The music industry is a battlefield. Honestly, if you watched TV in 2015, you probably remember that Wednesday nights belonged to one family: the Lyons. Empire wasn't just another show. It was a cultural earthquake that shook the foundation of network television at a time when everyone thought cable and streaming were the only places where "prestige" lived.
Lee Daniels and Danny Strong did something risky. They took the bones of Shakespeare’s King Lear, dipped them in hip-hop grease, and let Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson chew the scenery until there was nothing left. It worked. People didn't just watch it; they obsessed over it.
The Lucious Lyon Problem
Lucious Lyon is a terrible person. Let’s just put that out there. He’s a mogul who built an empire on blood, drugs, and a cold-blooded business sense that makes Logan Roy look like a teddy bear. But that’s why we couldn't look away. Terrence Howard played Lucious with this whisper-quiet menace that made you feel like he was always two seconds away from either handing you a million-dollar contract or having you erased from existence.
It’s about legacy. That’s the core of the Empire series. Lucious finds out he has ALS (or thinks he does, because the plot twists in this show move at a breakneck pace) and decides his three sons need to fight for the crown. It’s brutal.
You have Andre, the business-minded eldest who struggles with bipolar disorder—a storyline that was actually handled with a surprising amount of nuance for a prime-time soap. Then there’s Jamal, the middle child and musical genius who happens to be gay, creating a friction point with his homophobic father that provided some of the show’s most gut-wrenching moments. Finally, there’s Hakeem, the youngest, a fame-hungry rapper who just wants his daddy’s approval but usually settles for a scandal instead.
Cookie Lyon Is the Real North Star
If Lucious is the sun, Cookie is the galaxy. Taraji P. Henson didn't just play Cookie Lyon; she inhabited her. Coming out of a 17-year prison stint in a white fur coat and a leopard-print dress, she immediately demanded her half of the company. "I'm here to get what's mine," she said, and the audience believed every word.
Cookie changed the game. Before her, female leads in business dramas were often written as cold or hyper-calculated. Cookie was loud. She was "hood." She was brilliant. Most importantly, she was the heart of the show. Her relationship with her sons—especially her fierce protection of Jamal—offered a necessary counterbalance to Lucious’s predatory nature.
The chemistry between Henson and Howard was the engine. They had worked together before in Hustle & Flow, and you can tell. There’s a shorthand between them, a way they look at each other that suggests decades of shared trauma and love. Without that specific spark, the Empire series probably would have fizzled out by season two.
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Let’s Talk About the Music
You can’t talk about this show without talking about Timbaland. For the first few seasons, the legendary producer was the musical director, and he brought a legitimate radio-ready sound to the small screen.
"Drip Drop" was everywhere. "Good Enough" was a genuine hit.
This wasn't Glee. The music wasn't just a gimmick; it was the narrative. When Jamal sings a song about his father's rejection, it advances the plot more than ten pages of dialogue ever could. It’s rare for a show to produce a soundtrack that actually climbs the Billboard 200, but Empire did it consistently.
Why the Ratings Defied Logic
In its first season, Empire did something that almost never happens in modern television: its ratings went up every single week.
Usually, a show premieres high and then slowly bleeds viewers. Not this one. By the season one finale, nearly 17 million people were tuning in live. In 2015, those were Super Bowl numbers for a scripted drama. It tapped into an audience that felt ignored by the "Prestige TV" era—Black viewers who wanted to see high-stakes, high-budget drama that reflected their culture and their music.
The Shift and the Controversy
The show wasn't perfect. No soap opera is. Around season three or four, the plots started getting a little... wild. Ghost hauntings? Amnesia? Secret half-brothers appearing out of thin air? It definitely leaned into the "soapy" elements of its DNA. Some critics argued it lost its way when it moved away from the gritty business dynamics and into more outlandish territory.
Then there was the Jussie Smollett situation.
It’s impossible to discuss the Empire series legacy without mentioning the 2019 incident involving the actor who played Jamal. The legal drama and the subsequent media firestorm created a cloud over the show's final seasons. Jamal was written out, and the family dynamic—the very thing that made the show work—was fundamentally fractured. It was a messy end for a show that deserved a more focused curtain call.
The Lasting Influence on TV
Look at the landscape now. Shows like Succession or Power owe a debt to the ground Empire broke. It proved that you could have a predominantly Black cast and reach a massive, diverse global audience. It proved that music-driven drama wasn't just a niche genre.
It also tackled things that weren't common on network TV at the time.
- Mental Health: Andre’s journey with bipolar disorder brought a much-needed conversation to the Black community.
- LGBTQ+ Rights: Jamal’s struggle for acceptance within a hyper-masculine hip-hop culture was revolutionary for a 9:00 PM slot on FOX.
- Mass Incarceration: Through Cookie’s backstory, the show constantly reminded us of how the legal system tears families apart.
The show was flashy, sure. It was over-the-top. But beneath the furs and the gold-plated recording studios, it was a story about the American Dream and the terrible cost of achieving it.
How to Revisit the Lyon Dynasty
If you're looking to jump back into the world of Empire Entertainment, don't just binge-watch it mindlessly. Focus on the first two seasons first; that's where the writing is tightest and the stakes feel the most real.
Pay attention to the guest stars too. The show was a magnet for talent. Everyone from Naomi Campbell and Chris Rock to Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg made appearances. It was the "place to be" in Hollywood for half a decade.
Essential Steps for the Empire Fan
- Listen to the Season 1 Soundtrack first. It sets the tone better than any trailer.
- Watch "The Lyon's Roar" (Season 1, Episode 8). This is widely considered the peak of the series, featuring Jamal’s iconic coming-out performance.
- Track the Fashion. Seriously. The costume design by Paolo Nieddu is a masterclass in visual storytelling. Cookie’s outfits alone tell the story of her rising power.
The Empire series might be over, but its roar is still echoing through the industry. It was a moment in time where music, race, and family drama collided to create something truly electric.
Whether you're a first-time viewer or a returning fan, the power struggle for the crown remains one of the most entertaining rides in television history. Just remember: in the world of the Lyons, trust is a luxury no one can afford.