'Empire' recap: Cookie plots revenge as Andre saves the day (again)

Oct. 14, 2015 10 PM PT

Empire Entertainment is being raided. At the start of episode four of season two, entitled “Poor Yorick” which we will get to later, the FBI is, literally, tearing Empire apart. Meanwhile, Jamal is in the studio singing a song (a smooth R&B track called "Battle Cry") that might actually be a hit -- because that Pitbull song from last week is a no-no (for me!).

The soulful track is set to be on his upcoming album titled “The Artist.” He tells this to a reporter writing a cover story for Rolling Stone. Back upstairs, however, the FBI has made its way to his father’s office. As Jamal barges in, Becky is already there recording the cops’ every actions with her cellphone. After a cop confiscates Becky’s phone, the VP of A&R begins to scream about knowing her rights. When she starts to record once more, using Jamal’s phone, she takes off running when the cop approaches her.

This moment falls in line with the show’s penchant for hitting on real-world issues the black community faces, particularly issues around mass incarceration and police brutality. This is just the first time in this episode that the show references unwarranted actions by police, and it gets more direct as the episode goes on.

Across the city, Lyon Dynasty’s offices are raided in addition to Lucious’ home. This prompts an Empire board meeting where Mimi returns to voice her support of Lucious, and try entirely too hard to be “down.” Though she wants to keep a low profile while the FBI continues its investigation, Papa Lyon doesn’t believe in hiding.

“This isn’t when we hide,” he said. “This is when we roar.” -- Because we just can’t get enough of the lion references.

In an effort to get the entire Lyon clan on the same page, Lucious calls a family meeting at his club. As they discuss projecting a united front to the world, Lucious lies (again!) about killing Cookie’s cousin Bunky. Additionally, we find out (again) that absolutely no one knows that Vernon is dead, save the culprits Andre and Rhonda. But Lucious plans to find him and make him not testify, as it’s the only way, he believes, to beat the murder charge he’s facing. Andre sees this opportunity and runs head first in trying to get back in his father’s good graces. Lucious promises that if Andre can “make it all go away,” he’d welcome him back to the Empire with open arms.

Enter this episode's title, “Poor Yorick.” For those unaware, Yorick is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play “Hamlet.” He is a dead court jester whose skull is retrieved from his grave by a gravedigger. Sip on that.

In the world of #JaMichael, Jamal’s boyfriend is getting a little concerned about some newfound attention Jamal is receiving. During a photo shoot for Rolling Stone at their apartment, the photographer begins to flirt with Jamal. By the end of the episode, Michael’s disdain is apparent. The life of arm candy can be tough.

As part of the Lyons’ effort to act like they love, or the very least like, one another, Hakeem and Jamal (with Cookie and Lucious’ approval) decide to do a music video for their song off of Hakeem’s leaked album. The theme: post-apocalyptic black panthers fighting police oppression.

During the video shoot, Cookie is arrested by the FBI and brought in for questioning. As she’s placed in the car, she screams to anyone who can hear her: “If I die in police custody, I did not commit suicide.”

This quote, which draws on the real-life questionable arrest and subsequent death of Sandra Bland in Texas, will launch a thousand think pieces about “Empire’s” use, exploitation and/or reduction of the Black Lives Matter movement for its story line. And I can’t say they they will be unfounded.

While Cookie is in custody, Lucious’ prosecutor reveals a plan to make Cookie’s life a living hell by exposing Andre’s mental issues to the world. But messing with a Lyon cub won’t get her far.

Cookie, out of concern for her children, decides to turn against Lucious, but not in a way you may expect. To get released, she concocts this story about Bunky and Lucious arguing over a radio deal, the radio deal Lucious used to prevent Lyon Dynasty from releasing music. With Bunky’s sudden disappearance, she implies that her cousin’s death may have something to do with the deal’s final approval. Effectively, she lies to the prosecutor while implicating Lucious for Bunky’s death. Quite genius, if I say so myself.

Back at the video shoot, Hakeem gets jealous of Jamal’s burgeoning career. He stabs the painting created by the Rolling Stone photographer and gets in a fistfight with Jamal, almost beating him with a baseball bat. And like the true child he is, Hakeem storms off the set.

In another edition of “white girl trying to be down,” Rhonda vows to help Andre dig up Vernon’s body. “I’m ride or die all day, till death do us part … or prison,” she said. While they are are attempting to dig up “Yorick,” Lucious and his lawyer arrives to the wooded area to assist. (They placed a tracking device on Andre’s car.) The father and son bond over exhuming Vernon’s body and Andre is officially welcomed back to Empire. Lucious also, for the first time, shows some respect to Rhonda for “saving” his life.

Oh! Vernon's decayed corpse ends up in the passenger seat of the prosecutor's car.