The first season of Empire is based on Lucious Lyon the undisputed CEO of Empire entertainment but his medical challenge throws up a need to find a new heir.
The feeling that Empire has done a great job of driving home from the start, though, is that particularly complicated sensation that allows us to still receive so much joy from a piece of art, even when we know of the awful deeds done by the artists.
Mental illness is real, and Andre's continual downward spiral is probably one of the hardest things I've ever watched on television. But the necessity of this image - much like Jamal's sexuality - within the context of a black family can't be overlooked.
As much fun as it is to watch Empire pull out all the stops (and then throw in a few songs for good measure), the show runs the risk of going too quickly.
For all its tonal seesawing, Empire once again showed, like it did in "False Imposition," that it works best when the family bands together for the greater good.
