How Can 'Empire' Get Its Swagger Back?

Can 'Empire' get its swagger back in its third season?

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Complex Original

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For a while there, Fox's hit nighttime soap hip-hopera Empire could do no wrong. The show, anchored by memorable performances by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, blew up fast. Not only was it renewed for a second season after its first two episodes, it became the top show watched in African American households, and was the first primetime show in over two decades that increased in number of viewers after its first five telecasts. Commercial success aside, it also received heaps of critical praise, with this very website deeming it the best show on television at one point. While it initially didn't receive Emmy nominations after that first season, it came back with a monstrous season 2 premiere, bringing in 16 million viewers.

But things tapered from there, and a sophomore slump appeared to set in—a ratings decline confirmed that. The cause of such an precipitous downfall? There are a few factors, from the increase in drama—and therefore absurd storytelling—to the lengthy break Empire took from early December 2015 to late March 2016. It's easy to say that Empire might've shot itself in the foot by being too great too early, but it was also simply an issue of a show doing too much.

With Empire making its return for season 3 tonight on Fox, things are far from finished for the hip-hopera that could—season 2 ended on a particularly high note, with an insane cliffhanger that kept fans on their toes. The interest surrounding, and impulse reactions to, the show's up and down ratings will continue, but for Empire, they need to be worrying about the marathon, not the sprint. If season 3 is to truly be as impressive as Trai Byers says it is, there are some things that Empire's creators should keep in mind (or have hopefully already implemented).

Work With What You've Got

'Empire' cast

If you look at the list of guest stars on Empire, it's really no joke. While artists like Da Brat, Estelle, and Ludacris have been able to jump in and portray characters that have nothing to do with their real-life success, we've seen the likes of Jason DeRulo, Juicy J, Pitbull, and many more hop onto the program for a quick cameo that didn't progressing the story at all. It always made sense for a Funkmaster Flex or Sway to add credibility Empire's story, but even using Alicia Keys as "the pop star who Jamal got freaky with" ultimately did nothing.

It's not like Empire is the only show to ever lean too heavily on guests, but in this kind of show, where the story is already getting carried away, it can get frustrating to see these superstars waltz on screen for a moment that might seem dope, but ultimately does nothing in the long run. May I suggest Empire get back to leaning on their core cast?

Get Back to Basics

Lucious and Andre Lyon, 'Empire'

This is an extension of the first point. What made season 1 so clutch was the idea that, no matter what the situation turned into, Lucious and company found a way to up the ante and become even more ruthless or heartless than we already assumed they were. This vibe was turned up to the nth degree in season 2, in part because so many new factors were brought in: the lesbian venture capitalist who's buying her way into an Empire Entertainment power play; the addition of Lucious' unstable mother; Anika being pregnant with her ex-fiancee's son's child; the random gang trying to extort Cookie and Empire; the split of the family into Empire Entertainment and the Lyon Dynasty. You could damn near fill a notebook trying to keep up with all of the moving parts in season 2.

Every show needs to continue to evolve, and part of that is bringing in new characters that add to the series while elevating the story. But if a show gets too trigger-happy, it can be a detriment to the story. Empire needs to trim the fat and let the new additions marinate before turning up the heat.

Pace Yourselves

Cookie and Hakeem Lyon, 'Empire'

Adding to that, it'd be awesome to see Empire ease into some of the highs and lows of the series. Season 1 had a solid 12-episode run, and for season two, Fox beefed up the episode run to 18. That's just 30 total episodes, but think of how many stories have been thrown into episode at the drop of a dime, just to fizzle out by the time the credits rolled. Stunt casting is one thing; stunt storytelling is another. 

We already know Empire can bring in the eyeballs while keeping things interesting. Without knowing how season 3 is going to unfold, one hopes that the whirlwind that the Lyon family survived in season 2 will build a few truly strong storylines to carry the series to even higher heights. Fans have proven that, even in decline, the show can still do numbers. Imagine how impressed those viewers will be if Empire set the trap and played the long con for a while instead of prematurely ejaculating the culmination of their stories.

Ultimately, we want to see Empire win. It's rare that fall television (or television in general) is this black; we're currently seeing shows like Atlantablack-ishQueen Sugar, and Luke Cage being able to give America a glimpse of the multi-faceted black experience in this country. Arguably, Empire helped pave the way for this current renaissance. Hopefully, the people behind Empire evaluated where it went wrong during its second season and fixed its errors. If not, it's going to be a LONG season three.

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