‘Empire’ Season 5, Episode 3 ‘Pride’ Recap: Building From the Ruins

After last week’s drama and action-packed episode, FOX’s Empire tone things down for this week’s serving. Season 5, episode 3, titled “Pride” puts the Lyon family struggling to get back up on their feet after losing Empire. New company CEO Kingsley (A.Z. Kelsey) tries his best to get between Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie Lyon’s (Taraji P. Henson) plans in building a new label. Along the way, Kingsley decides to forge an allegiance with one of the Lyons’ most formidable foes. Meanwhile, Hakeem (Bryshere ‘Yazz’ Gray) and Jamal (Jussie Smollett) try to sort through their own issues—Keem with his ability to rap and Jamal with his boyfriend Kai (Toby Onwumere). Andre (Trai Byers), on the other hand, orchestrates a power play in prison, setting his homecoming back for a few days.

He Ain’t Coming Home Yet

Hakeem wakes up from a dream/nightmare about himself rapping again. Cookie yells after him and tells him to come downstairs are they’re going to surprise Andre when he gets home from jail. Jamal is also present. Lucious calls Cookie and informs them that Andre’s release was set back to a couple of days because of the fight he did in the last episode. Lucious comes home to tell them that they’re going to have to spend the time waiting for Andre’s homecoming by building up their new family label. Lucious also has Jamal, and Hakeem read through their Empire contracts so they can leave the label without a lawsuit. He also tells his sons that they’ve found an office space that could serve as their new headquarters (of course, after potential investors back Lucious’ proposal).

Back in prison, Andre is in solitary confinement. Gusto (Al’ Jaleel McGhee), the domineering inmate who’s been harassing Quincy (Skylan Brooks), taunts him. Andre then remembers the time Gusto tried to make him his bitch, but Andre fought back. He also expresses concern to Quincy, who’s reading “The Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith. Clearly, Quincy does not belong in jail.

The Making of Empire 2.0

Cookie asks her sisters Candace (Vivica A. Fox) and Carol (Tasha Smith), as well as her former assistant Porsha (Ta’Rhonda Jones) if they’d like to work at their new label for free since it’s a family business. The three agree after much prodding from Cookie (and a little bit of sugarcoating to Porsha, who will be the new label’s “head of A&R.”)

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Lucious then brings the investors to the would-be location if their new office once they give him the amount that he needs. Lucious promises to triple their investment in three years, but the sudden change in their disposition catches Lucious’ attention. After much thought, the head investor tells Lucious that they can’t be associated with Andre anymore, especially that he’s now a known felon. “This is the part where you take my deal or leave it,” Lucious aggressively says. The investors then file out, putting Lucious back to square one.

Back at the Lyon mansion, Cookie gets the news from Lucious. This bothers her, more so because she’s throwing an event to introduce their new family label to prospective investors. Candace then reminds her that Cookie has a contingency plan in mind back when Juliana was snaking her way into Lucious’ arms. Apparently, Cookie bought a loft for herself, just in case things with Lucious got wiry. Candace convinces Cookie to sell it for funds.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Lucious goes to Thirsty (Andre Royo) for help in bringing in some investor clients of his. Initially, it shocks Thirsty because Lucious went off the grid for a year and never contacted his right-hand man since then. And now this? Thankfully, Thirsty’s loyalty to the Lyons precedes him.

With things already in place, Lucious confronts Kingsley at Empire. He knew that Kingsley stood between the investors so Lucious couldn’t get the office space. It turns out that Kingsley bought the place to turn it into another studio for Empire. Lucious threatens him and leaves. Again, Cookie hears of the news and is devastated. Now they don’t have a place to set up shop. Cookie asks Candace if her loft can be used for the event, but it’s not zoned for commercial use. The three sisters run out of ideas just as Lucious arrives. He then decides to put up their new label in their home. Since this is going to be a family venture, what better way than to set it all up in their living room and host the event there as well?

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Jamal and Hakeem Take The Music Back

The two Lyon brothers need to get their act together for the new Lyon label to work. After reading the clauses in their Empire contracts, they tell Kingsley that they won’t be a part of Empire after fulfilling their requirements. Kingsley tries to taunt them, sending Hakeem in an aggressive fit. He walks out as Kingsley reminds Jamal that until he puts out a new album, all of Jamal’s music is his. Back at Jamal’s flat, Kai tells him that he needs to go to Lagos to cover a news story with Bryson, whom Jamal is jealous of.

Hakeem then shows Jamal the rap verses he’s written after all the dreams he’d had. He asks for Jamal’s help to bring back his ability to rap again. During their rehearsal, Hakeem loses his breath. His lungs couldn’t support his rap style. Hakeem walks out and heads back to the Lyon mansion in frustration.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Hakeem then calls up Blake (Chet Hanks) and gives him some of the verses he’s written. He asks Blake if he could sing one of them, which Blake then promises to deliver. “I’ll do your words justice, bruh, I promise,” Blake says. Back at Jamal’s place, Kai calls him up. The conversation goes well until Jamal mentions Bryson’s name. Kai loses it and says that he’s tired of letting Jamal dictate the path of his career. Jamal then slams the laptop shut.

With Hakeem’s head now cooler, he returns to Jamal, who tells him to write his verses in a way that gives him more room to breathe. Hakeem tries it out with their song “Same Time,” and it jives well with Hakeem’s pace.

An Effective Sales Pitch

That night, Cookie and Lucious throw the welcome party for their prospective investors. Thirsty brought in his biggest clients with a potential to generate money for the Lyons’ new label. Becky (Gabourey Sibide) also arrives to support the Lyon family. One investor, however, didn’t expect to fund something that would start from one’s living room. Despite Lucious’ explanation about how Empire started in their living room, the investor has none of it—but not until Cookie shuts her down and tells her to sit her ass down.

Jamal and Hakeem then go center stage to give them a taste of what the Lyons’ music still sounds like. Cookie and Lucious were a bit concerned about Hakeem’s lungs, but Jamal assures them. True enough, the Lyon brothers hit the right notes and verses, impressing the investors.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

After the party, Lucious gloats and puts the glory on himself, saying that he did all of this. A concerned Cookie looks on and reminds Lucious that they did this. When Becky comes to say goodbye, Lucious asks when she’s resigning from Empire, something that Becky never wanted to do. When Lucious goes on a tirade about loyalty and how he made Becky’s career, she walks out as Cookie overhears their argument.

Re-evaluation

The next day, Cookie mulls over her loft and asks Candace to take it off the market. Something about how Lucious was last night bothered her deeply. Her sisters, though, knows that something’s up with Cookie. Meanwhile, Jamal plays “Same Time” to Kingsley, who’s impressed at the song’s quality. Then Jamal drops the bomb—the track has to pay all the royalties to Lucious because it uses samples from his music. And since Jamal’s contract allows him to have full creative control over his songs, Kingsley can’t do anything about it. When Jamal leaves, Kingsley asks his secretary to arrange a meeting for him at the prison.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Later, Kai calls up Jamal via video to apologize. He had some students perform “You’re So Beautiful” and tells Jamal that he’ll be home in a week. Meanwhile, Blake seems to be warming up to Tiana (Serayah Gray) as he looks after her kids Prince and Bella. Tiana invites him for dinner after complimenting Blake’s “writing” (which was actually Hakeem’s).

Andre Hatches His Plan

Elsewhere in the episode, Andre maintains his composure while in solitary confinement. Brief flashes of his memories with Quincy take over him. Andre has something special in mind for Quincy. He’s a smart kid, so he offers him a book about business. That’s when Quincy reveals that he was only jailed because he fit the description of someone who committed a crime. Andre also sees Quincy’s mom during the prison visit, which makes him care more for the boy.

A day before Andre’s release from solitary confinement, he has one of his boys carry out the plan that he whispered to him in the last episode. During break time, Gusto’s men suddenly turn on him and stab him repeatedly. Quincy looks on in shock, while Andre’s man rips off Gusto’s necklace to bring it to Andre. Finally, Andre is freed, and can’t be pinned as a suspect for killing Gusto since he has a solid alibi. Minutes before his release, Quincy’s mom, Teri (Meta Golding), visits Andre to thank him while implying something sexual by feeling Andre’s hands.

The episode ends with Kingsley’s prison visit where he forges an alliance with the one and only Diana DuBois (Phylicia Rashad).

‘Empire: Pride’ Overall Verdict

Although the drama and action are doubled down on tonight’s episode, it’s still has a pretty solid narrative that sets up many things—what’s up with Cookie’s doubts with Lucious? Where does Andre take this newfound “street” knowledge of his? What’s Quincy’s role in all of this? Finally, what in the actual hell is Kingsley cooking up against the Lyons?

I’ve noticed something that seems a bit weak for the show, though. Kingsley as the main villain feels as if it’s forced. He’s obviously one of the weakest that the Lyons have ever faced. But I might be speaking too soon because Giselle Barker (Nicole Ari Parker) is still around to wreak havoc. Nonetheless, Empire appears to be going full speed ahead, and this is a very promising start.

Empire continues next Wednesday, October 17th, with “Love All, Trust a Few” at 8/7c on FOX. Watch the preview below: