Empire

Ever since I was a young man, I have mourned the era of the nighttime soap opera.  Oh sure, every once in awhile, a show would come along that would have the spirit as those old Aaron Spelling classics (Dynasty, Melrose Place, etc.), but none have truly managed to capture the right balance of camp and high drama.

That is—until Empire.

For the first time in years, a show has come along that seems urgent enough to require that you actually be home to watch it.  It lingers in a perpetual state of “jumping the shark” and yet pulls back from the edge every time.

And Cookie—where do I even begin?  It’s like somebody took the love child of Joan Collins’ Alexis and J.R. from Dallas and gave it to Amanda Woodward to raise.  If there’s any justice in the cultural Universe, this show will run for years.

Or at least until there’s a wedding in Moldavia.