Welcome to our next Lucifer character spotlight! We are nearing the end now, with just one more spotlight to go after this one. Check out the other characters we have covered in this series here.
For this article, the spotlight will be shining on Dr. Linda Martin. I will once again give you a brief reminder of who this character is, then jump into three of her best moments followed by three of her funniest moments.
Who is Dr. Linda?: We were first introduced to Linda in the first episode of the series as a psychiatrist to an old friend of Lucifer’s. As the episodes went on, Lucifer continued to attend sessions with the doctor, and her role in his life, and subsequently everyone else’s lives, became more prominent. Thanks to an episode in the third season, we learned that she was married to an investigative journalist that she has since divorced. Dr. Linda is an incredibly kind, generous person that loves to help people, and while she may not have been religious, she was certainly spiritual, and with the entrance of the Devil himself into her life, her beliefs were certainly reaffirmed.
Here are three of our top Dr. Linda moments:
Challenger: In season 1, episode 6 titled “Favorite Son,” during a session with Lucifer, Linda takes the advice of Amenadiel (pretending to also be a psychiatrist) and dives head first into Lucifer’s claims of actually being the Devil. She calls him by the names he has told her, but she also mentions a few others, such as Abaddon, Belial, Prince of Darkness, and the one she knows will get the most reaction: Samael. Samael translates to “The Lightbringer,” which she also points out.
This evokes the exact reaction from Lucifer she was hoping for, and the two begin going back and forth about this name: what it meant, why he was cast out of Heaven, and much more. When she admits she cannot possibly know the exact reason God cast him out, Lucifer says to her, “Then maybe you should stick within the limits of your intellectual capacity.” Without missing a beat, she responds, “Or, maybe my simplicity offers me a different perspective.”
Even just six episodes in, we had grown accustomed to Lucifer being able to say and do what he wanted; no one had ever truly challenged him on his Devil persona… until now. Sure, people did not believe him, but there is a big difference in brushing off what he says, and challenging him in his way of thinking.
Accepting You: Episode 7 of season 2, “My Little Monkey,” gave us a beautiful moment between Linda and Maze. After getting her first paycheck as a bounty hunter, Maze goes to the one person she feels truly connected to: Linda. At this point in the show, Linda has just found out Lucifer really is the Devil, making Maze an actual demon, so she is understandably struggling to come to terms with all of this.
As Maze is knocking and speaking through the door, attempting to get Linda to open it, we see Linda on the other side going through a clear, internal battle. On the one hand, it was Maze on the other side of the door: she knew Maze, she trusted Maze. But on the other hand, it was Maze, who she now knows to be an actual, literal demon.
In the end, Linda decides to open the door and speak to Maze while this battle is still raging in her mind. She asks Maze how she is supposed to just get over this new information she has, to which Maze responds beautifully, “He’s still the same old Lucifer. You’re still Dr. Linda Martin. And I’m still Maze. What’s changed?”
Linda uses these words from Maze to help herself understand that, yes, Lucifer is the Devil, and yes, Maze is a demon, and this was new information to her. But that is just who they are, and that is who they were the entire time she knew them. The only thing that had changed was her. Her problem was her own inability to accept this — to accept them — so she changed that.
It Is Over: In season 3, episode 7 “Off the Record,” we meet Dr. Linda’s estranged soon-to-be ex-husband. We learn that the two have been separated for two years, and Linda is tired of waiting for him to sign the divorce papers. While talking in his office, she makes it very clear that there is no longer any sort of a relationship between the two, and he needs to sign the papers. He is insistent that their marriage can be saved, but Dr. Linda takes a stand and reveals her more stern side. Later in the episode, he manages to see Lucifer’s Devil face and rushes to warn Linda (he thinks she is still sleeping with Lucifer), and that is the moment she puts two and two together about his true motives.
I love this interaction, because Linda does not take the impending verbal abuse or manipulation. She stops him before he can begin and makes sure her point comes across clearly: she is her own woman, she will not be manipulated, she will not be controlled, and she does not need someone taking specific actions on her behalf in an attempt to “protect” her.
Over the first three seasons, Linda has had so many hilarious moments. Here are our top three:
En Garde: Season 1, episode 5 titled “Sweet Kicks” gave us our first funny Linda moment. While exiting her office late at night she hears a seemingly unexplainable noise. She knows she is alone and is now feeling very on edge, so as she is closing the door to her office, she looks down the hallway in front of her and announces to whomever may be lurking, “I know Krav Maga!”
This moment is like one we have all seen in horror movies: the main character is alone, they hear a noise, and they yell out, “Who’s there?!” to no avail. No matter how many times a character does this, it is funny. I mean, what kind of response are they expecting? They are not going to yell out their location to you. It is like thinking the monster under your bed can not get you, because both of your feet are tucked safely under the blanket.
Hiding: In Season 2, episode 4 “Lady Parts,” while Linda is at a bar with Ella, Chloe, and Maze, a fight breaks out. (And perhaps Linda might have been the catalyst that got things started.) Linda, being a bit of a pacifist, hides under the bar while fists and bottles are thrown and blood and beer are spilled. As Chloe is tackled to the ground, rather violently, Linda exclaims “Oh! Oh, my gosh! What is happening?”
This moment is completely relatable and does not need an explanation. Instead I will leave this with a simple statement: if this moment does not describe your life, please, I am begging you, tell me your secret.
“This means war!”: Episode 22 from season 3, titled “All Hands on Decker,” brought us a roller coaster of a bachelorette party. First, it was going to be epic. And then it was incredibly boring. And then we got a party bus full of shirtless men from a local water polo team.
While the women danced with the men, Maze was plotting ways to get them off the bus which, as it turns out, is not what the doctor ordered. Linda’s (not so) slightly intoxicated, anger-filled objections end with a simple, yet provocative statement: “This means war!”
What can I say? Dynamite comes in small packages, and this package had a short fuse. Demon or human, do not mess with the people enjoying a party bus.
Rachael Harris has brought to life a woman that already has a difficult job, that was only made infinitely more so by the entrance of the Devil, a demon, his siblings, and his mother to her town. Dr. Linda Martin has brought the audience a new perspective on multiple occasions and made us fall in love with her through her kind spirit, her drive to help people, and her willingness to accept whatever may come her way. We are looking forward to finding out what this new season holds for our favorite psychiatrist!
Let us know what your favorite Linda moments are, and be on the lookout for our final Lucifer character spotlight!