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Lucifer: Is This Really How It's Going to End?!

"There are no words to convince me that the system isn't broken. The system is not only broken, it's unjust."

Rob Benedict, how dare you do this to me.

Well.

I'll be honest. I have no idea how to review this episode without basically just saying "I ugly cried for 30 minutes straight" and leaving it at that. Because, yeah, I was an emotional wreck. I honestly still am. I was completely blindsided.

The beginning of the episode started off normal enough. Chloe formally announced her retirement, Amenadiel decided that he wanted to be a cop, Dan tried to set Ella up with someone beautiful and nice who takes care of his sick mother... all of this would make a good episode on its own. Everyone felt like they were really clicking together and at their height of their crime-solving prowess. The case itself was nothing special, but it never is.

I'm still not sure about Chloe completely leaving the LAPD, but I am starting to come around to the idea of her being God's Consultant and supporting Lucifer in that. At this point, I'm mostly concerned that she sent in her notice a little bit too early. Despite Chloe's faith in him, Lucifer becoming God is the furthest thing from guaranteed.

The more intriguing portion of the episode was Lucifer trying to secure swing votes against Michael, with each one going far worse than the last. I was surprised that Zadkiel would be considered a swing vote. He seemed to be very anti-Lucifer last episode. Of course, Lucifer swayed him only when he truly played to his strengths: his complete candor. It's not about the favors or the deals or the high shelf vodka. It's about his honesty, and the humanity that he has gained while on Earth. It was his rage when Zadkiel dismissed Chloe as a "gift" that I think convinced Zadkiel to reconsider things.

But of course, all of this is overshadowed by Dan. I never once thought that he was actually in any real danger. Lucifer simply doesn't kill off main characters. Certainly not ones who have been with us from the beginning. It just wasn't that kind of show. So, I just enjoyed how quickly everyone came together to try and find Dan, from Maze's murderous intent to Lucifer telling her to call in all of his favors. And I grinned when I recognized Rob Benedict in yet another Supernatural crossover. And I cheered when Dan got to be a badass and got himself out of the chair and seemed poised to escape.

And then everything went horribly wrong.

I managed to hold it together until Chloe called him "Baby"and begged him not to go. It was the pet name that got me. Even though they hadn't been a romantic couple for years, it still felt natural and right and like a knife through my heart. And then Scarlett Estevez took my stabbed heart and just ripped it into shreds. The way that everyone just looked at her helplessly when she told Maze that she didn't need to be sad and when she asked Lucifer to tell her that her dad was alive because he wouldn't lie to her. I'm tearing up again just writing that sentence.

I kept expecting the episode to end. I wanted it to end just to give me some kind of release and emotional relief. Instead, we learned that Dan was in Hell. Which, if he is not immediately taken out of there in Season 6, I will riot. I'm serious. It just felt like insult to injury. I agree with Lucifer: it isn't fair. It isn't just. Amenadiel chose to be kind, though, with that information. "He's in a better place now" is usually just an empty saying that people say because that's what you're supposed to say at funerals. But for our cast who know the celestial truth, it carried a far different weight. It means something different when an archangel tells you that. Honestly, his entire eulogy was just beautiful. Platinum acting stars for D.B. Woodside. Dozens of them.

I will say that Chloe was wrong about one thing, though. Dan didn't die because Lucifer didn't know how Chloe felt about him. That was never the issue. He had always known. The issue was that Lucifer didn't feel like he deserved that love. That he needed to turn himself into something greater or better in order to be worthy to stand by her side. The tragedy, of course, was that he was already worthy. Yes, he still would have needed to stand against Michael and his bid to take over Heaven. (Because that just would not end well for anyone.) But maybe, just maybe, Dan would have survived if Lucifer and Chloe hadn't committed to it so quickly.

I feel like there's so much more that I should be writing about this episode, but all of it is overshadowed by the sheer emotional power that it had. I wasn't always Dan's biggest fan. I was largely indifferent towards him during Season One. But he grew on me, and I wanted him to be able to be happy and find peace. To let go of his guilt and grief. That might be what affects me the most. He never got a chance to achieve that. He won't have a chance to go to Heaven and be with Charlotte.

I'll repeat myself: it isn't fair or just. But damn if it didn't also make me ready to go to war against Michael and destroy him.

Random Thoughts

Honestly, I should have expected something to happen when the traditional theme song didn't play during the title card.

I was not expecting to see Michael Voltaggio cameo on Lucifer, but I'm not mad about it.

Someone pointed out to me how Charlotte and Dan's fates parallel each other, and it made me sad all over again.

Ella had the episode title.

I had completely forgotten about Caleb and the fact that Amenadiel left his necklace with him.

I do like Carol, so far. I wouldn't be mad if we saw him again.

I did love Maze and Lucifer going on an absolute war path. That, at least, was cathartic.

~~~~
An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.

7 comments:

  1. I wept, too, quite a bit, which is sort of ridiculous, because this is a show in which we know souls live on, either in Heaven or in Hell.

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  2. Yeah, I cried and cried and cried. This is how you do the death of a major character.

    And I love that they brought in Rob Benedict.

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  3. So this is what Chuck has been up to since Sam & Dean left him grovelling. Thanx for breaking my heart.

    Carol's mannerisms & speech pattern reminded me of Dan.

    Amenadiel made me start crying again during his eulogy.

    What's to stop Lucifer from flying down to Hell to get Dan's soul? He is still the Lord of Hell.

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  4. Amye, I think the main issue is that Dan would still need a fully functional body to return. When Lucifer and Mum came back from their trip to Hell, their bodies were fine. They just artificially stopped their hearts. Dan's body had a lot more physical trauma.

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  5. A wonderful, tear-filled episode. The death of Dan was traumatic and abrupt and very sad. I didn't like Scarlett's performance in the hospital scene though. I didn't fully believe her, maybe it was because she's a 13 year old playing an 11 year old's emotions. It just fell flat for me.I was disjointed from her words and actions and could have been more than it was.

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    Replies
    1. I agree. Trixie's reaction to her dad's death seemed strange. She's old enough to know what death is especially since both parents are cops.

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  6. Damn, this was heartbreaking.

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