Cookie and Lucious are still trying to figure out what the path ahead looks like for them. He wants to know what she wants them to be, and he’ll happily follow along. She wants them both to acknowledge that they’ve done wrong in the past and try to do better going forward. Jamal is still dealing with the aftermath of his breakup with Kai. He’s dedicating himself to his music to take away some of the pain.
Andre is headed back to work — at Empire! — after his terrifying health scare. Terry got him a briefcase in honor of his first day. He gets a call back about his test results, and the doctor says it was only a burst blood vessel that caused the nosebleed. Whew!
During the first staff meeting back at Empire, Lucious decides to make a scene and smash a computer. He wants to forget about the analytics and the numbers. Cookie has to step in and really elaborate on the new and improved Empire. Cookie and Lucious are the new co-CEOs, Giselle is the COO, Andre is the CFO, Jamal is the head of music and development, Hakeem is the new creative director, and Becky remains the SVP of A&R. Talk about a lineup. Treasure, the talent Lucious and Cookie discovered earlier in the season, crosses paths with them again. It’s tense, to say the least. Lucious and Cookie are still pissed that she bailed on them for Kingsley. Lucious tells her that she can stay at Empire, but only if she makes money.
Devon’s having some trouble making the shift to Empire because of the label company he’s signed to, and Andre offers to help. Andre tries to pay the label guy off, but he doesn’t go for it. You can see the rage in Andre’s eyes. He returns later and threatens the guy with his samurai sword and salacious information about escorts. The guy agrees to sign Devon over to Empire.
The fight to get Empire back on track is going to be a long one. Kingsley made some really bad investments during his tenure. Andre reveals that Empire is a financial mess and it’s going to take 5 years to fix. Meanwhile, Jamal is working on a new song and needs a strong female vocalist. When Tiana hears about it, she’s totally down, but Treasure shows interest, too.
Lucious needs money and needs Damon Cross’s help. He asks Thirsty to set up a meeting, even though Thirsty warns him not to get involved with Damon. Thirsty brings Damon to Leviticus and Cookie’s there. Lucious needs the Empire money Eddie embezzled in Panama. Someone from Empire has to go down there to plead their case, and Cookie ends up going with Damon.
At a major NYFW event for Empire, Treasure tries to steal Tiana’s thunder. Tiana brings up the fact that Treasure tried to steal her duet with Jamal. They start to fight on the red carpet and nearly come to blows. Thankfully, Becky breaks it up. Later, Becky and Giselle sit Tiana down. Her fight with Treasure is going to cost a lot of money to fix. They bring in Treasure as well to explain the situation. Jamal comes in and sets the girls straight. He’s taking his vocal off the song and the girls will be recording it together.
Lucious learns that his mother’s bill is long overdue and she requires double the staff to handle the tantrums. When he finally talks to his crazy mother, she reveals that Kingsley came to see her. She tries to tear Lucious down, but he’s done with her games. He became a monster because she made him that way.
Cookie and Damon really fight for Eddie’s money in Panama. But Damon’s got ulterior motives. He wants MORE with Cookie. Lucious better watch it. Dr. Miller calls Andre back and wants to see him again. Apparently, some of his lab results were missing! Assistant U.S. attorney Megan Conway grabs Thirsty to talk about Damon Cross. Thirsty plays dumb, but she’s not buying it. She tells Thirsty that he has to choose between Lucious and Damon to save himself. When Cookie returns from Panama, Lucious reveals his next big idea. He wants to turn a crack house into a rehab center for teens. He’s ready to make things right and wants to re-tell their story together. The episode ends with Cookie and Lucious making love.