At the end of Season 3, Chloe finally learns that Lucifer is, in fact, the real devil, only for the show to get canceled on FOX and moved to Netflix. I think both of these changes were for the better, because this was easily the best season yet.
Season 4 continues Lucifer's self-perception struggle from last season, and Chloe's reaction to learning he's the devil leaves him feeling more and more like that's the case. Early on in the season, his ex-girlfriend Eve (yes, that Eve) appears and gets back together with him, since she embraces his devil side, and subtly manipulates him into embracing it as well. I really liked Eve as an antagonist. She manages to still be likable in spite of her manipulation due to her sheer naivety (and realization she messed up in the finale). Meanwhile, Chloe's grief about Lucifer causes her to contact a priest who intended to send Lucifer to hell to stop a prophecy where he gets together with his "first love". I'm glad that Chloe got more to do in the celestial stuff, even if I still think she's a bit of a stick in the mud at times. The season does a great job of tying all of its storylines together, and everything thing feels so well-crafted. Lucifer's own character arc fits in the series perfectly, and I'm glad Season 4 finally gets to explore his devilish side, which leads to one of the best things about this season.
While Lucifer still isn't a "TV-MA" show, the shift to Netflix means that the show can now get away with things it couldn't have on FOX. Season 4 as a whole has a much darker tone, even aside from the increased sex, violence, and cursing, but rather than feeling forced or edgy, it fits the show like a glove. Lucifer was already a slickly production show, but the increased budget also means it looks so much nicer. The special effects have improved, and even the fight scenes are the best yet (especially that bar fight scene in Episode 4). The shift to Netflix also led to a much shorter season with only ten episodes, which led to easily the tightest pacing in the series. Unlike Season 3, not a single storyline was drawn out, and the cases of the week were given a much smaller focus to all of the more character-heavy subplots. Speaking of which, the character work is much better than last season as well. Aside from Lucifer's fantastic arc, it feels like a lot of the cast are exploring their darker sides, with Dan's grief over Charlotte causing him to go back to being a dirty cop, Ella losing her faith in God, and Chloe initially trying to exorcise Lucifer. I also really like the subplot of Linda and Amenadiel having a child (especially once Remiel appears), and Maze is pretty much back to her likable state in Season 2. The only plot point I didn't like was Dan/Ella, but thankfully it didn't get much screentime.
While this season was really consistent, there were a few episodes that really stuck out to me:
Expire Erect: Continuing the trend of hostage situation episodes being absolute bangers, Expire Erect was just a ton of fun. It managed to be both hilarious and tense at the same time, between that bizarre In Medias Res opening, the great twists, and Eve and a drugged Ella being friends, all grounded by the emotional hook of Lucifer fearing a last case with Chloe.
Devil Is As Devil Does: While most of the episode was solid, what really made it for me was the fantastic twist at the end. The reveal of the true nature of the prophecy intercut with Lucifer realizing he has devil wings was just so well-executed and kicked the tension into overdrive.
Save Lucifer: This was the point at which the plots were starting to converge, and it did so expertly. Lucifer's transformation was a tense time bomb that finally forced him to confront his self-hatred, and I like that Chloe was the one who brought him back. Eve trying to make Lucifer jealous was entertaining, and I especially liked seeing her and Maze spend time together. Linda giving birth didn't waste too much time, and the ending sets up a massive cliffhanger for the finale.
Who's Da New King Of Hell?: Lucifer always knew how to end a season, but this was one of the best finales yet! The cast uniting to stop a bunch of rampaging demons was exactly the type of high stakes fantasy plot I'd wanted from the show this whole time, and everyone manages to get a moment to complete their character arcs, even Dan and Ella who weren't involved in the demon stuff. There was Ella's apology, the fantastic opening dance sequence, the crazy demon fight, and an emotional ending that brings Lucifer and Chloe together only to tear them apart.
Overall, Season 4 was easily the best season of Lucifer yet. It was edgy, slick, briskly-paced, well-plotted, and took some of the characters to their darkest places to date.
5/5 Stars
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