Lucifer - Sin-Eater - Review: “Divine Punishment”

Keeping up its trend of strong well-crafted episodes Lucifer yet again delivered another powerhouse episode. It wasn’t quite as brilliant as the first two, but it was still an extraordinary example of this show doing what it does best. A big difference between this season and last is that they have figured out how to perfectly blend the procedural and supernatural sides of the show without either seeming forced. Last season a lot of the episodes were heavy on either side of that spectrum, but so far this season each episode has perfectly blended both sides. Gone are the days of wondering if an episode is going to tip more procedural or more supernatural. It is that special marriage of genres that makes this show unique and after a few bumps last season it seems like they may have fully mastered this unique formula. The writers have taken a show that was already quite extraordinary and elevated it to a whole new level. I think a big part of that change is the introduction of Lucifer’s mom who has brought a new focus to the supernatural side.

The arrival of Lucifer’s mom sent him into a tailspin by not only disturbing his way of life but also by challenging his understanding of himself. Dishing out punishment is something he has always felt obligated to. According to his mom, it’s something that his Father made him like. She tried to play it like handing out punishment wasn’t something Lucifer actually wanted to do. His mom continues to be a very interesting character as it’s nearly impossible to extrapolate if what she is saying is the truth or an elaborate lie. Though, I get the distinct feeling that there is some twisted shred of truth in everything she says. It is obvious how much love she has for her children so this could just be the desperate last ditch effort of a mother to not lose her children. She’s not exactly being supervised so she could easily take off whenever she wants to yet she keeps hanging around. Her love for her children is evident every time she is with one of her sons, which just further complicates everything regarding her. The possibility also still exists that this is all just an elaborate act to turn her children against their Father, but if that is the case give her an Emmy because she is very convincing. As a viewer, I have no idea what to believe, so I'm sure the struggle is even harder for Lucifer and his siblings.

Tricia Helfer’s immense gift at handling complicated characters mixed with writers that are geniuses has allowed for the creation of one very complex character who has so many layers that it may take many seasons to get down to the core of who this being really is at her core. Certain things she does makes me think that without question she’s evil then she does something kind for one of her sons and suddenly I’m questioning if there is some good in her. Something that came to mind as I watched this episode is that serial killers can appear completely normal yet they have a double life that is full of vile evilness. While Lucifer’s mom seems kind and gentle to her sons could she be hiding a more sinister side of herself? So many contradictions within this singular character has left my mind reeling with many questions. I truly can’t wait to see how the show continues to develop her. She is a richly complicated former goddess. The good news for the audience is that she’s going to be sticking around for a long time except we’ll all have to learn to refer to her as Charlotte.

In an episode that focused on punishment, it was pretty clear that Lucifer was nearing the point where he was about to make a decision on how to punish his mom. What is curious about this punishment is that it showed the effect that Dr. Linda and Chloe have had on him. Forcing his mom to live the life of Charlotte Richards is a punishment that actually ends up benefiting him. By making her live with Charlotte’s family and raise her children he is forcing her to take a look at herself as a mother. This punishment also keeps her around which effectively buys him more time to figure out exactly what happened leading up to his banishment to Hell. No matter how much he wants to refuse his mom’s words a part of him is left wondering if what she is telling him is the truth. Much like she has done with the audience, she has even her son baffled as to what is the truth.

While this is a truly unique punishment it doesn’t exactly appease the agreement he had with his Father. As was teased in the previews, I can’t help but wonder if Lucifer’s Father is as vengeful as his mom has made him out to be. No matter if she is telling the truth or not about Lucifer’s Father wanting him dead the fact remains that he did banish his own son to the worst place in existence. Last season the argument was made that perhaps He did that because Lucifer is the only one of his children that he could entrust with the task. That still may remain a factor, but if any part of Lucifer’s mom’s story from the last episode was true then He might not be all that benevolent in the world that Lucifer exists within. As I stated in the last review, that would be a truly bold move for the writers to take. I’m sure the damnation by religious entities would be swift, but in terms of telling a dynamic story, this could be a truly grand story for the writers to delve into. It would certainly be a major challenge to the status quo.

Now that Lucifer has figured out how to keep his mom around a bit longer he’s going to have plenty of time to try and sort fact from fiction. That is as long as he’s not too busy trying to reign in his mom now that it has been revealed that she has developed some of her supernatural abilities as became evident in the attempted mugging scene. Charlotte Richards was not only a high-powered defense attorney, but she also used to be a cop, so Lucifer may have opened up a can of worms that not even he could have seen coming. She can now basically infiltrate every aspect of his life now as she will be able to easily assimilate into the police force. I think she’s going to keep her son on his toes as she settles into Charlotte’s life. At least she has her other son, Amenadiel, to rely on as she adjusts and I suspect that these two are going to have a lot to bond over given Amenadiel's current predicament.

Amenadiel's powers have diminished to nearly non-existent. He seemed genuinely distraught by the whole situation. He’s even living in denial as he tried to hide his dilemma from Maze. Granted they aren’t on the best of terms after everything that happened last season. I do hope that he eventually confides in someone regarding what is going on. Right now his mom seems like a strong candidate. Even though he is the one who originally delivered her to Lucifer in Hell he seemed genuinely okay with her being back. I got the impression that he was finally starting to understand what led his mom to her breaking point in the first place. Being on the receiving end of what appears to be a grand punishment from his Father seems to have opened his eyes. Going back to what I mentioned earlier, the picture being painted right now is not very favorable for the God who rules over the universe Lucifer exists within. One can’t fault Amenadiel’s Father with punishing him give the stupid decisions he made regarding Malcolm last season, but this is taking it to a cruel extreme. He is essentially stripping His son of the things that make him special and unique. Once his wing feathers are completely gone and his magic has fully faded away he will essentially be no different than one of his Father’s precious humans. That is sure to start to turn Amenadiel a bit bitter.

Their first encounter at Lucifer’s was perfectly played by his mom. It’s evident that a mother’s instinctual gift to guilt her children is a quality shared between humans and gods. She unleashed an epic guilt trip on him. The curious thing is that this was the first times I felt like she was being completely truthful. I believe that she does love him, she is tired of not getting anywhere with Lucifer, and she is fed up with being around humans. I think she was genuinely ready to go back to Hell. It was a poignant scene perfectly executed by Helfer and D.B. Woodside. After seeing Helfer interact so much with Tom Ellis it was great to finally see her dynamic with Woodside. Her connection with him was every bit as good as what she has with Ellis. Lucifer's mom may be slightly evil and a human hater, but she has what appears to be an immense amount of love for her children. I truly can’t wait to see what lessons she learns by being around Charlotte’s children. I think her interactions with them will make her encounters with her sons even more powerful. Lucifer’s punishment is more of a parenting class versus an actual punishment. If she opens her eyes and realizes the gift her son gave her she may just get the second chance she has been seeking.

While Lucifer and Amenadiel may be able to be convinced to give her a second chance at some point I do not see Maze ever even entertaining that idea. She hates every single thing regarding her which promises to spike some interesting scenarios as she tries to protect the guys from the threat she believes their mom presents. The whole situation becomes even more complicated when you take into account that Maze is semi-estranged from both of them. Even though she still hangs out at Lux and kicks down Amenadiel’s door, which would seem to counter the idea that she is trying to distance herself from them. At least it is providing for some really nice Maze and Dr. Linda scenes. The one between them at the bar was interesting. Maze really did need a human friend outside of the demons and angels she prefers to be around. Dr. Linda tries so hard and despite small breakthroughs, she still has trouble getting any of them to ignore their base instincts to cause trouble. She is influencing them slowly as was evident in the fact that Maze sought out Amenadiel to talk sense into his little brother instead of going and dealing with their mom on her own. I guess this can be called a tiny baby step in learning to restrain herself from violent acts. Let me just point out that Maze is quite observant, so Amenadiel had better hurry up and tell her himself about his powers situation because she will figure it out eventually. No matter what she says she can’t and won’t be able to stay away from either brother for very long. If nothing else she and Amenadiel will be good friends again.

Someone who could really use a new friend is Chloe. While the birth of a friendship between Maze and Chloe may be just around the corner, Chloe first has to deal with her issues with Dan. She has been so harsh on him that even Lucifer noticed. To be honest, after what he did he definitely deserved the way she has been treating him, but I was genuinely surprised by how things played out. After they seesawed back and forth the entire episode regarding a family camping trip Chloe finally relented only for Dan to dismiss it. Not only that, but he’s the one who told Chloe it was time they make their separation official by divorcing. Say what you may about Dan, and I’m not a big fan of his, but he does care deeply for his family. If he is trying to push Chloe away just as she was trying to get close it must mean that he’s trying to protect her and Trixie from something. It’s becoming increasingly evident that some sort of deal must have been cut for him to have gotten away with nothing more than this demotion and whatever it is appears to have him locked him into a very difficult and dangerous situation. While I’m not a big fan of Dan I do love that him being around does at least give the writers a reason to involve Trixie in the story. Hopefully, as the divorce moves forward we’ll start to see more of her. Small singular scenes with her just aren’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, one quick scene with Trixie is better than none, but they need to start using her more. She is a great counter to all the other dark things going on around her. Trixie brings a nice burst of light to every moment she is in.

While the overarching storylines were phenomenal the case of the week was actually quite good as well. It was obvious from the start that it was someone who worked at Wobble that was committing the murders, but the writers had me accusing everyone except the right person. Procedurals are usually quite predictable by nature, so for this case to go unexpected directions was quite nice. Also, any chance for Lucifer to make crotch jokes is a winning moment. The way Ellis delivers his sarcastic lines is perfection. This was a very well executed case of the week that played seamlessly into the rest of the story as the case helped Lucifer evaluate himself. I must say that I’m really happy that in the end, Lucifer realized he dishes put punishment because it’s a fundamental part of himself and not because of his Father. Also, I have to note the irony of Chloe stopping Ray (Vik Sahay) from frying Leila (Robin Givens) by using a fire extinguisher was brilliant. Seeing the Devil, universally associated with fire being doused in fire retardant chemicals was pure genius. These are the kinds of complex cases that this show needs, so I hope they keep utilizing them. It would also mean that Ella could finally start to get more screen time. Much like Dan, she is in desperate need of a storyline all her own to further flush her out as a character.

A lot of things have been set up in these first three episodes meaning that things are about to start to explode or implode around all of them. Something tells me Lucifer will have a really hard time spinning not sending his mom back to Hell. The previews for the next episode indicate that this could become a problem which could prove very interesting. Lucifer essentially bargained with Chloe’s life, so he’s going to have to get crafty to get them both out of this mess before Lucifer’s Father decides to be a little less benevolent regarding Chloe.

Don’t miss the next episode in order to find out how things play out regarding Lucifer’s deal with his Father and the birth of a possible friendship between Maze and Chloe.

Lucifer’s next devilish episode airs next Monday, October 17th at 9/8C on FOX.

Hit the comments with your thoughts about this episode. Do you think Amenadiel will eventually confide in someone regarding his wings? Will Lucifer’s mom cause havoc now that she’s discovered her abilities? How will Chloe and Dan’s divorce impact Trixie? Do you think Maze and Amenadiel will eventually reconcile? Do you think Lucifer’s mom truly loves her children? Do you think Maze will be able to soon forgive both the brothers?

About the Author - Aimee Hicks

Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was and has a passion for analyzing performances and theorizing what may happen on her favorite shows. Her interest in television covers just about every genre, but her first love is the sci-fi/fantasy genre. For the 2016/2017 season she will be reviewing Chesapeake Shores, Dark Matter, Frequency, Gilmore Girls, Jessica Jones, Lucifer, and Orphan Black. She will also be handling the Best Scene Polls for Supergirl and previewing several new and returning shows. She also oversees the popular SpoilerTV feature, Performers of the Month (#POTM) which highlights the most outstanding actor and actress from each month. You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.

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