The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing Empire to end its series without a series finale episode.

In a statement to Shadow And Act, co-creators and executive producers Lee Daniels and Danny Strong revealed how the pandemic has made next week’s episode, “Home Is On The Way,” the last episode fans will see for the foreseeable future.

“We’re so proud of this show and of everything this incredible cast – led by Taraji [P. Henson]and Terrence [Howard]- and crew accomplished over six seasons. The episode airing on April 21 was never meant to be the series finale, but due to current events it will likely be the last one our fans will see for a while,” said Strong. “We had an ending for the series planned that we all loved, and hopefully someday we’ll be able to film it and give the series its proper conclusion. But we hope everyone tunes in to our last original episode, because the work done by our cast and crew deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible. Big thank you to Fox for being our home for these many years. And here’s hoping this isn’t the end!”

“The success of Empire and bringing the Lyon family to broadcast television will always be one of the proudest achievements of my career. This show is the definition of breaking barriers,” Daniels said. “Thank you to our incredible cast, especially Terrence and Taraji, along with our amazing writers and tireless crew, for all of their hard work and bringing this story to life. I think there’s more to do with these characters, and I’m heartbroken we aren’t getting to shoot the finale we wanted—at least not yet. But you know what they say in television? Stay tuned! To the Empire!”

“Home Is On The Way,” airing April 21 at 9 p.m. ET, will feature Cookie (Henson) reflecting on her rise to mogul status, and Lucious (Howard) realizes how much he actually loves her. According to the official synopsis:

In the midst of the Bossyfest launch and the fight to regain control of Empire, Cookie reflects on her life and the woman she has become. Lucious finds it impossible to deny his feelings for Cookie, while continuing to support Yana (guest star Kiandra Richardson) and her rise to stardom. When the Lyons face their biggest threat yet, Lucious prepares for the battle of his life and realizes that in the end, family is what matters the most in the all-new “Home is on the Way” episode of EMPIRE airing Tuesday, April 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

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Photo: FOX

 

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