Pilot

“	You messing with the wrong bitch, Lucious. I know things.	”
—Cookie

Pilot
Season One, Episode One
Air date:	January 7, 2015
Writers:	Lee Daniels Danny Strong
Director:	Lee Daniels
Premiere:	9.90 million
previous N/A”		next “The Outspoken King”

Pilot is the first episode of the first season of FOX's TV series, Empire. The episode premiered on January 7, 2015, after the American Idol premiere.

The episode introduces Lucious Lyon, the CEO of Empire Entertainment, whose three sons, Andre, Jamal, and Hakeem, vie for Lucious' throne. However, many complications arrive as Cookie Lyon is released from jail and wants half of Empire Entertainment and her son Jamal's career. 

This episode was written by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong and directed by Lee Daniels.

Plot

Lucious helps Veronika to truly feel what she is singing.

The episode introduces Lucious Lyon, the CEO and founder of Empire Entertainment, watching and forcing his artists, Veronica, perform What Is Love. After numerously telling Veronica to perform with emotion, Lucious flashes back with concern with his health, foreshadowing his diagnosis with ALS. Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Hakeem Lyon, the youngest, fame-hungry rapper, and Jamal Lyon, the musically talented singer, are introduced while performing Live In The Moment as the eldest, Andre Lyon, and his wife Rhonda Lyon look on from above. 

Jamal and Hakeem show off together.

After telling his assistant, Becky Williams to cancel his meetings and send his sons to his home, Lucious announces that Empire Entertainment is officially a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Even though the company is evolving successfully, Lucious hopes that his three sons, including Andre, the current CFO, will vie for his throne as CEO of Empire Entertainment after his possible death, which is not known to any of the sons. Meanwhile, Lucious's ex-wife, Cookie Lyon is set freed from jail after 17 year serving. 

Andre is very determined to be allotted the leadership of Empire Entertainment, believing that he is the most qualified because of his academic and educational success. Meanwhile, Lucious is shocked after discovering that Cookie is out of jail, and he tells Bunkie Campbell, his longtime friend and Cookie's closest cousin, to try to keep an eye on her.

In Jamal's loft, he and Michael Sanchez, his roommate and boyfriend, discuss his role in the Empire Entertainment. Because Jamal is gay, he doubts that he would be relinquished the legacy because black homophobia exists in the community. Besides encouragement from Michael, Jamal doesn't care for the role because of his distant relationship with his father, Lucious. After Jamal and Michael share a kiss, Jamal gets an unexpected phone call from Cookie, demanding him to let her in. A flashback shows a younger Jamal visiting Cookie in jail, and it is implied that Cookie is  

supportive of Jamal and who he is, despite Lucious's intentions to toughen him up. 

Jamal is pleasantly surprised when Cookie shows up at his place.

Jamal rushes quickly to prepare for Cookie's entrance, and gives her a warm welcome, despite the fact that she doesn't know about his relationship with Michael. When Jamal tries to give Cookie hospitality, and questions what she will do after being out of jail, Cookie replies, "I'm here to get what's mine." 

Cookie enters the Empire Entertainment company in hopes of reuniting with Lucious after 17 years. Cookie confronts Lucious when he refuses to give her half of the company and make her head of A&R because she gave her $400,000 of dope money to the company. The two make a fair deal, at first, to give her $3 million a year, although Lucious's girlfriend has the spot for head of A&R. Soon after, Cookie reunites with her estranged son, Hakeem, who doesn't seem fond of her return. After telling Hakeem that she sacrificed for him and his brothers, Hakeem disrespects her, calling her a bitch. Cookie retaliates by hitting him repeatedly with a broom and demanding respect.

After Hakeem had a little run in with his mother, his father has a talk with him.

Later that night, at the grand opening of Empire's newest night club, Lucious and Hakeem are conversing, as Lucious briefly defends Cookie in terms of her bad relationship with Hakeem. Lucious convinces him to get himself together and work on new material he created for him.

The next day, Cookie spots and enters Bunkie's car, realizing that he has changed drastically, but also knowing that he's spying on Cookie. Bunkie feels neglected and pushed aside by Lucious. Also, he warns Cookie about Lucious's behavior.

Meanwhile, Jamal is contacted by Lucious for a meeting at Empire Entertainment, where Lucious wants Jamal to release an album. However, Jamal doesn't want to release an album because he knows that gay singers in the industry won't be as successful, yet Lucious believes that his sexuality is a choice. Another flashback depicts Lucious's life before his major success, and his relationship with Cookie. A younger Jamal is shown dressing in women's clothing, and showing it to his family downstairs. Lucious becomes enraged and pulls Jamal outdoors.

Andre begins his play for the company by getting close to Cookie.

Andre, meanwhile, more focused on becoming the head of the company, gets encouragement from his wife, Rhonda Lyon, on manipulating his way to the top. By coercing Cookie to make Jamal

her protege while Lucious manages Hakeem, he'd succeed in putting them against each other. Much to this planned idea, Andre arrives at Cookie's new apartment to discuss persuading Cookie to be Jamal's manager. Cookie agrees.

Cookie abruptly arrives to a meeting at Empire Entertainment to force Lucious to relinquish Jamal to her. Lucious refuses to do this at first hand, alongside his partner, Vernon. Cookie attempts to blackmail him, by disclosing that she paid $400,000 of drug money to the company. After Lucious decides to let Jamal go, responding that he didn't want him anyway, Cookie responds, "I know," hinting of his homophobia against Jamal.

Jamal performs at a nightclub with Michael and Becky in the audience, he sings Good Enough in dedication to his father and their estranged relationship. The previous flashback continues with Lucious throwing a young Jamal in the trashcan. Cookie stops him, defending Jamal and calling him crazy for what he did. Cookie arrives during his performance in hopes of convincing Jamal to be managed by her. Hoping for Jamal to have a bigger audience and popularity, Jamal declines. 

After a late night, Hakeem has a hard time in the studio.

Hakeem struggles performing a song that Lucious wrote for him, due to him being hungover, he vents to Jamal that he feels that he lost his confidence. Jamal creates a song for him, which is Right There, and Hakeem agrees to perform it. Bunkie arrives at Lucious's house, demanding that he is given 3 million dollars, although Lucious refuses to because he doesn't think Bunkie is responsible enough. Bunkie pulls out a gun afterwards.

When Hakeem performs Right There in the studio, Lucious praises his performance, but doesn't praise Jamal for his help. Much to Jamal's dismay, he decides to allow Cookie to manage him, and he agrees to come out as gay. Cookie is ecstatic for this, believing this will infuriate Lucious, who has just recieved information on his diagnosis with ALS, a rare disease impossible for a cure. He will most likely have 3 years to live. Another flashback occurs that leads to the result of Cookie being arrested. After Cookie arrives back in a car, giving Lucious $400,000 of money, she feels unsure of what may happen because something seemed awkward about the drop. She wants Lucious to promise her that he continues to make music. Afterwards, the result goes to Cookie recieving all rights to Jamal's career, while Vernon believes that Andre has the potential to run the company, hoping he will take part. 

Lucious kills Bunkie.

After pictures are taken of Bunkie, who is close to a person named Shyne Johnson, he's considered a dangerous asset to Lucious, forcing him to confront him for it. Bunkie downgrades Lucious for his success, saying that he's a sellout. He asks Lucious for 3 million for Shyne, and Lucious murders Bunkie, shooting him gruelly in the eye.

Lucious and Cookie continue talking about Jamal. Lucious believes that he will never be a star and Hakeem will, but Cookie is determined to make Jamal just as successful. At the end of the episode, Lucious congratulates Hakeem and Jamal on their new albums, offering a toast in a room filled with tension. 

Cast

Main Cast

• Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon
• Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon
• Trai Byers as Andre Lyon
• Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon
• Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon
• Grace Gealey as Anika Calhoun
• Malik Yoba as Vernon Turner
• Kaitlin Doubleday as Rhonda Lyon

Recurring Cast

• Gabourey Sidibe as Becky
• Rafael de La Fuente as Michael Sanchez
• Antoine McKay as Bunkie Campbell
• Tasha Smith as Carol Hardaway

Guest Cast

• Veronika Bozeman as Veronika

Songs

Song Title	Performer(s)
What Is Love	Veronica
Live In The Moment	Hakeem Lyon and Jamal Lyon
Good Enough	Jamal Lyon
Right There	Hakeem Lyon
Armani

Trivia

• The series premiere was watched by 9.90 million viewers with a 3.8 rating.
• Empire is tied ABC's How To Get Away With Murder as the highest rated premiere of the 2014-15 television series.
• The scene where young Jamal is thrown into the trash is based on a real incident that happened to co-creator Lee Daniels. When they were shooting the scene, Daniels got choked up and start crying, so his sister, who was on set that day and witnessed the real incident, was the one who directed Genis Wooten's performance for that moment.

Quotes

Bunkie [to Lucious]: You can fool this country you legit, but I know you ain't nothing but a punk ass gangster.

Cookie: I just want you to know, everything I did was for you and your brothers. I ended up where I ended up for you and your brothers. Hakeem: What, you want a medal bitch?

Cookie [to Jamal]: Listen to me, you different, okay? It's only something mama knows but it's going to make life real hard for you sometimes. But I want you to always remember, I got you. You hear me?

Lucious: I started selling drugs when I was 9 years old in Philadelphia. I did it to feed myself. But it was the music that played in my head that kept me alive when I thought I was going to get shot. And it was the melodies that I dreamt about that keep me warm when I was sleeping in the streets.

Gallery

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