No point in denying it. We’re pretty big fans of the Devil.
At least, we are when it comes to the version played to utter perfection by Tom Ellis on TV’s Lucifer. Based on the perennial Vertigo series and the version of the character first seen in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, the Fox series has managed to transcend its procedural format into something more unexpected largely on the strength of Ellis’s go-for-broke performance. Embracing the Devil’s arrogance, while offsetting it with considerable charm and occasional glimpses of his underlying pathos, Lucifer Morningstar has become one of the more indelible characters on network TV. The things he says are often offensive and certainly selfish and petty. His partner, the usually stoic Detective Chloe Decker, should find his antics toxic. And yet she, like us, can’t quite get enough of him. It looks like Van Halen had it right. Running with the Devil is quite a way to live.
And yet, where the Devil has run over the course of Lucifer’s season hasn’t exactly been all that far. He encourages and often provokes bad behavior each night at his club, Lux. He spars with his brother Amenadiel. He airs his demons (figuratively speaking…so far) to his therapist Dr. Linda Martin. And of course, he helps Detective Decker solve crimes because why not?
We suspect that last activity won’t be changing any time soon, though tonight’s season finale suggests that there may be some big changes coming to the rest of Lucifer’s life. So without going into spoilers, let’s tease four potentially big game changers that you’ll see in tonight’s season finale.
Lucifer and Amenadiel…Partners?
Don’t worry. Chloe’s not going anywhere. But after the events of last week’s episode and its cliffhanger ending, Lucifer finds himself working separately from the detective and partnering up with his not-always-so-angelic brother. The new dynamic between Lucifer and Amenadiel works, in part because it allows them to drop all pretenses of being human. A big aspect of this involves being able to act as the immortal badasses they both are, but it’s also great to hear more about their existence prior to coming to Earth.
We also discover that Amenadiel has something of a nickname for Lucifer, which we won’t spoil, but we do hope it sticks.
Dr. Martin Loses Patience with her Patient
Lucifer may be a great club owner, a solid musician and a surprisingly good friend to the people he lets into his life, but he has to be a frustrating patient for the well-meaning Dr. Martin. Frequently denying or completely misconstruing her suggestions and advice, he uses Dr. Martin to affirm his theories about what he needs in his life, which are almost always entirely off the mark. The few times the good doctor has been able to get Lucifer to open up his defenses, the result has often been shocking—like a fist imprint in her wall. Combine that with the way she’s been outright deceived by Amenadiel, who has been passing himself off as a fellow psychologist, and can you blame her for finally losing it in tonight’s episode?
The result is a joint session with both Lucifer and Amenadiel which feels more like a pair of high school troublemakers getting sent to the principal’s office than it does a supportive therapy session. Yes, Lucifer arrives at an important realization, but one has to wonder if he’ll be looking for a new therapist come next season.
Detective Espinoza Gets Name Checked
Considering the fun dynamic and undeniable chemistry between Lucifer and Chloe, you have to feel a bit for Detective Espinoza. Over the season, we’ve learned that while he’s made mistakes, his intentions are good. He’s looking for redemption and to do the right thing. Heck, even his suspicion of Lucifer makes perfect sense beyond simple jealousy. After all, this is a cop whose past transgressions have taught him that people aren’t always what they seem. And when the person in question is a nightclub owner who claims he’s the devil that somehow has managed to become his ex’s informal partner, what the heck is he supposed to think?
But still, it’s a thankless role. He keeps coming between Chloe and Lucifer, and no one wants to see that. It’s why people love Lucifer’s mildly NSFW nickname for him. However, in tonight’s episode, Lucifer—for the first time we can recall—calls him by his real name. Why he does that and what that means going forward, we don’t want to spoil for you. But when you see it, we’re pretty sure you’ll agree with us that there’s some real significance behind Lucifer’s little name check.
To Hell and Back
Tonight also gives us our first glimpse at Lucifer’s former domain. No, comic fans, you’re not going to see Lucifer mixing it up with Azazel and Beelzebub, but it’s still a pretty chilling sequence that leads into (pun fully intended) one hell of a cliffhanger. Obviously, we’re not going to ruin it for you, but the whole thing hints at a new overarching direction for Lucifer next season and a promise that we’ll soon be learning even more about his past and the world he comes from. Or rather, we will as soon as we get through the show’s summer hiatus.
Lucifer’s season finale, “Take Me Back to Hell,” airs tonight at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. CST) on Fox.