Empire returns this week and its second season premiere is quite something. The show’s first season was phenomenal to watch and I was somewhat concerned that the second season would see a sharp decline in quality. Fortunately, that wasn’t to be and although there were some issues with this episode, I was left extremely impressed.
Aside from that, however, this premiere is quite excellent. The opening ten minutes are mostly a non-stop ride of music from various characters in amongst some business and show-stealing moments from Cookie, all while taking place at a ‘Free Lucious’ rally. The spectacle of the scene is extremely fun to watch and it really sets the tone for the second season. Empire is utterly bonkers - it knows it and takes full advantage.
Taraji P Henson, fresh off the back of her Emmy nomination, continues her fantastic work from last season with one heck of a performance here. She shows the full spectrum and it is exhilarating to watch. Her co-lead, Terrence Howard, continues to be outshone by Henson yet he is still excellent, as usual, particularly in a scene towards the end of the episode. Season two picks up three months after Lucious was arrested, and with him still in prison, a lot of this episode follows Cookie and her plan to take over Empire and remove her ex-husband from the company. She’s working with Hakeem and Andre, whom she plans to give the company to along with Jamal, who is running things while Lucious is locked away.
It’s early yet, but Jamal could be by far the most interesting character this season. He’s frustrated throughout this episode that he’s unable to get into the studio due to his responsibilities running Empire (and when he finally does get in, he’s quickly pulled away in an emergency). However, it’s his behaviour while in charge that’s intriguing. I won’t say any more - you’ll have to watch for yourselves - but I am really looking forward to seeing his development this year.Empire was the biggest hit of last year and it was easy to see why. Based on this premiere, I’m willing to bet it’ll continue its streak. This is one of the best episodes of the show and I am desperate to see more.
Empire’s season two premiere, The Devils Are Here, airs on Wednesday 23rd September at 9pm on FOX. Make sure to tune in live - you’ll regret it if you don’t!
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