How Did ‘Empire’ Season 3 End? Recap Before Season 4 Premiere

“Empire” Season 4 is set to premiere on Wednesday and while fans are ecstatic that the Lyons are back, the family’s return will be riddled with twists and disruption.

Before tuning into Season 4 on Fox, refresh your memory by taking a look back on how “Empire” Season 3 ended.

In “Toil and Trouble, Part 2,” when viewers last saw the Lyons, things were very complicated for the family. Tensions were running high as Andre (Trai Byers) and Shyne (Xzibit) were plotting to murder Lucious (Terrence Howard) who wouldn’t hand over Empire which Andre felt he deserved.

Meanwhile, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) was still stewing over Jamal’s (Jussie Smollett) decision to head to Las Vegas with Lucious and hold off on releasing his album, “When Cookie Met Lucious,” so his father could showcase “Inferno” in Las Vegas without the two projects having to compete for the spotlight.

Although Cookie is focused on her anger, Jamal admits that he is also worried about Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) who hasn’t seemed the same since his daughter Bella went missing. The youngest Lyon even started a “Free Bella” movement, meanwhile, Anika (Grace Byers) is acting surprisingly calm for a mother whose daughter is missing.

Hakeem shares his suspicions about Anika’s behavior but Lucious assures Hakeem that Bella is safe. Cookie also explains to him that women have a certain strength that holds them together in times of overwhelming circumstances.

Later on, Anika receives a phone call from Leah (Leslie Uggams) who tells her to come get her mail, which includes divorce papers, at the mansion. While there, Anika packs up her belongings and takes all of the diapers even though her daughter is missing.

Looking at the envelope containing the divorce papers, Anika begins to tear it open but Leah suggests using a letter opener just in case there is a check in there. Anika then uses the same letter opener Leah used to kill Tariq (Morocco Omari).

Anika then heads to another home where she enters as if she belongs there. It is revealed that it is the Dubois home and not long after her entry, Hakeem is pounding on the door demanding to be let in.

After being allowed in, Hakeem tells Diana Dubois (Phylicia Rashad) he’ll do anything to see his daughter again. Diana sees this as an opportunity to bring the Lyon family down and tells him to wait to hear from her so she can tell him what he is required to do.

In Las Vegas, Charlotte (Eva Longoria) warns Lucious and Giuliana (Nia Long) to make sure their Vegas debut goes off without a hitch. She explains that she doesn’t want a repeat of the night Tupac Shakur was shot and her father lost his job as the gaming commissioner.

While Lucious prepares to make history, Andre is going over his plan to kill his father with Shyne. Andre insists killing Lucious is the only way to take over Empire and Shyne introduces him to an explosives expert who is working out the final details of Lucious’ demise.

Lucious and Giuliana are later seen signing the official papers for the casino’s gaming license when Cookie shows up. Lucious informs her that she will be allowed to attend the premiere of the “Inferno” show but will not have access to go backstage. Seemingly hurt by Lucious choosing Guiliana over her, Cookie leaves.

Elsewhere, Jamal is in New York where he meets and flirts with a handsome lawyer Warren Hall (Terrell Carter) who has a beautiful voice.

Sometime later at the Leviticus Vegas debut, in typical Cookie fashion, the matriarch heads backstage to wish Jamal good luck as Shyne gets his team into place to follow through with the plan to kill Lucious.

Spotting Cookie backstage, Lucious, who is followed by Giuliana, approaches her. Giuliana is more than ready to throw Cookie out but Lucious begins to explain that his club and his money is for his children and for the woman he loves. He then reveals that Cookie has always and will always be the love of his life.

Although Giuliana reminds him that half of the casino belongs to her, he informs her that the papers she signed for the gaming license were actually documents that gave away her share of the company.

All along Lucious has been plotting to get revenge against Giuliana who stole $10 million from him years ago. It is then revealed that “Inferno” won’t be the Las Vegas show and instead Jamal will do a residency for “When Cookie Met Lucious.”

Cookie quickly calls off Shyne’s plan to ruin Lucious but that doesn’t mean the Lyons are out of the woods just yet. It is revealed that the handsome lawyer who flirted with Jamal is Angelo Dubois’ (Taye Diggs) cousin.

Hakeem later lies to his family and tells them that Bella is safe at Anika’s parents’ house. Meanwhile, Anika is seen in a luxurious hotel room where Leah calls her informing her that there is more mail at the house. Leah then asks if she should forward it to Anika’s hotel and she agrees, giving her the address. Soon after, the authorities arrive and arrest Anika for Tariq’s murder.

Elsewhere, Lucious and Cookie bask in their rekindled love and they gather their sons, revealing that they will be stepping down from Empire. Lucious then tells Andre he will be handing Empire over to him and he admits it’s something that he should have done a long time ago. He also praises Andre for all of his hard work.

Emotionally accepting his new role as the head of the company, Andre tells Shyne that the plan to kill Lucious is off but Shyne wants to follow through with it anyway. Andre then rushes to warn his parents to get away from the car.

Although Lucious is able to push Cookie to safety, he is hit by the blast of the exploding vehicle.

Three months later in a hospital room, Lucious is in a coma where his nurse (Demi Moore) is a little too affectionate with her unconscious patient for Cookie’s taste. As Cookie and her sons head out to leave, Lucious begins to wake up. Cookie informs him that they are there for him and the nurse explains he is surrounded by family but Lucious does not recognize anyone.

That’s right, the king of the Empire has amnesia and there is no telling how the family will move forward.

“Empire” Season 4 premieres on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT on Fox.