Viewing Season Four – or Series Four, as they call it on Netflix – of Lucifer was a unique experience in several ways. It was my first time getting to see a canceled show come back to life on a new platform, and also my very first time using a streaming service. I had no idea what to expect going into this adventure, and was equal parts excited and nervous.
How hard would it be to set up Netflix? What if it didn’t work and I couldn’t see the show I’d been waiting so many months for? Of course, I had planned to get all the technical stuff sorted out and watch a few other Netflix shows as a test run before the Lucifer premiere date, but you know what happens when you make plans. In short, Neil Gaiman laughed.
As is usually the case with my life, I found myself right up against the deadline, scrambling to get the service set up the day before the new season was scheduled to drop. I didn’t know how fast or slow I would watch Season Four as a whole, but I did know I wanted to watch that first episode on the same day as everyone else…assuming the darn technology would cooperate.
I am happy to say that despite certain glitches, it all worked out just fine, and I settled into a cozy mattress for one of the happiest experiences this fangirl will probably ever have: Lucifer: Season 4.
Going into this new season, my main fear was that the Netflix version of the show would be very different from the one I knew and loved. However, when the first ep opened up with the familiar scene of Lucifer singing in Lux, followed by the entrance of Mr. Said Out Bitch – who is by this point a Lucifer season premiere requirement – I started to relax. I quickly realized that it really was going to be the same show I always adored – just with a few extra naked butts and swears thrown in to great effect.
My other concern was the length of the season – only ten episodes? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t complaining – I was beyond grateful to have any new episodes at all. But I did worry whether the writers could do a fully developed, satisfying season in just ten fifty-minute scripts. The writers on Nikita actually did an absolutely amazing six-episode final season which blew me to smithereens, but that was a different show and different writers, so I was still leery about what Lucifer would be able to do with such limitations.
Much to my delight, the short season worked beautifully. In fact, I think in some ways it worked better than a longer season because it forced everything to be so tightly focused. There wasn’t any room for filler. Every moment of every episode had to drive the plot and the character arcs toward their final destinations.
I love how all the characters have their own struggles and challenges in Season Four. Chloe struggles to accept all of Lucifer. Lucifer has to decide who he truly wants to be and whether settling for a great person who loves and accepts him is enough, even if that isn’t the person he really wants to be with. Ella battles with a crisis of faith, while Dan faces off with grief, personal demons, and an actual demon for good measure. Linda and Amenadiel wrestle with all the fears and joys of becoming parents to the universe’s first-ever angel-baby. Maze fights to find her own connection, and Eve has to swallow the hard truth that the person she loves does not love her back in the same way.
It is an amazing, emotional, and ultimately satisfying journey for all – viewers included.
Burning Questions:
1.) Did I supersize my Season Four experience with the bonus eps from Season Three?
Answer: No. I love the bonus eps – truly – but I feel like the ten episodes of Season Four were absolutely perfect, as-is. Trying to fit the bonus ones in, IMO, would’ve messed up the flow, just like in Season Three when the showrunners had to shoehorn in several eps taped in Season Two. So, I let it be. I just figured, why screw up perfection?
2.) Did I binge-watch all ten eps in a highly-caffeinated ten-hour marathon?
Answer: LOL, no! I actually watched them way slower than I originally imagined I would. The whole season took, I think, maybe three months? Maybe a little longer. I really wanted to savor each ep, especially since in the beginning I had no idea we’d be getting more. I only watched a new episode when I was alert and able to fully enjoy the experience. I even took my own mid-season break after Episode 5, which turned out to be perfect timing, since Episode 6 takes place several months later. Starting with Ep 2, I quickly got into the habit of re-watching the previous episode right before viewing the next one, which made each night like snuggling in for a two-hour Lucifer movie! It was awesome!
My personal favorite episodes:
“Everything’s Okay” – Pretty much my dream opener following the Season Three cliffhanger. We get to see Chloe interacting with the REAL Lucifer for the first time. He finally gets to show off all his powers in front of her. I spent the whole episode reveling in the fact that she finally KNOWS. In shows where there is a secret between the main characters, I personally think two seasons is where the cut-off should be on that type of storyline. After that, the other person needs to find out, or else the whole show is just boxed in and unable to move forward. With this episode, we move into exciting new creative territory. And I was thrilled to be along for the ride.
“Someone’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno” – Chloe finds out about the vulnerability thing at long last! Yay! The scene where she holds the axe to his chest…**shivers** so intense, so emotional, so good! Plus, she turns her back on Kinley at the end of this episode, choosing instead to side with her friend and partner. You go, Detective!
“Expire Erect” – Do I even need to say anything about this episode? An instant classic, and definitely the one I’ve re-watched the most. Fun, danger, excitement, craziness, and h/c, with a Chloe/Lucifer reconciliation at the end. Nuff said.
“Devil Is as Devil Does” – Super intense, especially the artfully staged scene in the bad guy’s office with Chloe and Eve on either side of Lucifer, the angel and devil sitting on his shoulders.
“Save Lucifer” – Lucifer is physically turning into the monster he views himself as. Chloe has to find a way to save him. What’s not to love? The moment when he admits he wants to forgive himself, thereby taking the first step toward self-love? A-mazeballs.
The ones that were hard for me to watch (And by this I just mean from an emotional standpoint. They were EXCELLENT episodes):
“Oh, Ye of Little Faith, Father” – Lucifer finds out about Chloe’s betrayal. She admits she’s not sure she can accept him as-is, Devil-face and all. Amazing scene, but also a heartbreaker for Deckerstar shippers such as little old me. We all wanted Chloe to do what Eve does in the next episode – kiss him right on his red, crusty face. But it’s okay that Chloe doesn’t get there right away. Makes it all the more satisfying when she finally reaches that place of acceptance.
“Orgy Pants to Work” – I feel bad for Lucifer, struggling so hard between the two incompatible sides of his life. Just as he decides to do the right thing and embrace his goodness, the bad guy gets away and murders a cop, pushing Lucifer hard in the opposite direction. Amazing yet painful ep. My only complaint would be when Chloe is walking past Lucifer after Rookie Joan’s death, there is no physical contact, not even a sympathetic look from Chloe, though the Devil is obviously devastated. I think she should’ve touched his hand or something. But that could just be the shipper in me talking.
“Super Bad Boyfriend” – Despite the many moments of humor, this was a definite heartbreaker of an episode. Lucifer dumping Eve was hard to watch. I mean, I wanted him to, it was the right thing for all involved, but still rough. I really like the Eve character – she reminds me a bit of the fake personality Candy put on in Season Two, but in Eve’s case it’s 100% real. She’s giddy and excited and naive and genuinely wants everyone to be happy and fulfilled. She just isn’t right for Lucifer, and that is a big, nasty-tasting pill to swallow. But that wasn’t even close to the most painful part of the episode: watching Amenadiel weep for his newfound young friend, watching the angel lose his faith in humanity. Not to mention the final scene of Lucifer admitting his own deep-seated self-hatred. After this brilliant episode, I needed a Band-Aid. Ouch!
More favorite moments:
-The way Chloe just shows up at the crime scene acting totally normal in the premiere – and the way Lucifer spends like five straight minutes just staring at her like WTF? ROFL!
-Maze’s dating montage. I think I died laughing.
-Amenadiel finding out he’ll be a father after spending a fruitless day searching for his purpose on Earth.
-Trixie and Maze make up. We needed this, and they did too.
-Trixie goes to the penthouse to check on Lucifer. 🙂
-Amenadiel comforts Dan, telling him Charlotte is in heaven. Also when Amenadiel talks about Chloe’s dad in the present tense, reminding her that her father is also in heaven. So beautiful. There were several scenes this season that made me believe DB Woodside might actually be an angel. When he cries after Caleb has died, it just rips right through your heart.
-The ultrasound scene. Utterly priceless entertainment.
-Dan in Linda’s office, finally letting go of some of the anger and actually allowing himself to grieve.
-The bar fight, AKA Lucifer kicks ass in time to great music.
-Final scene between Chloe and Lucifer. Gorgeous and achingly sad. Glad it’s not the end after all!
-Ella on ecstasy AND cocaine. Basically the whole opening scene of “Expire Erect.” Gotta be the best in medias res opener ever.
-Maze serenading Eve. I’ll second Lucifer on this one: “I’ll be damned!”
-The devil-wing reveal. Did NOT see that coming. Love the way they cut between Chloe hearing the prophecy for the first time and Lucifer building up to showing the wings to Linda. Great stuff.
-Another great end-of-episode twist – the final moments of “Everything’s Okay,” when we learn that Chloe is up to something and, despite the sweet moment she just shared with Lucifer on his piano bench, everything is very much NOT okay.
-Linda and Amenadiel naming Charlie after Charlotte – could not be more perfect.
-Chloe sees those pretty white wings. Finally! Probably what we’ve all been waiting for the most, and it more than lived up to expectations.
Honestly, there are way too many funny, wonderful, and bittersweet moments to mention them all, but hopefully that gives you just a little taste of what I loved about Season Four! All in all, I felt it was an amazing gift to the fans, and I hope you enjoyed it every bit as much as I did!
~Cass
as the HERO flies... 