87.0Score
Table of Contents
*SPOILERS AHEAD *
Lucifer season 5B released on Netflix on May 28, 2021 at 12:30 pm IST.
The cast shines in these eight episodes.
Each of the actors gets a story that puts the spotlight on their character, with support from the rest of the team.
Lucifer Season 5 Episode 9: “Family Dinner”
Lucifer writers are truly the queens and kings of the slow burn. Sure, the show is all about the Devil and things get pretty heated in hell, but the second half of season 5 starts off with the slowest burn of all. (That’s a compliment because there is nothing slow about the episode)
“Family Dinner” picks up right where the mid-season finale episode “Spoiler Alert” left off. God (Dennie Haysbert) shows up in time to keep Lucifer and Amenadiel from tearing Michael and Maze apart. Once time starts back up, Chloe tries to confront Lucifer, who had been on the brink of telling her how he felt but now he’s regressed and needs space.
Lucifer writers are at their best when they’re taking fans to the absolute edge before pulling things back again. Just when it seems like Lucifer and Chloe are about to sort themselves out, they don’t.
The dinner scene is one of the best scenes in five seasons, thanks in large part to Rachael Harris.
There is a very powerful and poignant moment when God holds his grandson. God is holding a Black baby boy and there’s no mistaking the heaviness of the moment. Nothing needs to be said because it speaks for itself. God knows that this child, who is a mortal and not a divine creature like his father, will face all of the perils that mortals face, coupled with the additional challenges of growing up as a Black man today.
The mid-season premiere is clearly a precursor to whatever is coming in later episodes. While there is some resolution from the first half of the season, there are breadcrumbs that hint at more drama yet to come. God is sticking around (on a futon, no less), Michael seems to be gone but he’s probably close by, Amenadiel is still struggling with Charlie’s mortality and Deckerstar is in flux.
Lucifer Season 5 Episode 10: “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam”
The Lucifer musical episode did not disappoint. Unlike other shows that take on musical episodes, it was easy enough to explain why everyone was singing in “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam”: God willed it. Dennis Haysbert’s God shows up at a crime scene to watch his son work. His presence leads everyone to break out in song – including the recently deceased.
Chloe meets God, and she shocks the hell out of Lucifer (literally) when she tells him that he has been a horrible father and that Lucifer deserves better. (Respectfully, of course)
As musical episodes go, “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam” is a home run. Each song fits perfectly with the character or group of characters performing it, and they also tie into the episode’s story perfectly.
Though it’s a lighthearted episode (as much as such a thing is possible – they are trying to solve a murder, after all) there is some heavy material in the episode that sets up the reason God is on Earth. He’s losing control of his powers and he doesn’t know what to do about it. Anyone who has ever dealt with a parent dealing with an illness, especially one that impacts their mental capacity, will be hit right in the feels with the final moments of the episode.
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 11: “Resting Devil Face”
The fallout from God’s admission about losing control of his powers continues in “Resting Devil Face.” Lucifer and Amenadiel immediately confront their dear ol’ dad for answers, but he’s busy fixing the plumbing at Lux because why not? Amenadiel doesn’t think that things are as bad as Lucifer suggests, but when God shows up at a crime scene and announces that he has denounced his powers (temporarily), all hell breaks loose.
It turns out that God left his powers with Baby Charlie, and once his powers are restored he tells Maze she might have a soul after all, and he also thanks Dan for being there for Charlotte in ways he never could be. God is taking time to do these things because he believes it’s time to pass the torch. God needs to retire, but he stops short of naming a successor, leaving Amenadiel and Lucifer wondering who it should be.
The tone in “Resting Devil Face” is decidedly darker than the previous two episodes, but in a way it offers a much more hopeful tone as God starts to reveal that his children might be better off than they realized. He builds them up so that they’re prepared to deal with his retirement, proving that he’s willing to learn from past mistakes and help his sons to see how much he cares about them.
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 12: “Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid”
Daniel Espinoza is having a terrible day. In “Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid” the good detective is sent on an errand to fetch a prisoner who is being transferred. He connects with an old cop buddy who used to work with Dan during his dark days and thus begins an odyssey that Dan is not likely to forget.
If you’re keeping track, Dan gets nailed in the head several times throughout the episode, managing to wake up on the floor in various states of undress each time. He goes to Lucifer for help (yes, Dan needs a favor from Lucifer) and then things spiral out of control.
The brilliance of this episode comes in how much trouble keeps piling on top of Dan, no matter what he does to stop it. In the end it’s revealed that Lucifer orchestrated everything, much to Dan’s chagrin. Oddly enough, the whole thing ends up being cathartic for Dan, who has been wound up like a top since discovering Lucifer’s true nature.
Over the course of five seasons, Dan has gone from “Detective Douche” to a true friend for Amenadiel and Maze. He’s a beloved member of the team, known for moments of comedic relief and his ability to always be there when his friends need him.
Kevin Alejandro is a brilliant actor. He can go from silly to serious in the blink of an eye, and he manages to make Dan the guy we love to root for and the guy we love to torture. It’s a fine line, but Alejandro pulls it off perfectly.
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 13: “A Little Harmless Stalking”
This Linda-centric episode is a reminder of the lengths a mother will go for her child, even when she never knew that child to begin with.
Earlier in season 5, Linda reveals that she had a baby that she put up for adoption. She never knew anything about her daughter until she started looking into her life, discovering that she’s a real estate agent. When her daughter Adriana is implicated in a murder, Linda steps in and confesses to the crime even though it’s obvious that she had nothing to do with it.
Thus begins a journey of discovery for Linda as she tries to gain insight into her daughter’s life from her position as an outsider.
In this episode, Eve is brought back, this time with maze having a soul & eve realizing she truly wants to be with Maze, the two hit it off, & it is a full circle on Maze’s Plotline with her in the earlier seasons being just a demon, to her evolving into someone she loves.
“A Little Harmless Stalking” is a special episode because it celebrates the bond a parent shares with a child, which ties into the larger theme of the season as Lucifer and Amenadiel cope with their feelings toward their father.
Rachael Harris brings so much warmth to Linda but seeing her try to convince her friends that she’s a killer is also priceless. (Let’s face it, she’s Linda…)
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 14: “Nothing Lasts Forever”
Lucifer and Chloe talk about his decision to become God on the way to their next crime scene.
God goes golfing with Amenadiel and they hash out their issues, and He shows emotions like a father should to his children.
And God finally has a long chat with Ella and is able to help her see past the darkness she thinks is inside of her. Even though she doesn’t know who he is, she connects with his message in just the right way.
In the end, Lucifer pulls some strings with Gabriel and is able to get a message to Charlotte’s dimension. Charlotte (Tricia Helfer) shows up to see her former husband, who is ready to make amends and show her how he feels after all these years. He decides to join her in her dimension, leaving his sons to figure things out.
After God gets his happy ending, it’s revealed that while Gabriel was in Charlotte’s dimension, she also did a favor for Michael and picked up Azrael’s blade. Once the flaming sword has been restored, he’ll be able to force Lucifer’s hand and claim the throne as his own.
With two episodes left in the season, “Nothing Lasts Forever” feels like the calm before the storm. It’s an episode where everyone is able to settle their squabbles and find the peace they need as the fight heats up to take over God’s throne in heaven.
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 15: “Is This Really How It’s Going To End!?”
Now that God is gone, Lucifer quickly tries to convince his siblings that he’s the one to take over. While he thinks it’s a done deal, he realizes that not all of his siblings trust him enough for the job.
Lucifer pauses for a conversation with his brother, the Angel of Righteousness. In his growing frustration, he admits he’s making such a strong case for the throne because of his love for Chloe. He hopes that by becoming God he’ll finally be worthy of her love.
This episode hit hard. All of the 5B episodes have been around an hour in length, but this one felt longer because it became heavier and heavier as it went along.
The last time there was a major death on the show was when Charlotte died at the end of season 3. Dan has been with the series from the very beginning, and his loss hits the group so hard that it will likely resonate through the rest of the show. Now, there’s always the possibility that he could come back; after all, this is a show about celestials who control everything that happens between heaven and hell. But for now, he’s definitely dead and buried and no one will be the same.
Dan’s loss hits Trixie very hard. Lucifer has always had the most adorable “love-hate” relationship with Chloe’s daughter; he can see the pain in her eyes and he hates it. When Lucifer talks to Linda at the end of the episode, his goal of becoming God makes sense. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer anymore. But can’t he pull off a win in the biggest battle of all?
Lucifer Season 5, Episode 16: “A Chance at a Happy Ending”
The season finale is overshadowed by Dan’s death. The group is still reeling from his loss; Lucifer is shaken by Michael’s role in everything that has happened, Maze is struggling to contain her grief, and Chloe is shocked to learn that Dan is actually in hell.
There’s no avoiding the battle that’s brewing between Michael and Lucifer, but what’s surprising is how little support Lucifer has to become God. Nevertheless, Lucifer, Amenadiel, and Chloe show up at the LA Coliseum for the big battle.
When Michael kills Chloe, Lucifer puts everything on the line as he races to heaven to rescue her. The ring of immortality protects him from being incinerated in the Silver City, and he passes it to Chloe in time to send her back to earth. Before she goes, he manages to tell her he loves her.
When Chloe gets back she realizes she still has Amenadiel’s necklace in her hand, which gives her superhuman strength. She fights Michael and is about to kill him when Lucifer returns. He’s unharmed and he chops Michael’s wings off instead of killing him.
Lucifer discovers that all of his efforts seem to have worked. He’s God now.
The episode ends with everyone bowing before him.
The finale is one of the strongest episodes of the season, offering fans answers, action, and those three little words everyone has been dying to hear.
It’s not often that shows manage to have satisfying seasons, but Lucifer 5B delivered on all fronts. It might have delivered too well because I’m dying to know what happens next. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait too long for answers…
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