Lucifer- The Complete Series Blu-ray Review
Not even Tom Ellis can save “Lucifer.”
Based on the DC Vertigo comic character, 2016’s “Lucifer” is a Fox turned Netflix TV series that lasted 6 seasons. The story revolves around the Devil himself (AKA Lucifer Morningstar) who leaves Hell to go to L.A. where he runs a nightclub called Lux. Lucifer is capable of making people reveal their desires and secrets. This comes in handy when he investigates the death of a pop star which leads him to meet an LAPD Detective (Chloe). From here on out his life is forever changed. Not only does Lucifer become an LAPD consultant, but he also develops a strong connection with Chloe which evolves over time.
Throughout the series, there are storylines involving the other main characters which include Maze (a bartender/demon), Chloe’s ex-husband (Detective Dan) and her daughter (Trixie), Amenadiel (Lucifer’s brother and an angel who is trying to bring Lucifer back to Hell), Dr. Linda Martin (a psychotherapist that Lucifer sees), and LAPD forensic scientist Ella. Much of the show is a case of the week procedural format involving murder, missing persons, serial killers and so forth, but the show also digs into the lore of the characters. Expect to see key plots about Lucifer’s missing wings, a shady Detective (Malcolm), Lucifer’s mother in a human body (Charlotte), a loss of powers from the non-humans, Lucifer’s other brother Uriel, Azrael’s dagger, a crime boss named Sinnerman, Lt. Pierce (who is not what he seems), character departures, a Priest (Kinley), Linda and Amenadiel’s relationship, Adam and Eve, Lucifer’s twin brother Michael, Chloe discovering more about herself, God, and an angel named Rory (who has a big secret).
“Lucifer” is nothing if not a frustrating series. It has a perfect set-up (a dramatic and comedic series about Lucifer leaving Hell for L.A.) and a fantastic lead actor in Tom Ellis who carries the show with his swagger and charisma, but the series squanders all of its potential for safe serialized storytelling. Instead of solely relying on the lore, the series (which is developed by Tom Kapinos) goes a police procedural route which sucks all of the creative energy out of the show. As you can imagine, the best elements of the show deal with Lucifer and the lore about Heaven and Hell. The worst elements deal with the “case of the week” stories that always feel like a distraction from the more engaging storylines going on.
The series also suffers from standard TV trappings. You’ve got the blaring popular music, you’ve got the cliched “will they or won’t they” romance developing between the lead characters Lucifer and Chloe, you’ve got storylines drawn out to eternity like Lucifer revealing himself to Chloe, and there’s a whole host of plots involving characters saying they want to do something but it’s drug out for multiple seasons (see Charlotte and Amenadiel). The series gets stuck in a loop (much like the ones we see in the show itself) and exhausts its premise well before the final season rolls around (which was ultimately highly unsatisfying).
Even though the show didn’t work for me personally, “Lucifer” did amass a loyal fanbase and will certainly appeal to fans of series like “Supernatural” or “Angel.” Plus, it’s worth checking out for Tom Ellis alone.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The show looks supremely sharp in hi-def with each season looking better than the next.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From the thumping music to the dialogue, the 5.1 tracks deliver.
Extras:
* Deleted scenes from all six seasons.
* Gag reels for all seasons except 4.
* 2015 and 2017 San Diego Comic-Con Panels
* Character profiles for Amenadiel, Chloe Decker, Linda and Dan
* “Devilish Duo” revolves around Tom Ellis and Lauren German.
* “Lucifer Morningstar” promo with Tom Ellis.
* “Reinventing Lucifer In The City Of Angels”- A featurette on the L.A. setting and characters with cast and crew interviews.
* “Lucifer Returns! Bringing The Hit Show To L.A.”- A featurette on the show returning to L.A.
* “Off Script With Tom And Tom”- A 3 part interview between Tom Ellis and Tom Welling.
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