After all, remember that this was not how the show was meant to conclude. Empire ‘s sixth and final season will end sooner than originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic. Empire wrapped its six-season run on Tuesday with a final episode that carried with it a giant asterisk. ABC comedy "Bless This Mess," starring Dax Shepard and Lake Bell, didn't make the cut. "Katy Keene" (The CW, one season) with Lucy Hale. "We want to be able to film the intended finale we came up with and think we owe it to the fans to do that. Becky (Gabourey Sidibe), left, and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) work together in Fox's 'Empire.' Middle son Jamal is mentioned during Hakeem's rap, but the accompanying flashback sequence doesn't show actor Jussie Smollett, who was written out of the show last season after allegations he staged a hate-crime attack in Chicago, where "Empire" filmed. AP Domestic, Spoiler alert: This story contains major details from Tuesday's series finale of "Empire.". Early in the episode, Lucious and Cookie team up professionally, ambushing and firing Pamplemousse rivals Kelly Patel (Pej Vahdat) and Giselle Barker (Nicole Ari Parker) in their corporate boardroom to wrest control of the Lyon music business. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Instead, as TVLine notes, the sixth and final season will finish on April 21 with the broadcast of episode 18. Famous for its over-the … The last completed episode before the coronavirus-imposed stoppage, episode 18 will reportedly feature footage from episode 19 in order to create a more smooth and unified ending. We know that there are tremendous obstacles. ), Rivals Damon Cross (Wood Harris), left, and Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) have a meeting of the minds in the 'Empire' series finale, although this won't be their final encounter. Who blew up Cookie's car? ", Jussie Smollett, left, is seen in a 2018 episode of "Empire" opposite his show mom Cookie, played by Taraji P. Henson. You've got to fight." The series finale included several nods to Jamal Keisha Hatchett April 22, 2020, 12:01 p.m. PT [Warning: This post contains spoilers from Empire 's series finale. RENEWED: "Stumptown" (ABC, one season) with Cobie Smulders and Jake Johnson. Here's how the show factored in Jussie Smollett's Jamal. According to USA Today, this moment was due to be the cliffhanger at the end of Episode 18. Empire wasn’t supposed to end its final season like this. However, in order to allow that to happen, the show first had to get rid of Lucious' young musical protege Yana (Kiandra Richardson). In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that Empire "is most popular in the Black Belt and in parts of the country with a high percentage of Native Americans". Production was shut down in … Before the film starts, Hakeem performs a rap celebrating the family's position at the top, mentioning various family members as flashbacks play. The Fox musical drama, which became a cultural phenomenon when it debuted in 2015, ended its six-season run Tuesday with an unintended series finale. Producers say that was initially planned as the Episode 18 cliffhanger, but the violent action quickly moves to its resolution, as viewers learn Damon had bad aim as well as bad judgment: His daughter is dead. ‘Empire’ Showrunner Brett Mahoney On Tonight’s COVID-19 Induced Series Finale, Possibility Of More, A Cookie Spinoff & No Jussie Smollett By Dominic Patten Dominic Patten That meaningful ending is a happy medium for the show's creative team, who pieced together footage from episodes that were already filmed before production shut down early in mid-March … "Manifest" (NBC, two seasons) with Melissa Roxburgh and J.R. Ramirez. Spoiler alert: 'Empire' ended its run early due to the coronavirus production shutdown. And if we can't do it, hopefully we can find some creative way to at least get the script out. "For Life" (ABC, one season), with Nicholas Pinnock. Producers hope to some day make their planned finale, but under difficult circumstances the six-season series did a solid job concluding the story of the Lyon family and its hip-hop empire. See why nearly a quarter of a million subscribers begin their day with the Starting 5. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He was not in the "Empire" series finale. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. After 6 seasons, the show was supposed to have 20 episodes to bring every character’s story to a proper close. Tonight, Empire aired its series finale on Fox … one that had a chance to tie up some of its stories to the best of its ability. Taraji P. Henson on new film 'Coffee & Kareem', future of 'Empire' finale "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" (NBC, one season) with Skylar Astin and Jane Levy. Afterward, Lucious tries to soothe Yana, pointing out that she's on the verge of superstardom, and they share a hug. In anger, he takes out a gun and tries to shoot Lucious but ends up shooting his daughter. As Lucious and Cookie realize their eternal connection, they nevertheless appear to be on separate paths, with Lucious planning to escort Yana (Kiandra Richardson), a rising young singer who loves Lucious, on her tour of Europe. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Empire ended on Tuesday night with a series finale in which, as usual, crazy things happened that I’ll never understand. (Photo: Chuck Hodes, Fox). CANCELED: "Outmatched" (FOX, one season) with Maggie Lawson and Jason Biggs. Spoilers ahead for the Empire series finale episode, called “Home Is on the Way.” Empire wrapped its six-season run with a break-up, two deaths, and a reunion between Cookie and Lucious. ), Still, it's a triumphal closing moment for the Lyons as Hakeem takes to a throne on stage and the screen goes dark, with Lucious proclaiming: "To the Empire!". After production was forced to close in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the decision was made to bring together what had already been filmed for the third- and second-to-last episodes of the series and turn it into the last episode. Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), left and Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) remained the heart of Fox's 'Empire' to the very end. After six seasons, Empire came to an earlier-than-expected end with an episode that wasn't supposed to be its series finale. Evan Yana's father and Lucious's rival, Damon Cross (Wood Harris), who is persuaded that there's no romantic entanglement with Lucious, approves of the professional relationship. The Fox drama is wrapping up on April 21 after Empire Season 6 Episode 18 -- two episodes earlier than planned. "Schooled" (ABC, two seasons) with Brett Dier (left), AJ Michalka and Tim Meadows. Caption Override. He is out of the hospital and plans to become a missionary in South America until his brother Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/04/21/empire-series-finale-recap-jussie-smollett-coronavirus/3000694001/, Networks are making the tough calls on which series will continue and which will be axed. (CNN) "Empire" finishes its six-season run this week with a sort-of series finale, ending what has been a long, strange trip. As reported by The Wrap, work has permanently halted on the penultimate episode of Empire's sixth and final season. Speaking to TVLine, Mahoney revealed to fans which parts of the aired series finale were from which episode. In typical Empire style, the series finale did this by killing her off. USA TODAY's 23rd annual Save Our Shows let you voice your opinion on which of 19 shows hovering 'on the bubble' between renewal and cancellation should be saved. Eldest son Andre (Trai Byers), whose personal crisis led to the slip that allowed Kelly and Giselle take over, is out of the hospital but still bereft over his separation from his wife and son. "But it is something we'd like to do. The sun has set on Fox's "Empire" – at least for now. Flashbacks throughout the episode seem to suggest that despite their many flaws, Lucious and Cookie are meant to be together. He plans to leave for a church mission in South America and Cookie can't persuade him to stay. The series wrapped up its six seasons on television with an early finale, the proper series-ender was a casualty of the coronavirus. By the closing minutes of the Empire series finale, titled "Home is On The Way," two characters had died, and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) had reunited. With the threat extinguished, the show ends with the family (except Jussie Smollett's character Jamal) settling down for a screening of Birth of an Empire, in what is (for now) the last ever scene of the Fox show. CANCELED: "Single Parents" (ABC, two seasons) with Leighton Meester and Taran Killam. CANCELED: "Tommy" (CBS, one season) with Edie Falco. With those words, Empire is over… for now. It's about as close as you can get to a happy ending for the Lyon family. The sixth and final season of the American television drama series Empire premiered on September 24, 2019, in the United States on Fox. (Viewers don't see how that happened, suggesting a scene that hadn't been filmed. This was a challenge … and not an easy one at all. Fox . Gray), who persuades his brother to stay and try to establish a relationship with his young son, emphasizing the finale's theme: "Family is everything. CANCELED: "God Friended Me" (CBS, two seasons) with Brandon Micheal Hall and Suraj Sharma. See how the other shows fared (those not marked renewed or canceled remain in contention.). The 'Empire' series finale showed most of the Lyon family reunited, one day shoot a real finale for the series, What Tolerance Is—and What It Shouldn't Be—in Practice, Teaching Tolerance Doesn't Mean Avoiding the 'Ugly' Side of U.S. History. 'Empire' Boss Reveals Original Series Finale Plan and Why Jussie Smollett Isn't in Any Flashbacks (Exclusive) By Philiana Ng‍ 6:59 PM PDT, April 21, 2020 . RENEWED: "S.W.A.T." Kelly and Giselle were able to gain the power they had over the business was due to Andre Lyons (Trai Byers) and his breakdown after his separation from wife and son. Producers hope to some day make their planned finale, but under difficult circumstances the six-season series did a solid job concluding the story of the Lyon family and its hip-hop empire. The pair fight and Damon nearly manages to kill his enemy before Lucious detaches his own prosthetic leg and uses it to kill Damon. After six seasons, Empire was forced to come to an abrupt end this week as the show screened an unintended series finale. After this shooting, Lucious tries to cancel the premiere of Hakeem's movie over safety fears, but the Lyons won't let him. (Photo: Chuck Hodes, AP). The finale of season 6 can be watched in the US on April 21, 2020. RENEWED: "The Unicorn" (CBS, one season) with Walton Goggins. To continue reading login or create an account. The turbulent family saga, which took TV by storm when it premiered in 2015, came to its end earlier than expected Tuesday after the coronavirus-related production shutdown forced producers to refashion the two episodes scheduled before the finale – one half-filmed – into one series closer. Lucious, fearing that Damon will come for his family, orders extra security and tells Cookie and his sons that he wants to cancel the premiere of the movie celebrating his life, "The Birth of an Empire." "The Moodys" (FOX, one season) with Elizabeth Perkins and Denis Leary. The show is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, in association with Imagine Entertainment, Lee Daniels Entertainment, Danny Strong Productions and Little Chicken Inc. This causes Lucious to act first and break into Damon's home. ", The episode then cuts to the film's premiere screening, with the Lyons all together and Cookie proclaiming, "It's our family's night. Throughout the episode, Cookie examines her evolution over the years, and her history with Lucious is underlined with flashbacks, both passionate and violent, from earlier episodes and scenes depicting younger versions of their characters. We don't know when production will start again. “Empire,” Fox’s Shakespearean drama about a hip-hop mogul and his family, came to an abrupt end Tuesday following a six-season run punctuated by successful highs and unanticipated lows. Gray) persuades him to stay and build a relationship with his son. (That move was Howard's idea, executive producer Brett Mahoney says. Only Yana senses Lucious's true feelings, realizing he still loves Cookie and won't be accompanying her abroad: "She has your heart." This reunion began at the start of the episode where they team up in their business lives to fire Pamplemousse employees Kelly (Pej Vahdat) and Giselle (Nicole Ari Parker) to regain control of the Lyon family music empire. We don't know who will be available when that happens," he says. Mahoney directed questions about the exclusion of Smollett, even in flashback, to Fox. Enter youngest Lyon brother Hakeem (Bryshere Y. "Mixed-ish" (ABC, one season) with Arica Himmel. Producers of "Empire," created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, say they still hope to make the actual series finale, which would have been the sixth season's 20th episode, Mahoney tells USA TODAY. You have 4 free articles remaining this month, Sign-up to our daily newsletter for more articles like this + access to 5 extra articles. ", Mahoney says they had to leave out a few revelations regarding earlier mysteries: Who shot Lucious? "Indebted" (NBC, one season) with Adam Pally, far left, Steven Weber, Fran Drescher and Abby Elliott. Empire was never a show that was short on drama, but the Fox series' finale managed to get two episodes worth of action into one. In one of the episode's best scenes, Yana takes the stage at Cookie's BossyFest musical extravaganza, performing "Home is on the Way," a love song (and the finale title) that Lucious wrote with Cookie in mind as the Lyons look lovingly at each other from opposite sides of the stage. CANCELED: "Carol's Second Act" (CBS, one season) with Patricia Heaton and Patrick Fabian. However, this finale is ultimately about Lucious and Cookie. Even Becky (Gabourey Sidibe), the Lyon assistant who has risen in the music business, has her own happy ending: A big birthday bash that leads to a reconciliation with Porsha (Ta'Rhonda Jones). To avoid a surprise attack by Damon, Lucious pounces first, furtively moving about his rival's home as security guards lie on the floor. Save Our Shows 2020: Which are leaving or staying? (He said he has an opinion on the matter, but declined to share it. Viewers don't see a father-son reunion, likely due to the shooting schedule cut short, but the suggestion of one is there. The Empire series finale will be arriving a little earlier than expected thanks to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down production on the show. "Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector" (NBC, one season) with Tate Ellington, left, Arielle Kebbel and Russell Hornsby. Barbara Nitke/2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. In one of the more ridiculous misreads ever, even for a soap, Damon spots the two as he turns the corner, shouts, "You liar!," pulls his gun and shoots. Lucious (Terrence Howard), right, shares a sweet moment with his musical protege, Yana (Kiandra Richardson), in the finale for Fox's 'Empire.' However, Yana's father Damon (Wood Harris) sees this hug and sees it as a sign that Lucious has been lying to him and is sleeping with his daughter. (CBS, three seasons) with Shemar Moore. The sixth and final season of “Empire” was scheduled to run for 20 episodes, however, the production shutdown caused by the pandemic meant that … Empire season finale recap: Broken hearts, broken vows, and a breakthrough By Luria Freeman S5 E17 Recap Though cast and crew are holding out hope that they will one day shoot a real finale for the series, for now fans are left with Season 6, Episode 18, as the end of Empire. But a closing featuring "the Lyon family coming together, Lucious and Cookie acknowledging their love for one another, was definitely the spirit we were going to be reaching in the series finale.". He agrees to stay and do this, but Fox viewers did not see him reunite with Walker, presumably because those scenes remain unfilmed. 'Empire' season 5 finale review: Fox series ends stormy season after having to account for Jussie Smollett absence, with rough waters ahead (Photo: Chuck Hodes, Fox). Yana realizes that Lucious' heart is still with Cookie and the pair break-up in amicable terms with a friendly hug. Instead of Smollett as the adult Jamal (now living in London to explain his absence this season), the flashback sequence instead simply shows a younger actor playing Jamal as a child. Empire will come to a close without airing its series finale. (Photo: Chuck Hodes, Fox), Lucious and Damon fight viciously in the kitchen, with Damon about to strangle his rival before quick-thinking Lucious detaches his prosthetic leg and delivers a deadly blow to Damon's head. Much of the final hour ties together both the Lyon family and its business interests, with the main focus on repairing the tortured, frequently fractured relationship between Lyon patriarch Lucious (Terrence Howard) and matriarch Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). (Photo: Chuck Hodes, Fox). CANCELED: "Man with a Plan" (CBS, four seasons) with Matt LeBlanc and Liza Snyder. But his family, sticking together, won't let him. No credit The season was ordered on April 30, 2019. Hakeem, too, appears to find peace with new wife Maya, recognizing her intelligence and value and ending his struggle to get out of their marriage. The "Empire" series finale may have been hit with troubles after production was delayed due to the coronavirus, but the show managed to bring the story of the Lyon family to a close. This may not end happily. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. ), Cookie arrives on the scene, fearing Lucious is dead, before he utters, "It's over. Empire airs on Fox in the US at 9pm EST (6pm PST) and can also be downloaded on Amazon Prime.