| Andre Lyon | |
|---|---|
| |
| General Information | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 30 |
| Resides in: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (formerly) New York City, New York |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Occupation(s): | Broker at Stanton & Wallace (formerly) Chief Financial Officer of Empire Entertainment President of Gutter Life Records |
| Aliases: | Dre Nephew (by Tariq Cousins) Baby Bro (Jeffery Kingsley) |
| Family and Friends | |
| Family: | Lucious Lyon (father) Cookie Lyon (mother) Jamal Lyon (brother) Hakeem Lyon (brother) Jeffery Kingsley (paternal half-brother) Anika Calhoun (stepmother; formerly) Unborn son † Bella Lyon (niece) Prince Lyon (nephew) Tiana Brown (sister in law) Walker Lyon (son) |
| Other Relatives: | Leah Walker (grandmother) Joe Walker † (grandfather) Tariq Cousins (paternal uncle) Bunkie Williams † (maternal cousin) Carol Hardaway (maternal aunt) Candace (maternal aunt) Olivia Lyon (ex-sister-in-law) Unborn sister † (deceased) Princess Lyon † (niece) Luther Hardaway (cousin) Keisha Hardaway (cousin) Tanya Hardaway (cousin) Franklin (cousin) Brianna (cousin) |
| Relationships: | Rhonda Lyon † (wife; deceased) Deputy Mayor Raquel Alvarez (affair) Michelle White (former attraction) Nessa Parker (ex-girlfriend) Charlotte Frost (affair) Detective Pamela Rose (ex-girlfriend; imaginary due to prescription pills) Teri Brooks-Lyon (wife) |
| Friends: | Vernon Turner † (formerly; deceased) Michelle White (formerly) |
| Employer: | Lucious Lyon Jamal Lyon (temporarily) Hakeem Lyon (briefly) |
| Enemies: | Vernon Turner † (deceased; formerly) Anika Calhoun Shine Johnson Tiana Brown |
| Additional Information | |
| Interests: | Becoming CEO of Empire |
| Education: | University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School) |
| Vulnerabilities: | Bipolar disorder |
| Strengths: | Financial Expertise |
| Empire Chronology | |
| First Appearance: | Pilot |
| Portrayer: | Trai Byers |
Andre Martin Lyon is one of the main characters in the television series Empire. The eldest son of Lucious and Cookie Lyon, he is the CFO of Empire Entertainment and the president of Empire's spin-off subsidiary label Gutter Life Records. A graduate of Wharton Business School, Andre oversees the financial aspects of Empire, working alongside his father to ensure the company’s fiscal strength. He is portrayed by actor Trai Byers, and he first appeared in "Pilot".
While at Wharton Business School, Andre learned that he was suffering from bipolar disorder. Since then, Andre has struggled to maintain control and, on occasions, has had hallucinations, culminating in having a split personality with his alter ego being his half-brother, Jeff Kingsley who took control and almost murdered his wife Teri Brooks-Lyon.
Biography
Andre is the oldest and most educated of the three Lyon sons. He has shown signs of his advanced intelligence and cunning from an early age. When he was a child, he was playing with a pile of Lego while singing along with his father, right before the police raided their house. Seeing his panicking father put his gun in an obvious hiding place, Andre quickly took the gun and hid it under his Lego pile to avoid suspicion before the police arrived and were unaware of this act. Once the police left, Andre revealed to his father, and the latter embraced his son as a thank you for his help and his safety.
Many years later, he graduated from the Wharton Business School. While a student, he met and eventually dated Rhonda Lyon, who would later become his wife. It is revealed in "The Outspoken King" that he has bipolar disorder but is more focused on gaining control of Empire and thus disregards his mental health. He is very jealous of the talent and attention his younger brothers receive, even though he gets Empire through so many things. He feels that were it not for him, there would not be an IPO and Empire would not have gone through going public so well. Andre has achieved a lot for Empire, but his lack of musical talent as well as Rhonda's presence have greatly strained his relations with his father.
Series
Season 1
Andre first appears as the highly educated son of the Lyon family; he believes that he is the most qualified to inherit the Empire Entertainment company because of his education and financial aspects. Therefore, in order to impress his father and win the spot, Andre's wife, Rhonda, encourages him to use manipulation to jeopardize his family. At firsthand, Andre attempts to convince his mother, Cookie, to manage Jamal and his music career, mostly to create friction between Jamal and Hakeem, who is managed by Lucious.
This is the episode we discover Andre suffers from Bipolar dbsorder. ie discover this when his wife, Rhonda tries to, persuade him to go to the doctor because he was talking in his sleep about himself in a third person. In the episode, we also discover the 'blowjob bib'.
Andre and his wife, Rhonda, attend Bunkie's funeral. Later in the episode, Andre needs information about witness who says he saw Lucious kill Bunkie. To get the information, he needs Andre to have sex with the mayor over her deck in her office. Rhonda starts questioning how he got the information, and he comes clean. But surprisingly, Rhonda is not mad, and she and Andre indulge in a foreplay where she asks him to call her by the mayor's name. Later on in the episode, they attend a family dinner, and the dinner goes dangerously okay.
Andre covered for his father when the police asked what he was doing the night Bunkie died. There is also a flashback scene of a younger Andre covering for his dad. Andre also tells Vernon that he always covered for his father before learns of Bunkie's act and Lucious killing him.
Rhonda finds Tiana, Hakeem's girlfriend, kissing a woman and showing Andre. They decide to record this and put it online to any sites that follow Hakeem or Tiana. Also Andre puts his manipulating skills to work when he manipulates some of Hakeem's friends to rob Jamal.
Andre and Rhonda attend Lucious and Anika's engagement party and seem genuinely happy for them. When Andre is alone in his office, Vernon comes in and starts choking Andre, thinking he knew about Luscious killing Bunkie, but Andre explains to him that he had no idea and that he just covered for his dad because he was used to it. When Vernon then leaves, Andre calls Rhonda and tells her that Luscious was the one who killed Bunkie. Later, in the men's restroom, Vernon apologizes to Andre.
Lucious finds Andre in his office and he gives him good news but Lucious is looking bad. Andre says the guy they’re targeting to help boost the evaluation has a daughter that went to Wharton with Rhonda. Cookie reveals the Jamal-Hakeem beef isn’t dying, but then he shouts at her and collapses to the ground.
Anika and Cookie are with his stretcher as he’s wheeled to the ambulance. Cookie goes to climb in and Anika tries to stop her. He nods to Anika and she hops in. Meanwhile, Michael is moving out of the apartment, and breaks up with Jamal. He says now Jamal does have a special girl – his daughter. Meanwhile, Rhonda is with Mr. Terry Schiller when Andre arrives. Schiller says his fund has never been drawn to entertainment companies since they’re too volatile. He invites him to the showcase and Schiller agrees.
Cookie is determined to know the health troubles Lucious has; therefore, he brings his family, including Rhonda, to his house to reveal that he has ALS. Because the symptoms are worsening, it may be fatal. While the family revels in his health concerns, Andre continues to focus on the IPO, leading to an altercation with Hakeem. Andre and Rhonda exit Lucious's home, and Lucious encourages Hakeem and Jamal to be strong.
Andre's anger reaches an apex as he hyperventilates and sits in the shower. Rhonda calms and consoles him, and tells him that he will run the company. Cookie and Lucious listens to You're So Beautiful while toasting, and the two reconnect with each other, as Cookie cries, sympathetic of Lucious. The two begin to dance, until they kiss and share a romantic encounter, and Anika discovers it and exits in awe.
It's time for the Lyon family to come together and record a legacy album with Lucious, Hakeem and Jamal. Cookie and Camilla finally come face-to-face; Andre struggles with some inner demons and Jamal steps into the spotlight with news that surprises everyone.
Meanwhile, Hakeem sits at church praying for his father; as Jamal arrives, the two discuss the family song, while Jamal believes that Lucious's health is more important at that point, but Hakeem encourages Jamal to be on board with the song. Eventually, the two are joined by Cookie and Lucious in the studio, performing You're So Beautiful, while Andre unhappily watches.
Andre rants to Vernon that his family is excluding him but Vernon says he has a plan to make him CEO even faster. He says they’re going to get the board to vote him temporary CEO when Lucious is found unfit. They wonder how they can get another vote to go with theirs. Rhonda talks to Andre and he points out a woman he thinks he can use to get her vote. Ryan is recording the documentary and Hakeem is acting out. Lucious tells Ryan to turn off the camera.
Andre and Rhonda head to see the Blakeleys. Harold and Janet greet them. The husband is old and in a hover round and the wife is young and gorgeous. Rhonda goes off to flirt with him. Camilla listens to Hakeem’s song and he says not to refer to herself as mama anymore. She agrees and says she got him a gift. She says it’s for the White Party. She says he needs to dress the part of CEO. He slides the white jacket on and says he’s going to buy her a fancy white dress to go with him to the White Party as his new queen.
Camilla tells him not to let Jamal go last and says the best goes last. Harold asks Rhonda if she saw the Stephen Hawking and she says she doesn’t like short bus movies but then he explains that he had ALS and lived that long. He tells Rhonda that Hawking can still get an erection then touches her hand. Rhonda is drunk and vomits into her plate. Andre makes a call to Carl and gets his vote and tells her it’s no harm that she screwed up the dinner. She asks if Andre needs her to sleep with someone else.
Andre said he thought she liked their games. Rhonda says tonight made her sick and says maybe he can be a "man" and not make his wife a geriatric whore. Cookie compliments Hakeem’s new black jacket and he says he wants to go last on the family song instead of Jamal. He says it would make him feel good if once she favored him over Jamal. She says she has to talk to Jamal and Lucious and says he would be great going last. He kisses her and thanks her and she’s pleased.
Andre tells the board that he should be the CEO if Lucious can’t serve for some reason. Vernon votes for him. Janet says no. Marcus and Ralph say no. Carl says yes. Cookie says yes. Lucious says no. That puts a chill on the room. Lucious tells Andre the answer is no and walks out of the meeting.
At the White Party, Cookie is with Jamal and asks if Hakeem can go last. He asks if it’s Lucious and she says Hakeem is starting to warm up to her. Jamal is upset and says Hakeem lied about not acting the fool. She says Lucious should go last. He asks if she and his dad are hitting it. She says it wouldn’t be the first time. He tells her to be careful and says Lucious is incapable of loving anyone but him.
Cookie is annoyed to see Lucious with Anika and Anika tells the press to stay to the end to hear a very special announcement. Lucious tells Cookie he’s not calling it off with Anika. He says they’re announcing their wedding plans tonight. He says they’re getting married next week. Cookie tells him to go to hell. Ryan is filming at the party when Cookie pulls Anika aside to congratulate her on her wedding. Anika says she knows she and Lucious were in bed the other night.
Cookie asks if Lucious told her that they were getting busy in the studio last night after he probably told Anika it wouldn’t happen again. Cookie tells her that she looks pretty and walks off. Andre is drinking and Rhonda says his meds won’t work if he drinks. He glares at her and drinks. Hakeem walks in with Camilla. Cookie sees them and asks to be introduced. Hakeem asks Cookie to be nice. Cookie says he needs to date a younger woman so he can give her grand babies.
Camilla tells Cookie if Hakeem doesn’t go last on the track, he’s out. Cookie calls her Yoko and says to enjoy her playtime with her son and says he ain’t settling for a cougar bitch who is taking advantage of his mommy issues. Andre goes to Vernon who tells him he didn’t see that Lucious wouldn’t vote for him and he promises Andre he’ll take care of it. Cookie talks to Jamal about the song then Lucious comes over. Cookie tells Lucious to shut up and walks off.
Lucious tells Jamal to do it for the sake of the music, not him or Cookie. He says music is forever and says it will inspire people forever. He asks Jamal to put the bad blood behind them and tell the truth in the music. Jamal agrees and Lucious tells him to sing for the crowd. Jamal says he has an arrangement for You’re So Beautiful and Lucious says to go for it. Jamal takes the stage and says the most brilliant man he knows told him music is truth.
Andre and Rhonda watch irritated. Lucious watches proudly. Cookie smiles and listens. Then he starts singing lyrics about a man loving a man and sings it right at his dad. He thinks about his dad tormenting him for putting on his mom’s heels and dumping him in the trash. Andre says – he just came out. Vernon is smiling. Ryan is grinning and filming. Cookie likes it. The whole crowd is grooving. Vernon is pleased. Hakeem salutes Jamal. Everyone is cool but Lucious.
At Empire the next morning, the TVs on the walls are all covering the news that Jamal came out using the lyrics of one of his father’s most famous songs. Vernon and Andre come into the office. He asks Andre if he’s heard from Jamal. Andre says it was irresponsible what Jamal did but Lucious says it was irresponsible for Andre and Vernon to plot behind his back. He asks Vernon where his loyalties lie and asks to talk to Andre alone.
He tells Andre he voted against him because he can’t trust him. He says the moment he brought that white woman home he knew he didn’t want to be part of his family. Andre says Rhonda has nothing to do with this. Andre says they hate him because he’s not talented the way Lucious wants. He says he was smart and went to college and Lucious hates him because he wants to be accepted. Lucious says Andre’s black ass will never be accepted no matter how many white women he marries.
Lucious says he will leave it to someone who cares about the family not someone trying to tear it apart. Andre says he hears him loud and clear. Hakeem comes to see Jamal and tells him he’s famous. Jamal tells him that Hakeem is stupid. Hakeem says Camilla got him all hyped about going last and says he doesn’t care. Jamal suggests they do a chorus together. Hakeem says he came brother to brother to tell him that he’s proud of him. He says it was the bravest thing he’s seen in his life. They hug it out.
Andre sits in the recording studio and puts a gun to his head. He pulls the trigger and it just clicks. He screams in mental anguish. Anika shows up to a building. She pulls off her engagement ring. She goes inside and says she’s there to see Billy Beretti. Cookie reads a story about Jamal’s coming out on her tablet when Lucious comes into her office. He asks if she said something to Anika. She says no and he asks if she’s lying.
It's an all-out war when Cookie uncovers Anika's big backstabbing secret, and Lucious must come face-to-face with his longtime rival, Billy Beretti (guest star Judd Nelson). As the Lyon family rallies to save Empire Entertainment, all three sons take drastic measures: Jamal gets close with famous artist Delphine (guest star Estelle), Hakeem works hand-in-hand with Cookie and Andre is pushed way beyond his limits.
Andre is looking at his medicine bottle. He takes some and then thinks about Lucious saying he’d never run Empire, and spits them out. He then dumps the rest of his meds down the toilet. He hides the bottle from Rhonda when she brings him his phone.
Lucious meets with Travie who tells him that labels are old and dying and he can release direct on the internet for more money. He says he’s done share cropping. Lucious says they’re going public to help protect assets as Andre interrupts they’re having their own streaming service. Andre is selling hard but Travie says he can’t pay him 30%. Andre replies that they can cut it in half and both make more money. Travie says his people will call him. He finishes his drink and Hakeem shows him out.
Cookie gets drunk with Royale-T and she’s the last one standing. He says if she can walk after that next shot, he’ll stay. He pours them one more shot. Cookie toasts to Empire and they shoot down their purple hooch. Cookie sets her cup down and stands. She tells him she’ll see him at Empire. Hakeem rants to Lucious about letting Andre run all over him. Jamal calls Lucious again and says Delphine’s contract is up and they can get her if he can meet her tonight.
Hakeem is with Jamal and they’re all looking for Andre. They see Andre who says he took all the cash and bought a Lamborghini. Hakeem says their dad is going to be mad. Andre goes nuts and they argue as the elevator shuts down. Andre has a break down and then starts talking to himself about giving the car to someone so their dad doesn’t have to know. Hakeem and Jamal try to calm him down and agree to help.
Malcolm says someone on the 18th floor is hacking them and shut down the elevator and systems. They’re trying to get control of it. Andre continues to panic in the elevator and calls his brothers babies. He says he works harder and made Empire. He starts screaming 8 to 10 every day then says he goes home and works. Jamal tries to comfort him and says he always calmed them down when they were babies by singing. He asks what song it was.
Jamal sings Lean on Me to Andre to calm him. He tells Andre that’s his part. He sings the hook and Jamal sings with him. Andre is all sweaty and looks scary. The two of them start to sing then Hakeem join in. They all hug each other and Andre starts to come down a little. Becky laments that Creedmoor is beating them. Lucious comes in asking why his sons got stuck in an elevator and Jamal asks again about Delphine.
Lucious tells them to lock Andre in the building while they find Rhonda. Andre says he has to go find Travie. Malcolm tries to calm him down and it gets physical. Anika gets out of a taxi when Hakeem runs up to her and asks why she’s doing this. He says his dad hurts them all and they forgive him. She says that’s the problem with their family. Hakeem says she’s family and belongs with them. She says she loves Lucious but can’t keep doing this with him. She says she has to make the best of this.
Rhonda is with Andre in the conference room and he’s still not coping. He curses and throws stuff around. He says he can’t get it right and he tells her not to tell him to clam down. Lucious shows up and Andre screams out that Lucious has never been on his side. He tells Andre he loves him. Andre says "you should pick the son to run your business that knows you're a murderer." Andre starts talking about himself in the third person and then threatens to kill Malcolm. The EMTs arrive and they sedate Andre. They ask Lucious to sign the papers for a 48 hour hold. Lucious points them over to Rhonda, who is freaking out. She signs the papers as Andre is taken out.
Andre forms a new musical relationship with Michelle. Meanwhile, Lucious invites the whole family over to his home. However, everyone arrives with their own agendas. Hakeem, under the influence of Camilla sets out to show his father that he's a true artist and a good businessman. Then, Cookie prepares to state her own agenda for Empire and for her family, when Olivia (guest star Raven-Symoné) arrives,
At the Holden-Jones Clinic, Cookie, Jamal, Hakeem and Andre's wife, Rhonda, are introduced to his doctor and Michelle White, the hospital’s musical therapist. They all reminded Andre that Empire going public was all thanks to him, and reminded him that he had to sign over his shares the next day as the final step.
Cookie, who didn’t know about his illness, discovered that he had been diagnosed as bipolar in his third year of college. Back then, because of the stress level in school, he had interrupted a jamming session in the house as he had gone on a wild shopping spree. Lucious had ordered Rhonda, his girlfriend at the time, to not reveal anything, and refused to believe that Andre had a mental illness.
Because of this, Lucious told Vernon that he refused to see Andre like that, and told Vernon off for joining Andre in an attempted coup of his company. Vernon was also surprised to discover that Lucious had given Cookie an equal amount of shares and that Lucious planned to marry her again, as they had Lola, Jamal’s daughter, to take care of.
At the hospital, Andre refused to go over to Lucious’ as he hadn’t come to visit him, and told Rhonda, much to her dismay, that he didn’t want to leave the hospital, and that she was going to be his proxy to sign over the shares. Later that night, Michelle, who discovered that music therapy wasn’t working, decided to do something unorthodox with him- they prayed.
Andre bonds with his music therapist Michelle (Jennifer Hudson) at her church, unable to bring himself to go back to the Empire office in the wake of his breakdown. He later told Lucious to find a new CFO, and his father pleaded for him to stay with the company, even though he admitted he wouldn’t become CEO. Andre said he was finding a higher purpose through God, which Lucious belittled, saying there’s no higher power than music.
Keeping the news to himself, Lucious went to see Andre at church, asking him to come ring the bell at the stock exchange in honor of the IPO announcement, explaining he wanted both him and Jamal, but not Hakeem, there. After he refused, Lucious quickly realized the role Michelle was playing. “Let’s see who’s more powerful: your God, or your daddy,” he declared, before introducing himself to a star-struck Michelle and inviting her to record a gospel album with him. Andre angrily told her after she agreed, “My father is the devil. And you just spread your legs for him.” Later, after taking sleeping pills, Lucious hallucinated that Bunkie was there, and after referencing murdering him, Lucious said he didn’t have ALS, wasn’t dying, and that his tribute concert would actually now be his comeback. Unbeknownst to him: Cookie was there and heard the whole thing.
Cookie's attempt to smother Lucious with a pillow fails as she can't bring herself to kill him. After, Lucious brings his family together and gives each a gift. With each gift, Lucious makes an attempt to “forgive” each of his sons and move on (and also hope to get their forgiveness in return even though he says, “I’m not asking y’all to forgive me”). Through Jamal’s gift, he reveals that he made Jamal his successor, which ultimately upsets Hakeem and Andre. He also tells his sons that he just found out that he’s not dying of ALS and lets them in on what’s really wrong with him. Upon hearing this news, Jamal is the only one who is truly happy about his father not dying. Lucious gives Cookie a gift too — a pillow (to let her know that he knew about her attempt at murdering him).
Then, the feds “kidnap” Cookie and try to get her to snitch on Lucious (about Bunkie’s murder). They tell her that they have a key witness, but she still doesn’t give in. In the meantime, Vernon is back from rehab, and tries to apologize to Lucious, but Lucious cuts him off and he puts Vernon back on his duty to stalk Cookie. In the next scene, it is revealed that Anika and Hakeem are still speaking to one another. And Anika gets Hakeem into the notion of a hostile takeover to take over Empire, alongside Andre.
While Hakeem gets his shape-up fixed, he manages to talk his mother, Cookie, into the hostile takeover too. Then, Anika, Cookie, Hakeem and Andre all meet up to discuss what they plan on doing, but Cookie and Anika get into huge physical fight. But they do eventually get past the fighting and speak on how the hostile takeover is going to happen. This conversations happens through a rich white man named Tony Trichter, also known as Tricky Trichter, because he’s the best at hostile takeovers. They plan on getting him to buy into Empire through the signing of his grandson who wants to be a rapper, albeit having no talent whatsoever.
Cookie confronts Vernon about the death of Bunkie and Vernon admits that Lucious is the one who killed Bunkie. Vernon goes to visit Andre, and they get into a physical brawl but this brawl gets out of control because Andre’s wife comes in just in time and tries to defend Andre and in the process, ends up killing Vernon with a vase. She tells Andre to not call the police because she's worried what may happen to her if it goes to court or trial and resorts to stopping Andre by telling him she's pregnant.
In the meantime, Cookie tries to talk to Jamal, she tells him, “No matter what’s going on between me and yo daddy, I got you.” Lucious takes Empire public on the New York Stock Exchange (he attempts to wait for Vernon, but Andre slyly says, “Maybe he fell off the wagon, again,”) and with that Lucious proceeds to press the button that officially makes Empire a publicly traded company.
Season 2
Still in federal lockup, Lucious is trying to run Empire from inside, while a headline-grabbing state prosecutor hangs her political ambitions on bringing him down - no matter what it takes. Meanwhile, Cookie stages a star-studded #FreeLucious concert in his support, while scheming with Andre, Hakeem, Anika and the business savvy Mimi Whiteman to finalize the hostile takeover of Empire.
Hakeem joins Jamal on stage, while Andre brings in Mimi to meet with Cookie. Mimi does not explicitly hide her sexuality and Lucious, who is watching on television, wonders who she is, and believes Cookie and her are conspiring together. As Lucious heads out to play basketball, Frank Gathers arrives at the facility. He and Lucious are on good terms, as Lucious and Cookie used to sell dope for him.
At home, Andre wakes up covered in sweat in the middle of the night, thinking of when he and Rhonda buried Vernon's body. He is paranoid that everyone knows they caused his death, but Rhonda assures him that no one knows, adding that if they were even suspects they would have been already called in. Andre expresses disbelief that Lucious chose Jamal of all people as his successor, but Rhonda tells him that he will soon have control over Empire. Andre asks how their little boy is (Rhonda is pregnant), and Rhonda simply responds that he's tired.
At Empire, Cookie, Hakeem, Andre and Anika barge into a board of directors meeting, where Jamal is attempting to assuage them about the fact that a shareholder has purchased controlling interest in the company. Hakeem and Cookie spill the beans about them wanting to control Empire, with Andre telling the board members that as they now own the controlling shares in Empire, they are removing Lucious from his position as CEO. Hakeem provokes Jamal, but tells him that it's just business, and not personal. However, Jamal defers to Mimi, who swivels around in her chair. Mimi tells them that she met with Lucious this morning, and believes that Lucious is Empire as Empire is Lucious, and therefore, as she controls the shares, will not be removing Lucious as CEO. She tells that the company is nothing without Lucious, as Jamal switches the TV on, as Lucious, connected to the meeting via a live stream, laughs in his victory.
Cookie enters Lucious' house and tells them that Lucious has dealt with Frank, even in jail. Jamal, however, orders everyone out of his father's house, as they all conspired against him. Rhonda and Andre leave, but Hakeem is hesitant, as the house isn't even Jamal's. Cookie tells Hakeem to go and that she'll deal with Jamal. Jamal, however, tells her to get out, which causes Cookie to slap him twice, with tears running down her face. As she leaves, Jamal shuts the door on her and begins to walk away, with tears running down his face.
The episode begins with Cookie, Andre and Hakeem packing up their belongings and leaving Empire, Cookie announcing that they're going to start their own company. Hakeem also invites Anika, who's managed to bring in Veronica. Cookie arranges for them all to meet at Ghetto Ass Studios, where she wants to make it their new base of operations for their new label.
At home, Jamal is performing a song for a live interview. After the song, Jamal is interviewed, where he reveals that as much as music is his everything, he's too busy running the Empire to release another album. Cookie crashes the interview to talk to Jamal, asking Jamal to give Hakeem his album. Jamal refuses, as he sees Hakeem as a traitor, but Cookie tells him that Hakeem didn't do anything to him. She also adds that Jamal won, as he now has Empire, and that all Hakeem has is his music. Cookie tells Jamal that as much as Lucious is trying to make Jamal more like him, she knows Jamal is still himself. Cookie and Jamal get back on good terms, but that doesn't last more than a few seconds, as Cookie tells Jamal that she, Andre and Hakeem are starting their own label.
Hakeem is busy holding auditions for his girl group, where he meets Valentina, a Latin girl who shows that she can sing. However, she has no desire to be a part of a group. Andre crashes the auditions telling Hakeem off for holding auditions without asking them, but Hakeem states he doesn't have to ask permission. Andre tries to talk to it with Cookie, telling her that Hakeem needs to record music as his album is locked to Empire.
As Hakeem steps out of Ghetto Ass Studios, Jamal rolls up in Lucious' car and tells him to get inside. Jamal tells him that Hakeem is family, and tells him to remain at Empire. Hakeem agrees only if Jamal brings Andre and Cookie back, but Jamal wants to take baby steps. Cookie steps out and notices Jamal and Hakeem in the car, but Jamal rolls the window up and orders the driver to drive off.
Hakeem is in his bathtub with Valentina, where she tells him that she would be in his girl group if it was at Empire, since Empire is hip hop legendary. Rhonda, on the other hand, goes to meet Jamal secretly at his apartment. She tells Jamal to forgive Andre and bring him back, as Empire is what he's poured his life and energy into. Jamal tells her that he wishes he could just give the whole thing to Andre. Rhonda then decides to reveal to Jamal that she's pregnant, which instantly wins Jamal over, and he promises to talk to Lucious about bringing Andre back.
At Ghetto Ass Studios, Hakeem reveals to Andre and Cookie that he leaked his album online. Cookie wonders if that is legal, but Hakeem adds that he doesn't care. Andre tells him that he's stupid, as Empire will sue them. Andre leaves. Cookie tries to get him to stay, but Andre tells her that he spent his life trying to be with Empire, not with some scrawny label. He pleads with his mother to let him go.
Andre goes to see Lucious in jail, where he asks for forgiveness. Lucious asks if he still believes in God. When Andre says he does, Lucious tells him to be ask his God for forgiveness since he won't. Lucious gets up and leaves, and Andre yells at him to hold up. He brings up the fact that Lucious hated Jamal for his homosexuality, yet gave Empire to him. He adds that Hakeem slept with Anika, and yet Lucious wants him back as well. But Andre, who's remorseful, who is begging for forgiveness, is shafted aside. Andre asks his father why he hates him. This causes Lucious to remember a memory from when he was a little kid, with his mother singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to him. Lucious simply tells Andre that he doesn't hate him.
Cookie and Anika secretly work together behind Lucious' back to pull off a surprise performance that catches the eye of Pitbull (guest-starring as himself). Meanwhile, Lucious tracks down Frank Gathers' daughter (guest star Bre-Z Murray), to try to convince her to sign with him at Empire, while Hakeem is hard at work on his girl group, Mirage a Trois. Also, Andre and Rhonda hope their baby-on-the-way will be the key that unlocks Lucious' cold heart and opens the door for Andre to return to the Empire fold.
That night, the whole family, including Rhonda, are over at Lucious' house for dinner. Lucious offers to forgive them for everything they did against him if they dissolve Lyon Dynasty, but Cookie refuses, pulling all the food out from under the tablecloth and leaving.
Meanwhile, Andre is having lunch with Lucious. Andre tells him that Apex Radio is struggling financially, and he can set it up so that Empire can buy all their stations. That way, Empire controls urban radio and give all of their artists' constant airtime. However, Andre asks to return to Empire. Lucious refuses, telling Andre that he could hire any MBA to do what Andre has done this whole time, and that if Andre really wants to come back, he'd have to do something the others won't do.
Their lunch is then interrupted by a call from Jamal, who claims a girl with a group of thugs walked into Empire for a record signing. As Lucious cannot enter Empire himself, Jamal serves as his proxy, and he tells Jamal to sign her no matter what as she means everything to him musically. The girl happens to be Freda Gatz, who refuses to sign since Lucious himself is not at the meeting, and adds that while she believes Lucious would never get her out the ghetto, she adds that her father told her never to trust him (presumably after their meeting in jail), and leaves. However, Jamal remarks to Becky about how Lucious said Freda meant everything to him musically, and wonders what that leaves him.
At the Lyon Dynasty studio, Sway calls Cookie. Andre shows up while Hakeem is watching a fight between the girl group. Andre goes in to talk to Cookie. Cookie offers him to return to the Dynasty, but she tells him that he wants to be at Empire, and that he has a vision for Empire that he wishes to leave for his child. Cookie tells him she wants to do the same thing with the Dynasty, but realizes that Andre is about to have a child. She asks whether Lucious knows, and Andre says that he hasn't told him because doing so would be using his unborn child to get back into Empire. Cookie, however, tells him that sometimes pulling heartstrings gets the job done, and reminds him that family means something to Lucious, who also wants to leave a legacy for his sons.
Andre goes to see Lucious at home. Lucious remarks about Andre constantly meeting with him and being persistent, and Andre tells him that he came to tell him, in person, that Rhonda is pregnant. Lucious is joyous, as he's always wanted a grandchild, especially a grandson, but inquires about the child's mental health. Andre tells him that since bipolar disorder does not run in their family, the child wouldn't be affected. Upon hearing this, Lucious has a flashback to his childhood, where his own mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder, buys Lucious a plethora of birthday gifts, despite his birthday being a month away. Lucious pleads with his mother to return the gifts as they need money for food, but Leah (his mother) simply enters into a trance-like state and Lucious sings to her as she stares at the ceiling. In the present, Lucious dismisses Andre, telling him that it breaks his heart that Andre would use his child like this. As Andre leaves, Lucious thinks of his past while he plays on the piano.
That night, the Lyon family, minus Rhonda, plus Thirsty, have private meeting at Laviticus. Thirsty tells them that the entire ordeal won't be over until they find Vernon Turner and convince him not to testify. He also tells them, that for the sake of public image, they need to stop feuding and make it seem like that they're all in this together. Hakeem asks Lucious if he killed Bunkie, but Lucious lies and tells Hakeem that he would never lay a finger on Bunkie (Lucious is somewhat correct, as he didn't literally touch Bunkie, he shot him). Andre then remember Vernon's death.
Cookie meets with Lucious at Empire, where she proposes a deal -- if Lucious promises not to steal any of Lyon Dynasty's artists or songs, and lets them back on the radio, Hakeem will do a video with Jamal. Lucious asks what the deal does for him, and Cookie tells him that the music video with the two brothers will send the world a message - that the Lyons are sticking with Lucious. Lucious tells Cookie that while he won't poach the artists, he won't budge on the radio deal, and tells Cookie that the Dynasty still wins as Hakeem gets a free video, as Empire will pay for it. Cookie tells him that he can't steal her masters, but Lucious is confused, telling Cookie that he never tried to steal her music. Cookie tells him that Anika told her so, and Lucious says that Anika must have lied, and asks Cookie why she's keeping Anika around. Cookie is unable to answer, and Lucious is surprised that he managed to shut her up for once, and chides her by calling her Grandma Moses. She calls him grandpa in retort, but tells Lucious that if he isn't nicer to Andre, he may never see his grandchild, a comment which affects Lucious.
Lucious calls Andre to meet him at Laviticus, where he tells Andre that even though he won't bring him back to Empire, he will do anything to protect his grandchild, and be the kind of grandfather to the child as he should have been a father to his kids. While talking to Andre, Lucious has a flashback of when Child Protective Services nearly took his away from his mother, due to neighbors' concerns that Leah wasn't a fit mother. In the present, Andre tells him that Lucious will always be able to visit his grandchild. Lucious asks if it's a grandson, as Lucious prefers male children, and Andre confirms. When Lucious brings up Vernon and the murder rap, Andre remembers when Rhonda killed him and they buried him. Andre asks Lucious if he can get rid of his murder rap, would Lucious hire him back, to which Lucious agrees. Andre agrees and leaves immediately.
At home, Andre tells Rhonda that he's going to dig up Vernon's body and produce the body in order to get Lucious free of his charge. When Rhonda asks why he would take such a risk, Andre tells her that God has spoken to him, and that he wants Andre to continue striving for Empire.
Andre puts a shovel in his car and gets ready to leave, but Rhonda gets in the car, telling him that she is ride or die, and reminds him of their vows, that death do they part, or prison. Andre smiles and they both leave.
Andre and Rhonda begin digging, with Andre reminding Rhonda that they buried him next to the tree with the hole. Rhonda wonders how they've dug up so much and have not found a body, and realizes that all the trees have the hole. Andre, however, tells her that he needs to find the body as he needs Empire. However, they notice headlights approaching, and try to hide. The car stops, and out steps Lucious and Thirsty. Andre is surprised to see his father, and Lucious tells him that after their meeting at Laviticus, he had Thirsty install a tracking chip in Andre's car. Lucious demands for an explanation, and Rhonda tells him that when she walked in on Vernon fighting with Andre, she hit him over the head with a candlestick. When he didn't wake up, they buried him. Lucious thanks her for saving his life, and Thirsty, who's brought a corpse detector, manages to locate Vernon's body. Lucious tells Andre that he's proud of him for disposing of Vernon's body.
Hakeem sits at a fancy bar, where he types a text message apologizing to Jamal, although he doesn't end up saying it. He hears Laura Calleros, a Latin singer, and smiles as he notices her talent. Meanwhile, Lucious, Rhonda, Andre and Thirsty begin digging up Vernon.
After digging up Vernon, Andre asks if he can some final words, since he never did so when Vernon first died. Andre apologizes for causing his death, and tells him that if he could go back and do it over, he would. He tells Vernon (or rather, his corpse), that he forgives him and thanks him, as he is only the man he is today due to Vernon raising him. The speech takes a mental toll on Andre. As Andre walks towards his car, Lucious asks for some privacy to have some final words with Vernon. Alone, Lucious hisses at Vernon's corpse to rot in hell.
Over at Lyon Dynasty, Cookie and Anika work together with Laz to throw "Cookie Lyon's Block Party," a big event to launch their company, showcase their artists and premiere a signature Dynasty anthem written by Hakeem. Meanwhile, Jamal gets busy working on his music with Ne-Yo. Also, Hakeem begins a tender romance with the lead singer of his girl group, and Andre takes steps to rid his soul of past sins.
The episode starts with a reporter on television announcing that after four months, Lucious Lyon has been cleared of all charges. Lucious is with Thirsty at Empire HQ, where Thirsty reveals that the authorities are announcing that Vernon committed suicide in order to hide the fact that his body just showed up inside the prosecutor's car. Andre walks into Empire, where both Lucious and Thirsty welcome him. Thirsty tells Lucious that there are reporters outside, to whom Lucious doesn't want to talk to in case they twist his words around. When Andre tells him that it would be better to make a statement, he does so using Andre's phone to post a message online.
Andre goes to his church to speak with the reverend, where he tells the reverend that his father had revived Gutter Life Records and had made Andre the President of the label. The reverend warns Andre that Lucious is testing Andre's religion, the same way he did with Michelle White a few months back, the very person who let Andre to his religion. Andre tells the reverend that he wishes to protect his family (by getting them into Heaven) by getting baptized. The reverend tells Andre that he must first confess his sins to his family and then invite them as well. Andre laughs, telling him that the only way his family would ever go to a church is if someone died. The reverend suggests that perhaps God wants Andre to be the shepherd who leads the Lyons to church.
At Empire, Rhonda is helping set up Andre's office. Andre tells Rhonda that he's been to see Reverend Pryce, and that he's getting baptized, which he wants her and the rest of his family to show up to. Rhonda doesn't think the Lyons will show up, but Andre hopes they can put their schedule aside for one day. He also tells Rhonda that he needs to confess his sins to his family, but assures Rhonda that he won't tell them about Vernon. Rhonda tells Andre that she's not wearing any underwear and tries to have sex with him, but he rebuffs her advances and proudly claims that things are different now that they're having a baby, which causes Rhonda to have a different look on her face.
Andre walks into Lucious' office, where he sees Thirsty helping himself to Lucious' alcohol. Thirsty tells Andre that Lucious is busy, and that he has replaced Vernon as the new Chairman of Empire. He then asks Andre how his relationship is with Cookie, and tells him that Lucious wanted him to try and steal Cookie's tracks. Andre bluntly tells Thirsty to leave his drink on the table and to get out of Lucious' office when Lucious isn't there. Thirsty is surprised, as he thought he and Andre were on good terms after they dug up Vernon, but leaves regardless.
Andre and Hakeem go over to Jamal's apartment, where Hakeem is surprised that he wasn't invited to Jamal's party, evidenced by wine glasses and Becky being knocked out on the sofa. Andre confesses to his brothers that he arranged for Hakeem's goons to rob Jamal and pinned it on Hakeem (back in "Dangerous Bonds"). Jamal is hurt that his brother would go that far, and Hakeem is aghast since Jamal almost died that day. Andre simply states that he was sick then and he was sorry, and he is forgiven by both Jamal and Hakeem. He invites the two to his baptism, to which Hakeem states he'll come, but Jamal is wary due to the fact that he may be told to "pray away the gay". Andre tells Jamal that even if the church is against homosexuality, he is not, and asks Jamal to come to support him, and not the church.
Andre then goes over to Empire, where he berates Lucious' decision to have Thirsty send men to steal Cookie's music. Lucious tells him that Thirsty does whatever he's told, unlike Andre. Andre tells Lucious that he's aware of Lucious testing him, but Lucious simply states that the only commandments Andre needs to follow is his, and that he needs to check his faith at the door. Andre cannot do that, and tells Lucious that he was the one who told Cookie to blackmail Lucious into giving her Jamal. Lucious is not as surprised, telling him that he knew Cookie had a smart person on the sidelines. Andre then reveals that one day when he was off his meds, he went to Lucious' studio and put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Lucious is shocked, but Andre tells Lucious that even though Lucious gave him life, God gives him hope. He then invites Lucious to his baptism, but Lucious doesn't see how having someone dunk him in tap water will absolve him of all his sins.
At church, Cookie is going over Andre's dress with a lint roller. She tells Andre that her mother wanted them baptized as kids, but that she (Cookie) thinks people should be baptized after they're grown and choose the Lord, adding that babies don't have sin. Andre tells her that he's done some bad things, to which Cookie tells him that she has as well, but that they're good people and that God knows his heart. She then tells him to shut up, adding that no one, including her, needs to know what bad things he's done. Jamal shows up to the baptism, where Cookie professes her surprise. Jamal tells her that he will stick with and support his family. He and Cookie manage to repair their relationship. Jamal tells her that he's going on tour with Ne-Yo, and that Lucious has brought him to the next level, which is what he and Cookie wanted. Cookie asks him if Lucious is coming, and Jamal says no. Cookie says that it's a good thing, since if Lucious, being a devil, walked in here, the whole place would catch fire, which causes Jamal and Hakeem to laugh.
Lucious, however, pulls up to the church. He looks up towards the cross, and then enters. The entire church is surprised at his attendance. He tells Jamal that Freda's song moved him, and he realized how importance his presence is to his sons. However, he gets into an argument with Cookie, which the entire church can hear. As Andre is getting baptized, Lucious gets a flashback to when he cussed at his mother when he was a child and how his mother attempted to baptize him in their bathroom, nearly drowning him in the process. Lucious gets up and leaves, to the surprise of everyone in the church, including Andre. As Andre is successfully baptized, Cookie holds Jamal's hands, which Hakeem notices. Hakeem then goes on a run around the park topless. However, he is then kidnapped and dragged into a van.
The episode begins with Hakeem being hauled out of the van he was kidnapped him, with a sack over his head. He is thrown on the sofa, and the kidnappers change their attire and masks. The kidnappers mention that they should have kidnapped Jamal, as he is the most talented brother. Hakeem manages to get the sack off, and notices bull tattoos on all three of their backs. When he provokes them by calling them a bunch of punk ass cowboys, he is pistol whipped in the head so hard, he begins to bleed from the corner of his left eye.
At Lyon Dynasty, Cookie is frantically trying to reach Hakeem, but to no avail. She is unable to go through with their rehearsal due to his absence, but after trying to call him a second time, she receives a video of Hakeem being restrained. Believing it to be the work of Lucious, she dismisses it.
Lucious and Cookie head to a drop off zone in the hood, where they are prepared to pay the $400,000 ransom demanded for Hakeem. When the kidnappers call, Cookie tells them they've got the money, but Lucious asks for a proof of life. When the kidnappers send a video of Hakeem as proof, they tell Lucious to drop off the money in a trash bin near a welding spot, and that they'll drop Hakeem off three blocks west.
Andre, on the other hand, is at Empire trying to rebrand the Gutter Life label, as he is now its President. He asks Becky what they need from the artists; when Becky begins to list stuff as talent, Andre shuts her down, telling her not to read from Empire's intern manual. He asks her to set up a meeting with every single one of Gutter Life's artist, telling her that if they're not up to his newly imposed standard, they will be cut. Becky looks up at the Gutter Life roster, where her boyfriend J Poppa's name is listed.
Andre, on the other hand, is interviewing all of Gutter Life's artists. He asks P Buster who his musical inspirations are, to which P Buster adds that "any hardcore negro from the streets", Freda doesn't answer any of his questions, just sitting there chewing her gum; Crank Master pulls out a joint, to which Andre dismisses him; his last and final interviewee is J Poppa. Andre asks whether the J in his name stands for Jewels, Joints, Jigga, or anything else "hood". However, he tells Andre his name is Job, as in the Book of Job. This surprises Andre, who recites scripture. J Poppa states the page number. Andre asks him what the "Poppa" stands for, to which Job states that he's a preacher's grandson and the Poppa is showing love to his Grandpoppa, who kept him off the streets and helped him develop his music. Andre asks whether Job has ever thought of using the word of the Lord into his music, and then stands up and offers his hand. Job is surprised, but shakes it, having passed Andre's test.
That night, J Poppa is performing at Laviticus. Jamal praises him, but asks how his "wand" is working for Becky, who adds that it works for her and hits all her walls, and that she can barely stand after intercourse with him. Jamal and her simply laugh at the situation, and Jamal goes off to talk to Andre. He asks Andre if he's spoken to Hakeem; Andre tells him he hasn't, but that if Hakeem falls the two of them will pick him up. Jamal praises J Poppa, and Andre tells him that Job is his Archangel Michael, which is why he's willing to overlook his relationship with Becky for now. Jamal tells him that a lot of musical deals have been made in bed and to let Becky have him, but Andre tells him that while it isn't a problem now, it may be in future. As Job continues to perform, he adds a new section to his song. Both Becky and Lucious wonder what the hell was up with that, but Andre proudly tells them that it's Romans 7, verses 15 through 16. Becky wonders if Andre understands what Gutter Life means, and Lucious wonders whether Andre is making his decisions as President using the Bible or from a business standpoint. Andre assures him it's purely business. Jamal tells Lucious that he's heading to one of Jamieson's parties (implied to be an LGBT party), and asks Lucious if he wants to come; Lucious simply tells him "been there, done that", evoking surprise from Jamal. Lucious then goes up on stage and introduces Freda Gatz as the next act. As Freda raps, another artist begins to boo her, calling her a corn muffin and telling her to get her ugly ass back to Brownsville. She looks towards Lucious, who simply tells her to focus, but she kicks him in the face, knocking him out, and then flees. Andre then decides to drop her from the roster for kicking someone in the face, but Lucious tells him that it isn't up to question, and that she stays. Andre is disappointed, adding that he's in charge as President, but Lucious tells him that he put Andre in place, not in charge.
At the Big Apple Music event, Cookie is telling the girls to perform as if their lives depended on it, adding that sex sells. The girls wonder where Hakeem is, who happens to be outside in the alley, listening to the track with earphones. Lucious pulls up to the alley, where he plays Hakeem a beat, and offers it to him on a USB with no strings attached. Hakeem takes it, but then tells him that with him, there's always strings - in fact, there's ropes, that choke everybody. Hakeem then drops the USB on the ground and walks back inside. Lucious storms in after him, furious, and orders the girls to get out. He yells at Cookie that he offered Hakeem an olive branch and Hakeem shut him down, proving that Lucious really did have strings attached. He berates Hakeem for not being a man, and tells him that he should have pulled the trigger. Cookie intervenes, telling Hakeem that if he listens to Lucious, he'll end up in jail. Lucious, however, adds that it would be a small price to pay if it meant Hakeem growing a sack. Jamal and Andre walk in and order Lucious and Cookie to leave, telling them that they'd talk to Hakeem. Hakeem tells them that while they tormented him, he did nothing. Jamal tells him that it's brave of him to keep his cool under those circumstances, and Andre commends him as well, telling him that the three of them are already on top of it because they handled being the children of Lucious and Cookie Lyon. Jamal adds that he and Andre would have done the same in his situation, causing Hakeem to finally crack a smile. The three brothers then put their heads together as Mirage a Trois begins to perform. Hakeem goes out to spit his verse, but sees Lucious, who grins evilly at him. The music becomes distorted, and Laura ends up freestyling a verse while also keeping Hakeem's head turned to her instead of towards Lucious, to sell the idea that it's a part of the routine. Staring into Laura's eyes gives Hakeem his resolve; with his game back up, Hakeem manages to perform successfully, as Cookie, Andre and Jamal watch proudly. Lucious, disappointed and upset that he failed to break Hakeem, leaves.
Lucious begins to strategize the ascension of Empire from record label into global music monolith, so he looks into starting a partnership with Jago (guest star Patrick Mulvey), the founder of a music streaming company. Meanwhile, Andre has to twist his newfound values to achieve a delicate balance between his faith and his career; Hakeem begins to work with Laura to turn her into a star; and Cookie sets her sights on having Lyon Dynasty be a part of an epic televised charity music event.
Lucious, Andre and Mimi are in an Empire Board of Directors meeting, where Mimi notifies them that Empire's stock price has dropped by 12% and the shareholders are pissed. Andre tells her that it's risen 12% after Lucious' release from prison, and tells Lucious he has a solution - music streaming. Andre tells him that they can create their own unique streaming platform and start beta testing within 4-6 months. Mimi, however, tells him that it's too long. She tells him that the number two streaming service, SwiftStream, is looking to merge, and asks Lucious why build when they can buy. Mimi sets up a meeting with Jago Locke, the founder and CEO of SwiftStream, while Lucious tells Andre to visit the deputy mayor to have Freda's gang injunction charge overturned.
In Empire's recording studio, Andre sits there with his fingers to his head, where he recalls when he almost shot himself. He tells the reverend, L.C Pryce, who's also in the room, how he almost shot himself to punish Lucious. The reverend tells him that God chose him to be a warrior, and prevented him from committing the sin of suicide. Andre tells the reverend that Lucious wants him to go see Deputy Mayor Raquel Alvarez, who Andre used to have sex with in order for legal favors, and that Lucious wants him to return to his old ways. Reverend Pryce tells him that God chose Andre as his warrior, and that sometimes warrior must commit sins of atrocity on the battlefield. Andre, surprised, asks him whether he wants her to sleep with Raquel. Reverend Pryce tells him that sex should be restricted to just him and his wife, but reminds him that there are other ways to get things done.
Andre goes to see Deputy Mayor Raquel Alvarez, asking her to overturn Freda's gang injunction charge overturned. She agrees, but begins to take her top off, and gets on her knees to unzip Andre's pants. Andre attempts to get her to stop, but she kisses him, telling him that she doesn't have time to play that game, where they pretend to be reluctant. Andre, however, gets up, telling her to stop, adding that she's married.
Raquel tells him that he is married as well, which has not stopped them before. Andre asks her bluntly if she'll overturn the charge or not, and she asks why she should. This prompts Andre to pull out his phone, where he reveals that in the past, he and Rhonda recorded their extramarital affairs, and plays a video of one their previous affairs. He tells her that if she does not overturn the charge, he will release the video to Bill DeBlasio and show him just how the deputy mayor conducts her government business. Andre then goes home, where Rhonda is exercising, and tells her that despite Lucious sending him to see Raquel, he prayed and managed to resist going back to his old ways. He then picks up and kisses Rhonda, who tells him that she's been praying for this (being intimate with him, since Andre has pulled back from her ever since she got pregnant and he found the Lord).
Lucious and Becky are walking into Laviticus, where Becky tells Lucious to reconsider what he's about to do - which is have Freda Gatz humiliate Hakeem on stage, surrounded by vloggers and bloggers, who would no doubt send her message to the rest of the world. Freda raps about how Hakeem is just "daddy's little girl" and how she is the son Lucious always wanted.
At Hakeem's apartment, he and Laura are going at it. She tells her that it'll most likely be a little awkward as she's a first time. Hakeem is surprised that she's a virgin, but tells her that he'll take his time. However, he is interrupted by a text alerting him to Freda's message. He goes online and watches her rap, infuriated.
Meanwhile, the members of Pepsi are over at Empire, playing a video which showcases Jamal as the new face of Pepsi - however, Jamal is one of 10 candidates, and the Pepsi spokeswoman tells him that he needs to compose a song within the week to submit it for consideration. If he wins, he does indeed become the new face of Pepsi. Lucious tells her that the song would be finished within the week, adding that he will be personally helping Jamal produce the song.
Lucious then heads to his office, where Mimi and Andre discuss a problem with the SwiftStream deal - Jago Locke has purposefully jacked up the prices after Empire negotiated their terms.
Jamal is recording his song with a beat Cookie provided, at his apartment.
Hakeem records his own message to Freda, challenging her to a rap battle to fight for the Lyon name.
Anika, at home in her bathroom, has a knife in one hand, and a pregnancy test in another. She takes another test, which confirms her pregnancy. She calls Hakeem to share the news with him, but is unable to reach him.
Laz tells Cookie that Hakeem's challenge is trending online. Hakeem comes in to talk to Cookie, but is constantly set off by Laz's presence, telling him to shut up as Laz is a concert promoter and not a partner. Laz pushes Hakeem, and Cookie slaps him, telling him not to ever touch her son.
Cookie heads over to Jamal's to work on the song, but Lucious also arrives. Cookie hides in the closet, as Lucious shows Jamal his own beat he produced overnight. In an effort to prevent Lucious from finding Cookie, he ushers Lucious out so that the two can record the song at Empire. Lucious sees Cookie's jacket, but Jamal passes it off as something Cookie left from her last visit.
Anika, on her way to or from the OB/GYN, runs into Rhonda, and plays it off as her going for a smoothie. As they talk, Rhonda tells Anika that babies are kryptonite for Lucious.
As Cookie skypes with Jamal, Hakeem walks in and is hurt that she's working with Jamal instead of helping him with the biggest rap battle of his life. He asks Cookie why he isn't good enough for her, and threatens to tell Lucious that she's working with Jamal. After Cookie calls him a snitch bitch, he relents, but tells her that if she continues to help Jamal, especially over him, he will tell Lucious. He also becomes upset when Cookie brings up the possibility of having Jamal join Lyon Dynasty, a move he isn't happy with because he thought the Dynasty would be just him and his mother.
Meanwhile, Thirsty, who was sent by Andre to find dirty secrets on Jago, comes back and reports that they cannot use any of them to blackmail him into anything since Jago flaunts his flaws proudly. This angers Lucious, as he admits that he wants to control everything - Jago, Mimi, and his sons.
Cookie, and her sister Candace, both are in Philadelphia on a search for their missing sister, Carol, who leaves her kids with Candace and runs away after blaming Cookie for Jermel's death. Cookie hopes to return to New York to focus on her "cookout" concert, but Candace refuses to leave Philadelphia until Carol is found. The two get into a dispute, until Hakeem needs Cookie back at Lyon Dynasty. He addresses the success of his battle against Freda Gatz, and Cookie's cookout is selling out. Hakeem and Laura perform Miracles together, and Anika watches on her phone, in front of magazine cutouts of Hakeem. Meanwhile. Cookie and Candace enter a crack house to search for Carol, but she is nowhere in sight.
During a press conference for Jamal Lyon's album, The Black and White Album, Skye Summers appears to promote and celebrate Jamal's accomplishment and collaborate with him on a song. Laz Delgado is confronted by Big Heavy and his team, and Laz decides to end the deal with Heavy and Lyon Dynasty.
Back in Philadelphia, Cookie attempts to return back to New York for Lyon Dynasty, but Candace refuses to give up on Carol, and blames Cookie for Carol's disappearance. As a result, Cookie departs from the car and decides to go on her own. Instead of returning back to New York, she calls a friend from prison, Pepper, for help finding Carol. Meanwhile, Lucious showcases a new house for Andre and Rhonda, with enough space for Rhonda's unborn child, for gratitude.
After losing the company he built, Lucious announces he will stop at nothing to regain his power, but Cookie has her own way of handling things. Meanwhile, Rhonda, Andre and the rest of the Lyon family come to terms with a horrific, life-changing tragedy that changes their lives as they know it.
Andre and Rhonda's unborn child dies after Rhonda's near-fatal injury at her house.
Based on this situation, Cookie also reveals that she had a miscarriage before her sons were born, and that it was a baby girl.
With Hakeem acting as Empire's CEO, Camilla sinks her claws further and further into him. The rest of the Lyon family tries to get him to rejoin their side, but Hakeem has his own plan. Meanwhile, Jamal receives backlash from his fans and Andre and Rhonda's marriage is tested.
Andre and Rhonda go to counseling with Andre's pastor, where Andre becomes paranoid that Rhonda may be cheating on him and that someone caused her to lose their baby.
Andre continues to suffer from his breakdowns stemming from the death of his son. In order to console him, Jamal and Hakeem write and perform a song.
Realizing that Camilla is not the woman he loves, and that her power at Empire comes from Mimi, who owns the majority shares, Hakeem makes a sex tape with Camilla and sends it to Mimi.
As a result, Mimi dumps up the majority shares, which Andre quickly buys, regaining the Lyon family's control over Empire.
Tensions between Lucious and his sons continue to rise. Back at Lyon Dynasty, Lucious aims to direct his most emotional and honest music video yet and recreates a traumatic interaction with his mother for the new single. Meanwhile, on the Mirage a Trois tour, Tiana and Laura begin viciously fighting over the spotlight, forcing Hakeem to mediate between the two divas.
During a birthday dinner for Cookie, the truth about Lucious' mother comes out to the Lyon family when Andre is able to deduce that she was bipolar. Andre becomes angry at his father for withholding such information, as Andre had felt misunderstood by Lucious when in reality Lucious had grown up dealing with bipolar disorder. Lucious snaps, and tells Andre that he has mental issues, and that his mother was a nut job, and that he didn't tell him about her because he was embarrassed about her, the same way he is embarrassed about Andre now. With this out in the open, Andre and Rhonda cut their ties with Lucious (as Lucious had also admitted that he "let" Andre marry Rhonda, believing it might have helped with his disorder).
Rhonda, not wanting to go back to the house Lucious had bought for her and Andre, and also wanting to get away from Andre and his problems for a while, calls Anika to pick her up from Lucious' house and agrees to stay with her for a few days.
While Jamal, Hakeem, and Andre have despised their father before, not all three have hated him at the same time. For example, in season 1, Jamal developed a huge dislike of his father, and was soon joined by Andre as well; however, Hakeem loved and adored his father. By the time Hakeem began to hate his father, Jamal began to love his father. Soon after, Andre's feelings towards his father grew neutral. However, as of this episode all three sons hate Lucious:
Andre now hates his father as well for withholding the truth about his bipolar mother, as well as Lucious claiming that Andre has mental issues and is an embarrassment to him.
Lucious releases his new music video, as he manipulates and sabotages those around him to regain his CEO position at Empire. Meanwhile, Andre learns more about his grandmother's mental illness in order to understand his own struggle with bipolar disorder; Anika reveals a big secret to the family and Hakeem leads the big shareholder meeting.
Andre drops his faith and rekindles his relationship with Rhonda. When he asks Rhonda when she felt the happiest together, she mentions that it was way back when they plotted together to take over Empire. Andre then decides to go back to his initial strategy of taking out his brothers so that he can be next in line to succeed as CEO of Empire.
Anika tells Rhonda and Andre that she is pregnant with Hakeem's child, and proceeds to reveal this information with the rest of the Lyon family as well.
With help from Andre, Lucious hosts a fundraiser, as part of his campaign to prove to the board that he should return as Empire's CEO. Meanwhile, Hakeem must decide whether he wants to be a father to his and Anika's child.
Cookie decides to have all of her sons come on stage with Lucious in order to sell the idea that Empire is a family business meant to be run by the Lyons. However, knowing that both Jamal and Hakeem will refuse if she asks, Cookie asks Andre to ask his brothers and to make it seem like it is his idea. Andre agrees, but stipulates that she should throw a fundraiser for the National Alliance for Bipolar Disorder, in which Andre would come out publicly about his mental illness, which would not only raise money for bipolar disorder but also show a more humanizing side towards Lucious.
Lucious begins to engage in a sexual relationship with reporter Harper Scott; however, their affair is cut brief when Cookie calls Lucious' phone to tell him that Anika has been hospitalized. Angry and embarrassed at their sexual tryst being cut short, Harper announces that perhaps she should do her story on Cookie instead, calling her a manipulative bitch who has Lucious wrapped around her finger. Lucious, in turn, gets angry and shoves her down, telling her to never say bad things about Cookie again.
Lucious then betrays his initial promise to Harper that she could have an exclusive scoop on his life by sharing his story with another outlet, thereby rendering Harper's work useless. Harper, in revenge, gives photographs of Lucious' mother to Andre, revealing to Andre that his grandmother is still alive in a senior home outside of Philadelphia.
A wrench is thrown into Lucious' deeply personal music video about his mother, when Andre discovers a dark secret. Meanwhile, Hakeem and Jamal are compromised after pursuing secretive affairs. Then, Rhonda starts to suspect who her attacker was.
Andre has his grandmother released from psychiatric care, and brings her to Leviticus, where she meets Cookie, Jamal and Hakeem for the first time. It is also revealed that Lucious had her confined in a home for the mentally ill for 21 years.
Lucious tells Andre that he has no idea what he has done, releasing her from her care, adding that she isn't like him. He also tells Cookie that while his mother did try to drown him as well as shoot herself, she didn't die since the gun had no bullets. After that, she was taken into a mental ward while Lucious fled to the streets.
Lucious adds that when then U.S President Ronald Reagan released many mentally ill patients, his mother was one of them, and that he nearly tripped on her on a sidewalk back when he and Cookie were on welfare with kids.
It is revealed that Leah was aware the entire time that her son became Lucious Lyon. She also hates his existence, as she did when Lucious was younger, and threatens to kill him many times, proving that she is the one person who Lucious is truly terrified of.
Andre also reveals that it was Harper Scott who showed him the pictures and led him to Leah Walker. In revenge, Lucious has Thirsty drive Harper out to a secluded neighborhood and stop under a bridge, where he tells her to get out and walk. As she gets out, she is kidnapped by two men and taken away.
Rhonda is pushed out of the way while helping Anika set up a nursery, which triggers her memory a little. Rhonda realizes she was pushed, and that her fall wasn't an accident.
While visiting Anika's place, Rhonda sees the soles of Anika's shoes and recalls seeing the very pair of shoes worn by the person who pushed her, realizing that Anika is most likely the culprit.
Rhonda not-so-subtly confronts Anika and asks whether she was wearing red-sole Louboutins when she came to visit the nursery, and asks whether she also wore them that night (the night Rhonda was pushed).
Leah, who is still residing at Lucious' house, is upset after seeing the "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" music video and how Lucious is lying about her being dead. She tells Andre that she wishes to attend the ASAs to see her son and grandsons perform on stage for the first time ever. However, Lucious, who had anticipated her asking that and Andre caving in, has Thirsty and his goons lock Andre and Leah in a panic room fitted with steel inch safe doors.
Upon finding out that Jamal is still making music with Freda, Cookie reveals that she snitched on Frank Gathers to get out of prison early. Jamal, who was aware that Frank and Lucious were both incarcerated at Brooklyn Correctional Facility, realizes that Lucious had something to do with Frank's murder. Angry at his father for his words of hatred as well as his mom for being responsible, Jamal approaches Freda at the ASAs and tells her that he'll help her leave Empire and get away. Jamal also announces that he is shelving his Black & White album, as it was produced by his parents.
Carol, who had come to the ASAs expecting to get in, is escorted out by Lucious' guards. In an attempt to stay, she asks Freda to take her, but Freda dismisses her as she has press to do. Carol, who is drunk, makes an outburst on how Freda only got where she is because Lucious felt guilty about what he did to Frank. Freda begins to think back to when she first met Lucious as well as her encounters with Lucious and Jamal after. Realizing that Lucious most likely killed her father, she steals a gun from a security guard, pistol whipping him on the head, and rushes to the podium to kill Lucious. Jamal, who sees her approaching, attempts to stop her, but gets shot in the gut instead. Freda, horrified and stunned, is then taken away by the police.
Thirsty lets Andre and Leah out and escorts them to the hospital, where Jamal is undergoing surgery. During the fiasco, Leah slips out of the hospital, where she is ambushed by reporters asking her whether she's a member of the family, to which she states that she is. She is then asked what her relationship is with Lucious Lyon.
After a life-changing experience, Jamal refuses to make music until his family ends its seemingly endless cycle of violence and fighting. Meanwhile, the Feds are tailing Anika because they want to force her to testify against Lucious. In order to protect her family, Cookie organizes a meeting at Hakeem and Laura's wedding with various people from her and Lucious' past.
Jamal, who spends most of his time in a wheelchair, initially decides not to make any more music until the circle of violence stops. However, as he learns from Andre, the cycle will keep going until it decides to stop itself. With a little nudge from Lucious, who visits Freda, Jamal begins making music again.
Rhonda confronts Anika and punches her for pushing her down the stairs.
In order to prevent Anika from testifying against Lucious, he proposes that the two get married, as Andre has been ordained to perform marriages. Cookie is aghast; Lucious tells her that he still loves her and that she's his ride-or-die, while Anika would just be his wife on paper, but Cookie storms out, regretting her decision to prevent Anika's suicide while also realizing that she won't do literally anything to save her family.
After Lucious and Anika are legally married, Lucious tells Anika that he knows she pushed Rhonda. Anika immediately runs away to the balcony, where she is ambushed by Rhonda. In the struggle, Anika admits that she pushed Rhonda in order to kill the other Lyon heir. Andre enters in the middle as they both seemingly tumble off-screen.
Season 3
To be added
Season 4
To be added
Season 5
To be added
Skills
Andre is very intelligent. He uses his intelligence and manipulation in order to keep Empire up and running, even if it takes lying to cover for his father or some other close confidant/ally. He is a very good businessman. Andre has shown to be good at fighting. This is shown when he managed to hold his own against Vernon but was overpowered quickly.
Personality
Andre is brilliant, manipulative, devious, and determined to get Empire Enterprises at any cost. He is pushed to the side by his father due to his lack of musical ability and tries to make it up by winning his father's favor. Andre has a high opinion of himself, as he believes that he is the most qualified heir to the company through a business perspective, using the help of his equally cunning wife to tear his family apart so that he is the last one left standing to inherit it.
Due to his mental illness, Andre sometimes behaves in stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor. During a possible manic episode in "The Outspoken King", he becomes very sexual with Deputy Mayor Alvarez in order to obtain information about Bunkie's murder case. Later, he reenacts the encounter with Rhonda. In "Out, Damned Spot", a while after Vernon Turner put Andre in a choke hold to force him to confess about him covering up for his dad, Andre threatens to slit his throat, only for Turner to coolly remind him to take his medication.
Relationships
Romance
Rhonda Lyon (ex-wife | pushed off the balcony by Anika Calhoun)
Andre and Rhonda met during a first-year mixer at Wharton, when she was seeing someone snobby; however, Andre deduced she was just dating him to make it in the world, and that was in fact the case, and they eventually dated and got married. They are often shown throughout the series engaging in foreplay and are suggested to have a very sexual relationship. They are a married couple but have been shown to both commit adultery multiple times. However, they both seem knowledgeable about each other's cheating and encourage one another to go through with it if it means that it will help them gain control of the Empire. At one point, in,"The Lyon's Roar", Andre refers to their various affairs as a "game". Rhonda seems alright with it at first, but when Andre asks her to have sex with an elderly man in a wheelchair, she expresses her dislike for the "game".
Though they may have their issues, Rhonda seems to show concern for Andre's well-being. She comforts him often during his bipolar episodes and reminds him to take his medicine. She offers him advice and cooperates with him to take over control of Empire.
Lucious originally did not really approve of their relationship and believes that white people will never accept Andre. Very soon, he starts to open up after seeing her and Andre dig up Vernon after Andre made a vague remark on him. Lucious and his lawyer, Thirsty Rawlings (Andre Royo), track down Andre and Rhonda's car and find them digging up Vernon's body. Lucious is pleased and allows Andre to return, with Rhonda being happy and after learning of his grandchild, he gives both gifts to help.
Due to Rhonda's hatred for Anika for pushing her down the stairs in her own home and being the caused of her losing her baby, causing Rhonda to ambushed Anika. In the struggle, Anika admits that she pushed Rhonda in order to kill the other Lyon heir. Andre enters in the middle as they both seemingly tumble off-screen.
Deputy Mayor Raquel Alvarez (affair)
In the show's first season, Lucious sends Andre to meet Deputy Mayor Raquel Alvarez, Lucious' connects in City Hall. Lucious needs information from her regarding the witness in Bunkie's murder and Andre has sex with her in order to obtain the information.
In the show's second season Lucious sends Andre to her again to get Freda Gatz's charges dropped, but as Andre has given up his open relationship and infidelity, he instead blackmails her to get the charges dropped.
Nessa Parker (ex-girlfriend)
In the third season, Andre met Nessa after Lucious sent him to talk to her, and he was able to convince her to sign with Empire. Shine later finds out and tries to kill Andre, but Lucious and Andre vested him to sign as well.
Later on, Nessa came to see Andre alone as they were developing chemistry. She kisses him, and he is uncomfortable since he recently lost his wife, and Nessa tried to leave after acknowledging his loss. However, Andre is motivated to have sex with her bwhenR honda'sapparitlion tells him it's okay to give in, leading to a bizarre ghost threesome.
Afterwards, Andre started a sexual relationship with Nessa, which Hakeem was jealous of since he was attracted to her. Andre even helped pit Nessa and Tiana against each other.
While it only looked liked sex, Andre developed real feelings for her after Nessa leaneds about his illness and told him she wouldn't give him his medicine. She clarified that she wants him to tend to it himself and will stay by his side. This makes him happy, and they embrace.
Family
Lucious Lyon (father)
Lucious is Andre's father. Andre is Lucious' only son without musical talent, so Andre believes that Lucious treats him differently than he treats Jamal and Hakeem. Lucious has experienced his mother's bipolar condition and she nearly ended up committing suicide, so he finds it difficult to trust Andre. As a child, Andre sometimes covered for his father ,as seen when he hid a gun before police raided their home and Lucious put it in an obvious spot. After the event, Lucious was proud hthat is son helped him ,and the latter did this in future years as well.
In the show's second season, Andre turned on Lucious and tried to remove him from power over Empire but failed. Andre soon realizes he cannot leave Empire and begs his father for forgiveness; though he doesn't do it, he admits he doesn't hate him. Once Lucious is released from custody, he allows Andre to return to Empire after Andre digs up Vernon's body and learns he covered for him. When Lucious finds out that Rhonda is pregnant, he buys the couple a house, proving how much their relationship has improved.
Even though Andre nearly killed him in a car explosion that cost him a leg, Lucious forgives him and continues to show love for Andre.
Cookie Lyon (mother)
Cookie is Andre's mother. At the end of the show's first season, Andre, Cookie, Hakeem, and Anika plot a hostile takeover to oust Lucious as CEO. However, their plan is thwarted by Mimi Whiteman. Andre and Cookie share a strong bond. Initially, Andre collaborates with his mother and Hakeem to form Lyon Dynasty, but he soon recognizes that his place is at re. Cookie, rather than being upset, supports Andre's decision.
Jamal Lyon (brother)
Jamal is Andre's younger brother. In the show's first season, Andre gets Hakeem's friends to rob Jamal while he is recording at Ghetto Ass Studios. Andre tells his brother that he set up the robbery in order to get baptized. While Hakeem hesitates before forgiving his brother, Jamal immediately forgive Andre for his mistake, showing how much he loves and supports him.
Hakeem Lyon (brother)
Hakeem is Andre's youngest brother. In the show's first season, Andre leaks a video of Tiana making out with her girlfriend, humiliating Hakeem. Andre also sends Hakeem's friends to rob Jamal, leading Jamal to believe Hakeem set up the robbery.
In Empire's second season, Andre confesses his past mistakes to his brothers in order to get baptized. Hakeem was shocked Andre nearly set their brother up to get killed; he hesitates to forgive him but does.
In the third season, Andre started a sexual relationship with Nessa, who Hakeem was attracted to. Andre even helped pit Nessa and Tiana against each other, causing a bigger rift between him and Hakeem.
Jeff Kingsley (half-brother)
Leah Walker (paternal grandmother)
Vernon Turner (uncle figure)
Vernon was one of Lucious' good friends and the Lyon brothers considered him their uncle. Vernon is Chairman of the Board at Empire and Lucious relies on him for advice and support.
Andre's wife, Rhonda, kills Vernon in the first season's finale episode by hitting him over the head with a candlestick. Andre and Vernon were fighting, and Rhonda panicked, ultimately murdering her husband's uncle. In order to be accepted back at Empire Lucious tells Andre that he has to give him something that no one else could provide. After Prosecutor Roxanne Ford (Tyra Ferrell) lies about having Vernon in custody, Lucious is convinced that his legal problems will go away if he can make Vernon disappear forever. Once Andre makes a vague remark, Lucious and his lawyer, Thirsty Rawlings (Andre Royo), ,rack down Andre and Rhonda's car and find them digging up Vernon's body.L cious is pleased and allows Andre to return to Empire. Lucious puts Vernon's dead corpse in Roxanne Ford's car.
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