Everyone’s Got a Button to Push in Lucifer’s “Homewrecker” 

Having come to the realization last week that Los Angeles is the only real home he’s ever known (and then immediately declaring it out loud), it’s almost mystical timing that this week’s episode sees Mr. Morningstar fighting to keep LUX from being torn down and turned into a megamall.

We open on a lighter note with Lucifer trying to get Amenadiel on side by familiarizing him with the City of Angels. Amenadiel’s not convinced though and jumps ship… er, bus… just as Lucifer is proudly directing tourist attention to LUX on the drive-by. When talking out his frustration with his brother’s reticence in his therapy session, Dr. Martin advises him to give Amenadiel time and then steers the conversation to why Lucifer feels at home in L.A. “I find that people make Los Angeles their home for one of two reasons,” she muses,”Either they’re running from something or looking for something.”

Well, Detective Decker is looking for a killer. This time it’s one who murdered a high-profile real estate tycoon with a shard of a champagne flute shoved into the carotid artery. Ella, who I didn’t think I could love more, declares with aplomb that “someone really popped his cork” and then proceeds to demonstrate how apt her description is (and then follows *that* bit of punny joy up with a celebratory Klingon quote in a later scene. OMG, she’s adorable).

Called away from the scene by a disruption at LUX, Lucifer finds his prime suspect in the person of the murder victim’s son, Eric Cooper (Nick Jandl, Nashville) who, rather than grieving his father’s sudden demise, is busy liquidating all his holdings which includes evicting Lucifer and Co from LUX apparently. Lucifer’s hackles are up (figuratively) at the whiff of danger to his club and home but Maze cautions him to stay calm because she believes that Lucifer’s mother is behind the eviction. Lucifer scoffs her off so she tries Amenadiel who is no convinced than his baby brother… initially.

Finding Eric Cooper’s fingerprint on the murder weapon/champagne glass, Chloe and Lucifer meet up at the Cooper offices just in time to witness Eric land (none to gracefully) on the roof of a car after a jump from the seventh floor balcony. Supposing the suicide attempt to be the sign of a guilty conscience, he is handcuffed to the hospital bed in his house (although he’s unlikely to be making a break for freedom with the number of casts he was trussed up in). Roused from his painkiller-induced stupor, Eric lets them know that the Cooper fortune was gone, that his attempt at liquidating the real estate couldn’t make a dent in the debt his father had left, that he had jumped out of despair that he wouldn’t be able to provide for his fiancee.

The investigation leads next to the buyer Eric was dealing with, Eleanor Bloom (Veena Sood, Mistresses), who has some rage issues when it comes to the late Bloom Sr. but does not appear to be the killer either. She does, however, have information that the late Mr. Cooper was making huge payments off the books to a “professional tempter” named Simon Holbrooks (Flex Alexander, Masters of Sex) hired to vet Eric Cooper’s fiancee, Christi (Chelsea Hobbs, Make It or Break It).

Lucifer’s mother has been keeping busy and off Lucifer’s radar. Although she had nothing to do with the LUX eviction, she’s motivated to cut the ties that hold Lucifer to L.A. and decides that blowing the building up might be a good start. As Charlotte Richards, high-powered attorney, she takes on a client, Patrick O’Neil (Victor Ayala, iZombie), accused of bomb-making using her less-human talents to incapacitate the lawyer (Darcy Michael, Spun Out) originally defending him.

Her initial plan to destroy LUX is foiled when Lucifer diverts the moving crew’s attention by throwing a monumental (and illegal) “sit-in” party. She is introduced to Dr. Martin (who quickly quashes any hope that she’ll share session details with Mumsy) but spends some time observing what binds Lucifer to Earth and humanity. With the help of the insightful doctor’s commentary, she draws some conclusions about Chloe who arrives to prevent the police from shutting down the party and lets herself get pulled onto the dance floor.

In the aftermath of the sit-in, Chloe figures out the case. Applying a little pressure to Holbrooks, they get him to ‘fess up to doctoring some photos when he wasn’t able to seduce Christi. Old Man Cooper would’ve had the photos to show Eric or blackmail Christi into breaking the engagement. When Chloe and Lucifer head back to the Cooper compound to question the couple, the lovebirds both confess to sole responsibility for the killing, risking prison for both of them rather than having one take the fall.

Mumsy’s defence of Bomber O’Neil brings her into contact with Detective Dan. This proves useful to her when Chloe perks her interest and she meets up with him for drinks, observed closely by Maze and (a really uncomfortable) Amenadiel. After gleaning some information from him, she decides to kill some time and energy, making Amenadiel even more uncomfortable, and leads Dan off to an unknown locale (well, Maze knows but takes pity on Amenadiel and doesn’t follow them).

Resigned to bid farewell to LUX, Lucifer is quietly mourning the club’s loss alone when Chloe arrives with news that L.A. City Council has had the County declare LUX a heritage site so it can’t be destroyed. Taken aback by this act of kindness, he insists on buying her dinner and she agrees. Woo-hoo, a date!

Of course, *that* doesn’t work out. Sigh. Because every normal celestial being needs to talk to his therapist before going on a date with his best friend. In discussing the recent turn of events, Dr. Martin starts prodding at Lucifer’s relationship with Chloe, pushing him towards a realization that the detective is becoming vitally important to him and to the burgeoning humanity he is developing. This is a mind-boggling realization for our former Lord of Hell so… he stands her up, leaving her waiting at the restaurant until she gives up and leaves, heading to her car… which is rigged to blow up by not-Charlotte who is waiting in an alley to push one final button.

!!! Seriously???

I’ve never been a fan of cliffhangers and I gotta admit, this one really stuck in my craw. Okay, only a week to wait.

Lucifer airs Monday nights at 9pm ET/PT on FOX.