I feel the need to blog about Empire aka the Black version of Nashville mixed with Glee and Dynasty. It's very good I won't lie to you but there are some MAJOR problems. Keep reading...
First what's NOT a problem is Taraji P. Henson. Her character Cookie is mother of three boys (Dre - the do-gooder, Jamal - the sensitive openly gay musician, and Hakeem - the thug rapper). Now each one of these songs represents a stereotype on their own, but add Cookie into the mix and she breaks it. Cookie has just served a 17 year prison sentence and ready to reclaim her place at Empire Entertainment, while being a drug dealer she gave her then husband Lucius (Terrence Howard) $400k to start his own record label. Lucius isn't too pleased to see Cookie, but realized if he doesn't comply with her demands she will go to the SEC and tell them how he started his company JUST as he's looking to take his company public. Meanwhile Lucius has a secret I won't spoil. BUT Cookie meets up with her gay son Jamal first and plays his "fag hag" then manager. She meets with Dre and comments on him being married to a "silly white girl", and finally she meets with angry Hakeem. When he is less than pleased to see her and calls her a bitch she proceeds to beat him with a broom. YOU READ THAT! Taraji SCARES me hahaha
The first problem is Terrence Howard being cast as Lucius. No disrespect to him, but
Around Hollywood he's known as difficult to work with ("Iron Man"), he's been arrested on battery charges by his ex-wife and numerous ex-girlfriends, and for him to play a controlling homophobic father that disrespects women isn't good for him. I think ppl will confuse him and his character no matter how many interviews he says he's changed. He might even be overlooked for awards because voters may think he's simply playing himself. The truly tragic part is Lucius is the next great Anti-Hero (think the Black Tony Soprano). He's complex and complicated, but for me I can't tell if Terrence is exorcising demons of his own or playing fiction.
The second problem is I get we need conflict, but a Black father that has a problem with his gay son while overlooking his thug son's MAJOR flaws has been done ad nauseam. The ONLY difference is when they show flashbacks of Jamal growing up gay with Cookie & Lucius it makes me like Cookie more and LOATHE Lucius. One flashback (I won't spoil) will SHOCK you. Legit. What Lucius did to Jamal after finding him AS A BOY dressed in heels will make you love Cookie and Jamal and basically detest Lucius and that's by episode 2.
The third problem is the supporting players like Gabourey Sidibe looks a mess. She looked beautiful on American Horror Story, but on this show she has a bad blond wig/weave/tracks, her clothes don't fit, and she's disrespected by Lucius in almost every scene. It's like "Precious Gets a Job." Cookie's assistant has more of a bite than Gabourey's Becky. And we KNOW Gabourey has it in her to be feisty. Another problem is I feel like EVERY Black person in Hollywood will be on this show. So far in episode 3 Gladys Knight, Naomi Campbell, and Cuba Gooding Jr. WAIT TILL THE SHOW HAS LEGS! Lawd feels like a soap adding new characters.
Another bonus though for the show is it's created by Lee Daniels & Danny Strong (the team behind "The Butler" and countless individual projects which have garnered them Emmys and Oscar nominations). I will have faith in that they know what they're doing, but I just have a few reservations. And viewers agree. Each episode gains more and more viewers. It only took till the second episode for the show to get into double digits.
Oh forgot to mention when they DO sing it's original songs from THE Timbaland whom is the music producer on the show! #Yes Add that as another plus.