After the last episode I was a tad bit worried what direction this episode would go. To my joy it returned the show to that perfect balance that makes this show unique. It gave a fair amount of time to every character and beautifully embraced the varying array of dynamics between the characters.
This was a big episode for Chloe as she continued on her journey of trying to uncover who Lucifer really is. Despite the fact the guy has been perfectly honest with her about his identity she just can’t accept it. Time and time again she has seen unexplainable things and still she just can’t allow herself to believe the truth. In this episode she saw Lucifer’s true form for a split second and for a brief moment afterwards I thought for sure the show was going to finally let Chloe embrace the truth. Alas it wasn’t meant to be as the show seems hell bent on making Chloe work for the right to accept Lucifer as the Devil. I appreciate the writers letting Chloe go on this journey but I hope they don’t stretch it out to long. In reality let’s be honest if someone told any of us they were the Devil it would be kind of hard to believe and we’d be trying to get them booked into the nearest insane asylum. In that way Chloe’s journey is very believable but with every passing episode I grow more and more anxious for Chloe to finally accept the truth. Her bullet wounding Lucifer definitely didn’t help that progress but when the day comes for her to truly accept the truth I relish seeing her reaction. I think Lauren German will do amazing things the moment Chloe finally accepts the big revelation of Lucifer actually being the Devil.
Lucifer for his part is up to his usual antics in this episode. I did rather enjoy how he broke into Chloe’s house and made himself some breakfast. At least this episode got the whole naked thing out of the way as they have now each seen the other in the nude. The way Tom Ellis played both encounters was brilliant and the way German played Chloe’s annoyance and embarrassment in both situations was hilarious. No one can play an awkward moment better than her and she nailed it here.
One of my favorite scenes from the episode was when Chloe sees Lucifer’s wing scars for the first time. The moment went from awkward due to his nakedness to sincere in a heartbeat. Chloe felt bad for Lucifer and was even a bit mesmerized by him but the moment she went to touch his scars he stopped her like a scared little boy. He may have instructed Maze to remove his wings but I think being without them makes him feel a bit vulnerable. It was so different to see this moment of pure sincerity from Lucifer as he pleaded with Chloe to leave them alone. He spent the entire episode up to this point trying to seduce her and then she gets close and they have this pure moment of connection and he threw up a steel reinforced wall and retreated back to his sarcastic self. It was fascinating to see this side of Lucifer and I do hope we see it again.
As I’ve pointed out before my biggest television pet peeve is when television shows forget they have injured a character. Not only did this show give Chloe an entire episode in a sling after her shooting but in this episode when she’s wearing the red dress at Lux the show took effort to highlight her gunshot wound scar. Continuity is a big thing for me and while the show had a minor flub in the pilot where they briefly forgot what arm Chloe got shot in they have otherwise been spot on.
I know some folks aren’t sure about Lucifer’s apparent transformation into a sort of mortal being but I think this taste of mortality will change Lucifer for the better. What I find most curious about this storyline is the why behind it. None of this started until he met Chloe who just so happens to be the only human alive to not be susceptible to his charms. This change must be tied to her somehow but the big questions are why and how. I look forward to finding out answers to those questions. In the meantime I would suggest Lucifer not encourage anyone to try and shoot him again for a bit. No matter how brilliant that scene was it was not one of his brighter moments. I get that he was trying to prove a point but perhaps next time he should do it with a less dangerous weapon just in case.
Lucifer’s foray towards mortality does not please Maze who just wants her boss to finally come to his senses so they can go home. I get the impression she loves to toy with humans but hates to live among them and she is ready to leave humans behind and go back to Hell. While Maze had some great stuff with Lucifer, especially her plea for him to go back to Hell after he was shot and bled, it was her stuff with Amenadiel that was the best. The fight sequence between them was fun and not to overdone. The face lick was perfect for her personality but what was the most surprising in that moment was the way Amenadiel reacted to it. His reaction was curious as he seemed caught off guard and generally unsure of how to handle the feelings Maze seemed to elicit from him. I really would like to know more about Lucifer, Maze, and Amenadiel prior to Lucifer taking off and leaving Hell to fend for itself. Some shows don’t need to utilize flashback but in the case of this show one episode of some backstory flashbacks would be fun. I’d like to see all three of them in full on angel and demon modes outside of the small flashes we get. Lesley-Ann Brandt and D.B. Woodside were brilliant in this scene and after this scene I would completely support some tryst between Amenadiel and Maze. These two actors have great chemistry together so I support any excuse to have them in more scenes together.
Trixie once again proved to be the voice of reason as she pointed out that Chloe shooting Lucifer must mean she likes him. While Dan isn’t a bad guy he is a major douche sometimes and I for one am not rooting for him and Chloe to reconcile their marriage. I do think that Trixie is right and her mom does have some embers of feelings just starting to spark for Lucifer. Based off of Trixie’s reaction I think she actually prefers her mom with Lucifer over her own dad which should tell us all something. We don’t know exactly what events led Chloe and Dan to separate but it was enough to leave an impression on Trixie to the point she actually wants her mom with someone else. I believe she loves her dad but this kid is ultra observant and if she thinks her mom is better off with Lucifer then we should all take note. As usual Scarlett Estevez dominated her scenes and the only complaint I have is the show doesn’t use her enough. I know there are child labor laws but surely the show can find a way to use her more. They’ve discovered a child acting protégé in Estevez and they need to start utilizing her more.
While I thought the episode could have done without Dan I did appreciate his reaction to seeing Chloe half naked with Lucifer in the kitchen. I also like how he accepted that Lucifer was their best way in on this particular case. He may not like him but at least he sees the value in Lucifer helping Chloe out. If I were Chloe I’d feel better with Lucifer at my side than Dan given how shady Dan sometimes seems. I can’t help but believe that when the show starts to go further towards the supernatural side that we’ll see Dan embrace some underlying darkness. When even his own kid seems to prefer Lucifer over him it should be a big clue to him that he needs to change some things if he thinks he has any chance of putting his family back together. For the record I don’t think the family will ever reunite and that will prove a catalyst to the creation of the darker Dan I expect we’ll start to see as the season goes along.
The case of the week was okay and played nicely into the narrative of Chloe and Lucifer’s back and forth but it was a tad predictable. I had the switch figured out fairly early on and was actually kind of surprised Lucifer didn’t figure it out when he met with the brother at the seminar. While the procedural part of the show is a key element some of the best moments for me come from when the show embraces its supernatural roots. That’s why the last episode didn’t really work for me but at least this week the procedural aspect helped propel the supernatural bits instead of holding them back.
Thankfully this episode was a big improvement from the last one. There is definitely room for more supernatural elements to be incorporated into the show but it is definitely on the right track again. Anytime Lucifer allows his Devil side to appear for a moment I get excited because it brings us one step closer to one day getting to see him go full on Devil. Surely I’m not the only person hoping for this because that moment would be quite epic.
Be sure to tune into the next episode on
FOX Monday, February 22nd at 9/8C. If you want to know what you can expect from the next episode be sure to check out my preview
here.
Hit the comments with your thoughts on this episode and let me know what you are hoping to see from the upcoming episodes. Do you prefer the supernatural or procedural aspects of the show or are you like me and like it when they are balanced together? What do you make of the Maze and Amenadiel encounter? Did you like Lucifer’s reaction to Chloe seeing his wing scars? What was your favorite moment from the episode?
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. If the show is sci-fi, fantasy, comic book based, drama, or action the odds are good she watches it or has at least watched a few episodes of it. She also has a love for comedies 2 Broke Girls and Mom. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
