I must admit to being fascinated by all the unexpected character moments throughout this episode. I thought this episode would focus mainly on the case of the week but instead it found this perfect storytelling balance where every character (except the again absent Trixie) was given great moments of character growth. This was the kind of episode that reveals how truly special
Lucifer really is. I’ve long argued that it is the supernatural aspect that makes the show standout from most other procedurals but in truth what makes it really explode off the screen is the characters. The show struggled some early on with focusing too much on the cases of the week but the back half of the season has been phenomenal.
I think it was an interesting choice for the show to force Chloe to have to work most of this case without the extra assistance of Lucifer’s gifts. I like that Chloe was forced to go it alone because it allowed her to show how amazing of a detective she is with or without Lucifer’s aid. She worked the case and appealed to the goodness in both Kyle (Michael Welsh) and Will (Dorian Missick) to help her stop Vanessa (Christina Chang) proving that while Lucifer does make things go faster she is very capable of getting the information she needs without his help. Still, they are an amazing team and at their best when working together as was noted during the takedown of Vanessa at LUX. This episode divided them for a bit and I think it only benefited the characters and the show to do so. Especially going into the final 2 episodes of the season I think this was important to explore so that the stakes will be all that much higher. It also gave Lauren German some great moments to play with as she guided Chloe through a lonely journey. She didn’t have Dan or Lucifer by her side and yet she never stopped pushing forward. I can’t imagine any other actress being able to bring this level of depth and heart to Chloe as German does.
I also loved Chloe’s admission to feeling vulnerable with Lucifer and German really sold the truth behind Chloe’s words. Chloe has been changing Lucifer throughout the season but the truth is he’s been changing her as well. The scene was beautifully lit and both German and Ellis both took a soft approach to their line delivery. It revealed that Chloe too is affected by her time with Lucifer and that’s interesting. All this time we were being led to believe it was only Lucifer being changed while it was in fact both of them. The question still remains as to why though. We’re still no closer to understanding what makes Chloe special or this partnership special. How does she make him mortal? I hope this is addressed in these final few episodes of the season.
For Lucifer’s part this was also an interesting episode for him as it allowed him to explore a different side to himself. As Chloe pointed out several times it was obvious Lucifer was doing good for all the wrong reasons but it is the thought that counts and he was trying. Even Dr. Linda tried to help him realize the error in his judgment but this is sort of a step in the right direction towards redemption. Tom Ellis was brilliant throughout the episode but I loved the way he portrayed Lucifer’s reactions to the various revelations throughout this episode pertaining to Chloe. The end scene was without a doubt my favorite as it is revealed that Chloe and only Chloe makes him mortally vulnerable. She is essentially his Kryptonite and any weapon in her hands could be deadly to him. I believe it is why she gives him such a rush whenever he does right by her. She is special in ways he doesn’t yet understand and now that he knows that I can’t help but wonder if it’s going to change their dynamic. Will he shy away from her or get closer to her to seek out the high he gets from helping her? On that same note he makes her feel vulnerable which I gather isn’t a feeling Chloe is to familiar with. I’m curious if these feelings of vulnerability will unite them stronger than ever or send them jettisoning away from one another in search of safer ground.
For Lucifer I hope he’ll start to rely on Maze a bit more again because his pushing her away is only leading her down a slippery path. She has spent several episodes isolated from Lucifer and while it’s been great to see her make new friends and open up to others the friendship between these two is an important part of the show. I think it has started to soften her just a bit and even though she’s become more closely bonded to Amenadiel I still hope in the end her loyalty to Lucifer will win out and she’ll remain loyal to him. He needs a friend, besides Dr. Linda, that he can talk to about all that is going on with Chloe. Maze doesn’t do anything without a reason so I suspect the bond she’s building with Amenadiel will be used to help Lucifer, but even that isn’t certain. With a lot of the characters in a state of flux almost anything can happen at this point.
Vulnerability was a theme of this episode and it seems to have found its way to Amenadiel and Maze as the former opens himself up. I must admit that I now officially want Amenadiel and Maze together, not because I want to see Maze completely betray Lucifer because I don’t, but because D.B Woodside and Lesley-Ann Brandt are so insanely brilliant together that it would be a pure shame to waste this level of chemistry. They have the kind of chemistry that most shows only pray they can find within two characters. In fact, every member of this cast has unheard of perfect chemistry with all of their scene partners. But Brandt and Woodside stood out in this scene with the ease they had together and how easily they bounced lines off of each other. Maze and Amenadiel bring out something primal within each other that seems to be a direct result of the amazing bond of their portrayers. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Brandt and Woodside have worked together before and the history they share really helps convey that Amenadiel and Maze have known each other for a very long time. It was also nice to see both Maze and Amenadiel be able to have a little bit of fun together. The car scene where Amenadiel’s wings crack the window was a brilliant visual and kind of funny too. It showed how vulnerable Maze makes him and I suspect that if he wasn’t allowed to drink then sex was probably something he was supposed to stay away from as well. I can’t help but wonder if Amenadiel getting involved with Maze could be his final step into falling from his Father’s grace. Though Amenadiel did unleash the psychotic Malcolm on Lucifer and so far no repercussions for that act have been revealed so Lucifer and Amenadiel’s Father is playing the long game right now. Whatever His plan is it seems to be increasingly complicated with an end that I don’t suspect any of us will be able to correctly guess.
Speaking of Malcolm, I was surprised to hear him tell Dan about his experience in Hell and how differently time moves there. That explains why he was so easily manipulated by Amenadiel. The stakes are high for him because if he fails he is likely destined for a fate that will make Hell look like paradise. The standoff between Lucifer and Malcolm was interesting especially when Lucifer gave him the coin. Absolutely no good will come from Malcolm being in possession of that coin and I believe this one decision has setup the show for the hinted at drastic shift being setup in the season finale. I also found it fascinating that it didn’t faze him at all when Lucifer revealed his true self. Malcolm really did go through a lot in his very brief time in Hell for that to not bother him in the least. That makes him all the more dangerous to Lucifer and everyone else in the show.
Dan is a jerk and I still don’t trust the man, but he could have just let Malcolm kill Lucifer and saved himself a lot of pain and suffering yet he actually tried to protect him and argued for Lucifer’s life. While I don’t foresee these two becoming friends anytime soon it was interesting to see Dan genuinely seem concerned when he found Lucifer on the ground. He did everything in his power to get free to save a man he seemingly hates which gave me some hope that there is a good heart hiding under the douche bag exterior after all. I am curious to find out where Dan goes from here. Does he try to win Chloe back again or does he focus on trying to right all of his wrongs first? Better yet, will he finally confess everything to Chloe and let her help him out of this mess? Going it alone certainly hasn’t helped Dan much in the past several weeks so maybe it’s time for him to change his tactics. He’s been listening to Malcolm blabber on about angels and demons then he saw Lucifer on the ground after being shot only to rise to a miraculous recovery. Surely by this point Dan must be starting to suspect Malcolm may not be entirely crazy. Could Dan and Lucifer one day find themselves working together? I’m very curious to see how Dan handles everything he’s seen and heard. I believe he may be closer to accepting the truth about Lucifer than Chloe is and at this point it’s anyone’s guess how Dan will handle such a revelation.
With all this talk about Dan I feel the need to talk about Kevin Alejandro for a minute. I’ve not been shy about voicing my dislike of Dan, even though he has become immensely more interesting as the Palmetto secrets have come to light, but Alejandro is doing some amazing work. One moment he makes me hate Dan and the next he makes me think this guy might have a chance at some redemption. A lot of that is the writing, but it is his acting choices that have helped the writers bring depth and heart to an otherwise easy to hate character. This isn’t an easy character to play but Alejandro has certainly earned his place on the show and worked hard to make Dan an intriguing character. I may not be a fan of Dan’s but I’m a fan of Kevin Alejandro because he is a very talented actor and I honestly can’t imagine anyone else being able to do justice by this character. I know he got the role in a last minute recast and based off of his performance I’m going to say it was a good choice on the part of the show to recast. I look forward to watching him take Dan on what promises to be an interesting journey into Season 2.
I also want to mention yet another beautiful musical moment from Ellis. I’m not familiar with the comics so I don’t know if the Lucifer of the comics was musical or if the writers saw what they had in Ellis and ran with it. No matter how it came to be I get excited every single time Lucifer sits at a piano or grabs a microphone. Tom Ellis has a gift for music that perfectly suits Lucifer and brings such a unique characteristic to the Devil. I hope the show never stops incorporating these musical moments because they are truly brilliant and so well executed that they always feel very organic to the moment.
This was a standout episode that I really enjoyed. All the actors were given great moments to portray and they nailed every moment. There wasn’t a single dull moment in the episode and even though I wasn’t surprised the wife was the murderer I enjoyed how they revealed the truth about her. I won’t say this was the best episode of the season but it is definitely in my Top 3 list. This show, along with a couple others, has finally cracked the secret that procedurals can indeed allow their characters growth and development. Far too many procedural shows depend on the cases of the week to propel the show when in truth it’s the characters that fans show up to watch week after week. I’m glad
Lucifer has realized that its characters are central to the story and it is them that drive the narrative. This show has brilliant writers and phenomenal actors and as long as they continue down there current path Season 2 will only be the first of many renewals in what promises to be a long running series.
This is the first review since the Season 2 renewal was announced, so let me just take a moment and congratulate the cast and crew. I can’t wait to see what amazing episodes they are going to deliver to us next season as the journey of Lucifer and Chloe continues.
Be sure to tune in to the penultimate episode of Season 1 on
Monday, April 18th at 9/8C on FOX.
Hit the comments with your thoughts regarding this 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.
