On Empire Season 3 Episode 13, Lucious' totally-not-ALS illness made a comeback and kept the Lyon patriarch laid up in bed for the majority of the episode.
Needless to say, the rest of the family seized this prime opportunity to push through projects that Lucious might have otherwise prevented from moving forward.
One such project? Andre's big Vegas deal with Giuliana. After Andre tried to go behind Lucious' back to get the board to agree to the proposal, Lucious called a bedside board meeting and attempted to fire his own son for proposing the idea.
Fortunately for Andre, the financials in his proposal were so attractive to the board that no amount of raspy-voiced rage from Lucious could convince them that Empire entering Vegas was a bad idea.
Clearly, Lucious and Giuliana have a history, and a contentious one at that. But what is Lucious trying to hide?
Those secrets and more are likely to be revealed in "Love is a Smoke", set to air Wednesday, April 26 at 9/8c on Fox. Until then, check out these photos! And if you need to refresh your memory, you can always watch Empire online via TV Fanatic.
1.
Giuliana has Lucious breathing down her back...literally - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Looking at this photo, there's no doubt in my mind now: these two clearly slept together at some point. With Cookie behind bars for seventeen years, Lucious had plenty of time to get into trouble with other women. But apart from the sexy kind, what kind of trouble did he get into with Giuliana? It was clearly enough to inspire a desire for revenge in her and a complete aversion to Vegas in him.
2.
Andre is smoldering - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Seriously, he might be a terrible human being, but he is so fine. No wonder Giuliana is desperate to get him into the sack before she signs off on their deal.
3.
Lucious looking all mild-mannered - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Lucious never looks this peaceful and obliging unless he has just discovered how to destroy one of his enemies. I'm going to guess that his target this time is either Andre or Giuliana -- or both!
4.
Don't mess with Shyne - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
I loved the moment in "My Naked Villainy" when Shyne and his cronies showed up at Andre's meeting with Gino and intimidated the gangster into accepting all of Andre's demands. It was so brazenly badass. But will Shyne be content to continue working with Andre, especially now that he and Nessa have fallen out?
5.
Tory's back! - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
It looks like Rumer Willis' drug-addicted songstress is back, all dolled up like a silver screen siren of yesteryear. I hope she and Jamal start working together again, as they seem like born collaborators. Their chemistry will bring a lot of sizzle to 'When Cookie Met Lucious."
6.
Thirsty doing the dirty work, as usual - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Like Hakeem, I was incredibly grossed out by the aggressive way Thirsty attacked Kennedy and tried to use victim blaming to get her to drop her lawsuit against Empire. Usually I find his dirty tricks amusing, but this time it felt like he went too far. But is there such thing as too far when it comes to what Thirsty will do for Lucious?
7.
What's got Andre all riled up? - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Andre looks ready to blow a gasket, and Giuliana doesn't look too happy herself. I'm willing to bet it has something to do with Lucious. Isn't he usually the cause of everyone's anger and anxiety on this show?
8.
Cookie's positively glowing - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Is it the glittery gown, the gorgeous hair and makeup, the golden lighting -- or something else? Something like a diamond engagement ring, perhaps? Either way, Cookie looks amazing.
9.
Angelo pops the question - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
If you watched "My Naked Villainy" all the way to the end, the clips previewing this episode included Angelo's proposal. Seems like a pretty big plot point to reveal in a preview clip, but with Empire taking a week off from new episodes so that Fox could rerun the spring premiere, I imagine they thought a hook was necessary to ensure audiences remained engaged. (Engaged, heh -- get it? Sorry.)
10.
Anika gets close to Tariq... - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Is Anika really working for the family, or is she only out for herself? It's clear she'll do whatever is best for Bella, even if that means potentially giving Cookie custody if something happens to her.
11.
Does Tariq know he's being double-crossed? - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
If Anika is indeed trying to pull the wool over Tariq's eyes for the sake of the family, do you think he'll fall for it? He already made the major mistake of not revealing his familial connection to Lucious during the initial investigation, so I think he'd be stupid enough to get wrapped around one of Anika's perfectly manicured fingers.
12.
Brotherly love - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Seeing all three Lyon brother smiling at the same time is like seeing a double rainbow; it's a rare and beautiful sight! Has Andre forgiven Hakeem for the fiasco that was his birthday party and subsequent apology song? If not, it appears that they've at least struck a momentary truce.
13.
Mama Lyon and her cub - Empire Season 3 Episode 14
Looks like a nice Lyon family dinner, in that I don't think Lucious is present. How do you think the Lyon boys will react to the news that Angelo wants to marry their mother?
Lee Jutton
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