Ep 17. Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns

Empire season 4 episode 17 titled "Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns" follows the tumultuous lives of the Lyon family as they struggle to regain control of their company and their personal lives amid deceit, betrayal, and unrequited love.

The episode begins with Cookie's rally to get the Lyons back in control of Empire and the protest against Eddie Barker's (Forest Whitaker) management of the company. However, Eddie uses his power to block Cookie's ballot, leading to a physical altercation between Cookie and one of his cronies. Meanwhile, Lucious (Terrence Howard) is busy trying to figure out who is leaking information about their plans to buy out Eddie from Empire.

As all of this is happening, Hakeem (Bryshere "Yazz" Gray) and Tiana (Serayah) are struggling to keep their relationship afloat amidst the chaos. Tiana is upset that Hakeem seems to be more concerned with his music and his feud with Blake (Chet Hanks) than he is with their baby and their relationship.

Andre (Trai Byers) is spiraling out of control as his guilt over killing his own father continues to haunt him. His relationship with Teri (Meta Golding) is also on the rocks as he struggles to be a good father to his daughter while dealing with his own mental health issues.

As the episode progresses, we see a power struggle develop between Eddie and Thirsty (Andre Royo) as they both try to gain control of Empire. When Eddie threatens to sue Cookie and the Lyons for defamation, Lucious decides to take matters into his own hands and pay Eddie a visit.

The episode ends with a shocking twist as one of the Lyons is hospitalized and a dark secret is revealed about someone's past. The Lyon family is left reeling as they try to pick up the pieces and move forward amidst the turmoil.

"Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns" is a thrilling and dramatic episode that showcases the complexities of the Lyon family's relationships, as well as the cutthroat world of the music industry. Viewers are left on the edge of their seats as they watch the Lyons fight to regain control of their company and their lives.