The Lyon's Roar

The Lyon's Roar
Season One, Episode Eight
Air date:	February 25, 2015
Writers:	Danny Strong
Director:	Danny Strong
Premiere:	13.90 million
previous “Our Dancing Days”		next “Unto the Breach”

“	If you want Cookie's nookie, then ditch the bitch.	”
—Cookie Lyon

The Lyon's Roar is the eighth episode of the first season of FOX television series, Empire, and the eighth episode overall. The episode aired on February 25, 2015.

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.

Plot

In a flashback, Cookie waits at the courthouse for the verdict with Lucious and their sons. The courthouse police officer tells Cookie the verdict is in and this may be the last time she’ll get to talk to them. Fearing the consequences of losing her children, Cookie lectures and consoles her young sons, while Lucious sings You're So Beautiful to her before the reveal of the verdict.

In the present, after Cookie and Lucious's romantic encounter, Cookie and Lucious open up about their relationship before and after their divorce. Cookie encourages Lucious, meanwhile, to break up with Anika to reignite the family dynamic. Cookie develops the idea of creating an album, concert, and documentary titled Legacy, including him and their sons. Lucious, then, promises to break up with Anika after Cookie intimates a possible reunion.

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.

Ryan Morgan, a documentary filmmaker, speaks to Lucious about his approach and Lucious asks him to also shoot Empire's White Party gala. Despite the tension between Anika and Lucious, the two converse when Anika becomes aware of her father committing fraud, and her knowledge of Lucious and Cookie's one night stand. As Lucious makes excuses, he apologizes and Anika convinces him to marry her the next day. However, in favor of the White Party gala, Anika forces him to make their announcement to prove that he means well.

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.

Hakeem rants at his mother and Lucious says to tell Cookie why he’s so mad. Lucious tells them he’s about to be dead and they have to learn to work together. He says to tell Cookie why he’s always so damned mad. Hakeem says she acts like she runs the show and she forgot him while she was away. Hakeem also says she loves Jamal more than him. Lucious thanks him for his honesty. Cookie sits by Hakeem and says she doesn’t love Jamal more. She says she just knows him better. Lucious asks Hakeem if he can get to know his mama better. Hakeem says no and Cookie smacks his head. They agree to get back to work. She tells him to pull back off the beat and kisses him.

Jamal tells Ryan on camera that his mom was gone away and his dad was this giant superstar that he didn’t know that well. Ryan ends the shoot then asks Jamal out for a drink, to which Jamal agrees. Jamal tells Ryan that he shouldn’t let his dad know he’s gay. Ryan says Lucious is lucky to have him doing his silly documentary and can kiss his ass if he doesn’t like him.

Cookie listens to the song with Lucious. Then he sidles up to her and she asks if he got rid of fake-ass Lean Horne. She brushes him of and then he has a hand spasm. He’s faking and he grabs her up and asks her to hold him. She slaps him and says that was for leaving her twisting in the wind 17 years. He tells her to do it again. They then have sex on the soundboard in the studio.

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.

Jamal tells Ryan he has a daughter and says he only found out a week ago. He says it was a sham marriage his dad pushed on him. Ryan says he dates girls and guys and goes all over. Ryan and Jamal talk about their dads putting pressure on them about being gay. Jamal says he’s been trying to come out for months but hasn’t. Ryan says he should do it for his daughter and himself.

Later, Jamal is showing Lola how to hula hoop and the girl is sad and asks for her mommy. Jamal says she’ll be back but he’s here to protect her now. She asks if he’ll protect her from the monsters. He tells her Lyons aren’t afraid to let the world hear them roar. He sings her The Lion Sleeps Tonight. He teaches her how to sing it with him. They are bonding.

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.

He says Anika didn’t show up to meet him at the wedding planner. Lucious says sleeping with her was a momentary weakness and it won’t happen again. She says that’s fine because nothing good can come from loving him except her three babies. She says she’s going to focus on Jamal. She says he came out and the world is the same and no one cares. Lucious says he cares so much. He says the Legacy album is dead and she tells him not to do this.

She says this is his family legacy. He says this is not a family, but a disgrace, and says he’s done with the album. Cookie looks at on old family photo of them all she has on her desk and thinks back to where it was taped in her jail cell for years. She’s sitting on her bunk singing You’re So Beautiful and the lyrics about “I’ll still wait for you” (which Lucious of course, did not.)

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

• Naomi Campbell as Camilla Marks
• Eka Darville as Ryan Morgan
• Leah Jeffries as Lola Lyon

Songs

Song Title	Performer(s)
You're So Beautiful	Lucious Lyon
You're So Beautiful (White Party Version)	Jamal Lyon
You're So Beautiful (Hakeem Rap Version)	Jamal Lyon and Hakeem Lyon
Jay Jazz Plus One	None