Empire backdrop

Empire S2E18 — Past Is Prologue

7.8

Empire•Season 2•Episode 18

Past Is Prologue

7.8/10 · 382 votesMay 18, 201645 min

Ranked #15 of 18 in Season 2•−0.2 vs season avg

After a life-changing experience, Jamal refuses to make music until his family ends its seemingly endless cycle of violence and fighting. Meanwhile, the Feds are tailing Anika because they want to force her to testify against Lucious. In order to protect her family, Cookie organizes

Directed bySanaa Hamri

Written byLee Daniels, Ilene Chaiken

Previous episodeE17 · Rise by Sin Next seasonSeason 3

Seasons6

All 1 2 3 4 5 6

Season 2 Episodes18

The Devils Are Here still

The Devils Are Here

Without a Country still

Without a Country

Fires of Heaven still

Fires of Heaven

Poor Yorick still

Poor Yorick

Be True still

Be True

A High Hope for a Low Heaven still

A High Hope for a Low Heaven

True Love Never still

True Love Never

My Bad Parts still

My Bad Parts

Sinned Against still

Sinned Against

Et Tu, Brute still

Et Tu, Brute

Death Will Have His Day still

Death Will Have His Day

A Rose by Any Other Name still

A Rose by Any Other Name

The Tameness of a Wolf still

The Tameness of a Wolf

Time Shall Unfold still

Time Shall Unfold

More Than Kin still

More Than Kin

The Lyon Who Cried Wolf still

The Lyon Who Cried Wolf

Rise by Sin still

Rise by Sin

Past Is Prologue still

E18 7.8Now viewing

Past Is Prologue

Cast10

Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard

Lucious Lyon

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson

Cookie Lyon

Bryshere Y. Gray

Bryshere Y. Gray

Hakeem Lyon

Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett

Jamal Lyon

Trai Byers

Trai Byers

Andre Lyon

Gabourey Sidibe

Gabourey Sidibe

Becky

Grace Byers

Grace Byers

Anika Calhoun

Ta'Rhonda Jones

Ta'Rhonda Jones

Porsha

Kaitlin Doubleday

Kaitlin Doubleday

Rhonda Lyon

Serayah

Serayah

Tiana Brown

Crew3

Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels

Writer

Ilene Chaiken

Ilene Chaiken

Writer

Sanaa Hamri

Sanaa Hamri

Director

Discussion

0 comments

Join the conversation

Share your take and reply to other fans.

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this episode.

Episode Summary

"Past Is Prologue" is episode 18 of Empire season 2. It scored 7.8/10 from 382 votes, ranking #15 of 18 episodes this season (season average 8.0). Directed by Sanaa Hamri and written by Lee Daniels, Ilene Chaiken, it aired on May 18, 2016.

Continue to Season 3 Best of Season 2