Skip to content Skip to footer

Lucifer Season 5 Part 2 Review

Good news Lucifer fans, after almost a year of waiting due to filming delays during the pandemic following THAT cliffhanger, the second half of season five is finally here. Following the shows abrupt cancellation by FOX, the series has gone on to new heights after being picked up by streaming service Netflix, becoming one of their biggest and most watched Original series. The fifth season of the devilishly good detective drama was intended to be the final outing, with 16 episodes in total – however, the streamer has renewed the series for a final 10 episode sixth season. So is the penultimate part of the season worth the wait?

The arrival of God (Dennis Haysbert) sees Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside), Lucifer (Tom Ellis), and Michael (also Tom Ellis) forced to come to terms with their family issues. However with God deciding to retire and Amenadiel having his own family, Lucifer and his not so devilish twin begin a battle for the throne and mantle of becoming the next God. But who will triumph as mankind’s new maker?

Events pick up directly where we left off at the end of part 1, following the showdown between the three siblings and the surprise arrival of their father. With his dad showing up on Earth to finally do a bit of parenting, Lucifer’s relationship with Chloe thankfully gets put on the back burner (but frustratingly drawn out throughout the series). In result, the eight episodes are much more of an emotional family drama, as God attempts to bring together his wayward and squabbling sons to announce his retirement, discovering the joys of being human along the way – resulting in a more mature and heartfelt series. The question of who God’s successor should be leads to an impressive and gripping conclusion, which is bigger in scope due to the emphasis on the celestial aspects and mythology of the series.

LUCIFER (L to R) D.B. WOODSIDE as AMENADIEL, TOM ELLIS as LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR and LAUREN GERMAN as CHLOE DECKER in episode 516 of LUCIFER Cr. JOHN P. FLEENOR/NETFLIX © 2021

Along with the overarching narrative, the procedural aspects of the show are still woven throughout, as each character gets their own fulfilling arcs and storylines relating to the case of the week. There’s a standout Breaking Bad inspired episode titled “Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid”, along with heartwarming moments for both Mazikeen and Ella. The pacing is a lot tighter than the first part, as there’s plenty of development and setup for the final season, but overall it’s a compelling, emotional and shocking series – with plenty of surprising twists and turns along the way.

What I particularly enjoy about Lucifer is the brilliant supporting cast, and thankfully they all get their own time to shine. It’s a joy to be spending time with them again, particularly Lesley-Ann Brandt’s Mazikeen as she goes on a heartfelt journey for a soul and rekindles her relationship with Eve (Inbar Lavi). D.B Woodside’s Amenadiel is always a steady and reliable leader, while Rachael Harris’ fan favourite Linda Martin is finally afforded an intriguing exploration of her own backstory.

The arrival of the brilliantly warm and endearing newcomer Dennis Haysbert’s God has a significant impact on the majority of characters, particularly Aimee Garcia’s Ella Lopez, who shares a beautiful heart to heart with him about her faith and doubts over her darkness. There’s also a hilarious dynamic with Kevin Alejandro’s Dan Espinoza – who previously had a relationship with his ex-wife – so there’s an obvious tension between the two. Along with Brandt and Garcia, Alejandro is a definite standout this season – bringing a lot of the laughs and emotional depths to the show. Annoyingly the show-runners are still recycling the will they, won’t they Chloe-Lucifer relationship, but Chloe also shares a fun dynamic with God, exclaiming he’s a terrible father in one hilarious scene.

For fans of Tom Ellis’ vocal interludes, the musical episode “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam” finally arrives. While overall it’s a fun (if a little brooding at times) episode, it does feel very much in the same vein as the CW Arrowverse musical special, which had a barmy explanation for all the singing and dancing. Due to the exploration of the mythology, there’s also some brilliant costumes additions (with a hilarious wink to Game of Thrones), with Mazikeen’s hellish outfit a comedic standout. Furthermore, there’s a number of well choreographed fight scenes, making full use of Mazikeen’s skills and Lucifer’s dab hand with a bland, along with a some exciting familiar faces as cameos.

Verdict

Featuring major twists and turns and an emotionally game changing climax, Lucifer season 5 part B is well worth the wait. The strong supporting cast excel throughout both the comedy and the more poignant moments, setting up a truly exciting final season.

Lucifer Season 5B debuts on Friday, May 28th on Netflix.