Empire‘s Andre is attempting a comeback after his massive bipolar breakdown on the ninth episode of FOX’s drama, and it’s not easy — or pretty. In a sneak peek video from the March 18 first season finale, Andre (Trai Byers), turns to his music therapist Michelle (guest star Jennifer Hudson) for badly needed help after he finds it too hard to show his face around the Empire offices.
“I tried to go back to work this morning. I couldn’t. I feel like nothing fits anymore — this suit and tie, these shoes — nothing fits,” Andre tells Michelle in this preview. Indeed, Andre is facing an uphill battle, having being rejected as interim Empire CEO by his father, almost committed suicide, and been forcibly admitted for a 48-hour psychiatric hold after a manic episode at his company offices.
As Byers explains, Michelle should continue to be a calming influence on Andre. “[Jennifer] brings a purity with her as an actress into the role of Michelle that connects with the purity of Andre. Her light shines onto his light, and her light combines with his light, and it showcases to Andre that he can potentially be in a way that steps away from the needs of Empire Entertainment,” Byers tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a beautiful thing [because] it seems that Andre could have gone any way but went the way of the family, which kind of buried him, and there’s so much more potential there.”
Watch Andre and Michelle’s latest impromptu “therapy session” in the clip above before Empire‘s two-hour season finale airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. (EST) on FOX.
