'Empire' rocks on Fox, cliches and all.

AuthorWiegand, David
PositionLiving

Byline: David Wiegand

Uneasy lies a head that wears a crown, even if the crown is that of the ruler of a music-business "Empire.'' But uneasier still lie the heads of those who would be emperor in Fox's cliche-ridden but eminently watchable nighttime soap opera premiering at 9 p.m. Jan. 7.

Almost nothing about "Empire,'' created by Lee Daniels ("The Butler''), feels original, but just a few minutes into the premiere episode, you'll stop caring. The show even acknowledges one of its sources when one of the music mogul's three sons asks, "We 'King Lear' now?'' after Dad announces that Jamal, Andre and Hakeem will have to compete with each other to determine who will inherit the multimillion-dollar empire.

But the three sons of Lucius Lyon (Terrence Howard) aren't the only ones bidding for control of the business: There's also Lucius' ex-wife, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), who's just been released after a 17-year prison sentence for selling drugs. Mama's back, and mama wants what's owed to her.

What no one knows, yet, is that Lucius is facing a major health issue, adding a certain degree of urgency to his decision about which of his sons should be his successor.

His sons are as different from each other as they could be, especially to a script writer. The youngest, Hakeem (Bryshere Gray), is out of control, headstrong, living in the fast lane and pushing even harder on the gas pedal.

Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is the quiet, sensitive middle son with an abundance of artistic talent as a singer/songwriter. He's also gay and out, which isn't always an easy fit in his father's hyper-macho music world. Lately, he's been living with a Latino boyfriend named Michael (Rafael de la Fuente). Andre (Trai Byers), the oldest, is actually carved from yet another Shakespeare play, "Macbeth.'' Ruthlessly ambitious though he may be, his wife, Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday), is even more cold-blooded, and the pair will apparently stop at nothing to gain the business throne.

It takes a while for Henson to make her appearance, but once she does, she becomes the biggest magnet in cast. With her claw-like fake nails and exaggerated wigs, Cookie's a force to be reckoned with, both by the other characters and the actors who play them.

Truth to tell, that's bad news for her old "Hustle & Flow'' co-star Howard. He's a good actor, but doesn't completely pull off the whole street thug to...

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