Who wouldn’t want more cookies in their life? Or maybe a little more Cookie?
That may be something coming down the road for fans of the supernova music drama Empire, according to the cast and crew of the show at their panel at the TCA on Monday. Ilene Chaiken, Executive Producer of the series, hinted that as far as the story of leading woman Cookie Lyon goes, there might be more to come from her elsewhere, sans everyone else, Deadline reports.
This would be a spin-off of Empire, starring Cookie as her younger self, likely at the cusp of the building of the music company Empire. Fans know from the plot of the show now, in present time, that it was Cookie’s money that gave the business its start in the first place. It’s the money that also landed her in prison while her husband Luscious, who was just the lead musical talent at the root of Empire, became the king of it.
That means that this Empire spin-off would also include a younger Luscious in the heyday of his rapping career and his financial-criminal beginnings. The story might show young Luscious and Cookie in the spring of their relationship all the way through the fallout that locks Cookie away in place of her husband.
Of course, this is all apparently hypothetical. Chaiken refused to be firm on whether or not the spin-off, the story of which could be accomplished within the boundaries of the main show, might actually happen. But, fans of Empire shouldn’t sigh yet.
“There’s a good chance there will be a spin-off,” Chaiken said. “This show offers so many opportunities. Potential spin-offs with these characters? Sure!”
A lot of what the spin-off could do in depth will be seen quite a bit in this year’s third season anyway. After the events of season two, which resulted in Cookie finally walking away from Luscious in marriage and in contact, it would seem as though Empire might become a little strained. After all, if the two main characters aren’t speaking, the season could very well be a well-written game of telephone, or “tell him I said.”
Then again, according to Taraji P. Henson (who breathes life into Cookie Lyon in her role), saying “I’m done” doesn’t necessarily mean she’s really done.
Cookie, said Henson, might truly never be done with her murderous, greedy ex-husband. “Not unless she kills him,” she elaborated, maybe only partially joking.
This season might also bring some added tensions to that already embroiled relationship in the form of a man. The panel hinted that one Taye Diggs might serve as a new love interest for Cookie this season. And that’ll likely make Luscious a little jealous.
Overall, season three will show more of Cookie’s backstory than has ever been shown on Empire before. Her youth will be explored in detail, and it will fill in a lot of the gaps that casual mentions by the characters in the present just can’t do.
Season three of Empire airs this fall on Fox.