Jamal (Jussie Smollett) may end up taking the brunt of his father's frustrations when the hit FOX series "Empire" returns for the second half of its sophomore season.
During the midseason finale, Lucious (Terrence Howard) lost everything when Mimi (Marisa Tomei) and Camilla (Naomi Campbell) succeeded with their plan to overthrow him as Empire's CEO. His youngest son Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) became instrumental in the coup, as it was his vote that ultimately decided on Lucious' fate. Hakeem felt that the time was ripe for his revenge and promptly elected to oust his old man from the position. His mother's plea to save their legacy fell on deaf ears, as Camilla's brainwashing worked on Hakeem.
For Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), her hate was not enough to destroy Lucious. She still wanted him to be the head of Empire, as he worked hard to make it a top music label across the country. Whatever their misunderstandings may be, when it comes to family, Cookie was prepared to let it go. Not so Hakeem. Now that Lucious is at the lowest of low, he is bound to think of ways of getting his revenge for what happened. His mind will likely be clouded with retribution, he will see anyone as a threat. Unfortunately for Jamal, he may be Lucious' first target.
During the finale, father and son were announced as contenders for "Song of the Year" in the ASA Award. Lucious made it clear he wanted that prize, especially now that he has nothing. Winning ASA is the only thing left to salvage his pride, and he is prepared to do everything to make it work. Jamal is just another hurdle to overcome. Showrunner Danny Strong told E! Online that the younger Lyon is in a dangerous situation indeed after that last scene in "Et tu Brute."
"Everyone should be worried about who Lucious has his eye on. That's a dangerous guy! Remember what he did to Bunky? That was his friend! Nothing can get in Lucious' way," he said.
"Empire" will return on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at 9 p.m. EST on FOX.
