“Empire” wasted no time answering the big question that left audiences reeling after its Season 2 finale. Was it Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) or Anika (Grace Gealey) that fell to her death after their balcony battle cut to black?
Before the first commercial break aired, the Season 3 premiere episode, “Light in Darkness,” not only revealed which main character died, but packed in two more OMG moments.
The FOX hit is known for packing every episode with crazy dramatic moments, so we knew the premiere would deliver some major punches. Picking up from the exact moment the series left off back in May, we again hear Andre’s (Trai Breyers) bloodcurdling scream as a woman falls to her death, but this time we hear it from the perspective of Lucious (Terrence Howard) on the ground level, and see which body went splat on top of a parked car.
And that’s just the first OMG moment!
OMG #1: Rhonda is dead
Goodbye, Kaitlin Doubleday. It’s nice the writers followed through on their promise that at least one character would die, but it’s sad because deep down, viewers didn’t want to say goodbye to either actress on the series. It goes without saying that husband Andre, barely holding it together after the couple’s miscarriage, is not going to handle the death of his wife very well.
OMG #2: Boo Boo Kitty gives birth to a girl
And no one is more upset about this than Lucious: Anika lied that she was finally bearing the family’s male heir, and Lucious is livid — after all, it’s the only reason Anika’s been safe from his rage. With Andre off his rocker, Lucious’ inability to come to terms with Jamal’s (Jussie Smollett) sexuality, and Hakeem always only caring about Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Grey) a grandson would’ve granted Lucious another shot at molding the perfect man to carry on the great Lyon legacy.
OMG #3: Hakeem isn’t the father
…Legally, that is. To keep up appearances that his quickie marriage to Anika isn’t a sham, Lucious puts his own name down as the baby’s father instead of Hakeem’s. In one of the show’s famously Shakespearean twists, Hakeem is now Bella’s public brother, rather than her father. This family is twisted beyond belief… And we love every second.
OMG #4: Andre is full on cray-cray
As expected, the eldest son who suffers from bi-polar disorder is not handling this grieving period well. The episode ends with Andre in a complete breakdown, either off his meds or self-medication — either way, he’s now seeing the ghost of Rhonda in his living room. Perched on the piano, looking just as beautiful as ever, as Andre pleads for her forgiveness.
Oh, we see you, “Empire.” Season 3 is getting back to some of its Shakespearean roots with this storyline.
OMG #5: Rhonda’s not going anywhere
This is a moment in and of itself. Even for a such a soapy show, this is out there. How long will Andre being hallucinating Rhonda? According to IMDBPro, Doubleday's Rhonda will be appearing for at least two more episodes. So this should be ... something.
"Empire" airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.