Lucifer Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Save Lucifer

This Lucifer review contains spoilers.

Lucifer Season 4 Episode 9

“Just an end of the world prophecy being fulfilled.”

The penultimate episode of Lucifer’s Netflix debut “Save Lucifer” sets into motion the events that may finally provide Lucifer the necessary insight into his own self-loathing and prevent him from going full on evil and changing life on Earth as we know it. Self-determination remains a major sticking point between Lucifer and his Father, and Eve’s blind devotion toward rekindling the love she believes Lucifer once held for her drives the overall arc in a direction none of them anticipate, producing potential world ending consequences.

At this stage of the narrative it appears that Eve’s appearance on Earth truly does revolve around a desire to revisit her first true love rather than play a role in a nefarious plot to return Lucifer to Hell. Inbar Lavi continues to bring Eve alive as a sneaky smart, yet still somewhat socially naive woman, and her recent descent into despair comes across as genuine in spite of her generally bubbly personality. Lucifer’s honesty about the impact their relationship has on him crushes her spirit, and when Maze finds Eve in tears, it’s time to take action. Mazikeen is probably not the best person to give relationship advice, and her mention of demons possessing humans for sport doesn’t bode well especially in light of the fact that Lucifer has already issued an order forbidding the act. If the Devil forbids it, it must really be bad.

In some respects the episode hones in on the increasing desperation the individuals experience as they realize that time is fleeting. Maze attempts to help Eve with her Lucifer problem, and though her advice to consider dating someone else makes sense, her motives are self-serving. “Maybe you deserve better,” she tells Eve, and whether Eve recognizes the fact that Maze has developed a crush on her isn’t totally clear. What is clear, however, is that Eve is perfectly willing use Maze to make Lucifer jealous. It’s not a good look.

Eve takes a different approach when it comes to Lucifer’s relationship with Chloe, and when he returns to the precinct to find Eve sitting at the detective’s desk, dressed just like her, the scene seems on the verge of just being silly. But it doesn’t work out that way because we understand that the crux of Eve’s problem is that she doesn’t really know herself, and like Lucifer, finds herself in a struggle to decide who it is she really wants to become. Perhaps it’s the immersion in the environment that sparks her critical thinking, but as the detective and Lucifer ponder how to find Megan Murphy’s killer, it’s Eve that proposes the plan that they ultimately embrace. Still, watching Eve pretend to be someone she’s not makes what happens that evening at Lux even more difficult to accept.

Throughout much of the series, Mazikeen stands on the outside looking in as the others cultivate their own romantic relationships, and it takes Dan’s observation and support to motivate the lonely demon to take action. “If you’ve got feelings for her, you gotta show her.” Alas, like Eve, Maze misreads the situation in front of her, and though her heartfelt, stripped down rendition of the Oasis classic “Wonderwall” deeply moves Eve, again, unintended consequences rule the day. And it’s here that the situation with the prophecy and Father Kinley begins to spiral out of control as Eve’s approach mirrors that of Lucifer’s.

Eve feels Lucifer’s fear of the prophecy’s endgame holds him back from loving her, but the decision to persuade the priest to abandon his quest triggers the worst of all possible outcomes. Perhaps Eve has been spending too much time with Maze, and her suggestion that they torture Kinley into giving up the prophecy pushes even Maze too far, and she tells Eve the cold truth. “Lucifer doesn’t love you.” Unfortunately, Maze leaves Eve alone with the cunning Kinley, and the human race now finds itself in jeopardy.

If we ever truly considered the possibility that God sent Eve to Earth as a means to return Lucifer to Hell, then Father Kinley could not have come up with a better proposition. Eve must know that Lucifer has no desire nor intention of returning to Hell to serve his Father, so to buy into Kinley’s suggestion that she could become Lucifer’s queen there seems absurd. As soon as she releases him, he attempts to take her out of the equation, but one of Maze’s hidden knives keeps her alive. But at what cost? “Tell them to come and get their king,” she tells the dying priest, and one of them listens.

As the episode title implies, however, “Save Lucifer” follows the Devil’s self-examination and ultimate acceptance of what he perceives to be the root cause of his devil hands and ultimately the complete satanic package. Arriving at the Murphy twin crime scene, Lucifer immediately dons evidence gloves, an act that strikes us as oddly as it does his co-workers. The condition is spreading rapidly, and Lucifer takes matters into his own hand consulting anyone he believes can provide insight into his problem. Linda suggests some part of him is reacting to the revelation that he hates himself, so it’s not a great leap to assume that Lucifer hates the fact that he is the Devil and hates the job description that goes along with it. Not that he hates punishing those who deserve it, quite the contrary, but he wants to punish them on his own terms.

In the end it’s about Lucifer controlling  his own destiny, and he ironically seeks direction from others as he tries to save himself from himself. Though he earlier doubts the veracity of Chloe’s claim that she’s fine with the knowledge of his true identity, there can be no doubt now that she’s perhap not totally comfortable with what she knows about her partner, but accepts him for who he is. He’s now convinced the prophecy is coming true and wonders what kind of monster he’ll become, but Chloe comforts him with simple, yet meaningful words. “Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered,” and this covering extends far beyond the devil mask she hands him as they wait for the killer to reveal him or herself at the event at Lux.

It’s difficult to ignore the contrast between the glamorously attired detective and the full on Christian vision of the Devil, replete with leathery, barbed wings and all as Lucifer and Chloe talk in the penthouse. “This is who I am now,” he tells her, and we may never have seen him fall this low feeling that everything he touches, he ruins. And while it may be true that we control our own destinies, it’s also true we often need a hand along the way which is what Chloe provides here.

It’s not unexpected that Lucifer’s self-loathing extends deeper still, and he tells Chloe that he feels responsible for mankind’s sins. So while Eve’s appearance on Earth may be the catalyst for this transformation, she also leads him to understand how to take the first step toward accepting and even loving himself. Acknowledging to Chloe that he wants to forgive himself even though he doesn’t know how, turns out to be the simple act that returns him to the man he’s truly become instead of the one he fears he is destined to remain. “It looks like evil won’t be released after all.” Unfortunately, that appears to be incorrect.

As we head into the season finale, one thing becomes abundantly clear; there should be no need for a #SaveLucifer campaign this time around. Instead, “Save Lucifer” draws Lucifer and Chloe closer together than they’ve ever been, and presents Amenadiel with a difficult choice. Eve has released a hound of Hell, and it’s going to be up to the Devil and the detective to save humanity. Will they be up to the task?