Empire Review: Evil Manners (Season 4 Episode 3)

On Empire Season 4 Episode 3, “Evil Manners,” Cookie is trying to take control of the company and Lucious is begging someone to tell him something.

I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised that Lucious hasn’t gotten his memory back yet. In the past, I’ve felt that Empire blows through storylines too quickly. I appreciate that the brain injury is being given a bit more time.

Although, Thirsty’s suggestion that Lucious might be faking (or, “pulling a Lucious Lyons”) does sound totally plausible to me. I hope we don’t get through all of this growth for Lucious just to find out that he was playing another game.

Speaking of Lucious and growth, although the memory loss storyline is compelling, I still think it’s just too easy. Lucious can’t be absolved of his bad behavior just because he doesn’t remember it.

I’m glad to see family members slowly begin to tell him the truth about himself. I hope they continue to do so.

I also hope that his flashes of remembering that happen when Shine, sorry Moonshine, plays their old music don’t signal that he’s about to remember everything all at once.

I’m also glad to see Cookie taking the reigns at Empire Records a bit more.

I’ve been complaining about Angelo’s mom for a long time now, but I have to admit that her connection to the 100 Most Powerful Women in Business is more interesting than her usual destructive bent.

Clearly she still wants to destroy the Lyons (or, as she puts it, inverse Wizard of Oz them). However, the other women in the group coming to Cookie’s aid is going to add a welcome level of complexity to her plan.

Hopefully that will keep her plotting from falling into its usual tediousness. At least for a little while.

I think juxtaposing this storyline with Cookie’s prison flashbacks works really well.

I’m not so excited about Andre’s latest plot twists. Does Empire seriously think a sexy cop who has feelings for him is really the best way to deal with Andre’s behavior? Or even the best way to portray a woman in the NYPD?

Just, no.

I LOL’d (not in a good way) when they stripped for each other during her… stakeout?

Do we have to negate the powerful women helping each other with this? Seriously?

Random Thoughts:

• Cookie’s blue eyeshadow is my favorite thing about this episode
• “Thirsty – that’s a wonderful name”
• Cookie telling shine “Lucious ain’t here. I’m running this” is my second favorite line of the episode
• Cookie telling the banker “I’d call you a bougie coward but I’m chief executive officer of Empire Records, so I’ll leave it at good day” is my first favorite line of the episode
• Lucious painting on the grasscloth makes me laugh and cringe all at once

What did you think of this episode of Empire? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Empire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox.

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