‘Empire’ to Conclude Series Early, Nixes Final Episodes Due to Coronavirus
Empire will finish its run earlier than expected after it was revealed in the promo for its upcoming episode, “We Got This” — the show’s 100th — that only three installments remain in the sixth and final season.
“Get ready for the shocking final three episodes of Empire,” the promo’s voice over proclaims, revealing that the series will conclude with Episode 18, two short installments short of the originally planned season. After production was forced to shut down due to coronavirus, this development isn’t dissimilar to what other shows who didn’t wrap filming their seasons faced.
Early finales with episodes not originally intended to serve as such is a reality viewers have been forced to deal with. But despite Empire not reaching it’s 20-episode order, its 18th episode will still likely feature footage from Episode 19, according to Deadline which reports some scenes for the unfinished episode had filmed before production was halted.
Despite this small silver lining it’s clear that the intended finale episode will never come to fruition for fans of the Fox series. As viewers will recall, production on the final season was altered to accommodate the exit of former star Jussie Smollett after he allegedly staged a hate crime.
(Credit: Chuck Hodes/FOX)
It was previously confirmed that despite rumors of Smollett’s character Jamal returning, the actor wouldn’t reprise the role in the show’s final chapter. See the promo teasing the final episodes below and don’t miss Empire on Fox.
Empire, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Fox
