In the beginning... the angel Lucifer was cast out of Heaven and condemned to rule Hell for all eternity.
Until he decided to take a vacation.
A man is speeding down the road when a police officer pulls him over. The “man” says that he understood why the policeman pulled him over, because he used to like to punish people, too. The man cheerfully offers the officer a bribe. When the officer refuses it, the man stares at him and the officer admits that he likes to turn on his siren and speed. The speeder says that people like to tell him about their deepest desires and tells the officer to take the money because he deserves it. The officer accepts and the man--Lucifer—drives off.
Lucifer pulls up to his club, Lux, and the valet takes his keys. Inside, Lucifer gets a drink and goes to the bar. The bartender, Maze, wonders where he’s been and Lucifer admits that he’s been holed up with a woman named Faith. Maze dismisses the other bartender, Patrick, who has been having oral sex with her. She then asks Lucifer why he isn’t doing something more significant because he’s the lord of Hell. Lucifer insists that he’s retired, and he has nothing but time.
An angel, Amenadiel, comes in and Lucifer goes to greet him. He informs Lucifer that his return to the Underworld has been requested. Lucifer refuses and tells him to remind God that he’s tired of running Hel. He has been wondering whether he’s evil or God made him that way, and Amenadiel asks what he thinks happens when the Devil isn’t there to run the place. Lucifer doesn’t care and Amenadiel pins him with one of his wings. Amused, Lucifer invites him to try, and Amenadiel warns that God won’t be merciful for much longer and leaves.
Lucifer goes outside and a woman, Delilah, pulls over in her limo. The people in line take photos of Delilah, who invites Lucifer to get her a drink. Inside, Delilah wonders if she actually sold her soul to the Devil. Lucifer insists that he just introduced her to a few contacts, and says that she made all of her choices, particularly the bad ones. Delilah says that she got confused and left her producer, Jimmy Banes, at the altar. Now she’s jealous that Jimmy is marrying a super-model. Lucifer reminds her that she owes him a favor, and tells Delilah to pull herself together. As they go for a walk, Delilah says that she’s going to do it and he tells her that what happens now is up to her. A SUV pulls up and the passenger opens fire. As the driver drives off, a bus slams into the SUV, crushing it.
Lucifer gets up and sees the wreckage, and realizes that Delilah is dead. He goes over to the wrecked SUV and confirms that the shooter is dead. Lucifer brings him back to life and demands to know why the killer ended Delilah’s life. Compelled to tell the truth, the shooter says it was for money and that he just pulled the trigger. He dies for good, and Lucifer walks back over to Delilah’s body to look at it.
The police secure the area and the officer in charge, Chloe Dancer, comes over. The officer on the scene, Dan, comes over and Chloe insists that it’s her case. Dan agrees and tells her not to waste her time. The shooter is Eddy Deacon, a low-level drug dealer. There are drugs in Delilah’s purse, and Dan figures that it was a drug-related shooting. Chloe points out that Eddy’s car and watch aren’t cheap, and Dan warns that there’ll be a lot of attention on the case after Chloe’s earlier case on Palmetto Street. She insists that she asked on the case because of what happened there, and Dan says that there was one witness.
Chloe goes inside where Lucifer is playing the piano, and assumes that “Lucifer” is his stage name. He says that Delilah used to work there as a singer, and he doesn’t know the shooter. When Lucifer says that he asked Eddy why he did it before he died, Chloe wonders if he likes to play cop. He says that Eddy said he just pulled the trigger, and Chloe figures that it was a drug deal gone bad. Lucifer figures there’s more to the shooting then that, and it’s too convenient. Chloe wonders how Lucifer survived and he admits that he’s immortal. He wonders what the LAPD will find the person responsible and punish them, and says that it’s personal for him. Lucifer is sure he’s seen Chloe somewhere before, probably naked, and insists that they’re not done. Chloe says that they are and walks out.
The next day, Lucifer goes to Jimmy Barnes’ outdoor wedding and interrupts. He points out how beautiful the bride is and how ugly the groom is, and reminds Jimmy that they’ve met. Lucifer points out that his ex-fiancée and former star died the previous night, and Jimmy says that he isn’t going to let Delilah ruin his relationship twice. He asks if Jimmy wanted Delilah dead, and Jimmy admits that he was furious and humiliated but he’s gotten over it. The producer suggests that Lucifer play his “mind games” with the rapper Too Ville, the guy that Delilah dumped Jimmy for. Impressed, Lucifer introduces himself to the bride. He uses his power and the bride admits that she doesn’t want sex with Jimmy that night. Everyone gasps, and Lucifer has the bride admit that she’s not marrying Jimmy out of love.
Next, Lucifer drives to 2Vile’s mansion and the butler says that the rapper is unavailable. When Lucifer says that he has narcotics for 2Vile, the butler immediately takes him in. 2Vile is hosting a party and takes offense when Lucifer says that he doesn’t like hip-hop music. Lucifer says that he hates 2Vile’s music, and 2Vile’s friends draw their guns. When Lucifer asks about Delilah, 2Vile casually says that “the bitch” is dead. Lucifer shoves 2Vile through the balcony window and holds him out over the drop. The others start firing but 2Vile tells them not to shoot and insists that he didn’t kill Delilah. He says that he hit Delilah once when he found out she was cheating on him, but they worked it out. Satisfied that he’s telling the truth, Lucifer pulls 2Vile back up and asked who Delilah had the affair with. The rapper says that she wouldn’t say but it was some rich married guy. The only person Delilah might have told his name to was her therapist, Linda, in Beverly Hills.
Lucifer thanks 2Vile for his time and starts to walk out, just as Chloe arrives and orders everyone to drop their guns. Impressed that she listened to him, Lucifer congratulates Chloe on listening to him, and she explains that Delilah’s phone log showed 2Vile was the last person Eddy called. Chloe wonders how Lucifer made the same connection, and he says that he’s busy. 2Vile admits that Eddy hooked him up sometimes, and he met Delilah through him. One of 2Vile’s friends recognize Chloe from a movie, Hot Tub High School, and Lucifer remembers it as well. Chloe doesn’t want to discuss it, and Lucifer assures her that he already threatened 2Vile’s life and he’s not the killer.
2Vile points out that it’s illegal and Chloe handcuffs Lucifer and takes him to her car. She points out that he’s pissed her off, and Lucifer immediately removes the handcuffs. He wants to punish the person responsible, insisting that it’ll be fun because people like to tell him things. Lucifer explains that he can draw out people’s hidden desires, and the more complex they are, the harder it is. Chloe realizes that Lucifer thinks he’s the Devil, and Lucifer asks her what she desire more than anything else. Chloe she says that when she was a girl, she wanted to be a cop so she’d be taken seriously... and tells Lucifer to shut up and get in the car. Surprised that his power didn’t work, Lucifer says that he knows something she doesn’t, but he won’t say unless she takes him with her. Chloe wonders why he cares so much, and Lucifer admits that he feels guilty for meddling with her career. The detective reluctantly gives in.
As they drive back into LA, Chloe starts running a trace for a therapist, first name Linda. Lucifer wonders why she has such a chip on her shoulder, and figures she struggles to be taken seriously in a man’s world. He tells her to trust herself, and the station calls back to confirm that Linda’s last name is Martin. Another call comes in and Chloe tells Lucifer that her 7-year-old daughter got into a fight and she has to pick her up. Lucifer complains that they’re taking time off from solving Delilah’s murder, and Chloe heads for the elementary school.
Lucifer lights up a cigarette and notices an attractive woman walking into the school. After a moment, he follows her in despite the fact he hates children. However, he loses the woman in the halls and sits down to wait. A girl is sitting there and tells Lucifer not to smoke, and warns that her mother is a police officer. Lucifer realizes that the girl is Chloe’s daughter, Trixie. She explains that she got into a fight with another girl who made fun of her, Lucifer congratulates Trixie and goes over to the other girl, and tells her that there’s a special section of Hell reserved for bullies. His eyes glow red and the girl screams.
Chloe comes out of the office and Lucifer suggests that the bully is feeling guilty. They go out and Dan comes up. Trixie calls him “Daddy,” and Dan says that he was putting a case to case. Chloe tells her ex-husband that she was putting a case to bed as well, and Lucifer suggests that they not argue in front of Trixie. Chloe asks Dan to drop Trixie off at her mother’s and tells her she did a good job standing up to the bully.
As they wait for Linda at her office, Lucifer confirms that Trixie’s birth was planned... sort of. He wonders why Dan was pressuring her to close the case, and Chloe insists that there was no reason. Lucifer tries to compel her to tell the truth but his powers doesn’t work on her and he wonders if God sent her.
Linda calls them into her office and stares at Lucifer. He advises her not to have sex with him, warning that it never ends well. Lucifer is surprised that Chloe doesn’t look at him the same way, and she’s immune to him. Linda figures that it disturbs Lucifer that Chloe isn’t attracted to him, catching him aback. Chloe asks about Delilah’s case, and the doctor refuses to violate doctor-patient confidentiality. Lucifer turns on his charm and she finally breaks down and says that Delilah was involved with a married actor, Grey Cooper. Lucifer is disappointed at Delilah’s poor taste, and asks Chloe to wait outside while he has sex with Linda to fulfill his side of the bargain. She says that she does yoga and then admits that she tried to keep it in. Chloe walks out and Lucifer says that he has to take a rain check, and promises that he’ll be back.
Chloe and Lucifer go to where Grey’s stuntman is filming a car chase for a new movie, and casually steps out in front of the crashing cars... ruining the shot. Chloe falls Lucifer in and says that he’s with him, and they ask to speak to Grey. Grey comes out and Lucifer asks what his deepest desire is. Grey says that he wants to be President of the U.S. after he’s do0ne with acting, and Chloe asks if he was having an affair with Delilah. Grey’s wife Amanda arrives and Chloe notices that Grey is wearing--the same one Eddy was wearing-- and he claims that it’s a prop. Amanda says that it was the watch Delilah gave him as a gift after they wrapped the movie they worked on, Time Will Tell. It’s a $10,000 watch, and Lucifer and Chloe figure that it meant more than a mere gift. Lucifer charms Grey into admitting that he was sleeping with Delilah, and Amanda admits that she already knew. She’s been sleeping with Grey’s bodyguard, Bobby, much to the surprise of the nearby Bobby. Grey punches Bobby and the other crew comes over to stop the fight.
That night, Chloe and Lucifer go back to Lux. Chloe drinks and tries to work the case out in her head. She wonders why she’s there with a man she despises, and Lucifer asks her what she actually wants: no tricks. Chloe admits that what she said earlier was true, and she wants to help people. Her mother was an ex-actress and Chloe tried to be a film star. Then she quit and became a detective. There was a shooting on Palmetto Street and Chloe saw it differently. It backfired and now no one wants to work with her. Maze points out a newscast about how Delilah’s sales of her album Time Will Tell have peaked since her death, and Chloe tells Lucifer that Delilah didn’t give the watch to Eddy.
Chloe and Lucifer go to the recording studio where Jimmy is working. They point out that he produced Delilah’s album, and figure that he engineered the singer’s death because he needed the cash. Jimmy paid off Eddy with the watch that Delilah gave him. Jimmy draws a gun and holds a technician hostage, Lucifer says that he’s going to punish Jimmy, and advances on the producer. When Jimmy tries to shoot him, Chloe shoots him. Lucifer is furious that Jimmy got off too easily. When she says that Jimmy is going to Hell, Lucifer says that he won’t pay there because he’s on Earth.
The dying Jimmy manages to get off a shot, and Chloe goes down. Lucifer tells her that she’s not going to die, and Jimmy shoots him in the back. Furious, Lucifer excuses himself and walks into the gunfire. He yanks the gun away and a dazed Chloe watches as Lucifer slams Jimmy into the mirrored window and promises that he’ll wish he just killed him. Jimmy stares at the reflection, which shows Lucifer in his demonic form, and screams in terror... and Chloe passes out.
Later, Chloe wakes up in a hospital bed. Lucifer is there and welcomes her back. When she wonders why he isn’t dead, Lucifer reminds her that he’s immortal. He assures Chloe that Jimmy got what he deserved, and Chloe thanks Lucifer for saving her life. Lucifer admits that he saved her life because she’s interesting--and --irritable, and figures that since she’s a pariah, they can work together solving crimes. Trixie comes in and hugs Lucifer, much to his irritation, and suggests that she hug Chloe instead. Dan comes in and Lucifer says that Chloe is one hell of a homicide detective. Dan goes over and tells her she should have had backup, and Lucifer insists that she did before leaving.
Back at Lux, Lucifer finds Amenadiel waiting on the street. The angel says that he’s been watching and isn’t sure that he likes how Lucifer is showing restraint and mercy. He warns that there is a balance that they must maintain, and tells Lucifer to go back to Hell as he advised. Lucifer tells the angel not to threaten him if he wants a war, and Amenadiel is happy to have a war.
Amenadiel flies off and Lucifer goes inside. Once the bar closes, Maze wonders why he saved a human life. Lucifer says that there’s something different about Chloe that he doesn’t understand and it vexes him. She suggests that it’s Lucifer who is different, and tells him to stop caring because he’s the Devil. Lucifer considers Maze’s advice and then goes back to Linda and says that they can have as much sex as they want... but she’s going to have to be his therapist while he deals with his existential dilemmas.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 24, 2016