‘Empire’ season 2, episode 9 reaction: Talking surprising Jamal kiss and more

There were probably a few scenes on Wednesday night’s new episode of “Empire” that took people aback in one way or another, but none probably did it more so than seeing what happened with Jamal and Skye (Alicia Keys) near the end of the episode. These two musical collaborators had a brief romantic moment … but is it something more than that? Is a kiss more than a kiss? Is Jamal’s sexuality in question?

First and foremost, showrunner Ilene Chaiken assured Variety in a new interview that Jamal is gay, and this moment is not going to change that. However, she also did prefact that with the following:

“The writers were already breaking a story in which — shock of shocks — Jamal hooks up with a girl, after all he’s been through … It’s a conversation that happens among gay people about sexual fluidity — about being devoutly gay, if you will, but there’s a spectrum. There are some folks who aren’t attracted to people of the opposite sex at all, but there are some gay folks who sometimes do find themselves unexpectedly and momentarily attracted. Especially when you’re involved in a creative endeavor, those sparks can flare up because when you do something creative with someone and it really catches fire, there’s just nothing sexier.”

Ultimately, rest assured that this is a story that is going to heat up and continue to play a big role in the winter finale next week. Keys is slated to return for another appearance, so you have to assume that with that, the events of tonight will remain a significant subject of conversation.

If you do want to get some other news right now when it comes to “Empire,” just be sure to head over to this link to see our review for Wednesday night’s new episode! Also, you can sign up over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)