'Empire' Midseason Premiere Recap: Hakeem Does It His Way

— -- In the midseason premiere of "Empire," viewers learned the answers to questions they've had for months.

Cookie sat in the dark and waited for Hakeem to return home after all the corporate drama went down. She ended up doing anything she could to get him to take back his vote to uproot his father as head of the company.

Lucious and his henchman Thirsty Rawlins were thrown out of his office by Camilla, accompanied by police.

Rhonda did lose the baby -- which was supposed to be the new heir to the dynasty. She told Andre she doesn’t believe in God since her unborn baby didn’t live. He tried to comfort her.

Anika -- aka Boo Boo Kitty -- consoled Rhonda in the hospital, insisting that there will be another “heir.”

Camilla convinced Hakeem to ditch Flora in order to become CEO. But, he had real feelings for the young Latina. He even became the first person to have sex with her on her brass bed with Jesus on the crucifix hanging over them.

Cookie cooked up a plan with Lucious to try to take Camilla “out from the inside” of Empire. He then launched a mission to intimidate board members, which included cars exploding, dead cats swinging from the doorway and an old-fashioned daylight beat-down.

Hakeem is now doing a lot of drinking. Jamal tried to talk some sense into his little brother, reminding him that being CEO of the company isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be.

Cookie and Jamal shared a moment outside the hospital about his sexual fluidity. She playfully slapped him and told him to get his “gay back” and make sure he keeps the support of gay rights leader Jamieson.

At the board meeting, Hakeem jumped on the table and cockily told fearful board members that Empire is his birthright and he has everything it takes to be the head of the company.

Once in the power seat, Hakeem was convinced by his mother and two brothers to make a deal for Lyon Dynasty Records. Cookie also wanted to be the head of A&R for the entire Empire roster.

Camilla warned Hakeem of the move but he has a soft heart for his family.

In the final scene, Lucious met with Hakeem in the same place he killed Bunky. He handed his youngest son the gun to shoot him so he wouldn’t have to kill him afterward. Hakeem refused to do it, telling his father, “I don’t have to do what you want.”

As he walked away, Lucious yelled, “Watch your back baby boy. I keep my promises.”