Continuing our Lucifer season 5 episode-by-episode review, it’s time to move on to the second part of this half’s storyline.
This post contains spoilers. Each episode contains spoilers to that episode and any episode before it. In order to avoid spoiling the season, the episode reviews are separated by episode – do not read reviews for episodes you haven’t watched yet unless you don’t mind spoilers.
To read the reviews of episodes 1-2 click here.
Episode 3 – “¡Diablo!”
Lucifer show runners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson said they intend to open up everything in season 5. They certainly have.
In a way, this episode was a typical Lucifer episode: a murder mystery; Chloe and Lucifer (the real this time, thank dad) working the case together; Lucifer hearing what he wants in his conversation with Linda… typical. And yet, between the groundbreaking reveals and the emotional stakes, this was hardly a typical episode.
This was such a packed episode that I find it hard to decide what to focus on first. There was Chloe’s attempt at handling the fact God made her for Lucifer; Michael possibly manipulating Lucifer since the beginning of time; Maze’s abandonment issues finally coming to light; not to mention, the hilarious case (with all of its clever meta-jokes). And this episode was constructed so cleverly that only now that I’m thinking about everything that’s happened I’m seeing just how much has happened.
Much like the episode itself, I’ll start with Chloe’s discovery (courtesy of Michael). There was something truly heartbreaking about the mixture of hope and fear on Chloe’s face as she told Lucifer about Michael’s reveal, hoping he’d say that, too, was a lie. It actually felt a tiny bit like that scene in the end of Love Handles (2×12), when Lucifer found out the very same thing; a wish it wasn’t true, a hope it wasn’t true, followed by pain and confusion as they realise it was true. And for Chloe, this must’ve been significantly worse. Because it was more than just her feelings or her actions being manipulated; it was her entire existence. I can’t pretend to know what that feels like, but what I do know is, if I were Chloe, I definitely wouldn’t have dealt with it this calmly.
And it needs to be said, she did. For someone who’d just been told she wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for a certain Devil, she went about her daily life in an extraordinarily usual way. Although you could certainly tell it rattled her, even before she burst in the end. It was clear in the way she handled the case; in the way she’d tried to make sense of the crew’s (and mostly the actress who played Dancer) motives and actions; and in the questions she asked Ella about free choice and pre-determined destiny.
It’s interesting, because for the most part, the one we’ve seen processing things through cases was Lucifer. That was his main way of understanding things, of finding answers to questions he was struggling with. But over the past three episodes, we’ve seen Chloe do that quite a bit, too. I could be wrong, but other than a few cases (Candy Morningstar immediately springs to mind), I don’t remember Chloe bringing her own feelings into a case. I guess this comes to show just how rattled she is; so much so that she can’t separate her feelings from her job. Understandable, given what she’d just found out.
Honestly, I really hoped she’d find some peace working the case, especially with the way she and and the actress playing Dancer seemed to connect. It was interesting to see how Chloe’s feeling of powerlessness was reflected in that actress; despite Lucifer and Lieutenant ¡Diablo! being so utterly different, meta-Lucifer (Chloe and Lucifer’s real lives) and meta-Lieutenant ¡Diablo! (the show’s behind-the-scenes) have actually been fascinatingly similar. I really hoped that similarity would allow Chloe to see what we already know: that her life was real; that her and Lucifer’s relationship was real. And honestly, that might’ve been the most difficult thing about this episode: seeing Chloe this lost and in so much pain. Particularly in her argument with Lucifer in the end; the depth of her pain when she said, ‘… and then… I find out that I was made to feel that way.‘ brought tears to my eyes.
And it was made worse by the fact we all know she was wrong, but then also… that this is a process she has to go through on her own. Because we’ve had two and a half seasons to process this, haven’t we? We’ve all doubted it was real when Lucifer found out and went through the same doubts; we’ve all understood how he was trying to protect her by pushing her away; and we’ve all known (significantly earlier than Lucifer himself, mind you) that this is real. I wish Lucifer brought up the length he’d gone to in order to get Chloe to move on, or the way she couldn’t stand him when they first met; if those aren’t proofs it’s real, I don’t know what is. I really hope he tells her at some point.
Speaking of Lucifer, he had quite a bit to deal with, too, didn’t he? Between everything happening with Chloe and the return of his ‘dickhead brother’ (to quote him), our favourite Devil has had his hands full. As said, Chloe’s discovery very much reminded me of the Love Handles / A Good Day to Die / Candy Morningstar trio, and it was beautiful to see how different Lucifer’s handling of the situation was. Granted, he’d made quite a few mistakes there, but on the whole, facing the issue head-on is always better than running away. Particularly since this time around, he was trying to actually listen to Chloe and understand what she needed. All of which comes to show how much he’s grown over the past couple of seasons.
And one of the most beautiful things about this whole ordeal was how you could actually feel how difficult it was for him. You can feel just how much it hurt him, being so far away from Chloe after finally returning from Hell. The pain in his voice as he admitted, ‘I spent thousands of years in Hell imagining our reunion. Getting my partner back, getting… getting you back. And now… I just thought it would go differently.‘ was heartbreaking. And in a way, it was exactly what we’ve all been thinking after the past 15 months. Maybe that’s why it was so easy to just feel Lucifer like that; to feel his pain and longing and desire for things to go back to how they were. (For the umpteenth time, the Deckerstar dream is taken away from us… thank you for that, Michael.)
I’ll admit I didn’t expect the Lucifer vs Michael fight to be this… meaningful. When the trailer came out, I was a bit wary about the whole Twin-Brother storyline. I think I even wrote in the first part of season 5A’s reviews how happy I was that the whole I’m-Michael-pretending-to-be-Lucifer thing didn’t last long. But after I wrote it, I found myself wondering, ‘now what?’ Clearly Michael has a role in this season; what could it possibly be? I think this Lucifer vs Michael scene may have given us an answer to that. Or at least the beginning of one.
So first thing’s first: it was absolutely thrilling to see Lucifer giving Michael the beating he deserved (and I would’ve loved to see the behind-the-scenes of that scene). But the things said during the fight were actually significantly more important than the fight itself (fun as it was). The reveals – or lies? – of that fight were significantly more important.
Over the past four seasons, we’ve seen Lucifer discovering himself; figuring out who he was by his own definition, rather than his father’s or history’s. After last season’s massive reveal (remember Super Bad Boyfriend and Save Lucifer?), I was wondering what could come next for him. Of course, Lucifer’s return to Hell seems to have set him back as far as his personal growth goes; his claim that Diablo’s self-loathing was far fetched shows that quite clearly (you’ve literally said the same last season, Lucifer). But I have to say, never in a million years would I have thought both of these questions – about Michael’s role and about Lucifer’s identity – would be answered together, and in such an earth-shattering way.
If I’m being honest, I’m not sure we can actually believe Michael’s words. Lucifer wasn’t either, although he later became convinced it was true; Michael’s claim he’s been manipulating him clearly taps into Lucifer’s worst fears and insecurities. He’s never felt worthy of anything; we’ve seen how deeply he believes he’s a monster (season 2’s Monster and season 4’s Save Lucifer instantly spring to mind). So the thought that the rebellion, his L.A. vacation, almost everything life-changing he’s ever done of his own free will is his brother’s job… that’s not “putting the cards on the table”; it’s more “flipping the table and everything on it”.
As said, Michael could be lying – I’m not entirely convinced he’s not – but if he’s telling the truth for once… this has a massive affect on who Lucifer is. Of course, Lucifer is so much more than these few decisions Michael mentioned, but those decisions were an important part of Lucifer’s life; of the man Lucifer became. Lucifer seemed to think Michael was telling the truth, but then, we know Michael uses people’s fears, so it’s entirely possible Lucifer is blinded by his own insecurities (not for the first time). But then, if it is true… what does that mean about Lucifer? What does it mean about the way Lucifer sees himself? Which parts of Lucifer’s life weren’t manipulated by others (be it his father, his mother or, apparently, his brother)? That worries me. But I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Now, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but up until this episode, Maze’s and Dan’s behaviours seemed a bit… odd. And I wasn’t particularly thrilled about that. But if there’s one thing I’m really happy about in this episode, it’s the explanation we got from both of them.
Lucifer wouldn’t agree, but I’m actually glad Maze attacked him. I think she needed to have that argument with him; she needed to hear that he didn’t abandon her, but let her live her own life. She needed to hear he would’ve been thrilled to have her with him. I know that doesn’t change how that felt to her – particularly after Eve – but I think she needed to hear that to be able to process things. And it was wonderful to see her do just that with Linda later on.
I wonder where the abandonment issues Maze has come from. When Linda said it’s usually the result of someone important letting you down in your youth, it reminded me of one of Maze and Eve’s conversations in season 4: Eve saying she completely forgot Lilith was Maze’s mother, and Maze replying, ‘So did she‘. From the things Maze said in that conversation, it was clear Lilith hadn’t been a good mother to her; no wonder Maze has been struggling with close relationships. It explains so much, really; not only about Maze’s current behaviour, but also about the previous times we’ve seen her spiral. It was good to get that explanation, and I hope we’ll dive deeper into it over the course of this season. Hopefully enough to get her back on the right side (I don’t like the way she’s drawn to Michael, not in the slightest).
As said, I was happy we got that explanation for Dan, too. His scene with Lucifer explaining why he’s acting the way he is was just beautiful. We all know Lucifer’s right and we have very little control over our lives; that’s part of being human, I suppose. But after season 4’s anger, Dan seems to have taken it to the best possible place: improving his reactions and the way he treats things. I loved how openly he admitted it was all pointless, probably, but that’s what he needed, and that’s all that matters. It’s such a beautiful way to look at things. And it comes from real honesty about himself, about where he is; that’s no easy thing to do. Not in the slightest. Dan has certainly come a long way since season 4. And I’m glad he has.
Now, Lucifer probably wouldn’t admit it, but he desperately needs a certain sense of control over his life. He desperately needs some positivity in his life, particularly with everything that’s happening with Chloe. And now with it all blowing up, he desperately needs someone to see through his anger into the pain and insecurity he’s trying to hide. Dan seeing that in him shows just what a process he’s gone through. All of that, I’d imagine, is why he managed to reach Lucifer the way he did, and can I just say, it was wonderful to see.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about how hilarious the case was. I was looking forward to this episode from the moment the writers mentioned it, and it absolutely lived up to the expectations. With so many easter eggs and meta jokes (read TVLine’s article for more details about those), it was bound to be brilliant. And it certainly was. Not to mention, seeing what I’m assuming is season 1’s Lucifer’s view of things again (aka what became Lieutenant ¡Diablo!)? Completely off, missing all the important things (which is very season 1. Lucifer), and absolutely hysterical. Just… well done. Absolutely well done.
Bonus: Dan and Lucifer acting out Lieutenant ¡Diablo!. Everything to do with ¡Diablo! was pretty hilarious as it is, but that scene? Just… comedy goals. And it was so lovely to see Dan and Lucifer getting along so well again. It really was weirdly adorable.
Questions: Was Michael telling the truth? If so, what does it mean about Lucifer? What is the secret he’s hiding from Maze? Will Chloe come to understand that everything she is and everything she’s done and felt is real? How are Deckerstar going to get through that (because they have to)? Why does Linda think she’s going to Hell? And what’s going on with Maze?
Final Score: 8.5/10. Beautifully balanced (in terms of comedy-drama), full of hilarious meta-jokes and easter eggs, and fairly emotional. A couple of moments felt a bit slow, though, and there were moments that ¡Diablo! felt a bit… too much. But on the whole, it was a really good one.
Episode 4 – “It Never Ends Well for the Chicken”
In theory, this seemed like a really cool episode. Noir detective story (with some gorgeous footage), seeing some of the characters in different roles… so far so good. In practice, though, I think it’s easily the weakest episode of season 5 so far.
In a sense, it felt disconnected. Maybe this story could’ve worked better if it wasn’t right in the middle of another, hugely emotional story. Maybe this story could’ve worked better if it wasn’t focused almost entirely on one main character (Maze). I don’t know; it’s possible. What I do know is that it was extremely difficult to pretend everything was fine in the present and just jump head-first into a whole separate story. And the way I see it, that was the main reason this episode didn’t work.
Now, of course I was happy to learn more about Maze’s origin – especially with the way it clearly affected her over the past two seasons. Of course I loved seeing Lucifer and Trixie hanging out; Trixie Morningstar scenes (as they’re called in the fandom) are just to die for. Of course it was amusing seeing the actors we know in slightly different roles, and it was hilarious seeing all the inside jokes. But the fact that this episode was completely disconnected from almost everything happening around it was simply impossible to ignore. It reminds me of season 3’s City of Angels?; while it was a lovely episode on its own, coming after the whole Cain reveal, it felt a bit like a very unneeded stretch. (Which is exactly the reason it took me a couple of season 3 rewatches to actually enjoy it.)
So first thing’s first. There was something pretty cool in the whole black-and-white-noir-detective-story idea. And there was something pretty funny about watching the actors we love doing completely different roles. I was so thrilled to spot Tricia Helfer’s name in the credits, and I was even more thrilled to actually see her in the episode. Admittedly, it’s not how I thought they’d bring her back (they said it would happen this season), but it was still wonderful to have her back. And I never thought I’d say that, but she and Lauren German pulled off the 1940s-married-couple dynamic beautifully.
And as said, it was good to learn more about Maze’s backstory. We don’t really know much about Lilith – except for what Maze said – but watching this episode, it’s fairly obvious she wasn’t really fit to be a mother. Clearly, she still had her own issues to deal with, and it seems like instead of making her children immune to those, she only passed these issues on. This probably sounds like judgement, and I’ve been trying very hard not to judge her throughout the episode, but… it’s hard, knowing how deeply it affected Maze.
In that, by the way, Lucifer and Maze are extremely similar. They’ve both been neglected by their parents; they’ve both taken it deeply to heart. We’ve seen a lot of similarities between Maze’s behaviour and Lucifer’s, and I think we finally know why. They both carry similar scars, don’t they?
It’s interesting that if it weren’t for Lucifer’s move to Earth, Maze wouldn’t have found out; but I suppose socialising opportunities in Hell are pretty limited and you don’t know how much you’re missing until you’re faced with it. And that’s certainly not something Maze would’ve had to face in Hell. But I’m glad that Maze sees that now; I think her friendship with Linda made her stronger, in a way her mother wouldn’t understand. And if you’re reminded by Linda telling Maze in 3×23 (I think) that love doesn’t make her weaker but stronger, you’re not alone.
And I was glad Maze tracked her mother. I’ll admit I didn’t even think that Trixie was asking about the ring for a specific reason, but once we saw her and Maze in the elevator, the entire episode suddenly made sense. And to me the episode actually felt a bit better, even being stuck in the middle of some really important stories. To be more precise, I was glad there was a reason for this particular story, and as said, I was glad Maze confronted her mother. I wish she’d let herself truly get angry with her mother, but I know these processes take time. At this point, it was good to see her asking those questions and expressing her emotions in the first place.
So to me, that was one of the things that held this episode. I’ve said before that I’m a bit worried about where Maze is headed; I’m glad they’re exploring her life and who she is. A lot of things make more sense now. So there was certainly value in telling this story about her mother, and it was certainly needed given how she’s behaved in the past couple of episodes.
The other thing that held this episode was, as said, Lucifer and Trixie. I would’ve loved to see more of that, actually, but I’m thrilled about anything we get. I love seeing how much they adore each other (although Lucifer would never admit it), and I absolutely love their banter-y dynamic. Similarly to her mother ,Trixie brings out something different in him; with her he’s gentler and more… father-like, almost. He even enjoys these quiet nights in – including story time (although, again, he’d never admit it).
And honestly, I’m just happy to see Trixie around again; I really missed her in season 4. There’s just something about her that makes it almost impossible not to love her. And the emotions and behaviour she brings out of Lucifer and Maze? Simply beautiful.
Of course, it was clear Jack and Shirley’s story was meant to reflect, in a way, what’s happening in the present. And it would’ve probably been interesting to see Chloe’s reaction to it, given everything she feels right now. But I do hope that if they could make it work – if things went the way Trixie pictured them – then maybe Lucifer and Chloe can get through this, too. I believe in Deckerstar. (It was funny to see how little Lucifer thought of it at the time, though; the way he reacted when he was the one getting set up was quite different.)
There was one last thing I was wondering about, though. When Lucifer told Lilith that it would take a miracle to get him to create emotional intimacy with a human… was that a foreshadowing, or an idea? Was it just a reference from the writers to everything happening in the present, or was that what gave God the idea of doing it in the first place?
Bonus: That Lilith/Lucifer duet. Lesley-Ann Brandt’s and Tom Ellis’s voices are so beautiful together; it was just perfect. (Funny thing is, I watched it and said I wish we’ll get it as an audio; an hour later Tom Ellis announced they finally have an official soundtrack.)
Questions: What’s going to happen with Maze? Will she confront Lucifer (for hiding that from her) or her mother again?
Final Score: 7/10. It was an interesting idea and there was some pretty amusing moments, but it didn’t quite work where it was. Trixie/Lucifer and Maze’s backstory basically saved this episode.
Episode 5 – “Detective Amenadiel”
What an emotional Deckerstar rollercoaster this has been.
To quickly recap: Chloe learned about herself and the nature of the ‘gift’ she has; Lucifer (finally) learned a valuable lesson about shortcuts; Amenadiel got to play detective and we got some lovely Chloe & Amenadiel scenes; Dan and Lucifer partnered up, giving us the adorable bracelet buddies (I can’t stop laughing); we finally learned the truth behind Linda’s fears; and we even saw a bit of Maze trying to process her pains and issues. Pretty impressive for 54 minutes.
I understand Chloe’s anger with Lucifer, and even more so, her conflict over her emotions towards him. While most of what we’ve seen in episode 3 was suppressed (or less so) anger, in the time between ¡Diablo! and Detective Amenadiel, things seem to have changed slightly. At least, it seems that Chloe started processing what she’d learned. In this episode, she wasn’t angry with him for hiding it from her; when she got angry, she was angry she was created for him to begin with. It seems a bit unfair that she’s directed that anger towards Lucifer, but I suppose we’re all human after all. But the truly interesting thing is that alongside that anger, we’ve seen some important questions: who is Chloe? How much of who she is, how much of what she feels, is just God’s manipulation?
If it sounds familiar, it’s because in a way, it is. These questions aren’t so different than the questions Lucifer himself was asking in earlier seasons. Granted, their situations are different (as Chloe pointed out), but there’s a certain similarity between them nonetheless. Both of them felt powerless in their lives; both of them felt manipulated by God; and both of them asked those very same questions about their identity thanks to His manipulation. Interestingly enough, Lucifer is actually probably the one who could understand Chloe’s feelings the most, but I understand why she wouldn’t talk to him when she’s torn between her love for him and her doubt and confusion about how real it was. I’d imagine it hurt too much.
Now, I know Chloe’s preferred solution was to avoid the whole thing and deal with anything celestial some other time, but I’m glad it didn’t happen. And I’m even more glad she teamed up with Amenadiel. Apart from the fact I love their dynamic (their 4×05 scene was beautiful, and the scene when he told her she’s inspiring was beautiful; they seem to have grown pretty close and that makes me so happy), I think he was exactly the help she needed in order to make sense of it all. I’m glad she could ask him the questions she had, and I’m even more glad he had answers – or at least, theories – to some of those. I think Chloe needed to hear all of that to understand just how real it all was (it was), and how much control she has over her life (she does).
As for the theories: while the vulnerability thing was fairly obvious (it happened right after he was emotionally vulnerable with her for the first time, and we’ve known for a while that Angels control their own bodies), the reflection and the gift theories were interesting to hear. They very much felt like what Dan had been describing: finding this one piece of the puzzle that suddenly puts everything in place. I mean, it was obvious the reason Lucifer and Chloe connected in the first place – the reason Chloe could reach him at all – was because she wasn’t affected by his mojo; but the intricate way in which it works, at least in Amenadiel’s theory, is kind of new. And it absolutely made sense of, well, everything.
And the funny thing was, Lucifer seemed to have realised it, too. The moment Chloe told him about the vulnerability theory, his first instinct was to laugh it off. But he saw the sense in it almost instantly. And it’s interesting, not only because of the clarity it gives Lucifer himself, but also because of the way he reacted the last time around; when Amenadiel told him about his theory that Angels have that control over themselves, Lucifer mocked the very idea it could be under their control. He only realised Amenadiel was right when his brother flew Charlotte to the Silver City, in A Devil of My Word (3×24). But this time he saw the truth in Amenadiel’s theory just through self-reflection – and learned something about himself in the process. And that was absolutely lovely to see.
And that wasn’t the only thing Lucifer learned this episode.
Chloe’s work with Amenadiel meant that Lucifer spent the episode working with Dan, and what a delight that was. We haven’t actually seen Lucifer and Dan working together much; as far as I can remember, there were only My Little Monkey (2×07) and All Hands on Decker (3×22). And in truth, both of them weren’t really about Lucifer and Dan; in My Little Monkey, Lucifer was trying to be Dan, and in All Hands on Decker, he was trying to be Chloe. So in a way, this was the first time we got to see Dan and Lucifer working together, and can I just say: it was brilliant.
I can’t quite decide what I loved the most about this team: Lucifer’s complete disregard for process or rules or actually putting in the work as usual; his comments about their work (the ‘this is sad’ thing was hilarious); Dan’s exasperation as he had to put up with another Lucifer-y thing; their utterly adorable sync (bracelet buddies for the win!); or the way Dan somehow (once again) managed to reach Lucifer so that he understood that there are no shortcuts in life. Chloe’s taught him a lot over the past few seasons, but this was one thing she never quite managed, and it’s interesting that Dan is the one who helped him see it eventually. Interesting – and wonderful; I’m glad to see them getting along so well, especially after season 4.
And obviously, this lesson was absolutely necessary for Deckerstar. I know why Lucifer needed the whole thing to be solved as quickly as possible, and I understand it, too. It’s so difficult to leave when you know someone you love is mad at you, particularly when you don’t know when you’ll be back. And much like his siblings in the Silver City said, Lucifer has grown. A lot. To the point that he was willing to return to Hell of his own free will – not once, but twice (in that, by the way, he proved Michael wrong, because Lucifer just came back to sort the mess his brother made before going back; he wasn’t about to stay on Earth again). So I absolutely understand why he was in a rush to go back and why he needed everything sorted beforehand.
But sadly, that’s not how these things work. Healing takes time; particularly when the thing you’re trying to heal from is that you were created for the man you love. Again, I don’t really know what that’s like, but seeing as that’s a pretty life-defining thing to learn, I’m pretty sure it requires a quite a while. And the thing is, had Lucifer kept pushing her, the only thing that would’ve come out of it would’ve been a breakup. So I’m glad that Lucifer learned that lesson, and I’m glad he’d told her that, too; she needed to hear that he understands as much. Not to mention, he put it in such a beautiful way, with such raw vulnerability, that I think it showed her how he feels about the whole thing, too.
Would it be weird if I said I actually quite enjoyed Lucifer and Chloe working the case from two separate angles again? Maybe it’s because of how hilarious it was to see Amenadiel with the nuns (Lucifer’s ‘remember, Daniel, there are no shortcuts. Let him put in the work‘ absolutely killed me); maybe it’s because of how well Amenadiel and Chloe worked together as a team; or maybe it’s because of the bracelet buddies (who worked surprisingly well together). Or, perhaps, it’s all of the above. But the important thing is, something about this episode’s separation-of-concerns, so to speak, worked. Not to mention, we got some pretty awesome moments with the brothers, which certainly helped. It just… worked.
On slightly unrelated matters, it was wonderful to learn more about Linda’s history and her fear of being a bad mother. I was wondering about the fears Michael drew out of her, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about the picture she looked at in the end of that episode, but weirdly, I don’t think I expected this. Maybe I should’ve, but I didn’t. And while it surprised me for a moment, it also made sense, in a way. Linda’s been talking about going to Hell since season 2; she first mentioned it in A Good Day to Die (2×13). Over the years, her certainty that she’s going to Hell when she dies seemed to only get stronger. But we’ve never really found out why. A baby she abandoned and had been feeling guilty for ever since certainly seems like a good reason for that certainty.
I just wish Linda could show herself some compassion. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not justifying what she did, or more precisely, the way she did it. Having a baby at 17… I’m not sure most people could’ve handled it. And that’s normal. The way she did it – simply running away while no one was looking – was wrong, but she was still a teen; not even an adult yet. She made a really big mistake, there’s no doubt about that. But… she knows that, and she’s been paying for it ever since. Doesn’t she deserve at least that understanding and compassion? Those very same understanding and compassion she constantly gives her patients?
I’m not surprised Maze tracked Linda’s daughter down, and I’m glad she did, too. It was lovely to see her (she certainly looks a lot like Linda!) and how well she’s doing. It was good to hear being adopted was good for her; I hope at least it gave Linda some peace. And actually, I hope we’ll see her again this season (or in the next one); I’d love to see how that affects Linda’s character. (The release form she signed in the end certainly seems to suggest this storyline is far from over. If it’s true, I’m sure it’ll be an interesting journey.)
Of course, Maze tracked her down mostly because of her own issues with her mother. That’s where I had slightly more… conflicted emotions about this episode. Don’t get me wrong, I understand Maze’s reactions, particularly after they met her. I understand Maze’s anger towards her own mother (and I agree with it, too), and I understand why she was mad at Linda, but it all felt a bit… backwards. This entire season feels a bit backwards as far as Maze’s story goes. And I suppose it’s sort of natural that she returned to her old not-so-great defence mechanisms after the whole Eve thing, but… it doesn’t quite feel right. The whole “attacking Lucifer because he left me behind even though he’s not the one I’m mad at” thing I get. That’s Maze. But torturing Linda because of her mother? It feels a bit much for season 5 Maze.
And actually, I want to see Maze dealing with the issues her mother caused. I loved seeing her find her mother, and I really wish we could’ve had a full confrontation between them. And I’m glad Linda told her off; she needed to be reminded that this isn’t really about Linda. Seeing her go back to her mother’s and find out Lilith died (did she, though? I wonder); her pain and the tears in her eyes as she told Linda that; her own storyline, once she focused on it, was extremely emotional. And while my heart aches for her, this is exactly the sort of storylines I feel Maze should and has to go through. I really hope that we’ll have more of that, rather than the “attacking everyone else to avoid my own feelings” Maze. It just feels more right at this point.
So on the whole? A really good episode, with some emotional (sometimes heartbreaking) moments and some pretty hilarious scenes. And we got a lot to think about, too. Not to mention some much needed Deckerstar. Certainly a really good episode.
Bonus: That final scene. Absolute Deckerstar perfection. No wonder it was Joe Henderson’s favourite scene to write.
Questions: Why do I have a feeling Michael has something to do with God suddenly telling Amenadiel Hell doesn’t need a king anymore? Where is Michael, and what is he up to? Are we going to finally have the Deckerstar we’ve been desperate for? If so, knowing Lucifer and Chloe, how are they going to mess it up? Will Linda’s daughter reach out to her? And what’s going on with Ella (we’ve barely seen her this season)?
Final Score: 9/10.
Part 3 will be posted sometime next week; I’d hoped to get all of it done this week but these take time, I suppose. But can we talk about the fact it’s been over a week since season 5A came out, and Lucifer is still number 1 on Netflix in various countries? Lucifans for the win!
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