Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking” is a somewhat lighter episode in the midst of a very emotional season, and yet, as is the Lucifer way, it still manages to get emotional, to send some crucial messages, and more importantly, to make us feel for the characters. This is the kind of episode that perfectly encapsulates why this show works so well, not just for the main character, but for the people around him.
Ostensibly, this hour focuses on Linda. But Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking” also brings back Mazeve, and then breaks them up, gives us back the best version of Deckerstar – or at least the best version we can get before those three little words – focuses on Amenadiel as he struggles with the possibility of becoming God, and delves into Ella’s dark side, or her perception of it.
So let’s go into the journeys these characters are taking and where the show is going as we discuss Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking”:
JUST DO IT
Lucifer tries to get out of his own head in Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking,” and goes all Nike logo on himself as he takes a leap of faith with Chloe. Part of it is that he understands, as well as she does, that words or not, they care about each other. They want to be together. And the only thing getting in their way is …has been, for a while, Lucifer’s own issues. And his issues are not all solved, are not going anywhere, really, but the least he can do, for his own sake, is get out of his own head and try.
Chloe understands Lucifer in this moment more than anyone. And yet she isn’t putting him above herself, no. She goes up to him, asks for what she needs, what she wants, what her well-being and her life require of her, even if that might end up breaking her heart, and when Lucifer actively stops himself from committing more sabotage and allows himself to try, she’s floored, yes, but she’s happy. That’s what she wanted, what she believed, deep down. She was scared, but in that moment, Lucifer is proving the faith she’s put on him hasn’t been misplaced.
Which is why, in that moment, Chloe is content without words. Lucifer’s issues aside, Chloe knows he loves her. She’s proven that, time and time again. And if he can’t find the words yet, well …words aren’t more important than deeds.
And Lucifer really, really tries during Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking.” To communicate, to be what Chloe needs, to make her happy, and almost as importantly, to let himself be happy. Seeing him in this hour makes it obvious how much he had been self-sabotaging at times before, just because he doesn’t believe he is worthy of Chloe. He can feel her love, but he doesn’t believe he’s done anything to earn it. And that tears him up inside, because how can he be the man she deserves, if she loves him even when he isn’t? He can’t make sense of that, and when Lucifer cannot make sense of something, what does he do? He retreats, he avoids.
He’s trying this time, and that’s a big thing. But that doesn’t mean his issues just disappear. Doesn’t mean he suddenly feels he’s worthy of her. Doesn’t mean his doubts won’t cause issues going forward. Because, until Lucifer understands that love isn’t a thing you earn, but a thing you feel …he can never truly be the man he needs to be, not for Chloe, but for himself.
I WANT TO PROTECT MY CHILD
It’s hilarious that Linda thought she could just confess to a murder and Chloe, Lucifer and everyone else would just be like yeah, that tracks, let’s put her away. Of course, no one believes Linda did it in Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking,” and no one should. Even while she’s saying things like “a little harmless stalking never killed anyone.” Because the truth is that everyone can see Linda is just not the type of person who would kill someone in cold blood for no reason. Yes, we can all be pushed to the breaking point, but Linda is obviously not in that position. And that’s why, while Linda is busy getting in her head, the people around her rally to get the job done.
For Linda, it’s simple. He daughter Adriana cannot be a murder, because if she somehow is, if she grew up to be the kind of person who could do something like that, then it’s on Linda. It’s her fault she’s broken, because she left her. And Linda’s so focused on that pain, and most importantly, that guilt, that she cannot see past that. And she shouldn’t have to.
Typically, it would have been easier for her to realize that what Lucifer wanted, as he brought up his relationship with Chloe over and over again, was just some reassurance from someone he trusts and respects. But Linda isn’t in the mental headspace to see that. Instead she just sees a self-centered man who always puts himself first, and cannot be there for others when they need him. And that means that once again, she has failed. She has failed Adriana, and she has failed Lucifer.
Linda is, of course, wrong. She didn’t fail Adriana, and she didn’t fail Lucifer, who despite his sometimes-annoying ways, always trusted Linda above everything else. And another sign of his immense growth, is that Lucifer doesn’t even hold the doubt against Linda. He just shrugs it off and moves on, determined to help. To be there for Linda. To offer not just help with the case, but a shoulder to cry on should she need it to. Because that’s what friends do for each other.
In the end, Linda gets not just the support from her found family, but her daughter too. Because no one who is as much as Linda as Adriana has proven to be (she did it all for her mom, and Linda did it all for Adriana) can miss the obvious. And so we get not just the mother/daughter reunion we, and they, deserved, but we also get to see Adriana tell Charlie “hi Charlie, I’m your sister,” which is both heartwarming and a little concerning for her, as she’s now part of this weird-ass family in some way, and I’m not saying it can get intense, but I’m also not saying otherwise.
Plus, does Amenadiel even know about her existence? Did anyone even inform him of what was going on during Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking”? Inquiring minds want to know.
DO YOU FEEL DONE?
The Maze + soul storyline continues in Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking,” and suddenly Maze is done growing a soul? Or she thinks she might be and that’s why she’s discussing it with Linda? I’m not going to laugh at Maze, because growing a soul sound like important business, but I would really like it if girl just came to the conclusion that she grew a soul a while back, or at least started to. She’s been caring for people for a while, and if that isn’t possible without a soul, then …there’s only one logical conclusion.
But Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking” isn’t really about the soul, though the soul issue frames Maze’s decisions in this hour, first the decision to help Linda, even if that means ratting her out, and then the decision to go after Clive, which leads her straight to Eve and their weird kind of foreplay. No, but seriously, the way these two look at each other …there’s enough electricity there to sustain a small city for months.
That isn’t enough, though. It never has been. And now that Eve is back, heart in her hands, putting it all out there for Maze, the truth is …Maze doesn’t feel ready. Eve broke her heart last time, and one of the things about having feelings, having that soul, is that …you just don’t want to get hurt over and over. Knowing how that feels make you less likely to want to experience it again. You already know it sucks.
Of course, the universe is there to remind Maze that you can always lose people. You can lose them to your own decisions, or you can lose them to the world’s whims. The only thing you can control is how you live and the time you spend with them. And as she carries Eve after she was shot, the way Maze’s voice breaks, it’s easy to see that she finally gets it. If she had actually been growing a soul, it’s done growing now, because Maze feels the pain and the loss and the fear.
And she reacts. By bringing Eve closer. By confessing her love. By promising her to never leave, to never let her leave. Because what Maze felt when she thought Eve might die, she doesn’t want to feel that ever again. Except, that’s life …we’re always going to get hurt. Loss is inevitable. All we can do is enjoy the moments we get. The happy moments.
For Maze, that isn’t enough. She wants Eve, and she wants her forever, because Maze cannot handle loss. Or at least, that’s what she thinks. Soon she will understand that, her own decision is causing a loss, and the worst kind of loss is the one you cause. That’s the kind there’s no coming back from.
I HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHEN I WAS HAPPIEST
Eve’s one of those characters that, on introduction, I was ready to dislike, and yet I could never find it in me to actually dislike her. She’s just so bubbly and well-intentioned, and there’s such a level of innocence and joy to everything she does. And she brings that into her conversation, into her relationship with Maze. It’s part of why they work together so well, they balance each other out.
For Eve, it’s simple. She lost Maze, and that was on her. And then she went off to find herself and figured out that all she wanted was …Maze. That’s the cruelest thing that can happen, and you can see it’s breaking Eve when she says: “I was happy because I was with you.” But you can also see how true it is. This Eve has no doubts whatsoever. She found herself, she found her feelings, and now she’s here to fight for the woman she loves.
And she loves Maze, she does, but one thing Eve also found when she left is …who she is. And she isn’t the kind of person that is willing to just go along with what other people say, to say yes always, just to make them happy. She doesn’t want to live forever, she’s seen what that can do to people, and that’s not her happy ending. Her happy ending is just …Maze. For however long she gets her.
“I’m trying to protect you” Maze tells her during Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking,” but Eve is quick to call her out on it. “No, you’re trying to protect yourself,” and she is absolutely right. The ring is more about Maze’s fears than it is about Eve. And Eve loves Maze, she absolutely does. But she will never again be less than who she is to please someone she cares about. And that’s why Maze loves her, if we’re being honest. That’s what makes her journey so good. And that’s why the ball is, still, firmly, on Maze’s court on this one. Eve can’t fix Maze, and she cannot promise her to live forever, but she can promise her to be there, every moment of their lives. The question is, can Maze be happy with that?
AND BY SOMEBODY, I MEAN YOU
When Lucifer assumes Amenadiel will not just become God during Lucifer 5×13 “A Little Harmless Stalking,” but that he wants it, that makes sense. This is what Amenadiel has wanted all his life. Lucifer knows it, and Amenadiel knows it. But neither of them is right, because neither of them is taking into account the person Amenadiel has grown into. The things he’s gained. What his priorities are.
It isn’t just about Charlie, though it is. Being a parent changes your perspective. Especially after this season’s revelation that Charlie is, indeed, just human. That means Amenadiel, an immortal being, has a very limited amount of time to spend with his son. Does he want to spend that time being God, fixing other people’s problems? Or does he want to spend them with his kid, with the people he’s come to regard as family, living the quiet life that he never thought he would appreciate?
The way Amenadiel approaches the job, with a focus group, and the way he advises Ella, proves he is the man for the job. He’d be amazing at it. As Dan tells him: “You’re a big picture guy. You’re perfect for this.” But often it’s not about what you’d be good at, or even what you feel you might have to do for others, it’s about what you want. And Amenadiel’s journey has been a little about learning that he can, and should, at times, put himself first.
Lucifer helps with this, in his very Lucifer way. The idea of being God didn’t even cross Lucifer’s head until Amenadiel said he didn’t want to – but he’d do it, he’d sacrifice himself for the greater good. And then Lucifer thought, well, I do want to be God. So, problem solved! But let us not underscore how important it is not just that Amenadiel admitted that he didn’t want the job, and that Lucifer’s first instinct was never to try to take this away from Amenadiel – who’d not only be good at it, but deserves it – and instead it was to support his brother, until he realized that support might look a little different than he thought.
I HAVE A LOT OF DARKNESS
Oh, Ella. Her conversation with Amenadiel absolutely broke me, because Ella is just …barely hanging on, and yet the things she still hangs on are …her faith. And she’s standing in front of Amenadiel, as he considers if he should become God, and Amenadiel doesn’t whiff. He doesn’t make a mistake. He says the right thing, at the right time. He notices, he cares, and he tries to help. It’s both proof that Amenadiel would be perfect for the job of God, and a reminder that, more often than not, the things that are wrong with us cannot be fixed by any celestial being. We gotta fix them ourselves.
Ella is comforted by Amenadiel’s words, because there’s a great deal of comfort in knowing someone else sees the good parts of you. But that’s not enough. It’s especially not enough for someone like Ella, who comes from a community where admitting you need help, admitting you’re something wrong, admitting that you need someone other than God …is just not done.
“Take some of that faith you have in him (God), and put it in yourself,” Amenadiel advises Ella, and that’s probably the best advice he can give her. But Ella doesn’t need just that. She doesn’t just need her faith, she needs actual help. And that’s not just okay, that’s normal. We all go through things that we can’t deal with on our own, and leaning on others, getting professional help …that’s not a weakness. If anything, it’s a strength to recognize when you – and your God – aren’t enough to solve all problems.
Things I think I think:
- I like the nod to Linda and Maze’s friendship. But also, casually growing a soul, lol, Maze. Trust her to be THIS literal.
- Now I can’t stop thinking about Maze EATING a soul.
- “God, therapists. Does everyone answer questions with other questions?”
- He took a mixology course. Of course he did.
- Of course Lucifer’s conclusion to Amenadiel’s compliment would be that therapy has ruined him.
- Whoever said Deckerstar wouldn’t like PDA was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
- Ella is the fandom, as always.
- Dan’s face when Lucifer’s all like “Daniel, you could have warned us,” after he LITERALLY warned them.
- “Please tell me you don’t actually believe Linda killed somebody.”
- Nope, no one does.
- Lucifer look at Linda as she talks about buying time for Adriana, with so much affection. I’M FINE.
- LINDA HIDING UNDER THE TABLE.
- I had to pause to laugh.
- Lucifer, for the love of Dad, is that the time to try to get Linda to psychoanalyze your relationship?
- Eve’s little yay.
- The way she checks out Maze.
- The way she calls Maze “Teach.”
- “Fine. But we are following MY impulsive lead.”
- Linda and Lucifer as an actual couple would last about 3 hours.
- “Never got a present from a sting before.”
- Ah, that Lucifer let her know. MY HEART.
- Now Maze checking out Eve.
- I LOVE IT.
- How is this dude even keeping up with Maze?
- Control-freak Lopez for the win.
- “Boundaries are important.”/”Says the stalker.”
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Lucifer 5×13 Review “A Little Harmless Stalking”? Share with us in the comments below!
Lucifer season 5B is available to stream on Netflix.
