Lucifer season 1, episode 8, “Et Tu, Doctor?” just finished airing and this week Linda joins the investigation, forcing Lucifer to confront his jealousy.
Lucifer throws himself a rebirthday party, which Chloe and Dan only visit for a moment before heading over to the Paddock Bar to check on the revitalized officer, Malcolm, who definitely seems a bit off after miraculously waking up.
At this week’s crime scene, they find a dead shrink who convinced couples to cheat to save their marriages, but in order to check out his case files, they need a psychologist to review them. Lucifer gets a judge to sign off on none other than Dr. Linda Martin, with his reasoning being that she can help Chloe work through her problems, namely being attracted to douchebags.
When they hit up Linda’s office, Lucifer notices a Dr. Canaan has moved in. Canaan was the son of Ham and the grandson of Noah, the latter of whom cursed him and made him the “slave of slaves.” Is this how Amenadiel feels about himself now that he’s guarding Hell? Regardless, it’s a minor distraction before Dr. Martin gives them a prime suspect and Lucifer rudely ponders why Chloe and Dan broke up. Dan cared more about the job than his family, but that’s changing and Chloe seems much more open to having him around.
Lucifer, as he’s wont to do, says all the wrong things and ends up saving the day and another man’s life. This episode in particular centers around jealousy on multiple fronts, and though Lucifer denies it, it’s clear he has strong feelings for Chloe. Does he only care about her as a person, a friend, or is he interested in having a romantic relationship with her?
The way Lucifer continues to weave the Palmetto case throughout the series makes the show just as much about Chloe as it is about Lucifer. At this point in the episode, Malcolm shows up at Chloe’s house and says he was trying to find information on a dirty cop, which is why he was paying a known criminal. He’s afraid to dig deeper, but he wants Chloe to keep going. I kind of want to believe him, too, but that will later turn out to be a terrible decision.
Lucifer cracks the case of the week, but the important part here is that he begins to see a parallel between him and the murderer — at least when it comes to matters of the heart. Lucifer, being Lucifer, still denies his feelings for Chloe, but it sounds like he’s getting desperate for her to know who he truly is, not just as the Devil, but as a man. Is it time yet for Chloe to believe in his alter ego? I think it’s long past.
The Palmetto case comes to an interesting head now, as Tony Palucci apparently commits suicide. This seems all too convenient to me, kind of like how Dan couldn’t get fingerprints off of the key they found at the crime scene.
One relationship reignites, but two more end on tonight’s episode. Dan and Chloe kiss, but while it’s well-meaning and passionate, Chloe ends it before it can lead to anything else. It’s just as well, since Dan is called elsewhere by Malcolm, who admits to being the dirty cop and reveals that he knows Dan is the one who shot him.
This in particular is heartbreaking because while I had my suspicions, at the moment Dan doesn’t seem evil. He loves his family and wants to protect them, but he’s not exactly comfortable taking up a partnership with his new cohort. Why would Dan get involved in this whole business to begin with then? This seems like it’s going to end poorly for his relationship with Chloe, who’s bound to find out eventually. But once the whole truth comes out, will she be able to forgive him?
Lucifer is losing a lot more tonight, however. Linda thinks they should stay professional and it’s then that the Lord of Hell realizes Dr. Canaan is Amenadiel. When he confronts Maze about her betrayal, he says they’re done and I can’t help but feel bad for her. Lucifer does have a point, though, that she’s keeping her own best interests at heart, above his. Will she try to get back into his good graces, or will she be actively working against him now?