Lucifer season 2, episode 8, “Trip to Stabby Town,” posed an interesting question about whether or not Chloe has feelings for her partner.
Lucifer has been brilliantly walking the fine line that is the will they/won’t they relationship between Detective Chloe Decker and the Devil himself, Lucifer Morningstar.
The brilliance here is that the two have some undeniable chemistry, especially when you look back at season 1 when Lucifer was actively trying to charm his way into Chloe’s bed. He’s a hard one to resist, but resist Chloe does.
In the pilot, Chloe says she finds Lucifer repulsive on a chemical level, but as we’ve progressed through the freshman outing and into the sophomore run, the two have grown closer as friends and partners.
They trust each other now, and with that trust comes a sort of bond that could transform into something romantic.
I’ll admit that I am passively interested in seeing these two get together. I’m a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, as well as the slow burn. We’re already into season 2, and nothing has happened between them yet? Suddenly I have found something to long for, to champion.
Besides, the idea of Lucifer falling for a human because of who she is not because of what she looks like displays an interesting character arc. Chloe has already changed Lucifer for the better in so many ways. Wouldn’t the final step be to show him how to love someone selflessly and without conditions attached?
But that’s the romantic in me talking. She rears her ugly head once in a while. I try to squash her down, but it can be difficult. She’s resilient.
As with many shows that star both a male and female lead, there’s always going to be a divide in the fandom between those that invariably ship them and those that want them to stay platonic.
I see both sides of the argument and in many cases — like with Elementary — have trouble picking a side. They both have merit, and I have the annoyingly uncanny ability to empathetically put myself in other people’s shoes.
I’m great for a sympathetic ear, but don’t force me to cast the deciding vote for our dinner plans. It won’t end well.
But let’s look at the facts. We’ve seen interest on both sides over the course of the 21 episodes that have aired so far, though it’s either been mostly emotional (on Chloe’s part) or mostly sexual (on Lucifer’s part). It’s never seemed like a combination of both, which could lead to an real, solid relationship between the two characters.
That said, episode 8 we saw Lucifer recruit Ella in his mission to solve the crime of Azrael’s missing blade before Chloe could get wrapped up in the whole debacle. The pairing was strictly work-related, but from the outside (and thanks to Ella being slightly awkward), it didn’t always look like it in Chloe’s eyes.
The detective spent the entire episode feeling pushed to the wayside and jealous. It was obvious to everyone, even Dan, so the question was never if she was envious of the situation, but why.
We spent the entirety of the episode wondering if Chloe was jealous because Lucifer wasn’t confiding in her or if it was because there’s more emotion beneath the surface than we were previously mindful of.
In terms of the former, we do see Chloe offer Lucifer a shoulder at the top of the episode. His rebuttal seems to sting a little bit, especially following the moment they had about her father. The idea that he may go to Ella, who is relatively new to their group, would certainly hurt given everything they’ve been through.
As for the latter, however, there’s a moment where Chloe confronts Lucifer about the prospect of him sleeping with Ella. She says it’s inappropriate because they’re co-workers, which is absolutely true, but when he says they’re not having sex, all of Chloe’s jealousy seems to go out the window.
Maybe that’s not proof that Chloe has real feelings for Lucifer, but it’s certainly something to think about going forward.