On the fifteenth episode of Empire, it opens with Hakeem getting turnt at a strip club, although that wasn't immediately obvious--personally, I thought he was shooting a video. Hakeem sings his song "Got that Work," even though this isn't a video or performance scene, as he dances with strippers, guzzles champagne and his friends shoot dollar bills from cash cannons--no, really.
Not sure if cash cannons are the most asinine invention in the world or if I actually want one.
Laura has been trying to reach Hakeem the whole time he was out and his friend Chicken finally gets his attention to tell him. Hakeem decides that Laura won't want him since he lost everything and goes back to partying.
ASA voting is coming to a close and Cookie is lobbying for either Lucious or Jamal to win. The gloves come off between the two men as Lucious continues to take cheap shots at Jamal's music while Jamal becomes increasingly more disenchanted with the way his father does business and plays into music politics. Cookie is trying to keep everything smooth so that, in addition to winning an ASA for Empire, she can push for Lucious to be reinstated as CEO.
Later in the evening, Thirsty informs Lucious that some of the board members are lobbying to bring in an outsider to serve as Empire's CEO. Lucious and Cookie decide to show an image of a united Lyon family to increase his odds of being reinstated. Lucious is distracted by his new "friend" Harper the journalist...more on that in a minute.
Andre debriefs Cookie on who the board is considering for the CEO position the next morning. Cookie asks Andre to talk to his brothers to get them on board with the United Lyon Plan and Cookie makes plans to arrange a performance. Andre shares his own idea for a fundraiser with the National Alliance for Bipolar Disorder and offers to be the spokesperson. A visibly uncomfortable Cookie agrees to Andre's plan and includes Lucious too.
After not hearing from him, Laura finally tracks Hakeem down at the strip club. Laura assures Hakeem that even though he has taken several Ls she is still here for him--that is until Hakeem reveals that he also got Anika pregnant. This news proves to be too much for Laura and she slaps him and leaves.
Now you've lost everything, Hakeem. Including your shades.
Andre meets with his brothers to discuss the performance even though Hakeem is still sulking. After a brief pep talk/roast from his brothers, Hakeem cheers up and gets on board with the plan, although Jamal is still wary of Cookie's apparent feelings for Lucious. Andre encourages both of his brothers to do the event.
Jamal is walking through Empire headquarters preparing for the Bipolar Disorder event and runs into Michael. After an incredibly awkward exchange the two agree to go to a nearby coffeehouse and talk. They go to the coffeehouse where Jamal used to sing and he ends up giving an impromptu performance.
Hakeem tries to put his best foot forward as a father by surprising Anika with a large bear and things for the baby. Anika is wary of Hakeem, understandably, (Anika is shady but this is the Lyons we're talking about) and questions whether she wants Hakeem involved in the baby's life. She also tells Hakeem about Lucious' previous threat against her life.
Meanwhile, Lucious is putting the moves on Harper. The two engage in some flirtation before Cookie walks in with Hakeem. Hakeem confronts Lucious for threatening Anika and Lucious, of course, plays innocent. Anika's mother has advised her to leave town and Hakeem tells Lucious that if she leaves, Lucious and Cookie will never see him or the baby ever again.
Cookie later goes to visit Anika and sees her being wheeled out of her house on a stretcher. Cookie rides along in the ambulance with Anika as she suffers from an apparent panic attack and manages to set aside her dislike of Boo Boo Kitty to help her relax so she doesn't stress the baby.
As Anika is being rushed to the hospital, Lucious continues to put the moves on Harper the journalist .
Jeez, will I ever not be grossed out by Lucious-centered love scenes? And I actually like Terrence Howard.
They engage in some glass-breaking, face-slappingly rough foreplay that is oh-so-mercifully interrupted when Lucious gets the call that Anika is in the hospital. Harper insults Cookie and Lucious kicks her out of his club as he goes to visit Anika.
Hakeem attempts to plead with Laura not to break off their engagement. He assures Laura that they can still be a family even with Anika's baby. Laura isn't convinced and rejects Hakeem. Okay, full disclosure, I knew this engagement was doomed from the moment Hakeem got down on one knee but this was still sad to see.
At the hospital, Hakeem exchanges words with Anika's mother and learns that Anika is more than halfway through her pregnancy (and still isn't showing? hmmmm...). He goes in to see her and Lucious lets Cookie know that he is on his way. Anika's mother doesn't want to see Lucious and Hakeem asks why. Lucious is once again angrily confronted by Hakeem after Hakeem learns that Lucious had Anika's father commit fraud to help Empire go public. Lucious justifies his actions by saying that people do a lot of things for their wealth before admitting that he respects Hakeem for defending Anika and his baby. Hakeem still bars Lucious from visiting Anika but Lucious concedes and assures Hakeem that both mother and baby will get the best care possible. Hakeem and Lucious appear to come to a tentative truce.
Cookie offers Lucious a chance to tell his story to another trade publication, thereby scooping dear old Harper. At the Bipolar Disorder event the next day, Lucious shares tense words, first with Jamal who, tired of his father's politics, leaves the event to perform at the coffee shop, and then Harper who is angry at Lucious for letting another publication scoop her. After he cavalierly dismisses her, Harper goes to Andre and shows him photographs proving that his grandmother, Leah Walker is alive. An upset Andre leaves the event just before it is his time to speak with Lucious.
Laura comes to see Hakeem and Anika in the hospital. Hakeem gives her back her engagement ring, which he's been carrying since she took it off. Laura puts it on and they kiss and make up.
Meanwhile, Lucious is speaking at the Bipolar Disorder event when Harper the now- scorned journalist asks where his sons are. Cookie swoops in for the save and announces that the Lyon family will be performing together at the ASAs. An unprepared Lucious asks if that is really going to happen and Cookie assures him that it will.
Jamal performs at the coffee shop with Becky and Freda there to support him and attracts droves of people and lots of great pre-ASAs press. I have to say though, I wasn't really feeling the funk remix of "Good Enough," but that's just my opinion.
Cookie and Lucious raise a record amount of money for the National Alliance for Bipolar Disorder and afterwards two board members propose the idea of both Lucious AND Cookie coming on as co-CEOs and splitting control of Empire down the middle. Cookie hesitates but Lucious says he's all for the idea. Cookie is confused, but Lucious says he wouldn't have things any other way and that he has Cookie's back, which of course means that there is a knife aimed at it somewhere nearby.