By Montgomery Hill and Asia Wilson Staff Writers
On Thursdays, it was a usual ritual during this past season to hear, “Did you see ‘Empire’ last night?” in the halls of Communication & Media Arts High School.
If an individual did not watch “Empire,” then that person was likely to either receive a spoiler or be left out of the conversation by those viewers. The discussion of “Empire” has become a norm here at this school. Several statements have been made by student figures that including senior Courtney Lewis of the Drama Club that a fanatic-made play shall be held by CMA.
The new, popular TV series premiered and sensationalized many watchers. “Empire,” starring Terrance Howard, as Luscious Lyon; Taraji P. Henson, as Cookie Lyon; Jussie Smollett, as Jamal Lyon; Trai Byers, as Andre Lyon; Bryshere Gray, as Hakeem Lyon; and Grace Gealey, as Anika Calhoun; became one of the most watched television shows of its kind.
Raising the viewing rates of FOX Broadcasting Company, “Empire” has been internationally acclaimed. The show has become such a hit that the company decided to produce a season two.
The Empire craze can be confusing to some who have never viewed the series. Among other television shows that have launched, why is Empire so popular?
The show “has urban appeal with big corporations and can show how corrupt the industry can be,” senior Armani Canady said.
“It’s full of suspense, excitement, and surprises. It has the ability to keep you locked in and to have you on your toes at all times.” junior John Phillips said.
CMA marketing educator R. Henderson said: “They have really good writers. The lifestyles are cool. The music is awesome. It’s just the dialogue; the actors really get into character to the point that you really think the character is that person.”
However, it is not enjoyed by everyone.
Third-year ELA instructor, C. Stokes said: “I watched the first episode and I just saw the commercial start up. It entertains the same stuff off: sex, violence, drugs, and music.”
When asked to comment about the upcoming season, he said: “I am not going to watch the second season because it was written like a poorly written urban fiction novel: overdramatic and nonrealistic.”
“I feel like it’s too big of a show to be so new and it’s ridiculous,” senior Tiarrah Franklin said. “Somebody also told me that I might as well live under a rock because I’ve never watched it before and I refused to watch it.”
“I don’t watch it because it’s brainwashing the mind of the viewers to think that the industry is something that it’s really not,” senior Jamila Jackson said.
“I am very excited for the return of the show Empire by fox and also I can’t wait to see how Lucious gets out of this one.” senior Lawrence Brown said.
