Imani Lewis

While still dealing with the repercussions of Hunter’s death, Star goes to great lengths to assure that the group gets a release date for their album. A frustrated Simone struggles with bullying and Alexandra moves in with Derek despite the hardships they’ve experienced. Meanwhile, Carlotta faces difficult decisions when it comes to managing the group, causing the STAR and EMPIRE worlds to collide as Jamal Lyon (guest star Jussie Smollett) is sought for advice.

Ayana is quickly reminded of the tremendous pressure she is under to make her family proud, when her father – a legendary music label executive – pays a visit to Midtown. Alex continues to be haunted by her lies to Derek; Star and Simone differ on how best to deal with Brody’s mysterious return; and Noah faces a tense encounter with the police during an event thrown by the label. Meanwhile, Jahil works on a plan to debut a new duo he’s discovered, featuring his nephew, Angel, and Ayanna’s assistant.

A rattled Star is reeling with emotions, while dealing with the sudden reappearance of her father. A huge opportunity for the girls to perform at the record label party is put into jeopardy after they react to learning that Ayanna has hired Rachel Wells (Paris Jackson) as the label’s new social media strategist. Meanwhile, Derek struggles with facing the truth about his fate; Carlotta finds a place of solace; and Cotton begins to bond with her father, Jahil, over their shared pain.

While preparing for an upcoming TV appearance with recording artist Noah Brooks (Luke James), the girls quickly learn that they will be singing backup instead of co-headlining the performance. Anxious for the girls’ next big move, Carlotta turns to the new A&R executive, Maurice (Lance Gross), for help on a new deal. Meanwhile, Jahil tries his hand at producing music, Cotton struggles with starting her new job and Star comes face-to-face with an unexpected person from her past.

Despite enjoying more time with Maurice, Carlotta’s family still remains her number one priority and she’ll let nothing stop her from protecting them. Things don’t go quite as planned during an interview that Midtown arranges for the label’s artists to promote the upcoming showcase, with radio hosts Headkrack and Da Brat. Meanwhile, Elliot is eager to take his relationship with Cotton to the next level; Jahil realizes he and Brody have a lot more in common than expected; and the love triangle drama between Noah, Alex and Star intensifies.