‘Empire’ Season 2 Episode 13 Recap: Hakeem Proposes After Cookie’s Birthday Disaster

Camilla Marks-Whiteman (Naomi Campbell) is really dead. Rhonda Lyon (Kaitlin Doubleday) takes over the creative director position for the Empire fashion while the company “mourns.”

‘Empire’ Season 2 Episode 13 Recap

Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) tells her family the government is calling it a murder suicide and that’s what they are going to leave it as. Lucious (Terrence Howard) is accusing Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) of killing her.

Tiana (Serayah) gets angry with Laura (Jamila Velazquez) and Mirage a Trois for cutting into her set on tour.

Hakeem and Jamal (Jussie Smollett) go to see Freda (Bre-z) but she doesn’t want to be involved. She tells them that Lucious is like a father to her and has done nothing to harm her. Jamal tries to warn her of how quickly he can turn against someone.

Hakeem has to settle girl drama between Tiana and Laura. He makes a stop at one of their tour dates to fix all their issues.

Freda shows up on set of Lucious’ music video to find out that her part is being cut. Instead, she finds Jamal in the studio and they bond over their neglecting fathers. She sings a few bars on Jamal’s song, “Shine On Me.”

Lucious is having a hard time getting authentic scenery for his music video. Cookie tells him that he has to tell the whole truth. He saw his mother commit suicide and was homeless at a young age.

On set, Cookie has to take control of the music video as Lucious freezes when thrown back into his harsh childhood memories.

Cookie is trying so desperately to get her birthday celebration in place but the tension in her family is making it difficult.

“All I wanted was a happy birthday dinner with my family. Can’t do that because you managed to piss off all my sons,” Cookie tells Lucious.

He manages to surprise her with the entire family in the other room. He tells her that they love her more than they hate him.

Cookie shows the family Lucious’ music video to see the truth behind their father’s mysterious past.

Andre (Trai Byers) sees the scene where the character of his grandmother puts a gun to her head and has to pause. He asks whether his grandmother was bipolar.

Lucious says he never knew but was embarrassed of her like he is of Andre.

Hakeem sneaks out of Cookie’s birthday fiasco and goes to see Laura after her show. He gets down on one knee and asks Laura to marry him.

Cookie hears Jamal’s new track and loves it. Freda comes in to rehearse her bars and Cookie hears her mention Frank Gathers. Cookie finds out that Gathers is Freda’s father. Gathers died in jail and Freda doesn’t know who shot him.

Catch the next episode of Empire Wednesday 9/8c on FOX.