Last May I wrote about Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s precarious position at Fox, and sure enough, it was soon after cancelled by the network. As a big fan of that show, I was delighted that NBC picked it up the next day after fan outcry. I was also happy to see that Lucifer, also cancelled by Fox along with B99, was rescued by Netflix. Based on a DC Comics character created by author Neil Gaiman (who does a voiceover as God in one episode), the show ran for three season and I had heard great things but had never gotten around to catching up on it. But despite not having seen it, networks cancelling a story people love while some inane reality show gets renewed for what feels like an 85th season is always infuriating to me. With Season 4 set to drop some time this year, Netflix recently made the first three available for streaming. I’ve spent about the past three weeks bingeing Lucifer and friends, I am in shambles that it took me so long to watch it.
I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun watching a show. It’s wild, knows that, and just leans into it. Growing tired of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar — the Devil — takes an indefinite trip to Earth, where he settles in Los Angeles and opens a nightclub called Lux. The murder of a friend brings Lucifer into the path of homicide detective Chloe Decker. While the two of them track down the killer, Lucifer decides that he likes the idea of finding those responsible for bad deeds so they can be punished and becomes a consultant for the LAPD. He makes absolutely no attempt to hide his true identity and regularly insists that he is in fact the Devil, but isn’t believed for obvious reasons. It’s imperative (and the show even makes a joke about it at one point) that you don’t overthink it. Just accept the premise and enjoy the ride. Knowing that sharing this information will in no way lessen your enjoyment of the show, these are actual things you will see with your own eyes if you watch Lucifer, in no particular order:
- Lucifer sets up a Parent Trap situation for the physical embodiments of his goddess mother and God in his nightclub as Spandau Ballet’s “True” plays, while he and his therapist look on.
- Chloe goes undercover at a convention dressed as a furry, whereupon another furry tackles her to the ground, mistaking Chloe for the woman the attacker believes stole her OC Fursona.
- Lucifer proposes to a woman he met only hours before whilst wearing a Snuggie.
- Lucifer and Cain (yes, that Cain) pose as a married couple in a murdered woman’s neighborhood in order to discover which one of her neighbors tossed her in a wood chipper. They argue, but make up when they bond over the placement of nachos on an appetizer table.
- Lucifer and LAPD forensic scientist Ella give an impromptu performance in Las Vegas.
- Lucifer and his angel brother Amenadiel go to an underground black market auction to buy Lucifer’s angel wings, which he had previously severed off his body.
- A belt buckle found in New Mexico is actually a powerful celestial artifact, and helps complete a sword that Lucifer uses to create a tear in the universe, which he later calls a “space vagina.”
- Amenadiel loves cosmos.
- Lucifer becomes friends with a priest.
- Amenadiel and Lucifer’s demon friend Mazikeen have sex in the back of a car with “It’s Not Unusual” as their soundtrack.
- Lucifer and a pop star angrily sing-fight “I Will Survive.”
- Lucifer becomes a fanboy of the series Bones, which he binges during a days long drug fueled bender he goes on to keep himself awake in order to stop himself from sleep-flying.
- While undercover at a matchmaking event, Chloe rubs an olive on her face in order to be alluring.
- Lucifer tells a story about that time he slept with Oscar Wilde.
- The murder case in a Season 3 episode revolves entirely around pudding.
- Lucifer stops his own heart with defibrillator paddles.
That’s not even everything, I had to cut that list down. Despite watching almost 60 episodes of this show (Season 1 is 13 episodes, Season 2 is 18 episodes, and Season 3 is 24 plus 2 bonus episodes) in a relatively short amount of time I was still disappointed when I finished them. Lucifer is sexy, dramatic, and funny, and I can’t wait to see what Netflix does with it. If you’ve ever had any interest in checking out this fantastically insane show, now is the time to do it. I’ll be here when you inevitably want to talk about it afterwards. Hail Satan.
