As season 2 of the Fox series “Empire” is set for 18 episodes, the stopwatch is starting to tic down in regards to this season’s unique brand of high class, high style, All Hip Hop infused crazy. However, given the tendency of “Empire” to always go out with at least one, if not two balls to the wall cliffhangers, hints at some serious game changing ruin were set into motion Wednesday with the airing of episode 14, aptly titled “Time Shall Unfold.” Here is our quick and dirty rundown of the best of the most potentially damaging future wtf! moments in that episode. spoiler alert
Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) and Andre (Trai Byers) ‘crack the code’ with Anika Calhoun’s (Grace Gealey) pregnancy and conveniently become Anika’s human shields by breaking the news to the whole Lyon family. When Andre comes to Anika’s home in the morning hours to try to win back Rhonda, Anika ends up retching in the bathroom and admits to them both that she is suffering from morning sickness and that Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) is the father. In a classic pimp move, Anika manipulates Andre and Rhonda to set up a Lyon family meeting where Anika tells everyone about her pregnancy and announces that the only thing that she wants, as the mother of the next Lyon, is an uncontested place back within the Lyon clan.
Lucious (Terrence Howard) deftly unseats Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) as the CEO of Empire, clearing a path towards regaining the throne for himself. In a series of underhanded moves that include using muscle to sabotage Empire’s Anthony and Cleopatra clothing line, turning Andre against Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and his brothers, planting drugs on trucks carrying Empire concert equipment, and humiliating Hakeem in front of a meeting for Empire’s investors, Lucious manages to get Hakeem voted out by the board members as Empire’s CEO.
Lucious’ mother appears to be alive and well of body, if not the mind. As part and parcel of Lucious convincing Andre to give him the insider information needed to embarrass and unseat Hakeem as CEO, Lucious promises Andre at his own mother’s grave site that he will be more forthcoming to Andre about her life, as well as and her struggles with mental illness. However, when Lucious’ bag man Thirsty Rawlings (Andre Royo) is then seen to be making regular visits to an old folks home to attend to an older woman(Leslie Uggams) who is very much alive but still singing all those sad songs that young Leah Walker (Kelly Rowland) sang to young Dwight Walker all those years ago… well, let’s just say Lucious is going to have a lot of explaining to do when the dark truth of yet another huge lie about his childhood gets pulled kicking and screaming into the light.
“Empire” airs Wednesdays at 9:00/8:00c on Fox.