Tori Brazier reviews the fourteenth episode of Lucifer season three…
After an episode off and half a season to emerge as one of Lucifer‘s most likeable supporting characters, ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ gives forensics’ finest Ella Lopez (Aimee Garcia) her moment in the spotlight.
When her diamond-certifying brother Jay (Rey Valentin) goes unexpectedly AWOL, Ella calls on the first-rate bounty hunting services of Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) to track him down. This same demon Maze is also now apparently Chloe’s (Lauren German) roommate – anyone else not remember that happening? Still, it provides the demon with the opportunity to teach her tiny gal pal Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) some wicked-sharp blade skills. With Maze and Ella’s search leading pretty quickly to a body and a crime scene at a known dodgy diamond dealer’s den, Chloe and Dan (Kevin Alejandro) launch an official investigation while Ella sets off on a quest to prove Jay’s innocence – however improbable that may appear.
Meanwhile, the Pierce/Cain plot chugs along with Lucifer (Tom Ellis) still trying to do his bit to “solve” Pierce’s (Tom Welling) immortality problem. They discuss his tattoo (the literal ‘mark of Cain’, one assumes, arf arf) and decide to ask Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) for help, before discovering that it is actually the archangel who marked him on God’s orders and so, therefore, he won’t be offering assistance anytime soon. Amenadiel and Pierce’s consequent first meeting at Lux leads to one of the most impressive set pieces of the season so far – they basically beat the crap out of each other, trashing the nightclub in the process, because they can. And with no consequence. It’s pretty impressively gory stuff too, with Pierce goading Amenadiel sharply on his failed plot to kill his brother (everyone rushes to check this up in the Bible…) making them more similar than he’d care to admit. Amenadiel responds by impaling him on a sharp railing – or with a sharp fragment of wine bottle etc. Tasty.
‘My Brother’s Keeper’ also reflects – albeit shallowly – on Amenadiel’s role (self-appointed? God-appointed? It’s difficult to know now) as Lucifer’s “keeper”. He’s always going on about Lucifer being his “test”, and apparently this means Amenadiel will support his brother, but only in the right direction. As Lucifer quite rightly observes, ever since Amenadiel found out that “he was Dad’s favourite, he’s been a bit of a dick”.
In a smaller side plot this week, Linda (Rachael Harris) is given the chance to resolve her feelings towards Charlotte Richards (Tricia Helfer) when the lawyer visits her to seek therapy. Having initially turned her away – and, fair enough, this body did try to kill her last season – Lucifer convinces the doctor to give her a chance. She acquiesces, apologises to Charlotte and persuades her to come back for an appointment – after pricking her with a pin to check she’ll bleed. You can never be too safe, after all.
Luckily, things pan out well enough for Ella and her brother in the end – he isn’t the murderer, an insurance bod is (naturally) – but he’s not quite as holy as Ella may think. Uncle Lucifer steps in to scare him back onto the straight and narrow though, warning him that he’ll “come for him” if he ever disappoints her again. There’s a flash of Devil eye to be seen too, if not a full face. That’s another plot strand for Lucifer still to resolve.
Tori Brazier
