“ | Soo, unless you got a better offer... Hashtag TeamLucifer | „ |
— Malcolm to Amenadiel in "#TeamLucifer" |
Malcolm Graham was a corrupt homicide detective in Los Angeles, working as a member of the LAPD. He serves as the secondary antagonist of Season 1, and the posthumous overarching antagonist of Season 2. After his true nature was exposed to the department, he tried to escape the city but was eventually shot and killed by fellow detective Chloe Decker.
History[]
Little is known about Malcolm's life other than the fact he married a woman named Mel and the two had a son. He eventually joined the Los Angeles Police Department and rose to become a decorated homicide detective alongside fellow officers Dan Espinoza and Chloe Decker, who both also eventually became homicide detectives.
However, in secret, Malcolm was corrupt and dealt with other criminals by acting as their informant in exchange for money, making his family slightly rich. He has engaged in assisting with smuggling illegal material without the department knowing such as drugs and evidence in police lockup. He was also partnered with Dan who was aware of his corruption but looked away several times as if nothing happened. During a meeting with some gang members at Palmetto Street while a police sting operation was in effect, Malcolm was making an exchange with the gangsters under the guise that he was doing it for information. As he was about to finish up, he spotted Chloe, now Dan's wife, watching him from a distance. Just as he was about to draw his gun on her, he was shot along with the gangsters by Dan, who couldn't let him kill Chloe.
Afterwards, Malcolm fell into a coma but his condition was too severe that he was forced to be put on life-support. Chloe correctly suspected that he was indeed corrupt and in on the take, but since she was the only known witness and there was no evidence to back up her claim, the other cops at the precinct didn't believe her and have ever since then insulted her at every opportunity for her investigation, especially Malcolm's partner Anthony Paolucci. Even Malcolm's family, especially his wife Mel, hated Chloe ever since she began investigating him for corruption and demanded her to stay away from him or them.
Throughout the series[]
For many months, the entire department praised Malcolm as a hero and supported the family through their grief. Eventually in "Wingman", after coming to the conclusion that Malcolm was not going to recover, Mel decided to turn off his machine so he could pass away. The department held a memorial service to give him an honorable sendoff. During this time, Chloe (with the help of Dan) learned that a cop shot Malcolm and escaped through a secret entrance. Needing to get the advantage against the culprit responsible, she officially closed the case so she could secretly continue it without any concerns. Mel and her family were at Malcolm's bedside and tearfully had the doctor turn off his machine, accepting that there was nothing more that could be done. However, the angel Amenadiel, tired of failing to get his brother Lucifer Morningstar back to Hell and knowing that Malcolm was going to reside there as well, was watching from outside the window to his room and after placing his hand on the glass, he revived Malcolm and his heart started beating again, much to the astonishment of his family, the doctors and a nearby priest. During the few seconds he was dead, Malcolm was sent to Hell and spent what felt like 30 years, being starved and disallowed food, people or TV, an experience that would traumatize him since he loved nothing more than living and having what life has to offer him.
In "Et Tu, Doctor?", the entire precinct had been informed that Malcolm that survived his gunshot wound, and so they threw him a welcome home party as he recovered, with Chloe and Dan attending. As Chloe and Dan arrived, Malcolm confronted her by saying in a serious tone that needed to talk and asked if she was back with Dan. Although they didn't know how to respond, he laughed and said he was joking. After getting up, Paolucci remarked him as Hell couldn't keep him, Malcolm responded that he had no idea. During his time recovering and afterwards, Malcolm started behaving psychotically and spent the family's money on everything he can get his hands on, terrifying his wife. He later met with Chloe by waiting in her home, startling her. He explains that he knows she's looking into Palmetto as he is too and tells her to confess she knows he's dirty. He tries to convince her that he was trying to get information on a crooked cop at the precinct who may have shot him, but she doesn't buy it, and he tells her he's not the enemy since his death made him appreciate life, adding that whoever shot him doesn't have a problem with shooting cops before leaving.
Unknown to his family or colleagues, Malcolm had his own secret agenda. After he was revived by Amenadiel, the angel made him a deal that if he kills a certain individual for him, he doesn't have to go back to Hell; but if he refuses, he will be sent back immediately. Remembering exactly what Hell is like and not wanting to go back, Malcolm accepted without hesitation. Knowing that Dan was the cop who shot him and that he needed leverage against him, Malcolm practiced his partner's handwriting so he could create a suicide note without raising suspicions. Then he killed him with a shotgun up the mouth and left his suicide note, which said that he was the crooked cop who shot Malcolm to stop his investigation and couldn't bear the guilt any longer after Malcolm woke up. Meeting up with Dan later, he confesses that it took him a long time to perfect his handwriting and get the words right, and reveals that he knows he shot him at Palmetto. When asked why he didn't out Dan as the real culprit, he blackmailed him by explaining that he wants to work with him for his own intentions otherwise he will start talking.
In "A Priest Walks Into a Bar", Malcolm convinced his superiors to make Dan his new partner after Paolucci's death once he returned to fieldwork in order to keep a close eye on him. He approached Dan at the precinct to fill him in on it, and once alone, Malcolm taunted him about how much he wanted to tell Chloe the truth because of his conscience. He continues that he knows him since they were "partners" before and he figured that after looking away a few times before finally having enough at Palmetto in order to protect Chloe from him. Although he says that he's not holding any grudges, he says that if he comes clean, they both go to jail and he won't be a part of his daughter's life or be there for Chloe. He orders him to retrieve a gun kept in evidence lockup. Afterwards, Malcolm is approached in a parking lot by Amenadiel who is starting to get impatient. Upon asking why he was revived for his task apart from being a cop, Amenadiel explains that he knows he'll do anything to avoid going back to Hell. Malcolm assures him that everything's going accordingly while Amenadiel threatens not to take too long.
Later, Dan did exactly as Malcolm asked and retrieved the gun from evidence which couldn't be traced back to him. After handing it over in a car, Dan asked if they were done. Malcolm mockingly replied, "Not by a long shot, partner" before chuckling. That night, Malcolm is found by Amenadiel eating greedily in a diner, who says it was better than he remembered before his death. Amenadiel asked him what's taking him so long, Malcolm said he'll do it in a less committing tone. Amenadiel then asks him if he wants to go back because he can make it happen. As Malcolm remembers, Amenadiel assumes that his 30 seconds in Hell felt like 30 years and told him to imagine what eternity feels like. Now refocused, Malcolm apologizes and agrees to get on with it, explaining that his gun won't come back to him. He then asks who the target is and Amenadiel replies that it is Lucifer Morningstar, who Malcolm realizes is the actual devil.
In "Pops", Dan asks Malcolm what the stolen gun was for while on patrol, having had enough of his games. He then adds that if Malcolm wants to tell them that he shot him, go right ahead but he will stop whatever he's up to. Malcolm then replies that he's doing him a favor and that if someone was hanging around his wife Mel, he wouldn't like it especially if he was so dangerous. When asked why, Malcolm promised he wouldn't believe him but advises him that if he's going to shoot him again, don't miss this time. Malcolm was then called by Dan for a meeting late at night two days later, who says that Lucifer is insane and dangerous who deserves everything he gets but he won't let him kill him and throws him some handcuffs to put on. Malcolm tries threatening him again about them both taking the fall but Dan is ready for that. As Dan was about to take him into custody, Malcolm attacked and fought him before rendering him unconscious via a headlock. He then sees Dan's phone receiving a text from Chloe, who wanted to try and rebuild their relationship. Malcolm decides to answer it by ending the proposal.
In "St. Lucifer", needing to fulfil his task while also making sure Dan won't out him as the real crooked cop, Malcolm decided to kill Lucifer and then use the gun to frame Dan for it. He then had Dan held in a basement where he taunts how the police won't suspect what's going on. Dan swears to not let him kill Lucifer but Malcolm counters by saying that anyone who's jealous of him hanging out with his wife would want him dead, therefore explaining his plan to him before leaving. He then returns with food, ranting about how delicious fried rice is once heated. Asked about how he's wasting his second chance at life after dying and coming, Malcolm explains that he went to Hell because of the life he led and remembers it feeling like years, vowing to never go back. Dan declared him as crazy and kicked the food out of his hands. He remained confident in making sure Dan would take the fall for his actions. He then arrived at Lucifer's Penthouse at Lux and reveals how Amenadiel sent him to kill him to get him back to Hell. Lucifer tried to scare him with his "devil-face" but Malcolm was unfazed due to already being in Hell. He then explains what he gets in return and Lucifer laughs at this, revealing how Amenadiel duped him due to his status as an angel, meaning it was false threats and promises. As he explains that he'll still die eventually, Lucifer offers him his Pentecostal Coin which would allow him to escape Hell, in exchange for his life. Malcolm accepts this and leaves Lux.
In "#TeamLucifer", having become fanatically delusional with Lucifer, Malcolm feels that he is a true worshipper of the devil and sought to prove this. To that end, he goes on a killing spree by murdering and mutilating Satanists as he views them as frauds. He starts off by killing follower Rose Davis and posed her in a theatre stage while the message "HAIL LUCIFER" was carved into her back. Malcolm maintains his daily facade by turning up at the crime scene with the other officers, where he is first seen forcing Jacob Williams out of the area who was yelling at Lucifer himself. He later approaches Dan at the precinct and taunts him about his marriage falling apart because of his text. He is later confronted by Amenadiel in the parking lot for not fulfilling his end of the deal in killing Lucifer, reminding him about what would happen if he didn't. Malcolm remained calm and reveals that Lucifer spilled the beans about how his threats of sending back are against God's rules due to being an angel. He then reveals the Pentecostal Coin that Lucifer gave will prevent him from going back and then says that unless Amenadiel has a better offer, he's on "Team Lucifer" and Amenadiel leaves him without being able to do anything.
Malcolm later kills Satanist Mike "Corazon" Carey, carves a Satanism symbol into his chest and poses his body in a warehouse while leaving the message "MORNINGSTAR" across the area and one of William's cuff-links that he stole from him at the last crime scene to frame him for the murders. He continues his facade and goes along with Dan to retrieve him since the Satanist became suspect. After arriving and inside the warehouse, he taunts Dan about how it's like old times. After meeting up with Lucifer and Chloe, the four of them find Corazon's body. After the suspicions are drawn towards Lucifer and he needs to stay away from the case, he is sent away. As Lucifer angrily attacks Williams for irritating and blaming him for the murders, Malcolm breaks it up and escorts Lucifer back to Lux away from the protesters.
At the penthouse, Malcolm pours himself and Lucifer a drink, calling the protesters a bunch of poser and suggests bringing some ladies up. When Lucifer then sceptically asks him why he's in his house, Malcolm replies that he's got his back because of the accusations and knows he didn't kill the Satanists. He then rants about how life is good to him since he returned to Hell and respects Lucifer for understand what he saw in the underworld. But as he poses for a high-five, Lucifer notices the red paint on his hands similar to the "MORNINGSTAR" message at the warehouse and since everyone was wearing gloves, Malcolm is outed as the killer. Malcolm happily confesses to killing the Satanists and called them frauds, where Lucifer calls him insane. Malcolm explains that framing Williams for it is perfect and that he did it all for him but Lucifer is enraged because he only punishes the evil and needs to clarify that. Malcolm gets panicky and brings out his coin but Lucifer says he'll bring Hell to him and throws him across the room before declaring that Chloe will lock him up after he's done with him. As Malcolm draws a gun, Lucifer confidently squeezes his hand before Amenadiel arrives and intervenes. As Lucifer and Amenadiel argues, Malcolm escapes.
Enraged by this, Malcolm kills William and leaves both his body and the gun with Lucifer's fingerprints at Lux to frame him for both his and the Satanists' deaths. In "Take Me Back to Hell", he returns to Lux all shaken when the police investigate the murder, and fearfully asks Dan what happened to Lucifer. Much to his horror, Lucifer escaped and is on the run. He then grabs a hold of Mazikeen's Demon Daggers Forged In Hell, which was capable of killing Celestial Beings, after another officer finds it incredibly sharp, saying he'll take it to the the station. Knowing that Lucifer will come after him for what he's done, Malcolm went to Neil Palmer to get himself a new identity so he can escape, telling him that he needed it done quickly but that he needed time to get $100k to pay it off. He then returned home and angrily told Mel he needed more money, saying things that really horrified Mel before leaving again, saying he was going to "get a beer".
Looking for they money needed, Malcolm visited an old associate named Tommy Campolongo to steal from him, knowing that he wasn't going to hand it over nicely. Malcolm keeps a friendly face, saying that he's wanting to get the old band back together. When asked if he needs some product to be moved, he lies by saying that there is some seizures in evidence that he can get for him. Something echoes in the brewery, and Tommy checks the security cameras and discovers that his guards are down. Malcolm insists that it isn't his doing, and after Tommy sends his men to investigate, the cop draws his gun and tells Tommy to load a bag with all of the money from his safe. After that, Malcolm learns that Amenadiel is hunting him alongside Lucifer and decided to see if his hunch on the demon blade was correct. He then ambushes Amenadiel and stabs him, amazed by how it actually hurt him. After Lucifer arrives and sees them, Malcolm makes a run for it with the money. He is then confronted by Chloe who shoots at him and forces him to drop the bag and retreat without it. Back at the precinct, Dan turns himself in and reveals Malcolm's actions.
Angry that he was now forced on the run by both Lucifer and the entire precinct, Malcolm kidnapped Chloe's daughter Trixie from her school and called her with her phone. He tells her that while he has been outed, he still has friends at the department and gives her an ultimatum: bring him the money without telling anyone or he'll kill her. Chloe does so as promised and meets him at an airport hanger. Malcolm gives her Trixie back and Chloe gives him the money as promised but decides to kill her regardless, saying that since he tried to kill her before at Palmetto, he's now been given a second chance. Lucifer then intervenes, asking if this was really how he was going to spend his second chance at life. Upon being asked what he desired, Malcolm confesses that he wants to live but also to kill him just as he shoots him in the gut. Malcolm then taunts him about what's it like to die and how he has his Pentecostal Coin so he can't use it, later declaring that Chloe will be joining him. As Malcolm leaves Lucifer to bleed to death, he then searches the hanger for Chloe and as he finds her, he is about to shoot her until Lucifer pops up out of nowhere and punches him in the face. Before he could shoot him, Chloe grabs her gun and shoots him four times in the chest. Malcolm remains confident since he has the coin and he'll be back but as he searches for it, Lucifer reveals he has it and that God wants him back on Earth. He flips it and Malcolm helplessly watches it turn to ash as it could only be used once. Malcolm then succumbs to his wounds and returns to Hell and live out his eternal damnation once more.
Personality[]
Although Malcolm's personality before his death is mysterious and up for debate, it is shown that he was already a shady police detective who took pleasure in abusing his position for money. He was charming and cunning enough to hide his corruption that his colleagues (except for Dan) and not even his family suspected he was leading a double life. He also had no hesitation to make sure no one would out him for his deceit, including Chloe when she saw him exchanging with criminals and would've killed her had Dan not shot him. It is also unknown how he felt towards his family since his life with them before being comatose, but given how much they were tearful of him dying, it is possible that it was loving. However, as Malcolm is known for his immorality and deception, it is also possible that it was one-sided or that he simply pretended to care about them so he would be able to hide his true nature.
Since his resurrection by Amenadiel, Malcolm showed to retain his old traits as he remained charismatic, deceitful, immoral and cunning, except in secret, his time in Hell had traumatized him that it left him utterly paranoid and cowardly as he understood where his life was going to end him up. However, rather than try and turn his life around and seek redemption so he could earn his chance to go to Heaven when he dies, he retorted to questionable methods to make sure he never went back, thus making him an hypocrite who couldn't accept his mistakes and second chance at life to make things right, very dissimilar to Charlotte Richards. Also unlike Charlotte, Malcolm never felt remorse for his actions and didn't care about the people he hurt and the relationships he ruined as long as it would mean he never returned to the underworld, including breaking up Dan and Chloe's relationship after the former refused to help him kill Lucifer for Amenadiel. This also includes killing his own partner and setting him up for corruption and attempting to frame Dan for the death of Lucifer for refusing to help him.
Not only did Malcolm's traumatizing time in Hell left him always on edge and fearing for his life, it also left him with an uncontrollable obsession for all things. According to Mazikeen, he has a newfound appetite, an insatiable hunger that he cannot seem to satisfy or fill which would get much worse. Since he loved life and everything it has to offer (such as food, entertainment, money, etc.), he began constantly buying electronics and eating food as he was unable to have any such things in Hell, and saw no reason to stop even when he spent all of his family's money. His wife Mel fearfully told Chloe and Maze that he had also become violent, angry and dangerous, which he was sometimes able to bury whilst in public despite being seen eating all kinds of food constantly. It is also possible that Malcolm became abusive towards his family given how much Mel was shaken and trying to kill him if he came back home. His state of mind had also driven him to the point of disrespecting his family vows as he suggested to Lucifer into having a party with girls at Lux, implying his hedonistic impulses.
After Lucifer told him about Amenadiel's deception and offered him a new way out of Hell, Malcolm continued to lose his sanity and became fanatically deranged to the point of shedding any redeeming traits. He developed an obsession with Lucifer for turning out to be the actual devil from the Bible and would go on to kill several Satanists whom he deemed as frauds for not knowing the real him. He also considered himself a true believer of the devil due to being the only one who's been to Hell and back to tell the tale, openly displaying his narcissistic side. His further derangement then came into the form being delusional as he believed that killing the Satanists and framing Jacob Williams would please Lucifer, only to learn that Lucifer hates being considered evil. After Lucifer escape police custody upon being framed him for the murders, Malcolm would return to his state of paranoia and resorted to any resource to find money and skip town such as forcing his criminal contacts to give him money and angrily demanding his wife to give him more money. After his money was seized by the police, Malcolm's morality reached a new low when he decided to kidnap Chloe's daughter and threatened to kill her if she didn't return his money, showing his disregard for innocent children. He also had no longer any sense of honor and attempted to kill Chloe and Trixie despite doing what he requested.
Abilities[]
- Skilled hand-to-hand combatant: As a policeman, Malcolm is skilled in close combat. He managed to overpower and knock out the armed Dan while handcuffed.
Appearances[]
Season One | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | "Pilot" | Mentioned |
#5 | "Sweet Kicks" | Mentioned |
#7 | "Wingman" | Appears |
#8 | "Et Tu, Doctor?" | Appears |
#9 | "A Priest Walks Into a Bar" | Appears |
#10 | "Pops" | Appears |
#11 | "St. Lucifer" | Appears |
#12 | "#TeamLucifer" | Appears |
#13 | "Take Me Back to Hell" | Appears |
Season Two | ||
---|---|---|
#1 | "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer" | Mentioned |
Season Three | ||
---|---|---|
#7 | "Off the Record" | Mentioned |
#16 | "Infernal Guinea Pig" | Mentioned |
Season Four | ||
---|---|---|
#2 | "Somebody's Been Reading Dante's Inferno" | Mentioned |
Trivia[]
- He was in Hell for a short period of time before being brought back to life. However, it felt like an eternity for him. His punishment consisted of being starved, due to his hunger for life. This included denying him access to food, water, people, and entertainment.
- This is bizarre in comparison to the other punishments, which have the victim in a loop of enjoying themselves until the events of how they died catch up. (Like Abel and Lee Garner).
- Though it's possible the writers changed their minds about how hell works in "Off the Record"; Malcolm notably never felt guilt, while Reese died feeling he had redeemed himself with only a tiny bit of guilt.
- Lucifer confirmed in "¡Diablo!", hell does indeed have a faster moving timeflow; two months of Earth time is centuries in Hell.
- The name Malcolm is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "devotee of St. Colomba".
- Malcolm is the only human who successfully killed Lucifer, albeit he was resurrected by God.
- Lucifer notably didn't like Malcolm because he had a "porn stache"; ultimately his instinct proved right.
Images[]
Links[]
Main Characters |
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Lucifer Morningstar • Chloe Decker • Dan Espinoza • Amenadiel • Mazikeen • Trixie Espinoza • Linda Martin • Malcolm Graham • Ella Lopez • Goddess • Charlotte Richards • Marcus Pierce • Eve • Michael • Aurora Morningstar |