The long-awaited first half of Lucifer’s fifth season finally dropped on Friday, and just like most of the fandom, I spent most of that day glued to Netflix. Of course, it could hardly be any other way; season 4’s finale was heartbreaking (to say the least), and after nearly 15 months of waiting, I had to know what comes next for the characters I love so much.
I briefly considered splitting this review into two parts (covering four episodes in each), but I think in terms of how the storyline is built, it makes more sense to split it into three parts. So here’s part 1; parts 2 and 3 will be posted later this week.
This post contains spoilers. Each episode contains spoilers to that episode and any episode before it. In order to avoid spoiling the season, the episode reviews are separated by episode – do not read reviews for episodes you haven’t watched yet unless you don’t mind spoilers.
Episode 1 – “Really Sad Devil Guy”
Season 5 picks up a couple of months after season 4 ended. By the time the episode begins, quite a bit has changed: Lucifer has been in Hell for thousands of years; Maze and Chloe partnered up; Amenadiel took over LUX; Dan started a self-help journey; and Linda… well, she’s been pretty absorbed in trying to help Charlie truly fulfil his potential. The latter two, admittedly, I’m a little bit worried about.
And with this introduction, let’s dive right in.
First thing’s first, full disclosure: I was so happy to see Lee again. Really. I feel like he’s become an essential part of Lucifer season premieres; it wouldn’t be a season premiere without him. And while up until now he had a relatively small role to play in each premiere, this premiere was all about him. Well, sort of. The case was entirely about him, but the way their cases usually do, this case gave both Chloe and Lucifer important insight into their own (currently separate) lives.
It was really cool to see Lucifer and Chloe solving this case from death and life (respectively) – and it was certainly adorable seeing Lucifer channelling Chloe while working the case – but underneath the fun, the truth is, it was absolutely heartbreaking. It was particularly present in the two scenes where Lucifer was looking out at Los Angeles; you could feel the longing and pain in his eyes and voice. For a moment, it was almost as though he was back home; but in truth, that’s the furthest he’s ever been. So close and yet so far away.
There’s a lot of pain underneath Lucifer’s frustration with Lee, and it was interesting to see how at times, Lucifer himself sensed it. He seemed to realise it after yelling at Lee ‘You’ve got to give me more than this. Something. Anything, Detective!‘; even as he attacked the other man, he knew it was all just an attempt at pretending everything was back to normal again. The way he talked about Chloe in the following scene, as well as his, ‘Back to your torture. And me to mine.‘, left no doubt as to how in touch with his pain Lucifer is.
And yet, in his very Lucifer-y way, he’d somehow managed to miss the biggest lesson of that encounter: the one from those final moments with Lee in front of his parents’ house, of course. It was perfectly clear he wasn’t talking just about Lee; so clear, in fact, that Lee himself pointed it out. It also felt very much like the natural progression for Lucifer – despite his belief he’d forgiven himself in Who’s da New King of Hell (4×10), he’s obviously still carrying his own insecurities and self-hatred with him (just as Linda had warned him, by the way). In that sense, his self-torment was appropriate, not to mention extremely accurate. It’s clear that his time in Hell had only made it all worse; Lucifer may not be in any of the rooms this time, but he’s being tortured just as much as any of the souls in Hell.
Now, I’ll admit that for a moment – despite the trailer – I’d hoped it was Lucifer who’d saved Chloe. It all seemed… so like Lucifer. As terrified as Lucifer is about going back to L.A. – as terrified as Lucifer is about an actual relationship with Chloe – we know he would never let anything happen to her. Even if he has to face his emotions to protect her. I wanted so badly to believe it was him; the realisation that it was, indeed, Michael, was absolutely painful. But I suppose after thousands of years back in Hell, it was easier for Lucifer to run back to the Devil he used to be; in the end, as painful and frustrating as it was, I now know it couldn’t have gone any other way.
It’s interesting that even though she was working on the same case, it had the exact opposite affect on Chloe. While Lucifer found haven in making it all about Lee, Chloe actually faced her emotions for the first time since Lucifer left. While it was fairly obvious she was trying to avoid facing Lucifer’s departure from the beginning, it was beautiful watching her acknowledging and beginning to come to terms with that night and with her emotions about it. Lucifer’s demon messenger was clearly the reminder she didn’t want (but needed); Lee’s sister’s words merely highlighted that reminder. Much like with Lee’s story and Lucifer, it was clear Megan’s story resonated with Chloe. Seeing her understanding and acting on it just felt right.
But it’s not that Chloe’s avoidance was entirely bad. I mean, it did give us the Chloe-Maze partnership. We haven’t really seen it since season 2 (I’m talking about Deceptive Little Parasite and God Johnson, of course), and boy have I missed it. And it’s even better now than it was back then. Seriously. Their sync – particularly when deciding on an action plan – was amazing. The way Maze seemed tuned to Chloe’s emotions at the crime scene was lovely; her protectiveness of her was beautiful to watch. Their banter had me laughing even when I thought it was impossible. If it weren’t for Chloe and Lucifer being the perfect team, I might’ve suggested Maze could easily take over. Undoubtedly, this was a collaboration we desperately needed for quite some time now.
The only issue with it is that, as Chloe said, it’s mostly an attempt to fill a void left by someone else. I just wish Maze could see that, too; it was impossible not to be affected by how deeply she was hurt by Chloe’s observation. And truth to be told, I’m a bit worried about her – everything that’s happened in the finale clearly had a profound affect on her. But – very much like her old boss – she doesn’t seem to realise or process it. I just hope Maze will find a way to deal with everything that’s happened sooner rather than later. We’ve seen how destructive she can be otherwise, and I really don’t want to see it again this season.
The season premiere also left me somewhat worried about Dan and Linda. I’m actually not entirely sure how Linda got to that point; this whole ‘teaching Charlie everything as a baby’ seems to come a bit… out of the blue. Not that I don’t understand where she’s coming from – she has a half-angel baby, after all – but… it does feel a bit weird. I’m just not entirely sure whether this sudden shift feels right to me.
With Dan, on the other hand… Well, his transformation also feels a bit odd – particularly his enthusiasm over, well, everything – but I suppose it’s also pretty natural. Facing your own guilt and pain can take you in many directions, right? Not to mention, it was such a relief to see not-Detective-Douche-Dan; I didn’t miss him in season 4 and I certainly don’t now.
And of course, it was absolutely wonderful to see Amenadiel and Dan’s bromance; it really became an important part of the show. And now that Amenadiel is a father, I’m glad to see him reaching out to Dan – and I’m glad to see Dan understanding and trying to help. While their first scene together in this episode was mostly adorably hilarious, their final conversation was deeply heartfelt and emotional, and I’m glad we got that. It was so genuine; I think every parent would relate to that desire to protect their child. It was beautiful to see just how similarly the two of them went about trying to protect their babies. And Dan’s realisation, ‘Removing all the danger from the world is like trying to bottle up the ocean‘, was certainly accurate and left a lot to think about. Ultimately, it also resonates with Lucifer‘s (the show this time) views: we are responsible for our own actions, and we can only control those.
Overall, it was a strong opener for this series, emotionally (and story-wise) picking up from where season 4 left off. I would’ve loved to see a bit more of Ella (the way she went on about Lucifer in front of Chloe seemed somewhat off for her, although her anger with him was certainly understandable) and of Dan (this transformation is so sudden, I have to know what’s behind it), but I’m sure we’ll get all the answers we’re looking for as the season progresses. Ultimately, this was mostly about our Really Sad Devil Guy and our favourite Detective, right? You could certainly feel it. And it certainly worked.
Bonus: Everything about Dan and Amenadiel’s bromance. Particularly Amenadiel coming to report a crime (the jaywalking thing killed me), and that final scene at LUX talking about parenting. Absolutely beautiful.
Questions: What does Michael want? When is Lucifer coming back? (And was I right in assuming that Michael taking over his life is what draws Lucifer back to earth?)
Final Score: 8.5/10; strong emotional start but slightly unfamiliar behaviours from some of the main characters that phased me off a bit.
Episode 2 – “Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!”
This episode was… long. And I’d even go as far as to say it was excruciating.
I get the idea of having Michael pretending to be Lucifer, and there were even elements of it that I enjoyed. Seeing Michael impersonating his brother in such an unconvincing manner, for instance. Or the way Chloe was trying to get him to be slightly more Lucifer-y (absolutely hilarious; reversed Deckerstar is always funny). Even seeing him falling for Chloe as she offered him the same forgiveness and understanding she offered Lucifer was lovely; it felt a bit like a wink to early season 1, like a sort of, ‘Now you see why he fell in love with her?’ And we got some badass Chloe and Amenadiel scenes, which were wonderful (the final three scenes are just perfect). So there was all that.
And yet… something about it didn’t quite work. I suppose, in the end, the show is called Lucifer for a reason; it doesn’t work quite as well without him. Had Michael done a better job, maybe it would’ve worked better, but as it was… well, it felt somewhat off. Not to mention, being so close to actual Deckerstar and knowing it’s not really that? Hurt. Quite a bit.
That said, there are a few I was happy about.
For starters, Tom Ellis was absolutely spectacular in this episode. Seriously. It always kind of strikes me, whenever I’m watching Lucifer, just how utterly perfect he is for the role. He has a way of doing Lucifer so naturally and almost effortlessly; you can’t tell he’s a character rather than a real person. And Michael is completely different; he’s practically the opposite of Lucifer in so many ways. And yet, somehow, Michael is just as believable as Lucifer. You know in your head they’re both portrayed by the same actor, but you don’t feel it when watching the episode. You don’t even see the similarities, not really. Even the way he does Michael-pretending-to-be-Lucifer feels realistic; in fact, the moments in which he needs to switch between Michael and Michael-as-Lucifer seem to highlight just how spectacularly he does both roles.
I’m also really happy about the way the episode was laid out. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel it was a bit slow, but the way it progressed – and particularly the way it ended – felt right. The way Michael’s intentions changed – from destruction to taking over – felt natural; it was somewhat similar to Lucifer’s journey early in season 1. Chloe and Amenadiel both figuring out it wasn’t Lucifer after a very short time was absolutely spot on. The two of them know Lucifer too well to fall for it, and it was so good to see it acknowledged by the writers. And Chloe’s ‘I wanted to believe you‘? Perfect. It was somehow all the explanation needed – showing just how deeply she misses Lucifer and wishes he was there – all in five words. You can actually feel her pain as she says those words.
And that whole scene was absolutely brilliant. From Chloe’s words to basically everything about Lauren German’s acting: the tears in her eyes; that quiet and cold voice she used; the depth of emotion as she tells Michael she has faith in Deckerstar; it was all done beautifully. And looking back at the episode after watching that scene, I could really see it from Chloe’s perspective; everything she said and did had a completely different meaning, one that made so much more sense. Hot Tub High School may not have been her greatest work, but there’s no doubt that Chloe Decker can act. So well, in fact, that watching the episode, I actually believed her. And for once, I was really, really thrilled to have been fooled.
As said, it was also really good to see Amenadiel figuring out it was Michael rather than Lucifer. I love that you can actually see the moment the penny drops when he’s talking to Linda; it’s like Linda’s mention of fears was all he needed to finally understand what’s been bothering him about this “new” Lucifer. Even better was his protectiveness of his (and Lucifer’s) life on Earth and the casualness with which he tore Michael apart; the contrast between Michael’s threats and anger and Amenadiel’s calm, slightly amused manner was almost artistic. Amenadiel was every bit the eldest – calm, collected, unfazed by his younger brother’s threats, and reading Michael like an open book. It was especially lovely to see considering how much he’d changed since the last time we’ve seen him act this way; with Uriel, he was mostly pretending as he didn’t believe in himself in the slightest, but with Michael, he doesn’t need to – he already knows who he is and what he can do. Season 4 had certainly been good for him. (Also, the Hamlet touch? Nice.)
And boy am I glad Amenadiel went to Hell to bring Lucifer back. I couldn’t quite understand why he didn’t go to check on Hell the instant he saw Michael-pretending-to-be-Lucifer, but I’m glad he went to get Lucifer in the end. It says a lot about the brotherhood between the two of them, which I utterly adore, and it shows just how well Amenadiel knows his brother by now. Absolutely a high point of the episode.
On slightly unrelated matters, it was good to see there was a reason for Linda’s somewhat off-character behaviour. I certainly get her fear, and I wonder where it’s coming from. And what was that photo? I’d imagine that’s one of the things we’ll be exploring this season, and I’m certainly looking forward to it.
I do wish Maze hadn’t been tempted to help Michael, though. I loved seeing her protectiveness of Chloe coming into play – both when Michael told her his plan and after Chloe told her she’s going to sleep with him – but I don’t like seeing her spiralling back down. This whole betrayal thing feels… too familiar. I just hope there’s more to it than that, because I’ve really had enough of this in season 1 and in season 3.
The main thing that worries me about this episode was that final reveal from Michael. I’m glad it was revealed this early on (Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson talked about doing that), but I do worry about what it means for Deckerstar. I’m sure it’s not going to be easy for Chloe to deal with; undoubtedly it’ll cause quite a few problems. But… Deckerstar can get over this… right? (What a dick move from Michael, though. But then, the #Michaelisadick hashtag has been dominating social media for a reason…)
Bonus: Linda’s “you two are perfect for each other” after Chloe took everything she said in exactly the wrong way. Absolutely spot on and absolutely hilarious. Seriously, that line was nothing short of genius.
Questions: What does this reveal about Chloe mean for Deckerstar? Why is Linda afraid of being a bad mother? Is Lucifer finally coming back in the next episode? And why do I get the feeling this isn’t the last we’ll see of Michael?
Final Score: 7.5-8/10 (I can’t quite decide). The episode was slow, but there were some really funny moments, and those two final scenes of Amenadiel and Chloe vs Michael? Absolute gold.
Parts 2 and 3 will hopefully be up later this week. Hoping everyone enjoyed season 5 so far!
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