It takes a lot for me to stray away from reality TV. I don’t claim to have impeccable taste when it comes to the shows I watch, but one of my few exceptions outside of the reality genre is just too spectacular not to watch. I have been watching "Empire" since it premiered last year, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. It has it all: insanely attractive men, plot twist after plot twist and amazing music. However, the show would absolutely not be complete without its true star, a pop culture, fashion and, most importantly, the feminist icon named Cookie Lyon.

Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is a fierce, formidable character with too many incredible one-liners to keep track of. The series begins with Cookie being released from jail dressed in a truly game-changing leopard ensemble.

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Her backstory truly puts the woman she is into perspective. After a 17-year sentence for selling $400,000 worth of drugs to help kick start Empire Entertainment with her then-husband, Lucious, Cookie is intent on regaining her fair share of the company, and most importantly, respect. She doesn’t need to prove her worth. She demands that Lucious, and anyone else standing in her way acknowledge it.

Cookie is loud, ambitious, unapologetic and flawed, which automatically put her at a disadvantage when navigating a male-dominated industry. She manages, however, to show her softer, more relatable side through the love she has for her sons, and deep connection she has with Lucious, as dysfunctional as their relationship may be. I truly admire the passion she puts into her work and personal life, and how all of her idiosyncrasies and experiences have shaped her into the unparalleled matriarch that she is.

These are just a small handful of moments she solidified her position, in my eyes, as the most important female character on TV. (And why the season premiere on March 30 can’t come soon enough.)

1. When Lucious attempted to silence Cookie as she fought for her part of the company, but Cookie proved she is not one to be intimidated so easily.

2. When Cookie brought Lucious back down to earth in some of her most iconic words of wisdom.

3. When she delivered some cold, hard truth about differences in opportunity for women of color.

4. When Cookie told her son, Jamal, when he was a child that he would never lose her support despite his sexuality.

5. All the times when she never went back on that promise.

6. When she connected with her eldest son, Andre, despite his setbacks due to struggles with mental illness.

7. When her youngest son, Hakeem, attempted to give his mother attitude and insult her after all she went through to ensure his success.

8. When Cookie's confrontation with Hakeem’s kidnappers encompassed everything she is as a person.

9. Let's face it, this entire scene was life-changing.

10. Bonus: When Miss Taraji P. Henson proved to be just as much of a "bad-A" as her famous character after winning her well-deserved Golden Globe.