The term “sophomore slump” was coined because more often than not the second season of a show tends to be a narrative minefield. With the obligatory exposition-heavy first season out of the way, a lot of shows struggle to figure out how to steer their narrative into the future. I’ll admit that I was afraid for that fate for
Lucifer coming into this season. While I trust these writers and know how brilliant they are the track record of second season shows isn’t great. With that said there are always a few exceptions to every rule and this particular television season has seen several shows break free from the “sophomore slump” curse and Lucifer is definitely one of those shows. This season has been nothing but extraordinary so far. Each episode that these insanely brilliant writers deliver is better than the last. Week after week I find myself saying “that’s the best episode of the series” only to have to repeat those words again a week later. I keep trying to find something wrong just so I’ll stop sounding like a broken record, but these writers are making it impossible for me to criticize anything. The biggest criticism I have this week is that Amenadiel and “Charlotte” were absent from this episode, but I can’t even really fault them for that because this episode had so much going on their involvement in the story would have overcrowded it. All I have to say to these writers is bravo because they are turning out masterpieces weekly and I’m happy to keep sounding like a broken record if the tradeoff is getting to watch these phenomenal episodes each and every week.
The past few episodes have carried a heavy emotional focus on Lucifer and while this one continued his journey the burden of the heavy emotional stuff shifted to Chloe. As a result, the writers gifted Lauren German with some truly powerful moments. True to her talent, German didn’t falter in her performance at any point. That’s a testament to her incredible skill because this was not an easy storyline for her to bring to life. Every emotional beat she hit with exact precision as Chloe tried to make sense of the series of events that led to her blaming the wrong man for her father’s murder. From finding Joe Fields (Lobo Sebastian) murdered to when Tina Fields (Caitlin Stryker) barged into her house with a gun on her too when Chloe stood before the man who paid for her father to be murdered, all of those moments were perfectly executed by German. Her scenes with Trixie were very poignant as she tried to explain the kind of man her father was. Through her description, it was easy to imagine him bringing her that sandwich with a big proud smile on his face. German delivered one emotionally raw performance after another throughout the entire episode.
This particular story also allowed for
Lucifer to tackle flashbacks, and to be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with flashbacks. Most of the time I find them completely unnecessary or totally pointless, but there are those rare occasions where the writers smartly use them in a way that elevates the story instead of bogging it down. Thankfully, that was the case here, because the story had a much stronger emotional pull because the audience was allowed to see John Decker (Chris Payne Gilbert) and the immense love he had for his daughter. John was a doting father who wanted the whole world to know how proud he was of his little girl even if her big break was in a less than stellar movie. I was very impressed by Gilbert because he faultlessly captured the essence of the Decker name that German has created over the past season and a half. It could be because Gilbert is married to series star Lesley-Ann Brandt (Maze) therefore giving him extra insight into the series, but his performance made it feel like he belonged as part of this series. John Decker has been a presence in the series from the start, so it was great to finally have a face to put with him. I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Gilbert as Chloe’s father because I still believe there is a lot more to his story than we yet know.
It is evident how much of an impact John’s death had on Chloe because she is so much like him. From the way she interacts with people to even the way she moves it’s the mirror image of her father. Her mom might be a little weird, but at the end of the day, her parents raised an incredible woman with very strong morals. When she was in the living room with Deputy Warden Perry Smith (Alex Fernandez) tied up before her she could have so easily exacted her revenge on him. She quite literally had the Devil and a demon on her shoulders and still managed to make the right decision. The whole moment was intense made all the more powerful by the tears trickling down German’s face. Chloe was conflicted, she wanted to pull that trigger, yet chose not to. That single act took a ton of strength because no one would have blamed her had she pulled that trigger. I’m glad she didn’t though because this choice was very true to who she is as a character. I have to commend the blocking of the scene because they kept Maze firmly in frame standing just at Chloe’s shoulder throughout the entire scene. The little smirks of delight on Maze’s face and the look of eagerness on her face indicated what she wanted Chloe to do. It was a really creative way to show the dueling emotions Chloe was experiencing as she battled with the idea of committing a very dark act. I was impressed by Maze, though because she didn’t try and force Chloe to kill him. I think she would have preferred it if she had, but she didn’t try to really influence her. All around this was a great moment in the episode.
Chloe had a lot going on in her life throughout this episode, but she was never alone on this journey as her friends rallied to help her. The fact that Dan, Lucifer, and Maze were so quick to offer up their help was no surprise, but Ella’s involvement wasn’t expected, however, I ended up really enjoying watching her step it up to help her friend. Her friendship with Chloe is still in its infancy, but she showed how much she cares about her new friend by helping without even being asked to. She was already digging into the evidence before Chloe could even inquire about her helping. In fact, what she uncovered ultimately helped Chloe break the case open. The hug that they shared was a beautiful moment that really helped to solidify how much their friendship has evolved so far this season. Their hug also made me really want Ella and Chloe to go on some adventure together. I think they would be a fun duo to watch work a case alone together. The writers need to start giving German and Aimee Garcia more scenes together because these two have a really fun energy together.
One duo that has struggled, and is still struggling, to come to a mutual understanding is Dan and Lucifer. Oddly, at their core, these two have a lot in common. Whether they want to admit it, and whether fans want to accept it, the fact remains that these two men aren’t really all that different. They are both troubled souls who have done things they perceive to be bad yet they each felt they had to do them to protect the people they love. Each of them is broken and trying to find their place in the world. Neither of them truly has a grasp on their identities right now. They each envy the other thinking each has everything when in truth neither of them feels complete. And, probably most important to them finding their common ground, they both care a great deal about Chloe. Dan is a character that I still struggle to trust, but as the episodes start to delve more into who he is under all the bravado it’s becoming evident that most of what we saw from him last season was an act he put on while trying to protect his family. He can be a douche, but he is a douche that might actually not be all that horrible after all. I mean, if even Lucifer can find some semblance of understanding with him he may not be beyond redemption after all.
Everything about the interactions of these two characters was brilliant. Tom Ellis and Kevin Alejandro don’t get to work together nearly enough. Their characters usually exchange quips then go on about their business, so it has been a great deal of fun to get to see the dynamic between these two get fleshed out this season. It also provided us with the opportunity to see Ellis and Alejandro half naked, which means we all owe the writers a big huge thank you for permitting us to see just how insanely fit these two men are. This unusual pairing created some genius comedic moments as each of them at one point or another in the episode took on the identity of the other. Lucifer tried to be like Dan and Dan like Lucifer to the tune of brilliant hilarity. They even took it right down to the accents which were top notch by both actors. I was really impressed by both of their accent attempts which were on point. Their pairing was about more than just the comedic moment, though, because by the end of the episode they had both learned a lot from each other. Oddly enough, by trying to be each other, they found themselves. Lucifer learned that he is who he is and doesn’t need to become someone else in order to fit in with the human world. His issues are deep-rooted, but the struggle to get through them makes him the being he is. Dan is struggling to figure out who he is as a single man and felt that improve gave him an escape. All he can do is be a supportive friend to Chloe, a good father to Trixie, and a decent cop and in time his life will begin to come back together. While I don’t think Dan and Lucifer will be calling each other best friends anytime soon I do think that they bridged the gap between them. Should they have to work together in the future they are in a much better place to be a good team. I do believe that they would now consider each other friends, though don’t expect the douche nickname to go away anytime soon. Lucifer having a nickname for someone is kind of a bit of a compliment even if it isn’t necessarily a desirable name.
While everyone was off doing their own thing Maze was kind of left in limbo for a good portion of the episode. That’s not a bad thing, though, because like in real life moments of limbo can sometimes lead to the greatest revelations. It was nice to see her attempting to find a new job and struggling with that journey because it’s a very human thing to go through. From uncertainty can come clarity. Maze has been struggling all season to figure out her place in the group of humans she hangs around. From the moment she met Linda that friendship has anchored her to her new human filled existence. Through Linda, she has come to understand humanity in a way she never imagined she could. It is the importance of this friendship to Maze that made the fallout from Lucifer’s big revelation all the more heartbreaking. Maze came close to losing her closest human friend and it genuinely seemed to impact her. She was fighting to salvage that friendship by trying to help Linda see that the people she has come to know haven’t changed just because she now knows the truth about their identities. It was interesting, though because at the start of the episode she barged into Linda’s office yet by the end of the episode she was respecting the boundaries Linda set in place. This was a sign of how much Linda has helped her grow. Through their interactions, she has come to understand how humans cope with things. She knew that Linda would have to be gently nudged into accepting her new reality.
I wasn’t sure how the show would handle dealing with the fallout from the epic ending of the prior episode. I half expected Lucifer to be stalking after Linda trying to get her to talk to him. Though, I’m immensely glad that isn’t how it played out. Having Maze be the one to bring Linda around to the revelation of angels and demons seemed appropriate. Given all that Linda has done for Maze, it was nice to see Maze be able to do this for Linda. More than that, she did it in a very soft and gentle way. When they were talking through the door with their heads and hands resting against it the moment had a very intimate feel. It was a scene we normally only get to see between two lovers who have just had a fight. While we all know that Maze doesn’t discriminate in whom she hooks up with I don’t think there were any sexual undertones to this scene. This was just a nice tender moment between friends who are desperately trying to find a way to bridge a gap that developed between them by no fault of their own.
The performance delivered by Brandt and Rachael Harris were so beautifully done that it was impossible to not feel for the situation each character was in. They brought a friendly intimacy that highlights how important friends are in our lives. We can have intimate bonds with them without anything every having to be sexual. To a lot of people, their friends are just like their family. Maze jokes about seducing Chloe or even Linda at times, but in truth, I don’t think she actually means it. She has some of the same insecurities as humans and as such under all of her tough talk, she is truly afraid of doing anything to jeopardize these friendships. With all that said, I would absolutely not object to the writers surprising me and at some point hooking them up. Brandt and Harris have ridiculous chemistry that the show would be foolish to not exploit at some point down the road, but for now, I am enjoying the characters as just friends. While Lucifer and Chloe mean a lot to her neither of them means quite as much to her as Linda does. Linda was the first human adult to really believe in her. When Maze was lost after the season finale it was Linda she turned to. When she wanted to show off her first human paycheck she wanted to celebrate with Linda. They are friends and it was very appropriate that it was Maze who helped Linda find some semblance of understanding for what Lucifer showed her. Brandt made some brilliant acting choices in these scenes as she significantly toned down Maze. When Maze is around Linda she is considerably softer than when she is around anyone else, with the exception of Trixie. Now that Maze has eased Linda back into the world it’s going to be interesting to see how Linda reacts to those she now knows are angels and demons. Despite the fact that I still wish Chloe had been the first to find out I do have to admit that I do feel that the writers made the right choice. With everything going on these characters need a therapist now more than ever. Especially considering that Lucifer’s mom seems prepared to start making her intentions known in the coming weeks Lucifer will need Linda’s guidance more than ever. On the bright side, Linda now has a demons and angels specialty that no other therapist anywhere has, so her business should be booming.
This episode did an excellent job of starting to pull the core team closer together. Ella is now more involved as a friend in Chloe’s life. Dan and Lucifer have sort of set aside some of their issues with each other. Linda is in the know now about the supernatural beings in her life. And now Maze finally has her own storyline outside of being Lucifer’s friend or Chloe’s roommate. By making Maze a bounty hunter the show now has the opportunity to really delve into the physicality of the character and get her more involved in the procedural side of the story. For the past few weeks she’s been a bit of a tagalong character, but now the writers have given her something of her own to do that ties her directly into what the others do with the police department. I’m excited to see what comes next for all of these characters because the past few episodes have set up a lot of big things to come. This was a powerful episode that delved into a lot of very real emotions these characters are going through. They’ve had many meaningful cases of the week, but this one had the most personal meaning of any of them. This one was even more impactful than the case of who murdered Charlotte. We’ve been hearing about John’s murder since the pilot of the series, so to me, this was the best case of the week the series has done yet. From the flashbacks to the emotional conclusion this definitely became my favorite case the show has ever tackled.
As I’ve already stated this was an extraordinary episode overflowing with heartfelt moments and character evolution. These writers continue to impress me week after week with the intricate way they continue to craft the world the series exists within. Even if we don’t understand it in the moment every little thing that happens has a purpose even if it takes us, viewers, a few episodes to catch on. This is a show that requires the audience to pay attention and take note of even the small moments. The performers do phenomenal work bringing to life each script. With a full season to work with I’m excited to see what other brilliant things this gifted team has in the works to wow us with.
Do not miss the next episode of
Lucifer on
Monday, November 14th at 9/8C on FOX.
Hit the comments with your thoughts about this episode. What were your favorite parts? Did you enjoy Lucifer and Dan working together? Did you like the case of the week as much as I did?
