The episode picks up right where we left off with Cookie on her mom’s doorstep. Despite their tense past, they try and make amends. They both want to rekindle some kind of mother-daughter relationship. Meanwhile, Thirsty helps Lucious out by taking care of Shine’s body, which is now in a million little pieces.
Andre storms into the Lyon mansion to tell Lucious that Anika is meeting with top board members to reject Eddie’s resignation. Lucious thinks he’s taken care of everything, but Andre notes that they need Shine’s backing on the board to make sure Eddie stays out of Empire. They can’t do anything about a replacement member until Shine is officially declared dead, so Lucious calls up Thirsty to let him know Shine’s body needs to be “found.”
Nessa returns to sing at Shine’s funeral. Lucious makes a powerful speech, while Anika does some networking for Eddie. Andre is weighed down with guilt over Shine and Nessa. Fortunately, the funeral allows Andre and Jamal to make up. At the bar, Becky offers Hakeem a hot movie role with a popular girl from Star Wars. Hakeem says he’s in!
Eddie comes to the funeral unannounced and tries to schmooze Shine’s wife. Lucious wants her to fill the seat on the board at Empire, but Shine had always said he wanted his board seat to be taken by Nessa! Awkward…
While on set, Hakeem’s co-star, Haven, tells him like it is. “I’m not one of your video hoes,” she says. Hakeem struggles with the director, who is racist AF. When Hakeem stands up for himself, the director fires him. Haven is very impressed. In the wake of everything, Andre has been meeting with a psychiatrist. He talks about Anika. “I feel like my hate for her is going to destroy me,” he says. His psychiatrist wants him to forgive her.
Nessa meets with the Lyons to talk about the board seat. Anika has already met with her, but the Lyons aren’t giving up. Andre apologizes upfront for he treated Nessa when they were together. “Don’t make my family suffer for what I did,” he says. Lucious offers Nessa a great deal, but she wants to make sure they’re going to follow through. Lucious gives her the final House Empire showcase spot over Jamal.
Cookie has dinner with her mom and sisters, which doesn’t go that well. Cookie storms out after believing her mom took off globe-trotting while she was in jail. Her mom swears she wants to get to know her daughters now.
At the House Empire showcase, Hakeem brings Haven. He kisses her in the middle of Tiana’s performance, and she is NOT happy about it. In the middle of the gathering, a photo flashes up on the screen of Blake posing with the Confederate flag. He claims his father forced him to take that photo, but no one believes him. This new drama is something the Lyons can’t afford, especially since Eddie is hot on their trail.
Speaking of Eddie, he shows up at the last minute to save the day. Eddie addresses the press, saying that Blake is out at Empire. Lucious walks on stage while Eddie’s talking and grabs him by the shoulders. They make it look like a hug so the press doesn’t go nuts. “This is who you are,” Eddie whispers. “This is all you will ever be.”