The Palmetto case unravelled even further on Lucifer 1×08, but is Dan really as ‘dirty’ as we’ve been led to believe?
We may have had our suspicions about Chloe Decker’s estranged husband – he was just a little too shifty for our liking – but nothing could have prepared us for the reveal that he was responsible for shooting Malcolm. With how uncompromising he has been with both Chloe and Trixie’s safety, we imagined he might be involved in a bigger, systematic cover up within the department, but not necessarily the smoking gun.
Of course, as we discover by the end of “Et Tu, Doctor?”, Malcolm isn’t entirely innocent in the Palmetto case. And so, the question stands: Whose interests is Dan working in, if anyone’s?
We know that, prior to “Et Tu, Doctor?”, Dan and Malcolm weren’t wholly aware of the other’s allegiances (or lack thereof), but by the end everything is out in the open. Dan, for reasons and motivations currently unknown, put a bullet in Malcolm and everyone else involved in that dirty deal, fully intending to kill them all. And Malcolm? As heartfelt as he was in his ‘confession’ to Chloe, it seems her gut instinct was right all along. Malcolm isn’t as clean as everyone believes.
There is, of course, the possibility that Malcolm is telling the truth about the circumstances prior to his shooting. His death, and subsequent resurrection by Amenadiel, could irrevocably change his entire outlook on both his colleagues and life – and there’s no way of knowing just what that kind of power can do to someone’s soul, even if the power is deemed ‘holy.’
Putting that to one side, there’s no disputing the fact that Dan shot Malcolm. It’s the ‘why’ that comes into question, if you don’t take the reveal at face value. So, what options are on the table for Dan’s motivations for the shooting?
1. Dan really is dirty, and taking orders from a criminal organization
This is perhaps the most straight forward answer, as laid out by the show itself. It supposes that Dan actually is a dirty cop, taking backdoor payments from some kind of criminal organization in order to secure his cooperation. This would certainly account for the motivation for taking out Malcolm, whether or not Malcolm was innocent prior to his resurrection.
With another cop potentially in the pocket of a rival organization, it would make sense to have your inside man take out that asset and tip the balance back in your favor. No one really wants the competition in that game, after all.
Of course, the only thing Dan admitted to when Malcolm confronted him in “Et Tu, Doctor?” was to being responsible for the shooting – and, with a criminal organization potentially at Dan’s side, why would Malcolm’s threat against Dan’s family work? Surely there could be a little quid pro quo involved in this (admittedly dirty) working relationship?
2. Someone in the LAPD is pulling the strings
Admittedly, this could go one of two ways. Either, the third-party higher up the chain is dirty themselves, and is manipulating Dan into cooperating, or Dan is working undercover in order to expose systematic corruption within the department.
With the former, the same line of questioning applies: Malcolm’s blackmail wouldn’t pan out, or strike a legitimate fear in Dan’s heart, as he could easily be removed from a position of influence and silenced.
However, if Dan really is working undercover, then he would need to continue to play a part until the end of that case. But, would the LAPD allow or condone the cold-blooded killing of several people, including one of their own, and not look to seek justice from within the system? It seems unlikely, but introducing Chloe in the mix could have clouded Dan’s judgement and forced their hands on that matter.
3. He took the law into his own hands, vigilante style
We know that Dan is a dedicated cop – it was, after all, the reason for his separation from Chloe. He spent more time on the job, than at home with his family. So, if Dan caught wind of a dirty cop in the department, much in the same way Chloe did, it is likely he’d follow the clues. Perhaps digging into this investigation is exactly why he spent more time at work than at home.
But, with little evidence and perhaps mounting frustration at the system failing to bring justice to corruption within the LAPD, Dan could have taken the law into his own hands by shooting Malcolm – becoming judge, jury and executioner in order to prevent Malcolm from hurting anyone himself.
He wouldn’t have been able to come clean about the fact, as he’d lose both his badge and be subject to justice himself, and would account for his insistence that Chloe drop her own investigation. Malcolm’s death would have meant an end to the entire, messy situation – but then Amenadiel threw a wrench into the works by bringing him back.
4. Dan was acting on his instinct to protect Chloe
As we discover in “Et Tu, Doctor?”, Chloe managed to find Malcolm on the day of his shooting (and also his partner, Tony) by using a police GPS tracker, so it stands to reason that Dan could have used the same method to find Chloe. Whatever we may believe of Dan, we know with certainty that he cares for Chloe and Trixie’s well-being.
Despite their separation, we can assume that Dan knows Chloe well and, with Chloe investigating a potentially dirty cop on the sly, would notice the subtle changes in her behavior. They were, after all, still working together in the same department.
And so, it is entirely possible that he could have followed Chloe and witnessed everything that went down. But, instead of allowing Malcolm and Palmetto to take Chloe out when she was discovered, took them out in order to protect her.
But why would he hide that from her? Partially, perhaps, because he was keeping tabs on her, and wouldn’t want to admit to overstepping his boundaries. But it could also be to protect Malcolm’s family, by ensuring that the truth wouldn’t come out, so that they could receive payments in order to support them financially – they are the true innocents in this entire situation, and Dan has very strong feelings about family, having one of his own in Chloe and Trixie.
Malcolm knows this, and is now using it to extort Dan into playing his game – though we’re not entirely sure what Malcolm’s goal is. If it’s even Malcolm’s goal to begin with.
With Amenadiel’s divine interference in bringing Malcolm back, is there something more sinister to his intentions that we initially believed? It’s one thing for him to use Malcolm as leverage against Lucifer and Chloe, and another entirely to introduce a potentially lethal player back into the game. Could he be pulling Malcolm’s strings in the background – a puppet to work in his interests, as he’s stuck guarding the gates of Hell?
We’ll be on the lookout for more clues when Lucifer returns Monday, March 21 at 9 p.m. on Fox.