It was another struggle for the top on the Season 2 premiere of Fox’s smash hit, “Empire.”

The premiere drops viewers three months after the events of Season 1.

Cookie, Hakeem and Andre try to gain investors to bring down Lucious while Jamal struggles with the responsibilities of a CEO and the negative effects it has on his career.

Meanwhile, Lucious has adjusted to life on the inside and assists Cookie with a threat from the past, drug dealer Frank Gathers (Chris Rock).

The episode’s ratings were high, with 16.8 million viewers tuning in to watch.

While that number is a drop from the Season 1 finale, it is the second highest viewed episode in the show’s short history.

Early reviews of the season are impressive, showing a promising sophomore season for “Empire.”

This season’s premiere was certainly one of the better episodes aired, a strong start for the show.

Without going over the top, it brought just enough drama and shock to set up storylines for season two.

One of the strongest performances was Jussie Smollett’s character Jamal.

The actor has dug even deeper into the troubled character and brought out a darker side of Jamal that viewers did not see in season one.

Terrence Howard also gave a strong performance as Lucious Lyon, bringing out more of the gangster and exposing more of the violent side of Lucious that viewers had seen in Season 1.

While the episode and the acting were good, they bring an almost identical feel as Season 1: A struggle for power.

This time, the roles are reversed and Lucious is trying to get his company back. While it may work for a while, the theme could get old and cause viewers to lose interest.

However, that will not be happening anytime soon. The cast and writers have America hooked on “Empire” week to week.

“Empire” airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Fox.

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