A Scene Analysis: Cain's Mark Disappears (from Lucifer)

I’ve talked about the show Lucifer before on this blog and I’ve also talked about how it’s a tad stupid (in the absolute best way possible.) While it’s pretty cheesy, Lucifer tackles a lot of really interesting topics. In my last post I talked about the concept of Hell in Lucifer (The Concept of Hell In Lucifer (T.V. Show) + Genre Fiction Talk) and how it’s used to showcase the thematic idea that the torture of our own conscience is the greatest form of punishment. However, another important thematic idea is the use of Chloe as a symbol of Lucifer (and Cain’s) vulnerability and how emotional vulnerability is what makes someone mortal (or human.) The scene I’ll be analyzing is the very last scene(s) of S3E20: The Angel of San Bernardino.

Here’s some back story:

Cain can’t die because he killed his brother, Abel, and was cursed, by God, with immortality (interesting concept in itself.) After thousands of years all Cain wants is to die, but there’s this mark on his arm that represents his immortality. If gone he will finally be Abel puns to die. Cain has pretty much given up until he learns that Lucifer, a former immortal, can die when Chloe is around. Cain comes to the conclusion that it’s because Chloe is in love with Lucifer and Cain decides to try and get Chloe to fall in love with him. He starts dating her.

Here’s the scene:

One night Chloe is about to tell Cain that she loves him when he stops her. He’s so consumed with guilt, knowing that he’s using her for his own gain, that he can’t let her confess her feelings . He runs away and he and Lucifer fight. Cain tells Lucifer that he doesn’t understand why he stopped Chloe from saying that she loves him. Cain says:

“For the first time it was right there in my grasp; the one thing I’ve always wanted. It was so close. I just had to have her say the words, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t hurt her like that.”

That’s when they notice that Cain’s mark is gone. Cain says that even though Chloe never said “I love you” out loud, she felt it and that was enough. Lucifer never really questions it.

Now I, along with most viewers, know that it is probably not Chloe’s love that caused the loss of Lucifer and Cain’s immortality. Cain may not be able to put words to his actions but the reason that he thought about Chloe’s feelings, and not just about himself, was because he loved her. And that was the cause of his loss of immortality and Lucifer’s. Immortality is juxtaposed in this show with mortality/humanity. As Lucifer finds his humanity he also finds love. Love helps him become vulnerable and being vulnerable is a key element to humanity. Cain learns that life becomes worth living with love and yet fragile and short with it.

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