REVIEW: Lucifer, S3E3 – Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith

Ever since Lucifer announced that it would be doing standalone stories for the extra episodes it received last season, fans and critics alike have been wondering what that would look like given how much the show likes leaning into its mythology each week. “Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith” answers that question with one triumphant word: awesome. Letting Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) take the lead opens up the world in myriad ways, so much so that the episode itself airing out of order is barely even noticeable.

New characters fit right into Maze’s orbit.

“Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith” opens with Maze and Linda (Rachael Harris) drinking at the bar and musing on souls or lack thereof, which quickly becomes the thesis for the entire hour yet manages not to feel ham-fisted. Some prodding from Lucifer (Tom Ellis) sends Maze on a quest for her most dangerous bounty yet, which involves tracking and bringing in a serial killer on the run. Right off the bat, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a different career being highlighted. Now we know just what Maze does every day while Lucifer and Chloe (Lauren German) work their cases, except this time they’re the ones playing back-up in her story.

A new story means new supporting characters, and the ones introduced here are used more efficiently than in most of Lucifer‘s cases of the week. Marco Sanchez sneers rather admirably as the sketchy Lieutenant Herrera, while Cate Cohen is downright hysterical as the homicidal “room service” attendant Joan. But “Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith” would not work nearly as well as it does without Chris McKenna playing supposed murderer Ben Rivers. He and Brandt have a sparkling chemistry that keeps afloat what might otherwise become a trite one-off romance, and his wry sarcasm perfectly matches Maze’s as well.

Vacation Dan is more loveable than ever.

As for the regular cast members, they’re mostly used very well. Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) was sorely missed, but Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) appeared instead and crucially set the stage for just how human Maze has become without realizing it. Chloe and Lucifer got to take turns worrying about their friend in very different ways, but more importantly Chloe showed off just how competent she is at her job as a detective. She and Maze both took the lead in their respective areas while Lucifer and Dan (Kevin Alejandro) humorously lagged behind. Linda even got to fail once more to remind Maze that she’s “not that kind of doctor” in an epic bullet-stitching sequence that was one of the many highlights of the episode.

Every character this week worked in some way to further Maze’s soul-searching story, and the result was one of the strongest Lucifer episodes yet. Mazikeen as a character was fleshed out immensely, and the theme of a soul being not just inside you but around you was wonderfully reflected in the relationships she’s built with all the other cast members. Not only that, but the end of “Mr. and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith” still managed to sneak in a tie to some larger mythology for the series, seeing as there’s no way that a bunch of files on each of the regulars won’t come back around.

If there’s anything negative to say about the episode, it’s that there was a little too much emphasis on Maze’s sexuality. This wouldn’t normally be a bad thing, but some of her interactions crossed the line into sexual harassment while being played for laughs. Even if it’s funny in the moment, sexual harassment is not any less of an issue because a woman is its perpetrator – but at least poor front desk clerk Norm got to call her out on it. Otherwise the episode was a delight, leaving me both anxious and excited to see more of Maze’s story onscreen.

Lucifer airs Mondays on FOX at 8/7c.