"Empire" season 3 was previously renewed by FOX, and the previous season's finale episode suggests some interesting storylines for the upcoming installment.
During the finale, Anika (Grace Gealey) confessed to Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) that she was indeed the one who pushed her down the stairs. The latter wasn't really surprised by the confession because she already had an idea that it was Anika who caused her accident.
The two female characters' confrontation led to a massive brawl that left viewers hanging with regards to whether or not Anika and/or Rhonda would die.
In an interview with TV Line, showrunner Ilene Chaiken said that they already know which of the two characters would die in "Empire" season 3.
"I certainly know the answer to that question, but for the purposes of our conversation, what I'll say is it sure as hell looks that way. All we have to go on right now is the sound of that scream and the look on Andre's face - and that, for me, says somebody went over that railing. And it would be ludicrous to say that would be a survivable fall! We talked about how high up they are - and we agreed it was somewhere around 30 stories. Assuming one of those ladies went over, she's in for it," she said.
Meanwhile, Chaiken also opened up about Jussie Smollett's fate on the show. Just recently, the actor posted a cryptic message on Twitter saying that he's ready to pursue other projects. He also thanked the directors and producers of "Empire" for giving him the opportunity to be a part of its cast.
This post led fans to speculate that Jamal could either be killed off in the finale or he may no longer return to "Empire" season 2. On Wednesday night, it was revealed that Jamal survived his surgery. However, he also promised never to make any new music unless his entire family patches their issues with each other.
Talking about what Jamal said in the finale, Chaiken explained, "That was very symbolic and very much indicative of where we're going with Jamal. He said that and he means it."
"Empire" season 3 will return to FOX sometime this year.