Welcome to the Leviticus Las Vegas opening! Giuliana and Lucious are running the show and getting really close with Charlotte. Where the heck is Cookie? Why is she not a part of this? Cookie shows up with Carol and Candace in tow looking all kinds of fierce. She causes a scene at the casino, attracting the attention of Lucious and Giuliana. They have Cookie thrown out!
Flashing back to two weeks earlier, Lucious is beginning to choose Giuliana over his family every which way. Even though Hakeem needs him during his crisis with Bella, Lucious really wants that gaming license. Giuliana is also wielding her power now more than ever. She tells Lucious that she doesn’t trust Thirsty, so Lucious fires him! WTF?! Thirsty is the best.
Lucious hires a new PR guy who wants Jamal and Cookie to hold off releasing When Cookie Met Lucious because of Inferno. Lucious doesn’t want the two albums competing against each other. This doesn’t sit well with Cookie and Jamal, especially when Cookie finds out that Giuliana recommended this PR guy. Well, things just get worse. Lucious reveals to Cookie that she’s banned from the club in Vegas!
The next day, Cookie runs into Thirsty at Empire. He’s definitely upset over being fired, but Cookie invites him to a meeting with the rest of Team Cookie. Cookie knows Thirsty’s too good to let go. At the meeting, Andre and Shine start fighting right off the bat. Cookie tries to rally them together to take down Giuliana. Shine and his boys take off because of Andre, while Hakeem and Jamal don’t want to get too involved. Andre ends up leaving, too. Thirsty’s the only one who sticks around.
The Great Plan
Meanwhile, Nessa has been flipping out that her recording budget has been cut. Tiana’s hair and makeup budget has also been cut. Becky explains that everything that doesn’t have to deal with Vegas has been cut. Now that’s just dirty. Nessa and Tiana are flawless queens!
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Lucious brings Tariq back into the picture. Lucious needs his brother’s help with Bella. He’s willing to give Tariq whatever he wants. They end up putting their differences aside and working together for the first time in their lives.
Thirsty brings in Candace, Kevin, Carol, Becky, and more to help Cookie devise a plan to take down Giuliana. They need to get their hands on G’s ledgers that she keeps in her office. They’ll need to do this by sneaking into the casino and cracking the safe, which Thirsty says is Becky’s job!
All three sisters walk in together like we saw earlier in the episode. Everyone is working together seamlessly. Kevin goes on a tour of the vault with Giuliana and gets the code for Becky. Andre shows up to warn Lucious, but it’s too late. The plan is already in motion. He also gets his flirt on with Charlotte.
Carol To The Rescue
Carol’s part of the plan is seducing one of the guards by the door to the vault goes south. Thankfully, the guard is into Becky. The plan reverses, with Carol having to crack the safe while Becky distracts the guard. Considering how dangerous Giuliana is, Carol is scared. She makes it in and finds the safe behind the painting. Carol begins to get really nervous, but Cookie’s pep talk gives her the courage she needs. They lose Carol’s video feed, but she walks in the trailer where everyone else is hiding out holding the ledgers! Team work makes the dream work!
Cookie goes straight to Charlotte with the ledgers. Lucious walks into the room and dumps a bag full of cash on the table. He’s been paying Charlotte off! But that’s the only secret she’s been hiding. She’s also be working with Andre, and their relationship is more than just friendly.
Things just get worse for Cookie. Jamal agrees to hold off releasing When Cookie Met Lucious because he’s going to join Lucious’ show in Vegas. Hakeem and Jamal gang up on her, but Lucious defends her. She’s dealing with a lot right now, and she just lost a major battle.
Tariq finds Bella at the DuBois house. He goes to Lucious’ place and is just about to tell him where Bella is when Leah comes up from behind him and stabs him in the neck! Lucious is forced to watch Tariq bleed out on the floor, his only change at finding Bella gone. RIP, Tariq.
Cookie drowns her sorrows alongside Andre at her place, but he stresses the war is not over. He reveals that Charlotte has no loyalty towards Lucious. She’s dead set on keeping the thug element out of Vegas. If anything goes off the rails, she will get rid of Inferno immediately. Cookie is impressed with her oldest son big time. The next stage of Operation Take Down Giuliana is just about to begin!
HollywoodLifers, what did you think of tonight’s episode of Empire? Let us know!