Lucious Lyon has lost control of the Empire—but when the show returns on March 30 after its painfully long winter hiatus, he'll do everything he can to get it back.
"The Lyons will do anything to get control of their company," executive producer Brian Grazer teased to E! News' Will Marfuggi on the red carpet at the show's Paleyfest panel. "But it's how it all goes down…"
We'll pick up immediately where we left off at the end of the midseason finale, with poor Rhonda (Caitlin Doubleday) at the foot of the stairs. Lucious (Terrence Howard) is reeling from losing control of his company to the scheming secretly married Mimi (Marisa Tomei) and Camilla (Naomi Campbell), thanks to a sabotaging vote from youngest son Hakeem (Bryshere "Yazz" Grey).
As we saw in the trailer for the show's return, it seems that Hakeem will find himself in charge of the music empire his father built—which does not leave dear old dad too happy. "It's the battle of Lucious against his sons," explains Yazz. "It's not just against Hakeem, it's against his sons. It's intense. It's the family. Without family, there's no Empire."
Star Gabourey Sidibe says her assistant character doesn't really have a horse in the race. "Look, Becky's still got a job down at the Empire," she teases. "As long as Becky's checks keep coming, none of this is any of her business!"
But she is excited for viewers to see something happen down the line: "While Lucious is making his moves and terrifying people all over the place—I can't even wait!—somebody from his past is going to come back and for the first time you're going to see Lucious scared," Sidibe promises.
Press play on the video above to find out what else we can expect when Empire returns to Fox for the second half of season two on March 30.