LUCIFER: Infernal Guinea Pig Roundtable

On this week’s Lucifer, Luci comes up with what he thinks is the perfect plan to kill Cain until things go awry and get tangled up in the case of the week that Chloe is working, putting her life at risk.  Charlotte faces up to some of her demons with Dr Linda, and Maze finally gives Amenadiel a piece of her mind about his relationship with Linda.

Join Karen, Lisa, Melissa and Cay as we share our thoughts on the episode.

What did you think of Lucifer and Cain’s latest scheme to kill him?

Karen: Okay, kinda brill to be honest. Resurrect Abel, so living brother means no murder. I’m afraid that doesn’t actually mean he never committed the crime though. Valiant effort.

Lisa: I liked it. I definitely didn’t see it coming and was relieved that they didn’t try to make it a time-travel storyline.

Melissa: It was an outside-the-box idea, but as Karen noted, it didn’t actually mean murder wasn’t committed. I’m pretty sure the path to getting rid of Cain’s curse is through forgiveness. The brothers did take a step toward forgiving each other before that bus killed Bree for real.

Cay: It was just ridiculous enough that it might have worked, and it definitely turned out to be entertaining when Cain ended up in the wrong body. Oops! And one directly related to Chloe’s case, even better!

Did it surprise you to hear that Abel has been in hell this whole time? And is he dead again as they seem to want us to believe?

Karen: Pardon the pun, but hell yes I was. It shouldn’t have I guess. Lucifer has a way of turning mythology on its head. Of course, the brothers who were caught in the first struggle would’ve both been guilty of sin. As to the second point, if what happened to Charlotte holds true, Abel may be able (haha) to jump into another body, yeah?

Lisa: I was surprised too. This episode was definitely full of surprises and I appreciated it.  Karen I just have to say you rock! What else can I say after your answer? 🙂

Melissa: Not really. At some point in my religious background, it did occur to me that Abel might not be the saint we all assume he was. Perhaps because I have two brothers myself and have been witness to many a conflict with elements of rightness – and wrongness – on both sides. Still, the show’s characterization of Abel went further than I’ve ever imagined him. What a douche.

Cay: I know, you kind of get an idea of why Cain might have killed him, right? On the other hand, his reaction when he thought Cain was going to kill him again was interesting and rather disturbing. But then again, that may have been because of his experiences in hell, not because of his experiences pre-hell. Whoa, never thought I’d write a line discussing pre-hell vs post-hell experiences!

Chloe’s been spending a lot of time complaining about Luci lately, but she sure misses him when he starts working with Cain.

Karen: Right? Which leads to the “thank you,” and surprised Lucifer reaction. I like it. Makes Chloe a little more appreciative. And I think helping Cain may actually be something that advances Lucifer’s “humanity” as well.

Lisa: She did! I liked it too. She’s so hard on him but she realized that he really is her partner and I loved the moment when he was trying to save her before the bomb went off.

Melissa: Finally, some of that old Chloe-Lucifer magic! I think she’s softening toward him again (see also: the final scene of the last episode), and hopefully he’s willing to let his guard down this time.

Cay: I was tired of seeing them squabble! Maybe they’ll be a better team now.

We learn a bit more about Charlotte every episode. What did you think about tonight’s revelation about her dream?

Karen: So, she and Abel are kindred spirits (as it were). Leading to her epiphany with Linda. I wasn’t happy about her treatment of the good Doctor at first, but isn’t that usually the status quo? She’s put upon and then her patient realizes how amazing she is. Again, Dr. Linda becomes one of the linchpins of the show.

Lisa: Great scene with Dr. Linda and Charlotte. I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan of the real Charlotte but this scene made her interesting in my opinion and anytime we can see Dr. Linda is a win.

Melissa: Without veering too far into TMI territory, let me say that I’m slightly disturbed that I’m suddenly finding Charlotte so relatable. The lesson she learned in this episode is one that must be learned so progress can be made: the terror of confronting your demons is still better than living with them.

Cay: I can’t quite figure her out. I hated seeing her yell at Linda, but I also have empathy for her as she realizes that she wasn’t necessarily a very good person before she was possessed by a goddess and tries to make amends.

Maze finally…ahem…talked to Amenadiel about his relationship with Dr. Linda. Was that how you expected that conversation to go?

Karen: Yes, she “talked” to Amenadiel. It was time. Some brawling and some talking – I think she got out her feelings. Amenadiel managed to say his piece too, and I don’t think it’s resolved. It’s about like I expected. She’s hurt. Down to her core.

Lisa: Did she? I just remember a lot of ass kicking which is classic Maze. But seriously, it had to happen. It was entertaining but I don’t think it resolved anything as Karen said.

Melissa: Pretty much what I expected from her, and from him. She may have landed the physical blows, but Amenadiel delivered the gut punch: “You’re breaking Linda’s heart.” OUCH.

Cay: I think I was distracted by how small Lesley-Ann Brandt’s waist is after having a baby. I couldn’t focus on the ass-kicking as much.

Favorite lines or scenes?

Karen: Well, I love Lauren Lapkus, so it was a pleasure to see her as a guest on Lucifer. She’s got great comedic timing and it shows here. We got some partner strengthening in this ep too, and that was nice. Another step forward.

Lisa: Maze’s impersonation of Cain was pretty funny.

Melissa: “I don’t walk like that.” “Yeah, you do.” Ha! Chloe thanking Lucifer after the bomb incident was also sweet. I could do with a bit less of Tom Ellis going all Intense Eyes, like he did when telling Cain the partnership was over, but his unguarded, slightly bewildered Lucifer is lovely.

Cay: Wonder how many times he practices that look in the mirror? LOL

MVP?

Karen: The Yeti. No?

Okay, serious this time. Leslie got to yell *and* gloat *and* do some ass-kicking at the same time. Scenes with Abel, Amenadiel, and Lucifer & Cain, she was the utility player – and totally versatile. I vote Maze.

Lisa: That’s 2 for Maze!

Melissa: I’m going with Lauren Lapkus as Bree/Abel. What a challenging role, but she nailed it without even a hint of ironic winking at the audience.

Cay: I thought both Maze and Bree/Abel were great in this episode.

Watch Lucifer on Mondays at 8/7c on FOX!