TV Review: EMPIRE: Season 2, Episode 5: Be True [FOX]

FOX’s  Empire Be True TV Show Review. Empire: Season 2,  Episode 5: Be True is a continuation of the Shakesperian title tradition Empire furnishes many of its episodes with, and still not wanting for drama, this week’s installment fixes a focus on Andre’s (Trai Byers) confessions to his family about his sins of the past in order to achieve his pre baptismal state of cleanliness. He somehow thinks not banging Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) is also part of the path, but can’t say “no” when Lucious celebrates his new freedom with a room full of strippers. I think his face says everything, but I’m not too sure what it means.

This juicy little morsel of an episode was a highly anticipated follow-up to last week’s serving of uncle Vernon’s (Malik Yoba) rotting corpse to prosecutor, Roxanne Ford (Tyra Ferrell). Thirsty (Andre Royo) opens the dialog by reassuring Lucious (Terrence Howard) that it was all the fault of the prosecution as to why his case was dropped. The untidy bluff of Vernon as a witness was a larger than life loophole that could only be accounted for by dumb luck, and Lucious is a lucky devil with a dirty lawyer.

Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) gets a new concert promoter and a new guard dog after Tiana (Serayah) gets robbed in the hallway of Lyon Dynasty. She finds out that there are local thugs trying to extort money from her and the company with street crime. She wants to blame Lucious for the gang problem when they meet over Vernon’s ashes to discuss who Vernon belongs to. Lucious just wants her to want him to look after her, well, sort of. Later, she and her new promoter are interrupted by a break in that seems related to the thieving involving Tiana. So, she still suspects Lucious has something to do with all of her “challenges”. He and Thirsty did have those guys break into Lyon Dynasty to steal her master tapes and collect the bugs that were planted there.

Jamal (Jussie Smollett) gets studio time with Ne-yo and some relationship advice from Lucious about taking Michael (Rafael de la Fuerte) on tour with him. Ne-yo advises him to do it and not listen to Lucious, but Jamal is torn about Michael asking for an open relationship. He is tested when the artist (Adam Busch) tries to go down on him out of nowhere. Jamal is disgusted by the wild gesture, but still invites the artist to a shin dig at his house where he winds up blowing Michael on the balcony. Jamal might be submissive to Lucious, but his streak of Lyon loyalty is something no one can cross unchecked. His pride is stronger than the whims of the grimy free spirited artist who tried to intercede their relationship. The in studio heart to heart with Ne-yo was leading the viewer to think Michael meant the world to Jamal, that he was his ‘everything’. This whole blow job just came straight from nowhere.

Andre wants his brothers to forgive him for pitting them against each other so he could take control of Empire. He doesn’t confess to his involvement in Vernon’s death. Rhonda would never forgive him for that. God probably won’t forgive Rhonda for how she scandalously dressed at Andre’s baptism. For once, it wasn’t Cookie. She squabbles with Lucious for planting the bugs to Rhonda’s indignation. Lucious has a flashback and has to walk out prematurely in pure Lucious fashion.

Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) gets himself into a pickling position when he comes onto Laura (Jamila Velazquez) who is apparently a virgin. It doesn’t really matter that much. She forgives him and Hakeem is promptly kidnapped by the street gang who robbed Tiana. At least Lucious will be off the hook with Cookie. He might even acquire her label and keep the family together by saving Hakeem.

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