A new episode of Empire didn't air on Fox this Wednesday night, because the drama is on hiatus and has settled in for its long winter's nap. But fans who tuned in to the network anyway were in luck. Taraji And Terrence's White Hot Holidays is a one-night-only festive variety show hosted by Lucious and Cookie Lyon themselves. The one-hour special is crammed with special celebrity guests, from Henson and Howard's Empire co-stars Jussie Smollett and Bryshere "Yazz" Gray to R&B royalty like John Legend, Patti LaBelle, and Mary J. Blige. And even though pop culture's most infamous parents were a little busy with Saint West to stop by, your gracious hosts made sure they were represented. Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard poked fun at Kanye and Kim Kardashian West with a sketch called "Kim & Kanye’s Christmas Party."
In the sketch, Henson wears a black and white striped crop top and skirt, plus a comically large prosthetic to fill the ensemble out in the back. Howard puts on his best Yeezy with a black, sparkly hoodie and black pants. They imagine Kimye's holiday party as a high-profile affair, where TMZ cameras are given priority over guests. "Kanye" pronounces that their event is the "best Christmas party since the first Christmas party, when Jesus was there." They bicker about who's more famous and thus gets to rule over the party. ("This is my house." "But your house is in Kanye's universe.") "Kim" instigates a selfie, regardless of the fact that every thing that they're doing is being monitored by cameras and boom mics. "Kanye" even engages in party conversation with a lamp, which he confuses for potential collaborator Sia. ("This lamp is genius.")
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have known who Howard was playing without the over-the-top wardrobe. But Henson's Kardashian impression is more than passable. Maybe the writers can work it in to Cookie's repertoire if the second-time mom ever does show up on the show.
The Empire stars also switched up their usual dynamic to play a father and daughter in a "Night Before Christmas" skit. Henson, decked out in sock monkey pajamas and pigtails, waits up for her dad on Christmas Eve to ramble excitedly about Santa. Howard sports a bedazzled jumpsuit emblazoned with the logo for "Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie" (a real product and a nod to one of their guests) and accidentally spills the beans about the magic of Christmas in an effort to prove that Santa doesn't actually deserve any of the credit. The bit was a bizarre choice considering how Empire's audience usually sees the two actors interact, but ultimately it was sweet. And, just like in the Kim and Kanye skit, Henson did her best to sell it.
Taraji And Terrence's White Hot Holidays shows Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard in new light, but I'll always love them best as the hate-to-love-you pair of Lucious and Cookie Lyon.
Images: Frank Micelotta/Fox (3)
