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Empire – Season 1, Episode 1 Pilot

Play trailer Empire – Season 1, Episode 1 Pilot Aired Jan 7, 2015 Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews
Lucious Lyon, the head of a music empire, learns he has a disease and must choose one of his sons to take over his reign; Lucious' ex-wife tries to claim her share after being released from prison.
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Empire — Season 1, Episode 1

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Cast & Crew

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Terrence Howard

Lucious Lyon

Taraji P. Henson

Cookie Lyon

Malik Yoba

Vernon Turner

Jussie Smollett

Jamal Lyon

Bryshere Y. Gray

Hakeem Lyon

Trai Byers

Andre Lyon
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Empire — Season 1, Episode 1

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Critics Reviews

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Roxane Gay Wall Street Journal 05/23/2018
This show is a hot mess but it is a really watchable hot mess with great performances by Taraji P. Henson and Jussiee Smollett (Jamal), in particular. Go to Full Review Jackson McHenry Entertainment Weekly 03/01/2015
If Cookie and Lucious' pow-wow is the best private moment in the pilot, the party is Empire's best, King Lear-iest public one. Go to Full Review Craig D. Lindsey New York Magazine/Vulture 03/01/2015
From the minute we first see Terrence Howard's Lucious Lyon... we know this sudsy soap-opera is going to get more over-the-top with each passing minute. Go to Full Review Julian Lytle idobi.com 01/11/2020
In the end, to me it seems like Daniels wanted to make a black nighttime soap and ended up wrapping it shoddily in rap music so that he could sell it easier. Go to Full Review Whitney Evans TV Fanatic 03/01/2015
Almost all aspects of the pilot work. The characters are engaging (for the most part), the music is terrific and Taraji P. Henson is in it, so it's automatically getting bonus points for that. Go to Full Review Robert Ham Paste Magazine 03/01/2015
5.6/10
This opening salvo isn't just a mere disappointment; this is the engine stalling and catching fire before it even makes the first lap. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Episode Info

Synopsis Lucious Lyon, the head of a music empire, learns he has a disease and must choose one of his sons to take over his reign; Lucious' ex-wife tries to claim her share after being released from prison.
Executive Producer
Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo
Network
Fox
Rating
TV-14 (V|D|L|S)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jan 7, 2015