Empire Season 5 Episode 15 Review: A Wise Father That Knows His Own Child
Paul Dailly
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That was a dull episode for the most part.
Empire Season 5 Episode 15 brought Kingsley back into the fold. On paper, it should have been an intriguing aspect to have Lucious extend the olive branch to his son.
The execution of it was rather ludicrous. It was clear from the get-go that Tracy was calling the shots and lying about her condition to reel Kingsley in.
When Lucious visited her, she was sitting reading magazines on the sofa. But when her son visited her, she was in the hospital bed, complaining that she was in pain and that Lucious was a bad man.
If you watch Empire online, you know Lucious is a bad man. There's no getting away from that, but Tracy has maintained that Lucious was taking drugs with her, and that's what got her hooked on them.
Additionally, Tracy can't stop saying that Lucious knew about Kingsley the entire time. Lucious has always been a family man, despite his flaws, and that's what ultimately allowed Kingsley to realize he was being played by his mother.
Cookie: We might lose Andre, Lucious.
Lucious: No, don't you say that, Cookie.
Kingsley's decision to ditch the FBI investigation into his father was a pivotal moment. It proved that he was open to moving on from everything he's done, and forge a bond with his father and his half-brothers.
The dinner was very awkward, and I half-expected Cookie to send Kingsley packing. That being said, Cookie needed to find a way to move on from it.
Any way you look at it, Kingsley might have done some terrible things, but the entire Lyon family has. Lucious was adamant about moving on, and despite her snarky comments, I think Cookie was happy to have one of her enemies playing nice with her.
Kingsley is no longer a threat to the family, but he's a Lyon, and that doesn't bode well for the future. There's a Lyon in a casket by the conclusion of Empire Season 5, and it's looking increasingly likely that Kingsley will be the one to die.
Andre's condition is improving, and he's getting to the stage that his Stage IV Lymphoma cancer could be gone in a matter of weeks.
It's incredible how TV makes something like cancer seem so easy to get rid of, but there was a mini time-jump between Empire Season 5 Episode 14 and Empire Season 5 Episode 15.
Related: Empire: Jussie Smollett Cut from Season's Final Two Episodes
There are rumors swirling that Trai Byers wants out of the series, but they are just rumors. If they are to be believed Andre could be about to get some good news and some bad news in the weeks following it.
It would be cruel, but it wouldn't be a surprise.
This is a recording device, you're going to have the satisfaction of knowing you're the one who took down Lucious Lyon.
FBI Agent
There could be another new Lyon entering the family. Kai and Jamal are pressing full steam ahead on their marriage, and it's been a long time coming.
It will depend on whether Kai wants to go with a double-barreled name, his current name, or the Lyon name completely, but it's possible that he could be the one in the caskett.
I find it hard to believe Cookie, Lucious, Jamal, Andre, or Hakeem will be dead by the end of the season. Yes, there's been a lot of back and forth with the Jussie Smollett off-screen drama, but it sounds like he's returning for Season 6, assuming it gets an official order.
There are a lot of possibilities, but with three episodes left, we need some clarity on what's about to go down.
Cookie was really grating on my nerves throughout "A Wise Father That Knows His Child." She needs to pick which man she wants to be with and stick to her decision.
Did I ever tell you about the first time that you got really sick? Me and your mother, we had just started getting over the loss of our first child, and you had this cough. We didn't know what it was. We were calling all these emergency rooms and this one nurse, she got on the phone and she said that you need to wrap the boy up.
Lucious
Showing up at Damon's apartment for some fine dining with the man her husband despises is a recipe for disaster. Cookie likes the idea of a fresh start with a new man, but she can't bring herself to think about anyone else intimately.
She's always been fascinated by Lucious and what he's doing, and given that she managed to stop herself from having sex with Damon on Empire Season 5 Episode 13, it's unlikely she's going to give into Damon's advances any time soon.
Related: TV Ratings Report: Empire Hits New Low
Maybe Lucious murdering Treasure's manager will pop back up, and that could be the thing that makes her realize it's time to move on. Until then, she needs to steer clear of Damon.
The FBI is closing in, and all the good press about the Trust Tour is going to turn sour. I'm not sure the company is going to be able to bounce back from another scandal.
I know the show is called Empire, but it's looking increasingly likely that the sixth season is going to be a clean break for the series, and that could be a good thing.
Lyon Family Management forced the family to work together, and that was one of the highlights of the earlier episodes of Empire Season 5.
Okay, Empire Fanatics!
What are your thoughts on the way the action played out? Are you board for Kingsley's redemption arc?
Who could be taking a dirt nap before the season concludes?
Hit the comments below.
Empire continues Wednesdays at 8/7c.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
