‘Lucifer’ Recap: “¡Diablo!” Season 5 Episode 3
Lucifer is back! For real this time…
He strands Amenadiel in hell and heads to the surface to make sure that Michael didn’t mess with his friends too badly. Seeing the contrast between Michael’s interactions and Lucifer’s is where this episode really shines. This episode also deals with the whole “Detectives solving a murder that took place on a tv set that is a show based on them”, which leads to a ton of amusing scenes. Lucifer would know better than most how his brother is so his concern for Decker is definitely warranted.
It’s Michael’s truth bomb from the previous episode that this one focuses on. Decker’s initial relief at believing he was lying is shattered when Lucifer told her the truth. Finding out that the devil kept this from her creates a rift and completely changes the dynamic of the relationship. It leaves her questioning whether any of it is real and this isn’t something Lucifer can just fix this time.
Even though both characters are left reeling from this drama it’s still fun to see Lucifer and Chloe working together again. Watching them investigate the tv versions of themselves is great too. The tv Chloe, Agent Dancer, is a sexualized tv version of her. Her only purpose is to do whatever the star of the show, Diablo, says. Chloe’s feelings are at the center for most of this episode.
It’s honestly kind of heartbreaking watching Chloe go what she’s going through. She spent years falling for Lucifer, only to find out he’d been telling the truth all along. One life-shattering revelation wasn’t enough because now she has to question everything. Does she only love Lucifer because God is making her feel that way? Does she really have no other purpose than to be Lucifer’s plaything? Can she even be sure Lucifer really feels the way he says about her? That’s what this episode deals with primarily.
Some of the other plots revolve around Maze’s abandonment issues. They’ve been bringing up her past and said abandonment issues a lot in these last few episodes. That can only mean it’s something we’re going to be dealing with this season, and a later confrontation with Michael confirms this. Lucifer’s role in all this is shrouded in mystery for now. I can only imagine Maze isn’t going to be too impressed though.
Dan is trying to get closer to Lucifer too, in an attempt to help him with his negativity. The shift from Michael being nice to him to the real Lucifer returning is genius. That first “Detective Douche” was wonderful. By the end of the episode, I actually felt like they got a little closer, too. This might be the first time they’ve properly connected, without any ulterior motives. It didn’t even revolve around Chloe this time, which only makes the growth that much more meaningful.
Finally, we have to deal with Michael. We get to see what we’ve been waiting for all episode. The epic confrontation between the two brothers. I still maintain that Michael is scarier than Lucifer, and his deranged facial expressions don’t do anything to dissuade me. What’s really interesting though is the reveal that Michael’s been manipulating Lucifer since that dawn of time. If Michael really is responsible for all the bad things Lucifer’s done, then it changes the character completely. Hopefully, by the end of this season, we’ll know the truth.
We definitely won’t have trouble differentiating the two brothers now, though. Lucifer slashes Michael’s face up real good. The episode ends with Michael telling Maze how to find out the truth.
This was another excellent episode, and already the season is surprising me. I really thought the season would have been more effective if we didn’t know about Michael before going in. I stand corrected since the show keeps finding new ways to surprise me. It probably helps that they’re not playing out the whole fake Lucifer thing for this entire half of the season.
Want to check out the previous episode’s recap? You can do so here!
Alexander is passionate about everything related to gaming, comics, television, and film. You can usually find him watching some kind of DC show and can also find his writing on Multiversal News, something he’s helping to build.
