Lucifer season 2 episode 18

[shapinglight]

So, Lucifer season 2 ended.


Spoilers behind cut.



I don't know about anyone else, but I loved it. In fact, I've loved this entire series - even the boring procedural stuff (which wasn't always boring). I love the characters, I think the scripts are well written -often quite witty - and I've liked the overall story arc. As for the final scene in episode 18...well, I loved it. The show is nothing like the comics, but I do like it to reference them, and Lucifer in the comics is always losing his wings and getting them back again.

Also like the shout-out to Lucifer-in-the-comics creating his own universe in the ultimate fate of 'Mum'. Speaking of whom, her departure was for me, the major fly in the ointment as I loved her and the whole dysfunctional family thing she, Lucifer and Amenadiel had going on. I'll really miss her, even though, going by this post-finale interview with showrunner Joe Henderson, Tricia Helfer will still be in the show in season 3, as Charlotte Richards.

Not sure what I think about this. I think Tricia Helfer's great - unexpectedly good at comedy - but Charlotte (to me) was only interesting as a character because she was really Lucifer's and Amenadiel's mum. And okay, I can see some funny moments when the two of them try to explain to Chloe and Dan that Charlotte Richards isn't their stepmother any more, but if Charlotte is just Charlotte, much of the charm of the character is gone for me.

Oh well, I'm sure they'll do something interesting with her, if only because Tricia Helfer is way too good to waste.

Apart from 'Mum' leaving, I loved pretty much every moment in the finale and can't wait to find out who hit Lucifer over the head and dumped him in the desert (not 'the dessert', as I saw someone saying on Tumblr). (Unless that was hell. It could have been. More likely Nevada, though). I thought Maze at first (she was angry enough with Lucifer because of what happened to Linda), but then I decided if it had been her, she would never have left him his trousers. Plus, she doesn't have the power to give him his wings back.

So, either the wings were a parting gift from 'Mum', and the person who hit Lucifer over the head was someone different, or the same person did both, so who are they? Maybe Lucifer's and Amenadiel's sister, Azrael, annoyed about losing her sword? But would she have the power to restore Lucifer's wings?

Oh, I don't know, but it'll be lots of fun finding out.

As for Deckerstar (which, as far as I can see, is the only thing most of the Tumblr fans care about), I like that Lucifer planned to come clean with Chloe the way he did with Linda. I hope he still will. I think probably the Chloe-doesn't-believe-Lucifer-is-really-the-Devil storyline has been strung out for long enough. Time to find another way to throw a spanner into the relationship works.

Actually, finding out the man you're in love with is really the Devil is a pretty big spanner all by itself.

That Joe Henderson interview is worth reading, in fact. Not only does he confirm that Tricia Helfer will be back as Charlotte, he makes it plain (unless he's lying) that the final scene is not a flashback to Lucifer being thrown out of Heaven. He really has got his wings back. He also describes 'Mum's story as being about moving on after a messy divorce, writ large. I like that, if only because it reminds me of the kind of thing BtVS used to do.

Another post to follow at some point about other TV shows, though The Americans, season 5 of which ended yesterday, deserves its own post, IMO.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I'm sure they'll do something interesting with her, if only because Tricia Helfer is way too good to waste.

I agree. I find it interesting that they're keeping her on despite completing that arc. In fact, I suspect they want to give her more to do since Mom was very mono-focused. My guess is that they'll make Charlotte an ongoing opponent given that she's a defense attorney and it's been established she has ties to criminal organizations.

My first thought about Lucifer being left in the desert is that this is where he first came to Earth. He was talking about how he didn't go back -- it seems to me maybe God will be making him relive his life from the point of his initial arrival from Hell. That's why he has his wings again.

Yes, the fact that he was about to reveal all to Chloe makes the possible reset rather annoying. Not because I care but because it means we have to keep going through the same thing all over.

I was pretty interested in the finale that Amenadiel was able to halt time despite supposedly being de-powered. And frankly, Linda is starting to seem like a masochist. I would have thought it would make perfect sense for her to pack up and decide to restart her work in Maryland. Also, whatever happened of the ethics investigation into her? We saw Maze corner the guy but I don't recall anything clearly coming of that?

But the finale was indeed satisfying and I thought was a good piece of writing overall.

[rahirah]

I thought that Amenadiel being able to stop time was a reflection of what he said earlier in the episode: he lost his powers because he lost faith in himself. Now he thinks he's Dad's favorite, he has them back. I'm not sure that's a very firm foundation to stand on, though; Dad's favor does not seem like a very dependable thing. I mean, he withdrew it from Job just to win a bet.

The Chloe-reset annoys me, though. It has been strung out long enough. From Chloe's point of view, this is yet another instance of Lucifer buggering off because he's afraid of commitment, or whatever. And there's no reason to string it out longer, because even if she does find out the truth, at this point, I could see her being righteously pissed off that she's the last one to find out.

[rahirah]

I was wondering if the wings are basically an aspect an angel's...well, angelness, and can't really be destroyed. Amenadiel lost all his feathers when he lost faith in himself, but presumably they'd come back if he regained that faith. Lucifer can cut his off and burn them as a symbol of rebellion, but while they can assume a physical form, angels are not really physical beings. So the wings could come back if Lucifer's attitude towards them changed.

[yourlibrarian]

I agree that however they handle the reveal with Chloe (assuming it doesn't go on for yet another season!) that realistically it shouldn't be something she accepts. I'd say the non-acceptance and anger should be the way to keep them apart for a while longer since that's obviously the goal.

And that does make sense about Amenadiel. I'd like to think though that it's not just belief in himself, but rather that he too has begun to care about humans. For example, in the scene in the hospital he may not have been angel-powered but he still was able to keep people out of Chloe's room for the time needed. So in the finale scene he also was desperate to respond to Maze and help Linda. However, I think your discussion below about the wings as a symbol of self-confidence or faith are also a very plausible angle.

[shapinglight]

My guess is that they'll make Charlotte an ongoing opponent given that she's a defense attorney and it's been established she has ties to criminal organizations.

I expect that's what they'll do too. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll find it nearly as interesting.

He was talking about how he didn't go back -- it seems to me maybe God will be making him relive his life from the point of his initial arrival from Hell. That's why he has his wings again.

It could well be. I also vaguely remember one of the showrunners saying something about one of the four standalone episodes they shot, which will now appear in season 3, being about how Lucifer and Maze first came to earth. But since they came from Hell, where Lucifer was the ruler, I can't believe they arrived naked and penniless. Anyway, I could have that completely wrong.

God is certainly still messing around with Lucifer - which, in the comics, drives Lucifer to further and further extremes to escape his influence.

Yes, the fact that he was about to reveal all to Chloe makes the possible reset rather annoying. Not because I care but because it means we have to keep going through the same thing all over.

I hope it won't be a total reset. After all, he planned to tell Chloe the truth. Having wings or not having wings surely doesn't make a difference.

On the other hand, if Lucifer thinks 'Dad' is behind it, he may hold off for fear of what might happen next.

As for Linda being a masochist. I think she's come to care about Lucifer and Maze too much to leave, even though it would be a lot safer.

We saw Maze corner the guy but I don't recall anything clearly coming of that?

Yeah, they skated over that completely. Maybe we're meant to assume Maze scared the living daylights out of the guy?

[shapinglight]

I thought that Amenadiel being able to stop time was a reflection of what he said earlier in the episode: he lost his powers because he lost faith in himself. Now he thinks he's Dad's favorite, he has them back. I'm not sure that's a very firm foundation to stand on, though; Dad's favor does not seem like a very dependable thing. I mean, he withdrew it from Job just to win a bet.

I think it certainly helped, but other things have been happening that have slowly given him back his self-belief - including Trixie telling him she thought he was good, which I felt at the time gave him the strength to hold off all the hospital security types trying to evict him from Chloe's room.

However, if he's convinced himself he was only able to stop time the way he did because he's Dad's favourite, he still has a way to go. Also, he may think he has to go back to being Lucifer's enemy. Which would be sad.

[shapinglight]

That sounds plausible, but I'm not really sure how Lucifer's attitude had changed.

Unless -

a) When speaking to Dr Linda in the hospital, he actually said, "That's enough about me. How about you?" which is possibly a further sign of him learning to be less self-involved
b) He was planning to tell Chloe the truth, so it wouldn't matter whether he has wings or not. So they came back.

[shapinglight]

And there's no reason to string it out longer, because even if she does find out the truth, at this point, I could see her being righteously pissed off that she's the last one to find out.

Well, that would be a different way of keeping them apart, I suppose. ;)

[rahirah]

Yeah, I'm by no means convinced that's really what's going on... it may be we'll find out that destroying his wings was a misdirect, and he really burned the fake ones or something, and he's had the real ones hidden away all this time and whoever knocked him out superglued the real ones back on. >XD

[shapinglight]

I'd be kind of disappointed if it was a misdirect because it was a nice, dramatic moment, and surely if the wings Lucifer burnt were the fake ones, Amenadiel would have realised it?

I suppose not if the plot demands that he didn't.

Anyway, however Lucifer came by them, at least he can fly himself home.

And even if they turn out to be exactly what it appears they are - his wings grown back due to celestial interference of some kind -it doesn't explain the linear progression from being hit over the back of the head to waking up what must surely be quite some time later in the middle of the desert.

Oh well, I'm not much given to fannish speculation, so I'll just wait and see, I guess.

[shadowkat]

Agree with all of the above (except, I haven't read the comics or seen The Americans -- the Russian thing in the US and the fact that I feel like I'm literally inundated with Russians makes it hard for me to watch it.)

And okay, I can see some funny moments when the two of them try to explain to Chloe and Dan that Charlotte Richards isn't their stepmother any more, but if Charlotte is just Charlotte, much of the charm of the character is gone for me.

Agreed. Was very sorry to see Mum go, liked the comedy. And I'm not sure if Charlotte on her own has the same charm.
But Tricia Helfer is really good.

(Unless that was hell. It could have been. More likely Nevada, though)

Most likely Southwestern California, actually. People don't know this but part of California is desert. Probably was shot in Death Valley -- where they shot a lot of Westerns and Desert films. Or Arizona or New Mexico. Actually Nevada, Southern Colorado, Arizona, Southwestern California and New Mexico...all look like that.

I thought Maze at first (she was angry enough with Lucifer because of what happened to Linda), but then I decided if it had been her, she would never have left him his trousers. Plus, she doesn't have the power to give him his wings back.

I think it was two different people/characters? I think "DAD" or "GOD" gave him back his wings as a result of what he'd done with Mum. Remember he was brought back because Mum had gotten out of hell and he took care of Mum in a way that his "father" most likely approved.

As to who hit him over the head? I think someone else. Couldn't have been Amendendail (whose name I cannot spell to save my life). Nor do I see it being Maze. So someone else?

Agreed -- it will be fun finding out.And I really love the fact that he got his wings back.

Not only does he confirm that Tricia Helfer will be back as Charlotte, he makes it plain (unless he's lying) that the final scene is not a flashback to Lucifer being thrown out of Heaven. He really has got his wings back. He also describes 'Mum's story as being about moving on after a messy divorce, writ large. I like that, if only because it reminds me of the kind of thing BtVS used to do.

Thanks for this. I'd wondered about both. But for some reason assumed that Charlotte was going to be in next season, because why else did she live? And that he had actually gotten back his wings and was in the actual desert, because, we've seen hell and that's not it. (I actually liked the depiction of hell this season -- which is being caught in an eternal loop of doing the thing that you most regret.)

And the depiction of Mum/Dad as the messy divorce written large worked quite well, I thought.

I like that Lucifer planned to come clean with Chloe the way he did with Linda. I hope he still will. I think probably the Chloe-doesn't-believe-Lucifer-is-really-the-Devil storyline has been strung out for long enough. Time to find another way to throw a spanner into the relationship works.

I thought how they chose to break them up this round really worked well -- their biggest obstacle is that well, he's the Devil. How do you deal with being in love with the Devil?

Of course, I'm not really shipping any "romantic" relationships on the show. So I don't have the same level of investment.

I love the characters, I think the scripts are well written -often quite witty - and I've liked the overall story arc. As for the final scene in episode 18...well, I loved it. The show is nothing like the comics, but I do like it to reference them, and Lucifer in the comics is always losing his wings and getting them back again.

Agreed. It's surprised me. Yes, some episodes were uneven here and there, but overall, I loved it. Really loved the last episode.

Makes me sort of want to read the comics.

[shadowkat]

I'm not really sure how Lucifer's attitude had changed.

In how he chose to deal with his parents. Remember he wanted to punish them. Put Mom and Dad together and watch all hell break loose, who cares about the consequences.

But suddenly he cared about Linda, Chloe, and the other humans and wanted to protect them.

And he didn't force his mother to do anything, nor did he kill her. Instead he gave her the choice to move on...to go forward.
Because this way there'd be no war or collateral damage.

He no longer put his desire to hurt his parents first or his own needs first, he put others first. That's huge!

It also reflect Amaendial's change...where he chose to help someone...in this case Linda. He used his powers to help someone else.

It wasn't what he said that was important here, I think, it's what he actually did. He chose to save the world, to save others, and to put his differences aside to do it.

I also like the theory that his wings are part of what he is. They can't go away entirely. Any more than his powers go away entirely.

[shapinglight]

In how he chose to deal with his parents. Remember he wanted to punish them. Put Mom and Dad together and watch all hell break loose, who cares about the consequences.

This is true. He did at least get past wanting to punish his mother anyway. I suspect he's still pretty angry with his dad.

He no longer put his desire to hurt his parents first or his own needs first, he put others first. That's huge!

Agreed - and reflected in his conversation with Linda, where he actually said, "That's enough about me."

[shapinglight]

Or Arizona or New Mexico. Actually Nevada, Southern Colorado, Arizona, Southwestern California and New Mexico...all look like that.

Yes, I know. I just picked Nevada at random when I wrote my comment. But I doubt they went so far from home just to shoot that one shot.

their biggest obstacle is that well, he's the Devil. How do you deal with being in love with the Devil?

Yes, I think it might take Chloe a while to get over that one, but I think I would find it more interesting to see her try rather than to retread more old ground.

Makes me sort of want to read the comics.

They are very different from the show. There's a big horror element, for instance. And Lucifer looks like this.

[shadowkat]

Probably Southern California -- it's closest to LA. Nevada is further from LA.

Oh, I read the first issue of Lucifer years ago. So I know he was blond, etc. This was when I was reading Sandman, and Dream, and Death, and then Lucifer in Neil Gaimans comics. I can't remember when this was, I keep thinking 1990s, but probably was much later.

[tinny]

I don't know about anyone else, but I loved it. In fact, I've loved this entire series

Totally agreed! I loved season one already, but two was better.

Lucifer in the comics is always losing his wings and getting them back again.

Ha ha, I didn't know that! :D

I think Tricia Helfer's great - unexpectedly good at comedy - but Charlotte

She was! I have no idea where they can go with this and keep it interesting. Let's hope her role will be very minor.

So, either the wings were a parting gift from 'Mum', and the person who hit Lucifer over the head was someone different, or the same person did both, so who are they? Maybe Lucifer's and Amenadiel's sister, Azrael, annoyed about losing her sword? But would she have the power to restore Lucifer's wings?

The first idea is cool, I hadn't thought of that. I don't think we know the person/entity who hit and abducted him. I wouldn't want it to be anyone we know, either.

I like that Lucifer planned to come clean with Chloe the way he did with Linda.

Yes. As a Deckerstar shipper myself, I found the season was very well handled. It was all I wanted it to be.

Actually, finding out the man you're in love with is really the Devil is a pretty big spanner all by itself.

Oh yeah, it's definitely time for that! The fallout could be potentially messy. Pretty much everyone knew except her (oh yeah, and Dan, pfft), she let an actual demon move in with her and take care of her child, etc.

[shapinglight]

No, it probably was the 1990s.

The original Lucifer solo series, which is by Mike Carey, not Gaiman, finished in about 2002 or so.

[shapinglight]

She was! I have no idea where they can go with this and keep it interesting. Let's hope her role will be very minor.

I don't know what I want for the character really. I did so love her as Mum. ;)

The first idea is cool, I hadn't thought of that.

I'm not sure how likely it is- probably not very - but if it were that, it would make sense that Mum would do it without asking Lucifer if that was what he wanted. She would just assume she knows best.

I think Chloe knowing the truth about Lucifer and having to deal with it could be really cool. I do hope they do it.

[shadowkat]

I think I read the Mike Carey one. I do remember it...just really vague. (It was a long time ago.) ;-)