As soon as Netflix dropped new episodes for part two of season five of “Lucifer”, fans started binge-watching.
This devilishly charming fantasy dramedy has left fans spellbound from season one, which, admittedly, raised hell among a small group of noisemakers who found the series blasphemous.
I, on the other hand, salute Tom Kapinos for his ballsy move to take a well-known subject matter and have a bit of tastefully creative fun with it.
They couldn’t have found a better anchor to slip into the skin of Lucifer Morningstar than Tom Ellis.
Honestly, he is to this role what Kiefer Sutherland was to ‘24’, what Wentworth Miller was to ‘Prison Break’, what William H Macy has been to “ Shameless”, what David Duchovney was to “Californication” and what Idris Elba is to “Luther”: a match made in heaven.
I have been raving about this show since it started. Late bloomers caught on after it started marking a noise. Better late than never, I guess.
This series boasts some of the best tongue-in-cheek humour.
The writers ensure the heavy drama and emotional hang-ups of the characters are wonderfully offset by comedy.
Now let’s dive into the first episode of 5B, titled “Family Dinner”.
There was plenty of heat at the table but it wasn’t from the food. Holy s**t just about sums it up.
So Michael’s (also played by Ellis) ungodly acts on earth have prompted God (Dennis Haysbert) to show up.
Of course, while Michael is delighted to see good old dad, Lucifer is spitting fire. Meanwhile, Amenadiel (D. B. Woodside), the eldest angel brother, attempts to keep the peace.
After being adamant about not wanting to attend the dinner, the case Lucifer has been working on with Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) helps change his mind.
He arrives with his larger-than-life personality and soufflé in hand.
He says to his father, “I brought soufflé; risen perfectly just as you like it.”
Of course, God, being the creator and knower of all, is the epitome of calm. He’s just glad to have the family together.
Lucifer then says to Amenadiel, “I’m glad you persuaded me to come brother, even though dad has been a real a**.”
No amount of wine could ease the tension at the dinner table. And it wasn’t long before the family gathering disintegrated into a screaming match with Lucifer venting about Michael’s bad behaviour.
Michael cheekily asked: “What are you complaining about, you got a kingdom for bad behaviour.”
This incensed Lucifer even more.
He screamed: “Being forced to torture souls for hundreds of thousands of years. You’ve no idea, you had it easy...what could be worse?”
To which, Michael responded: “Sharing the same face as you . Guess what, when your twin is the light bringer you have no choice but to live in the shadows.”
Lucifer fired back: “You were dealt the same hand, the same face, the same bloody shoulders, except you had a chip on yours so big you managed to self actualise it. You have no one to blame but yourself for who you are.”
The blame game continued until God made his fury known.
“And there is the Old Testament wrath,” said Lucifer.
Linda (Rachael Harris), despite gulping down copious amounts of wine while watching the family dysfunction play out, then started laughing.
To her, as a psychotherapist, it was a simple issue and a “wonderfully normal” scenario - except for the rain - as it was about three sons wanting their father’s love as they don’t feel they are getting it.
Of course, Lucifer rubbished the suggestion.
He felt that God should admit to being a bad father.
He added: “Michael and I don’t agree on much but the one thing we have in common is you dad. I mean if all the apples are bad maybe it’s the tree that’s the problem.
He pushed for a response to his question: “Dad, do you love us?”
His father responded: “If I have to tell you, then I really have failed.”
Talk about an explosive return.
This episode was lit. The writers also explore the knock-on effect Lucifer’s fallout with his dad is having in his personal life.
Meanwhile, Michael hasn’t given up on his mission despite being banished from Earth. And Mazikeen (Lesley-Ann Brandt) is spiraling more out of control after her request for a soul is turned down.
“Lucifer” offers a maelstrom of upsets intertwined with heart-warming moments and will keep fans glued to their screens.
“Lucifer” is streaming on Netflix.