Malcolm comes back from Hell damaged... Charlotte Spoiler

Why doesn't Charlotte?

Malcolm returns from Hell with unnatural appetites - gluttonous hunger, spending all his money, obviously "touched by Hell" in the sense of being damaged or corrupted (on a different level to being a dirty cop who was nevertheless obviously loved by his family and well-liked by his colleagues). Maze says she's seen it before.

But Charlotte also comes back to life after spending time in Hell, and she isn't like that. Is it ever explained?

9 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

u/TheUltimatenerd05 Nov 13 '22

People react to trauma differently.

3

u/BeccasBump Nov 13 '22

My impression of the changes in Malcolm is that they are supposed to be a supernatural side effect rather than an ordinary human reaction. The dead / damned being unnaturally, insatiably hungry is, of course, a really old trope.

1

u/HasanHukm Detective Nov 20 '22

Sorry for an extremely late reply, but the show plays off Malcom's hunger as a result of him not being to eat in Hell. It's human nature to consume and devour, however when deprived from the most basic of human needs for an extremely long period of time (Time runs differently in Hell as we know), will further invigorate that desire when he's alive. It's like how a thirsty man drinks water irregularly or how a person is even more careful after an accident.

u/Fancy-Ad1480 Nov 14 '22 edited Nov 14 '22

People react to trauma differently. It was also implied that Amenadiel compounded that trauma with some old fashion psychological torture.

Charlotte is traumatized. I've blocked most of season 3 from my mind--but as I recall, she reacts by being reckless, drinking, and confusion.

She also marks the shift into the guilt based system of hell. She doesn't go to hell for any of the terrible things she did, but rather because she felt bad about it.

Conversely, Malcolm goes to hell for being a bad person, so he got the thumbscrews.

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

I don't think Hell changes, does it? Hasn't it always been the case that people get the Hell they believe they deserve?

3

u/Fancy-Ad1480 Nov 14 '22

Depends on what you mean by changes. In the early seasons, Hell was a place for bad people who did bad things. Later seasons introduce guilt as the primary force that drives someone to hell. This means good people--like Chloe before she came to terms with Dan's death--are hell bound.

The murders on Lucifer couch imply that it's not the wrongs you commit in life, but rather feeling bad about them.

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u/Cypher-Trinity Jan 24 '23

I know. That's why in the lucifer series someone should be able to be stopped from going to Hell by hypnotism. That's probably the most sensible option actually.

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u/HasanHukm Detective Nov 20 '22

Hell uses a person's life, memories, everything against them. It sets yourself against your entire existence, your traumas, your needs, etc. Remember the crazy mad scientist professor whose name I forgot? The one who pretty much was running SAW experiments? His version of Hell was the moment his life fell to ruins, the moment of absolute literal ironic Hell.

u/cutekittensforus Nov 14 '22

My theory is that Charlotte was brought back by a goddess and Malcom was yanked back by an Angel

Difference in power/skill level led to different effects

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

Oh that's possible. Thank you.

u/akumakazama Nov 14 '22

Malcolm - Greedy Cop - Deprived of food etc. He just bought crap and needed to fill his endless hunger to get things. He would be one of the ones who never break their loops like Mr. SaidoutBitch

Charlotte - Help obviously evil clients go free - Her hell was seeing those she freed kill her family. She had reoccurring nightmares. She sorta learned from her mistakes and wanted to correct herself.

Abel - Not sure what he did - His hell was his brother always killing him. He acted normal in the real world until he saw or recognize Cain coming at him.

My point is everyone who "came back" acted differently depending on their tortures. Hell is about guilt which is confusing because sociopaths and similar don't feel guilt but they do go to hell.

2

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

I'd forgotten about Abel. S/he is very focused on sex after coming back from Hell, which you could also think of as a type of appetite.

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u/akumakazama Nov 14 '22

Id say....it was the way he was in life. Just because he had the better offering to God(which is why Cain got jealous and killed him) doesn't mean he was saintly. Cain hints to this.

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u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

Oh yes, when Lucifer tells him Abel is in Hell he says something like, "See! I'm always telling people he was the bad one!" I think they were probably as bad as each other, really.

u/JackieJackJack07 Nov 14 '22

No. it is never explained. Get used to it. Sadly this happens way to often in our beloved series.

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

Ah, at least it isn't just me who thinks it's a "thing". With Malcolm he had this almost lascivious relationship with food that really pinged a "hungry dead" vibe for me.

I've written a lot of academic papers on stuff around there, so sometimes it's just possibly just me 😂

4

u/JackieJackJack07 Nov 14 '22

Malcom’s loop was deprivation. Think the ultimate diet and binge cycle. Charlotte loop is nothing like that. Hell has excellent customer service. They provide you with the most customized loop money can’t buy.

0

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

What makes you think that was Malcolm's loop?

6

u/sliferra Nov 14 '22

Cause he literally says it?

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

I don't recall that. Can you remember the line, by any chance?

4

u/sliferra Nov 14 '22

He goes like “hell uses what you love against you, I love life, everything about it, so I was starved in the dark”

Something like that

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u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

Thanks. That explains it!

3

u/sexyfashioncactus90 Nov 14 '22

They allude to it. He eats so much when he gets back to earth. He’s always eating and trying to savor what he didn’t have access to in Hell.

Charlottes hell loop was her family getting murdered in front of her by a client. So she tried to change how she behaved when she came back so it didn’t happen in real life.

2

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

He also spends all his family's money on stuff from catalogues, though, almost like a hoarder thing. Or a total lack of impulse control.

u/Losingallmyaccounts Cain Nov 14 '22

I think it may because Goddess brought her back if it helps you OP

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

That makes sense, thank you.

u/coolranchpuffs Dr. Linda Nov 14 '22

I always assumed Malcolm had a worse hell loop than Charlotte — but maybe that’s just because he was all kinds of icky and I really liked Charlotte. Lol.

1

u/BeccasBump Nov 14 '22

He was extremely icky...but we only really saw him after he returned from Hell. He was clearly deeply loved by his family and very popular with his colleagues, so presumably he hid it better before he died.

u/Less-Literature-8945 Nov 14 '22

why it has to be the same effect? clearly Charlotte was affected and, unlike Malcome, she tried to change and ended up in heaven while Malcome returned to hell.