Spoilers for seasons 1-4 of Lucifer ahead
Honestly, one of the things I love the most about Lucifer is how it’s evolved over the seasons so that its myriad cast members have their own complexities, back stories, and contribution to the broader narrative of the show. That isn’t to say that the eponymous Lucifer (played to perfection by Tom Ellis) isn’t the key focus of the show, nor is his underlying romantic connection to Chloe Decker (Lauren Graham) any less central to the plot, but as we entered part one of season five, the show is also about questions of redemption, meaningful relationships, and the complexities of a parent-child relationship, which is only enhanced by the relationships across the characters of the show.
It feels like a spoiler to say that Lucifer returns from Hell, but we know that he was always going to come back to Chloe – especially after the final lines of season 4 has him declaring that she was his “first love” and her replying that she loved him. Of course, the enjoyment is then how and why Lucifer comes back to the human realm, and what implications are raised by his time away, as well as what’s meant that he’s come back to Earth.
The first instalment of season five is arguably the most cohesive yet, with each episode contributing in a meaningful way to the crescendo of the finale. I’ve written before about why I am so partial to this trend of a shortened season (or even the trend of breaking the season into multiple parts), and part one of season five only serves to substantiate my claim. Having fewer episodes means there is less need to pad out the plot to reach the 20-episode mark. Instead, we got eight shows that approach an hour in length, which each build toward a finale in a satisfying way (for instance in one episode, Lucifer and Dan grind through police work and explore the importance of the procedural approach to solving crime, and it intersects beautifully with the storyline of the finale). While it means that at times, balancing the exposition and exploration of the stories for the relatively large primary cast of characters doesn’t perhaps always take place, I’d say that part one has done a really admirable job of nearing this – we got more insight into the personal life of Ella than we’ve ever had before (and I’m so delighted Aimee Garcia was given more meaty material to work with – she does a phenomenal job with her character’s progression), we have insight in to Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt)’s backstory, and we have insight into Linda (Rachael Harris – who does a phenomenal job with the role and always has)’s past, which gives the season a heart and depth that was really enjoyable to watch. I would have loved a little bit more of a focus on Dan, although it becomes clear as the season progresses why that doesn’t happen, and I also would have loved a bit more of Amenadiel as a father; it provided much of the season’s comic relief. At the end of the day though, the series has introduced so many primary characters, all of whom are compelling and interesting in their own right, it’s hard to give them all the time they deserve. I suspect part two may right any imbalances.
What strikes me as particularly delightful about this series is that it feels as though the whole team – the cast, the crew, and the writers – are having fun. Episode four, ‘It Never Ends Well for the Chicken’ is a black-and-white jump back to when Lucifer was roaming the world in 1946, and emulates the noir detective genre. It wasn’t my personal favourite episode, but I appreciated how it was a play around with genre and form, and it was a more interesting way to fill out backstory that is often otherwise done, given the way it entered the narrative; via Trixie requesting Lucifer tell her the story of his ring.
To me, Lucifer is at its best when it’s a bit creepy, when the lightheartedness caused by Lucifer’s narcissistic shenanigans are offset by the sinister fact that they are hunting killers – it only happens a couple of times across the season, but it’s so magnificent when it does; really, it’s the one thing I’d love to see a bit more of in part two.
If I had to pick one aspect across the season which I didn’t love, I felt the ongoing hostility from Maze towards Lucifer frustrated me; their relationship has been strained for several seasons, now, and I’d prefer there to be some kind of resolution sooner rather than later, as it feels as though it’s just dragging on at this stage, even though the writers have put in clearly why Maze has reason to feel genuine grievance with Lucifer, exacerbated by the way her personal struggles are unfolding.
Ultimately though, the show hinges on its titular character. And Ellis, whose strident campaigning for the show to be saved following its initial cancellation by Fox after the end of season four was integral to it being picked up by Netflix, once again demonstrates that he is more than just a (very) pretty face. Without going too far into the realm of spoilers, Ellis plays two characters across the season. While lighting, camera angles, and production all assist in drawing a clear delineation between the two, it’s grounded in a really great performance.
Things to look forward to in part two include a musical episode which Ellis says he’s “very excited for,” in part because it was crafted to avoid being ‘gimicky’. As an aside, alongside this season was the release of a soundtrack of the music sung by the cast across the seasons. Highlights include Ellis’ version of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and Lesley-Ann Bradnt’s rendition of ‘Wonderwall’ (which I think may be the most beautiful version of it I’ve heard – and yes, I’m an Oasis fan). Ellis said of the fact that singing is such a key component of the character, “it rekindles my passion for singing, which ironically started in church when I was a child,” which is a really wholesome thought.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
Showrunners have also teased that, with the appearance of God (and it cracks me up every time Lucifer says ‘for Dad’s sake’ instead of ‘for God’s sake), we’ll see Lucifer ‘reverting’ in his behaviour, in the way that we often become more childish around our own parents.
On the whole, this season of Lucifer was a great watch. I can’t wait for part two.
