#chloe decker defense squad

[theleafpile]

for everybody being like uwu chloe is going to go cry in lucifer’s bed and put the bullet necklace back on I’m like.... you guys know her character, right, the same one we’ve been seeing for four seasons, the one who buries her shit and gets back to work and even in her lowest moments finds it difficult to admit when she’s struggling to anyone? the one we’ve never seen felt pity for herself? the one who believes the only thing you can do is move forward and control how you react to situations? that chloe. she’s going to get back to work, not cry into ice cream.

[cjrae]

Humiliation As Punishment. Or; why Chloe Decker does not need to beg forgiveness.

In the three weeks since season four of Lucifer dropped, there’s been a rather visceral reaction to the main storyline - that of Chloe Decker coming to terms with the fact that her partner is literally the Devil. Some viewers who have spent three seasons identifying with Lucifer’s journey out of a perpetual adolescence and into adulthood seem to feel extremely betrayed by where she begins the season. And to that, I have only one comment.

Good.

You’re supposed to feel betrayed. Absolutely devastated. Because that is what Lucifer is feeling and if the show has managed to evoke that kind of visceral, emotional reaction, then it has done it’s job.

However, the reaction that some fans seem to have come to is that, in order for Chloe to earn forgiveness and redeem herself she should quite literally “grovel” and “beg” Lucifer in order to convince him that her apology is sincere. And to that, I have only one visceral reaction of my own.

Oh, hell no!

Let’s start with the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the verb “to grovel.”

     a. intransitive. To lie prone or with the face downwards; to move with the body prostrate upon the ground; to grovel in the dust or dirt (fig.): to humble oneself, perform an act of humiliation.

Now, let’s look at the OED definition of the verb “to beg.”

transferred. To ask as a favour or act of grace; hence to ask humbly, earnestly, supplicatingly; to crave, entreat. (With many const.: cf. ask v.).

Now let’s pull out a few key terms, shall we?

- to ask as a favor or act of grace

- to ask humbly/to humble oneself

- to perform an act of humiliation

We’ve seen humiliation used as punishment before; quite literally in Hell, when Lucifer gets the formula for the antidote from our favorite professor who watched too many Saw movies. We hear Maze talk about how guilt is used as the primary weapon to torture souls in hell. Within season four itself we see others use humiliation as punishment - first when Dan (in one of his lowest moments of the entire series) humiliates Lucifer with his own failure to save Rookie Joan and then, in direct response to that humiliation, Lucifer is driven to cripple Julian for life in order to punish him for Joan’s murder. 

Crippling Julian isn’t about making sure he can’t hurt anyone ever again - it’s about making him completely dependent within the American prison system, which is notorious for being one of the worst prison systems in the civilized world. The rest of Julian’s life will be lived in terror and humiliation until he finally dies - where the torture will most likely continue.

Whatever Chloe’s transgressions against Lucifer, at no point does he seek to humiliate her. In fact, others have commented on the fact that their fighting (as painful as it is for us to watch) is an extremely healthy model. He absolutely draws boundaries with her, but hurting her, punishing her, is not something Lucifer wants. What he wants, from the opening shot to the final scene, is Chloe’s acceptance. And, by drawing those boundaries, by refusing to let her try to mold him into her panicked idea of a “good man,” he gives both of them the space to realize that he already is a better man than he’s ever been given credit for, even by himself. 

Chloe and Lucifer have always existed as a partnership of equals - that’s established in the pilot. His God-given abilities literally do not work on her, so he’s forced to interact with her as an equal. So, let’s go ahead and model what would happen if Chloe literally did grovel for forgiveness.

To beg is to ask for a favor, an act of grace from someone in a greater position of power than yourself. To prostrate yourself on the floor, to be a supplicant to someone else, is to give them power over you in a way that can never be taken back. It is the act of a peasant to their lord or a vassal to their king.

In other words, it would be Chloe treating Lucifer as the King of Hell. 

This is exactly what Lucifer has spent the entire series struggling against, the reason he left Hell in the first place. That one single instant, with Chloe on her knees, begging for forgiveness, would place their relationship firmly in the realm of the identity he has struggled so hard to escape and would absolutely solidify Lucifer’s identity in Chloe’s eyes as the Prince of Darkness, the Lord of Hell, not Lucifer Morningstar, her partner and her equal, which is what he has been so desperate to prove to her; that he is more than just the King of Hell, more than his father’s disobedient son doomed to rule over the damned for all eternity.

And that would have been the complete and utter end of their relationship. As badly as Chloe hurt him, how could Lucifer ever respect her after that? After she were to prove to him that having seen all of him and known all of him, that she not only ran away, but then presented herself to him, on her knees, for punishment? Making his forgiveness into the role he’s struggled so hard to escape? 

In other words, no. Begging for forgiveness would not have made everything better or proven to Lucifer that Chloe was truly sorry. It would have done just the opposite - that she feared him enough to treat him just like everyone else. Or does no one else remember his response to the girl who pretended to be kidnapped in order to get revenge on the player who seduced and abandoned her when Lucifer showed her his Devil face and she began to beg him not to hurt her?

“Why does everyone say that before they’re punished?”

[psychicninja90]

As I feel the hate for Chloe growing, I feel the need to defend her. Frankly, I’m disappointed, but not surprised that there are people in the fandom who adamantly think the worst of her for season 4. If you don’t like her character, that’s fine and valid. Some people don’t vibe with certain characters and I respect that. But I don’t respect the lambasting of a character based off of falsehoods and unfair expectations and assumptions. So here I am to defend my bad*ss miracle detective.

SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS EVERYWHERE

First there’s the idea that she’s just pretending to be okay.

Well yeah of course she is.

Here’s a list of what happened to her the 5 days before the Devil Reveal and her month of radio silence:

Her boyfriend broke up with her after she was about to open up to him.

The man she loves and her ex fought over her.

Lucifer broke her heart. Again.

Her ex proposed to her and she accepted.

She broke things off with her fiancé.

Lucifer was acting weird and ended up hurting her.

Lucifer finally told her he has feelings for her.

She and Lucifer kissed.

Her friend was found murdered.

She found out said friend was murdered by ex.

She learned that her friend died because she had discovered and was compiling evidence that her ex was a crime boss.

Ex/crime boss/boss threatened to kill her and Lucifer while they were surrounded by gunmen.

She was shot after having shot her ex.

She heard gunshots and feared for Lucifer’s life.

When she arrived she found Lucifer crouching over the dead body of her ex.

That’s—that’s a lot.

And then she saw Lucifer’s Devil face.

Thereby she learned that she had been working with the Devil for years, allowed him in her house, near her child; that she had kissed the Devil twice; that she is in love with the Devil.

Even though she was an atheist she still grew up with the stories of the Devil. Those stories have cultural significance whether or not you are beholden to them. There is a reason that the Devil and demons are so often the big bad in horror. It’s the fear of the Darkness that will take everything and everyone you love and know and tear it apart. It’s normal for her to panic.

In fact I would’ve been confused if she hadn’t freaked out. That’s all a lot to take in and unpack. And after all the manipulations and lies from Cain, it’s normal for her to wonder if she’s been dealing with the same from Lucifer.

If that's even the reason.

That’s the thing: we don't know why she's struggling or what her thoughts are. Maybe it's because of all the trauma she's been through beforehand. Maybe it's because she's in love with an ancient powerful immortal being and she's afraid she can't measure up. Maybe it’s because it’s difficult to wrap one’s head that the universe is so much bigger than originally thought.

I’m a Christian and if one day someone was like ��yeah I’m an angel or whatever” I would be like “haha funny”, but then they proved it, I would become catatonic. Imagine that person is your best friend. Imagine they are the love of your life.

More in defense of Chloe Decker to come...

More in defense of Chloe Decker coming soon...

More to come in defense of Chloe Decker...

Imagine that someone being your best friend. Imagine that someone being the

love of your life. Everything would change about your perception of reality along with your relationship with that person. Of course she isn’t okay. But maybe she wants to be.

More to come in defense of Chloe Decker...

But what about Linda or Charlotte? Linda was not in love with him. She had not just experienced a boat load of trauma. And she had a bit of a warning from Lucifer. Charlotte had been in Hell and thought she was crazy and so was relieved when she learned it was all true.

Chloe, as I’ve explained, has had a much different experience. She was blindsided.

So although she may be better than she had been, it’s totally normal that she is not yet okay.

But maybe she wants to be so that’s why she came back. Maybe she missed him. Maybe she was afraid that he would give her the most space he could give by leaving the Earth. Maybe she realized that she couldn’t figure this out on her own because the guy she’d been talking to was confusing her. Or worrying her. Maybe she was scared that the priest was going to hurt him so she wanted to get back to protect Lucifer.

Those reasons are more plausible than Chloe suddenly hating Lucifer and wanting him back in Hell. After 3 seasons of her being a steadfast, loyal, and morally upright albeit imperfect person, why assume she has an ulterior motive?

Could she be manipulated again? It’s possible. Will that happen? I don’t know. But again if this does happen, it’s obviously from manipulation. It is not in Chloe’s character to betray Lucifer. She knows his heart and soul. Joe has literally said this and everything from the past 3 seasons has shown this.

It’s not fair to deride her based on incomplete information. In particular this speculation that she was spiking his drink.

To that I say: Was she? Was it his drink? Where was she? When was this taking place? It also looks like she’s lighting the candle and knocked over the glass. That clip is one second of a 6 second video with no context.

The only thing we KNOW is that Chloe would never betray Lucifer even if she is still freaked out. And we KNOW that her drugging Lucifer would be the deaths of Deckerstar, their partnership, and friendship.

Lucifer sees her as only good and as someone who would never intentionally hurt him. He would never trust her or work with her again if Chloe did something like drug him/take away his free will. And as we can see from the trailer they’re still working together throughout the season.

The show runners have said that Deckerstar is on the rise. Lauren and Joe said that Chloe is in love with him. Lauren said that her guess of Chloe’s reaction (her loving and supporting him, but still being scared) is in line with what they show in season 4. Previewers have been happy with the s4 Deckerstar storyline (even though it’s painful). Ildy said that instead of the return of the bullet necklace there will be something even better. How can that happen and how can any of that be true if Chloe is going to willfully and maliciously work against Lucifer?

The cast and showrunners have all said that Deckerstar is the heartbeat of the show. Therefore if they utterly destroy Deckerstar, they destroy the show. Even if you don’t ship them, an obliterated Deckerstar wouldn’t work since the show is about the crimesolving Devil and Detective duo. The narrative hinges on them being together in some way. It’s been like that from the start.

The episodes haven’t even dropped yet and people are assuming that Chloe is going to be on the side of the big bad. Or people are angry that she’s still freaked out by the whole cosmic shift she’s just experienced. She’s confused about all the stuff that she’s just learned (and frankly probably overwhelmed by what she doesn’t know), so please give her a break. We’ve known he was the Devil since the start. She just found out.

So please give Chloe a freaking break. She’s been through a lot.

[adventuresinawonderland]

chloe jane decker’s gonna be the mvp of s4 so all you haters better back the fuck up.

[the5thcellar]

If your flawed fave is lucifer but you constantly trash chloe decker that's called misogyny folks !

[ms-aqua-marvella]

In defense of Chloe Decker

Chloe is a detective. She’s used to looking for evidence. When she sees the hard evidence of Lucifer’s face, she goes to find more evidence to help explain what she saw because finding evidence of things is how she distances herself from emotional turmoil. How many times has something upsetting or emotionally devastating happened to Chloe where her immediate response is “Let’s get back to work” or “I just want to focus on work.” Is it healthy? Probably not. Is it realistic? Um, hell yes it is.

She’s tormented by the idea that all the evidence she has of Lucifer being a fundamentally good person has been a lie. A lie she told herself because she has feelings for him. Not only have the men in Chloe previous romantic relationships lied to and betrayed her–she has lied to herself to excuse them. Think about it: she has evidence that Pierce is a dick (the things he says, the things he does, giving Dan that washed-up cops union rep position). She doesn’t like him at all in the beginning. She must deceive herself about some of that initial reaction later to make a relationship even possible. This completely echoes her relationship with Lucifer. Going from “I find you repulsive” to “I love you” is a pretty freaking huge leap, you know?

Remember, Chloe sees Lucifer’s face like right after she realizes she had been about to marry a freaking crime lord who convinced her utterly that he loved her. Like. 24 hours later. Her terror and confusion are justified. 

And what’s a crime lord to the Devil? Talk about freaking escalation. Dan was a dirty cop who lied to and gaslighted her; Pierce was a dirty cop … who was also a crime lord and also the world’s first murderer who lied to and gaslighted her; Lucifer is the goddamned Devil, societal embodiment of all things evil. Chloe, like a real person, has huge insecurities. Hers center around being loved/being lovable/being left/being used. If you can’t take a step back and imagine the last few years of Chloe’s life from her perspective, I don’t know what to tell you. She might not handle things as well as Linda (debatable), but Jesus, she’s trying, and she’s doing a lot better than, oh, most reasonable people would in her position.

Father Kinley plays on this. Remember, he’s been researching Lucifer for a long time. He knows exactly what to say to convince her. He knows exactly which books to show her. His voice is a slow-dripping poison in her ear, and everything he says trickles right down into the broken heart of a woman who has spent her entire adult life being lied to and left by the men she’s chosen. The evidence says she cannot trust her choices.

The things Kinley says are absolutely devious and absolutely devastating. Lucifer is funny and charming and kind–but it’s a lie. Lucifer will adjust his ploys to ensnare you more completely–and the first thing he says when she arrives boils down to “I adjusted the over-the-top date from last time to grilled cheese, the kind you like. I made you a playlist of music I think is silly because you like it.” He only bleeds around her to make her pity him.

Chloe is not weak or stupid or cruel or mean. If she hadn’t questioned and hadn’t walked this path, she could never have gotten to the point she gets to with Lucifer by the end of the season. And it all refers back to that first conversation she has with Ella about faith. In this case, Chloe’s faith–not in God, but in her own objectivity–has been rocked really damn hard. 

ALSO, and I think this is super important and I’m not sure I’ve seen it mentioned yet–when Chloe does almost pour the contents of the vial into Lucifer’s glass but knocks the glass over instead, she goes over the freaking top with her apologies. How many times has she seen Lucifer’s bar and Lucifer’s club in various states of destruction? Her apology is not for spilling the wine or breaking the glass. She is apologizing so profusely because she almost did something she considers reprehensible to someone she cares about. She has so so so many conflicting feelings. It’s tearing her apart just as much as the later events of the season nearly tear Lucifer apart.

Chloe’s journey this season precisely mirrors Ella’s story from that first conversation about God. Ella said, “My aunt was a nun, okay? And she always taught me that doubt was really important. Right? I mean, if you don’t question something, then what’s the point of believing it? Mm-hmm. I doubt so that I can believe.”

Chloe’s not doubting the existence of the Devil so she can believe in the Devil or God or celestials or Big Stuff beyond her comprehension. She’s doubting her love for the Devil so she can believe her love for the Devil is real. Even the painful steps are steps forward and steps that were necessary for her to take to make sure the love she feels going forward is, as Lucifer and Chloe have both raised concerns about in the past, real.

[amysantiagoals]

Everybody came through for Chloe even mom! i’m so emotional right now

[pellaaearien]

Gotta say, folks, I'm gettin real tired of the endless barrage of "but Chloe was gonna do bad thing therefore she is problematique" when, like, everyone was sleeping on the whole "Marclo was literally an abusive relationship" and all people could talk about was how hot Tom W*lling was... Like, just say you hate women and go.

[psychicninja90]

I will never understand why Lauren/Chloe gets so much hate. I understand in general if you don't relate to the character or if you just don't like the character's personality or if you don't like her technique or you personally don't connect emotionally with her during her scenes, but the hatred she gets is astounding. Like wishing for the Chloe's death or making fun of Lauren or saying that she can't get work somewhere else (I've seen examples of both). It's just ... why take the time to type that out? Especially in places she can read your comments. I don't get it.

[veldmuisnest]

@pellaaearien Wonderfully put in words. Also, think for a moment about his moyo. He has an unexplained magnetism that seems to put people in a trance and the literal ability to pull out people’s most hidden secrets. It doesn’t seem to work on Chloe, but how could she know that that hasn’t been a lie? That she wasnt secretly hypnotized into liking him? She’d seen it happen right in front of her for years, heck even used it to get confessions out of suspects

And consider how the date went. He handmade her grilled cheese sandwiches, her favorite. He made a special 90s playlist. Everything was perfectly tailored to her preferences. Too perfect, almost. And that either came from someone who really, truly knew and cared about her, or someone who knew exactly how to manipulate her. We knew what Lucifer was thinking because we saw it all, the whole road there. But to her cop mind it must have screamed set up, SET UP! from the second she stepped out of the elevator

And still she, Chloe Decker, a woman of logic and reason, chose not to listen to a priest, who rationally should be the authority on things good and evil, and instead chose to follow her feelings and trust the actual, literal devil - the so called root of all evil. After being brainwashed for who knows how long, seeing him again, learning about his vulnerability around her, the fact he put his actual life into her hands... because of that she could truly see that her feelings for him were real. That his were actually real.

I understand what you're saying. But my issue lies in the fact that, had she not knocked that glass over, she would have done it. Her second-guessing came later. As for "real-world goggles", I think that the depth of the relationship that she and Lucifer had prior to the reveal makes the situation VERY different from "wouldn't we all roofie Hitler". Her feelings were completely valid, but being willing to physically harm someone, who up 'til now has been your best friend, is another level.

A) Once again, it’s important to note that part of the whole “Devil is EVIL” narrative entertained by the world includes him being the father of lies and deceit. I mean, It’s not like she just flipped one day and said, “Gosh, he must have been lying to me, because … reasons!” She had truly massive and voluminous external support for her brief shift in POV.

B) It should be noted that Kinley strongly implied that this roofie wouldn’t hurt Lucifer and that Lucifer would be better off in Hell. Kinley framed the whole thing as an act of mercy, which of course played on Chloe’s empathetic/nurturing side.

C) You’re assuming a conclusion that was never once set in stone. Chloe’s hand was shaking so hard in that “roofie” scene that her trembling was visible on camera. She was not at all committed to her decision, and I have a feeling even if she had ended up dumping the roofie into his glass, she would have prevented Lucifer from actually drinking it, just like she did when he threatened to do just that in 4x03.

[psychicninja90]

Continuation of my Defense of Chloe Decker

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS......

............

So we've established that she’s not okay. But maybe she wants to be.

Maybe she missed him. Maybe she was afraid that he would disappear from the Earth. Maybe she realized that she can’t figure this out on her own, that she needs her partner to solve this mystery, because the guy she’s been talking to was confusing her. Or worrying her. Maybe she was afraid the priest was planning to hurt Lucifer so she returned to protect him.

Yes Tom Ellis did say that “maybe Chloe is plotting against him”, but here’s the thing: interviews are tricky.

If an actor is talking about their character’s emotional state, they can be completely honest as a character’s motivations don’t give too much away. But if an actor is talking about actual plot points they have to be vague and give just enough to get us hooked, but not enough to give us any solid information. This leads to moments like this where Ellis, to me anyway, was saying “this is how it’s going to seem to the audience”, but there’s no confirmation either way. It’s a tease. We have nothing substantial. We have these words and a 2 second clip of a 6 second video with no context where some people think she was spiking his drink. It also looked like she was lighting the candle and she tipped over the glass. We don’t know what’s going on.

We know that she meets Father Kinley, but that makes sense. She was looking for answers and she felt lost. The first source of information for all things Devil related in her overwhelmed brain is a church.

We don't know much more than that. We don't know what Father Kinley says to her or what his plan is.

We do know Chloe though.

We do know that she wouldn’t betray Lucifer purposefully. We do know that her drugging Lucifer would destroy Deckerstar. He sees Chloe as only good and someone who would never intentionally hurt him, so if she betrayed him like that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. We know from the trailer they are working together throughout the season. We know from the trailer she goes to the penthouse several times.

Frankly I don’t understand why after 3 seasons of her being a steadfast, loyal, morally upright, albeit flawed, person so many would assume she has ulterior motives now. Especially when Joe has said that she knows Lucifer heart and soul; when Lauren has said that her guess of how Chloe would react (her still loving and supporting him, but being scared) is in line with what will happen, I don’t see her betraying him.

At least not intentionally. It's possible that Lucifer will perceive the situation and her actions as a betrayal even if the situation is her asking innocent questions and/or her being used. In his fragile state he could easily misconstrue the truth.

Lucifer always assumes the worst. This may be what leads to their teased brief falling out. But a betrayal on purpose? No.

That would be out of character for Chloe and go against everything the writers, showrunners, and cast has said about her character and Deckerstar. Essentially that would ruin everything.

As a ship or not Deckerstar has been repeatedly called the heartbeat of the show. Destroy Deckerstar and the show is done because the entire premise is a crimesolving Devil and a homicide detective duo. The entire narrative hinges on them being together in some way, whether as partners, friends, and/or lovers.

The showrunners have said Deckerstar is on the rise. The previewers have been happy with the Deckerstar s4 storyline. Ildy has said that Deckerstar is still a thing in s4. They have repeatedly said that this is the most Deckerstar season. And when someone asked Ildy if the bullet necklace would return she said something even better would happen. How can any of that be true or any of that happen if Chloe is going to willfully and maliciously act against Lucifer?

Please give Chloe a break. We’ve known he was the Devil from the start. She just found out. She has a right to freak out a little.

And please don’t insult Chloe’s character by assuming the worst. The episodes haven’t even dropped yet. Just watch. It’ll all be fine.

[theleafpile]

@thewollfgang

Lucifer aesthetics 》 Chloe Decker + red & gray

"I have far too many bullets in this thing for you to still be talking."

[adventuresinawonderland]

Chloe’s Vulnerability & Emotional Journey

(In Defense of Chloe Decker Part 2)

So it’s official, Chloe & Cain are dating, or have been for a wk or 2. For clarity’s sake I’m not counting the Axara concert as a “date”. Nor the alluded to “dinner date” at the end of 3x18. As far as what’s been shown on screen, they’ve only been on one date. And things seem to be moving along quite normally for these two. Or as normal as can be when Chloe is using the relationship to mask her unresolved feelings for Lucifer. While Cain sees & exploits her emotional vulnerability & uses it as a means to an end.

Same Amenadiel, same... I know, it’s A LOT to take in. But don’t worry we can get through this. Just a forewarning, things may get salty. I’m just as protective of Chloe, as I am of Lucifer. And there have been things said about her that have really grinded my gears. The Mama Bear claws are out & sharpened. Our favorite detective has been through so much this past year & it’s about time we talk about it. Let’s dig in...

Since “Orange Is The New Maze” has been released, & even a bit before that, I’ve seen the term ‘OOC’ thrown around. Especially concerning Chloe Decker & a certain relationship she’s found herself in. People shouting into the void: “WHY IS SHE WITH HIM, DOESN’T SHE SEE HE’S TERRIBLE!?! FUCKING OOC!”  “THE WRITERS HAVE CHANGED HER JUST SO SHE COULD FIT INTO THIS LOVE TRIANGLE! UGHHH OOC BS! (these aren’t actual quotes from fans, but you get the gist)

Let’s start with the term ‘OOC’. According to Urban Dictionary aka the most reliable source of information next to Wikipedia... 

It’s an acronym that stands for "Out of Character"’; which is frequently used in one of two situations. Two situations that I’m fairly well versed in. As I’m sure most of you are too.

in role-playing, indicating that a person is making a comment, suggestion, etc., that isn't coming from the character but from the person him- or herself or their-self.

in fanfiction, signaling that the way the author chose to portray the characters (or perhaps unintentionally portrayed them) may not be consistent with how the characters act, think, or speak in the original work on which the fanfiction is based. 

Now I’m not saying it’s IMPOSSIBLE for writers to loose sense of a character’s personality, morals etc. on a tv show. Believe me I’ve seen it happen, & have the emotional scars & frustrations to prove it. Thankfully this show has had the rare luck of having the same writers for the vast majority of it’s run. Something that’s largely unheard of. With that in mind, we can assume that most, if not all the writers have a good grasp on who Chloe (& the others) are at their core. 

Also Chloe isn’t the main focus; Lucifer is. I mean his name is in the title ;). Not to mention all the other characters the writers have to cultivate & give as equal screen time as possible. Meaning her journey isn’t always going to be at the forefront; which can be frustrating at times. There have been hints at the inner struggle going on in Chloe. It’s subtle, but it’s there if you’re willing to look for it.

One of the similarities between Chloe & Lucifer is they keep their hearts heavily guarded. They’ve been hurt in the past, & those events have shaped them into the characters they are today. Another similarity between them is their tendency to keep their inner turmoil locked up. Putting on a smile & pretending like nothing is wrong. 

“I love making you believe, What you get is what you see. But I’m so fake happy, I feel so fake happy. And I bet everybody here, Is just as insincere.  Fake Happy, Paramore

“I can let my guard down with you. I don’t do that with anyone else. You make me vulnerable; & maybe that’s ok.” - (Chloe/1x11) Thus one of the tethers that bonded these two characters was formed. Now how they both deal with this vulnerability is what’s really interesting. Lucifer, we can all agree, has a flair for the dramatic. Mostly stemmed from the fact that he’s never had to deal with these kinds of emotions while ruling Hell. Jealousy, fear, love... these are all brand new to him; & his reactions to them are powerful. Chloe, of course being human, is used to feeling these emotions. For her it’s just another part of life. Her reactions to things that hurt her are going to be subtle. There have only been a handful of times where Chloe let what she was feeling on the inside out; ‘My Little Monkey’ being a prime example.

Our detective was introduced in the pilot as a ‘by the book’ cop. She keeps her feelings close to her chest; & only when provoked do we see her roar. In fact the only time I’ve seen a break from this is during her interactions w/ Cain. From day one he placed Chloe at the bottom of the totem pole. All she did was politely introduce herself & in the next breath he was lessening her importance. As I’ve stated in previous posts this immediately causes there to be an imbalance in their relationship. Them being together hasn’t changed that; if anything it’s made it worse. Do you have a pin handy... well it’s time to break it out. We’ll get back to ‘Carcus’ in a bit; for right now it’s all about Chloe.

Remember that old saying I referenced in my post about 3x18; “Can’t see the forest for the trees” Boy do I love a good callback. In this situation “the trees” is Chloe’s relationship with Cain & “the forest” is her emotional struggle that has led her to this point. Now it’s time I say we shed some light on it.

Chloe Jane Decker is hardworking & put’s her all into every case that comes her way. The people she cares about always come first, & she’ll gladly suffer in silence to make sure none of them feel any pain. Chloe is a strong, multi dimensional character that has been an absolute joy to see on screen. She has been portrayed beautifully by Lauren German, who deserves all the praise in the world. All of this shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of you.

I feel it’s safe to assume that Chloe has never “made the first move”. She’s more of a slow & steady kind of woman. The only ex we know of is Dan; & I’d classify him as the ‘safe option’. It was easy for Chloe to warm up to him, date him, & the rest is history. Which is why it’s shocking to her when she realizes that she’s developed feelings for a person like Lucifer. He’s spontaneous, outspoken, loves to be the center of attention; everything she’s not. Made even more shocking when she starts to believe that Lucifer may have feelings for her as well. Feelings she tries to deny repeatedly, especially in 2x11. Claiming they didn’t have a moment, they’re too different, etc. I personally love these instances with Chloe; I refer to them as her ‘thinking out loud’ moments aka ‘me everyday of my life’. The things she’s voicing aren’t for anyone’s benefit, but her own. It’s like Chloe’s trying to rationalize her emotions. ‘Maybe if I say out loud that Lucifer & I wouldn’t work, then maybe it’ll be true.’ 

^^^Sorry not sorry This tactic of course is futile, as shown by the surprise smooch she lays on our devil. Not ONCE but TWICE!! Chloe made the first move; she put herself out there. That’s a big deal. From day one Lucifer has been very heavy handed w/ the sexual innuendos. Going so far as to try & sleep with her in 1x04. But in the end he thinks better of it as he becomes more aware of Chloe’s boundaries. The only other time Chloe’s made a move was when she arrived wasted at Lucifer’s penthouse at the end of 1x10. To which Lucifer refused her advances immediately. Because the devil is, if anything, a gentleman; also consent. When Chloe kisses Lucifer; she’s at her most vulnerable. She’s letting him in in a way she hasn’t before. Letting him know that she believes him to be more than worthy of her; no matter what he believes his flaws to be.

As I’ve stated, Chloe feels it’s her duty to shoulder the pain that everyone around her is feeling above her own. A trait I’m sure is the product of loosing her father at such a young age. She has to be strong; for her mom, her daughter, everyone. While at the same time pushing everything that’s effecting her to the back burner; 2x07 being a perfect example. I lost count of the amount of times Chloe looked like she was ready to collapse in a pool of tears. But she didn’t, she had to be an unbreakable force of nature. It’s only during the final scene with Lucifer that she finally lets herself go. You can see the thoughts playing out on Chloe’s face the second before she rushes into his arms. She’s at war with her emotions. Until finally she exclaims “Oh just... Shut up!”; again we have another ‘thinking out loud’ moment. Luci doesn't need to shut up; it's her thoughts that need to. Chloe is making the choice to ignore the consequences, no overthinking it. All she wants right now is to be comforted, & Lucifer is the only person she feels the safest with.

^^^That single tear gets me every time. My precious baby. Now, what could cause a character as strong & caring as our detective to fall into an abusive relationship? The answer lies in 2x14; & the episodes proceeding it. Just like how the events in 2x12 were the catalyst to Lucifer’s actions in 2x13. Lucifer’s response of ‘Friends, yes that’s exactly what we are.’ in 2x14 shatters Chloe’s world. Again she looks like she’s about to crumble; her voice is shaky, her breathing is uneven. Only this time, she can’t run into Lucifer’s arms to find comfort. He’s worlds away from her now. What she thought they had was & is an illusion. A hug, a touch, a kiss; moments that meant everything to her, clearly meant nothing to him. So she sucks it up; suppresses those feelings of rejection & a love unrequited.

”I can’t call you a stranger, But I can’t call you. I know you think that I erased you. You may hate me, But I can’t hate you. And I won’t replace you. Tell me how to feel about you now? Oh let me know, Do I suffocate or let go? Tell Me How, Paramore

There’s a clear line connecting the catalyst of Chloe’s emotional spiral in ‘Candy Morningstar’ to the present time heading into ‘The Angel of San Bernardino’. Most of these moments were subtle, but powerful when looked at closely. In my mind it proves Chloe’s actions or in actions aren’t the product of bad/lazy writing. And they’re most definitely not sacrificing her character in order to make this ‘love triangle’ happen. Or as the kids like to call it ‘OOC’. 

Let’s do a bit of reading between the lines shall we?!

“Our partnership ended when you ghosted me & the entire department.

“...What good is a partner if I can’t depend on you.” 

“How could you... I thought we were... I thought we were friends.”  (2x14)

unsaid: -I kissed you; I let you in & you left without a word. Why? -I put my trust in you & you abused it. I need someone I can rely on. I thought that was you. -Where do we stand. I have feelings for you; I thought you had feelings for me. That’s why I kissed you, why I let you in. But now you’re married & I don’t know what to think & how to feel.

”You know I keep caring... & you, you just... Lucifer.” (3x01)

“These feelings are stupid. Lucifer & I are friends, partners. I’m past anything romantic with him. Full on rear view, in the past.” (3x06)

“Are you really that self absorbed that you don’t realize your actions hurt people, hurt me.”  “Then why are you still here?”  (3x12)

unsaid:  -I open my heart & you keep taking advantage of it. Are you stringing me along; is this a game to you? -I love working with him, & being around him; but it hurts. One min we’re hot, the next we’re cold. I want to be over him, but I don’t think I ever will be. -If you don’t care about me, then why do you do these things. I’m still heartbroken; & I’m even more confused than before. I need to know where we stand cause I don’t know if I can do this anymore.

Lucifer broke Chloe’s heart in more ways than one in 2x14. And that pain is prolonged due to his attempts to “protect her/almost let her in/etc.”. To Chloe it feels as if he’s stringing her along, taking two steps forward than a giant leap back.

You keep me up with you silence Take me down with your quiet Of all the weapons you fight with, Your silence is the most violent.” Tell Me How, Paramore

All these emotions swirling inside has left Chloe vulnerable. If you’ve ever suffered from any kind of lapse in mental health you know how easy it is to let someone in that may have a negative influence on you. In this confusion & inner turmoil, is where Cain pounces. He seems nice enough, the perfect distraction to Chloe’s unresolved feelings. She just wants to find happiness outside of the yearning she still has for Lucifer.

Cain can see the bond Chloe & Lucifer have, as well as the ocean that now separates them. Realizing that maybe he went about it all wrong the first time. Maybe if he forms a similar bond w/ Chloe he’ll be on the road to what he’s always wanted. So he lays what little charm he has on her strong. Tells her everything she wants to hear in order to lull her into a false sense of security. Those walls he appeared to have before, are gone all because of her. Normally this is where a million red flags would be going off in Chloe’s mind; & they are. Unfortunately because she’s been so weighed down by everything that’s gone on w/ Lucifer she overlooks them. It’s easier to pretend everything is fine, than to feel the pain. 

I know I said that I was doing good, And that I’m happy now. Shoulda known that when things were going good That’s when I’d get knocked down. Fake Happy, Paramore

Chloe has every right to feel how she’s feeling. She has every right to seek out a relationship w/ whomever she wants. It’s just annoying that she’s having to figure all this out while being saddled w/ a person who doesn’t respect her. Part of Chloe is trying to move on from Lucifer, but the other doesn’t want to; sound familiar? -cough; Lucifer -cough;. It’s frustrating, confusing, & completely in character.

This is a valid part of Chloe’s journey. It wasn’t plucked out of thin air for the sake of a ‘love triangle’. The writers laid the groundwork for it in S2 & have connected it through to S3. Parts may have gotten lost along the way but it’s there. If they’d had Chloe ignore these feelings, made her pretend like everything Lucifer has said/done wasn’t effecting her it would’ve been a disservice. Not only to Chloe, but to the story, & to us the viewers.  Truthfully I feel people have been a lil too heavy handed w/ the ‘OOC’ term. I’ve mostly seen it used as a means to say they disagree with what Chloe or -insert character here; has been doing. All I have to say to that is: Do you know how many times I’ve disagreed w/ a characters actions? A LOT! I’ve disagreed w/ Lucifer multiple times. I love my son, but sometimes he needs to be put in time out. It’s what makes a character unique, what keeps us watching. Do you know how boring it would be if we agreed w/ every thing a character did? Extremely.  Part of storytelling is putting characters into different situations & seeing how they deal with them. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. In the end they’ll come out stronger, & more fleshed out than they were before. 

Each one of the characters on ‘Lucifer’ is dealing w/ their own emotional/mental health struggles. Our devil isn’t the only one who needs to hire a therapist. When I see people praising Lucifer’s or Maze’s growth from S1 to now, while at the same time denouncing Chloe’s pisses me off. It’s as if because Chloe is human she’s already a fully realized character with no more room to grow. So many of you have been complaining that she hasn’t “been doing anything” this season. News flash, yes she has. Chloe’s juggling being a single mom of a 10 yr old while managing a  full time career as a homicide detective. On top of that she’s been struggling w/ her unresolved feelings for Lucifer. We should be praising her for staying strong & not completely breaking down under the pressure.

^^^Maze is on the prowl, you know I mean business. Consider yourselves warned. #ChloeDeckerDefenseSquad I applaud the writers for taking this route with Chloe. Rarely do we ever see the beginnings of an abusive relationship portrayed so accurately. I’ve watched it be attempted, but more often than not the outcome is lackluster. Almost like the writers got spooked halfway through, or one of the higher ups told them to make it more palatable. People like Cain exist & should be talked about. Just because Chloe is overlooking these signs at the moment, doesn’t mean we should. Take away Cain’s immortality & he’s your average dude bro preying on women, or anyone. Everything is a game to them, a means to an end. I’m certain that if Chloe didn’t have a good head on her shoulders & an army of people to defend her, things would only escalate further. I’ve had the misfortune of being witness to these types of relationships on more than one occasion. They’re terrifying & I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. If we can find a positive from this plotline it’s to recognize Cain’s actions & words for what they are. Words of an abuser, a manipulator, a sociopath, etc. Don’t settle for someone who makes you feel less than. You deserve to be loved & treated respectfully. Take note of these signs & protect yourselves & others. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Now that the main discussion is out of the way, let’s do a bit of spring cleaning if you will... Welcome to ‘Em’s Salty Corner’ aka ‘People Need To Find Their Chill’ This week we’ll be discussing the infamous ‘Bullet Necklace’ circa 3x19 Some of you were more than a little pissed at Chloe’s dismissal of it. “How dare she think this gift was a joke?!!?!!?! LUCIFER GAVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU YOU BITCH!!” (again I’m paraphrasing here...) Now, look I’d be lying if I said Chloe’s line didn’t hurt my heart, cause it did. But instead of jumping to conclusions over it I paid attention to the whole scene. Her body language, her tone of voice, everything. And do you know what I see? I see a woman trying to lessen the significance of an item so as not to trigger her abuser. Followed later by an apology from the woman for hurting said abuser. When in reality there was nothing for Chloe to apologize for.

“It’s unfair of me to ask you to deal with this” Deal with what? A gift you received months before y’all were dating? He has no right to tell you what to do, how to act, how to feel, what to wear, etc. You’ve been dating him for less than 2 wks; Chloe this is BS & you know it somewhere deep in your heart. These are the classic signs of a dysfunctional relationship & yet y’all are focusing on whether or not Chloe thinks Lucifer got her a ‘joke gift’

^^^Lucifer & I are not amused. You saw the heart eyes Chloe was making while talking about that necklace right? She loves that necklace, & cherishes the memories she has when receiving it. Not to mention the look of longing she had aimed at Lucifer in the parking garage. There was more electricity in those missed glances than in all of Carcus’s scenes combined. Seriously what even was that peck; their lips barely touched. It looked like the kind of kiss you’d give an aging relative you haven’t seen since you were 3. If anything it was the perfect example of when 2 actors with no chemistry are made to pretend like they do.    Chloe referred to this gift as BEAUTIFUL upon first receiving it for crying out loud. If Chloe was really under Cain’s “spell” she wouldn’t be wearing it. Paraphrasing what I’d said in my previous post: Our detective openly wearing this is her way of telling Lucifer that he’s still important to her. Chloe’s heart belongs to him, he was her first choice. She’s trying to move on, but she’ll soon realize it’s with the wrong person.

“Do friends give you jewelry” Yes Cain, they fucking do. Especially ones who are destined to be together. So she was wearing a necklace, big deal! You’ve been dating for a min, chillax. I don’t see a ring on her finger... too much? ;). And even if there was, Chloe’s her own person with her own free will. What’s next, are you going to tell Chloe she can’t put one of Trixie’s alien drawings on the fridge? God I can’t wait for your ass to be grass. And thus concludes “Em’s Salty Corner”; we hope to see you again soon! :)

^^^Remember wuss’s don’t get any. Speaking of everyone’s favorite pigtailed, alien loving little cutie. Before I sign off I’d like to direct you to a post I & a bunch of other awesome people contributed to. It’s mostly us speculating about 3x20 & the rest of the season (prior to the release of 3x20/21/22 synopsis’s). I especially want you to focus on my section theorizing/discussing Dan’s “Cat Analogy”. All I’ll say here is that I believe Dan’s assurances that Lucifer is the ‘cat’ in Chloe’s life is false. Think we can all agree that a certain little girl holds more weight when it comes to Chloe making “life changing decisions.” Cain isn’t gonna know what hit him when he meets that little girl. As we head into the final 5 episodes remember to keep an open mind, have faith in the writers, & keep a steady grasp on your sanity. There have been a lot of crazy theories floating around; some intriguing, & some are out of this world. But that’s one of the best things about being in a fandom, we each see the thing we love differently. Even better when we’ve created a space in which we could converse w/o fear of reproach. Keep spreading the positivity & love! Whatever this show has in store for us will be amazing, as it always is. Till next time!! xoxox Em

Tribe:  @psychicninja90 @mametupa @aeruthien @boundtobeafraid @deckoutinstars @ships-sailing-in-the-night @ohmymorningstar, @youcantmakeme, @frankcastle, @sanoiro @wpbianca99, @mischief-with-sandra, @mendokayalways, @lux-i-fer, 

[theleafpile]

I think you speak for all of us

listen...i miss chloe decker

[tarysande]

Food For Thought (Internalized Misogyny Version)

Characters who have actually plotted to have Lucifer KILLED (for pretty much purely selfish reasons, no less) and have put those plots in motion in ways that have resulted in injury or terror for people they care about: Amenadiel, Maze, Dan.

Characters who with no small amount of reluctance were persuaded by a very insidious manipulator who knew exactly what buttons to push to believe sending Lucifer back to Hell would protect all of humanity and also be best for Lucifer himself (but who, in the end, trusted her own observations, experiences, and gut over the words of a liar and did not follow through with the plot): Chloe.

Characters who apparently get a free pass on all that plotting to murder (and taking actual steps to murder!) stuff: Amenadiel, Maze, Dan.

Characters who are raked over the coals for being temporarily susceptible to a person deliberately using all her weaknesses against her at one of her most emotionally raw and traumatized moments even though she didn’t follow through with the plan and even though she offered and genuine apology AND EVEN THOUGH THE CHARACTER PEOPLE THINK SHOULD BE ETERNALLY AFFRONTED (LUCIFER) FORGAVE HER LONG BEFORE THE APOLOGY WAS OFFERED: Chloe.

P.S. Has Lucifer ever apologized for running off without a word and coming back married? No? Hmm. Weird. It would be so strange if, say, that was a betrayal as horrifying to Chloe as, say, a lie might be to Lucifer since it, you know, basically involved the realization of her greatest fears (being unlovable, being broken, being left, being not enough).

Characters willing to put aside their own desires so Lucifer can be happy without ever once drawing attention to it: Chloe.

Characters willing to throw their body physically over Lucifer’s to keep him from additional harm even when it might mean their own death or injury: Chloe.

Characters willing to unflinchingly look at their own mistakes, own them without making excuses for them, apologize for them, and learn from them: Chloe. (ETA: yes, and Dan, Amenadiel, and Maze. And Lucifer, finally! Which is part of why we love them. So, why not Chloe?)

If you don’t see the problem here, you’re not paying attention. Stop holding Chloe Jane Decker to standards none of the other characters are held to 2K19.

[tarysande]

martine22 replied to your post “Food For Thought (Internalized Misogyny Version)”

You forgot that time, in the loft, surrounded by armed men, she stepped in front of Lucifer, when they clearly intended to kill him. This despite the fact she could have left, as both Cain and Lucifer were urging her to do. She had no intention of trying to talk him down, as her next action was to pull out her gun and shoot. Not sure what she intended, but she definitively did not not act in her own best interest.

Actually, this is an amazing point because what Chloe actually says and does there indicates that she knows she is going to die to protect him. Without hesitation. That’s her intention.

CHLOE: You don't have to do this, Pierce.

PIERCE: Yes, I do. And normally, I would just skip town and reinvent myself. But this time, I can't. Not before I kill Lucifer.

CHLOE: What? Why? 

PIERCE: Because I know that he'll never stop hunting me. And I can't afford to spend the rest of my days looking over my shoulder. But you don't have to die, Chloe. Step away from him.

LUCIFER: Detective, for once I agree with this imbecile. Step aside.

CHLOE, stepping in front of Lucifer: No.

LUCIFER: Detective.

PIERCE: Chloe.

CHLOE: I believed everything you said, Marcus. That you loved me. That you did all of this for me. Which is why I know that you won't shoot. [This is her one attempt to talk him down by appealing to the--sadly nonexistent--better angels of his nature.]

PIERCE: You made me realize that life is worth living. And I will do anything to stay alive. And if you get in the way of that... [This is him telling her in no uncertain terms he won’t be reasoned with.]

CHLOE: Okay. I believe you. [And she does; this is where she formulates the plan of the next few seconds.] I don’t want to die. And I can't. Not without stopping you.

The bold emphasis is mine, obviously. First, look at the exact words Pierce speaks; these are the same words Chloe uses against him. “You don’t have to die”/“I don’t want to die”; “But I can’t, not before I kill Lucifer”/“And I can’t, not without stopping you.”

Chloe doesn’t want to die but she knows it’s inevitable. So, she’s going to go for the power move (I can’t die without stopping you first; I can’t die without making it count) and take him out even though she knows her own life is forfeit, and all those other guns will start shooting as soon as she pulls hers. And still, Chloe Decker pulls her weapon and shoots Pierce knowing that, bulletproof vest or no bulletproof vest, chances are, she’s not getting out alive. 

But there’s something else vital to understanding Chloe happening in this exchange. She’s a cop. A good cop; a cop who truly believes her role is to protect and serve. Serve who? Civilians. And while Lucifer is her partner, he’s still a civilian consultant. He’s not a cop. He’s not armed. As far as Chloe knows, he’s defenseless.

She isn’t driven purely by her friendship or romantic feelings for Lucifer in this moment. She is willing to sacrifice her life because it’s her duty. It’s what she signed up for. It’s how goddamned seriously she takes her job. Her words are acceptance. She walks into what she’s certain will be her death, eyes wide open, because it’s the right thing to do, it’s the cop thing to do, and most of all, because it’s the Chloe Decker thing to do.

How much conviction and strength of character does it take to be handed a way out and not take it---not even for Trixie? Chloe doesn’t waver. She doesn’t hesitate. She steps in front of the civilian because it’s her job and because---even if she was actually allowed to leave as Pierce has promised---she wouldn’t be able to live with herself afterward.

So, when Kinley tells her the world is at risk because of Lucifer? Chloe the cop is thinking about civilians. When she digs and digs and searches for proof (because that’s what she’s trained to do), and Kinley manipulates her by deliberately using her weaknesses against her (if he has been aware of Lucifer for seven years, you’d better be damn sure he knows quite a lot about Chloe Decker, Lucifer’s most constant companion over the last few), she finally agrees to the plan. Still reluctantly.

And here’s the kicker. Here’s the imagine-this-from-Chloe’s-POV kicker. 

She’s probably just as sure Lucifer could and would kill her as she was when Pierce pointed that gun at her. If Kinley is right, and Lucifer’s responsible for the untold horrors she’s read about, he’ll kill her before the “sedative” kicks in---if it even works at all. I’m pretty damn sure Chloe thinks she’s walking into mutually assured destruction.

And she still agrees. Because her job is to put her body---her life---between danger and civilians. Even if the danger is the Devil---Kinley’s Devil---himself.

They sure as shit didn’t cover that in the Police Academy.

And one final thing: Remember, too, that at this point? Lucifer himself is afraid he might be as evil as Kinley’s busy telling Chloe he is. He says as much to Mr. Said Out Bitch. He won’t talk about his Devil face, even to Linda. He won’t look at his wings. He may be clinging to Chloe for outside validation like a drowning man pulling his rescuer under, but the truth is, her doubt validates the thoughts he’s already harboring. And the whole point of the season---Lucifer’s entire arc for years---is that he has to forgive himself and accept himself first. And frankly? I’m not sure he’d have gotten there without Chloe’s doubt.

It’s like lancing a boil. Hurts more first, is pretty horrific and disgusting and messy during, but then? After? The infection actually heals.