Empire Review: Sin that Amends (Season 3 Episode 2)

Alright, some great things are happening and some not so great things are happening on Empire Season 3 Episode 2, “Sin that Amends.” I can’t decide if I’m more excited or annoyed.

Let’s start with annoyed. I need Lucious to back off in a big way. Last week I wrote about my intense desire to see Cookie rise to the top of the Empire pyramid.

Sadly, instead of getting to be a boss, she has to spend most of her time dealing with Lucious acting like a total child. He begins by sending her a truly ridiculous number of flashy gifts (like so many that she literally can’t fit them in her home). When that doesn’t work, he asks her what it is that she needs from him. To which she responds,

“What I need is for you to respect my boundaries.”

Which is, you know, pretty straight forward. So naturally, Lucious breaks into her bedroom with a surprise serenade.

I could spend all day talking about how unacceptable this is. I could spend all day talking about how inappropriate this is.

Instead I’ll just say that if Cookie and Lucious get back together I’m going to be really, really frustrated with how Empire is choosing to portray romance.

Side note: it’s curious to me that Lucious refuses to acknowledge any family trauma that exists because they have to get back to work, but then seems totally comfortable avoiding work to come up with ways to win Cookie back.

I must admit that the childhood flashbacks had me missing the old Cookie and Lucious.

But then Lucious used a charity event to torture and embarrass his son and I remembered that he is a terrible person who deserves to be alone.

On a brighter note, I literally cried when Jamal and Cookie stepped up for Andre. I was beginning to get really worried about him. In fact, Empire seems to be focusing back in on the brothers and their ability to care for each other, which I appreciate.

It was really good to see each Lyon brother admit that he is struggling and even better to see them agree to help each other. For a second there I thought we were going to pretend that Jamal hadn’t been shot, Hakeem didn’t have a child, and Andre didn’t lose his wife.

I also really appreciate that Empire is discussing the issue of gun violence. I mean, I’d listen to anything Taye Diggs told me was important, but it’s pretty great that it’s something that is actually important. I’m excited to see how his character and the Woke storyline progress.

I’m also kinda hoping for a Cookie/Taye hookup.

I am also very interested to see how the newest development in Andre’s life is going to play out. The very end of the episode showed Andre being thrown to the ground at gunpoint by two police officers who suspect him of breaking into homes when he’s really cleaning out his and Rhonda’s house.

This is obviously a very delicate issue to take on, but also an important one. I’m cautiously optimistic about it and really looking forward to next week’s episode.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Empire? Let us know in the comments below!

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Empire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox.