History YMMV / Empire

* BrokenBase: Given that the show is totally centered around what is essentially a ThereCanBeOnlyOne-type competition (well, for it's first season at least), it seems that this trope is an intentional part of its appeal. Each brother's storyline is presented (for the most part) with a high degree of objectivity, and each one has a decent case made for himself, which in essence encourages viewers to root for any one of the three without their pick being a designated "hero" or "villain". It also helps that each brother has a backer/mentor (Lucious for Hakeem, Cookie for Jamal, Vernon for Andre), and how you feel about ''that'' character will probably also influence which brother you're rooting for.

* WTHCastingAgency: Casting ''Creator/ChrisRock'' to play Frank Gathers, a drug lord who had only been spoken of in dreaded tones throughout the first season. When we finally meet him in the second season premiere, seeing Chris Rock in those chains totally killed the immersion. It was perhaps the first time Rock has ever done a 100% dramatic role (and a rather dark one at that), but because he's so distinctive as a comedian, it was impossible to take him seriously. [[spoiler: Though, he doesn't live past the first episode.]]

* AwardSnub: At the 5th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards, the show was nominated for both Best Drama Series and Most Bingeworthy Show (both losses to ''Series/TheAmericans'' and ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', respectively). However, the show didn't leave empty-handed as Creator/TarajiPHenson won Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Cookie Lyon.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Most of Delfi's dialog. {{Lampshaded}} by Lohkyn:

* AwardSnub: At the 5th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards, the show was nominated for both Best Drama Series and Most Bingeworthy Show (both losses to ''Series/TheAmericans'' and ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', respectively). However, the show didn't leave empty-handed as Taraji P. Henson won Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Cookie Lyon.

* OvershadowedByControversy: The show got hit ''badly'' with this in early 2019 when actor Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon) claimed to have been attacked by a pair of Donald Trump supporters in a racist and homophobic hate crime. There was a huge outpouring of support for the actor from the entertainment industry and even politicians who decried the attack. Then the case took a turn for the bizarre when, two weeks later, the attackers were discovered to have been a pair of immigrants from Nigeria who said Smollett paid them to pretend to attack him, resulting in Smollett being charged on multiple counts of having staged the entire thing as a publicity stunt because he wasn't happy with his salary and an angered backlash from former supporters. This hit the show's ratings hard, ending with Jamal being PutOnABus at the end of Season 5 and ultimately it was announced that the sixth season would be the last one.

* TheScrappy: Kingsley, who's character arc bounced around from taking down [[spoiler: his father's]] Empire, to being a part of the Lyon family, resulting in his [[spoiler: eventual suicide]]. It gets worse in the next season, where he [[spoiler: lingers as a figment of Andre's mind after receiving his heart (undoing all the character development Kingsley had in the last season, in the process), leading to him possessing Andre, which lead to some of the series' most narmful moments.]]

* WinBackTheCrowd: It's generally agreed upon that Lucious' AmnesiaEpisode, and Andre's in Season 4 was a good arc, which gave Creator/TerranceHoward something new to do as Lucious, and Andre's relationship with NYPD Agent [[spoiler: In his own mind, anyway]] Pamela Rose was well-received. Ultimately, it didn't last, as Seasons 5 and 6 were more divisive than ever.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Porsha jumped a subway turnstile and when ticketed, she gave her name as [[spoiler: '''Cookie Lyon''']]. [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity Oh, she got fired and then rehired.]]
** Cookie in "A High Hope for a Low Heaven": Hakeem is late for a meeting and she can't reach by him by phone...and is then sent video of him bound by duckedtape. The season up until this point Cookie has witnessed Tiana get robbed, a video threat sent to her company, and [[spoiler: a head in a box]]. '''You would expect''' her to take this as a serious threat and immediately react to it. '''Instead''' she brushes it off as Hakeem messing with her.
** Anika's plan to [[spoiler:push Rhonda down the stairs, resulting in her miscarriage]], would've worked flawlessly if she had simply [[spoiler:gotten rid of the shoes she wore when she committed the crime. It really didn't help that she wore them again ''right in front of Rhonda'', which was how she figured out Anika pushed her]].

* PlayingAgainstType: We've got [[Series/PowerRangersRPM one ex-superhero]] who's now a gay documentarian, and [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse another current superhero]] as a new artist on the label. Which (ex)superhero is gonna be next?

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Many fans of the show love Jamal's singing.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: When the main characters are all evil tyrants of varying selfishness and sadism, [[spoiler: and even the supposed innocent character turns out to be a monster too,]] this trope practically describes every single page.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Nearly every character in the series is a lying, cheating, backstabbing scumbag with the notable exceptions of Jamal ([[spoiler:until the ending of the first season sees him [[TookALevelInJerkass take a huge level in jerkass]]]]), and, surprisingly enough, Cookie (she may be spiteful and quick to anger, but she isn't dishonest). Lucious himself is an abusive, conniving [[spoiler: murderous]] crook. Given all of this, it's all too easy for this trope to set in. However, it is also noteworthy that there are several who are loving the show exclusively because of this. Hakeem does [[CharacterDevelopment take]] [[TookALevelInKindness a level in kindness]] as the first season progresses.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: When the main characters are all evil tyrants of variant selfishness and sadism, [[spoiler: and even the supposed innocent character turns out to be a monster too,]] this trope practically describes every single page.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Andre's story arc. Mental illness is still a taboo subject in the African American community, and Andre's character shows that it can afflict anyone regardless of race or class. Lucious and Cookie's reactions are not unheard of, with Lucious doing his best to hide Andre's condition and refusing to think of his son under those circumstances, and Cookie thinking it a "white people problem" and that all he needs is family love. She's heartbroken when she realizes that's not the case, and is later seen researching bipolar disorder.

** Andre's [[spoiler: Kingsley-induced]] breakdown is chock full of Narm, thanks to Trai Byers, who brings a glorious amount of HamandCheese to the scene.

** WinBackTheCrowd: However, it's generally agreed upon that Lucious' AmnesiaEpisode, and Andre's in Season 4 was a good arc, which gave Creator/TerranceHoward something new to do as Lucious, and Andre's relationship with NYPD Agent [[spoiler: In his own mind, anyway]] Pamela Rose was well-received. Ultimately, it didn't last, as Seasons 5 and 6 were more divisive than ever.