Midway through its second season, Empire continues its reign, remaining one of the most-watched and talked about shows in recent memory. This week, the show's creator Danny Strong gives us an peek inside the royal Lyon family: revealing how he "discovered" the reason Lucious can't trust Andre; detailing the revolutionary diversity of the writers' room; and explaining why the show's total craziness all stems from ten minutes of Kanye YouTube interviews.  What was your favorite moment of the season? Get at us on Twitter @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC.   

The Sanfords. The Jeffersons. The Cosbys. The Winslows. The Banks's.  And now the Lyons. In this special Thanksgiving episode, we talk about family: specifically, the evolution of the black family on television. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans tells us about his first encounter with the Evans family on Good Times, and explains why Lucious, Cookie, and their three sons might be a new thing in the TV world.  What do you think? What did you eat? Get at us on Twitter @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC.  Subscribe to Empire Afterparty on iTunes.

The first season of Empire pulled no punches when it came to addressing social issues pertaining to black families and hip hop culture. And one of the biggest plot-lines was Jamal’s: the talented middle Lyon child who is spurned by his dad because he's gay. But Season Two has by and large ignored this provocative throughline. We ask writer Michael Arceneaux why that is. And what does that mean? What do you think? Get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC! Subscribe to Empire Afterparty on iTunes.      

Much has been made of the fashion on Empire. But the show's visuals are stunning across the board — not just the costumes, but also the sets, and especially the visual art that decorates seemingly every surface. Walking through the Lyons' world is like taking a stroll through a gallery of contemporary art from black artists. We talk to one artist, Toyin Ojih Odutola, whose piece featured prominently in the season two premiere, and explore what it means for TV's biggest show to highlight modern black artists.  Tell us about your favorite art on the show! And get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC! Subscribe to Empire Afterparty on iTunes. A Kehinde Wiley painting conspicuously graces the wall of Lucious Lyon's estate. (FOX)    

That scene where Cookie takes Lyon family dinner to-go? Lucious's reaction to Jamal's coming out? Anika's killer dance moves? Tyler Menzel is the guy behind the GIFs. Maybe he didn't make them himself (though he's made plenty), but his company Giphy is responsible for the wild proliferation of these compulsively meme-able, shareable images. We find out why Empire is the most GIF-able show on TV, and Tyler shares some useful GIFs for everyday moments.  In the studio with @giphy's @tylermenzel talking about #Empire gifs! #GiphyCam @jozenc @WNYC pic.twitter.com/EHMGDi136Q — Empire Afterparty (@EmpirePodcast) October 21, 2015 Send us your favorite Empire reaction GIF; get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC. Subscribe to Empire Afterparty on iTunes. Here's a handy GIF for when... ...someone plays you a song that you really hate but they really like: via GIPHY ...you’re standing in line at the checkout and you're not sure if your card is going to go through: via GIPHY ...someone you don’t like walks into the room:  via GIPHY ...you see the person who owes you money, spending money: via GIPHY