Warner Bros. Home Entertainment sent me over a copy of season 1 of Lucifer to take a look at. Since I don’t watch television on the regular, the series completely passed me by, so this was the perfect way to dive into the series as I’m more the binge type. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know what to expect going into Lucifer. Sure, I knew it was about the devil and all, but what sort of show it was eluded me. So it was refreshing to see that this is a much different take on the devil (at least on television) thanks in part to the show being based on the Vertigo comic book series of the same name.
Lucifer as a show is a strong mix of comedy, drama and even a bit of action when the script warrants it. It’s not often that a show can meld multiple styles (most today pick one thing and that’s your lot), but Lucifer leans on some really solid acting from the ensemble case, as well as some fantastic writing talents behind the scenes. The show itself takes place five-years after the titular Lucifer bails on his job as the lord of the underworld. He’s washed up in Los Angles, because of course he has, and runs a fancy nightclub.
This incarnation of Lucifer isn’t one of biblical evil, rather he is just playing a role he was forced into against his will. This means that while he sees evil as needing to be punished in the worst sort of ways, he also sees good and understands humanity on a level him himself may not even understand yet. Lucifer is clearly looking for something new, but what that is is what keeps the series going. During a moment of compassion and realization that a human he had befriended can change, that would other wise be bound for hell, fate steps in and guns Lucifer’s friend down in cold blood without reason in his arms.
This event leads Lucifer meeting a female detective that helps him solve this case as their paths keep crossing during their investigations. The twist is that Detective Decker is someone who Lucifer can’t read or influence. His powers and sway over the opposite sex has no effect on her and this draws him deeper and deeper into the mortal world, first as a mild curiosity over this “problem” and later to find out who he really is and what power, if any, Decker may have. This would be enough of a setup for an oddball buddy cop situation, but the show keeps adding layers upon layers with Lucifer’s brother working his own plans to get Lucifer back to hell, and Decker’s own personal struggles with her struggles as a cop.
Toss in Detective Decker’s interesting family life, Lucifer’s demon friend who is often at odds with her master, and the change sees Lucifer seemingly becoming mortal and you have something truly special. Lucifer season 1 hits all the right notes and leaves the viewer wanting more after every episode. Very early on the story hits hard and fast, even touching on some darker areas of the character, as well as those around him, that you would not expect, especially with so much comedy going on. Detective Decker and Lucifer have a clear connection, but each of them is working to understand who the other truly is and that keeps the viewer really invested.
The name Lucifer no doubt turned a lot of people away from the show just from what/who they think the devil may be, but this is one that deserves a real shot. It’s not at all what you might expect, but I’m glad Fox took a chance with this one. There are so many reasons why a show like this just shouldn’t work, and yet here I am saying how much it does. It’s a comic book property, of which there are now dozens on television, but it’s source material is so different from those standard hero books that you would never even know it was a comic. In fact, a friend of mine that raved all year about the show didn’t even know it was based on the Vertigo comic until we got to talking about season 1 last night.
Season 1 consists of 13 episodes (a lucky number) and each is strong in their own way. The way the show is laid out, having so many primary and secondary plotlines going on all season, there really isn’t any filler episodes in the traditional sense. That being said there are a few real standouts that show how good the show can really get. Episode 7 in particular is one that I would be quite happy watching a few times just to see the acting on display. Lucifer has no wings as me had the cut off upon expulsion, but he keeps them stored away as they are things of divine nature and a connection to his past. Falling into human hands would mean terrible things, so after having them stolen he must join forces with his brother to get them back. It’s a really great story that continues from the previous episode, which is something the writers really like doing. Instead of treating each episode as its own little universe/story, Lucifer unwinds a string throughout the entire episode.
While I am a huge fan of Lucifer, it isn’t without a few issues, although minor in my opinion. Clearly there is something special here, but there are distinct limitations with the effects budget. We never get to see Lucifer’s brother take flight, instead panning to Lucifer looking up to the night sky. This works, sure, but after so many times you know it’s because it was too expensive to create, even when the scene would work much better by showing it. This budget thing pops up a lot, and any driving scene that requires filming from the cab looks really silly. It’s clearly a green screen behind them, but it often looks like it did in the 1950s. There was more than one occasion were this was super distracting and took away from the acting. The same can be said of Lucifer himself when he turns into his devil form. It doesn’t happen a lot, which I like, but when it happens it tends looks like a cheap B-movie mask. Here’s to hoping season 2 gets a bump in the budget as the show really deserves it.
The DVD box-set that Warner Bros. sent over contains season 1 across three discs. It’s pretty basic, but there are some neat extra features for fans of the show. You get four character profiles that dive into the main players, including a feature on our main pair of Lucifer and Decker. You also get the traditional deleted scenes and a nice little gag reel that is always fun on these box-sets. Lastly is the 2015 San Diego Comic Con panel in its entirety. It’s a cool look into a panel that most fans didn’t/ would never get to see. Heck, I was at Comic-Con in 2015 and even I missed it. Then again I also missed this summers season 2 panel as well. Here’s to hoping Warner Bros. gets me on the list for next summer as a third season would be nice if the show continues like it is.
All I know is that I’ll be reviewing season 2 when it airs, so be ready for reading more of my ramblings on the prince of darkness and pals!
The Lucifer Season 1 DVD Box-Set (Blu-ray also available) is out now and will run you $27.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-Complete-First-Season/dp/B01G43HC66
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