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Empire is an American musical drama television series which debuted on Fox on January 7, 2015. The show centers around a hip hop music and Entertainment Company, Empire Records, and the drama among the members of the founders' family as they fight for control of the company. The series was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, and stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. The series' sixth and final season premiered on September 24, 2019,[1][2] and concluded on April 21, 2020.[3]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Viewers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||
| 1 | 12 | January 7, 2015 | March 18, 2015 | 5 | 17.33[4] | |
| 2 | 18 | September 23, 2015 | May 18, 2016 | 5 | 15.94[5] | |
| 3 | 18 | September 21, 2016 | May 24, 2017 | 23 | 10.37[6] | |
| 4 | 18 | September 27, 2017 | May 23, 2018 | 52 | 7.45[7] | |
| 5 | 18 | September 26, 2018 | May 8, 2019 | 68 | 6.38[8] | |
| 6 | 18 | September 24, 2019 | April 21, 2020 | 80 | 4.04[9] | |
Season 1 (2015)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Lee Daniels | Lee Daniels & Danny Strong | January 7, 2015 | 1AXP01 | 9.90[10] |
| 2 | 2 | "The Outspoken King" | Lee Daniels | Danny Strong & Ilene Chaiken | January 14, 2015 | 1AXP02 | 10.32[11] |
| 3 | 3 | "The Devil Quotes Scripture" | Sanaa Hamri | Ilene Chaiken & Joshua Allen | January 21, 2015 | 1AXP03 | 11.07[12] |
| 4 | 4 | "False Imposition" | Rosemary Rodriguez | Wendy Calhoun | January 28, 2015 | 1AXP04 | 11.36[13] |
| 5 | 5 | "Dangerous Bonds" | John Singleton | Malcolm Spellman | February 4, 2015 | 1AXP05 | 11.47[14] |
| 6 | 6 | "Out, Damned Spot" | Michael Engler | Eric Haywood | February 11, 2015 | 1AXP06 | 11.96[15] |
| 7 | 7 | "Our Dancing Days" | Sanaa Hamri | Attica Locke | February 18, 2015 | 1AXP07 | 13.02[16] |
| 8 | 8 | "The Lyon's Roar" | Danny Strong | Danny Strong | February 25, 2015 | 1AXP08 | 13.90[17] |
| 9 | 9 | "Unto the Breach" | Anthony Hemingway | David Rambo | March 4, 2015 | 1AXP09 | 14.33[18] |
| 10 | 10 | "Sins of the Father" | Rob Hardy | Eddie Gonzalez & Jeremy Haft | March 11, 2015 | 1AXP10 | 14.90[19] |
| 11 | 11 | "Die But Once" | Mario Van Peebles | Ilene Chaiken | March 18, 2015 | 1AXP11 | 15.82[20] |
| 12 | 12 | "Who I Am" | Debbie Allen | Danny Strong & Ilene Chaiken | March 18, 2015 | 1AXP12 | 17.62[20] |
Season 2 (2015–16)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "The Devils Are Here" | Lee Daniels | Danny Strong & Ilene Chaiken | September 23, 2015 | 2AXP01 | 16.18[21] |
| 14 | 2 | "Without a Country" | Dee Rees | Carlito Rodriguez | September 30, 2015 | 2AXP02 | 13.74[22] |
| 15 | 3 | "Fires of Heaven" | Craig Brewer | Attica Locke | October 7, 2015 | 2AXP03 | 13.10[23] |
| 16 | 4 | "Poor Yorick" | Danny Strong | Danny Strong | October 14, 2015 | 2AXP04 | 12.22[24] |
| 17 | 5 | "Be True" | Kevin Bray | Wendy Calhoun & Janeika James | October 21, 2015 | 2AXP05 | 12.28[25] |
| 18 | 6 | "A High Hope for a Low Heaven" | Mario Van Peebles | Robert Munic | November 4, 2015 | 2AXP06 | 11.68[26] |
| 19 | 7 | "True Love Never" | Sylvain White | Ingrid Escajeda | November 11, 2015 | 2AXP07 | 11.20[27] |
| 20 | 8 | "My Bad Parts" | Sanaa Hamri | Malcolm Spellman | November 18, 2015 | 2AXP08 | 11.34[28] |
| 21 | 9 | "Sinned Against" | Paul McCrane | Eric Haywood | November 25, 2015 | 2AXP09 | 9.21[29] |
| 22 | 10 | "Et Tu, Brute?" | Sanaa Hamri | Radha Blank | December 2, 2015 | 2AXP10 | 11.81[30] |
| 23 | 11 | "Death Will Have His Day" | Danny Strong | Danny Strong | March 30, 2016 | 2AXP11 | 12.46[31] |
| 24 | 12 | "A Rose by Any Other Name" | Michael Engler | Ilene Chaiken | April 6, 2016 | 2AXP12 | 11.34[32] |
| 25 | 13 | "The Tameness of a Wolf" | Paris Barclay | Attica Locke & Joshua Allen | April 13, 2016 | 2AXP13 | 10.11[33] |
| 26 | 14 | "Time Shall Unfold" | Cherien Dabis | Ayanna Floyd Davis | April 20, 2016 | 2AXP14 | 9.56[34] |
| 27 | 15 | "More Than Kin" | Sanaa Hamri | Eric Haywood & Malcolm Spellman | April 27, 2016 | 2AXP15 | 10.03[35] |
| 28 | 16 | "The Lyon Who Cried Wolf" | Millicent Shelton | Joshua Allen | May 4, 2016 | 2AXP16 | 9.39[36] |
| 29 | 17 | "Rise by Sin" | Paul McCrane | Ayanna Floyd Davis & Jamie Rosengard | May 11, 2016 | 2AXP17 | 9.81[37] |
| 30 | 18 | "Past Is Prologue" | Sanaa Hamri | Lee Daniels & Ilene Chaiken | May 18, 2016 | 2AXP18 | 10.88[38] |
Season 3 (2016–17)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | "Light in Darkness" | Sanaa Hamri | Malcolm Spellman & Joshua Allen | September 21, 2016 | 3AXP01 | 10.87[39] |
| 32 | 2 | "Sin That Amends" | Craig Brewer | Cherien Dabis & Carlito Rodriguez | September 28, 2016 | 3AXP02 | 9.65[40] |
| 33 | 3 | "What Remains Is Bestial" | Millicent Shelton | Diane Ademu-John & Eric Haywood | October 5, 2016 | 3AXP03 | 9.25[41] |
| 34 | 4 | "Cupid Kills" | Hanelle Culpepper | Matt Pyken & Attica Locke | October 12, 2016 | 3AXP04 | 9.27[42] |
| 35 | 5 | "One Before Another" | Mario Van Peebles | Joshua Allen & Carlito Rodriguez | November 9, 2016 | 3AXP05 | 8.15[43] |
| 36 | 6 | "Chimes at Midnight" | Sanaa Hamri | Cherien Dabis & Eric Haywood | November 16, 2016 | 3AXP06 | 8.39[44] |
| 37 | 7 | "What We May Be" | Kevin Bray | Diane Ademu-John & Malcom Spellman | November 30, 2016 | 3AXP07 | 7.84[45] |
| 38 | 8 | "The Unkindest Cut" | Dennie Gordon | Attica Locke & Jamie Rosengard | December 7, 2016 | 3AXP08 | 7.00[46] |
| 39 | 9 | "A Furnace for Your Foe" | Sanaa Hamri | Ilene Chaiken & Matt Pyken | December 14, 2016 | 3AXP09 | 7.58[47] |
| 40 | 10 | "Sound and Fury" | Craig Brewer | Eric Haywood & Carlito Rodriguez | March 22, 2017 | 3AXP10 | 7.95[48] |
| 41 | 11 | "Play On" | Benny Boom | Story by : Malcolm Spellman Teleplay by : Janeika James & Jasheika James | March 29, 2017 | 3AXP11 | 6.91[49] |
| 42 | 12 | "Strange Bedfellows" | Bille Woodruff | Matt Pyken & Attica Locke | April 5, 2017 | 3AXP12 | 6.35[50] |
| 43 | 13 | "My Naked Villainy" | Cherien Dabis | Joshua Allen & Jamie Rosengard | April 12, 2017 | 3AXP13 | 6.59[51] |
| 44 | 14 | "Love is a Smoke" | Tricia Brock | Diane Ademu-John & Cherien Dabis | April 26, 2017 | 3AXP14 | 6.31[52] |
| 45 | 15 | "Civil Hands Unclean" | Howard Deutch | Ilene Chaiken & Carlito Rodriguez | May 3, 2017 | 3AXP15 | 5.60[53] |
| 46 | 16 | "Absent Child" | Millicent Shelton | Attica Locke & Malcolm Spellman | May 10, 2017 | 3AXP16 | 6.32[54] |
| 47 | 17 | "Toil & Trouble, Pt. 1" | Craig Brewer | Diane Ademu-John & Eric Haywood | May 17, 2017 | 3AXP17 | 6.14[55] |
| 48 | 18 | "Toil & Trouble, Pt. 2" | Sanaa Hamri | Ilene Chaiken & Joshua Allen | May 24, 2017 | 3AXP18 | 6.94[56] |
Season 4 (2017–18)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | "Noble Memory" | Sanaa Hamri | Brett Mahoney | September 27, 2017 | 4AXP01 | 7.05[57] |
| 50 | 2 | "Full Circle" | Craig Brewer | Craig Brewer & Eric Haywood | October 4, 2017 | 4AXP02 | 5.89[58] |
| 51 | 3 | "Evil Manners" | Bille Woodruff | Matt Pyken & Carlito Rodriguez | October 11, 2017 | 4AXP03 | 5.93[59] |
| 52 | 4 | "Bleeding War" | Sanaa Hamri | Diane Ademu-John & Jamie Rosengard | October 18, 2017 | 4AXP04 | 5.65[60] |
| 53 | 5 | "The Fool" | Howie Deutch | Janeika James & Jasheika James | November 8, 2017 | 4AXP05 | 5.40[61] |
| 54 | 6 | "Fortune Be Not Crost" | Sanaa Hamri | Joshua Allen & Dianne Houston | November 15, 2017 | 4AXP06 | 6.05[62] |
| 55 | 7 | "The Lady Doth Protest" | Karen Gaviola | Matt Pyken & Eric Haywood | November 29, 2017 | 4AXP07 | 5.05[63] |
| 56 | 8 | "Cupid Painted Blind" | Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum | Diane Ademu-John & Carlito Rodriguez | December 6, 2017 | 4AXP08 | 5.68[64] |
| 57 | 9 | "Slave to Memory" | Sanaa Hamri | Joshua Allen & Dianne Houston | December 13, 2017 | 4AXP09 | 5.95[65] |
| 58 | 10 | "Birds in the Cage" | Craig Brewer | Craig Brewer | March 28, 2018 | 4AXP10 | 6.22[66] |
| 59 | 11 | "Without Apology" | Dianne Houston | Matt Pyken & Joshua Allen | April 4, 2018 | 4AXP11 | 5.57[67] |
| 60 | 12 | "Sweet Sorrow" | Eric Haywood | Eric Haywood & Jamie Rosengard | April 11, 2018 | 4AXP12 | 5.91[68] |
| 61 | 13 | "Of Hardiness is Mother" | Craig Brewer | Dianne Houston & Carlito Rodriguez | April 18, 2018 | 4AXP13 | 5.41[69] |
| 62 | 14 | "False Face" | Millicent Shelton | Story by : Diane Ademu-John Teleplay by : Janeika James & Jasheika James | April 25, 2018 | 4AXP14 | 5.34[70] |
| 63 | 15 | "A Lean and Hungry Look" | Bille Woodruff | Matt Pyken & Joshua Allen | May 2, 2018 | 4AXP15 | 5.28[71] |
| 64 | 16 | "Fair Terms" | Jussie Smollett | Dianne Houston & Jamie Rosengard | May 9, 2018 | 4AXP16 | 5.02[72] |
| 65 | 17 | "Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns" | Howard Deutch | Carlito Rodriguez | May 16, 2018 | 4AXP17 | 5.14[73] |
| 66 | 18 | "The Empire Unpossess'd" | Craig Brewer | Brett Mahoney & Joshua Allen | May 23, 2018 | 4AXP18 | 5.30[74] |
Season 5 (2018–19)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "Steal From the Thief" | Sanaa Hamri | Brett Mahoney & Dianne Houston | September 26, 2018 | 5AXP01 | 6.09[75] |
| 68 | 2 | "Pay For Their Presumptions" | John Krokidas | Yolonda E. Lawrence & Carlito Rodriguez | October 3, 2018 | 5AXP02 | 5.09[76] |
| 69 | 3 | "Pride" | Clement Virgo | Diane Ademu-John & Joshua Allen | October 10, 2018 | 5AXP03 | 5.15[77] |
| 70 | 4 | "Love All, Trust a Few" | Mario Van Peebles | Matt Pyken & Cameron Johnson | October 17, 2018 | 5AXP04 | 5.21[78] |
| 71 | 5 | "The Depth of Grief" | Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum | Janeika James & Jasheika James & Jamie Rosengard | October 31, 2018 | 5AXP05 | 4.23[79] |
| 72 | 6 | "What Is Done" | Jussie Smollett | Felicia D. Henderson & Thomas Westfall | November 7, 2018 | 5AXP06 | 5.01[80] |
| 73 | 7 | "Treasons, Stratagems, and Spoils" | Tamra Davis | Joshua Allen & Dianne Houston | November 14, 2018 | 5AXP07 | 4.89[81] |
| 74 | 8 | "Master of What Is Mine Own" | Dianne Houston | Matt Pyken & Yolonda E. Lawrence | November 28, 2018 | 5AXP08 | 5.03[82] |
| 75 | 9 | "Had It From My Father" | Sanaa Hamri | Diane Ademu-John & Carlito Rodriguez | December 5, 2018 | 5AXP09 | 5.04[83] |
| 76 | 10 | "My Fault Is Past" | Michael Goi | Craig Brewer & Cameron Johnson | March 13, 2019 | 5AXP10 | 4.40[84] |
| 77 | 11 | "In Loving Virtue" | Clement Virgo | Felicia D. Henderson | March 20, 2019 | 5AXP11 | 3.98[85] |
| 78 | 12 | "Shift and Save Yourself" | Dianne Houston | Matt Pyken & Thomas Westfall | March 27, 2019 | 5AXP12 | 3.97[86] |
| 79 | 13 | "Hot Blood, Hot Thoughts, Hot Deeds" | Gabourey Sidibe | Diane Ademu-John & Evan Price | April 3, 2019 | 5AXP13 | 4.12[87] |
| 80 | 14 | "Without All Remedy" | Craig Brewer | Jamie Rosengard | April 10, 2019 | 5AXP14 | 3.76[88] |
| 81 | 15 | "A Wise Father That Knows His Own Child" | Dawn Wilkinson | Yolonda E. Lawrence & Carlito Rodriguez | April 17, 2019 | 5AXP15 | 3.76[89] |
| 82 | 16 | "Never Doubt I Love" | Darren Grant | Joshua Allen & Thomas Westfall | April 24, 2019 | 5AXP16 | 3.77[90] |
| 83 | 17 | "My Fate Cries Out" | Paul McCrane | Janeika James & Jasheika James & Cameron Johnson | May 1, 2019 | 5AXP17 | 3.73[91] |
| 84 | 18 | "The Roughest Day" | Craig Brewer | Brett Mahoney & Felicia D. Henderson | May 8, 2019 | 5AXP18 | 4.09[92] |
Season 6 (2019–20)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 1 | "What is Love" | Sanaa Hamri | Dianne Houston & Brett Mahoney | September 24, 2019 | 6AXP01 | 3.31[93] |
| 86 | 2 | "Got on My Knees to Pray" | Mario Van Peebles | Matt Pyken & Indira Gibson Wilson | October 1, 2019 | 6AXP02 | 2.94[94] |
| 87 | 3 | "You Broke Love" | Howard Deutch | Yolonda E. Lawrence & Marcus J. Guillory | October 8, 2019 | 6AXP03 | 2.79[95] |
| 88 | 4 | "Tell the Truth" | Bille Woodruff | Jamie Rosengard & Michael Martin | October 15, 2019 | 6AXP04 | 2.74[96] |
| 89 | 5 | "Stronger Than My Rival" | Dawn Wilkinson | Janeika James & Jasheika James | November 5, 2019 | 6AXP05 | 2.48[97] |
| 90 | 6 | "Heart of Stone" | Sanaa Hamri | Teleplay by : Stacy A. Littlejohn Story by : Stacy A. Littlejohn & Thomas Westfall | November 12, 2019 | 6AXP06 | 2.60[98] |
| 91 | 7 | "Good Enough" | Gabourey Sidibe | Cameron Johnson & Evan Price | November 19, 2019 | 6AXP07 | 2.65[99] |
| 92 | 8 | "Do You Remember Me" | Ruben Garcia | Leah Benavides Rodriguez & Carlito Rodriguez | November 26, 2019 | 6AXP08 | 2.45[100] |
| 93 | 9 | "Remember the Music" | Geary McLeod | Matt Pyken & Indira Gibson Wilson | December 3, 2019 | 6AXP09 | 2.55[101] |
| 94 | 10 | "Cold Cold Man" | Sanaa Hamri | Dianne Houston & Jamie Rosengard | December 17, 2019 | 6AXP10 | 2.52[102] |
| 95 | 11 | "Can't Truss 'Em" | Clement Virgo | Michael C. Martin & Cameron Johnson | March 3, 2020 | 6AXP11 | 2.43[103] |
| 96 | 12 | "Talk Less" | Dawn Wilkinson | Stacy A. Littlejohn & Marcus J. Guillory | March 10, 2020 | 6AXP12 | 1.89[104] |
| 97 | 13 | "Come Undone" | Taraji P. Henson | Dianne Houston & Evan Price | March 17, 2020 | 6AXP13 | 2.64[105] |
| 98 | 14 | "I Am Who I Am" | Ishai Setton | Colin Waite & Paul Eriksen | March 24, 2020 | 6AXP14 | 2.72[106] |
| 99 | 15 | "Love Me Still" | Dianne Houston | Matt Pyken & Thomas Westfall | March 31, 2020 | 6AXP15 | 2.58[107] |
| 100 | 16 | "We Got Us" | Clement Virgo | Janeika James & Jasheika James | April 7, 2020 | 6AXP16 | 2.80[108] |
| 101 | 17 | "Over Everything" | Stephen D'Amato | Jamie Rosengard & Cameron Johnson | April 14, 2020 | 6AXP17 | 2.69[109] |
| 102 | 18 | "Home is on the Way" | Geary McLeod Bille Woodruff | Yolonda E. Lawrence & Michael C. Martin and Matt Pyken & Indira Gibson Wilson | April 21, 2020 | 6AXP18 | 2.94[110] |
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||
| 1 | 9.90 | 10.32 | 11.07 | 11.36 | 11.47 | 11.96 | 13.02 | 13.90 | 14.33 | 14.90 | 15.82 | 17.62 | – | 12.97 | ||||||
| 2 | 16.18 | 13.74 | 13.10 | 12.22 | 12.28 | 11.68 | 11.20 | 11.34 | 9.21 | 11.81 | 12.46 | 11.34 | 10.11 | 9.56 | 10.03 | 9.39 | 9.81 | 10.88 | 11.46 | |
| 3 | 10.87 | 9.65 | 9.25 | 9.27 | 8.15 | 8.39 | 7.84 | 7.00 | 7.58 | 7.95 | 6.91 | 6.35 | 6.59 | 6.31 | 5.60 | 6.32 | 6.14 | 6.94 | 7.61 | |
| 4 | 7.05 | 5.89 | 5.93 | 5.65 | 5.40 | 6.05 | 5.05 | 5.70 | 5.95 | 6.22 | 5.57 | 5.91 | 5.41 | 5.34 | 5.28 | 5.02 | 5.14 | 5.30 | 5.66 | |
| 5 | 6.09 | 5.09 | 5.15 | 5.21 | 4.23 | 5.01 | 4.89 | 5.03 | 5.04 | 4.40 | 3.98 | 3.97 | 4.12 | 3.76 | 3.76 | 3.77 | 3.73 | 4.09 | 5.58 | |
| 6 | 3.11 | 2.94 | 2.79 | 2.74 | 2.48 | 2.60 | 2.65 | 2.45 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 1.89 | 2.64 | 2.72 | 2.58 | 2.80 | 2.69 | 2.94 | TBD | |
Empire : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)
Audience measurement performed by Nielsen Media Research[111]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
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