“Lucifer” 1.6 Review: Lucifer Confronts His Personal Demons in “Favorite Son”
If I had to pick one word to describe the sixth episode of Fox’s hit sci-fi drama Lucifer, it would be this: vulnerability. In “Favorite Son,” both Lucifer and Chloe find themselves facing a conflict of a different sort, a conflict that is much more intriguing than the predictable, bland cases-of-the-week that have become a staple on the show. Sure, there is a case to be solved this time around–after all, they need a reason for Lucifer and Chloe to be in close contact with each other–but it takes a backseat to the real dilemmas that dominate the episode, which are Lucifer’s fragile ego and Chloe’s growing attachment to Lucifer.
I’ll get to Chloe in a minute, but first, let’s talk about Lucifer and his most prized possession for a bit. Do you remember when Lucifer revealed that he had Maze cut off his wings after he fell from Heaven? Well, as it turns out, Lucifer has been hanging on to those wings and carting them around ever since. After Lucifer abandoned Hell for a sabbatical on Earth, he stored them in a warehouse known to house illegal contraband. Unfortunately, this warehouse wasn’t as secure as Lucifer hoped it would be; in a brazen move, a disgruntled member of a biker gang breaks in and makes off with Lucifer’s severed wings, leaving Lucifer in a state of emotional turmoil.
Throughout this episode, it is intriguing to watch the varied feelings that Lucifer displays as a result of this theft. At first, Lucifer appears to brush it off, but the shock and rage are written all over his face. It’s obvious that these wings mean something to him even if he won’t admit it to himself. Nevertheless, he doesn’t become invested in retrieving the wings until Maze appeals to his deteriorating reputation. After all, she says, what’s to deter someone else from willfully stealing from or assaulting the Prince of Hell if Lucifer gives this robber a pass? Predictably, Lucifer doesn’t like that at all and so throws himself wholeheartedly into getting his property back.
Things really reach a crescendo within Lucifer during his last talk with Dr. Linda, who has been working with Amenadiel (although she doesn’t know it) to figure out a way to help Lucifer. Using the information garnered from Amenadiel about Lucifer’s past, Dr. Linda is able to strike nerves in Lucifer that she’s never struck before. She calls Lucifer by the name that he had before the Fall–Samael–which he doesn’t like at all, and tells him that the reason that God cast him into Hell was because Lucifer was the only one that God could trust to fill the role that needed to be filled. She goes beyond appealing to his ego in this scene; she exposes his fear of rejection, his desire for his Father’s approval, his resentment that his name will forever by synonymous with evil and his rage at being forced into this position. Even though this is all a ploy on Amenadiel’s part to get Lucifer to play the role that God wants him to play, I truly felt that Lucifer was coming face to face with a part of himself that he has denied for eons. It made this scene both mesmerizing and heart-breaking.
In the end, Lucifer’s wings aren’t recovered, which sets the stage for a fascinating, high stakes cat and mouse game to come. Who has Lucifer’s wings and what does this mean for Lucifer’s future? The longer that Lucifer stays on Earth, the more vulnerable he becomes–the more mortal–so it’ll be interesting to see what unfolds over the course of the next few episodes.
It’ll also be exciting to see what transpires between Lucifer and Chloe as well as what role Chloe will play as the series progresses. In “Favorite Son,” Chloe admits that she enjoys and likes Lucifer’s company despite his idiosyncrasies, which is a big step for her. I am still hoping that this doesn’t turn into a romance because that would be disappointingly predictable but my gut feeling is that it probably will.
All in all, this episode helped me fall in love with this show again. Moving forward, I pray that we get to see more instances of emotional vulnerability in these characters and more chances for them to introspectively reflect on themselves. I’m already expecting that the external conflicts and relationships are going to become more complex and intense, but I hope they don’t become so intense that they drown out the quieter moments which allow us to really get to know these characters and add that touch of humanity that so many of us are craving from this supernatural show.
New episodes of Lucifer air on Monday nights at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Fox.