Empire returns after three months hiatus, and this episode is mostly focused on the consequences of Claudia’s kidnap. Let’s summarize what happened in Birds in the Cage.
After Andre’s breakdown, Lucious is kidnapped by his former psychologist Claudia. He is forced to stay with her in her cabin. Claudia wants Lucious to become Dwight, as she can’t forget how he told her, he loved her. The Lyon patriarch just can’t stand her anymore and tries to escape. This storyline was a bit soap-ish: Empire is full of kidnaps, there are 2 or 3 each season, but I think this narrative outcome was a bit cheap.
The most interesting part of the episode was Cookie. Thanks to a series of flashbacks, we explore a period of time when she was in jail. Even if she receives a message from Lucious, telling her that he wants some time on his own, she doesn’t believe that he could abandon her with Andre in the hospital.
She starts her own investigation and finally finds her ex-husband. After a fight with Claudia, in which she remembers how she fought for her life in prison, she manages to save the situation. I really enjoyed this parallel and how the writers defined their bond “sick”, but stable.
She starts her own investigation and finally finds her ex-husband. After a fight with Claudia, in which she remembers how she fought for her life in prison, she manages to save the situation. I really enjoyed this parallel and how the writers defined their bond “sick”, but stable.
After all these troubles, we are at the same point: Lucious has to face the consequences of Andre’s revelation, Jamal will have to deal with Angelo’s death. Let’s see how Empire will go on in the following episodes. This season has changed so much in just 10 episodes, I am really eager to watch what the writers have planned for this second part.
And you? What do you think of “Birds in the Cage”?
