The Lyons are already in chaos after Jamal (Jussie Smollet) took the bullet intended for his father, but things will get even more complicated in the finale of "Empire" season 2.
In season 2's penultimate episode, the middle Lyon child was accidentally shot by Freda Gatz (Bre-Z) when she realized that his father Lucious (Terrence Howard) was the one who killed her father in prison.
But just before the shooting incident happened, during the ASA Awards night, Lucious and Jamal had a big squabble when the homophobic Lyon patriarch walked in on his son's steamy make-out with the closeted gay music producer D-Major (Tobias Truvillion). Lucious unleased a lot of hurtful remarks during their altercation. This could haunt him with guilt as his son fights for his life.
In an interview with Variety, showrunner Ilene Chaiken talked about the implication of Jamal's shooting on his relationship with his father as well as the possible change in the dynamics within the entire Lyon family.
According to the showrunner, the season 2 finale will not only show the consequences of the shooting incident but also the result of all the things that Lucious and his wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) did in the past. But the Lyon patriarch will be ridden by guilt for saying nasty things about his son.
"Lucious feels horrified by the things that he said to Jamal just hours before he was shot, and on top of that, Jamal might have just saved Lucious' life," Chaiken said. "It's not only that Lucious said terrible things that he regrets to Jamal, but Jamal took a bullet for his father. I would say that should Jamal survive, there will have to be a big reckoning between father and son, and probably for the whole family."
Chaiken also mentioned that Lucious will still have Cookie behind him as long as their son will survive the shooting.
"Even though Cookie is beyond devastated and initially angry with Lucious, we do see a moment at the end in which she lets her guard down," the showrunner teased. "I would like to think that opens the door to healing, and that as parents, they come together as parents do when a child is danger."
The finale episode will also feature Rhonda's (Kaitlin Doubleday) growing suspicion that Anika (Grace Gealey) was the one who pushed her down the stairs, causing her to lose her unborn child with Andre (Trai Byers). It will also answer the question why Lucious' supposedly dead mother Leah Walker (Leslie Uggams) decided to address the press in the final moments of the previous episode.
But aside from all the mess, the Lyons will also celebrate Hakeem's (Bryshere Y. Grey) wedding with Laura (Jamila Velazquez) in the "Empire" season 2 finale, which airs on Wednesday, May 18, on FOX.
