Lucifer Gets in Touch with His Feelings in “Deceptive Little Parasite” 

Much of the charm of this show (besides the obvious super-suave-ness of star, Tom Ellis) lies in the delightfully domestic humour the writers are willing to give in to. Whether it’s a parental squabble between Chloe and Dan, a quirky workplace vignette starring Ella, or a moment of childlike wonder meets otherworldly savvy à la Trixie and Maze, respectively, we are always reminded that no matter how ethereal the grand over-arching conflict of the series is, these characters are earthy and awesome and funny and vulnerable to all the same urges we have.

So when this episode’s opening scene – wherein our heavenly trio of Lucifer, Amenadiel, and Mama God are in deep discussion about slicing open the Gates of the Silver City with the Flaming Sword of biblical origins – devolves into a brotherly bout of one-upmanship (Lucy’s offer to ro-sham-bo his big brother’s genitals seemed particularly genuine), the gravity of the subject matter does seem secondary to the delightful mundanity of the scene.

Realizing he needs to learn to control his emotions in order to find the Sword’s on switch, he turns to Dr. Martin who is really more interested in figuring out which emotions he’s hiding… or hiding from. Especially how Candy works into that plan. She explains to Lucifer that she can’t help him with his emotions until he opens up to her.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Maze are navigating some roommate road bumps. It’s an awkward relationship, after all, what with Chloe needing a sympathetic ear and Maze needing… well, breakfast, mostly.

The victim of the week is Debbie, a private school administrator murdered by being stabbed in the back with a pair of commemorative scissors. Finding out Debbie held degrees in psychology, Lucifer’s vents some of his frustration with Dr. Martin by scoffing at the field in general while Ella reveals that she sees a shrink regularly for all the darkness she carries around in her head. Lucifer is highly intrigued (as am I! MORE ELLA please).

The private school Debbie worked at turns out to be serendipitously focused on controlling emotions. With a school motto like SENTIO ERGO SUM (translation from Latin: “I feel therefore I am”), I think Lucifer’s evaluation of “weird” was pretty spot on.

In any case, it seems a pretty convenient solution to his dilemma so he entreats Debbie’s boss, the school’s headmaster (Geoffrey Owens, Divorce) to school him quickly in emotional control. Chloe, on the other hand, sticking to the case, manages to squeeze some information out of him about potential suspects in Debbie’s killing.

Lucifer reading a children’s book at the LUX bar may be the second most melt-worthy image so far this season (for Number One see the link in last week’s recap). Juxtaposed with a trio of “sexy detectives” selected for their resemblance to Chloe and sent by Mama Charlotte, it’s all so very inappropriately funny. As Lucifer feels compelled to remind his mother,”A foursome is not an emotion, Mum.”

Sending the “Triple Decker” back to the kitchen, as it were, Lucifer sits down to keep studying his picture book guide to emotions but Charlotte brings up children and, suddenly, he’s off to try a different tack, namely Trixie.

With Trixie as his prop child, Lucifer scams his way into the private school emotions circle while Chloe and Dan are interrogating the headmaster about a missing donation cheque that may be connected to Debbie’s murder. As it turns out, the emotions circle cracks the case first.

Charlotte’s desperation is starting to show this episode. After dropping Trixie off (presumably having completed her first driving lesson) Lucifer returns to LUX to be confronted and attacked by his masked and hooded mother, trying once again to incite emotions strong enough to light the Flaming Sword.

There’s obviously a time-sensitive deadline she hasn’t shared with either of her sons.

In pursuit of the killer, Chloe attends the school’s Grieving Gathering for Debbie and is immediately met with some haute ton judgemental BS about being a single mom. But then, out of nowhere, it’s Maze to the rescue (with a hearty butt grab) and Trixie is now a nouveau ingénue commodity with TWO mommys.

I love how Maze helps Chloe to see past the façade of the private school prestige parents to the vicious, miserable, gossip-hungry underbelly of the crowd. That’s when things get really fun. From planting the gossip to lure the killer out to Chloe’s car to side-tackling her when it turns out to be Madison, the emotions circle lady (Alison Becker, Parks and Recreation), it’s the Mazikeen Show end to end and totally deserved a standing ovation.

Amenadiel and Lucifer’s brotherly heart-to-heart is interesting too although Amenadiel is becoming more needy in his mortal-ness and his obvious envy of Lucifer’s role in this whole plan is almost painful to watch.

Bringing things full circle, Lucifer returns Dr. Martin’s couch, admitting that she was right about how he couldn’t control emotions he was hiding from. In confessing his ultimate plan for his parents to the doctor, he taps into the emotion that will light the Sword – pain.

Giving it a test run with Amenadiel and Charlotte as witnesses, he manages to light the blade temporarily but Charlotte wants him to push harder. Amenadiel pulls her back, she gets a hold of herself, and leaves. Alone in the elevator, she reveals that her Charlotte-shell in starting to crack.

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