A Dance with the Devil

“Your return to the Underworld has been requested.”

“Oh right, ok, let me just check my calendar. Yep here it is… the 7th of never through to the 15th of ain’t gona happen, how’s that work for you guys?”. This, by the way, delivered in the most perfect British accent out there.

The series opens with breaking the law, mind-mastery and the power of suggestion, babes of both sexes, booze and a bar, followed swiftly by major sexual innuendos, the threat of an enormously muscle bound angel and a whole lot of mystery. Not to mention a giant car wreck and some gangster happenings. I mean, what’s not to like?

By now, you’ve probably guessed it. My totally unapologetically guilty pleasure of 2020 was “Lucifer”. I had heard people talking about it long before this past year. I had seen the screenshots of Lucifer’s devil face and since I’ve never been a fan of the horror genre, I thought “Meh, I’m good with skipping that series.” But my sister was persistent in going on about how great it was (and she hasn’t steered me wrong too many times), as was a certain co-worker, who’s lust was extremely visible and you could almost see the drool roll down her chin as she recounted the episodes. I’d almost have to wave my hand in front of her face snapping my fingers to get her to come back to reality when she went on a Lucifer tangent.

So, with a trip back from the States on March 13th that coincided with the introduction of quarantining, and literally nothing else to do aside from shovelling snow from the shady side of my yard to the sunny side over and over again, I decided to give the series a try. And man, oh man, oh man! Am I glad I did!

How to sum it up…

It didn't take me long to realize it wasn't in the horror genre at all. Yet, it is everything Godly and Ungodly at the same time. Everything good and evil all mixed together, but in an extremely enticing, romantic, blasphemous, charming, and ridiculous way. I don’t, for the life of me, know how I could be so instantly and irrevocably drawn into something with so much non-wholesomeness. I mean, it’s the kind of series where you kind of question your own morals and values just because you like it, but you don’t even mind that questioning! It could be the wit of the writing staff, and the super smooth delivery of the lines coming out of Lucifer Morningstar’s perfect lips on his perfect face which is attached to his perfect, err… Angelic body. Maybe it’s his liquidly silky accent. Tall, dark and handsome doesn’t even begin to describe this guy. Bravo, to the people who casted this man, Tom Ellis. Maybe it’s his power to find out what everyone’s deepest secret is with his line: “Tell me, what do you want more than anything in this world, what is your deepest, darkest desire?”, and how hilarious and unexpected most people’s confessions are. The show is as full of comedy as it is full of stunningly sexy people, as it is full of sincerity, as it is full of darkness.

Wrapping your mind around how the devil is really an Angel, is the first thing you have to do. He’s just an Angel who got cast away from Heaven for rebelling against his Dad, and put on the duty of managing Hell, and let’s face it, that’s really a drag. Sitting down there on a huge blood red throne, making sure everyone relives their worst fear in perpetuum. How dreadful and boring would that be. I’d want a break from that – a vacation to Earth – too! The funky twist is that Lucifer is actually a really good guy (as you’d expect an Angel to be), who likes to help solve crimes, exact punishment, make humans see the bigger picture, and do the right things. He is adorable and completely innocent minded, not really understanding the quirks and emotions of the human race, which continues to get him into more and more trouble. He is 100% open about who he is and where he comes from, but his story is so unbelievable that nobody takes it for face value… until he actually shows his true face.

Before the end of the first episode, he develops a “working” relationship with a beautiful and highly awkward female cop and it’s a take it or leave it partnership until about half way through the series when you find yourself screaming at the screen for them to finally just get together. The writers totally hook you with it from the start though, introducing the intrigue as to why Lucifer’s magical abilities don’t seem to impact her. I won’t spoil that one for you.

One of my favorite characters in the show is the psychiatrist who attempts to be immune to Lucifer’s powers, but completely fails. When he first meets her, he uses the line: “I’m like walking heroine, very habit forming, never ends well.” Actually, that pretty much sums up the whole series. He IS habit forming, and highly addictive.

When you watch this absolute triumph of a Netflix series, you can expect many plot twists, handfuls of new and striking Angels to pop down and do their part to influence the people in this corner of earth, relationships to develop, then come crashing down, then perk up again in a never-ending rollercoaster ride. You can expect to be turned on and off all at the same time; you can expect to be reaching for those private things in your night side table or a lil’ extra one-on-one time with your sweetheart post episode (nudge-nudge, wink-wink). Well, at least, that’s my female perspective. I’d be interested to know if this show has as much power over the male gender as it does the female one. And make no mistake, sexuality isn’t biased in this series. Anything goes. It’s yet another thing that you might feel a little bit guilty about liking as the show goes on. But go ahead, give in. It’s what Lucifer would want you to do. After all, what is life without a little temptation? There is not a single episode that doesn’t involve sex, drinking/drugs, mystery, morals, and the whole question of humanity. So drink up and watch on!

I raise a glass and salute the writers of this absolutely salacious series. I highly recommend just throwing judgement to the wind and taking part in this phenomenon that is Lucifer. In fact, as I write this, I’m considering re-watching the series for a 3rd time.

Here, knock yourself on the official trailer for Season 3, it pretty much sums up the whole series of 75 episodes and 5.5 seasons (knocked short by coronavirus, but they promise the rest of season 5 will be coming soon).

If Lucifer’s not your thing (but it will be, trust me), try giving “Jane the Virgin” a go. It’s another one of my completely guilty pleasures, but I’ll save that roll under the covers for another day.