“You’re the devil but you’re also an angel.”
After delivering some justifiably medieval punishment to the murdering and sex-trafficking Julian McCaffrey at the end of the last episode, Lucifer is seemingly ready to embrace his inner punisher as that Eve on his shoulder continues to push the Morningstar into being the “best version” of himself.
As Lucifer and Eve contemplate their next steps to “find the worst of the worst and give them what they deserve”, Chloe and Dan wrap up the Julian McCaffrey case as the now paralyzed bastard confesses to all his crimes. But it’s his insistence that his injuries were caused by him falling down the hill that catches Dan’s attention. Though he’s right in his suspicions of Lucifer, much of what drives him is the animosity he still carries towards Lucifer for Charlotte’s murder. Thus, a good part of Dan’s motivations are not because he’s a detective that wants the truth, rather that he’d do almost anything to ‘expose’ Lucifer as the bad guy Dan so passionately believes him to be.
Where Dan is working on his own to discover the truth about Lucifer, our favorite anti-hero has teamed up with Eve and a reluctant Chloe to work the most recent investigation. When it becomes clear that Jacob Tiernan, Julian’s father, is the prime suspect, Lucifer is ready to deliver the punishment the shipping magnate deserves. Only, there’s something holding him back, namely the angel on his shoulder in the form of Chloe. Whereas Eve continually pushes Lucifer to embrace his inner devil, Chloe wants him to do it the right way.
And therein lies the crux of Lucifer Season 4: Despite being the actual devil, Lucifer still doesn’t quite know who he is. He is torn between the devil he used to be and the good man he’s slowly becoming. To add to that confusion, the revelation that his wings are those of a devil hammers home those nascent fears and doubts he’s been wrestling with for the last season and a half.
It is not surprising that Lucifer’s journey in “Devil is as Devil Does” encompasses much of the episode narrative but Chloe has her own moments where she’s the support, watching her friend spiral dangerously close to a place where he cannot return. It’s an ironic situation, with both her and Eve believing the other isn’t good for Lucifer. The irony is not in their separate beliefs but for the fact that, despite wanting to see the best for Lucifer, they, in their own way, are causing that divisive split within him. They may have Lucifer’s best interests in mind but those interests are based on what they believe and not what is in fact best for the Morningstar. And until Lucifer can look himself in the mirror and admit those bubbling fears aloud, he will be forever stuck in this fractured limbo.
Nota Bene
- Even though Lucifer fights his baser instincts to punish Tiernan and instead arrests him, there are two sides within him still warring for supremacy. Reaching out to Dr. Linda is that first step for him attacking his self-loathing head-on but it will take some time.
- Unfortunately for the rest of the world, time may not be something readily available. On her visit to Father Kinley, Chloe realizes that Eve may pose a greater danger to the world, if the prophecy is to be believed. What steps will she take to interfere with it?
- Linda and Maze were responsible for much of the episode’s levity. The overprotective demon refuses to let her bestie go anywhere without Maze trailing as her shadow. This eventually sparks Linda to realize that Maze needs something more in her life; a partner. Considering her heartbreaks on that front, first with Lucifer and then Amenadiel, it may be a tall task for Mazikeen to allow herself to become that emotionally vulnerable again.
- Continuing their debate from the last episode, Amenadiel and Remiel finally come to blows over the fate of the angel’s unborn child. Remiel believes that Earth is no place for such a special child while Amenadiel firmly believes growing up in this world will make the child special. Upon losing to her brother, Remiel begrudgingly accepts Amenadiel’s decree for the baby.
- Finally, we get to Detective Douche. Dan has been a real ass-hat this season, using every opportunity to denigrate Lucifer and blame him for anything possible. Sure, Dan’s not always wrong but the way he’s gone about it has really made him an unlikeable character, especially after spilling Lucifer’s identity to Tiernan, a mistake that nearly gets Trixie killed. On the other hand, maybe I should cut him some slack, given the pain he’s still obviously working through. It’s a pain and uncertainty Ella can relate to…which is why it’s not a surprise when the two get it on in her lab. Considering they both are facing chaos in their respective headspace, their fleeting moment together will most likely hasten their descent towards rock bottom.
