Empire Season 2 Episode 12 Review: A Rose by Any Other Name
Paul Dailly
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What a way to end an episode!
On Empire Season 2 Episode 12, Camilla pressed on with her plan to get rid of Mimi, but did anyone really expect it to end in murder?
I knew she was into Hakeem and all, but I wasn't too sure whether her loyalties lay with Mimi more than him, so it was thrilling to see it play out like this.
We now have confirmation that he's her favorite and that she envisions the two of them being King and Queen of Empire, but is it too late for her now?
It certainly seems so. It was obvious that Lucious wasn't shooting her otherwise that would mean the previews for the episode spoiled this development. Did she really take the cyanide, or did she find a way to make it look that way?
Either way, I think we'll be seeing Camilla again, but this time she'll be going after the whole family and not only Lucious. There's also a huge possibility that Mimi somehow survives. That seems unlikely considering we never got to see the actress, so it makes me think schedules didn't align to bring her back.
Hakeem has now proven his loyalty to his family, but his ego has gotten bigger in the process. He's turning into the Hakeem of Empire Season 1, and that's not a good thing. The character developed so much this season that it would suck if it was all thrown away now.
Your father is a tampon. We already knew that.
Cookie
He has a good thing going with Lauren, but how will she react when she finds out what's been going on with Camilla? Does she even know any of it? That's not really been addressed yet, but she's probably not going to be too happy if that sex tape leaks.
Tiana's days at Empire may be numbered. She seems to always be getting the short end of the stick and it isn't really fair. She can be a great star, but neither Empire or Lyon Dynasty are doing her any favors.
It would be best for her to move to a rival company and get the recognition she deserves. She's never going to get it at Empire... even if the tour goes ahead.
Is anyone else loving how involved Rhonda is in these new episodes? Previously, she's been relegated to the side lines and her sole purpose has been to complain about things. It's horrible what happened to her, but it's paved the way to give the character a lot more screen time.
It sucks for Andre that his battle is getting worse. He just doesn't have any trust in his wife and that's through no fault of his own. He's spiraling and I fear that it's going to be too late for him to pick up the pieces.
There are only so many times that Rhonda's going to be able to handle the allegations he's throwing her way. Hopefully she realizes that it's his illness talking and not him.
Andre I don't care if your crazy gotta build her a rocket to the moon.
Cookie
Remember when Jamal was Lucious' favorite? Don't expect that to continue. Jamal is officially done with Lucious after the stunts he keeps pulling in order to win that damn ASA award. You'd think that after everything the family has been through, he'd be more inclined to let his son win it.
"A Rose by Any Other Name" was another solid episode of this sophomore drama. The stage is set for a thrilling Empire Season 2 Episode 13, and the drama doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Can Porsha and Carol have more scenes together? The two of them were hilarious when they crashed that boardroom meeting.
- That's two weeks in a row the music has been great. It's making up for the lack of decent songs in the first half of the season.
- Cookie's comment to Thirsty was on point. She needed to say it, and it was hilarious!
What did you think of the episode? Who's dead? How do you think the drama is going to play out over the next few weeks? Hit the comments below with your take on it!
Remember you can watch Empire online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up with all the family drama now!
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
