Lucifer Takes on a Murder Mystery - For All the Right Reasons? ("The Would-Be Prince of Darkness")
Image courtesy of Screencapped.net
This week, everyone's favorite snarktastic devil took on the murder of a wannabe actress, killed during a virgin football player's party and found in a swimming pool. Meanwhile, a nobody is impersonating Lucifer and giving him a bad name and reputation.
The overall plot is at least somewhat better than last week's. The murder mystery is not nearly as straightforward as the forgettable paparazzi murder from last week. There's actually time spent fleshing out the suspects, digging into their alibis and motives, and we don't find out with 100% certainty who the killer is until the end (although it's not very difficult to guess). Lucifer's confrontation with his impersonator was a great moment for the character as well, insofar as we actually see him refuse to punish someone who definitely deserved it in his eyes.
The confessional aspect of the show was much better utilized in this week's episodes than in either of the previous two. It actually managed to approach the level of The Sopranos that I hoped it could achieve. The shrink is remarkably insightful into Lucifer's personality, and she provides a nice outside perspective on everything that's going on in Lucifer's life. She forces him to review his own motives in a thoughtful, questioning way (whereas Maze's remonstrations just make him angry). Her assertion that he may be seeking justice for the wronged as much as punishment for the evil is a good one; the line is definitely blurring.
But while this episode really explored Lucifer himself, it didn't do much for any of the other characters. Where the hell was Amenadiel? (Haha...get it?) Maze was just creepy, particular with her line about it looking like Lucifer was punishing himself, but otherwise she was the same as she has been in every episode to date.
We didn't learn anything meaningful about Chloe, except that she's pissed that Lucifer keeps meddling in her investigations (which we already knew). And somehow, despite the very obvious, over-the-top moment at the climax of the episode, she still hasn't teetered off the edge of the belief cliff into Lucifer-is-actually-the-devil land.
But I hold out hope for next week.
Other Assorted Thoughts
"You, Ty, are like a four-leaf clover and a unicorn had a baby...without having sex." Fantastic.
The explanation of Lucifer as a magician to Trixie...I don't like kids, but man, that little girl is cute.
The "displacement" joke between the shrink and Lucifer was funny, though I cringed that they actually used the denial/Da Nile joke. C'mon writers, you're better than that. Please don't end any future episodes on lame jokes.
