Empire aired the 7th episode of it’s highly anticipated second season last night (November 11, 2015) and as I look at the Empire hashtag in Twitterland, it seems like everybody is just as confused about what this episode was about as I am.

This week’s episode is titled ‘True Love Never’ and the official synopsis is as follows:

Lucious explores the possibility of partnering with Jago,?the founder of a streaming music company, as he maps out a plan to turn Empire into a global music monolith; at the same time, Andre struggles to find a balance between his newfound values and demanding career. Elsewhere, Hakeem molds Laura into a star and Cookie pushes to get Lyon Dynasty involved in a major televised charity concert.

What have we learned from this episode? Let?s try to decipher it shall we?

Recap + watch full episode below…

VIDEO: Empire Season 2, Episode 7

Sleeping With the Enemy

Like last week, the episode begins with a steamy love scene but instead of Precious Becky getting served, it?s Cookie getting her chocolate chipped by her new boy toy, Laz.

As we found out last week, it was revealed that he has the same bull tattoo as the gang that kidnapped Hakeem and beat him into a serious case of PTSD.

Cookie tells her new boytoy that she would love to stay in bed with him but work is calling. Fast forward 3 days later with meals delivered by any means possible, the two are still in the bed.? Laz shows Cookie an online flyer advertising an upcoming concert he says he was promoting and that Lyon Dynasty should be a part of. However, Cookie comes up with her own plan for a concert, ‘Cookie?s Cook-Out’.

Laz gets up and says he is going out to get a paper but instead meets his boy, Big Heavy, the leader of the ‘bull tattooed on the back’ gang, to assure him that he has everything under control with Cookie.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Cookie is instructing Jamal on how to perfect his new song.

“I gotta go, gotta go. The last time I didn?t show up to work my son turned my office into a strip club.” ? Cookie Lyons

Introducing ‘Sir Huey Jarvis’…

Lucious takes the infamous ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom’ song that he has been working on forever to the Quincy Jones type, Sir Huey (played by Clarence Williams III) for his input.? Lucious admires all of Huey?s many music awards.? Huey points out that Lucious had a truck load of nominations for music awards but has never won.

Lucious tells him that maybe one of his living room sessions might help his odds of getting an award this year and thinks that his time in jail took him back to his roots.

Sir Huey tells Lucious that something is missing and he wants to hear more.? He tells Lucious to dig deeper in that part of him that he keeps locked up so tight. (Enter the flashbacks of Lucious? childhood, digging a hole deeply into the ground to bury his mama?s bullets).

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, bang, bang, bang, bang!” ? Lucious Lyons

Beat the Devil At His Own Game…

Andre presents the idea to Lucious, Mimi and Empire?s people about buying into music streaming. Instead of giving Andre the credit for this idea, Lucious tells him that Mimi has it under control and his time would be better served by influencing his ?lady friend? at the mayor?s office to get Freda Gatz out of some gang trouble. Poor Andre no matter how he tries daddy just won?t give him the respect he seeks.

Andre goes to his pastor for some counseling and explains to him that he wanted to kill himself to punish his father. The pastor tells him that Lucious is trying to send him back to darkness. Andre says that Lucious wants him to go back to the way he used to be by telling him to go ?influence? the deputy mayor and break his bond with God.

The reverend informs Andre that he has been chosen by God to be his warrior and ?sometimes warriors have to do things on the battlefield that would be repugnant in any other context?. Not to sleep with her because that would be fornication.

Fast forward to the Mayor?s office, Dre rejects the Deputy Mayor?s sexual advances and pulls out a video of their last ?meeting? and threatens to give it to the Mayor if she doesn?t cooperate.

“There are many other ways to accomplish what you need” – Pastor Price
[Sidebar: Hmmm… I wonder if the Lord told Pastor Price ‘blackmail’ was the answer…]

Make the Switch…

As Cookie and Jamal announces Lyon Dynasty?s new concert event (Cookie?s Cook-Out), their girl group seems to be having problems as to who is the lead.

Cookie tells Hakeem that Laura does not have ‘it’ and to bump her out of the lead position but Hakeem is not hearing it and solicits Tiana to help him teach Laura how to perform like a diva.

To further build up her confidence, Hakeem takes Laura to a busy city park and forces her to make people stop and listen. In a scene that looked more like an episode of ‘Fame’ or ‘Glee’, ?Carmen Miranda? (as Cookie calls her) breaks out in song singing Donna Summer Gloria Gaynor?s I Will Survive in Spanish and everybody miraculously stops and listens in awe. (Really Lee?)

“You blinded by the ass” ? Cookie Lyons

Mama and Son Reunite…

Cookie is looking fabulous for a date with? guess who? Jamal!

The two meet at a restaurant where Jamal tells Cookie that Sir Huey invited him to one of his famous living room sessions to sing the song that Cookie fine-tuned. You know, the living room session that Lucious was thirsty for? “Waiter 2 bottles of your most expensive champagne!”

Cookie invites an inebriated Jamal to walk on down to Lyon Dynasty to record the song but as Jamal begins recording, Hakeem walks in.

Jamal manages to sneak out of the studio while Cookie diverts Hakeem?s attention.

“Ma what are you doing looking all ‘walk of shame’ and what not?” ? Hakeem Lyons

Lucious has a mean right hook…

Mimi takes Lucious to the boxing gym to meet Jago, head of Swift Stream, in hopes of a partnership in the music streaming game.

Jago invites Lucious into the ring and tells him that he likes his beats but finds his lyrics kinda ‘shallow’. Uh oh! Lucious has another bullet burying flashback and knocks Jago the f*ck out!

Lucious and Mimi go to the hospital to apologize to Jago, wherein Mimi leans in on Jago?s morphine drip and now a very high Jago agrees to a merger between Swift Stream and Empire that he probably won’t remember in the morning…

“Shallow that! Punk ass…” ? Lucious Lyons

Jamal’s ‘Living Room’ Debut…

Lucious has yet another flashback of his mother frantically looking for her bullets but he’s snapped to reality as Jamal walks in with th news that he is playing in Sir Huey Jarvis? living room session.

Lucious seemingly is overjoyed and tells Jamal that it is the best news he has heard all day, but as Jamal leaves it is obvious that Lucious is feeling ‘some kinda way’.

Fast Forward to Sir Huey?s Living Room Session, as Jamal sings his song, it is obvious to Lucious that this has Cookie written all over it.

Flashback again to Mama finding a bullet little Lucious failed to bury.

“It?s your world man, your world…” ? Lucious Lyons

A Deal With the Devil…

Laz shows Cookie a venue for Lyon Dynasty?s concert but informs her that it is in Big Heavy?s territory and they need to sit down and talk with him.

Of course Cookie says no.. not after what he did to her son! But it only takes a few kisses and snuggles from Laz, for her to agree to a meeting.

[Sidebar: If Hakeem is ‘blinded by the ass,’ then Cookie is definitely ‘dickmatized… but I digress.]

Cut to the meeting. As Cookie and Big Heavy agree to terms, in walks Hakeem all big and bad saying he’s an equal partner in the company and anything that needs to be negotiated, he negotiates.? Blah, blah, blah… they all negotiate to the terms to let Big Heavy and the boys secure the concert, but Hakeem tells his mom she needs to keep an eye on her new boy toy.

“Well, I don?t trust him? I?m just saying Ma, just be careful.” ? Hakeem Lyons

Lucious & Mimi = the Lezzbun tag-team…

At the after party, Mimi brings Lucious a gift…? his choice of a slew of well-dressed club rats.

After Lucious makes his choice, he insists that he and Mimi share the ‘one in green’ and they head off to his house to ‘make the doughnuts.’

“We don?t fight, we share.” ? Lucious Lyons

In what painfully looked like 2 old crackheads about to hit the pipe, Lucious suddenly stops when he opens the girl?s legs and sees a tattoo of a gun on her thigh. Lucious can?t go on.

He goes to his drawer and gets his mama’s gun. Flashback as Mama loads 1 bullet into the gun, spins the chamber and plays Russian Roulette in front of a young Lucious. Boom, boom, boom, boom…

Boom, boom, boom, boom, bang, bang, bang, bang! (Again)

Cut to Lucious in his studio and in walks Freda Gatz (aka TasiaLoaf) who says its 4:00am in the morning.

Lucious points the gun, spins the barrell and creates the sound effects that he feels the song was missing.

‘You about to become a part of my life story. History in the Making’ ? Lucious Lyon

The two then proceed to make a gangsta rap song that Lucious feels will be his best creation yet! Boom, boom, boom, boom, bang, bang, bang, bang! (Fade to black…)

How is it that Cookie is so street smart but can?t see through her new boo?

What exactly is Laz and the gang?s plan for Lyon Dynasty? Are they just bidding for a security job?

What happen to the serious case of PTSD that Hakeem had last week? Is he fully recovered?

What did you think of this week’s episode of Empire?