There’s something soapy and delicious about Empire.... But it’s a double-edged sword: Empire will either continue to be fun and splashy, while staying grounded and engaging, or it will flame out as so many primetime sudsers have before it, becoming too ridiculous for its own good.

In the larger sense, Empire is a music soap the way “Scandal” is a political soap, and it already has that same densely packed swirl of interlocking stories.

Like the Carringtons on “Dynasty” and the Ewings on “Dallas,” the Lyons play dirty and fight dirty. How far they go to control their musical Empire should be fun to watch. As long as Cookie’s the underdog, this show will have plenty of bite.

While the busy first hour scarcely has time to set a premise and lay down a beat, it promises all the glitter and heightened emotion its genre mashup implies, if it can keep its pathos from sliding into parody.

The pilot has a propulsive pop energy, and melodramatic swagger.

The script and direction could both use a jolt of crazy energy of the sort that made Precious so thrilling (or, if you didn’t like it, unbearable).

Derivative to the point of parody.... [But] despite the general lameness of the show, Ms. Henson is so convincing--and charismatic--you might just keep watching.

Empire takes everything epic, and anything that may appear in life( sexual proclivity, mental disease, etc.), and makes it better. If you're smart you will go on demand-free on demand-prime time shows-Fox- Empire and watch the entire season so you're prepared for next season. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Empire begins with this season 1, and it is rather a success. The show-buissness aspect coupled with the music and the problems of families come to add peps for the spectator. Empire is attractive yes, but gets lost in its different intrigues and leaves the viewer in the air as we can not follow the random decisions in a visual way of Lucious and Cookie Lyon.

When Empire came out of the starting blocks, it was glossy, soapy, dramatic and engaging and showed real promise.. Despite the larger-than-life character of Cookie, all that unfolded was feasible enough within this particular world. But as the season went on, it became farcical and ridiculously over the top. Season 2 is pretty much more of the same and then some; unrealistic plot lines, hyper-theatrical acting and unbelievable characters that I doubt the majority of viewers can relate to or connect with. Cookie is hilarious and a complete one-off and remains entertaining throughout. Entertaining, yes ,Believable? Absolutely not. Personally, I need characters I can relate to or at least envisage coming across. The real thing it has going for it is the music and singing/rapping. Some of the actors are super-talented musical performers and genuinely a treat to watch and listen to.

No one does nighttime soaps better than ABC, especially anything attached to Shondaland.. Empire feels more like a throwback to Dynasty and the original Dallas with cliched characters and story, at least in its pilot episode. The show need more than bling to make it watchable

This show plays to the broadest, basest stereotypes about black America. Combine that with such horrible writing that it makes a great actor (Terrence Howard) sound stilted and wooden. Even when it tries not to take itself seriously, the show misses the mark. Anyone else notice that in every police/FBI raid, every law enforcement official is white? More stereotypes playing to the lowest common denominator.