When it comes to a show like FOX's breakout hit Empire, there's no such thing as too much drama, which is a big part of what makes the inevitable Cookie and Malcolm hook-up just too delicious to ignore. I mean, don't get me wrong — on the one hand, I'm a huge advocate for Cookie and Lucious, but at the same time I'm curious to see how a romance between Cookie and Malcolm would play out on Empire . Because you just know that Lucious is going to become insanely jealous and that's the type of raw emotion the series thrives on. Plus, who doesn't want to see Cookie juggle two attractive men in her life? (You do you, girl!) And if anyone's up for the challenge, it would be her.
But drama and epic love triangles aside, would Cookie and Malcolm actually make for a good match? There's definitely a palpable attraction between these two characters, which Cookie has seemed very tempted to act on ever since Day 1. After all, she may love Lucious deep down, but that doesn't mean other men still can't catch her eye. Either way, this pairing is bound to have some very positive as well as some very negative repercussions, which is why I thought it'd be best to leave the answer to fate. And by fate, I, of course, mean my go-to pro/con list.
PRO: It Could Further Empower Cookie
As strong, independent, and flawless as Cookie is, she does have one very big weakness: Lucious. Even amid all the lies, cheating, years of abandonment, she can't stop loving him. And while I too secretly find myself rooting for these two, there's also a small part of me that wants to see Cookie branch out from the clutches of her ex-husband's grasp and find a man who can fully appreciate just how incredible she is.
CON: It Could Cause A Huge Family Divide
Cookie has just started making significant progress in her relationship with Hakeem. Getting together with another man could potentially ruin all of that, especially if Lucious pitches a fit (which we all know he will). Hakeem would side with his father, Jamal would side with his mother, and we'd be right back to where we started at the beginning of the season. Granted, a big part of what makes this series so amazing is its penchant for family drama, but after seeing them all unite so strongly together throughout these last few episodes, it makes me less willing to see it all crumble.
PRO: It'd Be Off-The-Charts Hot
These are two very attractive people we're talking about, so to see them give into the inhibitions is undoubtedly going to be sexy as hell. Warning: cold showers may be necessary by the end of the episode.
CON: It Could Ruin Cookie & Lucious' Chances
Like a true Lyon (or lion), Lucious will go to extreme lengths to protect his pride. So if he loses Cookie to another man, even for a brief moment in time, that could be enough to make him no longer invested in their relationship. Is it extremely unfair? Absolutely. The worst kind of double standard, in fact. But it could be enough to terminate this pairing for good. Though, if that ends up being the case, I'd say it's most definitely his loss.
PRO: There'd Be Some Top Notch Pillow Talk
"Take these cookies!" is the new "I love you," after all.
CON: Malcolm Could Get Fired
Chances are, dating your boss's ex-wife was not initially in Malcolm's job description, which means he could be facing some serious trouble if Lucious finds out. And I'd much rather keep him on this show for as long as possible. So if this is really going to happen for an extended period of time, let's make it stealthy, people!
Clearly, I'm a bit on the fence regarding how this should all play out, but either way it's bound to bring an extra level of intrigue to the storyline as we head closer into the season finale. Prepare yourselves accordingly.
Images: Chuck Hodes/FOX; devereauxpoi (4), dailyempire-gifs (2)/Tumblr
