Lucifer is back! Oh, it's been far too long.
Lee is genuinely one of my favorite characters on this show. I love how he starts off each season and watching his and Lucifer's dynamic change each time. Naturally, I assumed that the same thing would happen here, that he was just going to have a quick, funny scene to get the ball rolling. That did not happen.
Honestly, it's pretty clever of the show to use this reoccurring character as our first murder victim. The audience already knows him and maybe is already invested in him. And it helps to explain why Lucifer would go to all of this trouble to solve this particular murder.
I loved how the murder investigations paralleled each other in the beginning. There was some really fun camera work as we transitioned from Hell to LA and back again. And the investigations fed into each other. Chloe chased the hitman into an untimely death, and Lucifer used that same hitman's body to point her in the direction that she needed to go. (Awesome moment and scene, by the way. The demon was right, it was gross, but I loved it.)
But even as they helped each other and traced similar paths, it was clear that there was a massive, gaping emotional hole in both of them. It's been two months (or thousands of years) and while Lucifer had to leave in order to keep the demons from rebelling, it clearly didn't make the separation any easier. They even had similar coping mechanisms: throw themselves into work and find a replacement. Chloe was a bit more successful at it, I think, but then again she's had to deal with it for a shorter amount of time. Tom Ellis was absolutely fantastic, not that I expect anything else from him, at transitioning between suave King of Hell and angry, heartbroken Lucifer. His pain as he waved away the LA skyline was palpable.
I think I enjoyed Chloe and Maze's dynamic slightly more than Lucifer and Lee's, though, but it was awfully close. It was the interrogation scene. I'm a sucker for characters who can read each other's minds and have entire conversations with just one or two words. The kiss did feel awkward, uncomfortable, and a little out of place, but I can understand that it is a pattern for Maze to place romantic attachments onto relationships when she's in a poor emotional place. And she's definitely in a poor emotional place, thanks to both Lucifer and Eve leaving. Just look at what she did to the poor piano. (No! Not the piano!) I can't imagine that she'll be too pleased to see Lucifer back, especially if it's to save his Detective's life. Or maybe I should say "Lucifer" since we apparently have a doppelgänger on our hands.
Now, the trailers gave away what exactly is going on with "Lucifer" at the end there, which makes me just a little bit sad. I won't speculate on what it means or what's going on or what could come next just in case anyone's managed to stay spoiler free so far. I'll just say that I'm... cautiously optimistic and leave it at that. And that even though I was expecting it, the realization that Lucifer was still standing there in Hell while Chloe was holding an imposter was pretty powerful.
Also, looking back at the scene where "Lucifer" and Chloe fight Lee's crew, there are some nice hints that this isn't our Lucifer. He acted like Chloe didn't make him vulnerable; there was no fear or worry or concern when he had guns pointed at him.
One last point before I wrap up this review. We all know by now that cases aren't exactly Lucifer's strong suit, but the actual details of this one admittedly felt particularly disappointing. Lee's old crew being responsible for his death just felt like it came out of nowhere, like it was the answer just so that Chloe would be in a situation that she needed saving from. But I suppose that the case technically isn't over yet. We still don't know where all the missing money in the safe went, after all.
... Okay, so it's pretty obvious that the sister stole it, but the point still stands. Hopefully we get a better resolution to the case next episode.
Random Thoughts
Oof. Seeing that picture of Charlotte on Dan's desk hurt more than I expected it to.
Speaking of Dan, he was less of a character this episode and more of a plot device for other characters' development. I really hope that he gets a decent storyline this season.
I really like Chloe's new hair.
Trixie is looking significantly older, especially considering how little time as actually passed.
Ella, you deserve more than the skinhead with a neck tattoo.
There's still bubblewrap in Linda's house. That made me giggle. Also baby Charlie is freaking adorable.
This is only Part 1 of Season 5. Unfortunately, Part 2 does not have a release date yet. Also! This was supposed to be the final season, but we got renewed for Season Six! It'll be interesting viewing this through the lens of a "Supposed to Be" final season.
Programming Note: I'll be posting a new review every other day, so stay tuned!
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An Honest Fangirl has dearly missed this show and is very, very glad to have something to binge again.
Trixie sure had a growth spurt, didn't she? So glad Lucifer is back!
ReplyDeleteYay! Lucifer is back!
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see Lucifer and Chloe solving the same crime, even if, sadly, it was in two different realities. I wasn't happy about the doppelganger situation. Personally, I haven't been spoiled because I heard about the trailer and avoided watching it.
The bubble wrap still covering every surface of Linda's house made me laugh, too. :)
I'm really happy Lucifer is back ands glad that they've found avenues to take the show that feel fresh. However, it kept bothering me that if thousands of years passed in Hell while it was only months on Earth... wouldn't the two investigations not be able to happen at the same rate? They simply wouldn't be in sync, time wise, to be able to "collaborate".
ReplyDeleteIt struck me that the episode starts someplace so different from the usual haunts in LA. Not that a hot tub is especially unique, so I can't quite put my finger on it, but the opening on the ship seemed a little more confident.
ReplyDeleteI was happy to see Trixie back, even if older. And she still has the magic touch.
I am so thrilled that Dan is not a raging jerk this season! So much so that I will grant him plenty of time to find his arc.
I avoided the trailer, and I don't mind the imposter angle if short-lived, but it'll be painful if it's dragged out for the full half-season. Maybe I'm still scarred by the length of the Pierce arc.
Lee was surprisingly insightful. Great that he got a bigger role than simply the comic relief. I already look forward to the first episode of season 6!
I'm wonder when Lucifer will finally treat Chloe as a partner. Pretty rotten how he unilaterally decided to go back to Hell without even talking it through with her, and doesn't seem to be working with her on coming back either. He still has some room to grow.
Season four was so extraordinarily good that I knew it would be a hard act to follow. But this season’s premiere felt really “off” to me for some reason — I just couldn’t fully engage with any of the storylines. Admittedly, with Lucifer stuck in Hell, many of the best elements were absent: no sessions with Dr. Linda, no witty dialogue, no playful interactions with the other characters, and no piano. It took most of the episode for me to finally identify the crux of the problem: Lucifer himself was missing.
ReplyDeleteIn this episode, the Lucifer we know and love was gone. Ellis was almost too effective at portraying resignation, soul-deep weariness, and aching loss (“Back to your torture, and me to mine.”). I was utterly convinced that Lucifer had been hollowed out by thousands of years of unrelenting drudgery, with no hope of it ever ending for the rest of eternity. His wistful recollections of Los Angeles were heart-breaking.
By the end of the episode, we still didn’t have “our” Lucifer back, and while the plot and characterizations were solid, I just didn’t enjoy this episode like I normally do. I guess it just reinforces how vital Ellis’ portrayal of Lucifer has been to the success of this show.
Two things I’m furious about:
1) It is clear by the structure of this episode that the reveal of a Lucifer imposter was supposed to be a shocking surprise. I am careful to avoid spoilers, but it was impossible to miss the network trumpeting Ellis’ dual role at every opportunity. This unnecessarily robbed an otherwise chilling reveal of most of its impact. Shame on you, Netflix.
2) It saddens me that actresses are pressured into disfiguring themselves with Botox and fillers. Last season it was German, and this season it is Harris. I had no choice but to avert my eyes from her frozen forehead and distorted lips because her visage was so distracting I could not concentrate on her dialogue.
As for the greater mythology of the show, I am still struggling to make sense of the rules of Hell. Trapping people in eternal torture because of guilt only seems to punish people who are capable of guilt — does this mean that psychopaths get off Scott free? And Lee’s guilt was that he didn’t connect with his family — that’s hardly a transgression on par with actual violent crimes, and yet he is doomed to eternal Hell loops of getting shot over and over? If I recall, a multiple murderer (S2E13 “A Good Day To Die”) has a much easier time of it in Hell than Lee does. This is blatant injustice. Is the God of this universe inept, or a sadist?