EMPIRE: DANGEROUS BONDS (TV)
Summary
One in this musical drama series about the members of the morally grey Lyon family and their struggles for control of the prestigious Empire Entertainment company in New York. In this episode, Tiana and Hakeem's power-couple fame continues to mount, though Tiana is revealed to have a secret girlfriend as well. Lucious proposes to Anika, who happily accepts, though he tells her that they must reveal the news gradually to their disapproving families. Cookie observes that Jamal is "keeping it ghetto" when she visits his rundown studio in the Bronx, and she is then summoned by Agent Carter, who reminds her that she will be testifying privately and keeping a dangerous criminal in prison. Hakeem eagerly declares his intentions to "recreate" himself with his new video for his song "Drip Drop," though Andre observes that it is way over budget. At work, Rhonda catches sight of Tiana and her girlfriend India together and secretly records them, knowing that it can be used to Andre's advantage. Cookie testifies to the grand jury that she saw Frank Gathers himself shooting a man during a drug buy, but she is shocked to learn that the dead man was actually an undercover federal agent, sure that she will now be killed for informing on Gathers for such a serious crime.
Andre decides to make use of Tiana's budget to aid Hakeem's, and Lucious learns that a doctor must sign off on his health before the company can go public. Cookie panics when she finds a red rose, Gathers' signature "logo," on her doorstep, but when Andre suddenly arrives, she agrees to allow Tiana to appear in Hakeem's music video only if she herself is given a seat on the company's board. Hakeem shoots his green-screen video as Jamal records "Keep Your Money," clearly inspired by his conflict with his father, in the Bronx. Tiana arrives on the video set, but Andre tells Rhonda to upload the scandalous video, and everyone soon learns Tiana's secret. When Hakeem reacts with outrage, Tiana points out that he too has a "side piece," Camilla. Andre then sabotages Jamal's session by indirectly sending a few of Hakeem's petty-criminal friends to rob him, though Jamal recognizes the men and guesses that Hakeem sent them out of spite. Cookie tells her sister Carol about Gathers' rose threat, and she is forced to put out several fires at once as Jamal frets that his song is not yet finished because of the violent interruption. Lucious sits down with Anika's doctor father and attempts to convince him to lie for him about his health, and though Dr. Calhoun is at first disgusted by the idea of committing fraud, Lucious points out that Anika will inherit everything upon his premature death.
Cookie recruits a family friend to "make the roses stop," and Jamal quickly brings a new group of musicians into the studio to help complete his song. Lucious offers Hakeem a new perspective on Tiana's girlfriend, and they resume the video shoot as Jamal experiments with new sounds and successfully completes "Keep Your Money." Later, Jamal confronts Hakeem about the robbery, and though confused by the accusation, Hakeem then tells Andre that he must release his own video before Jamal's single. Lucious visits Cookie late at night and thanks her for smoothing things over with Tiana, but when he reminds her that it is their anniversary and hints that he left her a present, she realizes that the rose was not a threat at all. Horrified, she quickly calls her cousin to cancel the hit on Gathers' "man on the outside," but finds that it has already been carried out. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: FOX
- DATE: November 30, 1999 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:41:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 121887
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; LGBTQ+ Collection - Drama; Drama; Families
- SERIES RUN: Fox - TV series, 2015-2020
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Brian Grazer … Executive Producer
- Francie Calfo … Executive Producer
- Ilene Chaiken … Executive Producer
- Danny Strong … Executive Producer, Created by
- Lee Daniels … Executive Producer, Created by, Director
- Wendy Calhoun … Co-Executive Producer
- David Rambo … Co-Executive Producer
- Sanaa Hamri … Co-Executive Producer
- Loucas George … Producer
- Attica Locke … Co-Producer
- Malcolm Spellman … Co-Producer, Writer
- Ashley Contino … Associate Producer
- Timbaland … Executive Music Producer
- Jim Beanz … Music Producer
- Anthony Hamilton … Music Producer
- Jamari Harcum … Music Producer
- John Singleton … Director
- Fil Eisler … Music by
- Terrence Howard … Cast, Lucious Lyon
- Bryshere Y. Gray … Cast, Hakeem Lyon
- Jussie Smollett … Cast, Jamal Lyon
- Trai Byers … Cast, Andre Lyon
- Grace Gealey … Cast, Anika Calhoun
- Malik Yoba … Cast, Vernon Turner
- Kaitlin Doubleday … Cast, Rhonda Lyon
- Taraji P. Henson … Cast, Cookie Lyon
- Tasha Smith … Cast, Carol Hardaway
- Serayah … Cast, Tiana Brown
- Nealla Gordon … Cast, Harlow Carter
- Tim Hopper … Cast, Dr. Steve Calhoun
- DeRay Davis … Cast, Rose Thug
- Shanesia Davis … Cast, Mrs. Calhoun
- Elizabeth Whitson … Cast, India Spring
- Ta'Rhonda Jones … Cast, Porsha
- Jerry MacKinnon … Cast, One Stop
- Tyler Ravelson … Cast, Tay-O
- AzMarie Livingston … Cast, Chicken
- Owais Ahmed … Cast, Arjun
- James T. Alfred … Cast, Tyree
- Aron Lamar … Cast, Raheem
- Chris Love … Cast, Thuggish Musician
- Jim Cantafio … Cast, US Attorney Ippolito
- Kiley Moore … Cast, Hollywood 24 / 7 Reporter
- Mark Spates Smith … Cast, Engineer
- John Carrafa … Cast, Choreographer
- Jeffrey McDancer … Cast, Special Agent Koenig
- Tyrone Ward … Cast, Frank Gathers