LUCIFER 3x04 "What Would Lucifer Do?"

A brief break last week into Maze's bounty-hunting life allowed us to take a breath from the third season's expanding mythology but this week we return to the series standard in a very satisfying way. "What Would Lucifer Do?" focuses, much like the best Lucifer episodes, on a singular facet of identity; in this episode, whether a leopard can change its spots.

   Through the murder of a youth counselor working for a reform program, Lucifer explores whether those with darkness and rebellion inside them can give themselves to light. It's a concept that marries well with his regression to the Lucifer of old, the Lucifer who took innumerable lovers and offered quite literal deals with the devil in exchange for favours. The episode certainly does Lucifer no favours himself, with the killer transpiring to be the head of the reform program, an ex-con himself.

Lucifer (to Amenadiel): "It took you walking a mile in my shoes to prove my point to me

[...] that I haven't changed. [...] I'm exactly who I always was: a punisher."

But for Amenadiel, Lucifer may not have realised the falseness of concluding people can't change, given how palpably different he is now compared to the day he first met Detective Chloe Decker.

   This mature conclusion was never telegraphed to be the direction Amenadiel's subplot would take, as his efforts to understand Lucifer by trying to replicate his behaviour not only landed him in hot waters with a prostitute and her pimp, but in jail for beating up the pimp. Hilarious, for certain; Lucifer-esque, without question; but the subplot's arrival at the final scene for one of the many Amenadiel-Lucifer brotherly discussions is key. Amenadiel's recent realisation that his test is Lucifer is narrowed down to the realisation that Amenadiel's test is to be there for Lucifer, no matter his brother's self-destructive or dismissive actions. And this is something that makes a lot of sense for Amenadiel to finally realise. When we think back, especially to some key moments in season 2, Amenadiel has always been there for Lucifer. While this test, if truly Amenadiel's test, seems to belittle him slightly, it's also important that, after over 2 seasons of searching, he finally understand his role in Lucifer's life. It may not bind them, but it will give Amenadiel something to focus on that doesn't involve a desperate search or blind faith.

Pierce: "Well done, Lucifer. Way to be a good influence!"

Lucifer: "How DARE you say that!"

And faith also plays a part in this episode, though not religious or spiritual faith. Rather, Chloe's belief that the new Lieutenant, Marcus Pierce, does not have faith in her as a detective. When he shoots down her application to be union rep without explanation, she is indignant; when he continually praises Lucifer's unorthodox methods of investigation, she is frustrated; and when he demands to ride along with her himself, she is fed up. And when Pierce admits he has a benevolent motive for his actions, his argument strengthened by his taking a bullet to protect Chloe, their relationship alters course. That's a presumptive statement - Pierce certainly won't suddenly become an open book - but in future episodes I expect their relationship to be stronger and more friendly.

This episode fit into the season so seamlessly it's stunning. There may not have been even a whisper of the Sinnerman, but everything else slotted into place without any suggestion of unnaturalness. Lucifer is good at that in general, but this felt like an almost perfect example of how the show always knows what milestones it needs to hit each episode, and exactly how to hit them. And hit them today it did.

RATING: 9.5/10

POINTS OF NOTE

• Maze not appearing in the episode was to be expected, but Linda's absence surprised me.
• Pierce deciding union rep was beneath Chloe but not Dan was hilarious, if a little saddening.
• Judge: "Who the hell do you think you are?"
  Lucifer: "Lucifer Morningstar, Your Honour. My apologies, I had no idea I was dealing with a man of such stature. In my defence, when we came in last night I was blindfolded by your wife's underwear, so ..."
• Lucifer teaching the art of selling drugs to a barnful of teenage ex-cons while being on horseback for absolutely no reason is something literally only this show could pull off.