by Jackie Dale
Lucifer on Fox—Mondays @ 9 p.m.
Comedy-Drama/Rated R! (Jackie’s rating)
Since the dawn of time, Lucifer has been portrayed in endless forms and blamed for every conceivable evil in the world. He is called, among others, the Devil, Satan, Beelzebub, and the Prince of Darkness. Without going into any deep theological discussions, Lucifer is what is known as the original fallen angel. Lucifer was created by God and was considered to be “a perfect being.” When Lucifer turned out to be a rebel and a party animal, God was deeply and bitterly disappointed. Lucifer threatened to leave and take his like-minded angel friends with him, and God got really angry. I think we all know that pissing off God is a really bad idea. Lucifer and his cronies were banished to the Underworld where his job was to dole out punishments to the sinners condemned to his domain, also known as Hell. In one episode, Lucifer, angry that someone had taken it upon themselves to enact punishment on another proclaimed, “Punishing people is my job! I like giving people their due, it makes me happy.”
The devilishly handsome Tom Ellis plays the part of Lucifer. His delicious British accent only enhances Lucifer’s charm and pervasive personality. The basic premise of the show is that Lucifer has become bored with the relentless day-to-day drudgery of torturing the souls of the damned and decides he wants to quit. So Lucifer Morningstar, (Lucifer in Latin translates to “bringer of light” or “Morning star”), decides to abandon his throne and go to live in the world above. With the help of his best friend Mazikeen ‘Maze,’ portrayed by Lesley-Ann Brandt, Lucifer cuts off his wings to send the message that he is serious about leaving. So where does Lucifer choose to relocate? Why, Los Angeles of course. When queried as to why he chose L.A., Lucifer replies, “Where else would I go?” Now I’m not certain if that is because it is the “City of Angels” or because it is a city rife with sinners, but either way, it seemed an appropriate choice.
Lucifer needs something to do, and with his predilections for wine, women, and song, he and Maze open an upscale nightclub called Lux. Maze is not particularly happy with her new lot in life and yearns to return to her life in the underworld. She, after all, is not the beautiful young woman she appears to be, but is in fact, a fierce demon. She constantly tries to convince Lucifer to return to their rightful home. Lucifer, however, is quite happy in the upper world and has no intention of going anywhere. Maze is a faithful friend who won’t leave without Lucifer.
One night a young woman is brutally murdered outside of Lux. Lucifer meets Detective Chloe Decker, played by Lauren German, and is intrigued by her desire to deliver justice no matter what. Something about the requisitely attractive Chloe also triggers an unexpected vulnerability in Lucifer. Lucifer is shocked to discover that when Chloe is around, he becomes a bit more of a mortal. For example, he bleeds. Chloe does not believe that Lucifer is who he says he is, but she is fascinated by his abilities and grudgingly accepts his help.
Lucifer begins to help the police to the point where he eventually is hired as an LAPD consultant. Lucifer finds much satisfaction in helping the victimized and downtrodden, and he begins to wonder if there might possibly be hope for his soul after all. He feels so conflicted by these feelings that he seeks out the help of a therapist. He manages to find a therapist with a very relaxed attitude and virtually no ethics. Dr. Linda Martin, (Rachael Harris), is fascinated by Lucifer to the point that well, let’s just say that Linda is open to bartering for her services.
At this point one has by now figured out that this is not a show for children. There is violence and quite a lot of sexual innuendo, hence my self imposed “R” rating. As Lucifer leads two gorgeous women to his room, he says to them, “How about I show you ladies the original stairway to heaven?” In another episode a young man is delivering pizzas to Lux for an after-party. Lucifer asks him if any pizza delivery he has made ever ended in sex. When the young man responds with a shocked, “No!” Lucifer grabs his jacket, pulls him inside the room filled with stunning women and tells him, “Then this is going to be your lucky day!” 
Lucifer has many abilities including extreme strength, resistance to bullets, and telepathy. Lucifer’s most compelling talent is when he gazes deep into a person’s soul and makes them confess their deepest desires and secrets. “What is it you really want?” He will ask. Frequently the revelation is one that changes that person’s life. Sometimes it’s for the better, sometimes not so much. Lucifer often just likes to mess with people, and he will force them to confess an extremely embarrassing secret. He is always mystified when the person then thanks him for making them face up to a fear or secret.
Lucifer has no patience for pretenders. In one episode Lucifer encounters a group of so-called “devil worshippers.” He marches over to them and angrily says, “I’m the real Lucifer, and I insist you stop this nonsense immediately. I mean, have you heard yourselves? It’s embarrassing!”
By now, God has sent Lucifer’s brother, Amenadiel, down to Earth to try and convince Lucifer to return to Hell. Amenadiel (DB Woodside) is black and the two enjoy people’s reactions when they tell them that they are brothers. Amenadiel tells Lucifer that he is making “Dad” really mad and demands that he return to the underworld. Lucifer does not want to, and the brothers are constantly knocking heads over the issue.
In the second season the brothers are forced to unite to face their mother, who has managed to escape from Hell. Mother Charlotte (Tricia Heifer) is not a very nice person. The brothers must find her before she wreaks havoc upon the world. In addition the police force has hired a forensic scientist (Aimee Garcia) who questions Lucifer’s place in the police department.
By now I will expect some people will already with firing off letters either about how I am going to Hell because I like this show, or how offensive it is to the religious community. There are, however, many positive messages in the show. For example, I think we can all agree, as Lucifer is discovering, that confession is very good for the mind and soul. And, as does Lucifer, I think most believe that true sinners should be punished. That is, after all, Lucifer’s job. So the question is: Is Lucifer truly evil, tempting people to sin, or just a bad boy being punished by being given the crappiest job ever?
Just remember folks, it is only a TV show and everyone is free to NOT watch anything that offends them. God Bless!
Check out the show’s website and Facebook page to keep up with the show!.
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