Lucifer Season 4 Netflix

“What if she’s already made up her mind? What if she’s decided that I’m evil incarnate? And what if she’s right?”

After Netflix swooped in at the eleventh hour to save it from cancellation, Lucifer is back in all its witty glory. The ten-episode Season 4 went live on May 8th and sees all the major players dealing with the fallout from Season 3’s death-filled climax.

It’s been a month now since Lucifer killed Pierce/Cain and, in the process, regained his devil face just in time for Chloe to see. In that month, Lucifer’s been caught up in a cycle of uncertainty and worry, repeating the same performance at Lux and wondering if Chloe will ever return…or did staring the truth in the face forever send her away from him?

It doesn’t take long to answer that question as Chloe returns just in time for the episode’s obligatory murder investigation. The victim is Bob Goldbach, a 55-year-old beekeeper whose exotic honey business with his wife Lenore has been a hit at Farmer’s Markets. It turns out though, that Bob wasn’t the gentlest of beekeepers, but a former enforcer for the Paradiso crime syndicate who had been in witness protection for informing on one of the big bosses. Lucifer and Chloe are aided in their investigation by US Marshal Luke Reynolds, Bob’s handler who—surprise, surprise—turns out to be the killer, using his position kill the criminal scumbags he doesn’t believe will ever change.

The Lucifer/Chloe dynamic is what, even when the surrounding elements are blah, make us come back for more.

Let’s be honest though, the procedurals given in Lucifer are generally nothing more than boxes to check off as viewers await the reasons they return to the show in the first place: not just our titular anti-hero, but all the wonderful characters surrounding him that make this show such a treat. Not only does “Everything’s Okay” re-establish the series for a newer audience but it also gives a refresher for those of us who have been there since the beginning. And with this show, the heart has always been the Lucifer/Chloe dynamic. It’s a dynamic that has been shaken to the core.

Despite her continued assertions that she’s okay with what she’s seen, the realization of what Lucifer is has damaged her beyond what she can readily admit. Her façade is a brittle thing that speaks to the instability of her mindset, one that rears itself when she recoils from Lucifer’s casual touch. That discovery of the horrid truth behind someone’s past parallels the procedural aspect of the episode to a tee, where Marshal Reynolds has used the anger and betrayal a significant other would feel after discovering their partner used to be a cog in the wheel of organized crime. For Chloe, it goes even deeper than that, considering the implications of the devil’s role in so much of humanity’s suffering. To juxtapose that with the caring and honest man she’s partnered with for years is a mind-bending brutal obstacle to navigate.

Though “Everything’s Okay” is not without its humorous moments—anytime Lucifer visits Dr. Linda and turns her advice around to suit his preferred path, it’s difficult not to get a chuckle, in addition to Tom Ellis’s epic timing with line delivery—there’s a seriousness to the Season 4 premiere lacking in previous seasons. Whether that’s due to Chloe’s crisis in truth or a greater focus thanks to the partnership with Netflix, for once it seems as if the truth of what it would mean for the devil walking the world is actually being explored. This is especially poignant when we see Chloe, at episode’s end with Father Kinsley, accepting the next phase of their mysterious partnership.

If this first episode is any indication, Lucifer may have turned the corner from just an entertaining vehicle rife with humor and dabs of seriousness to a more balanced affair ready to delve deeper into the emotional impact of our characters rather than brief scratches on the surface. And if that is the case, it’ll be a shame we get only ten episodes to enjoy the ride.

Post Script

  • Though Chloe’s state of mind is at the forefront of the episode, both Ella and Dan are dealing with their own crisis of faith (so to speak). For Ella, that crisis is quite literally with her faith while Dan is still reeling from Charlotte’s murder. His two strongest interactions are when speaking to the celestial brothers. He reminds Lucifer that they “are not friends” and dismisses the Morningstar but not before dispensing some harsh truths. The second is when Amenadial tells Dan that Charlotte is in Heaven. He initially dismisses it as nothing more than platitudes but after Amenadiel channels some of his angelic powers of persuasion, Dan feels the truth in his words. While not eliminating the heartache of losing his love, Dan is able to feel some peace knowing Charlotte is in a better place.
  • Continuing with Amenadial, he’s finally regained his wings and, with that, the ability to return to the Silver City. Even Lucifer tells him that it’s time to pack up and head to where he wants to be. Only, the truth is that, for Amenadiel, Heaven is no longer home. Earth—more specifically, LA—is and the celestial being will have to come to terms with that truth.
  • “Truth” is a word used a lot in this review and for good reason. The narrative throughline for “Everything’s Okay” is how people deal with the truth. Not just the truth from others, like Chloe and Dan have to accept, but truth about one’s self. It takes Mazikeen’s simple words for Amenadiel to realize the truth that his idea of home has changed over the years while Lucifer isn’t quite as easily accepting of his own truth: that he harbors an internal hatred and disgust with himself. Not for killing Pierce/Cain, rather for the feeling of joy and satisfaction that accompanied it. Lucifer’s biggest flaw has always been his inability to confront his own frame of mind, always twisting advice to his desired result. That only goes so far before you have to eventually face the man in the mirror and, for Lucifer, there is no greater reminder to his own fear and insecurity than the return of his devil face.