Star continues to fill the campy, music-driven drama void left by Empire this winter on Fox with great aplomb.

Is Star as good of a show as Empire? Hell no. Is it absolutely entertaining in all of its ridiculousness? You better believe it.

On Star Season 1 Episode 2, the secret of Alexandra's parents is revealed to everyone else on the show – and thank goodness, because it was so silly of a secret that there's no way they could have sustained keeping it under wraps for another episode.

On the downside, this episode focused primarily on Alexandra, who is by far my least favorite character. I already thought so after Star Season 1 Episode 1, but this episode confirmed my initial opinion: she's just a spoiled brat.

Maybe Alexandra's right when she accuses Star of talking too much about her unfortunate and impoverished upbringing, but at the same time, Alexandra is not nearly grateful enough for the privileged childhood she had.

I've been doing everything I can to make this happen for us and you could've made it happen with a snap of a finger?
Star [to Alexandra]

Permalink: I've been doing everything I can to make this happen for us and you could've made it happen with

Yes, Roland is a cheating cad, and yes, Rose is a bitchy drunk, and yes, neither of those things do good parents make. They're clearly a dysfunctional lot.

But for Alexandra to walk around lying about them – especially telling everyone that one of them is dead – is just as bad of behavior. Clearly, she has inherited all of their awfulness.

Alexandra deserves to be frequently reminded by people like Star and Simone that it's possible to have it a lot worse. Hell, Star's foster parents treated her like an indentured servant, while Simone's foster father was sexually abusing her. To act like having a rich rock star for a dad is just as big of a burden is ridiculous.

Personally, I cannot believe Derek forgave Alexandra so quickly for lying about her mother, especially considering that his mother is, you know, actually dead. That's a pretty hefty lie to tell someone you're sleeping with on the regular, but after one little hissy fit, he blew it off like it was no big deal.

The sex they're having must be hot as hell; otherwise, I don't know why Derek would put up with knowing that about Alexandra. Her lie trivialized the real tragedy Derek has experienced in his life.

Alexandra: Where'd you learn how to do all of that?
Derek: I watch a lot of porn.

Permalink: I watch a lot of porn.

So yeah, I find Alexandra absolutely insufferable. Fortunately, there was one big upside to this episode revolving around her and her parents, and that was the presence of Naomi Campbell, guest-starring as Alexandra's drunk mother, Rose.

Rocking an insane wig and a white fur coat that appears to have been borrowed from Cookie Lyon in Empire Season 3 Episode 9, Rose sashayed into Carlotta's salon and spit insults at everyone within earshot.

Punctuating nearly every phrase she uttered by cooing "dahling" in her deliciously posh British accent, Campbell immediately upstaged everyone else on the show and showed our wannabe pop stars what it means to be a real diva.

You have bad roots, you insolent hussy.
Rose [to Star]

Permalink: You have bad roots, you insolent hussy.

Campbell had an equally campy cameo in Empire as Camilla, Hakeem Lyon's cougar lover. Camilla sought to get revenge on Lucious for splitting up her and Hakeem by seducing his business partner, played by Marisa Tomei.

Everything about this storyline was amazingly nonsensical, including Camilla's untimely demise when Lucious forced her to take poison.

What I've learned from these two shows is that Naomi Campbell – and her wigs – should guest-star in everything. If that means Lee Daniels needs to produce all of the shows on television, then so be it. He;s an overachiever; he can make it happen.

Atlanta is not a good look, darling. I've seen that housewives show. It's trash.
Rose [to Alexandra]

Permalink: I've seen that housewives show. It's trash.

The Walking Dead? I'm pretty sure Negan would quiver enough to drop his bat under Campbell's steely gaze. Game of Thrones? She wouldn't need dragons to conquer Westeros; she is fire on her own. I could go on, but I'll restrain myself. You're welcome.

Jahil: Wait a minute, I thought she said her mother was dead.
Star: She is very much alive. And a bitch.

Permalink: She is very much alive. And a bitch.

So, what happened in "The Devil You Know" that didn't involve Naomi Campbell? Well, Jahil struggled to come up with enough money to bankroll a demo for the girls so they could enter a competition at a music festival.

In the end, Jahil went to Maggie, the grizzled grand dame who runs his favorite strip club, and begged her for a job so that he could earn the cash.

Hunter: You know, he could be right about this one.
Arlene: True. A white girl who can sing R&B, even the mediocre ones go platinum.

Permalink: A white girl who can sing R&B, even the mediocre ones go platinum.

Turns out, said job is as a cocaine courier. This feels like all kinds of wrong, especially since Jahil loves cocaine so much that I'm not sure how he'll manage to deliver it without snorting it all himself.

Carlotta is definitely right to not want Jahil near the girls; he's just another toxic father figure in their lives, and that's the last thing they need. But, they also need someone who can guide them into the music business, and right now, Jahil is the only one desperate enough to take a chance on them.

Speaking of Carlotta: she confided her worries about the girls, and her reluctance to tell them the whole story about her history with Jahil, to her minister. Said minister is played by Tyrese Gibson, and he is apparently in love with Carlotta. No wonder she spends so much time at church!

After Carlotta convinced Simone to sing her heart out at church, Simone collapsed as the result of a cocktail of whiskey and pills that she took in order to submerge her horrifying memories of her foster father. I don't blame her for wanting to numb that pain.

I promised their mother I'd take care of them. They have no idea the ride with the devil they're about to get on.
Carlotta

Permalink: They have no idea the ride with the devil they're about to get on.

I can't imagine that the show would kill off one-third of its trio of heroines by the end of episode two, so something tells me that Simone will recover. (Takes a bit of the dramatic weight out of the event, doesn't it?)

But, when she does recover, will Simone be strong enough to inevitably have to face her evil foster father again? Maybe someone else will try to kill him again first so she won't have to see him alive again. I hope so. But I'm not counting on it.

Roland: You sure you don't got any black in you, Star? Your mama put a big burden on you.
Star: I can handle it.

Permalink: Your mama put a big burden on you.

So, what did you think of "The Devil You Know"? Should Carlotta summon the strength to tell Star and Simone the truth about what happened between her, their mother and Jahil sooner rather than later?

Will Jahil regret becoming Maggie's drug courier in order to earn money to record the demo? Should Star be more worried about being arrested for (attempted) murder? (Well, I think we all know the answer to that question...)

Remember, you can watch Star online via TV Fanatic.