lucifer

“When I find out what someone truly desires, I find out their greatest weakness. And that’s not a parlor trick, Sinnerman, that’s power.”

After taking last week off, Lucifer is back and doesn’t waste time getting back to the primary storyline and the unseen villain of Season Three: the Sinnerman.

Aside from the titular villain finally being revealed, “The Sinnerman” is a story of confessions and questions. As if priming us from quite the eye-opening ending, Dr. Linda’s first question to Lucifer is the unique gifts bestowed upon angels and why his revolves around desire. It’s a common theme in the show as a whole, even more so in this episode as several characters are faced with deciding what it is they truly want.

It’s so good to get Maze back. Though she won’t be happy when she finds out the truth about Linda and Amenadiel.

Speaking of wants and staying with Dr. Linda, she and Amenadiel’s connection reaches a crescendo as they share a coffee and, as was foreshadowed a few weeks back as they lay on the beach, the two cross that friendship line and share not one, but two kisses. But it’s not without complications. First off, Linda herself calls it a mistake (before diving back in for a second helping) and then we finally get the return of Mazikeen. She’s a sharp one and sniffs out the change in mood between her best friend Linda and ex in Amenadiel. She confronts Linda towards the end of the episode, admitting how the thought of the two of them together made her feel left out. “So I don’t want the two of you getting together if that’s possible.” Rarely one to show vulnerability, Maze is honest with both herself and Linda. And though Dr. Linda promises that there’s nothing there, we all know that it’s only a matter of time before the drama hits and the unlikely love triangle blows up in everyone’s face.

Speaking of relationships of the awkward variety, Tom Welling’s Lieutenant Pierce is back in action and his presence initially brings out my least favorite Chloe: the stammering, embarrassed, lacking confidence Chloe. Her behavior around Pierce has always irked me. She becomes a school-girl, unsure of herself or the strength she carries. Fortunately, she does redeem herself when, during a stakeout prior to their confrontation with the Sinnerman, she and Pierce have a truly human moment when the two bond over the personal losses in their lives. We know about Chloe’s dad but Pierce admits to his own loss; his brother died at the hands of the Sinnerman and, knowing how hard it was for her when she confronted her father’s killer, Chloe tells Pierce: “Think about what you really want. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

The Sinnerman, pre-eye gouge.

Which brings us to the Sinnerman himself. For reasons yet to be explained, he makes himself known by killing two of Lucifer’s previous clients. Baiting the Morningstar into a trap (one that Maze gets him out of), he promises Lucifer will see soon enough the Sinnerman’s plan. At first glance, there’s nothing special about the guy. He’s middle-aged, obviously intelligent but for a celestial being, there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly special about him, save for the fact that he knows Lucifer’s true identity and isn’t afraid. That he’s not afraid of the literal devil is a headscratcher unless he has a very big ace up his sleeve. Yet, for where the Sinnerman is lacking in intimidation, he makes up for in ruthless determination. Thanks to Chloe’s perseverance, the Sinnerman is captured but, knowing that a single glance into Lucifer’s eyes will force him to betray his desires and ultimate end-game to Lucifer, the Sinnerman eliminates that option, carving his eyes out with a pen he swiped during his initial arrest.

“Now you’ll never know what I want,” he gloats as Lucifer and everyone else looks on in horror.

Post Script

  • One person not I was remiss in not mentioning above was Charlotte. She’s been a fish out of water the last few episodes and finally admits to Dan just how out of sorts she is. “I was really good being the old me” she tells him. A change of a 180 like she’s trying to do is a hard and slow road, one where frustration will often rear its head, especially in the beginning. Now, I’m not sure where things are headed with Charlotte’s character but while she’s on the right track, expect some bumps in the road for her.
  • “Desire is the ultimate expression of free-will. I help people do whatever, or whomever, they want.” Lucifer expresses this to Dr. Linda and later in the episode offers a similar line to the Sinnerman. Thus, it’s not a stretch to say that the Sinnerman’s entire endgame hinges on Lucifer’s knack for tapping into a person’s true desire and, more importantly, that he has some sort of supernatural partner waiting in the wings.
  • Though the Mazikeen and Dr. Linda conversation was both heartfelt and well done, it also felt disjointed, as if part of the scene was cut for time’s sake. It’s not big deal but was a noticeable hiccup.

Lucifer: “The Sinnerman”