While 12 long months have passed since Lucifer’s third season (“series”) finale, only one month has passed within the show’s world:
- Ella’s been attempting to fill a void, as she’s no longer Team God in the wake of Charlotte’s murder.
- Dan is a joyless workaholic… also in the wake of Charlotte’s murder, which he’s taking out on Lucifer.
- Amenadiel’s remained in Heaven since flying Charlotte up there.
- Almost immediately after the end of season three, back-up arrived to tend to Chloe, and that was the last time Lucifer saw her. This whole month, she’s been on vacation in Europe, with Trixie.
- Lucifer has been somewhat spiraling in Chloe’s absence, dwelling on what her actual state might be after seeing his Devil face.
The big, unanswered question is about Chloe’s reaction to seeing Lucifer’s Devil face and the fact that she knows he’s been telling the truth the whole time. Which is what we get in “Everything’s Okay” after those 12 long months (and that brief period of the series being canceled).
While the streaming model of television allows viewers to watch a whole series all in one place, with new viewers wanting to check out Lucifer after its miraculous revival and network jump, a season premiere like “Everything’s Okay” has to function just as well as a series introduction as it does a proper return for established viewers. As much as I am a completest, this is the “perfect time” to start the show without starting from the beginning, because there is a new status quo for Lucifer. Not only do you have the new Lucifer/Chloe dynamic and the fallout, but this is now a post-Charlotte Richards world, as sad as that is. Tricia Helfer was amazing on the series—and anyone just starting now should go back to watch her time on the show—but her role was a two-season arc that reached its natural conclusion, and now the series is on to something else.
In an episode like this, series co-showrunner Joe Henderson must know he has to serve two masters, in terms of the audience. It helps that these characters have all been splintered off in some way over the course of this month, so as they catch each other up—or at least, think they’re catching someone up—they’re also catching the audience up. This is the case with Amenadiel, who confirms to Lucifer (while also getting in a character-specific, smug older brother “I told you so” in the process) that he was right about angels self-actualizing, while also the case with Lucifer pointing out he was able to figure that Amenadiel gave Charlotte a “first-class ticket to the Silver City.” It’s also why we have things like Amenadiel thinking Maze and Linda are still fighting over him (which they were never really fighting over in the first place).
Then there’s Lucifer and his powers, which this episode highlights both as an introduction to this aspect of the character and a reminder of just how powerful he is and how dangerous that can be when he’s focused on something. This episode highlights just how powerful Lucifer actually is, while also showing how he can go too far with that. In the opening LUX scenes, it’s at least played through comedy, but that’s certainly not the case in the climax when Lucifer gets shot in the hand (due to Chloe-based vulnerability) by Reynolds (Sasha Roiz)and lifts a car with one hand to stop him from getting away. As much as we know these are specific incidents, they’re proof that Lucifer isn’t someone you can take lightly just because he makes immature jokes and parties.
The audience is also introduced to and reminded of the fact that the “cases-of-the-week” aren’t its strongest factor, which is a pretty endearing aspect of the series at this point. Especially when it hones in on very specifically L.A. weirdness, like the varietal honey business. (“Avocado honey” sounds like an affront to God.) This case is a solid one for Lucifer to return with though, with the thematic throughline functioning quite well with the larger story. The very casting of character actor Sasha Roiz tips the episode’s hand at him being the bad guy, but his misguided “good guy” reasons for doing so function extremely well on multiple levels. Not only does the case bring up the idea of redemption but it discusses the larger concept of someone who believes they’re on the right side against a monster. Which is where Chloe and Father Kinley (Graham McTavish, introduced in the final scene) apparently come in.
“Everything’s Okay” is also an episode all about “processing.” Chloe mentions how she needed time to process the Devil face reveal, while Lucifer spends his time trying to process how she’s processing things. Amenadiel has to process finding a new home. But the Chloe/Lucifer component is the major driving force of the series and this episode. This is what we’ve been waiting for, though perhaps not with these particular results.
Chloe Decker is a very pragmatic person. When she gets confirmation that he actually is the Devil? Of course her reaction is to go to “the source” and learn everything she can about the Devil in the Vatican City. Linda had an adjustment period in learning about Lucifer too, but she had added “benefit” of months of detailed stories about Lucifer and his state of mind to put together the pieces when the time came. Chloe had to reassemble everything Lucifer had said to her and done… as well as everything she’d seen people say and do because of Lucifer. And not the good stuff.
Lucifer wants to prove to Chloe when she comes back that he’s not “just” the Devil. As he says to Lee, “Perhaps you deserve a chance to prove to people that’s not all you are…a chance for people to see you in a different way.” For Lee, it’s about being “just” a thief; for Lucifer, it’s being “just” the Devil. With Chloe away and then returning with everything being “fine,” Lucifer is robbed of this chance. For months, the question has been what the follow-up scene to Lucifer revealing his Devil face to Chloe will be, and we get it here when Chloe returns to work: The scene is literally Lucifer just staring with Chloe as she goes about her business. It’s a spectacularly unspectacular reaction from Chloe, and it makes sense that Lucifer would include its brand of humor when it comes to the aftermath of such a world-altering reveal.
Of course Chloe’s not actually fine when she says she is. To just hit the reset button and go back to normal may work for Maze, but it can’t for Chloe. For her to return home and not have anything to get off her chest, even if she actually is okay with Lucifer’s true Devil persona, is clearly a sign something’s wrong. (“I think I just want to get back to work.” “That’s all?” “That’s all.”) There’s even evidence of someone who actually is using work as a salve in this very episode, in the form of Dan. Chloe might be special in the way she affects Lucifer, but she’s not special in the way she reacts to a world-altering reveal like the one at the end of season three. Lucifer’s technically right to believe she’s in denial, but as the episode reveals in the end, it’s possibly something more nefarious.
“She’ll find a way to let you know,” Linda says, about Chloe supposedly being “fine,” and that point is correct, proven when Chloe physically recoils at Lucifer’s touch after a day of her going from cold to suddenly game to play along with how “cool” it is to have the Devil as a partner. Linda’s less right in telling Lucifer to “take it slowly” though, because his trademark impatience allows him to realize something is wrong. He’s genuinely starting to buy into Chloe being cool with him when the recoiling occurs, but it’s not like he gets to feel vindication by being proven right. Instead, he’s confused, to the point he confirms with Dan (who is so done with him) what that means:
“It means that they hate you. That they want you as far away from them as possible. Because your very touch makes them recoil in disgust.”
It’s harsh, and it’s an oversimplification of this specific situation—as it’s more likely fear than disgust—but it feels applicable given the past month. Where Lucifer gets things twisted in continuing to think Chloe is in denial—while that’s the straightforward reason that makes sense—as Linda continues to talk about him projecting his issues in this situation.
It makes for an interesting adjustment period to have Lucifer now in this format. I’m not just talking about the bare ass shot (which, Tom Ellis has confirmed was 100% his own) but now the streamlined version of the series we’re getting with 10 episodes instead of the network version 20-plus. Episode endings aren’t just hooks for next week’s episode, they’re hooks to continuing watching the next episode once one is over. As a return to the world of Lucifer and the beginning of a new era, “Everything’s Okay” is a very solid episode. It’s a good introduction for anyone who’s just testing the waters of the series, though it’s not necessarily the best the series has to offer. But it certainly promises greatness to come.
Stray observations
- Welcome to Lucifer on Netflix coverage. We’re doing things a little differently now, so expect two reviews a day for the next few days. If you’re going to mention spoilers in the comments, please do so carefully.
- I think it’s safe to say Lucifer became the show it was meant to be in season two, and that was the season that first introduced us to Lee (Jeremiah Birkett). You know, “Mr. Said Out Bitch.”
- Lucifer singing Radiohead’s “Creep” is on-the-nose… but also the perfect return to the series. “On-the-nose but perfect” describes Lucifer in a nutshell. Also, while dapper Tom Ellis is a nice Tom Ellis, I think my favorite Lucifer look is disheveled Lucifer. The out-of-place hair, that stare far off into the distance. It’s a great look and it’s some of his best work right out the gate.
- The nicest touch post-henchmen beat down is the bullet holes in the back of Lucifer’s shirt as a result.
- This episode is directed by Sherwin Shilati, who has directed some of the series’ most memorable moments, like the gorgeous escape scene in “God Johnson” and the fight scene in “Til Death Do Us Part.” To open the season with his direction makes a good opening statement.
- Maze (to Lucifer’s penis): “Hey, stranger.”
- Maze: “What? Are you still upset about me trying to betray you and kill you? It was a month ago.”
Lucifer: “No, of course not. What do you think I am? Human?” - Lucifer’s right it’s technically not his fault that Charlotte’s dead, but he also knows Dan is in a lot of pain, and he just won’t let up. Not even for a second. Dan admits he did consider them friends and even found Lucifer’s comments “kind of funny,” but he has a right to have a breaking point for all of this.
- Chloe spends most of this episode being “fine,” but her visibly squirming as Lucifer straight up tells Ella the truth at work is a great reaction. Lauren German sells mortified Chloe who’s now on the other side of the “secret” very well.
- Lucifer: “Why would you think that I’m not telling the truth, Miss Lopez?”
Ella: “I stopped trying to figure that out years ago. I mean, hey, we all got our quirks, right?” That is a very Ella way to rationalize it. - “Bob the Knob.” Never grow up, Lucifer writers.
- Amenadiel’s plot is simple but to the point, as he’s just bopping around, looking for any excuse to stay, whether it’s to help Lucifer with Chloe stuff or help Maze/Linda with whatever they could need.
- Buried in Dan’s talk of the job being his therapy—and he needs to see Dr. Linda for real therapy—is the fact that he tried calling Amenadiel to help him process his grief. At least, at first. But his bro was radio silent for a month, and the mother of his child also went a month-long vacation during this time. Dan is not completely healed by the end of this episode, but at least he gets confirmation from Amenadiel that Charlotte is in Heaven.
- Maze: “Okay, Linda, what is going on with you? Do you need to pee or something?”
Linda (pacing): “No. I sit all day. It’s nice to be able to move around when I get a chance.” Seriously. Team Let Linda Move Around. - Maze busting out some Lilim and Linda having no idea she could do that is funny, but even funnier is kickboxer Linda getting a cheap shot in. I mean, Maze told her she’d give her a “free shot.”
- Lucifer: “So maybe he slipped up. We all do sometimes. But at least he was trying to make a better life for himself. And you stole it.”
- Trixie—reading Joe Henderson’s Skyward graphic novel—has forgiven Maze, meaning Chloe lied to Maze (during their great one-on-one scene) to keep a demon away from her daughter. For someone who’s all about believing what she sees, Chloe is pretty much unwilling to remember established evidence about how much both Maze and Lucifer care about her here.
- Lucifer: “I’ve had literal eons to come to terms with what you saw. My… My monstrous side. But it’s not all that I am. At least I hope not. Either way, it’s unfair of me to expect you to just accept it. I’m honestly not sure when I’ll be able to. If ever.” Lucifer actually accepts the “take it slow” advice from Linda. It’s good advice in this particular context and if Chloe were actually willing to listen to it, but it turns out she’s not. Which makes Lucifer’s “Because if you can accept me, that really is all that matters.” sting.