Time to continue the episode-by-episode review of season 5 with the long-awaited Lucifer 5B! I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about this half, but as always, Lucifer didn’t disappoint.
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 6-8 click here (also includes links to the reviews of the entire first half).
Episode 9 – “Family Dinner”
Where do I even start?
If I remember correctly, in one of the season 5 interviews, Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson talked about the difficulty of bringing God into the show. No wonder, really. It’s a difficult job. How do you bring God in, when throughout Lucifer’s and Amenadiel’s lives he’s barely even been there? How do you bring an incredibly vague and cryptic character in a way that can be understandable, but still cryptic at the same time?
The short answer is, exactly like this.
As said, it’s not simple. Particularly since this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Dear Old Dad on Lucifer. The last time we saw him, in Once Upon a Time, he was surprisingly open and communicative. And I’ll admit… I had a fleeting concern about season 5B turning out the same way. But I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way, at least in this episode (we’ll see how the season continues). It made sense, in the context of that particular episode, to have God talking about what he’s done for Lucifer. But actually talking to his sons? Based on Lucifer’s and Amenadiel’s descriptions so far, that’s a rare occasion. And the truth is, while it’s extremely frustrating to have zero answers after an entire episode with God, it also felt true to the characters. To me, at least, that’s far more important.
And speaking of God and his lack of communication with his children, I loved the fact that they were working on that particular case in this episode. The differences and similarities between the human family and the celestial one were utterly fascinating, and if anything, really underlined just how messed up Lucifer’s family is. I loved seeing how deeply he related to the victim, I loved his responses to the siblings, and more than anything else about the case, I loved seeing just how deeply he was affected by the father’s confession. Because as Chloe said, Lucifer was projecting his issues on the case (as usual). And now that his dad is around… well, no case could be just a case. Least of all a case about family.
And that’s the most beautiful thing about this episode, really. Just how deeply emotional and completely accurate it was. Lucifer has always been about the boy who was rejected by his parents (mainly his dad). We’ve seen his interactions with his mother and his anger and resentment towards her. Now, after thousands of years, Lucifer finally got the chance to show his father how he feels about him. He didn’t think about it. He just did it, starting with his speech in the opening scene.
That little speech was interesting, not only because it was absolutely true and completely accurate, but because of the underlying realisation. To be fair, I’m not entirely sure Lucifer even noticed it. It’s not an easy thing to grasp. When you’ve spent your whole life hoping for a parent’s approval or love, at some point, you have to accept that you may never get what you need from your parent. And that’s far from easy to accept. It’s really difficult to give up that hope, especially when you’ve been waiting your whole life. And as we’ve seen before, there’s a part of Lucifer that hasn’t given up on that hope, on that desire to get his father’s approval.
Unsurprisingly, Lucifer himself doesn’t quite realise just how much he still wants that approval. It was clear in certain moments throughout the show (e.g., the scene in which “God” tells him he’s proud of him in God Johnson), but it was something Lucifer tried very hard to forget. Even in their family dinner, when Linda suggested he and his brothers only want their father’s love and approval, he immediately objected. And it’s not surprising that he did. When you’re so used to being rejected repeatedly by someone, you start telling yourself you don’t need them. You don’t want them, even. But when it’s the parent who rejected you… well, it’s a lot harder to let go of that desire.
And yet, that speech in the opening scene showed that there’s a part of Lucifer that knows the inevitable truth: he will probably never get that approval. It’s sad and painful, especially for Lucifer and his siblings, but it’s the truth (that underlying realisation I mentioned before). How did he put it? “He is behind every bad thing that’s ever happened to me! Well, everything apart from you. And for someone who’s supposed to be omniscient, it’s amazing that you never actually see that! And apparently never will.“
Now, I know this is hardly the first time Lucifer complains about the way God ignores or manipulates his children. But in this episode, it felt slightly different. Possibly because the last four years changed Lucifer. Dramatically. He’s maturer now and a lot more aware of how messed up his family is. And while he’s still Lucifer and he’s far from being emotionally mature, he’s in a significantly better place than he was when the series started. Sure, they all regressed as soon as God showed up, but there was more to his behaviour than that. As these lines show, as his words in the family dinner show, he’s not just a ‘spoiled child stomping off to pout’ anymore. He’s a rightfully angry man, who’s trying to reconcile his desire for his father’s love and approval with the fact he’ll probably never get it.
And I think that much was clear, even through the screen. It was clear in the way Peter Peterson’s confession affected him. (Had to write the name; Lucifer’s right, it’s the greatest name ever.) It was clear in the way he spoke in that family dinner. His question to Amenadiel – another fabulous comparison underlining just how dysfunctional this family is; his question to his father, as well as his reaction to the non-answer he got; even his slightly childish way of provoking Michael. It was clear even in his agony in that final scene with Chloe.
Backtracking a moment, it was beautiful to see the affect that confession had on Lucifer. It was one of those moments in which Lucifer’s hope for a reconciliation with his father was crystal clear. The things Peterson said – about how he can’t let any of his children suffer because of him – were exactly the things Lucifer needs to hear from his own father. Throughout Lucifer’s life, God behaved in the exact opposite manner. He barely communicated with his children. He didn’t even say anything when Uriel died, even though he could’ve stopped it very easily (without putting himself on the line, even). But he didn’t so much as blink, as far as we know. And on the other hand, here is this man, apparently stepping up and admitting a crime just so that his children won’t suffer. Here is this man, showing what real fatherhood is.
Lucifer himself seemed to have understood it, though I’m not sure he understood why he needed to hear that. The fact that the confession changed his mind about the family dinner says it all, really. Despite his objections about it when Linda said it, there was still a part of Lucifer that wanted his father’s love and approval. And there was more to it than that; there was still a part of Lucifer that hoped that he could get them in that dinner.
Judging by how much worse things could’ve gone (and have gone in the past), that family dinner went surprisingly well. Sure, Lucifer’s remarks towards Michael weren’t exactly friendly or even civil, but let’s be honest, Michael certainly deserved it. Actually, to be fair, Michael deserved significantly worse, but that list of the ‘downright villainous’ things he’s done was absolutely perfect. It was snarky, but still appropriate for the occasion; showed exactly how Lucifer felt and reminded their father exactly what Michael did – though God didn’t seem to care about any of it – but still refrained from angering Dear Old Dad. It was simply… perfect for that dinner.
There was something extremely frustrating about seeing how little God cared about everything Michael’s done, and it was just as frustrating to watch Amenadiel instinctively taking on the role of the eldest. Lucifer may have been directing his anger towards their dad at Amenadiel earlier in the episode, but he was right about that. Now that their dad is around, Amenadiel instantly took on the blame and the responsibility of keeping his brothers in line. It’s definitely understandable, not to say natural, but as said, it’s also frustrating. We’ve seen Amenadiel grow up so much in the past couple of seasons; the last thing I wanted to see was a regression from both him and Lucifer. That said, due to the nature of this dysfunctional family, I know it couldn’t have gone any other way.
And while I enjoyed Lucifer’s not-so-subtle stabs at Michael and their dad, I loved the argument that followed even more. It was more than just snark. It was real, deep anger and pain, even on Michael’s part, and while I still feel a lot of it is his own doing (just like Lucifer said), I can definitely understand his pain having to live in Lucifer’s shadow. And Lucifer’s pain? Well, it’s still just as raw as it was the very first time he talked about Hell. You could actually feel his pain and his anger towards his father for casting him out. We’ve seen the affect his time in Hell had on Lucifer. We know how deeply he hated it, and we know how deeply it scarred him. And now, at last, Lucifer could say all that in the presence of the one who sent him there.
When so many years of anger and pain and self-hatred come out… well, they tend to come out in a rush. And that’s exactly what we saw in that moment. That is, until Dear Old Dad put a stop to it.
It was hard to feel any sort of empathy towards God in that moment, at least to me. We’ve known Lucifer and Amenadiel for so long, at this point it seems safe to say we know how deeply God’s terrible parenting screwed them up. Sure, it was clear he was angry about Lucifer and Michael’s fight, and it was clear he was disappointed (angry, even?) about the ruined dinner, but honestly? I couldn’t care less. I wholeheartedly agreed with Lucifer’s scoff there; God is hardly in a position to have any sort of expectations or make any demands of his children. Because the most important thing a parent has to give to their children is unconditional love, and like Linda pointed out so accurately, it’s the one thing none of them ever felt they got.
It’s not surprising that Lucifer instantly objected to that remark. It’s also not surprising he took it to the wrong place, at least in his mind. He’s been quite consistent on that front (Linda’s ‘as usual’ was perfect, really). But his seriousness as he asked Amenadiel about Charlie showed he understood exactly what that moment was about. I doubt he understood it fully – certainly not consciously – but it was clear that deep down, he understood it all. It wasn’t The Rebellious Son deliberately provoking his father anymore; it was the boy who blamed himself for everything that went wrong in his life, desperately wanting to hear it wasn’t his fault. Desperately wanting to hear he’s loved as he is.
There was something so very powerful about that moment. Something about the pain hidden underneath Lucifer’s very serious, almost detached tone as he asked his question, something about the way both Amenadiel and Michael turned to look at God, really drove the point home. These three Angels – these three boys who just wanted their father’s love – sitting there, waiting, wanting, needing to hear that yes, he does love them. Even Lucifer’s yearning and that little glimmer of hope that maybe his father does love him were clear in his expression. He doesn’t believe he’ll hear those words, and he knows it’s likely he’ll never hear them, but he still tried. All because he needed an answer. All in the hope he might get the answer he needs.
Lucifer himself probably wouldn’t agree on that. He’d say he needed to hear his father doesn’t love them, so that he can move on. Under different circumstances, I might’ve agreed. Living in a limbo – constantly thinking that someone might love you or want you someday – is always hard. In times like this, hearing a ‘no’ can be just as freeing as hearing a ‘yes’. But Lucifer’s reaction to his father’s non-answer said it all, really. His anger at what he perceived to be a ‘no’, his admission that he thought it would be cathartic, his very clear pain as he said his final words (especially that “You will never love us. Because you’re incapable of love. And that’s just sad. For all of us.“)… they all told a completely different story. There was still a part of Lucifer that was hoping to hear his father does love him.
And at least to me, those final words were heartbreaking.
I would love to see the affect those words had on God. I don’t think he doesn’t love his children – although he hasn’t done a great job showing it thus far – but I can definitely see why Lucifer thinks that. The fact he decided to stay on Earth a while longer hints that he does love them, though. As does the fact he sent Michael back to the Silver City. It was interesting to see him taking action for once, rather than just watching things from a distance; after everything that’s happened, I was quite certain he would do nothing about Michael and the damage he’s caused. I have no doubt things will be tense in the next episode, but maybe, just maybe, it’ll be a good sort of tense. A “putting everything out there and trying to heal” sort of tense.
And speaking of that conversation between God and Amenadiel, it was beautiful to see how deeply Amenadiel loves his son and how much he’d give for him. I’ve said before that I think having a child would bring out the best in Amenadiel; seeing him as a parent so far this season has been absolutely wonderful. The way Amenadiel was trying to protect his son, the way he was willing to give up being an Angel to ensure Charlie wouldn’t have to suffer, was utterly beautiful. And that difference between Amenadiel’s parenting and God’s parenting really drove the point home (as I’ve said before) – the family Amenadiel and Lucifer grew up in was far from fine. At this point, “dysfunctional” feels like an understatement.
That said, though, the important thing is Amenadiel’s parenthood (I’ve talked about their dysfunctional family enough, really). It made me so happy to hear the way Amenadiel talked about Charlie, both during that dinner and afterwards. It was just… true fatherhood. A parent who would do anything, would give anything, to make sure their child is safe and happy and well. And that’s just beautiful. I think at this point it’s safe to say that Charlie is lucky to have Amenadiel.
What else did we have in this episode? I loved seeing Linda’s reaction to seeing God in the flesh (the way she just poked him and her reaction when she realised Charlie is God’s grandson killed me), and their hushed back-and-forth in the family dinner was hilarious. Honestly, I love any and all glimpses we get into domestic Linda/Amenadiel; you really can’t go wrong with these two.
On another God-related front, Maze finally got to talk to Dear Old Dad. Unsurprisingly, it absolutely didn’t go well (shocking, given God’s nature, isn’t it?). And while Maze’s conversation with God was extremely frustrating (‘annoyingly arbitrary and inscrutable answer’ indeed) and I completely understand her fury, there was one thing I liked about it: the way he sees her. I’ve said it before already, but I’m not entirely sure what the point of a soul is or why Maze needs one, given how she can already do everything humans can. So I don’t think he’s wrong about her being perfect as she is. Just look at how much she’s grown. She’s perfect exactly like she is.
I mean, sure, this whole working-with-Michael-thing was something I wasn’t expecting from her, but now that we know what the plan was, we know she only did it because she desperately wants a soul. And people – and Demons – make mistakes, too. It’s natural. So while I understand her anger – hell, I feel it, because God’s response wasn’t a reasonable one in any way – I do agree on that one point. She’s absolutely amazing as is, and I really hope she’ll be able to see it. Sooner rather than later.
I’m not surprised Chloe, Dan and Ella all chose to go straight back to work after what they’ve been through. That moment was done brilliantly, especially the way Chloe and Dan reacted to seeing Ella back at work. The thought that “Don’t worry, you have nothing to explain, we’re both basically doing the same thing of throwing ourselves into work to avoid thinking” may have been left unsaid, but it was absolutely clear. And it was definitely funny.
That said, I’m still worried about Ella. What she’s been through… I can’t even imagine how deeply it hurt her. We’ve seen bits and pieces, and it was utterly heartbreaking, but… it’s hardly the same as living it. The things she said in the beginning of the episode made it clear that she’s far from over it, and that’s okay, but I wish we could see more of what she’s going through. (And I wish we could help, but that’s probably beyond the writers’ scope.) I loved seeing that the others see her pain, though, and that they’re trying to help (in their own ways). That scene between Dan and Ella, for instance, was absolutely beautiful. There’s so much I could say about that scene, but honestly? I don’t think there’s anything I can say that would do justice to it.
Because it’s so very true, isn’t it? And it’s so genuine. Everything about that conversation was so real and emotional. It was so raw. Dan’s pain, Ella’s pain, the gentleness with which he talked to her and the things he said, seeing just how deeply it affected her, how much she needed to hear that… it brought tears to my eyes. And Dan was so right. There aren’t enough words in the universe to say how right he was. It’s beautiful to see how close they are, and I absolutely love the way he manages to reach her. I know she still has a long way to go dealing with the aftermath of Spoiler Alert, but I’m glad she’s not alone in it. And I’m glad Dan was able to show her just how wonderful and amazing she is, at least a little bit.
And what about Dan? The whole Spoiler Alert ordeal seemed to have clarified a thing or two for him, but that hardly fixes things. He did learn about Lucifer’s true nature (when Ella said, “hard to beat a secret serial killer“, it was so clear he was thinking, “Try the actual Devil”). That’s not something you get over that quickly. He knows Michael is a monster now, sure, and he’s seen how much Lucifer loves Chloe, but… there’s still the tiny fact that Lucifer is the Devil. Not to mention the teeny tiny fact that he shot him. So where does that leave us? I thought we’d have some sort of insight into this in this episode, but apparently not. So I’ll ask again. Where does that leave us?
And speaking of Chloe and Lucifer… well, where do I start?
I’m not surprised Lucifer ran away after facing his father in the beginning of the episode, and it was obvious he’d be drinking at LUX. It’s his instinctive reaction, really. I’m not even surprised he was so caught up in that moment with his father that he didn’t stop to think what it looked like from Chloe’s perspective. So that conversation at LUX, with Chloe blaming herself for pushing him (not even remotely close)… well, it was quite obvious it’d go the way it did. (Although he could’ve stopped her and told her about his dad. Cue me yelling at my laptop screen “TELL HER ALREADY” repeatedly.)
But it was extremely frustrating that Lucifer mostly kept quiet about it throughout the episode. It was lovely to see that Chloe knows him well enough by now to know he’s projecting everything on the cases they’re working, and it was adorable (and funny) to see her trying to get into Lucifer’s head and slightly overdoing it with the metaphor, but Lucifer’s silence was… irritating. It felt a bit like I’m watching an earlier season of Lucifer. And I suppose between his regression (thanks to his father) and the fact that he’s still terrified of opening up to Chloe, it was probably the one way this episode could’ve gone. But as said, it was still extremely frustrating.
I loved seeing Chloe’s reactions, though. The way she was trying to backtrack, to give Lucifer some space, was beautiful. And the way she was trying – for the first time ever probably – to use their case to try to help him? I’m lost for words. I can’t imagine how terrified she must’ve been (we’ve seen her spiralling throughout this whole episode but it isn’t the same as feeling it) but she still kept trying to get to him. She still kept trying to understand and help. And that says so much about her. Sure, it was partially because she needed him to talk to her, but… she was also just trying to help. Which was beautiful, really.
And then there was that final scene.
I’ll admit, after the past season and a half, I was expecting to have my heart broken at least once in season 5B because of Deckerstar. But that turned out to be a completely different sort of heartbreak. Because it wasn’t about not being able to be together. It wasn’t about rejecting each other or anything like that. It was about Lucifer desperately wanting to be good enough for Chloe – but convincing himself that he isn’t. Convincing himself that he’s incapable of love. Even though it’s clear to anyone who knows him that it’s not true. Even the way he spoke to her, the way he so much as looked at her in that scene showed the complete opposite. It was about the boy whose heart was just broken by his father (again), trying to persuade himself that it’s okay because he’s incapable of feeling it.
Which was heartbreaking, because as we all know, none of what Lucifer said is true. Sure, he never lies, but “lying” isn’t saying something that is objectively false. “Lying” is saying something you perceive to be false. If he was lying, it wouldn’t have been heartbreaking; it would’ve been frustrating. Infuriating, even. But he genuinely believes it. He genuinely believes he’s incapable of love. He genuinely believes that he’s not good enough, never has been and never will be. And that’s not the Lucifer we know. That’s not what Lucifer deserves, least of all from himself.
It’s even sadder because of how utterly adorable that scene was otherwise. Seeing them laughing like that or openly talking about their own mistakes on that, or even just the way they looked at each other… it was perfect. Just… Deckerstar. And the way Chloe tried to tell him he’s wrong, even though he wouldn’t let her, shows exactly how well she knows him and how much she loves him. I just hope Lucifer can learn to see what she sees in him. Because they both deserve it.
Bonus: So many beautiful moments to choose from, but if I had to, it’d either be that conversation between Ella and Dan or domestic Amenadiel/Linda. Absolutely perfect.
Questions: When is Chloe going to meet God (as we’ve seen in the trailer)? What is God up to? What’s going to happen with Deckerstar? How’s Ella? How’s Dan? Why does Hell no longer need a warden? So many other questions… where do I even start? At what point is this all going to go horribly wrong?
Final Score: 9/10.
Episode 10 – “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam”
AKA The Musical Episode
One of the most impressive things about Lucifer is the way the show can move from the heaviest, deepest, most heartbreaking moments into the lightest, most hilarious ones. Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam is basically exactly that.
A lot has happened in this episode, particularly between God and Lucifer and between Lucifer and Chloe, and I’m going to analyse it all in a moment, but first thing’s first: can we talk about how brilliant this musical episode was? I’m not typically a fan of musical episodes (mostly because they’re usually done in a very unbelievable way), but this one was done beautifully. After the Who’s da New King of Hell? opening, I was wondering whether this entire episode will be inside Lucifer’s head, but apparently it wasn’t. In fact, not only was it in real life, it actually had a good reason for happening in real life. Which is not at all obvious and very impressive.
Honestly, the musical numbers were absolutely brilliant. Everything from the song choices to the final numbers was absolutely and utterly brilliant. When Another One Bites the Dust came out in September, it became clear they’d put a lot of work into this episode, but it was still amazing to see the final product. It was still amazing to see just how much work was put into making this episode. And it’s always, always fun to discover just how musical this cast we love is. (Also, Scarlett Estevez’s number was such a wonderful surprise, both because she has a lovely voice and because I’ve missed Trixie deeply.)
And I know I’ve just spent two paragraphs fangirling over how beautiful it all was, but I still feel I can’t say enough just how much I loved it. The song choices were perfect (as ever) and the cast performed them wonderfully; the production and choreography were absolutely beautiful (and would easily be considered top notch even in a West End / Broadway musical); and it all fit into this episode’s story (and this season’s story so far) so well that I barely even remembered it was “The Musical Episode”. It just felt natural (most of the time). Especially given that final revelation.
But let’s start from the beginning.
This episode was a direct continuation of Family Dinner, which meant the episode mostly revolved around Lucifer and his father. And yet, in a way, Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam was the complete opposite of Family Dinner. Where Family Dinner was heavy and highly emotional, Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam (I love that name) was mostly light and, well, hilarious. Where Family Dinner touched Lucifer’s deep, hugely painful family issues directly, Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam was focused on the smallest details, at least on the surface. Which, if you think about it, is very Lucifer. It’s what we’ve seen him do with almost every painful topic he had to deal with. Break it down to its smallest parts; think only about specific elements; then project those on the people around you. It’s the Lucifer way.
But just because this episode had a lot of much-needed comic relief moments doesn’t mean it wasn’t dealing with some of the deepest issues Lucifer has. And it did it beautifully.
I’m not surprised Lucifer thought he and Chloe were over after that final scene of Family Dinner. It’s not the first time we’ve seen him assuming that the first sign of issue means everything is ruined. And to be fair, something like “I can’t ever love you” is a pretty big deal. It’s not just any issue. (If it were true, that is. Because Chloe knows the same thing we do – that Lucifer is capable of love. And as I’ve said before, not only he’s capable of it, but he already loves quite a few people, especially Chloe. He just doesn’t seem to realise it.)
That said, I’m glad Chloe knows him well enough to know exactly where he’s gone in his head. And I’m glad she texted him about the case. Lucifer needed to hear what Chloe had to say – the fact they had issues doesn’t automatically mean they’re over. Not to mention she’s absolutely right on whether or not Lucifer can love (as I’ve said already). And it was good for her, too; clearly, she needed to hear that whatever’s happening between them, they’re still partners, and nothing can change that. I think they both needed to be reminded that come what may, they’re a team. (And might I add, I think we all needed that, too. Deckerstar. Together. No matter what.)
And in this case, the thing they had to face was the Almighty himself.
I loved how embarrassed and uncomfortable Lucifer was telling Chloe it’s his dad. I loved how he sort of assumed she’d react like Linda did (that “Here we go again” was perfect). But the real beauty of this scene was seeing Chloe telling God off (‘respectfully’). And can I just say, she was absolutely spot on. And it’s about bloody time someone said it to His face. God messed up. With all of his children, but particularly with Lucifer. And Chloe said it absolutely perfectly. (Also, can we talk about Lucifer’s surprise when she started telling God off and the pride on his face once he realised what she’s doing?)
But telling God off hardly fixes everything that’s happened between them. It showed Lucifer he was right, which is certainly an important step, but it doesn’t really address the larger issue. Just like completely cutting his father out of his life won’t magically fix Lucifer. But while I do think Lucifer needs to learn to let go of his anger and resentment, I’m not sure staying close to Dear Old Dad is the way to do that.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the fact Chloe saw right through Lucifer and knew he’s not talking about JJ (although JJ’s mother definitely needed to be told to back off; that “Madam, please! Ground your helicopter!” was hilarious). I loved that she knew exactly what he’s thinking and that she could offer him another perspective (whilst still supporting him). And I loved that he listened to her, too – it shows just how much he trusts her. I’m just not sure she’s right about fixing things with God.
Not because I don’t think Lucifer needs closure (he definitely does), and not because I think relationships can’t be patched up (they can). But Lucifer never felt like he actually had a father. In many ways he never had one. It’s like Linda said (I loved how she told them off, and I’ll get to that in a moment) – a parent needs to support and love their child unconditionally. Lucifer never really had that, least of all from his dad. And based on we’ve seen in Family Dinner, I wasn’t (and I’m still not) sure he could have that, not for long. It just seems unlikely God would ever be capable of being there for his children.
And the thing is, as we’ve seen in this episode, the more Lucifer has to deal with this, the more angry and frustrated he’ll be. Because there’s still a part of him that hopes his father will be there for him the way he needs him to. We’ve seen that in the previous episode, and in a few older ones as well. And when that fails – and it inevitably will, much like we’ve seen throughout this episode – it’ll only make Lucifer angrier. We’ve even seen that anger before, too. Remember the end of God Johnson?
That’s not to say Lucifer shouldn’t have any relationship with his father. As said, I absolutely agree that Lucifer needs closure. But you can only be so close to someone who’s incapable of being emotionally close to others. And the more energy Lucifer puts into this – the more of his hopes and personal happiness depend on this – the more catastrophic it’ll turn out to be.
In this case, a lot depends on this closure/reconciliation. Lucifer said it himself in this episode’s opening scene. He was finally happy and in love; now, because of God, it’s all gone. At least, that’s how it is in Lucifer’s head (that’s an important distinction). So if the issue is his father and their relationship, fixing that relationship would fix everything between him and Chloe, right? Meaning the one thing he wants – needs – the most depends on fixing a relationship that may be impossible to fix (the way Lucifer aimed to). Easy peasy.
So it was quite clear Lucifer’s attempt at working on his relationship with his father (“so that I may have a relationship“) wouldn’t work. Especially since at that point, neither Lucifer nor God had actually taken the time to consider why their relationship was so complicated. Which seems like a necessary first step (to say the least). Except to Lucifer and his father, apparently. (On a side note, this certainly explains so much about Lucifer’s tendency of not thinking things through and taking insights in the wrong direction; we’ve seen his mother do that but apparently he got it from his father too.)
It was wonderful to see just how realistic it all was. Most of the time it was hilarious, and at times it was downright insane (Lucifer is as Lucifer does), but it was amazingly accurate to real life. Which one of the things I love the most about this show. It’s so very human. It doesn’t matter that Lucifer is the Devil, or that God is, well, God – at the end of the day, they and their relationship are just as messed up as any of us. And when there’s so much baggage, things are bound to get even more complicated. Especially when there’s several millennia’s worth of it.
In this case, it was done beautifully. The way God criticised practically every single thing in Lucifer’s life. The way Lucifer picked up on it just by his tone (“it’s not what you’re saying, Dad. It’s the way that you’re saying it“). All the little moments of anger/frustration; the arguments over the dumbest, tiniest details (over coffee, of all things); even the stabs they took at each other and their expressions were absolutely spot on. Anyone who’s ever had to deal with an overly critical and/or helicopter parent would instantly recognise these interactions from their own life.
And it wasn’t just on the surface that this episode was accurate in.
The depth of Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam truly shone in Lucifer and God’s therapy session. Although that therapy session was mostly God and Lucifer being snarky, it was an important one. Behind their annoyance and irritation, there was real, genuine pain. You could feel it in Lucifer’s annoyance over his father’s criticism (“[He] Made all of us imperfect and then criticises us for not measuring up“). You could feel it in the way Lucifer asked his question about his banishment to Hell. Because it was all far more than just childish sulking (on both sides) or even more childish comebacks. It came from Lucifer’s deepest pain and the one thing he blamed himself for throughout his entire life – his father’s rejection.
And while it’s far from being the first time we’ve seen it, it’s still just as clear. In that moment he wasn’t the Rebel Son or the Devil. He was a boy asking his father why he abandoned him. Sure, in true Lucifer fashion, he did it with loads of sarcastic remarks and quite a few slightly childish reactions, which made the exchange pretty funny, but it didn’t make the pain any less real or present. Even the way Lucifer went back and forth between focusing on the tiniest, current frustrations and his deepest lingering questions was just right for it all. Some things are incredibly difficult to deal with; the fact that he can face it at all, and even ask his father these questions – it just shows how Lucifer’s grown over the past few years. The fact he couldn’t face it all at once just feels right.
And then there was Linda’s very real, honest and accurate description of the entire thing. A metaphorical slap, if you will. And boy, did Lucifer and dear old Dad need it.
Now, admittedly, some of it was slightly off, but since we know what she’s currently dealing with, it sort of made sense. It was still a bit weird to see her so distracted by her own issues with Amenadiel (I’m not sure we ever saw her this distracted), but since it’s the same family and a very similar issue… well, I suppose it was reasonable. And while her comments meant for Amenadiel provided a wonderful comic relief (God’s and Lucifer’s expressions, I can’t), it didn’t take from the seriousness of the moment. Because this was more than just telling God (and Lucifer) off; this was showing God exactly what a functional family is supposed to look like. This was Linda showing God exactly how spectacularly he failed doing the main thing a parent is supposed to do – and exactly how badly it messed Lucifer up.
I’ll admit I was a bit surprised that God actually saw what Linda was trying to say. So far God hasn’t exactly been particularly observant (which you wouldn’t think was possible for the Almighty). But I suppose the fact he saw what he’s been doing wrong was… something. Even if he took it to the wrong (or not entirely right) place.
But then, these hilarious moments of God going over the top to try to support Lucifer show that he didn’t exactly understand what Linda was trying to say. And that’s why it all made sense, really. Not just because you don’t become a parent overnight (especially after thousands of years of silence). It was also (maybe mostly) the way he seemed to be overcompensating for his earlier mistakes. This wasn’t God understanding what he’s done wrong and trying to (slowly) open things up and sort everything out with Lucifer. It was God seeing he’s done something wrong in practically ignoring his son and trying to make everything alright right now by taking everything to the other extreme.
Which, to be fair, is something you definitely see in these cases where one party understands they’ve done wrong, but doesn’t quite grasp why what they’ve done is wrong or how to do better. God saw Linda’s point alright, but clearly, he didn’t (and probably still doesn’t) have the emotional capacity to fully understand it. Which is very consistent with everything we’ve heard about God, not to mention his behaviour so far. And again, it’s very true to human behaviour, which is what Lucifer is all about, isn’t it?
Of course, seeing God trying to be a normal, supportive parent was utterly hysterical. It felt a bit like God watched every cheesy American family and attempted to act on it. Which I suppose kind of makes sense, seeing as he’s been watching humanity for the past few millennia. Of course it failed spectacularly (does it ever work in real life?), but it gave us a glimpse into a normal celestial family. Which I have to admit was… quite nice. And somehow exactly how I’d have imagined it. You know, if God hadn’t been busy ignoring his children roughly since the beginning of time. (It was also weirdly characteristic to parents and teens, wasn’t it? A father who’s trying to stay close to his child while the child complains he’s embarrassing him/her.)
And the fact that God didn’t seem to realise his behaviour isn’t doing any good said it all, really (way more clearly than I ever could with words, despite everything I’ve written already). Again, this is hardly surprising coming from God; I’ve just spent several paragraphs talking about how emotionally unavailable God is and how little he seems to understand people. Or emotions. Or… well, just about everything to do with either of those. It was quite clear he loves Lucifer and wants him to be happy – there’s no doubt about that – but it was also quite clear he can’t be the parent Lucifer always needed him to be. He just doesn’t have the emotional capacity required for it.
Which explains Lucifer’s reactions. Sure, he was embarrassed and it was hilarious (though I’m sure he’d disagree on that), but there was more to it than that. And it was quite clear when they questioned that coach (the look on Lucifer’s face when God went, “so… team effort!” said it all). But it became blindingly obvious the following morning.
I understand God was trying to make things right with Lucifer. And as said, it’s clear he wants his son to be happy and well. But Lucifer is used to being judged by his father. It’s happened so much that he’s expecting that. That’s how their relationship looks like (and possibly always looked like). They were never the kind of parent and son who revel in each other’s successes and work together towards something. So it was unlikely that Lucifer would see the whole thing as anything other than competition or a fight. Teamwork doesn’t happen overnight, least of all when you’ve been fighting for thousands of years. You could practically see it on Lucifer’s face every time God tried to take credit for something he did or thought. He didn’t even need to say it. Here he is, again trying to undermine everything I’ve done on my own.
And somehow, Lucifer managed to boil it all into two sentences perfectly that next morning: “Fine fine fine fine fine fine, it’s incredible, okay? You win!”
There was something really sad about that scene. It was an illustration of everything I’ve just said, really. Lucifer feeling judged and unaccepted (unloved, even); God showing how little he understands how his actions are perceived and what his son wants and needs; and Lucifer stepping back as he understands – not for the first time – that there’s no point trying to correct his father, because he just doesn’t have the words to make God understand. And that, as Lucifer said in Family Dinner, is just sad. For Lucifer and all of his siblings.
Because had Lucifer been in the right mindset, he could’ve told his father that it doesn’t feel like he just wants the best for him. He could’ve told his father that that’s not the issue – the issue is that he’s constantly judging everything he thinks isn’t good enough for his son. He could’ve told him all that and more. But instead of pushing it further, he made the effort to hold these words (or at least some of them) back. You could see it on his face in the moment. And I think at least partially, he did it because he knew that even if he said all that, his father still wouldn’t understand.
Now, as said, I think that’s just part of him. There was a part of Lucifer that knew it wouldn’t matter if he said those words, but I think he also didn’t understand all of that consciously, not in that moment. I think his father’s response felt wrong to him but he wasn’t quite sure why. Or maybe he just knew that it doesn’t feel like his father wants the best for him, but he couldn’t quite say what made him feel that way. The important thing is that he understood the way his father perceived the situation just wasn’t right. Which is a massive step in the right direction.
After all, his father undermining his perception of things is one of the constants in Lucifer’s life, and that’s just what happened here. The only difference is that this time Lucifer had just enough understanding and emotional maturity to see that something about his father’s wrong, rather than just assume he’s the one who’s wrong. He also had enough understanding and maturity to see he doesn’t quite have the answer to God’s question, only a vague feeling that it’s wrong. (He’s absolutely right, of course; I think I’ve made it fairly clear by now that Lucifer’s perception of his father is surprisingly accurate.) So painful as it might be to watch him apologise for nothing, his decision to take a step back just… feels right.
Now, maybe, if things were different and Lucifer had said all these things, God would’ve seen and understood how Lucifer feels. Maybe, if they had enough time, they could work things out and Lucifer could feel his father supports him. Maybe. But both things are unlikely, really. And somehow, unsurprisingly, it was actually their latest murderer who showed him that.
It was heartbreaking, really, to watch him tell Chloe the inevitable truth that Lucifer already knew deep down: that Dear Old Dad isn’t going to change. He’s not going to be the father Lucifer needs. He can’t be the father Lucifer needs. It’s a heartbreaking things, really; no child should ever feel unloved or unaccepted by their parents. Humans and Celestials alike. And while he’d never admit it, Lucifer always needed to feel loved and accepted by his father. Not that it matters, of course. His father just can’t give him that.
Again, I understand Chloe’s point. And she’s right, you can’t fix issues like that overnight. Healing is a process that takes time. And if things were different – if God was capable of seeing what’s he’s done wrong – maybe a bit of time could’ve helped Lucifer and his father sort things out. After all, people can change. But for that they need, at the very least, some self-awareness. And that’s one of the things God just doesn’t have. (Lucifer didn’t either, when we met him, by the way. Shows how far he’s come.) So the truth is, in these circumstances, there really aren’t enough days for that relationship to get fixed. Not as long as Lucifer still thinks there’s a chance his father could be an actual father.
The really heartbreaking thing about that moment, though, was just how deeply Lucifer still believes there’s no hope for him. As I’ve said before, a lot depends on him fixing his relationship with his father, and in that moment, we got to see it all crashing down. And Lucifer’s pain was just… heartbreaking. You could see how deeply he believes he can’t be fixed (and therefore can’t be happy or loved). Even Chloe’s (very true) words of encouragement couldn’t get to him (even though it’s clear on his face just how much he wanted to believe her). And at least for me, it was truly painful to watch him falling so far down.
And somehow that wasn’t even the most painful or heartbreaking scene of this episode.
Lucifer’s final conversation with his father (which also happened to be the final scene of the episode) may have been one of the most emotional scenes we’ve seen on Lucifer. I’d somehow managed to hold the tears back during Lucifer and Chloe’s conversation (although they definitely came out in that montage during Smile), but watching that final scene I just couldn’t stop crying. Perhaps it was Lucifer’s pain over everything he thinks he’s lost in the past few episodes, or that gorgeous, heartbreaking I Dreamed a Dream duet, or maybe the unfairness of the fact that God couldn’t fix Lucifer, even though he’s responsible for how broken he is. Honestly, I think it might’ve been all of the above.
The beginning of that conversation was slightly frustrating. For a second it felt as though God had learned a thing or two about parenting and was about to – dare I say it – apologise for everything he’s done. But I have to admit – begrudgingly – that it probably wouldn’t have been right. Maybe not right now, at least. The God we’ve seen over the past two episodes is… well, not great at acknowledging his mistakes. Or, you know, anything. And yet, there was a sense of realisation and genuine sorrow in him. It certainly seemed like he could finally see Lucifer, which is progress. So is this preparation for future character development? With Lucifer, it’s definitely possible.
The fact Lucifer finally let his anger and pain out over a fairly trivial, well-meaning sentence from his dad wasn’t surprising at all. While it’s true at least some of that anger was misdirected (it’s not really God that took all of that away), given everything that’s happened, it felt right to have it directed towards Him. He is the one who started this whole mess by kicking his son out in the first place, right? There’s certainly quite a few reasons for Lucifer to be furious with his father – all of which perfectly valid. And much like before, he really needed to finally tell Dear Old Dad all of that.
And again, you could really feel his pain. His anger and resentment, sure, but more than anything, his pain. He’s spent thousands of years believing he’s evil and unforgivable and unlovable. He’d hated himself so deeply for so many years, all thanks to God. And then he ended up on Earth and met Chloe and everything’s changed. “The Detective, she made me vulnerable, but it was… it was terrifying, but also amazing, because for the first time in my long, hopeless life, I felt something.” For the first time ever, someone else saw him. And not only that, someone else accepted him as he was.
Even if you never had to feel that feeling of being stuck in your own self-hatred until someone sees you and helps you out, that one single sentence was enough to show you exactly what that’s like. Just how painful it is to begin with, and how much hope that person gives you when you meet them, and the depth of your despair when you think you’ve lost them. It was so raw I think it may have been impossible not to feel Lucifer’s emotions.
And I could say a lot more about it – because it’s so very accurate and real, and there’s so much behind Lucifer’s admission about how terrifying it was to be vulnerable, not to mention his insistence it’s his father’s fault he’s losing it – but the truth is, I don’t think there’s anything I more I should say. It’s one of those scenes that are just perfect as is. No need for analysis. No need for anything. Just to be there in the moment with Lucifer. (That said, I just wish I could hug him in that moment. He really needed it.)
Quite possibly the only silver lining in that utterly heart-shattering moment is the way that God finally acted like a real parent. It was just for a moment, but… he was actually there for Lucifer – there with him, even. And the truth is, his observation was – for once – spot on, wasn’t it? “My son, the Lightbringer. So full of light that it blinds even you sometimes.” I mean, in a way it was certainly characteristically vague, but I think it was perfectly clear to anyone who knows Lucifer. Because he is amazing, especially at this point in the story, but somehow he’s the only person who still doesn’t see it. He has so much goodness in him, so much light, and yet… he can’t see any of it. (I don’t know, I could be reading into God’s words because it’s what I see. But it feels right.)
Of course, if you had a fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe, God and Lucifer could try to work things out now, the next sentences in their conversation made it quite clear that not enough has changed. Watching from outside, it seems pretty clear that God does want things to be alright with Lucifer and he does feel some sort of responsibility, but it’s difficult to tell just how much he understands at this point. He certainly didn’t know how to say all of that (“yeah, tell your son you’re sorry for him, that’ll fix how deeply you’ve messed him up!” said nobody ever). And yet… he did seem to understand that deep down, Lucifer hoped he could fix him. And he knew he can’t do that. Which is definitely progress, right?
Not to mention, Lucifer needed to hear that. It’s a sad, infuriating fact of life, but Lucifer needed to hear his father can’t fix him. It doesn’t matter that he’s God; some things are clearly beyond even the Almighty’s powers. Sadly, it’ll be up to Lucifer to fix himself, even if right now he thinks no one can do that (ironically, it’s exactly what he’s been working on for the past 4.5 seasons but of course he doesn’t realise it). And I don’t know what’s worse: knowing just how unfair it is, or seeing the devastating affect it had on Lucifer. A man (Devil) who’s just lost his last hope for things to get better.
Not that any of this is surprising in the slightest; I’ve just said in the beginning of this episode’s review that the more depends on Lucifer fixing his relationship with his father, the angrier and more hurt he’ll be. But it does show you (once again) the incredible, super-detailed, very realistic character development Lucifer has. Which I’ve talked about already, but I’ll keep on mentioning every single time it comes up, because it’s incredible, and incredible things are always worth noting. Truly beautiful.
Now, while Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam mainly revolved around Lucifer and his dad, we’ve seen a bit more than that in it. We’ve seen a bit of Maze spiralling (of course she took God’s words to the wrong place, she and Lucifer are so alike). We’ve seen a tiny bit of Ella finally saying no to her bad boy attraction (again, where on earth did that come from?). But I think the funniest storyline was probably Dan’s.
I know it wasn’t that big a part of the episode, but everything to do with Dan’s first meeting with God was just absolutely hysterical. Seriously. I loved that it took him a moment to realise who God was (after Lucifer said it, of course). It made a lot of sense (Dan hasn’t known for that long) but it was also hilarious to actually see the penny dropping. And his reaction to God was just… perfect. Exactly the kind of reaction you’d imagine a normal person would have when meeting God, right? I mean, Linda and Chloe have gotten used to it all by now, but Dan… well, he really hasn’t known for that long, right? He’s fairly new to the Celestial scene. So it really makes sense. Not to mention (again) it was utterly hilarious.
I’ll admit I was wondering when Dan would find out about the Goddess being in Charlotte’s body and all that (to be fair, I’m still wondering whether Chloe knows and if so, when and how she found out, too). If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far, it’s that there’s never any guarantee we’ll get the answers we want. But in this case, I’m really glad we got to see it. It was just that good.
I really don’t know what I loved the most about Dan and Amenadiel’s conversation. I loved that Amenadiel was trying to be understanding – it was so wonderful and sweet of him (true friendship, might I add; that bromance is so precious). But I really enjoyed how quickly things turned back to being hilarious with his reaction to Dan dismissing the fact he’s an Angel. And that entire conversation about the Goddess and Charlotte and everything that’s happened in season 2 was… honestly, I couldn’t stop laughing. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand Dan’s panicking, but… it was just too good. And then there was Amenadiel’s very unhelpful response about God and jealousy.
I suppose that response kind of makes sense objectively, but… Amenadiel tends to be a bit more sensitive, especially at this point in the show. Literally the first thing he said in that scene shows it. So it felt a bit uncharacteristic of him to just be casually saying these panic-inducing things when Dan’s clearly freaking out. One could argue that since Dan just dismissed the whole Celestial thing as unimportant, Amenadiel just went with that, but… I don’t know, it still felt a bit off. That said, it got us a fantastic musical number, right?
And while we’re on the subject of Amenadiel, let’s talk about Charlie (the other non-Lucifer storyline in this episode).
I’m not a parent, but I can absolutely understand Amenadiel’s desire to protect his son. I can understand why he’d want his son to be an Angel so that he wouldn’t have to experience the difficulties of being a human. That scene in which he told God all of that in Family Dinner was just… beautiful. And I’m guessing it’s his disappointment and fear talking in this episode, but… it all just feels a bit off for him. I completely understand (and agree with) Linda’s reaction to everything he’s said; it sounded awfully condescending. And I absolutely agree with her frustration with him (as we got to see in God and Lucifer’s therapy session). It shouldn’t matter that Charlie isn’t an Angel. And the way Amenadiel focused on that was just infuriating.
Again, I’m almost certain it came from wanting the best for his son, and I think if he actually talked to Linda about it, she’d understand. After all, she was really worried about Charlie, too (though it was for a different reason). But the way that conversation went just felt slightly off.
That said, I’m really glad we got see them sort of making things right. Even if it only happened through a song (courtesy of Dear Old Dad). Of course, since it was a musical number, Linda probably has no memory of it, but I really hope they sorted things afterwards. It certainly made it clear just how much both Linda and Amenadiel love Charlie, which was lovely.
The only thing I don’t quite understand is how Amenadiel seems oblivious to the songs. Lucifer noticed, and judging by his words, it would appear all Celestials are aware (we really haven’t seen enough of Maze to know if she noticed though). Lucifer could, of course, be wrong about that. But if he’s not wrong, how is it that Amenadiel had a part in two of these numbers and he still didn’t say anything about how strange it is? (Especially with Just the Two of Us; Hell took place in a club so you could sort of rationalise that.)
And then, of course, there’s that final reveal in this episode (Lucifer’s vulnerable, boy-like “Dad?” was perfect). What on earth is going on with God? How can God be losing control over his powers? What does it all mean? (Please enough with the emotional-rollercoaster-in-five-minutes, I really can’t take many more of these.)
Bonus: The musical numbers. Just beautiful.
Questions: What on earth is going on with God? How can God be losing control over his powers? What does it all mean? Is that why God’s retiring in the trailer? Are we ever going to get a proper answer about the whole “Chloe is a gift” thing? Is Dan going to get over the whole Goddess thing? (Is anyone going to tell him he’s not going to Hell for that?) When will Lucifer finally understand he’s just spiralling? And when are we going to get just regular happy Deckerstar?!
Final Score: 9.5/10.
Episode 11 – “Resting Devil Face”
After two deep, somewhat intense, Lucifer-centric episodes, it was nice to see a bit more of other characters. Sure, there was plenty of Lucifer and Dear Old Dad (minus his powers) in this one, not to mention a couple of big breakthroughs, but it felt like there was heavier focus on Maze, Trixie, Chloe and Dan in this one. Which was definitely an interesting change.
But let’s start at the beginning.
That opening sequence might’ve been one of the most Lucifer-y things I’ve ever seen. To quote Tom Ellis, it’s a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously – and you could definitely feel it then. And it turned out hilarious. That entire scene was, really. I mean, that slow-mo “dramatic” entrance, God as a plumber and “the creator of the universe glitching“? Just Lucifer in a nutshell.
And from there on, things got… well, pretty insane. I mean, just look at Dan’s storyline.
I’ll admit I genuinely don’t know what to make of God blowing him up. I mean, I know Amenadiel said God isn’t beyond things like jealousy, but… I was not expecting that. For a second I thought it only happened in someone’s imagination, but the fact it actually happened is just… insane. Blowing a person up and putting them back together again? Yeah, even by Lucifer standards, it felt absolutely insane. (Gotta love the fact Lucifer instantly stepped up to force his father away, though. And I wholeheartedly agree with him – definitely harm and foul.)
Not to mention, Dan didn’t deserve that. Not in the slightest. Least of all right now, when he’s already struggling to deal with everything he’s learned about the celestial world. Sure, he’s done some questionable things (to put it mildly), and I definitely still have mixed feelings towards him, but come on. He didn’t deserve that. (I can’t even imagine the horror of remembering being blown up like that. That moment was bad enough on telly; I really don’t want to feel what Dan must’ve felt. And he was trying to apologise. I mean, come on God. Grow up already.)
I can understand how, after something like this, Dan thought he’s going to Hell for that. Interestingly, it’s not the first time we’ve seen Dan thinking he’s going to Hell. We saw a bit in Our Mojo (when he’s visiting Charlotte’s grave), and we saw a glimpse of it in Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam (after he learned about the Goddess and Charlotte). But here that fear of his really took centre stage. And while it mainly revolved around God punishing him for his relationship with the Goddess, I can’t help but wonder whether there’s more to it than that.
That said, there’s something I still don’t understand. I get why Maze didn’t tell Dan that God doesn’t decide who goes to Hell; she was trying to torture him, telling him that would’ve done the exact opposite. But how come nobody else told him that? He was literally talking to Amenadiel when that subject came up. Amenadiel must know how it all works. Chloe doesn’t seem to know how it works, but she must’ve pieced things together about Dan’s state – she could’ve checked it for him. It doesn’t seem like he and Lucifer had a lot of contact after Spoiler Alert, but even he stepped up to tell God off for blowing him up (adorably still insisting he doesn’t care about Dan). Surely even he would’ve said something eventually. So why haven’t they told him?
Honestly, most of this episode I just really felt for Dan. He’s already living in a kind of Hell, really; constantly torturing himself with how much worse things might get for him. It was just really sad to watch. As said, Dan’s certainly done some wrong things, but he doesn’t deserve that. Not now. He’s been working so hard on being better; he deserves a break. (Not that I forgive him for shooting Lucifer and all that, but self-torment is the worst kind of torment, especially when you’re torturing yourself about a future in which you think you’ll end up torturing yourself.)
On the bright side, though, his scene with Chloe talking about Trixie was absolutely lovely. As said, I didn’t enjoy his suffering, but it was beautiful to see how the thing that’s bothering him the most is what might happen to Trixie. Say what you will about Dan (I, for one, have a lot to say), but ever since he decided he’s taking the time to work on his relationships (way back in season 1), he’s become a great father. I absolutely agree with Chloe that one school suspension isn’t necessarily the way to Hell, but I love that he went there. I love that he’s trying to protect Trixie, even in the afterlife. Even if his concerns are slightly misguided, it still shows exactly what kind of parent (and person) he is.
And then there was his intriguing comment about how easy it is to get on the wrong track.
That can’t have been about the Goddess, can it? Clearly, there’s something Dan thinks he’s done for which he thinks he deserves to go to Hell. But what? Obviously there was Palmetto and everything that’s happened there, but that lie is hardly something that gets you sent to Hell (and he only shot Malcolm to save Chloe so it’s definitely not that). And while he tried to kill Lucifer, I somehow doubt he’s talking about that, too. But there’s nothing else (that we know about) that could be bad enough for that. (That said, Malcolm did point out that Dan turned a blind eye to his behaviour sometimes, and in Once Upon a Time we saw just how corrupt Dan went without a family. Both of these seem to indicate a previous issue we never got to see…)
So I wonder. What is it that has Dan worrying about going to Hell?
I don’t know if we’ll ever find out (I definitely hope we will), but at the very least, I’m glad the whole thing around the Goddess was resolved. I’ll admit I’m amazed that God actually understood all that in this episode (I’ll get to that in a moment); it appears he’s learning quite a bit in his time on Earth. And it was important that he finally acknowledges his ex-wife’s* right to have her own life. I mean, he did send her to Hell, didn’t he? If that’s not reason enough for her to be with someone else, I don’t know what is. (*The way he said “ex-wife” reminded me of the way the Goddess said it in Homewrecker; remember how she corrected Linda’s “you’re God’s wife“?)
Not to mention it was wonderful to see Dan finally standing his ground again. Ever since he found out about the celestial world, he’s been so (understandably) shaken and terrified. It was about time he regained… well, at least some confidence. And to be honest, I agree with him. Practically anything is better than waiting for something horrible to happen. Especially when the truth is, you didn’t know what you were doing was wrong at the time.
As said, I’m a bit surprised God understood all that. But then, clearly his time as a human being was good for him, at least in some ways.
While I completely disagree with God that he can’t accept or support his son unless he understands him, I appreciate the fact he’s at least making an effort. It would appear that at the very least, God is finally aware of the pain he’s caused Lucifer – a definite sign of progress. And it’s true that he doesn’t understand his son, but I think for him to understand his son, he first needs to actually see him. Not just jump back to “I’m going to do another utterly insane thing to deal with a very specific part of the issue under the assumption it’ll solve everything instantly”. (Lucifer definitely got that tendency from both of his parents.)
I mean, don’t get me wrong – I think God learned some things from his time as a human being (especially, I suspect, from his conversation with Trixie). But this feels as yet-another-time of “trying to solve everything without actually acknowledging the issue”. Which I have to admit is… frustratingly accurate. Since neither he nor Lucifer has any understanding of the issue at hand or how to deal with it… well, they can’t do anything to solve it, can they? It’s a bit like watching the early seasons of Lucifer, really, except this time, it’s his father, rather than our Devil.
Although, in his overly-simplistic, completely-unaware way, God may have been onto something. Lucifer has learned a lot in his time on Earth. His relationships – not to mention his therapy sessions – taught him a lot. He’s far from being the Devil he was when we met him – and most if not all of that can be attributed to his time in L.A. But the one key difference that God doesn’t seem to grasp is that it all happened over time. Over months, actually. And every single time something changed, in order for it to change, Lucifer had to acknowledge it first. He had face his issues and his mistakes and his emotions. It wasn’t a quick “here I am in L.A. and suddenly I’m all grown up” thing. It took time and awareness and willingness to admit things that Lucifer didn’t want to admit.
And God just doesn’t have… any of those things, really. Even by the time Resting Devil Face ended, God still wasn’t willing to admit just how spectacularly he failed his children. And whilst I appreciate his good intentions and the way he cares about his children… the way things are right now, he’s just making things more difficult for Lucifer by being there. Which, as said, is extremely accurate to God as we’ve seen him so far, but also pretty frustrating to watch.
But one of the wonderful things about Lucifer is that even when it’s really frustrating, it has a way of being utterly hilarious. And to be fair, I doubt there’s any scenario in which a thousands-of-years-old-God-turned-toddler isn’t hilarious. Not to Lucifer having to look after him, of course (although his irritation is probably the reason it’s this funny), and probably not to Amenadiel either, but to us? Hysterical, any day.
On a side note, what was that comment about Lucifer’s accent? I mean, it’s a reasonably American thing, I suppose, but… given the fact Neil Gaiman was the first to play God, doesn’t that… not make sense? When we met God (way back in Once Upon A Time), he was using a similar accent. So “a bit much”? Really? (Not to mention, if memory serves, Gaiman said he’d tried to make God similar to how Lucifer sounds; even in “real life” that comment by God doesn’t make sense.)
All in all, as said, it was pretty hilarious to watch Lucifer babysitting his father. His reactions were just… perfect, really (have I mentioned already that Tom Ellis is magnificent?). And for a while it was just fun to watch, and then the sting happened.
I know I’ve already covered this writing about Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam, so I’ll try to keep it short, but I have to say: I absolutely loved their dynamic in that sting operation. It wasn’t just the “babysitting toddler God” dynamic anymore. It was (once again) the messed up father-son dynamic we’ve seen since the moment God set foot on Earth. The dynamic in which God thinks he’s helping Lucifer, but he’s actually just getting in his way and making Lucifer feel like he’s trying to take control over everything in Lucifer’s life. And while he’s at it, he’s also taking credit for anything good Lucifer ever saw in himself. It was the dynamic of a parent not seeing their child – which means that somehow, instead of making it about the child, they’re making it about themselves.
And again, much like we’ve seen in Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam, it was in the little things. The expression on Lucifer’s face when his father explained why he was there; his reaction when the Colonel introduced his father as ‘the man behind the man’ (seriously? In what scenario do you think it’s reasonable for a parent to say that about their child?); his “ha ha I’m laughing to make it seem like a joke but actually I’m furious” laugh whenever his father was given credit for yet another thing Lucifer did. Even the way he patted his father’s shoulder clearly wanting to but stopping himself from squeezing the man was just perfect. Every tiny detail in that scene was so spot on, I’m truly amazed at the mastery of everyone involved in making it so.
And the most amazing thing is that even though God heard the “my father is about as supportive as a piece of wet cardboard” comment, he still didn’t understand how wrong he’s been in following Lucifer. Or in anything he’s done, really.
Again, it shows how true to the characters this show is, but it’s just so frustrating. Watching from the outside, you’d probably think that surely, surely he’s learned something by now. Yes, he’s extremely unaware of everything and everyone else. Yes, he’s emotionally unavailable and has to grasp of how his children (especially Lucifer) feel. But come on. There are only so many ways in which Lucifer can say the same thing: as a parent, you’ve failed me. How on earth can he not understand that by now?
But then, these things really don’t happen overnight. And I guess it makes sense as far as that relationship goes. I somehow thought we’d made some progress in Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam, but… as I’ve said before, as long as God is still refusing to see just how spectacularly he messed up, nothing will ever really change. It’ll just be one step forward and two steps backward, like we’ve seen throughout this episode. All of which goes to say, it all felt true to the characters we know. (Also, I hate that infuriatingly-common “you don’t need my support” argument. Have you ever considered the idea that he doesn’t need your support because he didn’t have your support to begin with and he had to learn to grow without it?)
But it was everything that’s happened after God’s slip (just when you think God can’t possibly be more irresponsible than he already is) that turned that scene from good to brilliant.
It was fascinating to see God’s true colours show at the first perceived sign of disrespect. Not at all surprising, given everything we’ve heard from Amenadiel and Lucifer, but fascinating nonetheless. As soon as Lucifer criticises his father in a big enough way (“that’s what you said about the dinosaurs!” Brilliant, absolutely brilliant), God turns right back into the father who kicked his son out of the house. It’s the same wrath we’ve seen in Family Dinner after Lucifer and Michael’s argument, except this time, there isn’t even a reasonable basis for it. Every little thought of “understanding and supporting Lucifer” was gone just like that. If that doesn’t show God’s ego and how much it’s controlling this family, I don’t know what does.
Now, Lucifer wouldn’t admit it, but his reaction was more than just annoyance with his father. It was fear for him. You could see it in the way he looked at his father when God described his own fear. But more than anything, you could see it in his fury the moment anyone dared lay a hand on his father.
It was beautiful to see how much Lucifer cares for his father, even if he still tells himself it’s only because of the repercussions of God’s death. So much so that we got to see him afraid for him for the second time in as many episodes. So much so that he does whatever he needs to in order to protect him – the same way he’d protect anyone else he loves. And while Lucifer is still (understandably) furious with his dad for rejecting him, that moment showed it’s not all he feels towards him.
Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t seem to be aware of it. Lucifer’s spent such a long time without his father that he clearly thinks he doesn’t need him anymore (we saw this much in Family Dinner). But his reaction to potentially losing his father showed exactly how much he still wants and needs him. It was more than just fear for the fate of the universe (or whatever else he was telling himself). It was an instinctive, deeply emotional reaction (that I suspect Lucifer still doesn’t understand the depth of). The kind of reaction you have when someone you love is in danger. And it was absolutely beautiful.
Interestingly, that scene brought us another important moment that God and Lucifer didn’t notice at the time. Because for (probably) the first time ever, God had to face the consequences of kicking Lucifer out. Not just looking down at him from Heaven, from safe distance, but in person. He got to see – up close – exactly how much Lucifer hates himself. And it all started when he banished him to Hell.
I wish we could see what the rest of that conversation would’ve looked like. Clearly Lucifer’s Devil face made an impact on God, and clearly God’s observation made an impact on Lucifer. This would’ve been a perfect moment for Lucifer to actually say something about the way his banishment affected him. It could’ve been the beginning of… a dialogue, at least. It wouldn’t have been as deep and open as Lucifer needs, probably, but it could’ve been something. And I know there were quite a few stories in this episode and there wasn’t enough time to explore everything, but… to me it felt like a bit of a miss.
On the bright side, the interruption to this conversation was Trixie, and I’m always happy to see more of her. In general I love her storyline in this episode; I think it might be the first time we’ve seen how deeply Lucifer’s presence affects her, too. Especially when he disappears to Hell all of a sudden and she doesn’t even know why.
Her first scene in Resting Devil Face felt a bit like a throwback to the first couple of seasons of Lucifer. We’ve seen Chloe treating her like “a suspect” a couple of times before (in season 1 over cake and in season 2’s Liar, Liar, Slutty Dress on Fire over a doll), and while this was less intense on the Detective-Suspect front, it felt just as familiar. Come to think of it, even the reason for Trixie’s behaviour felt a bit familiar, didn’t it? This wasn’t the first time we’ve seen her standing up to bullies (makes sense given that both her parents are in the LAPD, but still brilliant nonetheless).
I’ll admit it was really weird to see her acting out like that. I’m not talking about her behaviour at school, or at least, not entirely. Sure, her conversation with Chloe in the beginning was a bit odd, but I love that she does what she thinks is right. And honestly, while handcuffing that kid was wrong, I actually kind of agree with her. But the important thing is, it’s hardly the first time we’ve seen her use that (absolutely true) logic, so it wasn’t that different from the Trixie we know.
But then there was the way she talked to Linda. And that was… unusual, to say the least.
Now, I’m glad Linda saw what she really feels and managed to get to her. And (as usual) it made sense in the grand scheme of things. She was (rightfully) angry with Lucifer for disappearing like that. Completely understandable. She’s always adored Lucifer (remember their first scenes in Pilot?), but I’m not sure we’ve ever seen just how important he is to her. It was a beautiful little scene: the way Linda explained things to Trixie; the way Trixie calmed down and let her in; everything about it was just absolutely lovely to see.
Of course in a very typical way to roughly every grownup in this show, she didn’t exactly tell Lucifer what she’s angry about, but… she is eleven. It’s easy to forget sometimes, I think, because of how mature and perceptive she is, but she’s still a kid. And she certainly managed to put one thing very neatly: grownups are supposed to be responsible. If only Lucifer and God were actually listening to this one very important sentence.
That said, I love that Lucifer’s attempt at “showing he’s responsible” showed the exact opposite – and completely missed the point as far as Trixie’s feelings are concerned. It’s hardly surprising; Lucifer is still learning when it comes to emotions, and right now he’s got too many other things on his mind to be able to properly decode her feelings. So his immature, annoyed reaction was fairly… well, Lucifer-y. Especially the bit where he let his irritation with his father out on Trixie. (This wouldn’t have worked if Lucifer wasn’t already on edge because of his father, by the way. Lucifer’s made a lot of progress in dealing with emotions over the years; if he were in the right mindset, I think he would’ve handled it better.)
Then God disappeared, Lucifer and Chloe continued with their investigation and things got really awkward, Maze and Amenadiel set out to find God, and… God and Trixie finally got to meet. Properly this time. And can we talk about how adorable it was?
I’ll admit, God’s responses were still… frustrating, to say the least. I mean, he “may have” really messed up? May have?! Understatement of the millennium, really. But… the fact he’s even admitting he messed up at all, the fact he’s finally taking responsibility for Lucifer’s issues, they’re not obvious. Not in the slightest. Just in previous episode he practically said it’s all Lucifer’s fault, because whatever he does for him isn’t good enough. So this is definitely progress. Yes, it’s infuriatingly slow progress, but progress nonetheless. And while I don’t think he could ever really be there the way he should’ve been in the first place, I still think things can get better between them. Right now, even just acknowledging how badly he messed Lucifer up would make a difference. Truly seeing his son would make a massive one.
And I love that Trixie is the one who helped him see some of that. I also love that Trixie told him how she feels and why she’s mad at Lucifer (again, understandably). But more than anything, I love the way they managed to give each other a certain… safe space. The way they managed to understand each other and just accept whatever the other one was saying, even though, as they said, God has never really been a child and Trixie hasn’t been a parent. It was lovely to see how each of them understood how complicated the other role can be. And it was really beautiful to see how the beginning of a very sweet, family-like relationship between the two of them. (So when Chloe and Lucifer finally get together properly, because it has to happen, God’ll be her step-grandfather, right? Excuse me while I melt.)
It was also beautiful to see just how much Trixie loves her mother – and how well she knows her. We’ve seen a hint of it in Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam, but here we got to dive deeper into it, which was marvellous. Not to mention it taught Chloe something about putting on a brave face.
I loved that it started as a little line from Trixie (“I’m being brave, mum. Like you are.“), a line that was almost instantly forgotten in bigger, more focus-consuming things. Like Dan being blown up, or God turning himself into a human. Tiny things, right? But then, as the episode progressed, we slowly got to see how much bigger than it first seemed that storyline was. It was like a thread running through the episode, and it was done brilliantly.
I loved seeing the affect the interrogation of the Colonel had on Chloe; it was clear she saw a bit of Trixie and herself in the Colonel and her mother. It was in the little, obvious things, like her very specific questions about her behaviour as a child, but also in the way she turned back to the issue of having to stay strong. You could see the beginning of a realisation there about the difficulty of growing up thinking you have to keep being strong; about how, in her attempt to shield Trixie, she’s actually been giving her the wrong message. (I’m not sure calling it a ‘beginning’ is the right thing, by the way. She was practically using what Trixie told her. But it’s different, seeing it from the outside. So maybe it’s sort of a beginning.)
It all came right back when Chloe arrested the murderer, but it feels like at that point, Chloe really understood the whole thing. How desperately she’s been trying to tell herself she’s alright – and the way that same thing was only hurting her daughter, instead of helping and protecting her. Sure, Chloe was talking to the doctor, but you could tell she was also saying it to herself. Something in her voice, in the way she seemed to look inwardly for a few seconds after she said it… something just made it crystal clear. And honestly, it hurt to see her in so much pain. I really wish I could’ve hugged her and told her it’s not her fault in that moment. And it’s okay to be hurt.
I’m glad Trixie was there to do some of that, though. Everything about that scene was just so heartfelt. It was beautiful to see Chloe letting her daughter in and admitting that she’s not okay, and it was beautiful to see how understanding and supportive Trixie was (“Denial. Happens to the best of us” I can’t that girl is just too precious). But it was utterly heartbreaking to see just how much everything that’s happening with Lucifer is hurting Chloe. You could feel her pain. It’s never easy, having things “up in the air” like that, and I just… I wish Lucifer could see how much he’s hurting her. Because she doesn’t deserve that. Any of that. (Especially since we all know most of what Lucifer thinks about himself right now is just him panicking.)
And it’s one of these scenes that there’s a lot more I could say about, but I think there’s nothing more I should say. That anything more I say might ruin it, because it really was just… beautiful. It was somehow heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once and just so real. And I’m just glad we got to see it (painful as it is to watch Chloe in so much pain).
I just hope she tells him how she feels. I’m kind of dreading to say that, because every time Deckerstar got closer things went really wrong, but I just hope that this time it won’t go that way. Even though it feels a bit like they’re setting everything up for that. But I hope it’s what they need to get out of this mess. I hope it’s what they need to get Lucifer out of his head and back to the real world.
And speaking of Lucifer… well, as said, he and his father certainly have a lot to work out (though somehow I doubt they will). But I’m glad that between seeing Lucifer’s Devil face and his conversation with Trixie, God started seeing some of the pain he’s put Lucifer through. (I love that when Lucifer asked “Do you have any idea what you put us through?!” he was talking about that day, but God’s response was really about their whole lives. It shows how much he’d learned that day.)
It would’ve been nice if Lucifer could see that he, too, was afraid, but I think the fact he finally understood his father was afraid is something, at least. The fact he’s still refusing to see how much he cares about God is a bit frustrating at this point, but I suppose he didn’t really have time to figure out his own emotions. Especially when they’re emotions he doesn’t want to admit. (His instinctive “what denial?” reaction in the final scene was hilarious and said it all though.)
And the way Lucifer usually does, the moment we think we might finally be back to normal, something changes everything. In this case, it’s God deciding to retire, apparently. Which is no way to finish an episode. How can God retire? And how can he just drop that bomb and disappear mid-conversation?! (He’s really learned nothing after this whole experience?)
Before I wrap up this episode’s review, though, there’s one more storyline I haven’t talked about.
So far this season, I think Maze’s storyline is the most twisted (as in plot twists) one. It’s probably safe to say she’s betrayed almost everyone she loves at least once this season (as Amenadiel so eloquently pointed out in this episode); she’s definitely switched sides more times than I can count. And yet, twisted and unexpected as her journey may be, it does make sense.
I’m not surprised she started this episode torturing Dan. It’s a continuation of what little of her we got to see in Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam. She’s still spiralling over God’s “you’re perfect as you are” comment, which is hardly surprising, so when you bring Hell into the mixture… well, Maze is Maze, right? And yet – and it’s entirely possible I’m imagining things – it didn’t feel like she fully believed what she said. The Maze we met so many seasons ago loved Hell. She couldn’t wait to go back. Every time she talked about it she was positively joyous. This Maze, talking about Hell, felt a bit more like she’s spiralling and trying to hold onto the familiar in order to avoid feeling the pain she’s feeling.
I mean, I’m sure there’s a part of her that misses Hell. And I don’t think we’d ever see Maze thinking about rainbows and sunshine (now that’s a terrifying thought). But Hell is simple for Demons. You torture. It’s your job. Nothing else to deal with. And of course, if she’s perfect as she is, like God said, then that’s all she is, right? A torturer. So she can just forget about having a soul, or her life on Earth, or any of the pain she’s feeling right now – and go back to play her role in Hell, except this time, she can do it on Earth.
Now, I think it’s safe to say that’s not what God meant when he told her that, but that’s clearly where Maze took it (on a side note, I think I’ve mentioned that before but I love the similarities between her and Lucifer; they deal with things exactly the same way). So it was hardly a surprise that she took the time to torture Dan – or that she ended up being reminded of exactly everything she’s been trying to avoid. That’s the thing about avoidance, isn’t it? At some point, something reminds you of everything you’re trying to avoid. In this case, it was Dan’s worries about damnation. It seems unfair that she took her anger out on him, but again, it’s very Maze, especially when she’s spiralling.
There’s something frustrating about watching Maze go through that, especially since we all know she’s probably wrong about what she needs. But I was glad to see the rest of her storyline in this episode. From that brief conversation with Amenadiel – I completely understand his anger, by the way – through following God, to final revelation about a soul.
And speaking of that conversation with Amenadiel – I know I’ve said it already, but I love their friendship. The way she let him in and the way he let go of her betrayal seeing that are just… beautiful, really. True friendship. I wish she’d let him repeat everything he’s said to her before (about how amazing she is), but I can understand why she couldn’t. It’s clearly too painful for her right now (as shattered hopes tend to be; thanks for that, Michael).
I have to say that the fact Amenadiel bought the whole “I want to tell God I’m not mad at him” thing was… frustrating. To me, at least. I know Amenadiel tends to want to believe in the best of people, especially with the people he cares about, but it still felt a bit too obvious that Maze wasn’t just looking for God to say all’s been forgiven. I don’t think there was any point I believed she might actually kill God, despite her proclaimed intentions, because she’s just not that Maze anymore. But we’ve seen her hurt Angels quite a bit, and that’s when they still had some (or all) of their powers. So when it comes to a Human God… well, she definitely could’ve hurt him.
It was a pleasant surprise that she didn’t, too. The way it was shown, it seemed as though Maze chose not to hurt God because she saw Trixie was there. (Although there’s the moment that she first gets to the station, when he’s alone, and now I’m wondering if it was a hint.) We know how much she loves Trixie; it made sense she held back for her. But it was wonderful to learn that it had nothing to do with Trixie, but with Maze herself. And it shows just how much Maze has grown – even more than she herself sees.
As I’m writing this, I wonder: did Amenadiel know, too? Throughout this episode it felt weird to me that he just assumed Maze wouldn’t hurt his father, but we’ve seen before how well he knows her. Did he just know that Maze wouldn’t hurt God, however much she thought she wanted to? (And speaking of Amenadiel, his expression and the tone of this voice when he read the message from their dad? Brilliant.)
While it was lovely to see Maze choosing not to hurt Dear Old Dad, it was significantly better watching her admitting that. It can’t have been easy for her – especially not the bit about telling God himself that – but it’s yet another sign of progress, and that’s always great. I hate that she took it as another reason to torture herself, because she definitely didn’t deserve that, but the fact that she’s aware that she chose not to hurt God says a lot about who she is now. And the fact that she could tell God what she thinks about his words without violence? If that’s not growth, I don’t know what is. (On a side note, the thought she was made to be a killer saddens me – and seems a bit off. Aren’t Demons supposed to torture, not kill? Very God to have said nothing about it, though.)
And then there’s the last thing he told her, which I suspect is what this season has been building up to (so far).
I can’t say I’m surprised to hear Demons can “grow souls”, because I’m not. I’ve questioned the whole “Demons don’t have souls” and “Maze needs a soul” thing in at least one of the 5A reviews and I mentioned it quite a bit elsewhere. Seeing as Maze is about as human as any human out there, it didn’t feel like it’s actually important. It felt more like Maze’s way of deflecting; if she’s alone because she doesn’t have a soul, it means there’s no need to look inwardly. There’s no need to face things she probably doesn’t want to face. All of which sounds perfectly reasonable when it comes to Maze.
That said, I don’t think it was meant to be a surprise for us. We’ve all seen Maze grow and evolve over the past few seasons. I think we all know that (much like Lucifer who’s also dealing with these questions; these two are just too alike), Maze can and does love. She has friends, and a home, and people she’s close to. So having or not having a soul doesn’t seem all that important, does it? The fact she grew a soul feels (at least to me) about as logical as anything else. But as said, I don’t think it was meant to be a surprise for us, so that’s fine. I think it was meant to be a sort of closure for her.
And in that, that part of their conversation absolutely nailed it. I still think Maze needed to hear it’s not the soul that matters (maybe she still does), but the very hint that she can have a soul works just as well. Of course, God never really said she has a soul now (how very like Him), which makes me wonder about what really happened there, but then… well, I was never fully convinced that Demons don’t have souls to begin with, so I think at this point, I’ll just have to accept we’ll probably never have the answers to these questions. But the important things are that God put it beautifully – and that it gave Maze exactly the hope and peace she needed. I just look forward to seeing where she goes from here.
The other thing I loved about that scene was that unspoken reconciliation between her and Dan. Their first scene together was… rocky, to say the least. They’ve both been through a lot in the past couple of episodes; I think the one thing they really needed was to not be alone. And I’m glad that in the end, they at least found each other. (I really love their friendship, too; it was slow to develop, but it turned out to be something special, didn’t it?)
Bonus: Ella and Lucifer being utterly adorable at the murder scene. Or Ella meeting God for the first time. Or Trixie and God. Maybe God’s amazement at darkness and Slushy? I don’t know, there were just too many brilliant moments in this one.
Questions: How can God retire? Who’s going to replace him? What’ll happen when he does retire? What is it that makes Dan so worried about going to Hell? Is he going to get back to normal now that God “forgave” him? How is her new soul going to change Maze (if at all)? What affect will it have? Will Chloe tell Lucifer how she feels? When will Lucifer finally understand he’s just spiralling? Are we ever going to get any of our previous questions answered? (And where is Ella?!)
Final Score: 9/10.