Empire Season 2 episode 17 concluded in a cliffhanger with Jamal Lyon currently in surgery after being shot in the stomach by Freda Gatz at the American Sound Awards (ASAs). The rapper attempted to shoot Lucious after learning that he was involved with the death of her father, Frank Gathers.
After arriving at the hospital, Jamal was conscious, but clearly suffering; however, a distress sound resembling a flatline sound can be heard before doctors take him to surgery. At this time Jamal remains in surgery and it is not known whether he is dead or alive. The Lyon family is at the hospital waiting to hear word on Jamal’s condition.
During episode 17, called “Rise By Sin,” Cookie learned that her sister Carol is seeing a man who used to be a Chicago PD officer. Cookie believed that the man was an FBI officer who was building a case against Lucious and Empire. This turns out to be true as we also learn at the end of the episode that Anika was giving the officer information on the Lyon family and Empire.
Cookie also learned that Jamal was still working with Freda Gatz despite her warning him that the girl was dangerous. Cookie reveals to Jamal that she gave Frank Gathers up to the FBI in exchange for being released early from her own jail sentence. Lucious would later order Frank Gathers killed while the two served time together at the same jail in early Season 2.
Of course, at that time, Freda wasn’t aware of these details. Lucious took Freda under his wing as a prodigy during season two, using her father to help influence her music. However, he soon pushes her aside to focus on his own music. Jamal then began working with Freda and the two became close. Prior to the shooting, Jamal told Freda that she should leave Empire Entertainment and promised to explain further after the awards show.
Freda learned about what Lucious did to her father when a drunk Carol showed up at the ASAs red carpet event drunk and blurted out the truth. Carol showed up to the ASAs uninvited after she and Cookie had a falling out when Cookie learned that Carol, who is an alcoholic and drug addict, was drinking again.
After remembering all that transpired between her and Lucious, Freda grabbed a security officer’s gun and knocked him out with the handle. She ran and aimed at Lucious, but Jamal saw this and jumped in front of Lucious and his mother, Cookie as they headed down the red carpet. A first Cookie believed it was Lucious who was shot, but they quickly realize it was Jamal.
Much transpired before the ASAs. Lucious and Jamal also had a heated argument after Lucious walked in on Jamal and producer D-Money having an intimate moment a recording studio. Lucious reaffirmed his disapproval that Jamal is gay, telling his son he would be happy when he died of AIDS.
But now that Jamal has been shot, Lucious feels extremely guilty, especially after learning that Freda was aiming to shoot him and Jamal jumped in the way of the bullet.
While at the hospital, the Lyons watch the ASAs on television and learn that Hakeem does not with the award for best rapper and neither Jamal nor Lucious win the award for song of the year.
In the bedlam, no one has been paying attention to Lucious’ mother Leah Walker, whom we previous considered could have been the shooter. But Leah Walker drops a shocker of her own at the end of the episode. She left the hospital where press are perched outside. Reporters ask her if she is a member of the family and she said yes. However, we will have to wait until the Empire Season 2 finale next week to find out what she says.
What else will happen next week? It appears Hakeem is getting ready to marry his girlfriend Laura and Rhonda will confront Anika about pushing her down the stairs in the middle of Season 2. Rhonda questioned Anika about the shoes she was wearing that night she was pushed during episode 17, having previous recalled that her attacker was wearing black Louboutin flats
Anika will also attempt suicide after the family learns that she’s been giving information to the FBI. Lucious may also propose to Cookie during the season finale.
We will likely also learn Jamal’s fate. He was not shown in the episode 18 promo.
Empire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EDT on Fox.
