#lucifer analysis

[spicylove4ever]

Analysis and thoughts on Lucifer Season 5B

Since Season 6 is coming, and I want to analise that trailer but I still hadn't said a word about the previous thing, I thought it was time to catch up.

Warning: Controversial opinion. Keep reading at your own risk.

Let's get started.

First things first, the premise on the 5B season was: Michael brought things to a breaking point that lead to God to appear on Earth. The first thing I thought was, wait WHAT? But you didn't move a finger when Uriel died!

But that was something that I already had in mind when the 5B started. And then the chapters went on, and things added, and I was shocked in good ways, but also the bad way in too many things.

There are tons of things that came to mind while watching the whole thing, but I think if I explain them all this will be too long. Let's go to the main points:

1. God.

For a starter, his personality. Ok, I know is basically common knowledge that he went chill after all the Jesus thing, so a calm personality is not a surprise, to be honest.

But this is not the answer we should get after all the build-up we had on all the series. What did we know about how he was all allong the series before he appeared?

He's a manipulative person, for all that treating like pawns his own children thing.... and also everybody. All for his great plan, whatever it is (maybe is just like a Sims-like thing, he wants the bigger picture to be in a way and made all those things for turning the outcome into what he wanted?). Also, than means megalomania.

Lucifer described that when he gets angry, greatly bad things follow, like poking a colossal dragon. We saw that with the mentioned temper of the Old Testament, and the Fall of Lucifer (being expulsed from Heaven and all that), how he imprisioned his wife in FREAKING HELL and Cain's Curse. So, it's stablished that in this series, God has a temper, big time, but it also seemed he went more chill after centuries.

So, what did I expected from that description?

I expected something with the personality in between these two up there and with a hidden temper that goes like when Galadriel does her creepy thing. What I mean, is that both Kyubey from Madoka Magica and Jerry from Soul are inmortal beings and powerful, who care only about the big picture. Jerry has more experience in working with people, and has this chill actitude of caretaker, something that I kind of expected to see in God, and Kyubey in the end, only cares about its goal, and actually gives a shit about people's feelings and does things to them that serve to the purpose and think it's damn fine because by its balls it has to be right, something that I expected to see in God as well.

And did we got instead?

Well.......

Yes, he gave a feeling of being inmortal for all his knowledge and there was this how he doesn't actually gives a pose of authority since he's God and he doesn't have to prove anything to anybody.

But he didn't have any imposing aura, wasn't scary at all, and I still can't get through how he doesn't know how to spot the simptoms of brain freeze and how he got into trouble half of the time. Shouldn't he know better than spill that his son is working for the police when going undercover?

But this is not the answer to all the build-up you gave us, series creators!

And what's with his relationship between Lucifer and his father? That seems odd as well.

Lucifer is supposed to be the son that goes against everything he wants, that has disobeyed him all the time, and insobordinates constantly. I take that he might have a different oppinion of his son now, and that would have been great if they had made the character mention how he has changed his mind over his son and why!

Instead, he just goes like nothing ever happened and expected everyone to go along with it. Also, stalks Lucifer and goes into his life doing the annoying father thing.

What's more, Lucifer had to take care of his father half of the time. And that usually doesn't happen when your parent is inmortal, and even if God made himself a human, where did all his experience go?

By the way, Lucifer's reaction to this is spot on, but spot on with the character that we got in the end. I would have expected that Lucifer was terrifyed about what would his dad doing on Earth, and how could that affect all the people he cares about, but since this God is what we got, Lucifer reacted that way.

And then there is the thing about his retirement. Where did that even come from?

His power has been going crazy? Ok, but that has come only on the recent time. There is no evidence that supports a decision to retire just like that. Make changes? Ok. Retire? WTF.

And not just that, he just leaves to Goddess' universe and makes the kids solve by themselves how would that turn out.

And don't get me started about how a divorced couple made up just like that. Didn't he vanished her and put her into a cell? Why was she so chill?

Which leads to the next point.

2. Amenadiel and why did he not take the throne.

Ok, so Amenadiel wanted to focus into being a father and don't want to leave his life on Earth. That's ok.

But as far as we knew, Lucifer was pretty much the same, right?

Not to mention they still had a problem. A problem called Michael.

He was elegible to be God's sucessor, and if he got that power, he would turn Lucifer's and everyone close to him lifes into a living hell, which could include Amenadiel and his new family easily.

They should had have that in mind, and should have in mind the determintation to avoid it AT ALL COSTS.

So, what to do? If Amenadiel had that much support from the other angels on the very beggining, then he had to take the chance!

They both have grown with Michael, and I thought Amenadiel watched Game of Thrones, so they should have known better than to give him a chance to ruin their lives for eternity.

Yes, Lucifer has traits that make him a good pick for being God, and he does have experience with the reignant profession, but they couldn't afford to lose an election!

3. New angels

First, good call to the part that they answered the question of what happened to the other angels that supported Lucifer back in the day. I really wanted to know where they were. My headcanons where crushed, but hey, at least they gave us a explanation.

I really liked Zadquiel. He might be pretty judmental but he was in the end a great guy when he saw Lucifer's change of heart, and he had more guts than most of the other angels, and honorable. I respect honor.

Remiel's redemption! I first found her scary, given the way she handled how Amenadiel changed and he had a son. But mostly because she showed no remorse to her first plan to kill Linda and then steal the baby. But she had absolutely clear Michael is not to trust, so she backed Lucifer. Respect..... which made very sad her demise... Explain again to me why the other angels show so little response to that.

But I'm kind of upset of how the other angels were to support Michael. Is like they don't know their own lying-brother and how he's not to be trusted. They were really that suspicious of Lucifer, or was it that Michael is that scary? Or are they that susceptible to Michael's lies?

Seriously, wtf...

Appart from that, I think most of what they showed on this season was spot on. Deeply emotional, too.

[planetadrian]

Michael, Lucifer, and their Gifts

//Or my attempt at analyzing Michael.

Desire is Lucifer's gift. His power over other people's desires, but also in how his own drive him. Lucifer is largely defined by desire. He fundamentally understands it, the concept is as effortless to him as breathing. He understands the beautiful and the ugly sides of desire. And when cruelties are committed in the pursuit of desires, Lucifer punishes and seeks justice.

Michael's gift is Fear. The way he can sense and draw out people's fears seems just as effortless as Lucifer's. But like Lucifer with Desire, Michael's Fear doesn't stop with power over others. It is a driving force in all that he does. Michael is defined largely by his fears.

He refers to himself as Lucifer's opposite when speaking at one point, and in many ways he can be that.

Desire is something of an honesty with yourself. What you truly want reflects the core of who you truly are. Fears are full of doubts and unsureness. And Michael weaponizes this. It does not matter if what he tells you is true or not, if it preys upon your doubts and fears. He lies and uses painful truths tactfully. The way I figure, Michael doesn't really have to orchestrate much of anything. He can be a simple opportunist. The truth of whether he's done any manipulating or not isn't important. Its not the point. It's the infection. I think he has taken credit credit for and made claims of manipulations he never did, because he could. Building himself up as more powerful and in control than he truly is in the process.

He builds himself up, of course, out of his own fear of inadequacy, especially compared to Lucifer. His voice feels rougher. Nothing like the comforting, smooth charm of Lucifer's. His physicality is stiffer, tighter, asymmetric to Lucifer's effortless gliding. His right shoulder is uneven and his right arm hangs somewhat awkwardly, using his left hand primarily. Looking at his wings, his right wing appears damaged. Most theorizing I see attributes this to an injury caused by Lucifer during the rebellion, which can only add to the hatred. If so, Lucifer will have permanently marked Michael not once, but twice now. The way he carries himself feels closed and rigid. Calculated and careful. Not someone you are drawn to, but someone you should keep your eye on, just in case.

Carefully, he puts on a show for everyone around him, trying to take control of any given interaction. Whether its pretending to be Lucifer, leaning into the angelic goodness during his manipulation of Dan, and even just when he is playing himself up as a mastermind.

In his eyes, Michael has done everything right. At least compared to Lucifer. He hasn't rebelled. He's done what he's supposed to. But Lucifer is the one who gets all this praise when he obeys willingly, after millennia? Lucifer is loved and praised, despite everything, just for who he is, and Michael hates it.

The way he sees it, Lucifer should be undeserving. For all that he's done. And Michael? Michael wants the recognition, praise, and love that Lucifer gets. He truly desires it. It's a desire we all have.

When Michael overtook Lucifer's life and Chloe played him, he enjoyed the attention and the lie of Lucifer 2.0's superiority. He delighted in it enough that he decided to try to steal Lucifer's life.

He really wants to be appreciated, for who he is. But he seems to be stuck thinking he and Lucifer cannot both experience such things, it must be mutually exclusive. Their lives are too linked, and their differences too strong for him to consider otherwise. Lucifer is right in saying Michael thinks too small.

Michael's desire to be appreciated has become far too attached to his fear of inadequacy. Now one cannot be achieved without overcoming the other. Fear and desire are at odds, but are influenced heavily by each other. Fears come from desires. Desires come from fears. The two are inextricably connected, and are sometimes one in the same.

Lucifer and Michael themselves are truly two sides of the same coin.

Fears are the twisted, unwanted reflections of our desires. And Michael's greatest fear is exactly this. That this is all he is. An undesired, distorted reflection of Lucifer. And it consumes him.

So he lashes out. He seeks control. He manipulates and hurts others who he sees as having slighted him. His emotional immaturity rivals Lucifer's at its worst. He has many flaws similar to his twin, particularly in the area of making connections with others.

His difficulties are understandable. If fear reflects back from him like Lucifer with desire and Amenadiel with faith? Just by being who he is, if every interaction has this shadow of fear lingering above? No wonder he sees humans the way he does.

Michael is likely accustomed to the way fear affects us negatively. The desperation, the helplessness. The weakness. He is surely familiar to the way fear does this to his own self.

But, just as desire has it's dark sides, fear can have it's light sides. Just because Michael's gift is Fear doesn't mean he has to be a pure evil, unredeemable villain. If he could tap into the way fear betters people, it truly would be amazing. Fear is full of doubts, but it comes from deeply held emotions. Fear of pain is just one side. Fear of loss of that which you love is another. What people fear speaks to their most human qualities. Many fears are based in love and care, and a desire to be loved and cared for. The process of getting the courage to face fears is also incredibly powerful. He does not have to be predestined to be this manipulative, pathetic weasel.

For a show with a habit of giving its less-than-perfect characters redemption, it's something that I find myself hoping for in some way. It'd be a loooong fucking road, one that the show doesn't necessarily have time for, but it's something I'm interested in at least.

But also, like FUCK Michael, he's a pathetic piece of shit who needs to change literally everything about himself.

[whathelluci]

1x04: “People don’t have power over us. We give it to them.”

Those sneaky little bastards. Did they really foreshadow everything?

What Lucifer got out of this session is that he needs to have sex with Chloe, to ‘lose interest’ (HA! How did that turn out for you, sweetie?). Then later on he bleeds from Chloe’s shot.

[nghtmrsndydrms]

Lucifer - Lee ; Michael - Meg

Long story short, an analysis between Lucifer and Lee and Michael and Meg. Why 5x01 is an unfinished case and how it’ll all come to maybe play in 5x16. 

Lee and Lucifer

o   Back at 4x01, Lucifer said, “Money to cover any debts that you owe… and have a chance of a new life. A chance for people to see you in a different way.” What if Lee, just like Lucifer, did change and turned his life around. He stopped stealing, because well, he did get a fortune out of Lucifer, it could be he hasn’t paid his debts yet, him assuming he’d live long enough to still have enough money if ever someone asks for him to pay his debts.

o   Just like Lucifer, who over time slowly changed for the better, though sometimes he’d still be causing some trouble here and there.

 o   In Lee’s hell loop, he talked about how his mom got sick and then died only to followed by his dad – how he missed his chance to get together with his family one last time – that he didn’t show his face to them, that he left instead.

o   This could also be just like Luci’s case, how after his fall (him leaving heaven, his home, not to be seen again) Mum grew unhinged, locked up in hell, then ended up with her own universe – she’s not dead but she’s good as dead to them because Luci threw the key (sword) away. Also, with the upcoming issue with Dad how he’s getting old and janky now.

Meg and Michael

o   Meg describing Lee that he runs with the sketchy crowd, how he was a magnet for everything bad, that he was stuck in a vicious cycle and was bound to come down sooner or later. Then say she hasn’t seen the man in years – that she can’t say he knew the man anymore.

o   Michael trying to act like Lucifer but failing because he thinks, just like Meg, that he knew his brother, who is bad, who will always be bad but in the end – he was proven wrong.

o   Michael went down to earth to break Lucifer’s things (his found family) after some of their brothers and sisters started praising him (Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!). At first, he wanted to prove them wrong, he’d break his ‘things’ to lure him topside to prove everyone that Lucifer didn’t change, but then changed his mind and decided to take everything from him.

o   What if Meg also heard the same, rumors about her brother how he stopped stealing (well because he received a fortune from Lucifer way back in 4x01, why would he still have the need to steal), owned a lot of properties now, and living his life to the fullest. While nothing changed for her much, she still lives in the house that she inherited from their parents 15 years ago. So, for a change she would be the one to steal from him – thus, the hired killer.

o   They both tried to live righteously – Michael in heaven, Meg an upright citizen, assuming since she’s not a convict (yet) – so just like Michael said – why are they praising a convict?

o   Michael lies, Meg could have lied.

How could this parallel be reflected to Michael and Lucifer’s relationship in the future:

I know the scenes listed seemed to mirror with what Chloe and Lucifer were feeling with him leaving/returning (depends on who’s POV you’re looking at) to earth but it can also be a foreshadowing for what the twins would soon have to face:

o   Meg admitted that she’s in denial, that Lee’s death doesn’t affect her, but the truth is she misses him. (Like how Chloe still misses Lucifer but –)

o   This could be soon mirrored by Michael, that he’s actually acting out not only because he’s jealous but how he actually misses his brother – his twin. He may have his issues with Lucifer, but they were twins and they may have grown apart over time, but I could easily see when both were younger, they were inseparable probably causing mayhem everywhere they went.

o   Assuming that the theory 1x10 is going to be mirrored in S5B – that Lucifer is the intended inheritor of the throne of god – then Lee saying that his family invited him and waiting for him could soon be Lucifer with his own family. Lee said he was invited, but they didn’t mean it, which could be that by the time Dad tells Lucifer the truth behind his fall, how all of it was a test and a preparation for him in soon inheriting and ruling over everything, Lucifer would also make excuses. Because just like Lee, Lucifer’s afraid to screw things up because it’s so easy to ruin anything when you finally have everything.

o   When Lee said, “I missed my chance. What about you?” Lucifer actually did miss his chance, when it comes to him returning to Chloe, Chloe almost died and was only saved because Michael showed up. He only came back when Amenadiel went down to tell him what’s happening topside. Which might also happen in the future. Lucifer initially rejecting Dad’s ‘inheritance’, only for something bad happening to Chloe before he does finally accept it.

o   Chloe dying and going to heaven might actually be the only reason for him to accept his place in heaven. But that doesn’t mean that Chloe would remain dead (she could be like Eve; made with the hands of god). After all Lee might become the first soul to ever escape his hell loop and end up in heaven. Lucifer would introduce them to each other then Lee realizes that maybe it wasn’t his old crew – maybe it was Meg.

So why Meg?

Facts

o   Gill, the killer, was hired for 20 grand (demon didn’t finish what he had to say only said about the vault)

o   The demon’s intel and Lee’s credit card statements led them to a safe at You Stored It (Meg already there)

o   The hand was in Meg’s Kitchen

o   Lee’s old crew didn’t find the money in the safe (they could have taken and used the hand and got to the safe before Meg, Chloe, and Maze)

Speculations

o   Meg hired Gill – she could have made a copy of Lee’s hand fingerprints to use to open the safe before decomposition started with the hand. (idk can fingerprints be copied? I hope so)

o   Lee’s old crew found out it’s Meg because Gill spilled the beans

o   Meg laughed when Lee’s old crew said the safe was empty when they got there

o   Meg already have the money, hid it, returned to You Stored It to know if Gill really told somebody else, and waited for anybody who may be after the money in the safe

o   Chloe’s been suspicious of her since they saw her at You Stored It and when she laughed while facing Lee’s old crew at gun point

o   Also, someone has already said this but all the actual suspects/victims for this season is either in disguise or was lying or pretending to be someone else.

[tarysande]

Finale Thoughts

The other day, before the season dropped, I wrote a meta about how Lucifer uses names/nicknames/epithets. In Lucifer’s final conversation with Chloe, not only does he use her name, he uses Charlie’s. Not “my nephew” or “the baby” or “your baby.” Charlie. These are the things he’s specifically worried about losing to the demons. (Raise your hand if this basically makes Lucifer the best possible godfather ever. As a sidebar---can you imagine Amenadiel of S1 ever asking Lucifer to be his child’s godfather? In complete and total seriousness? I mean. Wow. I have an ask in my inbox about brotherhood and man do I have some thoughts to wrangle on that score, now.)

Having now watched that final scene between Lucifer and Chloe an embarrassing number of times, I’m so tempted to break it down moment by literal moment. If you watch the scene with the sound muted, Chloe and Lucifer’s expressions and gestures and body language are so freaking eloquent. Not a single glance or blink or shimmer of tears both shed and unshed is without meaning. 

The Beauty and the Beast moment of “I love you” not turning the monster into the man again, but clinching the resolve that Lucifer must, essentially, sacrifice himself and be the man he wants to be hits me right where I live. I’ve seen some people complain about the kiss not being passionate enough, or about Lucifer’s departure being abrupt---but if you watch that scene closely, you can see that every single moment, Lucifer is walking a knife edge. He’s still Lucifer. He still wants. He still loves Earth, loves Chloe, wants to stay. He still has the voice in his head that says, “Take what you desire and who cares about the rest.” But he knows he can’t. To be selfish here would invite ruination. To be selfish here would indeed leave blood on his hands and would indeed be something to hate himself for later. It would be something he would have to take responsibility for. But he still wants. So, he is still. He is poised. He is contained. He is holding himself together. Passion would undo him. Staying any longer would test his resolve beyond breaking. You can see the moments he almost changes his mind; and you can see him deliberately not give in, give himself over to a kiss---because he fears he would not be able to pull himself back and do what needs to be done.

That he sees his responsibility and accepts it, even as he’s offered everything he’s spent so long wanting is such remarkable growth.

The other earthshattering heartbreak is, of course, Chloe’s. For four seasons, we have seen Chloe put everyone else first. Always. She is selfless time after time after time. Here, finally, she asks for something. Here, finally, Lucifer gets the answer to “What do you desire?” without his needing to ask it. Chloe wants him to stay. She begs him to stay. It’s the only damned thing she has ever asked for, and it’s the one thing he cannot give her. 

Looking at his eyes, at the tremble of his lip, at the tiny flinch in his posture, you can actually see his heart break. You can see his resolve waver. But because he loves her and because he loves so much more than he’s ever allowed himself to love before---Earth, the people he knows there, his life, his family, his first glimmers of self-respect---he must deny the one person in his entire life, in his entire existence, that he would never, ever want to deny anything.

But if he stays, if he gives her what she wants, what he himself wants, others would suffer. And Chloe has spent her whole life mitigating the suffering of others. Begging him to stay for her is her moment of selfishness, of weakness. He knows this. In this moment, he must be as strong for her as she has always been for him. Lucifer, I think, knows that staying would be the action of a man she would eventually come to resent. To be worthy of her love, he has to go. To begin truly loving himself, he has to go.

Chloe, wearing her shirt spangled with stars so reminiscent of Lucifer’s role as Lightbringer, is and has always been Lucifer’s Lightbringer, and to save her, he has to leave her. It is so impossibly narratively beautiful and it is so impossibly horrifically devastating.

ETA: More thoughts here.

[cjrae]

Friendship Catching Fire. Or; When DID Lucifer and Chloe fall in love?

I am shamelessly piggybacking off of @lucks-eterna for this essay - I’ve linked their post so you can jump between essays for fun! Thank you so much for inspiring me to jump back into the world of Lucifer!

Apparently, there’s a question that seems to be floating around Twitter - “When did Lucifer and Chloe go from being friends and partners to falling in love with each other?” It seems pretty clear that the three episode arc of 2x10 - 2x13 is the first attempt at both of them acting like adults and acknowledging the developing relationship - but can we pin down the hour, the look that started it all?

Lucifer and Chloe have their separate journeys and timetables for falling in love, but I’d argue that The Moment that started it all is the same for both of them - the end of 1x09, when Chloe and Lucifer play their duet, Heart and Soul.

Lucifer’s Side of Things:  

The first eight episodes of Season 1 have been setting up the moment he falls in love with Chloe. We’ve seen him move from fascination to blatant sexual interest to respecting each other as work partners and finally, most recently as of 1x08, jealousy of the time spent with Dan, who is still her husband as of this point in the story! Lucifer has no real claim to Chloe’s life, and he’s unhappy without understanding why he might want the right to Chloe’s attention outside of work

I’ve written elsewhere about 1x09 and the impact it has on Lucifer, but for purposes of this subject, what’s relevant is that this is the episode that builds on what Linda tells Lucifer about his outburst in her office - he’s finally getting in touch with his emotions. Letting his guard down. While he’s still defensive with everyone in his life, we see that this continues into the beginning of the episode as he realizes that, in the wake of Maze’s betrayal, he’s lonely without her. Maze is still a presence at LUX, but his world has been shaken. He’s angry at Maze, he’s furious with Amenadiel, Dan is a rival for Chloe’s attention, especially as they’re working on repairing their marriage, Linda has just put some (much needed!) professional distance between them and, as he says, “I’m not sure what we are,” when it comes to Chloe.

Lucifer desperately wants something to be the way he expects and when Maze offers an olive branch by drawing his attention to Father Frank, he thinks he’s found it. A corrupt priest, a sanctimonious, hypocritical follower of his Father’s, as proved by the fact that he’s walked into Lucifer’s bar to ask him for a favor! Lucifer spends about half of the episode trying to demonstrated his superior understanding that he understands exactly how the world works, attempting to hide the fact that he’s feeling so insecure about every major relationship in his life.

The problem with this plan is that Father Frank isn’t playing ball. Worse - he’s not only imperfect, but quite honest about his imperfections. He punched the murdered youth director. He has a past that includes assault and battery charges. He’s just imperfect enough that, when he challenges Lucifer’s skill with the piano, Lucifer can see enough similarities to open up and immediately bond with him over the music, forgetting himself for the first time we’ve actually seen in the show.

That moment changes how Chloe sees Lucifer - again. (The first time her perception is rocked is 1x04, when she sees the scars on his back).

This is the very first time Chloe sees Lucifer when he thinks he’s unobserved - she’s attempted it in the past, but he’s always been aware of her and has been in control. Now he’s completely unguarded, caught up in the moment and having fun - and we see the look on her face as she manages to sneak quietly in to listen to them, waiting for Lucifer to notice her. While Lucifer is absolutely putting on a performance, it’s not bound up in Lucifer’s ego or need to have the spotlight. It’s collaborative as he’s completely focused on that duet with Father Frank, eyes lit up, smile wide having so much fun in the moment that it becomes completely clear that the music he plays isn’t about getting attention from an adoring crowd; it’s something Lucifer simply loves to do. It’s the first time she sees Lucifer caught up in one of his private passions.

She’s enchanted. She smiles, softening and her own playful side comes out in response as, rather than let them know she’s there, she just waits for one of them to notice she’s in the room at all. Lucifer’s reaction is absolutely on point - he’s flustered and embarrassed. She’s caught him with his emotional pants down and it’s, in her own words, adorable.

And then Father Frank is killed and Lucifer prepares to punish the Spider in a total rage. It’s the first time Chloe sees Lucifer both obviously hurt and just barely hanging onto his control by a thread. His breathing becomes heavy and ragged and his tone ugly as he says “It’s time to pull the legs off the Spider,” before hoisting a rather heavy man at least two feet off the ground and screaming “WHY?!” at him, even as it’s clear that no gasped excuse the Spider can offer will be enough justification for his choice to kill Lucifer’s friend.

Chloe intervenes, calling him back to himself with his name and the reminder that his friend wouldn’t have wanted this. And Lucifer, as out of control as he seemed to Chloe in that moment, listens to her, letting the man go, honoring both his friend and Chloe’s duty as an officer of the law.

As they clean up the scene, Lucifer leaves, telling her that he’s fine - more polite fiction than lie, but either way it’s so untrue that the everything continues to bother Chloe late into the evening.

Chloe’s Side of Things:

When I first started watching Season 1, my thought was that a romance between a mortal woman and an immortal being doesn’t usually have much in the way of a happy ending. I was hoping that we’d actually see a more mature love between Chloe and Dan that involved a broken family and putting it back together by choice. So, I had actually been rooting for Dan and Chloe to patch their marriage back up from the pilot all the way up through the very end of 1x08, when it’s revealed that Dan has been lying to Chloe about Palmetto. In fact, if I remember correctly, I think I yelled at my screen, “DAMMIT, DAN!”

It was not the last time. But that’s a different essay altogether.

1x09 is the first time the audience knows that, no matter what, Dan and Chloe’s marriage is over. Lucifer may be the Devil and that may come with a lot of immortal baggage, but the extent to which Dan has been lying to her is laid bare in this episode. The moral event horizon in this marriage has been crossed. Which means that, while Chloe is nowhere near ready to acknowledge, much less do anything about it, there’s space in her life for a new love.

This episode is pivotal for Chloe during the scene in her home, on the couch eating takeout with Dan. If she wants to put her marriage back together, it’s critical that she and Dan spend time together, that they be a unit that draws strength from each other on days when the world seems sadder and unjust for having taken a good man before his time. She has a choice in this moment - to open up to Dan about the events of her day; to share her worry about her partner with her husband, who should be a source of strength to her. Instead she asks Dan “Can we do this another time?”

And Dan, preoccupied with the consequences of his betrayal closing in on him simply lets her go. As he’s done time and time again.

When given a very clear choice between Dan and Lucifer, she choses Lucifer, despite the late hour, to offer (and receive) comfort for the day’s events with each other. Lucifer begins the episode not knowing what his relationship is to Chloe, but she bookends the episode with the simple declaration, “I thought you needed a friend.” Lucifer may have lost Father Frank, but he is neither friendless nor alone in this moment.

In a single choice, Chloe has aligned herself with Lucifer, defining their relationship for the first time as friendship. It’s a platonic declaration as she smiles and brushes aside his defensive innuendo, but even in this clear, declarative moment of friendship, there’s the foreshadowing of more in the choice of music; Heart and Soul. It’s very simple, in contrast to the challenging jazz number that Lucifer and Father Frank played, but the lyrics are revealing.

“Heart and soul, I fell in love with you

Heart and soul, the way a fool would do, madly

Because you held me tight

And stole a kiss in the night

Heart and soul, I begged to be adored

Lost control, and tumbled overboard, gladly

That magic night we kissed

There in the moon mist

Oh! but your lips were thrilling, much too thrilling

Never before were mine so strangely willing

But now I see, what one embrace can do

Look at me, it's got me loving you madly

That little kiss you stole

Held all my heart and soul.”

There’s also the choice of a duet - Lucifer invites Chloe to share one of his passions, laughing with her at her lack of technical skill, but still providing an appropriate accompaniment so that they can play together. Both of them have let their barriers down and are allowing the other one into their intimate inner lives.

Callbacks:

If we need a reminder of the importance of this moment to them both, we get it in 3x23, as Lucifer attempts to recreate every meaningful moment to the two of them in an attempt to return to the status quo of friendship that was established here in 1x09.  Of all of the recreated scenes, however, Heart and Soul is the only one that Chloe echoes, picking out the melody on the piano when she thinks she’s alone (echoing Lucifer believing he was alone as he played both with Father Frank and in the aftermath, before realizing Chloe was there).

Sure enough, as she plays, who is listening to her but Lucifer as a preface to admitting how he feels about her, literally laying his heart and soul bare to her - and she echoes the lyrics with a kiss in the night, full of promise as their friendship finally catches fire.

[milfstrahovski]

speak of the me - lucifer

[spicylove4ever]

Lucifer got shot by an ex of someone in front of that someone twice. But there are way different reactions. Why?

Daniel is a friend. Reese was a random dude he met.

Reese was clear that he shot Lucifer to proove he wasn’t going to die by that, so he’s the Devil, to Linda. Dan was trying to kill Lucifer.

Lucifer knew with Reese he wasn’t going to die, the time with Chloe he thought for a second he was going to die, go back to Hell and be trapped in there forever and never see Chloe again, only would be able to contact with her maybe by an ouija.

To sum up, on the seccond shot, Lucifer is way more angrier because he knew Daniel was trying to kill him, and he utterly believed that he was going to die until he realised he was fine.

In fact, if Lucifer just tells this to Chloe, not only she would undertand why is he that angry, and tolerate some of the ideas in his Operation Payback Dan (the perm, laxatives or something like that, and yes, those are some of the actual ideas), she would have that confirmation she craves so much about that he still loves her.