When I believed Lucifer could not get more biblical, the fifth season pushes the proverbial envelope further. Evil twin? Check. Rivalries over God’s love? Double-check. Parentage problems between demons, angels, and the Devil? Triple check.
The fourth season indicated the string’ fan-fuelled foray from network television to OTT stage Netflix — shot on a saucier tone using enhanced CG animation. Plot-wise also, we finally found the culmination of a romantic relationship between Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) and Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). But then, Lucifer has to go to Hell, literally. He had been set back to his original work as the original undertaker after a teary emotional goodbye with Chloe, along with his sinful and sun-basked playground, Los Angeles.
The trailer made it pretty apparent that Lucifer, who makes his way into Los Angeles at the beginning of the season, is not Lucifer at all, but instead archangel and twin brother Michael. Sporting an American twang and an ensemble, Lucifer would not be caught dead — pun intended — in, his duty is to wreak havoc on the Los Angeles Lucifer left. Tom Ellis demonstrates that playing with twins is a piece of cake; he still makes Michael somewhat likable, someone who brings out the absolute Devil in his or her brother.
Of course, Lucifer has to come back to the human world to shield Chloe and keep his twin check. However, what dwindles is your fight between evil and more evil, and what takes its place is a love that becomes predictable at some things, and — to my dismay, it starts to feel really’composed’ and inorganic.
Luckily, season five makes sense for the much more interesting character arc of Mazikeen, yet again. The Maze is famous for her loyalty, but this time, we finally see her paying devotion to herself as she takes stock of her connections as well as the other elements around her.
Among my favorite television characters — not just for her daring style of leathers and dark colors –Maze is layered. She is adorable for all her flaws while she proceeds to seek out the facts of her individuality. She had started off the show as Lucifer’s loyal torturer and willing slave, but her period amongst humans brings out a yearning for her real purpose. Her connection with Lucifer fights for an equal floor, which has witnessed her accept female friendships and also the power of sisterhoods. This translates to her quest to find her mother, Lilith, whom she also portrays in a flashback noir episode’Once Upon A Time.’
The Maze we see in season five is addressing abandonment, owing to the passing of Eve (of Adam and Eve) with whom she fell in love during season four. Lesley-Ann Brandt is no stranger to playing characters in pain; her performance as a slave girl Naevia at Spartacus reveals for it. With more screen-time and intense monologues, Maze becomes a fundamental character for now five. As crowds, we cannot help but an ebb and flow along with Maze’s volatile nature because she swings from childlike piety to complete heartbreak to unadulterated love to seething vengeance.
Meanwhile, the psychotherapist Linda Martin (Rachael Harris) and Lucifer’s brother Amendiel (D. B. Woodside) are in parental paradise; having delivered their child, Charlie, at the end of season four. With this comes plenty of danger, including that in the kind of Michael — and we get to watch Linda’s fiery protectiveness, which is a thrill to see, baby danger aside.
Finally, getting an arc of her own is forensic scientist Ella Lopez (Aimee Garcia), who’s swept off her feet by a tabloid journalist who hates his job. But she also deals with her attraction to the dark side, despite her bubbly personality and penchant for toony T-shirts. Not getting much screen-time this season is Dan Espinoza, but it turns out that celebrity Kevin Alejandro sat in the director’s chair for two episodes, one of which once Upon A Time’.
Despite its pitfalls, season five of Lucifer is a homage to the constant chaos reflected in the DC Comics (upon which the series is based) and in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. It’s simple to binge-watch all eight episodes in one sitting, as I did so. Thankfully, there is still a lot to explore in the Lucifer world; enthusiasts (myself included) are still waiting for Constantine, the famed exorcist, to create an appearance. Season six, anyone?