Empire ended its spectacularly successful first season last night, which also means, sadly, that we’ll have to say farewell to Cookie Lyon for a few months. (Unsurprisingly, the show has already been renewed for a second season.) The matriarch of the fictional hip-hop dynasty has been the highlight of the primetime soap, brought to life by Taraji P. Henson’s incomparable, dedicated performance. After years spent enriching many one-dimensionally written roles, it’s great to see the veteran actress finally getting her due, as she acts circles around her co-stars on Empire.