Lucifer 5×11 “Resting Devil Face” is one of the funniest hours this show has ever done, with God in full Dad-mode, Lucifer in full exasperated-kid mode, Trixie trying to find her place in the world, as well as Lucifer’s life, and Maze, well, just being Maze. The episode handles the emotional beats of the numerous relationship issues perfectly, while allowing Dennis Haysbert to bring that infectious smile and innocent expression out to play.
That God works as well as he does, in this episode, and in general, is a testament to tremendous writing – we have, after all, spent five seasons marinating in the idea that God is, at best, a horrible father. But it’s also a testament to the kind of charisma only gifted actors can bring to a performance. It’s impossible to imagine someone else playing the creator of the universe the way Haysbert does, and it’s also impossible to truly dislike him after watching this hour, even if he’s done his share of questionable things.
So, let’s go into the parenting issues, the soul issues and the relationships issues of Lucifer5×11 “Resting Devil Face”:
DEEP DOWN, THAT FACE IS HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF
When God tells Lucifer that the devil face, the one he brought out when his father was in danger, the one he uses to scare people, is how he sees himself, that hurts because, deep down, we’ve all understood it to be true for so long. Lucifer has come a long way, but a millennia of issues don’t just go away, and deep down, there’s a large part of Lucifer that still …hates himself.
That isn’t something anyone else can fix, and that’s why his relationship with Chloe has been on the rocks in the first few episodes of season 5B, why he’s having so many issues with his Dad. It’s also why he can’t ever manage to truly connect the way he clearly wants to. He’s found not just love, but a family of humans, something he never had in the celestial world, and yet Lucifer doesn’t feel like he’s worthy of them.
“I don’t need your help, Dad,” he tells God at one point in Lucifer 5×11 “Resting Devil Face,” and Lucifer never lies, so he truly believes that. But just last hour he was asking his Dad to fix him. Deep down there’s a part of Lucifer that thinks God should just be able to make it all better …make him all better. But there’s nothing about Lucifer to fix, just the way he sees himself. Every issue he has is of his own creation, and the root of all of them is his self-loathing.
Of course, this all ties back to his need for his father’s approval, his father’s love, something he’s never experienced – never felt. Because despite Lucifer’s tough talk, this episode proves something with absolute certainty: he loves his father. He wants his father to look at him, tell him he’s proud of the man Lucifer has become. Tell him that he loves him. That his father can’t get there is on God, yes. But the issues that come with it, and the way Lucifer has been not just unable, but unwilling to face his demons for so long …well, that’s on Lucifer. And it’s actively affecting not just his happiness now, but that of the people he truly cares about.
ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
The Lucifer/Trixie relationship is one of my favorite relationships on this show, and I’d been waiting for Lucifer to allow Trixie to be as mad as she deserved to be. So that she gets to lash out during Lucifer 5×11 “Resting Devil Face,” work out through her emotions with Linda (and ice cream), and arrive at a place where she can understand that she’s mad at Lucifer, well, that’s big.
She isn’t just mad at Lucifer for her own sake, of course. But there is some of that, and it’s valid. Lucifer left her. He left everyone, but Chloe knew his reasons, and so did most of the adults in his life. Trixie didn’t, and she’s also just a child. To her, it felt like her friend had abandoned her for no reason, and worst of all, that she hadn’t been important enough for him to even say goodbye to.
Add to that that she can see Chloe hurting right now, and she knows its because of Lucifer. She isn’t a little girl anymore, and that’s why her conversation with Chloe near the end of this episode is so important. Trixie’s issues with Lucifer himself were left unresolved, kick notwithstanding, and I’m pretty sure will come back into play later …but her issues with her mom, which is where the show needed to focus, were perfectly addressed.
“Me and your dad will always be your parents. And we will always love you, no matter what,” Chloe tells her, and that’s all Chloe can promise. That’s all Trixie needs, too. She needs to hear that the people she loves won’t leave her, at least not willingly, like Lucifer did.
Trixie’s convo with God, though, might just be the most important part of this storyline, because both reach an important understanding during that conversation. God finally, in the face of Trixie’s pain, admits that some of the ways Lucifer reacts, are probably on him. He didn’t always get it right, as a father. And Trixie gets to, in the face of that admittance, understand that …. everyone makes mistakes. Even grownups. Neither of them get any resolution, that’s coming later for God and Lucifer, and still on pause for Lucifer and Trixie, but the stage is now set. Now I need my Lucifer/Trixie payoff.
I MADE MYSELF HUMAN
God’s funny one-liners deserve their own section, so I’m going to give it to them. Most of them require no commentary, if you ask me. I already went into God’s issues, and we will continue to do that in the next few episodes. Right now, though, we can just laugh:
- “Did you know that when humans close their eyes, they can’t see anything”?
- “We can do all the things you kids normally do, but together, with me.”
- “It’s like snow, with fruit.”
- “I’m sorry, this is just so exciting. I have literally no idea what she’s gonna say next.”
- “I always thought this pip-pip-cherrio accent that you chose was a little over the top, but maybe I’ll give it a try.”
THE FUNNY THING ABOUT MIRACLES
“…is they happen every day. An angel has a child with a human. The devil can fall in love. We can all learn. And we can all grow” God tells Maze in Lucifer 5×11 “Resting Devil Face.”
“But a demon can’t grow a soul,” she responds, looking absolutely broken hearted, after discussing with God himself how she tried to kill him, chose not to, and how that makes her a bad everything, because she was created to be a killer, and she can’t even do that right.
“Can’t you?” God asks, because mysterious ways, and then just walks away. But that’s all Maze needs. All she’s ever needed. A glimmer of hope. A chance to believe she could be more than what she thought she was stuck as. Someone to tell her that she could, indeed, be the exception.
Now, I’m of the opinion that Maze already had a soul. How could she not? No matter how much she pretends otherwise, Maze cares. She cares so strongly about the humans around her, plus Lucifer and Amenadiel. She’d take a bullet – a real one – for them. And she cares so much about Eve, too. None of that was fake …and could Maze have really felt that if she didn’t have a soul? If she was the person she thought she was?
But this part of the journey was – is – all about Maze. God has given her the spark, but she has to take the next steps, and more importantly, she has to believe in herself. That’s the only way she will ever get that happiness she has wanted for so long.
I WASN’T THINKING
I want to take a moment to examine the still-on-pause Deckerstar relationship as it stands in Lucifer 5×11 “Resting Devil Face,” particularly because they have that super awkward moment where Lucifer – who admits he wasn’t thinking – just goes for the kiss, like it’s a normal thing. Like they do it every day. Because, my dude, if this is how you act when your higher brain function isn’t engaged, maybe you should consider trying that more often?
Chloe is trying to hard, too. She is actually physically restraining herself, and trying to pretend her heart isn’t breaking at every second she spends with Luciferr while he remains unable to accept that he reciprocates her feelings. Because Chloe knows he does. What she needs for him is to allow himself to be the man who can say those words out loud. Allow himself to be the man who can love her, openly. Who can be her true partner, in everything.
It’s not even about the words. The words are a symptom. What Chloe needs is for Lucifer to make a commitment to her. And can he truly do that while he’s stuck trying to pretend that he can’t truly give himself to her when every part of his soul already belongs to her? The answer is clearly not.
So, we can all see that the answer is for Lucifer to stop thinking so hard and just go for it, right? Right? Now let’s hope he gets there sometime soon.
Things I think I think:
- LUCIFER AND AMENADIEL WALKING OUT TO “BELIEVER” YES THANK YOU GOD, I MEAN, DAD, I MEAN GOD.
- And the first bump, when I tell you I almost cried.
- Lucifer’s betrayed face at Amenadiel laughing at Dad’s jokes.
- Also, that Lucifer trusted Amenadiel with the BIGGEST secret in the history of secrets.
- They’ve come so far. I will not cry about this, I will NOT.
- I’m with Lucifer in this one, the creator of the universe glitching is not “fine.”
- Can I get a soda dispense to start miraculously pumping Pinot Noir?
- Trixie does have a history of standing up to bullies.
- The whole “I am never stuck with you” things FEELS LIKE IT’S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AT SOME POINT.
- I really adore that Chloe was telling Lucifer about the Trixie problem, you know, before we went back to Lucifer’s problems take over, once again. But it’s a good sign. And admittedly, his problem is a little more …deadly.
- “Do not “mysterious ways” me right now. You just exploded a man.”
- Again, with Lucifer on this one.
- “Endangering the people I care about …and others”? Come on, Luciferr, we know you actually care about Dan. We KNOW.
- I adore Luciferr and Ella geeking out over stuff together, and then having to explain it to Chloe. Especially when there’s playfighting involved.
- The way Tom says the words “regular dude” will never not be hilarious.
- THE LITTLE BOY’S ROOM.
- Someone want to hug Dan? I want to hug Dan.
- CHLOE’S FACE AT LUCIFER’S DRUG STASH.
- THE DIG AT LUCIFER’S ACCENT.
- Chloe and Dan’s friendship is giving me FEELINGS.
- Trixie, she isn’t tricking you, she gave you ice-cream!
- “That’s what you said about the bloody dinosaurs!”
- Yes, Trixie, WHAT KIND OF PERSON PUST A BAR THAT BIG inside THEIR HOUSE?
- And he’s only upset about the hair dig.
- Chloe bringing in the Colonel’s mom is real cold.
- Amenadiel + seeing the good in people all the time.
- Even when he shouldn’t.
- The Diablo! POSTER!
- Don’t you love how Lucifer doesn’t tell Chloe about Trixie kicking him? He would never get her in trouble.
- HE DID GO TO THE DOUGHNUT SHOP.
- “You can’t just run off like that. Do you have any idea what you put us through?”
- God wants to …retire?
- Amenadiel and Lucifer, once again. The two of them against the world.
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Lucifer Season 5B is available to stream on Netflix.
