All eyes were on Fox’s primetime drama Empire Thursday night as one of the season’s most pivotal moment could change everything.
[Spoiler alert]
On Thursday night’s episode of Empire Jamal Lyon, played by actor/singer Jussie Smollett, was shot by female rapper Freda Gatz, played by Bre-Z. The shooting was a result of Gatz finding out that Jamal’s father, Lucious Lyon, killed Gatz father in prison. Taking place at the fictional “American Sound Awards,” Gatz open’s fire aiming for Luscious, however, Jamal blocks the bullet taking the shot instead.
The show ends in a cliffhanger leaving Jamal’s condition uncertain. Viewers will have to wait until next week’s season finale to find out what happens.
However, Smollet is hinting the outcome with a recent tweet about leaving the show he posted late Thursday night. In it he says he enjoyed his time on Empire and wants to pursue his musical aspirations and work in film.
A well-established artist, Smollett wowed viewers with his vocal talents on the show. Playing the middle child of Cookie and Lucious Lyon, he is also openly gay allowing his character to address homosexuality in the Black community.
The storyline could prove to bump up ratings for the show, which has seen a slight drop during its second season. Empire had over 16 million viewers at the beginning of season two. Viewership dropped to 9 million by the 16th episode.