[Warning: This publish incorporates spoilers from Empire‘s sequence finale. Learn at your personal threat.]
That is a wrap on Empire. Honing in on its central theme of household, the groundbreaking hip hop drama ended its illustrious six-year run with the Lyons standing firmly collectively and their beforehand strained relationships totally intact.
The episode noticed Lucious (Terrence Howard), a person who, for years, coveted his hip hop empire above his circle of relatives, willingly put his life on the road to be able to defend his family members by taking up Damon Cross (Wood Harris) alone. In the meantime, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), who spent the season determining her who she was other than Lucious and her lionized Cookie moniker, lastly realized that she may very well be with Lucious with out dropping herself within the course of. However maybe the most important takeaway for the Lyons is a lesson that took them six years to be taught: Household, above all, is what’s vital. The episode culminated with the Lyon clan assembling to rejoice the premiere of Empire’s biographical movie primarily based on Lucious’ life and starring Hakeem (Bryshere Gray).
That significant ending is a cheerful medium for the present’s artistic staff, who pieced collectively footage from episodes that have been already filmed earlier than manufacturing shut down early in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the deliberate sequence finale not filmed, producers crafted a brand new ending utilizing footage from Episodes 18 and 19. Based on showrunner Brett Mahoney, Episode 19 would have featured the movie premiere together with “one thing loopy that was meant to occur on the finish of that that we had truly filmed.” However given the circumstances, Mahoney opted for a extra satisfying ending.
“I had the sensation that if we wished to finish the household on a cheerful notice and with the Lyons coming collectively, which was form of like the sensation we have been going for — like household over empires and household coming collectively — which might have been our theme within the precise finale. There is a piece of that, an concept that lived within the household coming collectively for the film,” he defined.
Nonetheless, the Empire showrunner stays hopeful about someday resuming filming to offer followers the correct finale they initially meant. Whether or not that involves fruition, although, stays to be seen. With most leisure productions at a standstill as authorities officers proceed to grapple with the COVID-19 outbreak, filming the sequence finale appears extremely unlikely for now. However Mahoney hasn’t dominated out different choices. TV Information spoke with the Empire boss concerning the pandemic’s impression on the finale and the way he nonetheless plans to offer followers the closure they deserve. Mahoney additionally opened up about Empire‘s legacy and impression on the tradition at massive, and whether or not or not he thinks a spin-off is feasible.
Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Trai Byers and Bryshere Y. Grey, Empire
Do you suppose this episode gives closure for followers who adopted the present for six seasons?Brett Mahoney: Nicely, it is not the way in which that we wished to finish, however I feel it does present some form of closure by way of the household coming collectively, and Lucious and Cookie coming collectively. That relationship is so vital to the sequence and so what now we have for the finale actually focuses on the Lucious and the Cookie of all of it. However we’re not in a position to reply the questions that have been arrange all through the season by way of who shot Lucious and who blew up Cookie’s automobile so these are nonetheless questions which are on the market, [as well as] extra definitive endings for the characters. These are all of the issues that we hope to [address] someday if we’re ever in a position to shoot our true sequence finale.
I suppose you’ll be able to’t actually speak concerning the unique ending if there’s nonetheless an choice to movie it.
Mahoney: Our hope and dream is that we’ll movie it, but when we get to the purpose the place we’re not in a position to movie it, we’ll do one thing to appease [the fans]. Whether or not it is releasing a script or performing some form of a Zoom desk learn, one thing we’ll hopefully be capable of do if we won’t truly movie it to offer the followers the precise closure we might like them to have.
Regardless of every little thing that occurred between Cookie and Lucious, they discovered their method again to one another. How vital was it so that you can at the very least, even when you could not get the ending you wished proper now, present them collectively on this ultimate episode?
Mahoney: That was change for me and I do know that there are some those that disagree. I imply, Empire is story about household and the household dynasty however, to me, it is also an epic love story. And so, the story actually is about Lucious and Cookie regardless of all of the drama and the variations they’ve between one another. It is about them discovering their method again to [each other] and loving each other with respect.
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I feel some individuals are going to have emotions about that. Cookie’s journey this season was determining who she was other than Lucious and on this episode particularly, attending to the Loretha behind that powerful Cookie exterior. So, do you suppose her determination to return to Lucious conflicts with that or does it make sense for her?
Mahoney: To me, it made sense by way of she’s recognizing who she is, her strengths, her weaknesses. She’s additionally being the energy of Lucious and he or she’s making the choice that she can love him. And since she’s additionally recognizing the adjustments that he is made for her, she’s now giving credit score to that and saying that this man has modified for me and that I can love him. I will be Loretha, and I will be Cookie, and I can love this man.
This present Lucious is much more open about his emotions than the Lucious we met in Season 1.
Mahoney: It is very true and I feel his journey was his admitting how a lot he [was] making an attempt to be a greater man for her after which, by means of the course of this season, additionally placing the household over Empire.
In that combat scene with Damon, Lucious makes use of his prosthetic leg to kill Damon. Was that the unique plan to have him use his leg or have been you contemplating different props? What occurred there?
Mahoney: In all honesty, that may be a Terrence Howard’s brilliance. He’s the one which got here up with it. I received calls from the set they usually have been like, “Terence needs to make use of his prosthetic leg to kill Damon” and I used to be like, “Ugh… It might work or it couldn’t work.” After which I spoke to Terrence about it by way of his intention after which it simply made sense to me in that that is the factor that was nearly seen as a weak point in him. This was one thing that Cookie had made enjoyable of after which he turns round, on this ultimate episode, and makes use of it to conquer his enemy. I simply felt like there have been some loopy Empire poetry in that.
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Getting again to the concept of the present being about household, you actually did drive that residence on this final episode, particularly within the final moments with the Lyon clan coming collectively for this film premiere. The place do you suppose the Lyon household goes from right here?
Mahoney: I feel that what they do is that they notice that in every of their lives, they permit it to play out the place it is not about Empire, it is about what’s the fact of every of the Lyons. And so they have their love and their household, and the way they transfer ahead in that method, prioritizing that versus Empire. So, none of them any longer put Empire first. It is all about their love for household.
One of many questions left within the air is the place does Andre (Trai Byers) matches in all of this? The consensus was that it is higher for him to step away from Empire but additionally, he must be there for his household.
Mahoney: I feel Andre realizes that, presumably, Empire is not the place for him and he can discover happiness and wholeness exterior of that and that does not imply abandoning his household. It simply implies that he does not should be in Empire. And I feel that is type of what any of the Lyons might resolve is okay. They reached the top as a result of it is not about Empire, it is about household.
After which you could have Hakeem, who ends the episode on a throne.
Mahoney: I feel the lesson that Hakeem takes shifting ahead, and he truly had a line at one level that he is realized a lot from enjoying his father within the film. He realizes a lot of the errors his father made by way of prioritizing Empire over household, prioritizing Empire over the love of his life. So, Hakeem can also be shifting ahead and making strikes that do not essentially see him within the Empire fold, however will permit him to pursue no matter his goals are, which can or could not must do with Empire.
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, Empire
I’ve heard that this may not essentially be the top, that possibly the story can proceed. Would you think about doing a spin-off sequence? Why or why not?
Mahoney: I feel individuals are speaking about it. I feel the creators are speaking about it and the community. With such an vital present, and it has such an impression… I might think about that if you could find the suitable property and the suitable in, the creators and the community would undoubtedly wish to pursue one thing. I am not, however I can suppose that they might.
Who do you suppose ought to have their very own spin-off?
Mahoney: Individuals after all wish to see the Lyons and the place they proceed, and I feel any one in every of them you could possibly [do that with]. I’ve all the time wished to see what Bossy would appear to be if it was spun off, in a method. I simply suppose that may very well be well timed, simply by way of the place we’re, to have a female-run firm within the leisure world and what that might appear to be. Breaking the glass ceiling in the course of the day and breaking backs at evening. I feel there are numerous totally different instructions you could possibly go.
What are a few of your favourite moments from the sequence and why do they stick out to you?Mahoney: I feel that I’ve simply been so privileged to have been in a position to have labored on the present and the storylines that depict tradition, impression tradition and educate tradition. So the HIV constructive storyline between Jamal and Kai and their dad and mom and their wedding ceremony second was very significant to me. Cookie’s coronary heart assault and the way that form of instructed African Individuals to be extra coronary heart wholesome is a vital story to me. Andre and his complete bipolar story all the time is essential to me. I like the scene when it was revealed within the final weeks of the final dinner on Season 4, when Andre was having a relationship with Pamela Rose, after which it was revealed to him that she was an imaginary particular person, a figment of his thoughts. I simply thought that was an incredible scene between Andre, Lucious, and Cookie. I simply suppose it is so nice that the present depicted tradition, but it surely additionally in some locations, it led and it educated us and highlighted issues that the group was actually going by means of. And I feel it is particular in that method.
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What do you hope Empire‘s legacy will likely be? What would you like individuals to recollect the present for?
Mahoney: Nicely, I feel that the legacy of Empire is obvious by way of it’s groundbreaking tv after which, I feel, groundbreaking industry-wise to have this majority, individuals of shade solid be such an enormous success that everybody wished to see. It simply additionally confirmed {that a} present with an African American solid, coping with African American points, may very well be universally beloved and you can too make some huge cash. I feel it paved the trail for lots of the variety we’re seeing in movie and tv now. It created numerous careers by way of writers who got here from the present and administrators who directed on the present and costume designers and DPs. I like that so lots of the writers from the present have gone on to have their very own present. So, it is simply impacted the {industry} on all sides, behind the digicam and in entrance of the digicam.
We do not actually speak about that sufficient, the behind-the-scenes impression of the present.
Mahoney: Completely, as a result of I’ve labored on many reveals and I’ve by no means labored on a present like this. We have had so many individuals of shade as administrators, as writers, as DPs, who have been so proficient. The expertise was on the market however simply weren’t acknowledged till this present and now they’ve gone off and had nice careers. So I feel that is wonderful.
With every little thing you’ve got realized from Empire, how do you suppose you may apply that to future jobs?
Mahoney: For me, I’ve simply been so blessed to have this chance to work with so many of those sensible individuals and I simply hope to have the ability to work with them once more.
Empire is streaming on Hulu.