A major character in Empire season 5 is going to die in the finale. The show's writers have hinted this just as much when viewers saw Luscious (played by Terence Howard) mourning by a casket in an earlier episode.
But if fans think that Jamal (played by Jussie Smollett) is going to meet his end in Empire season 5, then they might be in for more surprises. FOX confirmed via Entertainment Weekly that despite the actor's recent legal troubles, it is not Jamal who is getting killed off this season.
Empire executive producer Brett Mahoney also spoke withTV Guide just before Empire season 5 episode 11 aired and said that more clues about that mysterious death would be clearer. Mahoney also offered some hints about whose body was really inside the casket in the preview.
"It is not Cookie in the casket," Mahoney said. "It's also not Becky or Thirsty," the EP confirmed. Empire season 5 episode 11, which aired last Wednesday, March 20, showed Luscious and Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson) taking back ownership of Empire Records. But while this might be good news, the matriarch and patriarch of the Lyon family were in for bigger challenges.
As they try to regain the integrity and reputation of Empire Records, however, their issues also come to the fold with Kingsley (played by A.Z. Kelsey) in the middle of the crossfire. Their problems as a family were made complicated by the fact that Cookie is still reeling from learning that Kingsley is Luscious' biological son.
"What [Luscious] is going to find is that Kingsley kind of damaged Empire," Mahoney said. "Because of the data mining scandal, they have to win their fans back and win their trust back."
As fans have speculated, it seems to make sense that it's Kingsley who should die by the end of Empire season 5 since he brought nothing but pain and heartache. According to Cinema Blend, this might be a good thing for the show because viewers are not yet invested in the character as the new addition. However, Kingsley's storyline still makes for a very compelling drama so there's a good chance he could be sticking around, granting FOX renews the series for season 6.
According to Newsweek, Empire might be up for renewal since it's still the network's second highest-rated scripted drama series after 9-1-1. However, Smollet's fate is still up in the air, but he has been written off the final two episodes of season 5.
