For the 100th episode, that was not good.
Empire Season 6 Episode 16 brought Andre’s battle with his other personality to an end, and I only wish it were more satisfying.
Kingsley taking over Andre’s body has been one of the most abysmal storylines to grace the screen, but it was finally headed in an interesting direction after Empire Season 6 Episode 15.
I can appreciate the way the writers wanted to use the “Lean on Me” song again because it has been highlighted before how it helped the eldest Lyon son, through his battle with his mental health.
But it felt like it got wrapped too quickly. Andre being put into a psych ward, and to cross paths with his devious grandmother was not surprising.
The moment he walked into the place, it was obvious Leah was going to appear to stir the pot further. And while she’s been a horrible character in the past, I did not expect her to be the one to give Andre the drive to fight off Kingsley.
Andre was hurting because he was battling with this other personality that was intent on causing death and destruction. It made for a difficult watch, but there are some things that frustrated me to no end.
Becky: Okay, right. This is one of the tracks that you’re going to deliver to me by the end of the day?
Porsha: Depends.
Becky: I actually wasn’t asking you, I want them by the end of the day.
The way Andre escaped the hospital would not happen in real life. The security in those types of wards is high because they are there to protect people who are struggling.
The very notion that Andre managed to swipe a key card and escape is simply laughable. That would not happen, and I’m sure the writers could have come up with something more believable.
Then, the way Andre managed to get Quincey’s location would not happen so easily, but the biggest thing that irked me was that we are supposed to believe Teri left the safehouse door unlocked.
Indeed, Quincey was out doing something, but the place would have been under lock and key, given the current events. Fortunately, Teri survived her deadly encounter with Andre, but something tells me the image of him trying to do harm to her and Walker will forever change her view on the man she once loved.
Sure, he has been battling his demons, but Teri is not going to be able to forget that in a hurry. It’s looking more likely than ever that Andre will end the series alone.
But at least we have solace in knowing that one woman who was in a relationship with Andre survived. Remember Anika and Rhonda? They were not so lucky.
Andre literally attempting to drown the other personality in his head was quite the scene, but let’s hope this storyline truly is over because it felt like a lame way of copying one of the greatest aspects of Mr. Robot.
Hakeem and Maya getting married in Vegas came out of the left field, but it was a fun direction to take things. Maya has proven to be an opportunist throughout her run on the series, so there’s a good chance she was perfectly lucid for the nuptials.
You gotta go, set things straight. Go see her.
Kingsley
A lot of pull comes with having the Lyon name, and that’s why she will continue to try to refuse the annulment for as long as she possibly can.
The reaction from everyone was comical, especially Tiana, aka the woman who has played with Hakeem’s heart for the better part of two seasons.
If she eloped with Devon, she would have acted like it was none of Hakeem’s business, so I was happy it was him to make the dumb decision this time.
Cookie was struggling to process the pain she was feeling from what happened to Andre, and did not feel like she could deal with the marriage.
Meeting with her therapist gave her some food for thought, but I would have appreciated the obligatory “what if Lucious went to prison instead?” plot being used in an earlier season.
Cookie harbors a lot of guilt from leaving her sons for 17 years, but there are so many variables that she would never truly know what would have happened if the roles were reversed.
The good thing is that she pushed herself to forgive her sisters. Deep down, they wanted Cookie to be free because they didn’t think she deserved prison.
Did they make a mistake? Yes, but they thought it was worth the risk to save their sister.
It finally feels like the storylines are going somewhere, but the dumb decision from Fox to cancel the planned series finale makes it difficult to care for what’s to come.
It’s not the right way to treat a show that was once the network’s flagship and is a slap in the face to the cast, crew, and fans.
I get that it would have cost money to bring the show back for a two-hour farewell next season, promoting it as the finale would have probably allowed the network to drum up some more interest.
Okay, TV Fanatics.
What did you think of the 100th episode? Are you mad about the way some of the storylines are wrapping up?
Hit the comments below.
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Empire continues Tuesdays at 9/8c.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.