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 9-11 click here.
Episode 12 – “Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid”
What on earth did I just watch?
I feel like it’s the fourth time I’m saying it in four episodes, but even by Lucifer standards, this episode was completely bonkers. I mean, I genuinely don’t know where to even begin reviewing it. The madness of spending 5 million dollars, countless hours and dozens of favours on a prank? How much Dan needed this whole thing? The few, lovely moments of real friendship we’ve had? Or just in how utterly insane this episode was?
I suppose the beginning is a good a place as any to start from, really, so let’s start there.
That opening was… frustrating, to say the least. While I do understand Dan being so unsettled by the whole “Lucifer is the actual Devil” thing, his comments were… a bit much. I mean, yeah, sure, it’s a terrifying thing, discovering you’ve been interacting with the Devil. Even just the knowledge that the Celestial world exists can be a bit much. But going from “he’s a weird guy but kind of my friend” to “he’s a villain, probably one of the worst humanity has ever seen” feels like a bit much. I could understand it as a knee-jerk reaction, probably, but now? We’ve been over this. He freaked out, Michael got him to shoot Lucifer, there was a whole argument, then they rescued Chloe and he realised Lucifer loves her and not much has actually changed, and now they can go back to normal, right?
Clearly, that’s what Lucifer thought, too. Especially since their interactions in Family Dinner and Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam were pretty normal. But apparently he still wasn’t over it (not only that, he still thought Lucifer was a villain!). I suppose at least Lucifer had his revenge plan ready, so that’s… something?
It was amusing to see Lucifer complaining about it whilst completely missing the reason it all bothered him so much, though. Everything about his reaction was so very Lucifer-y. The way his hurt came out as anger, his insistence to Chloe that he doesn’t care about Dan in the slightest (denial, happens to the best of us), even that childish (apparently planned) payback of giving Dan the grunt work… It was Lucifer, in every step of the way. I wish Lucifer would let himself acknowledge that Dan is his friend, but he’s clearly still not over Dan shooting him, which is understandable. Maybe now that he finally got that out of his system, he can admit it all.
It was lovely to see how well Chloe knows both of them, though. I loved the fact she instantly saw what bothered Lucifer and why (even when he himself didn’t). And I loved the way she took the time to talk to Dan and make sure he’s going to be alright. It’s not new, but it was still wonderful to see just how close they are and how much they care about each other. I love that they’re still looking out for each other, especially when they know the other is vulnerable. Chloe’s awkwardness was amusing (gotta love the fact she noticed what it sounds like), but Dan instantly understood and appreciated her concern, and that’s the important thing, right?
I feel like that conversation with Chloe also gave us the beginning of an explanation for an important thread running through this half of the season: Dan’s worries about Hell. His conversation with Chloe certainly suggests he was involved in some shady things. As does his conversation with Luis later on; remember the ‘extracurricular activities’ Luis mentioned he had? (Back in the day, Malcolm, too, pointed out that Dan ignored some questionable things he’s done… sure sounds like that now). If it’s true, it would definitely explain why Chloe is worried about him and why he’s so certain he’s going to Hell. (On a side note, how is it that he still doesn’t know how Hell works?! It’s becoming a proper plot hole.)
I think the most interesting part of these mentions of a different Dan was probably in his conversation with Luis, though. And it wasn’t in the mentions of shady/barely-legal/somewhat-illegal things he’s done. It was actually in the question of how and why he changed.
It was interesting that he brought up Palmetto. I can understand why everything that’s happened there would affect him as much as it did (I mean, he did try to cover it up and did some illegal or at least questionable things around it). And I think we saw a lot of that change he talked about in season 2. But in its earlier seasons, Lucifer was mostly written from Lucifer’s (or occasionally Chloe’s) perspective, so it was interesting to hear a bit more about how Dan experienced it. It’s not surprising it changed his life as much as it did, but it’s one of the changes I loved seeing, so I definitely enjoyed hearing more about it, even now.
And that brings us to another thread running through this episode. In a way, you could say it’s what the entire episode revolved around: the incredible transformation Dan’s gone through.
It came up quite a bit throughout the episode: when he told Chloe she’s talking about “the kind of cop that I haven’t been for a very long time“; when he turned down Luis’s offers at the pub; and you could even see it in the little things he’s said or done (like arresting a thief at the bike shop or trying to make sure the Russian bookkeeper survives). They all told a very clear story of a man who’s turned his life around, and it was absolutely beautiful to watch. The way he put it when talking to Chloe was perfect, really; the Dan we see now is nothing like the Dan we met when the show started. And while I maintain that Dan was always on the right side, even when he did the wrong thing, he was still very different early on (Detective Douche indeed).
And honestly? That Dan I could see cutting corners or possibly slipping into doing the wrong thing. Hell, we did see it after Amenadiel brought Malcolm back. But since then, he’s really turned his life around. Sure, he acted out after Charlotte’s death, and he did shoot Lucifer, but he was mostly acting out of pain and guilt (in the former case) or trying to protect those he loves (in the latter case). He’s just not that old douchey Dan anymore. Which is impressive.
And it was even more impressive to watch his behaviour throughout this episode. Because right now, he’s still reeling from the discovery that the Celestial world exists. He’s asking all these existential questions about meaning. When things collapse around you and you feel like nothing matters anymore, it’s so easy to just ignore everything and everyone else. There’s no meaning or point to anything, right? So he could’ve slipped right back to his old self. But he didn’t. Just like he told Chloe he wouldn’t, he didn’t slip. At any point. And like Lucifer correctly pointed out in the end (I’ll get there), throughout this entire episode, Dan kept trying to do the right thing. That, in itself, is amazing, and shows exactly who Dan is and how strong he is.
And speaking of existential questions – I loved hearing him ask Luis all these questions. It was interesting to see what he thinks and where he went with the whole ‘Celestial discovery’ thing. I have my issues with Dan (I’m still irritated with him for season 4, and he shot Lucifer), but he’s shown there’s more to him than meets the eye more than once. Even just the way he started this season was amazing. Remember that scene from ¡Diablo! when he told Lucifer he knows it’s all probably meaningless but it’s what he needed? I think it was one of the most beautiful and inspiring Dan moments we’ve ever seen.
But now things are different (naturally). Finding out that Angels and Demons and the Devil and God are real is enough to shake anyone, really. I can completely understand why he’s unnerved by the whole thing. So it was interesting to hear his thoughts on the subject. And I have to say, as far as we know, he’s not wrong about most of what he said. Because it’s not just that God can make a mistake. We know for a fact that he has made mistakes. Quite a few. Especially in the mythology of Lucifer. So what does that mean? How does that change everything? Who’s to say what’s “right” and how things are supposed to go? Is there anyone in charge at all, or is it just a concept we’ve created for ourselves? Dan definitely brought up some very interesting (deeply philosophical in a way) questions.
I would’ve loved to see him talk to Amenadiel about it, though. And of course, I would’ve loved to see him talk to Lucifer about it. I feel like he’d really appreciate at least some of Dan’s musings; he’s been saying these things about God and how spectacularly bad he is at being God for as long as we’ve known him (probably longer). But of course, right now Dan is mostly busy with “he’s the Devil so he’s a villain” and Lucifer is still on the whole “he shot me” thing, so… that’s a conversation we didn’t get to see. At least not in this episode. But I certainly hope we’ll see at least bits of it in the future. It would definitely be interesting to see these two bonding over something that deep.
But enough about the philosophy of the situation. In the end of the day, in its essence, Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid is more of a (hilariously weird) comical episode. And in comedy like in comedy, every time you think things couldn’t possibly get any worse or more insane, they absolutely do. Even when you have the best intentions (How does that saying go? The road to Hell is paved with good intentions).
I feel like a lot of this episode’s madness might’ve been solved had Dan called some help. He could’ve called the police after waking up next to the body, and he could’ve gotten backup from the LAPD after he got away from the bike shop. Or even beforehand, actually; I’m sure things would’ve been fine had he told Chloe the whole story. But then, that’s exactly why Lucifer – and everyone else involved in that prank – didn’t want him to do it, isn’t it? They were certainly convincing about it. Luis’s fear for his family, for instance, felt genuine. I still feel like Dan should’ve at least made sure things were taken care of, both there and in the bike shop, and he really should’ve made sure the poison was real (which he started doing, but then suddenly he stopped inexplicably), but… I guess he was panicking. But then, who wouldn’t?
So I guess it’s easy for me to see how Dan fell for it (especially since family is one of the things that matter the most to him and Dan would do practically anything for those he cares about). But at least, he kept trying to do his best, even while in complete and utter panic. Which, as I’ve said before, says a lot about who he is.
There were quite a few bizarre, “this can’t possibly be real” moments in this episode. Like Dan’s conversation with the prisoner he was “transporting” and the way that car ran into them right when he talked about life blindsiding you (poor Dan, he’s clearly still rattled). Or the fact his old friends showed up right when he needed help (which we know was planned by Lucifer). Or everything that happened from the moment Dan made it to the Russian accountant’s house. Even the way things just kept getting worse was just too much to be true. And yet, somehow I still didn’t suspect a thing (until LUX, that is). Somehow, in all of this episode’s insanity, these moments just worked. Sure, I had some “what are the odds” thoughts, but… it still worked.
And speaking of that conversation with his prisoner – the fact she brought up God couldn’t have possibly been a coincidence, could it? Lucifer had to have known things wouldn’t go smoothly once his father meets Dan. And I wouldn’t put it past him to update the plan as things happened, just to make sure it really drives the point home. But it’s easier to say that knowing this was all planned; while watching it, it just seemed really weird she brought it all up. Sure, we’ve had an ex-Los X member who’s turned her life around, but that’s not what we got here. He was transporting her to a U.S prison, after all. (Although, in retrospect, I’m guessing it was a reference to O, Ye of Little Faith, Father. This episode is surprisingly deep and layered.)
There was another thing that really should’ve hinted that something wasn’t right: Lucifer’s awfully friendly behaviour during the whole thing.
While Lucifer has certainly grown quite a bit over the past few seasons, he’s still really childish when it comes to some things. One of which is the fact he doesn’t forgive very easily (this entire episode proves just that). So his behaviour towards Dan really should’ve been a sign. I mean, sure, he took the time to mock and torture Dan in every single step of the way (like the Boo Normal reference in the beginning. Or the fact he had Dan climb over the gate, sneak inside and steal the box when he could’ve just walked in and asked for it like we’ve seen him do repeatedly), and he clearly enjoyed turning him down at first (torturing him into admitting he needs Lucifer, brilliant), both of which are very like Lucifer. And he was outraged when Dan treated him like a goon… very Lucifer, right?
But still… it all felt more like his usual routine than “you treated me like a villain, you monster”, especially since he agreed to help in the end. All of which feel like hints I really should’ve noticed.
Weirdly, as said, it all worked somehow. Maybe it’s because this episode was told from Dan’s perspective and it was easy to be with him in his panic in the moment. Or all through the episode, really. (Lucifer’s “this could only happen to you” remark and his reaction when Dan asked whether God could be behind the whole thing definitely made more sense in retrospect, though.)
And speaking of Lucifer, I love the way he managed to make everything about him in the bike shop. It was very like him to bring out everyone’s life stories. Lucifer has a way to connect with people and get them to show other sides, even when they seem like the complete opposite of him. We’ve seen him do that more times than I can count. And the way it all turned into a group therapy session somehow? Absolutely typical and absolutely hilarious. Even knowing the whole thing was planned doesn’t really damage the vibe. It’s just… Lucifer, isn’t it?
I just hope Lucifer learned from it (despite the fact he undoubtedly planned the whole thing). The fact he was talking about his dad deciding to retire was good for him, but we know Lucifer well enough to know he doesn’t always understand what’s behind his own actions. Right now, seeing as the whole thing was planned, it’s more than likely he just forgot the whole thing. But that conversation showed there’s a lot more processing Lucifer needs to do. He still hasn’t finished dealing with his banishment to Hell and now God decided to retire, giving him so much more to deal with. It’s great that he can acknowledge the pain he’s feeling, not to mention everything else he’s feeling at the moment, but since the whole thing was planned in advance… I’m worried he’ll just ignore it.
This is a Dan episode, so I won’t go into it too deeply, but as said, I hope Lucifer takes some things out of this whole thing. The idea that his dad is retiring to spend some more time with him, for instance. God has certainly been working hard to get to know Lucifer lately; I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to do more of that when he retires. And then there’s everything he said in that group hug. It was utterly hilarious (how very Lucifer), but it was also absolutely true – and exactly what he needs to hear right now. Even if he doesn’t understand it. Probably more than anything else, he needs to be gentler with himself. It’s the least he deserves, really. I know it’s not easy when you’re been punishing yourself for so long, but I hope he remembers that. He deserves it.
But back to Dan. Everything that happened in the shop (especially the way things kept getting worse) was absolutely hilarious (Lucifer’s “we shared and we bonded, didn’t we? So we’re all friends now and there’s no need for us to fight.” though; it was just so like him). And it was done brilliantly. Lucifer and Dan’s conversation was absolutely perfect for their relationship (I’ve really missed seeing them working together). And this time it actually made sense that things got worse; with Dan’s panic, the gang members around them and Lucifer’s, well, Luciferness, there was no other way this could’ve gone.
I’ll admit I was impressed that Lucifer tried to defend Dan by holding them back while he escapes; I thought it showed he really cares about Dan, and it showed how much he’s grown, too. Of course, that was before I knew it was planned. Now that I do… well, it makes a different sort of sense. (That said, I think that had there been real danger, Lucifer would’ve stepped up to help Dan; despite what he says, he definitely cares about him.)
I’ll admit I wasn’t surprised there was a head in the box (a brilliant reference to Quid Pro Ho). It was obvious as soon as we got to see the blood dripping out. At which point it became blindingly obvious that Luis wasn’t as innocent as he said he was. And somehow (I can’t quite believe I bought it; it seemed too insane, even for Lucifer) I actually believed it. Luis certainly played the crime organisation leader part well. And I even believed he poisoned Dan (yet another reference, this time to A Good Day to Die, right?). And honestly? I was nervous. Worried, even. But then, ten hours are a long time. And they wouldn’t let Dan die, especially not over this completely bizarre and insane thing, right? Right.
It was lovely to see Ella, even if it was only for a scene. I thought she’d say something about his story; it didn’t seem remotely believable (even in his panicked state, surely he could do better). And Ella’s usually so good at getting to the truth. We’ve even seen her do that with Dan. So the fact she said nothing was… odd. But I’m glad she was around to help him (if anyone could figure the whole “staging a murder” thing out, it’s Ella, no doubt). And I absolutely love the fact she’s still writing her novel (please, please write and publish that novel) – it was a really nice touch. (Her description of herself was absolutely fascinating, by the way. It’s not the first time we’ve heard her talk about her darkness and secrets, but I would love to properly get to the bottom of it).
Of course that new plan of faking her murder didn’t go right (he was so completely off, even I would’ve been scared, and I knew exactly what he’s talking about). I honestly can’t understand how he believed she believed him; it was so obvious she was terrified that even in his panicked state he couldn’t have possibly believed it. I know he was panicking, but it still felt a bit too obvious for him not to notice. But it was all so hilarious I didn’t even care, especially when she stole Dan’s car (another Boo Normal reference?) and he called Amenadiel to get him out of there. Amenadiel’s “Dan? I’m not an Uber” was absolutely perfect, really.
Hilarity aside, it was lovely to see how much he cares for Dan – it was clear he was genuinely worried about him. I wish Dan said something about what he’s going through (Amenadiel would’ve probably understood it was Lucifer in a heartbeat), but I love that he cares about him so much that he was willing to go through it all on his own, rather than drag Amenadiel into the mess with him. (I know I’ve said it before but I love their bromance. Absolutely beautiful.)
His scene with Maze was yet-another seemingly-touching scene that changed drastically with the right context. Which is a bit of a shame, really. Because it was lovely, and it showed so much about their friendship, and it was just… right. They’ve developed such a great friendship over the years, and it’s always wonderful to see how much they care about each other. In the moment, I loved that Maze checked in on him and that she actually convinced him to talk; I loved that Dan was trying to protect her at first (before she reminded him she’s a Demon, that is); and I loved that she joined him just like that, instantly coming up with a plan (her expression after he said she can’t kill the bookkeeper was hilarious, by the way). It felt like a beautiful little moment of friendship, which I absolutely love seeing more of.
Now, obviously, since the whole thing was planned, that moment was planned, too. Lucifer had to lead him to that final scene at LUX; Maze’s “idea” was just another step towards it. Which kind of takes away from the loveliness of the moment (not to mention, I was so happy at least he has Maze with him for that insanity; finding out she was part of it definitely ruined that). It made a bit more sense – I’ll admit I was a bit surprised that she took the time to talk to Dan like that (though her reaction after he told her was very like her and made it all seem reasonable) – but it’s still a bit disappointing. Maze has grown so much in the past few seasons; it could’ve been another wonderful growth moment for her (and for her relationship with Dan, of course).
That said, I loved the fact she suggested working with the Russian mob (Quid Pro Ho again). And it was hilarious to see him trying to convince them he’s someone else (a My Little Monkey reference? How very like Lucifer to completely miss everything that made that undercover moment in his prank). Especially when Linda showed up at the absolutely worst possible moment. Still, it was great to see Dan thinking fast (about time too, he’s been so off in this episode), and Linda’s reaction was absolutely brilliant. Her excitement when she heard he was undercover and her surprisingly convincing acting were hilarious. I would’ve loved to see Dan’s explanation later on though; I bet it was an interesting one.
Amazingly, everything seemed to be going according to plan at this point. According to Lucifer’s plan, that is. It seems to be the plan he referred to in their conversation in the penthouse, too (another scene that made significantly more sense in context). And then there was his “there won’t be any actual violence, it’s all about appearances.” remark, and if that wasn’t a hint for the future, I certainly don’t know what was. I’m actually amazed that I didn’t see all of this while watching the episode, because it really feels like it was obvious. But since it was all told from Dan’s perspective (and it was weirdly compelling), I guess it was easy to see it all the way he did.
And at first, at least, I believed it. Dan’s imrov friends (Dan’s “yes, and…” was brilliant). Luis and his gang. It was all exactly what I’d have expected from everyone involved. But something didn’t quite add up when Maze showed up. It’s just didn’t seem like her. And then when the Russians got involved and everyone ended up pointing guns at one another… well, it became really obvious it wasn’t real.
Admittedly, I was still only thinking about the events in LUX; I didn’t even think about the rest of it. Which in hindsight I feel I really should’ve, but I guess in the moment it wasn’t quite as obvious as it seems now. That said, I’m glad Dan bought it, because that speech he gave was absolutely beautiful. Everything he said was absolutely spot on, and it really showed how much Dan’s grown and learned. And the way that in three sentences he somehow managed to show exactly who and what he is? “I know it can seem like things just happen, and that we don’t have any control over them. Like there’s no order or meaning. But if the world is senseless and random, then all we can do is just what we think is best.” Absolutely beautiful.
And then things got even more insane when “Los X” came in. At which point I started wondering when the prank will end (because as said, it was obvious it wasn’t real, and I had a feeling Lucifer had something to do with it). Sure, it was funny to see Dan crawling after the vial, but the whole slow-mo thing was a bit much. And by the time Maze was shot it was more of a question of “how on Earth can Dan not see that it’s not real?” than anything else, really. (I really felt for him when he cried over Maze, though; it feels like a bit much, even for Lucifer and his excellent point.)
Lucifer’s slightly bizarre reaction to the “massacre” in his club only confirmed my suspicions. And while it was obvious from the outside, I can’t blame Dan for his reaction. He genuinely believed it all. I didn’t believe the final scene, and I was still shocked by how utterly insane the whole thing was (seriously, Lucifer, are you out of your mind?!). I’m still amazed that it was all completely planned and part of a prank. I mean, even for Lucifer, this whole thing was extreme.
On the bright side, though, it got us these final few minutes of the episode.
I love that final conversation between Dan and Maze. It started off very casual, and even when Dan said he thought she’d died (and you could tell how deeply it shook him), Maze took it really lightly. But when she said that “you think I’d take a bullet for you?” line… things changed. We know Dan cares about Maze. It’s clear that if the situation was reversed, he wouldn’t hesitate to take a bullet for her. Understandably, he thoughts she would, too. But he didn’t just look hurt to hear otherwise. He looked like he’d just realised he shouldn’t have expected her to care about him, like it was silly of him to expect her to care about him. Which was pretty heartbreaking, particularly since we know Maze does care about him.
But the beautiful thing was that Maze saw it. She saw it – and she understood exactly what he was thinking and what her words sounded like. And with that single sentence, in her very Maze-y way, she showed him how much she cares. Sure, she wouldn’t die for him, but he’s important enough for her to get hurt protecting him. And there aren’t a lot of people she would do either of those for. Which shows that Dan is important to her. And the smiles they gave each other after she said that showed they both knew it. As they should. And I just love the way they know and understand each other. I love their friendship. And I love how deep it is and how much it means to them. And I’m glad Dan knows how much it means to her now, too. He deserves it.
I’m not surprised Lucifer came to talk about how great his plan was (oh Lucifer). I was, however, shocked and possibly slightly horrified to find out exactly how much work he’d put into his plan. But putting the madness of his plan aside, it was lovely to see how he sees Dan. I know they’ve had some issues, but it’s clear Lucifer sees him as a friend, even when insisting otherwise. And it was lovely to see just how positive his opinion of Dan is, even if he (still) doesn’t realise it. (Not to mention he’s absolutely right. It’s exactly what we’ve seen throughout this episode, isn’t it? Dan trying to do the right thing and persisting no matter how hard things get.)
And I’m glad it helped Dan. He’s certainly been in a weird place; the discovery of the Celestial world clearly rattled him (as we’ve seen repeatedly). He really needed someone to pull him out of it, and I’m glad Lucifer was there to do it. I know he’s insisting it’s revenge (“because you fucking shot me, Daniel!” – priceless), but I think deep down he knew it would help, too. And I think he cares about Dan enough to want to help. It’s a bit like Chloe said in the beginning, right? This insane game of mocking and pranking each other is their way of being friends. Sure, Lucifer went way too far with this one, and I’m sure he also wanted to pay Dan back for shooting him, but… I think he also wanted things to go back to normal and he knew that was the way to do it.
So I’m glad they had each other. And I’m glad Lucifer managed to help Dan. I hope that things can go back to normal now, at least between Dan and Lucifer. We certainly need a bit of normalcy in this show. And honestly? I love their still-evolving friendship. So I’d happily take more of it, any day.
Bonus: Lucifer playing the piano. Sorry, I know it’s a Dan episode, but Lucifer and the piano are just… perfect.
Questions: Is Dan okay? Are Lucifer and Dan back to normal?
Final Score: 8.5/10.
Episode 13 – “A Little Harmless Stalking”
That was… an emotional rollercoaster.
Long story short, Deckerstar finally got together, Linda finally met her daughter, Amenadiel understood he doesn’t want to be God, Maze and Eve got together and then broke up, and Ella hopefully had a valuable insight into how amazing she is. And all of this was a lot to take in, even for an hour-long episode.
But let’s start from the beginning.
Much like Maze’s “Demons can grow souls” moment, it feels like the entire season so far has been leading up to this episode, at least as far as Linda’s storyline is concerned. It was a bit weird to see her so unbalanced (I never thought I’d hear the words “A little harmless stalking never killed anyone” coming from her), but also understandable. We know how guilty she feels about abandoning her daughter; it’s only human of her to want to know how she is. And while it was obvious she was afraid even when they first met Adriana, I still think she’s also right about it being her daughter’s choice. It has to come from her.
Which means that in order to protect Adriana and herself, Linda ended up crossing her daughter’s boundaries in one of the worst possible ways. All in the sake of “protecting her daughter’s boundaries”. Ironic, to say the least (as Lucifer pointed out himself).
Still, her behaviour was very human. And it was lovely to see this other side of Linda, too, strange and unlike her as it seemed. The way she tried to protect Adriana – despite, as she said, having no contact with her daughter most of her life – was absolutely beautiful. She probably wouldn’t agree with it, but given everything she’s done to help Adriana in this episode alone, I think Adriana’s lucky to have her.
It was obvious she wasn’t the murderer (“Really good” is not a convincing answer to “How did you kill a person”, hilarious as it was), and it was obvious Lucifer and Chloe knew it, too. But it was lovely to see her trying it nonetheless, if only to save Adriana. It really showed the sort of parent Linda is and how deeply she cares. Not to mention it also showed how well Chloe and Lucifer know Linda and their belief in her. And it showed us (again) how strong Linda and Maze’s friendship is.
I loved seeing it. The way Maze defended her the moment they brought her in, the way she knew exactly where Linda was and why she doesn’t want to tell Chloe and Lucifer, the way she did anyway because she knew it’s what Linda needed (even if it wasn’t what she wanted) – they all show how close they are and how well they know each other. I love the way they had a conversation with only a few words, too; again, it shows how close they are. We know they’re close – they have been for a while – but it’s always wonderful to see how close they are.
I absolutely love the fact she joined the investigation. As far as I can remember, we only got to see it once before, in season 1 (in Et Tu, Doctor?); having her join the investigation in this episode was a brilliant throwback to that. And it made sense, since Adriana’s her daughter and she’s clearly willing to do whatever it takes to protect her, including tailing Lucifer and Chloe. Not to mention it was just really fun in general, especially since it gave us moments like the scenes outside and in the gallery.
Lucifer and Linda’s conversation in the car was mostly around Lucifer, so I’ll talk about it later, but I have to say I love how quickly she understood what he’s after (even if he didn’t understand). And I love how easily she got him to change his mind, too (“Therapists. Always using your own words against you.” oh Lucifer). In general I love their relationship – it evolved so much over the past few seasons and it’s wonderful to watch – so it was absolutely brilliant to see so much of it in one episode. Not only that, it actually drove the plot forward. And I very much enjoyed that.
Even when it didn’t, though, it was still an important part of this episode. They’ve known each other for so long that they know each other well, and it really showed. It showed in the gallery (especially with their oddly-specific “interpretations” and their utterly hilarious acting). It showed up when Lucifer told Linda about his conversation with Chloe (it was so beautiful to see how much they believe in her and how much they want to help). And it was a crucial part of Lucifer and Linda’s final conversation – and of their personal realisations. Which really says it all as far as their friendship is concerned.
And speaking of these two scenes… As said, it was beautiful to see how much they believe in Linda and how much they care about her. I completely understand her frustration with Lucifer after his repeated remarks and questions about him and Chloe; her lashing out at him felt right, especially since she was already worked up. And while it was painful to watch her lash out at him like that (mostly because of the way he looked, like an innocent, hurt little boy), the really heartbreaking thing was the way she talked about herself.
We’ve seen some of Linda’s guilt throughout this season, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen just how deeply she blames herself for abandoning Adriana. Her guilt’s completely understandable, but I wish she could see her own side, too. She said herself she was too young to have a child; had she kept Adriana, she might’ve made things worse. At least her daughter ended up in a loving home (as she said). And while I’m sure her adoption caused some issues, it seems that at least now, she’s doing alright. Even if she wasn’t, it doesn’t make everything that might be wrong Linda’s fault. And I just wish Linda had some compassion and understanding for herself. The same one she constantly shows her patients.
It was beautiful to see Lucifer’s reaction, though. There was a time, not so long ago, in which Lucifer would’ve responded in a similar manner to anyone lashing out at him. But he saw Linda. ‘Self-centredness aside’, he really saw and cared about Linda. He knew why she was lashing out and he knew it mostly wasn’t about him. And he responded not with anger, but with compassion and caring. Which shows how much he cares about her. And that despite the things she said, therapy has worked. We all know he’s far from “cured”, despite his insistence in Who’s da New King of Hell?, but therapy has changed a lot in him. And that’s thanks to Linda. Even when she doesn’t want to see it.
I know I’ve said it already, but it was wonderful to see her protecting her daughter when she caught the murderer (even if the way she did it wasn’t quite the right way). But I’m glad Chloe and Lucifer got there before anything bad happened. I definitely believe that Linda could hurt him in order to protect Adriana (I doubt she could’ve killed him, though); we’ve seen throughout this episode how much she cares about her. One way or another, she would’ve stopped him if she had to, so I’m really glad she didn’t have to. I’m glad they could do it together. (And that final “You did it, doctor. You saved your daughter.” and Linda’s reaction to it brought tears to my eyes.)
And while it was obvious Linda was afraid of meeting her daughter, it was great to see her finally admitting it. It’s not an easy thing to admit, especially when she’s been denying it from the moment she met Adriana. But it makes perfect sense. Lucifer put it beautifully (talking about both of them), really; it’s only natural to be afraid of rejection under these circumstances. Thankfully it all worked out well in the end, but it could’ve gone either way (though somehow it doesn’t seem likely Adriana would hate her, seeing as she said being adopted was so great for her). It was all so human of her (again), and I’m just glad she managed to admit it, too. Because it could’ve ended up a cliche (the doctor who doesn’t see her own emotions). But it didn’t. It was just human nature, and it was heartbreaking but beautiful.
And I’m glad at least Linda got some peace in the end. Her first proper meeting with her daughter was the complete opposite of what she’d been dreading, and it was so sweet and heartwarming and just… wonderful, really. It’s another moment that easily could’ve been a cliche, but it wasn’t. It was emotional and raw and you could feel their fear and hope and love just by watching. And seeing Adriana with Charlie like that (that “I’m your sister” broke me) was absolutely perfect. If that’s not an incredible story arc (for the entire season), I don’t know what is.
While Linda’s story was the main storyline of the episode, quite a few other things happened in it, too. Like… Lucifer spiralling (again). Or Deckerstar finally getting together properly (about bloody time).
I’m not surprised Lucifer was looking for distractions. Now that Dear Old Dad is gone (at least for now), he needed another way to avoid acknowledging how terrified he is of being with Chloe. That said, I love the fact he was aware of it; when Amenadiel told him he needs to stop avoiding the issue, he knew exactly what he’s avoiding. Of course, being Lucifer, he then instantly went the exact opposite way by deciding therapy was the issue and it ruined him. Lucifer is Lucifer, right?
Not that it’s not a good idea to think a little less and just act sometimes, but avoidance isn’t the answer. Because these things you avoid tend to come back, and the more Lucifer tries to avoid his own emotions, the more trouble it’ll be further down the line. On the bright side, at least this time, it got Deckerstar together. Properly.
I’m so glad that Chloe told Lucifer how she feels. I’m so proud of her for that, too. It’s not easy, being stuck in a frozen relationship, especially when you care about the other side so much. And I know she was trying not to pressure Lucifer, but she needs to start thinking about herself, too. It’s the least she deserves. And I’m sure it wasn’t easy for her to do that, but I’m glad she did. She doesn’t deserve that pain.
And I think Lucifer needed it, too; as I’ve said, avoiding an issue is never a solution, and putting things on hold indefinitely is the perfect way to avoid thinking about them. I certainly (still) think he needed to see how much he’s hurting her, too. It was that push he needed to see sense. So it was wonderful that she finally brought it up, and it was even more wonderful to see his response. (Seriously. “It’s obvious we want to be together, so let’s just stop overthinking it and just be together“, we’ve literally been saying that for nearly five seasons. FINALLY.)
And honestly? Watching them together throughout this entire episode was absolutely perfect. Exactly what I (and maybe all of us) needed for Deckerstar. Their interactions working the case were brilliant. The way they first walked into the crime scene hugging (and the casual kisses I can’t); the fact he bought that painting for her and her reaction to getting a present from a sting; even just the way they looked at each other or completed each other’s lines and thoughts. It was all so adorable and perfect and I could keep going on about it but there’s nothing I could say that would do it justice. I love that there was none of that “we’ve just started dating and we don’t really know what we’re doing” awkwardness, too; we’ve been there, done that, and now we can just continue to sweet, natural, casual Deckerstar. Simply perfect.
On a side note, though, can we talk about Ella’s reaction? Seriously. Absolute legend. I think at this point, she’s a very accurate representation of the fandom; from her initial disbelief (‘the couple that cried “relationship”‘, brilliant) to her happiness for them (about damn time indeed), she was just us. And she was absolutely brilliant at it.
But back to Deckerstar: I love that it wasn’t all there was to the story. Because we know Lucifer. We know how insecure he is. We know how little he sees in himself and how much he sees in Chloe. And just like it didn’t just instantly work in BlueBallz, Our Mojo and Spoiler Alert, it couldn’t have here, either. Especially since Lucifer hasn’t actually dealt with any of his feelings or issues, he just pushed them all aside and tried to pretend they don’t matter (or that his father could sort these for him). So while they were absolutely heart-melting together and I’d take every minute of it any day, I loved seeing Lucifer questioning it.
It was done beautifully. It started off really subtly – you could see it in his expression when he hugged her at LUX – but as the episode went on, we got to see more and more of it, especially when he and Linda were alone. Which is exactly what you might’ve expected, really. His constant attempts at getting her to ask about their relationship (“so we can discuss whatever emotional reservations you’re having“, very neatly put) made perfect sense. Despite his insistence that therapy hasn’t been good for him, deep down, there are still very few people he values or needs as much as Linda. She’s the first person to see his Devil face and accept him as he is (which is what a good therapist does). She’s been there with him through it all. And she knows him, probably better than he knows himself. And right now, he needs that.
Because the same way he knows deep down that therapy has been good for him, the same way he knows deep down that he needs Linda’s help, he also knows how terrified he is about a relationship with Chloe. And I love that you can feel it, even when he’s still refusing to admit it. You can feel how terrified he is of doing the wrong thing, of being rejected, of not being enough (much like he was in Really Sad Devil Guy, but I’ll get to that in a moment). But the really beautiful (and heartbreaking) thing was the way he finally admitted it all in his final scene with Linda.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Lucifer putting Linda first, especially not in this episode. And it was absolutely beautiful to see how gently and sensitively he was treating her (even when she lashed out at him earlier in this episode, by the way). But when Linda admitted she was afraid, things changed slightly. He was still there with her, in her emotions, but it was as if her look inwards gave him the strength or courage to look inwards, too. And I think it might’ve been the first time ever that we saw Lucifer talk about his own fears this openly.
We’ve known Lucifer long enough to know how terrified he is of not being enough. It was there, under the surface, for about as long as we’ve known him. Even before he and Chloe became a couple, he still did everything he could to make sure he doesn’t let her down. To be enough. Naturally, as soon as they started inching towards romance, things got a little more complicated. But at that point, it seemed that Lucifer finally realised how deep his fear of rejection is. He still didn’t acknowledge how he feels about himself, not until late season 4, but at the very least, he was aware of his fear that Chloe would reject him.
That fear of not being enough, that certainty that he’s ‘unworthy‘, and that fear of rejection are all tied to the same thing: Lucifer’s self-hatred. We’ve seen that self-hatred quite a bit, too. His Devil face is enough to show how he feels about himself, even if we didn’t hear him repeatedly call himself a monster (not to mention treating himself as such). And even though he finally acknowledged his feelings towards himself in Super Bad Boyfriend and Save Lucifer, he’s far from letting go of them, despite his insistence he’s “cured”. And that’s exactly what we’ve seen so far this season.
It started in Really Sad Devil Guy, with Lucifer’s realisation that he’s afraid of letting Chloe down (‘so you would rather stay away for all eternity‘). He then proceeded to insist it had nothing to do with him, of course (Lucifer is Lucifer), but he did see he was afraid. It was clear on his face in the moment, but it was also clear all the way through the first half of the season. Especially once he and Chloe finally got together (Remember how desperate he was to make it work and how scared he was of messing it up in BlueBallz and Our Mojo?). But even in these episodes, he still didn’t acknowledge how afraid he was of opening up. Until now, that is.
And it was absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful. There was something about the simplicity and quietness in which Lucifer said it, about the pain and longing in his eyes, that really brought the depth of his emotions to light. And you could feel it. How much he believes he doesn’t deserve her. How terrified he is of opening up, because he just knows eventually she’ll see it too and reject him. Because to him, she’s absolutely perfect, and he’s a monster, and there is no way he could ever be worthy of her. And it was beautiful to see him opening up to Linda and finally admitting it all, but… it was heartbreaking to see just how little he sees in himself. Just how deeply he still believes he’s unworthy. And it was so raw and emotional it was almost too much to take. I’m still in tears just thinking about it.
And I wish Lucifer’s new insane plan (becoming God?!) could’ve solved that, but the truth is, it can’t. Lucifer’s self-hatred comes from within. Becoming God wouldn’t solve it. It might show others that he’s worthy, but it still won’t change how he feels about himself. And until he understands and accepts that he has to deal with his emotions on his own (rather than expecting Dear Old Dad to fix him or trying to do things to prove himself)… it won’t change. It can’t change. (That said, it’s very like Lucifer to have a deep emotional realisation and then go the exact opposite way.)
And speaking of becoming God, Amenadiel had quite a storyline, didn’t he?
The fact he didn’t even realise he was the obvious successor for his father shows how much Amenadiel has changed over the past few seasons. When we first met him, he was (as Lucifer pointed out) God’s right hand man. Had God decided to retire then, Amenadiel would’ve instantly stepped up under the assumption it’s his duty. But more than that, he would’ve done so happily. He wouldn’t have had to think about it or question it. Back then, his life was in the Silver City; taking on the job his father prepared him for his whole life in his home would’ve just seemed natural. But then he ended up on Earth. And everything changed.
Now, Amenadiel didn’t even think about it. Because it’s just not who he is anymore, is it? He’s not just The Favourite Son now. He’s a father, and a brother, and a friend. He has his own life; we even got to see the evolution of it over the course of nearly five seasons of Lucifer. He doesn’t want to go back to Heaven and he certainly doesn’t want to be God, and there was something hilarious about the fact he was completely oblivious to that. Still, Lucifer’s completely casual remark about how he’s obviously going to take over their father’s job was enough to set him on the path towards that realisation. (On a side note, how very Lucifer to just assume Amenadiel wants it because once upon a lifetime ago he would’ve wanted it. Even though it was glaringly obvious he doesn’t want any of it.)
I loved the fact he took the time to do proper research (‘focus group‘) for the new job. It’s so very Amenadiel (I mean, it’s a very sensible thing to do, but it’s also very Amenadiel). And I absolutely loved the fact that the first person he talked to about the whole thing was Dan. As I’ve said before, I love their bromance. Actual friendship goals. And now that Dan knows about the Celestial world and all that, they can actually talk about everything. So it was brilliant to see them talk about the whole thing (Dan’s initial reaction was spot on though), it was amazing to see how accepting and supporting Dan was, and I love that he managed to show Amenadiel a slightly different perspective (which also happened to be closer to Amenadiel’s) than the one Lucifer showed him earlier. And you could actually see it affecting him.
Just like it was with Lucifer’s storyline, it was subtle at first. It was in his expression when Dan told him he’s perfect for it. But by the time he talked to Ella about it, it was a realisation he could put into words. He, very much like Dan, enjoys the ‘nitty-gritty, day-to-day stuff‘. He’s not quite a “big picture” kind of guy anymore. So maybe… being God isn’t the right job for him? Interestingly, he didn’t seem to realise all of that (he still asked Ella what she would’ve liked to see in God), but you could see the doubt creeping in. And from there, it wasn’t a long way to the realisation that actually, he doesn’t really want to be God. But as said, it was beautiful to see that realisation slowly building up through the episode, all the way to his final scene with Lucifer.
And he put it perfectly then, didn’t he? Once upon a lifetime ago, he looked down on humanity. But then Earth became his home. He’s so happy here – so much so that he even chose to leave the Silver City and come back to L.A. – so why would he want anything to change? It’s unbelievable that he hadn’t realised his lack of excitement and the fact he doesn’t want to be God are related, but at least he understood the latter. And I’m glad he did, too; I’d hate to see him do something that makes him miserable. (On a side note, while Lucifer’s plan is utterly insane, I’m glad he suggested to take over. It’s very mature and noble of Amenadiel to put aside his desires in order to fulfil his duty, but he’s done it his entire life – isn’t it time for him to do what he wants?)
I’m glad in the course of his journey, he got to help Ella, too. I think I’ve said it already, but I feel like we haven’t seen enough of Ella in this half so far. Clearly she’s still dealing with everything that’s happened in 5A; I wish we could see a bit more of that. But at the very least, I’m glad Amenadiel was there to tell her to have some faith in herself. She absolutely deserves it. And so much more than that, really. She deserves to see how amazing she is. And I just hate that she’s still suffering like that.
But I’m glad that at least, she wasn’t alone in it. I know it’s going to take time before she can see her own worth, but now that she’s surrounded by people who really see her… I hope it’s the first step towards that point. But believing in herself is an excellent start for that, and thank goodness that Amenadiel was there to tell her that. That scene was so beautiful and touching and I’m glad we got to see it (I would’ve loved to hug them both in that moment, but that’s probably not quite possible. I’m glad we got to be part of that pure, beautiful little moment, though). And I really, really hope she’ll try to have more faith in herself like she promised, because as said, it’s the least she deserves.
Before I wrap up this review, there’s one more storyline I haven’t talked about: Maze’s.
I’ve already talked about her friendship with Linda and how brilliant it is, so I won’t go into it in depth, but I really love that friendship. And I loved that we started the episode with it, too. Especially since they were talking about Maze’s brand new soul (Linda’s right, of course; it definitely makes sense she grew a soul, given how God works). It was lovely to hear her excitement and wonder over it. She’s been through so much recently, and it was great to just hear her happier. But then, of course, that wasn’t even the beginning of her story, was it?
It was obvious when Eve showed up that she came back for Maze, just like it was obvious she came back for Lucifer in season 4. She even showed it the exact same way. But this time around, I’ll admit I was happy to see her (as long as she stays away from Deckerstar, we’re good). I know she’d hurt Maze a lot when she left, but I still think they would be good for each other. And since she clearly came back for Maze… well, maybe Maze can finally be happy, right? (On a side note, I definitely relate to everything Eve said. Finding yourself is hard. If only you could just ‘turn a corner and “whoops, there I am”‘.)
I completely understand Maze’s anger and pain, though. We saw how hurt she was when Eve left (understandably); I think there’s a part of her that’s still learning to deal with this heartbreak. She’s definitely still in the process of healing. And honestly, given how badly Eve hurt her, I feel like her reaction was surprisingly mild. She had every right to be furious and she had every right to keep her distance from Eve. But she didn’t. Sure, she was really short with her, and at times she even let herself show anger, but she still let Eve tag along, and she still didn’t really do anything. (Seriously, we’ve seen Maze react way worse after less painful betrayals. What she did in this episode was nothing compared to that.)
All of which goes to show how much Maze still loves her. As said, she’s definitely still healing; it was obvious she still wasn’t over her. I’m glad she could actually talk about it, though. It really shows how much she’s grown. The fact she told Eve that she broke her heart, the fact she acknowledged how angry she was… they’re both massive signs of progress. And honestly, I’m proud of her for that.
I wish it hadn’t taken a near-death experience for her to realise that she still loves Eve, but… well, it’s Maze. At least she got there in the end. It was beautiful to see her telling Eve all that – you could really feel how open and vulnerable she was. You could feel her pain and fear for Eve, too, at the prospect of losing her again. (Again, I’m so proud of her for being able to say all of that.) And for a moment, I was so happy for her, because she deserves to be happy, and Eve will be good for her, but then… Lucifer has to break your heart, right?
I’m not surprised Eve turned down the offer of immortality. I didn’t even think about Cain, but of course, he’s the perfect example of how dangerous (and painful) immortality can be. But it was obvious she’d say no from the moment Maze started talking about immortality (and I can’t blame her). I know Maze is feeling a lot of pain right now, and I know she’s terrified of losing Eve, but… pain and fear and loss are a part of life. They’re something we have to deal with. I know it’s easier not to, and that’s a lot of what Maze has been doing this season, too, but sooner or later, she’s going to have to deal with it. I just really hope she doesn’t lose Eve in the meanwhile.
It was heartbreaking to watch, though. Maze’s fear. Her pain. You could feel them. And even though it was clear that Eve is right and Maze was trying to protect herself, it was clear she was trying to protect Eve, too. She did it in her own way, not fully understanding why she’s doing what she’s doing, but she still tried. But the really heartbreaking thing (just like in Lucifer’s case, actually) was watching her turning down something that would’ve made her happy. Something that would’ve been good for her. All because she believes she can’t handle everything that comes with it, when we know she can. And the fact it all happened seconds after she was finally happy? Absolutely heartbreaking.
But it can’t be the end for Maze’s happiness, can it? She has to find a way to accept it all. But then, she’s a Demon who grew a soul. If anyone can sort it, it’s Maze. I just hope it won’t be too late.
Bonus: Amenadiel and Ella’s beautiful, heartwarming scene. Or Adorable Deckerstar. Or Lucifer with the French horn (well played on the real-life joke, Lucifer writers). Too many options on this one…
Questions: Is Lucifer actually going to try to become God?! What’s going to happen to Maze? Will she get back to Eve? What is Amenadiel going to do, now that he decided he doesn’t want to be God? How’s Ella holding up? Is she going to do what she promised and put some highly deserved faith in herself? How will Chloe react to Lucifer’s (utterly insane) decision? When will Lucifer finally face his fears and feeling of unworthiness? Now that Linda finally has some peace, is she going to forgive herself?
Final Score: 9/10.
Episode 14 – “Nothing Lasts Forever”
Bloody hell.
So Michael’s grand plan is to take over as God using the Flaming Sword? That… makes a weird amount of sense, actually. He must’ve assumed that God won’t name his successor (Him and His mysterious ways again), and since there’s no obvious heir now that Amenadiel stepped down, anyone can try to take over. And what better way to prove he’s the best one to replace Dear Old Dad than with the Burning Sword? (Although, doesn’t the Flaming Sword require Lucifer – the Lightbringer?) Which is… quite a plan, even for what we’ve seen from Michael. When he said ‘it is gonna be epic‘, he really meant it, huh?
But enough about Michael. This episode has had quite enough without him. And I suspect there’ll be plenty to say about him in the final two episodes; better not give him any more time than we have to.
So, shall we start with Lucifer?
I’m not surprised Chloe wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of Lucifer becoming God. Especially since Lucifer tends to have… a limited attention span, to put it mildly. He’s shown it perfectly throughout this episode. The fact he didn’t even seem to realise just how perfectly he’s proving Chloe’s point was just icing on the cake. Not to mention, we’ve seen how well God balanced (or rather, didn’t balance) work and his personal life. No wonder Chloe was worried. I’d be worried if I were her, too.
I love how quickly Lucifer noticed Chloe wasn’t happy with the idea, though. And it was wonderful to see how open and understanding they were. The way Chloe told him what’s bothering her and how she feels, and the way he immediately (sort of) understood and showed her it’s alright she needs time… it was all so beautiful. Actual relationship goals. Exactly what I needed for Deckerstar. (Also can we talk about the way he made her smile and that little hug? Perfect). I wish he’d just tell her why he wants to become God, though. She might be able to help with that. But I’m not surprised he didn’t. He’s still afraid. He still thinks he doesn’t deserve her, and until he changes that… it’ll be hard for him to open up. Especially when it comes to something so deep which is a fundamental part of him.
In that, this episode was a bit like Our Mojo. It was about Lucifer wanting, trying to get closer to Chloe, but pulling away at the same time, because he doesn’t believe he’s worthy. Because he thinks she’ll reject him in the end anyway. And you might’ve thought that Lucifer’s latest realisation – that he feels he doesn’t deserve her – would change things, but… Lucifer is Lucifer. He’s never been particularly great at facing his issues head-on, even when he was still in therapy and Linda was there to help him process things. And now that he’s dealing with it on his own… well, let’s just say it absolutely makes sense that he’s still looking for a magic solution. But that said, I completely understand him. Facing your insecurities and feelings of unworthiness is hard enough as it is; to someone who’s been telling himself they’re fine it must be petrifying.
And because Lucifer is Lucifer, he then instantly proceeded to show Chloe exactly how right she was to be worried. Ironically, at least some of it was his way of reassuring her that everything would be fine. But then, that’s hardly surprising. And it’s exactly why I said he sort of understood what she said beforehand.
The one thing Lucifer didn’t seem to realise throughout most of this episode was that he needed to listen. He needed to listen to his father when it came to his retirement (at least he understood that much eventually). But he needed to listen to Chloe, too. Sure, there would be perks to knowing God, but Chloe wasn’t worried because of the downsides. She was worried about losing him. Her partner. And everything Lucifer did while trying to prove that becoming God was a good idea or trying to plan his father’s retirement was exactly that. He was so busy with his own thoughts that he wasn’t with her at all. The perfect example of what it’d be like to lose him. (I think it’s intentional on his part, though. He doesn’t realise it, but creating some distance between them is exactly what he thought he needed to protect himself.)
But that wasn’t all we saw from Lucifer in this episode. And I’m glad it wasn’t, because that’s exactly why his journey felt right.
Take his behaviour in his father’s retirement party, for instance. Sure, he was on the verge of fighting his brother (with the way he treated him, I was willing to tear him to shreds. That self-righteous bastard), but he stopped himself. And he presented the idea of being his father’s successor reasonably civilly (for Lucifer, that is. But then, his siblings kept on treating him like some kind of a monster, which is infuriating). Not to mention, he made some good points. He kind of is the only Angel who has any experience running a kingdom, isn’t he?
That said, to me the most beautiful part of the family reunion was the way Amenadiel supported Lucifer. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful to finally see some more siblings, and I loved seeing Lucifer being the mature sibling, but… it was just so beautiful to see the support he had from Amenadiel. I keep on mentioning it every time we see it, I know, but I just love that real, deep brotherhood they’ve developed over these five years. And it was so heartwarmingly wonderful to see Amenadiel backing him up like that, supporting him, and just generally helping him with everything. What he told their father later on, ‘Lucifer’s come a long way. And he does his best when you put a little faith in him‘? Beautiful. Just beautiful. So perceptive and accurate and supportive. Lucifer’s really lucky to have him as a brother. Seriously, sibling goals.
But back to Lucifer for now. As said, we got to see quite a bit more from him than just stuck-in-his-own-head-Lucifer. It was lovely to see that even though it looked like he wasn’t paying attention to the case at all, he still was. And not only was he paying attention, but he actually managed to help, too. Sure, he kept getting distracted by his own issues at times (the restaurant owner’s investigation was just… what are we gonna do with you, Luci?), but to be fair, that’s not too different from who he is. And much like we’ve seen earlier this season, the thing he was preoccupied with was actually his way to open up to Chloe (though she doesn’t know), so it’s completely understandable. The things we do for those we love, right?
It was surprisingly great to see the length to which Lucifer was willing to go for Chloe. All the way to setting his father up with Chloe’s mother, apparently. I doubt she appreciated it – it certainly looked like she wasn’t thrilled about the surprised double date (‘Double Decker‘ though, that’s just hilarious) – but at least she got to ask God some important questions. So that’s definitely something.
And while we’re at it, I loved that double date. I loved that Lucifer thought of the sting-date idea (Chloe was right, it’s the perfect way to balance work and life), and I loved Chloe’s reaction when he told her the plan. Her reaction when she saw his dad and then her mum was hilarious but completely understandable; even for Lucifer, that idea felt a bit much. Then again, it’s Lucifer, and when he sets his mind on something… well, he tends to make it happen. Even when it’s the wrong thing to do (although it wasn’t a complete waste. They got the owner in the end).
But anyway, that date was absolutely marvellous. I love how embarrassed Chloe was at her mum’s stories; it was so perfectly normal for the first date with the parents. And it was adorable – and hilarious. In general, that double date was hilarious. So I really enjoyed watching it (especially Deckerstar being Deckerstar, everything about it was so… them). And I’m glad we got to see it (though I wish we could’ve seen more of it).
I was also glad Chloe got to ask God some of the questions weighing on her. And as said, she’s absolutely right to worry – everything God said just proved it. Not that any of it was new to us or even to Chloe, I think, but she needed to hear that she’s not overly-worried. And just as much, I think Lucifer needed to be reminded of how accurate everything she told him was. He’s been telling himself it’s not an issue so that he won’t have to worry about it (classic), but he needed to be reminded it’s not that simple. And luckily, Dear Old Dad was there to remind him just how spectacularly bad he was at balancing work and life. (That double date had quite an impact on Chloe, too, as we got to see later on, but I’ll get to that.)
It was surprisingly good to see God setting some boundaries for Lucifer (considering I couldn’t care less about him, that is). I think it was good for Lucifer, though I’m sure he wouldn’t agree. But the really great thing was watching Chloe finally get the whole thing into his head.
I’m glad she brought it up again. Especially now that she had something to show for her worries. When she tried talking to him about it beforehand, it was quite clear Lucifer was in denial about the whole thing. But now that they both saw how distracted he was throughout this case, now that they both heard everything God had to say (very clearly and pointedly)… well, she had something to use to force Lucifer to face it. (On a side note, getting someone to face their denial isn’t easy; it’s impressive that Chloe got him there so quickly. But then, I’m not surprised. Lucifer would do anything to not let her down.)
And clearly, she managed it. Because for the rest of that case, Lucifer stayed focused. Even his jokes and references were on topic (not to mention super Lucifer-y). And that focus allowed him to learn something about his own issues through the case, too (because Lucifer is Lucifer and that’s how he processes things in his own life). Thanks to the killer’s confession, Lucifer finally understood that he hasn’t been listening to the people around him. (Also, it was so beautiful that he made sure to ask Chloe if it’s okay for him to go and that he waited for her to say yes before he did.)
From the moment he took the time to actually listen and think about what his father truly desires (sorry not sorry, I had to), everything he did was absolutely beautiful. That family reunion and everything that happened in it was just beautiful. Perfect, even. The fact he thought about it, the fact he did everything he could to make it happen… it’s so amazing, and it shows who Lucifer is better than anything could (he does misguided things but he means well, and he certainly tries to do the right thing). I loved that scene, more than I could say, and it was perfect.
Everything about it was just so beautifully done. Mum’s entrance (interesting that she chose Charlotte’s body, but I’m really glad to see Tricia Helfer again so I don’t mind) was perfect, from the way the camera panned, through every step she made, to Amenadiel and Lucifer’s unspoken communication. And it reminded me of the reunion in God Johnson, which is a nice touch. I loved the difference between her reaction to seeing Amenadiel (his expression was just so pure, so happy and touched) and seeing God; it’s hardly surprising she’s not thrilled to see him after everything he’s done to her.
But then, clearly that’s not all she felt towards him, or she wouldn’t have come all this way, would she? I loved the way she slowly warmed up to him after he told her she’s better at being God than he was (why am I not surprised). It was very… human, and it was very appropriate to the characters. Clearly she still loves him, and it was lovely to see her rediscovering that love. (Again, it’s a bit like we’ve seen in God Johnson, isn’t it? Her anger that slowly melts away at the reminder of how much they love each other.)
And then… Amenadiel told Lucifer about their latest discovery.
To be fair, I understand Amenadiel’s relief at the idea of everything going back to the way it was (tempting in any context, really). Especially when it comes to the idea of an actual family, which is the one thing these Angels haven’t had in eons (if they ever have). But with Lucifer being so set on being God to prove himself… well, it was blindingly obvious that revelation won’t go well. (I’m just amazed that Amenadiel didn’t see it somehow, it was so obvious.) But as much as he wanted his father to step down and give him space, even Lucifer didn’t want him to leave entirely.
It was utterly heartbreaking to watch these two Angels – these two little boys, really – getting the news that they’re about to lose their parents. The way their smiles slowly disappeared as the meaning of their words sank in, the tears in their eyes, the anger and pain in Amenadiel’s voice (it was too painful, that “You’re just gonna leave us again? Without any ability to come back?!“)… it was so heartbreaking. Especially because we know how they’ve never really felt like they had parents (Lucifer more than Amenadiel, I think, but still). So now that they finally (sort of) got a father, now that their parents finally made up, now that everything is finally going the right way? Now they’re leaving them? I can’t imagine how painful it must’ve been for Lucifer and Amenadiel, but at least some of it, we saw. And I, for one, really felt it.
And I get what God is saying, and he’s definitely got a point, it’s about time he sees his wife’s perspective, but… they can’t just pretend they don’t have children they’re abandoning. If they were decent parents beforehand, it would’ve been reasonable, but they never really did the parenting thing properly, did they? They need to be there for their children. And I’ll admit that I’m torn even as I’m saying it, because I think for once God got it right, and it’s the right thing for him and the Goddess, but I hate seeing Lucifer and Amenadiel suffering like that. It’s actually painful to watch them go through this pain. Especially because losing something you never had before is even more painful than other losses (and it’s even worse when it comes to parents).
But admittedly, there’s something about that scene that completes Lucifer’s journey with his father. When God first showed up, Lucifer was furious with him. He thought he didn’t need him, and he certainly didn’t want him in his life. I think there was a part of him that even hated his father. And while it was clear that Linda was right in Family Dinner and he does want his father’s love and approval, Lucifer himself didn’t quite understand it. He couldn’t really see beyond “the father who kicked me out”. Which is completely understandable, but also doesn’t really tell the whole story. But then things slowly started to change.
It started with the end of Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam. In these final seconds of the episode, God admitted to Lucifer that he’s losing control over his powers. And Lucifer was afraid. He spent most of Resting Devil Face convincing himself he was afraid for those he loves, but there was more to it than that. You could see that fear in that sting operation (and even in the end of that episode). Lucifer was afraid for his father. He was afraid for his father because he does love him and need him and he doesn’t want anything to happen to him. And that’s one of the things he’s been discovering throughout this half of season 5.
In that moment, when Lucifer asked his father to stay – even though he needs to be God, even though he’s been telling himself he hates his father – you could see that journey. You could see that journey, but more than that, you could see the little boy who just wants his father (that “You’ve only just got here. Can’t you stay and annoy me a little bit longer?” showed it perfectly). And it was just heartbreaking. I’ve said it so much in the last four paragraphs that it’s probably losing its meaning, but… it was heartbreaking to see that rejected little boy who just knows he’s about to be abandoned again. (Especially with God’s very true but not particularly helpful response. Lucifer’s expression said it all, really. Oh, great, more “mysterious ways” nonsense).
But as heartbreaking as that scene was (and it was), the tears I was left with were happy tears. Because that scene got us some very true, very touching, beautiful moments. One, between Amenadiel and the Goddess; the other, between Lucifer and God. Both of these moments were really, really overdue. And both of these moments were simply perfect.
I’m so glad the Goddess told Amenadiel these things. It was beautiful to see just how much she loves and values him and how proud of him she is. Especially since in season 2, there was a certain feeling that she prefers Lucifer (at least, that’s what Amenadiel thought. He even said so at some point). And she’s absolutely right, of course. Being perfect at something (or in general) isn’t about not making mistakes or always doing the right thing and never turning the wrong way. That’s impossible (even for God, so of course it’s impossible for anyone else, too). It’s about trying your best, about trying to do the right thing. And that’s exactly what makes him such a wonderful father. The fact he’s trying do to what’s right for Charlie, the fact he’s trying his hardest to put his son first and be everything he needs.
And I’m just so glad she told him that. He needed to hear that, but more than that, he deserved to hear that. Not to mention, he certainly deserved a proper goodbye this time, and I’m glad he got it.
It’s not a competition, of course, but if anyone deserved some closure, it was Lucifer. And I’ll admit I was doubting he’d ever have it from the moment I started Family Dinner, but… I’m really happy I was wrong on this (I maintain it wouldn’t have happened if God wasn’t retiring, though). Because Lucifer’s been blaming himself for his father’s actions his entire life. Even though he finally acknowledged it in the last couple of seasons, deep down, he still believes it’s all his fault. He still hates himself for everything that’s happened – in Heaven and afterwards. And what he really needed (and definitely deserved) was to hear from his father that it wasn’t his fault. That God messed up. And that even though he’s made mistakes, his father does love him.
You see how beautifully that one scene ties this half together? Back in Family Dinner, we saw Lucifer trying to get his father to admit he loves his children. He denied it, and if asked about it, he would’ve claimed he wanted to hear his father doesn’t love them, but that’s what it was. The rejected boy who wants his father’s love, who wants to hear it wasn’t his fault and he has nothing to hate himself for. We’ve seen it repeatedly since then, in almost every scene God and Lucifer had together. It was the one thing Lucifer desperately needed (like all rejected children, really): closure with the rejecting parent. And after all they’ve been through since God showed up on Earth, he finally got it. A neat, beautiful character arc, wasn’t it?
And it was beautiful. Perfect, even. The way Lucifer instantly tried not to show just how much it means to him to hear his father admit he could’ve been a better father (again, understatement of the millennium). The way you could see it in his eyes nonetheless and even feel how much it affected him, hearing these words. And when God said he loves him and he’s proud of him… you could actually see the weight lifting off of him. You could really feel Lucifer – how deeply it touched him, how much he needed it, the little boy within him – and it was so deep and real and raw that it brings tears to my eyes even just writing about it now. It was just perfect.
I could keep talking about how wonderful that entire scene was for ages, probably, but there’s nothing I can say that would show how beautiful that scene was or how deeply it touched me. So instead, I want to take a moment to talk about God’s final remarks. And by that, of course, I mean “It was all part of my plan“.
How much of it was God’s plan? What else has God planned for his children? When he told Lucifer and Amenadiel about losing his powers, it seemed genuine. He was distressed. Or at least, he seemed distressed. So he couldn’t have planned all of that, could he? We know he planned everything around Lucifer meeting Chloe, but he couldn’t have possibly planned for Michael to try to take over, could he? He couldn’t have wanted his children to fight. So what was his plan? He’s been in four episodes so far this season, and I feel like we’re just as in the dark as we were beforehand. What on earth did God plan, and how much worse is it all going to get? (And why not name his successor, since he “abandoned” his “mysterious ways”? What’s the point? Clearly he’s doing it for a reason, but what is it?!)
I wonder if we’ll ever find out what God’s plan was. Or at least bits of it. But then, there are just too many questions around God to fully answer them. This episode alone raised so many questions; with the ones we had beforehand, they become too much to answer. God’s visit was supposed to have helped, at least with some of those existing questions, but that’s not going to happen, is it? So somehow I have a feeling we’re not really going to get the answers to most of them. (That said, as I said earlier, I’m glad God didn’t just give us all the answers to everything; that would’ve been awfully dull and out of character.)
Now, as said, while Lucifer was planning his parents’ reunion, Chloe had quite a revelation following that double date. Her mother’s explanation made sense given what we’ve seen from the alternate universe (in Once Upon a Time), so it was hardly a surprise, but it was still pretty emotional. Honestly, I can’t imagine how Penelope must be feeling; imagine losing your partner and having to live with the grief and these regrets for the rest of your life (and then hearing from your daughter you got in the way of your partner). But it was great to see her tell Chloe all that, and it was even better to see Chloe listen and take it to heart. And the conclusion she came to was absolutely beautiful.
I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting Chloe to quit the LAPD, and clearly, neither did Lucifer (his “how can I call you The Detective if you’re not actually a detective?” was just… sure, Lucifer, that’s the important question). Everything she said was so beautiful, and the fact she got all this from talking to her mother about her and her dad… it was all so touching and beautiful and so like her. It was so like her to try to help as many people as possible, and it was beautiful to see her actively avoiding making her mother’s mistake. I mean, the fact that she’s willing to give her job up to be there for Lucifer, to support him… it was so beautiful.
I would’ve loved to see her thought process, but following her conversation with her mother, I suppose it’s clear enough how she got to that idea. And honestly, that scene was just so wonderfully heartwarming that it almost makes everything else seem unimportant. It was lovely to see Chloe brought up the way Lucifer’s been helping her for the past five years, but it wasn’t the topic as much as it was the way she put it. Which was just perfect (“Now it’s my turn to support you. It’s what partners do, right?” I can’t I’m in tears). It was such a beautiful way to see it and such a beautiful way to put it, and I love that we could see (again) just how much she values that partnership, how much it means to her and how much she cares about Lucifer.
And I love that you could see how much it means to Lucifer, too. I love that it was so clear how touched he was by everything Chloe was willing to do for him. His lack of response (and the way you could just see on his face how deeply he thinks he doesn’t deserve her) and her reaction to it… they were just perfect. It was a wonderful, touching, hugely emotional, happy little Deckerstar moment. And I’m so happy we finally got it, because they absolutely deserved it and we really needed this after the nightmare we’ve been through in the first four (plus) seasons. I’m so happy they have each other. I keep on saying it, but they’re absolute relationship goals.
On a side note, I’m not sure she really needs to quit her job. I mean, I know being God isn’t a 9-to-5 job, but somehow I have a feeling it won’t require as much time from her as she thinks it will. So what is she going to do with the rest of her time?
That is, assuming Lucifer manages to become God, which, judging by Remy’s news, might be difficult (his reaction to her request to talk alone though, “whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of… my consultant“, what a beautiful touch, it was so touching and Deckerstar-y and perfect). But I’m glad he has Remiel on his side; we haven’t seen a lot of her, but from what we’ve seen, I think it’s safe to say she’s just, honest and logical (not to mention strong). I know she and Lucifer didn’t really get along, but I think working together might be good for both of them. Having Amenadiel around was certainly good for him, wasn’t it? (And he did call her Amenadiel’s clone in season 4, after all.) So I’m just happy she’s on our side, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her.
And going from one Celestial to another – Maze’s episode in this storyline was heartbreaking. I hate seeing her in so much pain. I’ve said it after A Little Harmless Stalking, but I really hope she finds her way to Eve quickly. She really doesn’t deserve it. I completely understand her pain, though; finding someone like you and knowing you could lose them any minute… it’s painful. ‘Torture’ sounds like an appropriate description, really (Maze should know, as Hell’s best torturer). But I wish she could see Linda’s point. There’s so much she can have right now, and she’s putting it off because of a potential future? It feels like such a waste.
Now, of course it’s mostly Maze trying to protect herself from getting hurt, but I wonder if it’s also the curse of immortality. The curse of knowing Heaven and Hell are real. It can’t be easy, constantly thinking that far into the future. Especially when you’re certain you’re going to lose the person you love after they die. It must be so much more terrifying. (It’s interesting how similar her and Lucifer’s stories are. We didn’t see him having these thoughts, but it was always an unspoken thing, wasn’t it? “Chloe will die eventually and she’ll go to Heaven and I’m not allowed to go there”.)
It was so like Maze to figure out her Hell Loop and try to change it, though I somehow doubt it would’ve worked even if she had managed to persuade herself to kill those puppies. Clearly she’d have felt guilty about it, but she wouldn’t have felt as guilty about it as she does about breaking up with Eve, would she? So wouldn’t they go with Eve anyway? (Poor Maze. The thought of having to live that moment on repeat forever when we saw how much it hurt her the first time… that really feels like the worst kind of Hell.)
But Maze’s Hell Loop aside, it was painful to see Maze suffering so much. And it was interesting that she could see some of it, but not all of it. Take her ‘breaking Eve’s heart‘ remark to Amenadiel, for instance. She wasn’t just breaking Eve’s heart, was she? She was breaking her own heart, too. But she doesn’t seem to realise she’s the one hurting herself at this point. Or, to be more precise, I think she doesn’t want to realise that. It’s safer for her to think about how she’s hurting Eve, just like it’s safer for her to try to make Eve immortal. It’s all about not feeling loss, isn’t it? Which is very true to Maze, especially this season. (Loss is part of life, though, and I really hope Maze comes to terms with it soon because she deserves to be happy for once.)
That said, I think she’d make an amazing queen to Hell (Maziqueen, brilliant). I loved that Lucifer saw that’s not what she really wants, and I loved that she was honest with him about why she needs it. It says it all about their friendship, really. They know each other so well by now, and they trust each other so much… it’s just wonderful to see it. And it was lovely to see how much he believes in her and trusts her. I absolutely agree with him, too; Maze would be the perfect queen for Hell. But I still hope she changes her mind about the whole thing, at least for the time being. Right now she wants it to run from her problems, and that’s just not good for her. Not to mention, as said, she deserves to be happy. She deserves to face her problems and win.
Also, it was wonderful to see them finally talk about the whole “you didn’t tell me about my mother” thing. I mean, sure, she yelled at him in that massive fight in Spoiler Alert, but that was a hardly a conversation. But apparently the fact that she did helped him understand a bit more about how she saw it, and I’m glad he admitted he may have made a mistake because she means that much to him. And I’m glad she could see his side, too. I don’t know how much Lucifer thought about hurting Maze back when the whole thing with Lilith happened, but I definitely think it came up later, and it’s lovely to see him trying to protect her (I’m guessing he probably saw himself in her and he didn’t want her to go through the pain of being kicked out by your parent).
Last but not least, I think we need to talk about Ella.
I’ve been saying I hope we’ll see some more of Ella for the past six episodes (she has such an interesting if painful story), so it’s hardly a surprise I loved seeing her in this episode. It was great to finally see her for more than just a scene. It was great to get a glimpse into what she’s dealing with, her pain and the darkness she sees in herself and, well, everything. But seeing her pain, seeing how little she sees in herself… it was so utterly heartbreaking.
Seriously. All the way through her therapy session with Linda (I’m so glad she’s been in therapy since Pete), the only thing I wanted was to hug her. To tell her that her darkness doesn’t make her a bad person, and that we all have darkness, and nothing can change how amazing she really is. It was just painful to watch her tearing herself apart like that, like she’s some sort of monster, when we all know she’s far from that. I wish she could see how amazing she is, even with this darkness that she thinks is the biggest part of her. But I’m glad that God was there to show her otherwise.
I’ll admit I’m surprised he decided to break his “watching from afar without interfering” habit. It’s not really like him, is it? But then again, he did tell Ella he noticed her support all the way from Heaven, and he has been strangely involved in this half, so… I suppose I can sort of see it happening. But honestly, it was such a beautiful moment that I don’t even care whether or not it was unlikely it’d happen. (Also, can we talk about Ella’s reaction? “If you’re Lucifer’s dad, that would make you God, right?” Hilariously accurate. Spot on, Ella. If only she didn’t say that as a joke…)
But unlikeliness aside, as said, I’m so glad God could show her at least some of the light within her. I’m glad they could talk about the whole thing (without any “mysterious ways” nonsense). It was just so genuine and emotional and you could really feel Ella. You could feel her pain, and her fear, and how deeply she’s convinced she’s not good. And as said, it was heartbreaking, especially because we know how incredible she is. But I’m glad that she trusted him with it all, and I’m really glad he said what he said. Everything he told her was so very accurate, and I think Ella really needed to hear that. She needed to hear that everyone has darkness within them, and that she also has an amazing, bright light within her – the same light everyone around her sees.
I just hope she takes it all in. I know it’s not an issue that can be solved in a single conversation, even if you’re talking to God himself, but I hope she at least remembers that. She needs every bit of strength she can get to fight the voices in her head telling her she’s bad, and God’s words… well, they’re certainly empowering. Honestly, at this point, I just want Ella to accept herself and be happy. And I know it’s going to take some time, but I hope between these observations and her time in therapy she can get closer to internal peace. I certainly hope we’ll see more of that process over the next twelve episodes.
Bonus: The most beautiful, emotional scenes of this episode: Ella’s conversation with God, the Celestial Family Reunion, and that final Deckerstar scene. There were quite a few hilarious moments, but these three really made this episode.
Questions: Is God really gone forever? Will Lucifer manage to take his place? What is Michael planning to do with the Flaming Sword?! Is Chloe really quitting the LAPD? What will she do with the rest of her time? How will she be able to support Lucifer when (if) he’s God? Will Maze go back to Hell, or will she finally get back together with Eve? What was God’s plan? What is Amenadiel going to do, now that he decided he doesn’t want to be God? How is Ella after her conversation with God? Will she finally see the light we see in her? Will we get to see that process? When will Lucifer finally face his fears and feeling of unworthiness? Now that Linda finally has some peace, is she going to forgive herself?
Final Score: 9.5/10.