Empire Review: One Before Another (Season 3 Episode 5)

Empire Season 3 Episode 5, “One Before Another” is full on war, and I’m not into it.

Empire has really made an effort this season to tackle big issues in a realistic manner. I know that a lot of the show is soap opera level drama, but that’s not all it’s been.

This episode seems like a departure from attempting to weave in anything more substantial. This seems like a step in the wrong direction.

Lucious and Shine are battling and it’s pretty extreme.

Armored cars extreme.

Do we really need to watch more violence? It’s gratuitous this time since no character shows growth in this episode. In fact, nothing seems to move at all.

Lucious and Shine do agree to a “sit down” but even that is really just more bravado. In fact, Jamal is the only one preaching peace. And using Jamal to represent being “soft” while Lucious, Andre, and Hakeem represent being “hard” is just way too trite for me.

Not to mention problematic when we think about the underlying implications this makes about what makes someone masculine. Why does Empire keep doing the same story over and over?

I am especially disappointed in the homophobic lyrics Hakeem uses during the live streaming performance. His love and respect for Jamal must be on really shaky ground if learning about Andre’s budding romance with Nessa brings this on.

I get that power and masculinity are a big part of the Lyon brand, but Empire keeps hitting the same note and moving farther and farther away from anything that doesn’t fit that storyline.

I guess I’m disappointed because other things are left unexplored.

What about Andre getting profiled by the police? What about the Woke movement kids? What about Jamal’s PTSD? What about Andre’s mental illness? What about Hakeem’s child?

So much has been presented this season – so much that needs to be addressed.

Is Empire trying to take the easy way out on all of these issues?

Not to mention that Cookie isn’t present in this battle at all. She could be an excellent way to make the conversation more complicated.

This episode feels like filler and maybe that’s all it is. Maybe we’ll get back to other issues again soon. If not, this “war” story is going to get boring real fast.

In fact, there are only two things happening that I like. The first is Cookie’s amazing 90’s outfit. Spaghetti straps and adidas? Yes, please! The second is Lucious teaching Hakeem how to swaddle Bella. Especially if on mute so I can ignore that he’s also explaining how to “crush souls.”

Eye roll.

What do 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.