“Empire” Recap: “More Than Kin”

(Fox)

On Wednesday’s “Empire,” Lucious campaigned to become CEO of Empire Entertainment again, while Hakeem faced fatherhood. Here are the most important things to know about “More Than Kin,” the 15th episode of season 2.

The show began with Hakeem partying with strippers and ignoring Laura’s calls. At an Empire-hosted event for the ASAs, tensions rose between the competing Lucious and Jamal. While Cookie was behind Lucious trying to save the company by returning as CEO, she was clearly jealous by his growing connection with Harper. Jamal and Andre assumed their mom was starting to feel something for him again.

Andre came up with the idea of impressing the stockholders by holding a fundraiser with the National Alliance for Bipolar Disorder, with him going public and being the spokesperson. He and Cookie hoped it would help Lucious’ image by showing he has “family values.” Andre was really on board, though, because he and Rhonda wanted him to get back as Lucious’ “number two” since he was on the outs with Jamal and Hakeem.

Laura tracked Hakeem down at the strip club, and he dropped the bomb: “I got Anika pregnant.” She slapped him and stormed out. He later revealed to Anika that he baby-proofed his home, and she told him how Lucious threatened her. He confronted his dad, who of course denied it. Hakeem then warned his father, “If Anika leaves, you won’t see the baby or me again.”

Cookie vowed to handle “Boo Boo Kitty,” but when she went to Anika’s apartment, she found her being put into an ambulance. Cookie comforted her as she had a panic attack during transport, at the same time as Lucious shut down Leviticus for a private date with Harper. They didn’t waste any time hooking up… and quite aggressively, too… but were interrupted by an urgent call from Cookie. And when an angry Harper called her a “manipulative bitch,” Lucious told her to never say such a thing again.

As Hakeem tried to patch things up with Laura, he ignored his own urgent calls. Though he insisted they could make the situation work, she gave him back the engagement ring. It was only after she left that Hakeem found out why his phone was blowing up. At the hospital, he got a tongue-lashing from Anika’s mother, leading Cookie to come to his defense.

When Lucious arrived, Hakeem confronted him about making Anika’s father commit fraud. Lucious vowed he would change his ways and be the father and grandfather the family needs. After, he told Cookie that Harper “just didn’t do it for me,” and the two flirted about their past and present. She suggested they scoop Harper with a trade profile rushed for the next day, and Lucious was game, saying Harper had “nothing” on hm.

Meanwhile, Jamal’s ex Michael was one of the cater waiters for the fundraiser, apparently marking the first time they saw each other since their cheating-prompted breakup. They ducked out for coffee, with old feelings stirring. While that lifted Jamal’s mood, he was angered all over again when he overheard Lucious downplaying his success at the fundraiser. And though he was there to support Cookie and Andre, he opted to bail.

At the event, Harper called Lucious a “bastard” for ruining her exclusive, and retaliated by giving Andre photos of Lucious mom, Leah, at her group home right before he was supposed to take the stage. When Lucious and Cookie officially started the event with a speech about how they’re a “family brand” in illness and health, Harper yelled out asking where their sons were. Security then escorted her out, and Cookie announced Lucious would perform at the ASAs with both Jamal and Hakeem.

Jamal went back to the coffee house and did a pop-up show, and was touched when Freda came out to support him. Interestingly, while Lucious drove two sons away, he actually helped Hakeem by calling Laura and praising his son for stepping up. That led her to visit him and Anika in the hospital, where she accepted the engagement ring back as Anika lay asleep. Oddly, it was never actually revealed what was wrong with her (unless Gossip Cop missed it).

In the episode’s final minutes, two of the shareholders praised Lucious and Cookie for the fundraiser and their unity, and said they were “unanimous” that the CEO should be… both of them. They would split control “down the middle.” Cookie was hesitant and said she wanted to discuss, but Lucious called it a “fantastic idea.” The exes hugged it out, with Lucious ominously saying, “I got your back.”