Dramas & Dreams

What better way to take mind off your regular job than watching a TV show that makes you forget what transpired in the day and leaves a broad smile on your face till you watch it again next day. This one’s a pleasure you would happily plead guilty of watching because the deliciousness of viewing gives you much needed distraction from every emotion you’re going through.

The premise of “Lucifer” centers around the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar who, bored with his mundane life of punishing the world’s despicable souls and as a move against his Dad (who is God himself), abdicates his throne in hell and becomes a civilian consultant for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), thereby forming partner with homicide Detective Chloe Decker, he falls in love with. While the girls give away their hearts to him at once, Detective Decker refuses his advances and seems immune to his charm which draws him to her. The bickering between “DeckerStar” makes for an interesting watch as they gradually learn to tolerate one another over the course of the show.

All of it sounds like a premise that could not sustain beyond five episodes but the writing is so good, characters are so likeable and easy to invest in that the show never gets bogged down.

Our Lucifer is a devil like no another. He gets writer’s block, calls Decker’s daughter her ‘offspring’and is seeing a therapist with benefits but at no avail. Leave it to Lucifer to be likeable even in moments you don’t expect him to be. It is impossible not to love him when the entire arc of the series has been about him learning and unlearning what he has learnt but retaining that he did put an effort.

There is so much to like about this show that with time you begin to enjoy even its flaws, which is mostly because the show shines when it knows it doesn’t need to take itself seriously but then catches you off guard and gives you moments you’ll come back to watch many times later. Take it for the moment when Lucifer gives Chloe prom night of her dreams & so our shipping hearts swelled!

Sometimes it’s a delight to be sucked into the TV world like “Lucifer” which seems tailor made for binge watching. Contrary to the common perception that when a series delivers a fantastic first season, the second season doesn’t live up to the first, “Lucifer” clearly debunks all the myths and prejudices and proves it was a show worth saving (Jaiho Netflix).

The characters in the show are initially introduced with their plot revolving around Lucifer and his shenanigans but as the series develops, they take shape of their own and that’s the beauty of good TV where you can see the character development unlike certain TV where the character arc means any out-and-out positive character turning out to be an evil serpent with a revenge plan in a random episode.

Notable characters: Lucifer’s brother Amenadial, his bodyguard-cum-bartender Maze , his therapist Dr. Linda Martin ,Decker’s ex-husband Dan & daughter Trixie, all share a weird but endearing relationship with Lucifer. It was particularly A-Maze-ing to watch Maze as she becomes a bounty hunter and is damn good at it. Season Two introduces Lucifer’s mother, the goddess of all creation, occupying the body of murdered lawyer Charlotte Richards who had her own story to tell. When human Charlotte resurrects she’s just as fun. Watch out for the sequence when she pounces on the Devil assuming they were together and he breaks into panicky sweat. She lights up the scene every second she’s on it & both her avatars are equally fascinating. Ella Lopez, Forensic scientist for the LAPD is endearing & her hugs are magical. It’s amusing seeing her crushing over Lieutenant Marcus Pierce/Cain, world’s first murderer who is condemned to wander Earth forever aka LA’s very own Ashwathhama, who surprisingly gives competition to Chloe in having chemistry with the Devil.

“Lucifer” works majorly because the chemistry between cast members brings with it a certain level of comfort and it is a treat to watch different versions of God, Angels, Demons and particularly because the sub plots, where Lucifer makes every case personal, keep you hooked. The humor in the show remains cheeky and not vulgar. Add to it, the effective ensemble knows their job and creates a workplace you’d love to be a part of.

We have often seen that the success/failure of a TV show depends considerably on its ability to evolve and that “Lucifer” does supremely well. Once you feel in an episode it could get better, it does in next one and reminds you why you fell in love with this ride. The most obvious example is when Lucifer shows his Devil face to Linda. Before that it was all fun and games but it is a testament to confidence of writers that they take such narrative leaps and what comes out of it is engaging enough with sense of humor still intact. They managed to transform the Devil into someone humane and sympathetic while staying true to the same character.

One might have issues with never growing attitude of Lucifer but it’s a known fact that he captures the heart of the series. His chemistry with every other character even if it’s a minor Hello with a random character on screen is entertaining and as the series progresses, you begin to care for him as does Chloe. After all this is a show where every episode begins with “you won’t believe what Lucifer did now” and ends with everyone settling the mess Lucifer has put them in.

Summing up, they say that sometimes the journey is so beautiful that the destination doesn’t evoke any emotion but with “Lucifer” the final reveal of his Devil face to Chloe was as satisfying as engrossing was the path towards it.

Bring it in on Season Four. It’s been a long wait already.