‘Empire’ Midseason Finale Recap: Lucious To Lose His Empire?

Last night’s midseason Empire finale (it won’t be back on our screens until March 30) featured plenty of the usual scheming and backstabbing as well as a host of celebrity guest appearances. Alicia Keys, Jason Derulo, Questlove, Charlamagne tha God, Da Brat, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden all featured and Terence Howard‘s Lucious was dealt a serious blow to his empire (get it?), thanks to his very own son.

‘Empire’ Midseason Finale Recap

Marisa Tomei‘s Mimi manages to catch Lucious on tape admitting he doesn’t care about the board of the company which leads to the board calling an emergency election. The result hangs on one vote, Lucious’ son Hakeem, who just publicly renounced his name just last week. Lucious’ offspring delights in the chance to take his father down a peg and swiftly votes against him, leaving Mimi in control of the company.

Meanwhile the American Sound Awards nominations are announced. Jamal gets plenty, while Hakeem is overlooked in the Best Rap Artist category and storms off in a huff. Jamal is forced to explain his sexuality when Lucious catches him canoodling with Skye (Alicia Keys). Lucious immediately assumes he’s not gay anymore so Jamal breaks down the Kinsey scale for him.

Taraji P. Henson again impresses in an emotional scene that involves her visiting her old inmate friends in the prison where she spent almost two decades of her life.

Anika and Andre’s wife, Rhonda bond in the episode, much to Rhonda’s detriment. An unknown attacker pushes her down a flight of stairs and the prospects for mother and child don’t look too good. We wonder who it could be?

We’ll have to wait till March to find out.