Let me first start with a little cast information Terrence Howard is Lucious Lyon, a former drug dealer turned hip hop rapper turned mogul and the CEO of Empire Entertainment.  Taraji P. Henson plays Cookie Lyon, Lucious' ex-wife and mother to his three sons.  She has been recently released from jail. She wants to claim half of Lucious company as play back for all her time served.  Trai Byers is Andre Lyon, the college-educated and power-hungry eldest son of Lucious and Cookie.  He feels he should be next in line to run his fathers company.  Jussie Smollett is Jamal Lyon, the middle son, a talented, gay singer-song writer.  Since a child he's always been closer to his mother.  Bryshere Y. Gray plays Hakeem Lyon, an a hip hop star on the rise.  He's the youngest son and Luscious' favorite.  Grace Gealey is Anika Gibbons.  She is Luscious' love interest and head of Empire Entertainment A&R.  Malik Yoba plays Vernon Turner, Lucious' longtime friend and business partner, and chairman of Empire Entertainment.  To add a little color Kaitlin Doubleday plays Rhonda Lyon, Andre's, the eldest son of Luscious and Cookie, scheming wife.  Gabourey Sidibe is Becky, spicy assistant to Lucious.  Jamal's boyfriend Michael Sanchez is played by Rafael de La Fuente.  

Empire is set in Chicago, Illinois and tells the story of Lucious & Cookie Lyon.  The show opens up with Lucious guiding a young singer into giving the performance of her life.  I instantly thought of the Keyisha Cole and P. Diddy and how he told her to sing like she cared while recording "Last Night" for his Press Play album.  Lucious is told he has a little less than 3 years to live after being given an ALS diagnoses.  He already had designs on taking his company public but with his health news he turns to his 3 sons to quickly pick a successor.  With the unexpected release of his ex-wife Cookie a monkey wrench is thrown in his plans.  Cookie doesn't disappoint.  She stepped out of prison and starts throwing he weight around the second she touches down.  It's clear that she wants have of the company and she'll do what she needs to do to get it.  

Look at the Lyons family is clear they're dysfunctional.  The oldest son is on some currently unknown meds.  He feels he's the rightful heir to the Empire.  His father doesn't  even really consider him because his not a musician.  He and wife are working to divide the family so that they'll be forced to choose  him to lead the company.  It also appears he makes some agreement with Vernon Turner if he does become the company's head.  Then the second son is a R&B singer.  He's dealing with the fact that his father hates that he's a homosexual.  Lucious went as far as to throw him in a trash can when he was little after he was playing in his mother's clothes.  Cookie quickly came to his rescue.  They had a special bond and it's clear he's the only one that remained close to Cookie while she was locked up.  The youngest son is hip hop performer.  He's lazy and feels entitled.  He is Lucious' favorite.  He's a player and a drunk.  Tonight's show served mainly and a get to know the characters show outside of Lucious killing his longtime friend who tried blackmailing him with his tales from his past.  

The cast was very good.  They were overall believable in their parts.  The music for the show was great.  I think Timbaland did a great job.  The fashions were amazing.  It works.  I found Lucious hair a little dated but it does go with his overall look witch is very flashy.  Cookie served Lil Kim Mary J realness with her big hats, bigger minks and body hugging dresses.  The only other standout in fashion was Becky.  I love how they dressed her in trendy clothes.  She's doing it for the plus community.  

The show had my tweeting (@fatgirl_fashion) my heart out.  I live tweeted the the premiere and I can see this show will have Twitter on fire every Wednesday from 8 to 9 cst.   Visit the blog next week for your next recap.