forgetting plans he has made but when he is put on the spot, he ends up saying something that even Cookie looks disappointed in him for.If only this was the least of Jamal's worries, because those final few minutes... let's just say things are about to get very interesting for Jamal.

Out, Damned Spot airs Wednesday at 8c on FOX.

So are you #TeamAndre, #TeamHakeem or #TeamJamal? Are you excited to see what Courtney Love brings to the mix? Who is the baddest chick, Cookie or Onika? What do you think happens at the hours end? Sound off below!

About the Author - Winston Mize

Winston is a 24 year old goofball, born in the north, and currently living in the south. He loves TV.... for some it's coffee, for him it's TV talk that gets his day going. He wants to be a screenwriter, and watches some of everything. You name it, he's probably checked it out. And he would like you to know that it is okay for a 24 year old to play with action figures... well, he does anyway

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