As you toss the last of those Thanksgiving leftovers into the garbage, you may still have the feels from spending time with family during last week’s holiday. Either that, or those memories leave you drained. No, it’s not the tryptophan from the turkey. Of course you love them, but admit it: Sometimes they can be a lot, which brings me to the latest episode of Empire, titled “What We May Be.”

The sometimes shady business of dealing with family is the overarching theme of the episode, which had me gasping for air between laughs and tears. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, it's all there sprawled out like a twisted tree.

After Angelo gives Cookie an ultimatum — either she’s in or out, she decides she’s in and takes him back, then promptly allows him into her. Once the deal is sealed, the next item on Angelo’s list is to get Cookie back into the public’s good graces after her nude selfie leak. He decides it’s time for her to meet his mother. Every girl knows this is a big deal, but our Cookie is ready — especially after receiving a “how to be a society bitch” tutorial from her highfalutin sister Candace, complete with digs at our new FLOTUS’ plagiarizing skills. (Petty levels run high with Empire writers.)