‘Empire’ Season 5, Episode 4 ‘Love All, Trust a Few’ Recap: Missing Persons and a New Family Member

FOX’s Empire continues to slap us with over-the-edge acting and shocking developments along the way. This week’s episode, titled “Love All, Trust a Few,” is a testament to how the show can keep us on the edge of our seats. In yet another chapter of the Lyon family’s slow rise back to the top, things get a little bit out of hand—but in a good way.

As Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) struggle to look for new artists under their management company, a promising artist named Devon (guest star Mario) catches Cookie’s attention. However, his financial state puts Cookie in a noble predicament. Because of the struggle for funds, Lucious takes it up to the businesses that owed him some money before. He goes to collect as Andre (Trai Byers), who is now released from prison, forces his father to let him come along. Meanwhile, Jamal (Jussie Smollett) receives terrible news from Lagos—Kai (Toby Onwumere) hasn’t reported to his assignment editor yet.

“Love All, Trust a Few” opens with Lucious and Cookie picking Andre up from the prison as Kingsley (A.Z. Kesley) visits Diana DuBois (Phylicia Rashad) with a request to help bring down the Lyons. Diana agrees, but only if Kingsley would get her a high-end moisturizing cream first.

The Hunt is On

It’s a struggle for Cookie to find a new artist for their new company, Lyon Management. After Giselle (Nicole Ari Parker) stole Treasure right under their noses, it’s getting harder and harder to find fresh talent. But it’s only until Porsha (Ta’Rhonda Jones) shows her an Instagram video of a female rapper. Cookie passes, calling her a “Cardi B minus.” But the background music gets Cookie’s attention, the male singer piping out his vocals has potential, so she has Porsha find him.

They find the singer, Devon, at a used car dump. He gives them a sample of his voice, which impresses Cookie greatly. She offers a spot for him at the Lyon Management, but there’s a problem—Empire’s new algorithm that searches for trending artists online got wind of Devon and set Becky (Gabourey Sibide) to court him for a deal. Cookie has Devon promise not to sign with Empire yet before she shows him what Lyon Management could do for him.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Becky Brings Devon to Empire, and they bombard him with all the latest technology they can use to make him a star. Kingsley shows him how they could turn him into the next R&B sensation that everyone will be hungry for, while Giselle tells him that they can make him rise to the ranks of Luther Vandross and the other R&B pillars. Devon is overwhelmed, but he thinks it’s not a good fit for him. But when Cookie showed him what they could do, Devon appears to be more interested in signing with them. He tells Cookie that his music comes from his heart, something that Cookie wants to build for Devon. He also shares how he loves his sister very much. Devon then decides to sign with Lyon Management, but he’s got to tell his sister about it first.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

That night, Cookie visits Devon’s house, but it’s his sister Janae (Daryn Harrell) who answers the door. Cookie then finds out about their family background—they lost their parents and Janae is suffering from an injured hip. She needs surgery, but they’re too broke even to afford it. Cookie sees the desperation that Devon’s only family has, so she leaves and returns to the mansion to call Becky. Cookie then asks Becky to do everything in her power to have Devon sign the Empire contract and give him a signing bonus right away. Lyon Management doesn’t have the resources to pay him yet, but Empire could provide for it easily.

Lucious the Reaper

As the Lyons struggle to get their groove back on, Lucious tries to figure out ways to shell out money for Lyon Management. Andre catches him getting ready for a street run and begs to come with. Lucious, however, won’t let him. It’s too dangerous, and he doesn’t want Andre to be sent to prison again. Lucious leaves and takes a gun with him.

Lucious arrives at a training gym to collect money from Sonny (Johnny Lee Davenport) but is surprised to see Andre there. Lucious then asks about his money, but Sonny says that it would take some time. Andre tries to strongarm Sonny, but Lucious shuts him down and trusts Sonny’s word. As they leave, Andre gets mad at how Lucious lost his ruthlessness. If word about his softening goes out to the street, the people who owe him won’t fear him anymore.

Lucious then heads over to Mike Battaglia (David Folsom), one of his “business partners.” Mike knew that Lucious is out collecting, and this tells him that Lucious is in dire straits. He refuses to give the money, so Andre intervenes. He shoots Mike’s knee and demands their money back. Lucious opens his safe and sees a meager amount of 2 grand.

That night, Lucious confronts Andre about his actions. “If we don’t make it clear to anybody who gets in our way, we will get what’s ours,” Andre says. Lucious has none of it and says that it’s only him who should be making sacrifices for their family. Maybe Andre’s time in jail made him lose sight of his worth? “I’m the one who put that fire in you,” Lucious says. “Let me show you how to control it.”

Kai Goes Missing

Jamal has breakfast with Becky in his flat. He tells her that Kai hasn’t contacted him or his newsdesk yet. It bothers him, but Becky tells him that it’s okay. Jamal remembers the time when he first met Kai. A random dude drugged Jamal’s drink in a London pub, but Kai offered his help and took the glass away as the paparazzi snapped photos.

Later, Jamal lets Hakeem (Bryshere “Yazz” Gray) listen to the song he wrote for Hakeem and remembers the day after Kai saved him from the bar. Jamal woke up to a tabloid article about him and confronts Kai about it. He thought Kai wanted this for publicity. But as a journalist, Kai was only doing the right thing and wanted nothing back from Jamal. He apologizes and asks Kai over for dinner. Back in Jamal’s flat, Kai’s editor drops by to tell Jamal that they haven’t heard anything from him in two days.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Night time comes, and still no word from Kai. Jamal again remembers their first dinner. Kai tells him about Dakar, Senegal, the best place that he had to go and cover the news. Jamal makes a beat out of Kai’s description, impressing him. The two then share a kiss. The next day, Kai went to Jamal’s place again to tell him that he is HIV positive, but it’s undetectable. He was afraid that this would make Jamal lose interest in him, but it didn’t. And so began their relationship.

Back in the present, Becky arrives at Jamal’s flat and sees him frantically searching for something. He then reveals that he hid an engagement ring and wanted to ask Kai to marry him. Becky calls the entire Lyon family to help deal with the situation. Jamal wanted to leave for Lagos to look for him, but Lucious drops the bad news from his contact at the State Department. Kai’s wallet and phone were found dumped at the side of a street, indicating that he’s either kidnapped or dead. Jamal breaks down in tears.

Pitfalls

Elsewhere in the episode, Hakeem tries to make things up to Tiana (Serayah McNeill) even though it appears as if she is falling for Blake (Chet Hanks). The two recorded a song (the one that Hakeem wrote about the shooting but Blake claims as his) together. When Tiana tells Blake that they should release it, he tells her that it’s a song that’s only for them to hear and perform together.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Giselle manipulates Kingsley into letting her stay as Empire’s COO. If Kingsley refuses, she’ll come out as a victim for the #MeToo movement. She then has her detective contact dig deep into Kingsley’s comings and goings and finds out that he’s been visiting Diana DuBois. Meanwhile, Kingsley passes Diana’s test when he snuck in the moisturizing cream in her cell. Giselle then visits Diana and asks for help to bring the Lyons down. Diana agrees and says that the Lyons need to know how it feels to put one of your own into the ground.

The episode ends with a frantic Lucious, five months after today’s events, looking around in panic with blood on his hands and clothes.

‘Empire: Love All, Trust a Few’ Overall Verdict

I like how Cookie’s good-natured side was shown in tonight’s episode of Empire. It’s something that we’ve known she always had, but never saw that much throughout the show’s five-season run. “Love All, Trust a Few” raises the stakes yet again as power plays and manipulative intentions are fleshed out, indicating something darker and a more threatening force for the Lyon family ahead. With Giselle colluding with Diana DuBois for a plan to take down Lucious once and for all, it remains to be seen how bloody this conflict would go. Nonetheless, tonight’s episode had a great narrative and a story that well-written into the fabric that makes Empire a show that roars with intense ferocity and ruthlessness.

Empire continues after the World Series Wednesday, October 31st, with “The Depth of Grief” at 8/9c on FOX. Watch the preview below: