The family dynamics on Empire shift more than the relationships on Gossip Girl. I know that might be, gulp, a dated reference, but the "party at the end" of last week's episode reminded me of my favorite Upper East Siders. Anyway, it appears that Cookie and Hakeem repaired their relationship on Empire, but will that last? The matriarch tried so hard last week to win him over. Not to mention the priceless moment when she tried to get rid of Camilla by telling her that Hakeem's "mommy issues" were solved now. The official description for Wednesday's episode, titled "Unto the Breach," claims that "as the Lyon family rallies to save Empire Entertainment, all three sons take drastic measures: Jamal gets close with famous artist Delphine, Hakeem works hand-in-hand with Cookie and Andre is pushed way beyond his limits." It seems that Cookie and Hakeem are making it work. They've come a long way from that broom beating in the pilot episode.
However, can we really expect this reconciliation to last? Why is Hakeem's working with Cookie considered a "drastic measure" as far as saving Empire Entertainment is concerned? I am just an innocent spectator, but that seems like a pretty simple, logical measure. However, Hakeem is very young and clearly still harboring some feelings of resentment towards his mother, since he feels she abandoned him. I wonder how much Hakeem has been told about the circumstances of his mom's arrest.
The flip side of that, of course, is that Cookie has missed out on Hakeem's life more than her other two sons. When she was incarcerated, he was only a baby. This is the son she had almost no hand in raising and knows very little about.
If Hakeem is thinking of his own career, Cookie is obviously the way to go. It'll be interesting to see how that affects Jamal. The middle child has some drama of his own to work through right now. However, it was a lot easier for the brothers to feud when they each had a parent on their side. If Jamal and Hakeem started fighting over Cookie, all Hell could break loose.
Could this also be a way for Hakeem to end his relationship with Camilla? For one thing, the two women have now met and are at odds. Also, aligning with Cookie is another way for Hakeem to align with his public bae, Tiana. That relationship may be kind of a sham, but Cookie is producing Tiana's album. Hakeem is sometimes portrayed as the goon of the Lyon family. The youngest son may talk the biggest game, but he's not an idiot. Behind all that bravado is a talented artist with some inherent sense of the business and his own mortality. I would not take Hakeem for granted just yet. He could team up with Cookie only to betray her down the road, for all I know. We know how he feels about being called a "daddy's boy" and being associated with Lucious in the press. I don't think "mama's boy" would be a preferable alternative for Hakeem. I'm glad that the two of them had a nice moment, but this show is practically a nighttime soap opera. The claws will be back out soon enough.
Images: Chuck Hodes/Fox; Giphy
