Second Opinion

Here’s what’s on our minds!

Season 5 of EMPIRE got off to a roaring start as the down-on-their-luck Lyons vowed to start anew. The show picked up two years after last season’s shocking finale, with the family in an unfamiliar position of weakness. Cookie and Lucious were broke and forced to sell their prized possessions; Andre was serving a prison sentence for killing Anika; Hakeem was still recovering from losing part of his lung in the shooting; and Jamal was living abroad in London. After Cookie and Lucious’s attempt to blackmail Eddie went awry (his wife, Giselle, killed him, rendering their hold over him null and void), the duo got a well-timed visit from Jamal — and his new beau — who urged them to pull it together and build another empire. Cookie tracked down a new talent named Treasure, who, we’re certain, will live up to her name and get them back in the biz. Sure, it was great to see the family on top for four seasons, but who could have guessed we’d be more invested in seeing them get back there.