Cookie's 5 Most Delicious 'Empire' Moments
We have no idea what insanity Wednesday’s two-hour season finale of Empire will unleash upon the world, but here’s one thing we do know: Cookie will almost certainly be at the center of the chaos. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. All season long, Taraji P. Henson has been killing it as Lucious Lyon’s previously incarcerated ex, fresh out of prison just in time to gum up the works as the Empire Records founder and CEO prepares to take the company public. Cookie’s antics enliven every episode of the already addictive series as she schemes, seduces, and sashays her way back into a position of power within the company and her estranged family. Here’s a look back at Season 1’s most delicious Cookie moments:
Panic! In the Elevator
(Episode 2: “The Outspoken King”)
In a hilarious case of art imitating life, Cookie channeled her inner Solange while sharing an elevator with Lucious, his new main squeeze, Anika, and loud-mouthed rapper Kid FoFo. While she was able to endure slights by FoFo and Lucious, Anika’s chuckle was a bridge too far, and the lift was promptly transformed into a boxing ring. And while Lucious blocked her from getting any good shots in, Cookie K.O.’d her competition with an emotional plea, “What have I ever done to you for you to treat me like this?” That punch clearly landed, because her ex-husband turned around and fired FoFo right on the spot.
Shake Your Groove Thang
(Episode 3: “The Devil Quotes Scripture”)
After successfully stoking the smoldering embers of a former flame (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Cookie emerges with a song for Jamal to work his magic on. “You didn’t think your mama could move like that, didja?” she told her son, demonstrating how folks used to shake their moneymakers in the pre-”Anaconda” days. No wonder she loves this tune so much — it’s all about her.
Dressed for Success
(Episode 6: “Out Damned Spot”)
A simple misunderstanding over a rose resulted in a memorable fashion faux pas, when Cookie turned up at a family dinner looking like she’d just come from auditioning for Dolly Parton’s part in a Best Little Whorehouse in Texas revival. “You think I came here dressed like this for a friendly get-together?” she asked Lucious incredulously, after he and Anika revealed they were affianced. Her parting words, “This is an ass,” should be emblazoned on a bumper sticker if they aren’t already.
Hey, Ms. Tambourine Woman
(Episode 8: “The Lyon’s Roar”)
How strong is Cookie’s scorn? So strong that it can even stop the famously combative Naomi Campbell dead in her tracks. Not phased in the slightest by the 44-year-old model’s glamour and frighteningly youthful appearance, Cookie faced the cougar Camilla, who had ensnared her son Hakeem head-on, correctly sizing her up as a Yoko Ono groupie. “What can you do Yoko, can you play the tambourine?” she asked — a line of dialogue so juicy, Fox included it in just about every Empire promo. We’re playing the world’s smallest violin in sympathy for Camilla.
Toss Your Cookies
(Episode 9: “Unto the Breach”)
After successfully drinking rapper Royale-T and his entourage under the table (and the couch, and the rug), who can blame Cookie for celebrating by making a blatant pass at studly security expert Malcolm (Derek Luke)? “Rules are made to be broken,” she responds to his lame protestations that he can’t get involved with her because of his self-imposed rule against fraternizing with his employers or their drunk ex-wives. So she makes one last desperate move while being shoved into a waiting car: “Take these cookies!” Yahoo TV’s ace Empire recapper Price Peterson said it best — that’s Henson’s Emmy clip, right there.
And because there’s no such thing as too much Cookie, here’s a clip of the Queen literally putting Anika in her place at the family dinner table.
The season finale of Empire airs Wednesday, March 18 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
