HOLLYWOOD—If you missed the Fox Wednesday night premiere of “Empire” starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, here’s a quick recap of what took place. The new hip-hop drama started off with Lucious Lyon, portrayed by Terrence Howard, owner of the Empire Entertainment Record Label Company.

Lyons is in the process of choosing one of his three sons to take over his company, due to his heart condition. At the same time, Lyons ex-wife Cookie, portrayed by Taraji P. Henson has been released from prison after serving 17 years for being caught with drug money.

Throughout the drama, the show travels back in time with Cookie and Luscious when they were together, giving an understanding as to why Cookie went to prison and why she is back to get what’s hers, a piece of the ‘Empire.’

As the story continues to unfold, it is later discovered that Cookie, invested $400,000 of drug money into the record label before she was incarcerated, and decides to blackmail Lyons in exchange for $5 million and management of their second oldest son Jamal.

Although the parents are at odds, their boys, who are actually men, are very close, each having a distinctive personality.

The eldest son Andre (Trai Byers), who is married, is doing everything in his power to take over the company duties as CFO, including persuading his mother to manage the middle son Jamal (Jussie Smollett), the real musical talent in the family, who is also homosexual.

The youngest, Hakeem (Bryshere Gray), who Lucious manages and favors the most, wants to be famous, but prefers partying than working.

The new series deals with family rivalries, blackmail, and money, which Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Both parents are determined to manage their two sons and gain success by releasing an album in the same year.

The show wraps its first episode with Lucious in the doctor’s office, finding out that his illness, ALS, isn’t getting any better, leaving him with less than 3 years to live. “Empire” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.