Season 1 Episode 4
Lucifer's reaction to bleeding after Chloe shot him made me think of the movies featuring presidents' kids who do their best to dodge their Secret Service protectors. Yes, they were kids who were trying to establish some form of independence from a stifling life. At the same time, they were also so privileged that they would have no understanding of how it was to live under constant threat without hope that someone would come to their rescue. Imagine being a young woman living in a bad neighbourhood because she could not afford to live anywhere else. The very act of leaving the house could be profoundly stressful. The privileged could view security as an inconvenience; the poor could only dream of being able to walk down the street in peace.
As Lucifer repeatedly stated, he was immortal. He had no fear of doing whatever he wanted because he could not get hurt. When Chloe's bullet inexplicably pierced him, he viewed it as amusing and curious. Lucifer had no understanding of the fragility of human existence because of the privilege of his divinity. A typical human would be careful because they don't want to die; Lucifer found thrill in coming close to death because it was a finality he knew he would not experience.
He also had no understanding of women not wanting to sleep with him. Lucifer badgering Chloe for sex was not funny, it was disturbing. I am not even going to get into that 'player' convention. Watching Maze hit Amenadiel felt good because, though she could not win for he was an angel, it was a break from the male creepiness of this episode.
Its saving grace was the brilliant shift on Tom Ellis's face when Chloe tried to touch the scars where his wings once rose. Since Lucifer saw Chloe naked, he figured turnabout was fair play. The empathetic Chloe, however, focused not on his abs but his scars. It was a clear sore subject for Lucifer, and the tonal shift from the jokey devil to the hurt son was jarring, in a good way.
Lucifer may have discovered his surprising physical vulnerability, but just as important was his momentary fragility in the face of Chloe's tenderness. Humanity was an amusement to Lucifer, a vacation from his eternity in hell, but for a few seconds, the very human Chloe pierced the divide of divinity, and saw an angel's long buried wounds.
Strays
♕ Lucifer's funniest gags were when he was simply telling the truth.
♕ This episode started a recurring gag of Lucifer completely misunderstanding what Dr. Linda was trying to tell him during their therapy session.
♕ Case of the week: A girl named Lindsay went missing, and the suspect was a 'player' guru named Carver. It turned out that Lindsay and her brother conspired to make it appear as though she was kidnapped. Two years ago, before Carver became successful, he and the then virgin Lindsay met and had a one night stand. Whilst the encounter merely provided material for Carver's book, Lindsay was devastated when he did not call. Two years later, Carver did not even realise that the Lindsay he had fallen in love with was the same woman he met at a library and never called.
♕ Lucifer did not think Lindsay's punishment (death) fit Carver's crime so he showed his devil face to her before she could finish off Carver. Chloe caught a glimpse of Lucifer's devil face and, at his urging, she shot him. He was so surprised that the bullet actually pierced him.
♕ Amenadiel was trying to convince Maze to help him persuade Lucifer to go back to hell.
Director: Matt Earl Beesley
Writer: Ildy Modrovich
Original Air Date: February 15, 2016
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