How did Empire get me to watch? Taraji P. Henson. I really like her, but until Empire, none of her tv shows or movies successfully captured my attention. Empire’s commercials promised me an old school Dynasty scheming vibe that overrode my reluctance to avoid nighttime soap operas.
Henson has not failed me. Cookie’s constant demand for respect and recognition for her talent, work and sacrifices felt like the cry of black women everywhere. Her lack of shame and elevation of her cultural and economic origins and rejection at being put in a box of respectability politics were a refreshing and welcome alternative to the veneer of perfection with its implied class and education privilege expected for those held up as deserving examples. Her imperfections and hustle are her assets-she can survive anywhere though not without showing genuine heartbreak and pain in the face of rejection from those whom she loves and enabled to become successful. Henson is a genius at communicating emotion, and if she is a charitable woman, there are quite a few actors that she needs to teach.
Cookie deserved a place at the table because she MADE the table, and unfortunately in the real world, black women with similar histories have literally been rejected from the table-we love Rosa Parks, but she wasn’t the first woman to refuse to move, just the most respectable one. I saw a title of an article referring to Cookie as a villain. If you think that Cookie is a villain, do yourself a favor and walk away from me NOW.
Empire deals with all the issues that many black people would prefer not to address: mental disabilities, homosexuality, crippling disease. Empire addresses some of those issues better than others, but I welcome the attempt. I like it so much that I may actually watch Lee Daniels’ The Butler. Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Danny Strong also created Empire thus proving that Joss Whedon has brought more good into the world than not.
Unfortunately the two hour season finale was disappointing and lost focus on Cookie. It appeared that at the last second, the writers decided to root for Lucious Lyon, who seemed more like the villain than any other character in Empire, and made other characters briefly lose their mind to side with him. Still 10 out of 12 excellent episodes are not too bad. Hopefully that season finale is not a harbinger of Empire’s second season. Me love Cookie!!! (Cookie Monster reference, not a grammar error.)