Empire is back and better than ever.

Empire Season 2 Episode 11 picked up exactly were we left off four months ago, and it threw us straight back into the deep end of all the drama.

Lucious proved that he's still willing to turn to a life of crime to get further, and it's actually pretty sad.

Rather than taking everything out on the board members and Hakeem, he should have been focusing his efforts right on Mimi and Camilla.

Empire Season 2 Episode 11 Photos

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Let's face it, this plan to take over the company has been in the works for quite some time. Camilla even said she's been planning it since Lucious ousted her a year ago. It's kind of a tale of revenge, and Lucious totally deserves it.

Whenever Lucious regains power, he'll probably change his ways somewhat. If he doesn't, then he's a fool. It's intriguing to see him like this. For the most part, he's only cared about himself and the company. He can cut people out of his life very easily, so it was obvious that this was going to make for some stellar television.

It gave Terrence Howard the chance to shine brighter in his role than he's done before. That's not to say he's turned in a weak performance before. He's merely upped his game for this new layer to his character.

Former CEO. This is a little pathetic, don't you think Lucious.
Camilla

Permalink: Former CEO. This is a little pathetic, don't you think Lucious.

A key scene that highlighted this was the throwback to Empire Season 1 Episode 1, when Lucious took Bunkie out of the equation.

Only this time, it was Hakeem at the other end of the gun. I totally bought the way Lucious gave Hakeem the gun to take him out, but it illustrated the stark contrast between the father and son.

Hakeem doesn't need to turn to a crook to sway people to his thinking, and that made the scene all the more powerful.

For now, it seems like Lucious will be slumming it at Lyon Dynasty at least until he can get his foot back in the doors of Empire, but look for him to push Lyon Dynasty up there with Empire. He's a great business man. It's just a shame he lets jealousy blind the way for himself.

Cookie was on top form with her zingers. She can turn any scene into a hilarious one. Just look at the one in which she attacked Hakeem. One thing Cookie has is loyalty, and that's why she wanted to make her son aware of just how much damage betraying your family can do.

Well you can't have Hakeem, bitch.
Cookie

Permalink: Well you can't have Hakeem, bitch.

Other than that, the scene with Rhonda at the bottom of the stairs was just heartbreaking. She's came off as an ice queen a bit too much throughout the show's run, so this scene was a key one for her character.

How will Andre react to her not believing in God? Will he follow suit, or will he maintain that everything happens for a reason? That's one of the more pressing questions that will probably be answered this season.

Oh, God. Please save the baby. I don't care what happens to me. Just please save my baby.
Rhonda

Permalink: Oh, God. Please save the baby. I don't care what happens to me. Just please save my baby.

I don't know why, but I'm getting the feeling that Anika wasn't the one who pushed her down those stairs. It seems like they're trying a bit too hard to make it look like Anika, and it's going to be someone else. We know that it's a woman just based on the shoes the attacker was wearing.

This storyline could end up being the key to getting rid of Camilla. If she did it, then she went way too far. She got the company and all, but given that this show loves to throw crazy twists at us, I wouldn't be surprised if it was her.

"Death Will Have His Way" was a solid return for this sophomore drama. There's a lot at stake this time round which will no doubt elevate the characters to do some crazy things. Empire is the best soap on all of TV.

Other tidbits from the episode:

Jamal was kind of left on the side line this week, but I loved how straight to the point he was to Jamieson. The accompanying music performance was a marvel.
Is this the end for Menage a Trois? Hopefully not because their music is actually pretty catchy.
Lauren was a fool for taking Hakeem back. Camilla won't let him go without a fight!

What did you think of the episode? Which part was your favorite? How do you think the rest of the season is going to play out? Chat with me in the comments!

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