Tori Brazier reviews the twentieth episode of Lucifer season 3…
‘The Angel of San Bernardino’ presents an abnormal state of affairs for Lucifer in that we see the usually unruffled titular devil (Tom Ellis) incredibly flustered and out of control as he deals with the possibility of another interference from his Father, after a woman claims to have been saved by an angel at the scene of a shooting. She claims it was Gabriel but after Lucifer dismisses her as too small-fry to have attracted his attention, and Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) confirms that he hasn’t seen any brothers in the neighbourhood, Lucifer starts to become consumed again by the possibility of heavenly vendettas against him. This is further exacerbated when he finds the same model of Gabriel that Mrs Hernandez (Lidia Porto) claimed sprung to life to protect her in his own apartment. A visit to Linda (Rachael Harris) only sharpens his panic when she suggests that he could be the angel in question, undertaking good deeds while “sleep flying” and thereby literally unconscious of the fact. As Lucifer has no control over his wings, he finds it easy to imagine the possibility of being controlled in other ways.
Things between Chloe (Lauren German) and Pierce (Tom Welling), meanwhile, are getting hot and heavy, to which Ella (Aimee Garcia) can attest – being the occupant of the lab next to a conveniently-placed cupboard at the station… Chloe is still reluctant to introduce the lieutenant to Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) as her boyfriend though, something which could certainly be prudent given Pierce’s shady conversation with an angry-at-Lucifer Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) at the end of last episode, when he offered to work together with her to get “what they both want” – and not forgetting his previous admission to believing that Chloe could be the answer to lifting his curse, rather than any love of his life. Maze is then heard conveniently repeating the same things that Pierce has said to Chloe about taking their relationship at any speed that works for her, reminding us of their collusion and sparking suspicion – except in Chloe of course!
Amenadiel is busy repenting at leisure having acted in haste last episode and convinced Lucifer to help him prove their celestial status to Charlotte (Tricia Helfer), after deciding to tell her the truth about her missing months. Charlotte is having another crisis of character as, thinking that her experiences and connections will grant her a literal ‘get out of Hell free’ card (as well as trying to process the truth of what she’s been told), she has reverted to her old patterns of behaviour (with a poor, embarrassed Dan (Kevin Alejandro) taking the brunt of this relapse).
Lucifer decides that not sleeping at all is the way to control his (possible) unconscious do-gooding, thereby bringing fresh, new meaning to the term ‘highly strung’ as he obsesses over the angel of San Bernardino. Before too long, however, Lucifer realises he is being distracted and played, and Maze admits to setting up the scene for his Gabriel-based neurosis, in cahoots with Pierce. Pierce is set for his punishment from a furious Lucifer at the episode’s denouement, although he has shown a glimmer of good character by refusing to allow Chloe to say that she loves him – despite the fact that is his ultimate goal – in the realisation that his behaviour will only hurt her more. She is, however, already upset by his abrupt leaving, and Lucifer is already seriously cheesed off by this turn of events. Their fisticuffs dramatically lead to the realisation that Pierce’s Mark of Cain has disappeared: is this permanent? Was it Chloe’s doing? Or was it his own when he decided to stop using her? Will Lucifer now take the opportunity to send Cain to Hell?
Tori Brazier
