I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and as it comes to noticing when his material has been used, I can scan anything and find it. Obviously 'Lucifer' is a character from 'Sandman' and wasn't wholly endorsed by Gaiman to be made as the rights were sold a decade ago but I am going to try and look at the pilot of 'Lucifer' objectively because good or not, it's been inspired by Neil Gaiman and if the dry, dark rougeness comes through then I will probably find that I enjoy it. Ok *hooks myself up to the episode like it's a hospital drip.* Lets see if my system can reject you. Also fascinated to see if people believe it to be 'stepping on Supernatural's turf.'
Starting with biblical-style font and the antagonistic and accepting of darkness texas-sounding 'Cage the Elephant - Ain't no rest for the wicked' is a typical introduction to a TV episode but it's understandable for the subject matter and really entertaining how it makes everything begin. The year loitering at the bottom of the screen with 'AD' is a nice touch and it's the first of man nice details like that which appear and say "Hello" time and again in the pilot such as the 'Falling' numberplate which refers to Lucifer as a 'fallen angel'. Lucifer is set up to be everything you would imagine - tall, dark, rye joy-rider undermining the law with an accent that could content on same wavelength as Ichabod Crane from 'Sleepy Hollow.'
Lucifer isn't bad, although serving nothing which brings anything too new to the character he embodies but they could have made him anyone. Especially someone not so universally 'good-looking' because I would have liked to have seen things transpire differently in a more unique, layered way but it works in the favour of the rhetoric and it's funny because of course, it's Lucifer. So you can't be too mad at it because it fits but I did long for it to break that a bit. There's a lot of jokes which made the pilot really satisfying. Groan-worthy at times but not always painfully. Little quirks like the people he surrounds himself complaining about things like "I didn't leave hell to be a bartender" are silly and nice although again, not revolutionary which 'Lucifer' might need to be to make it into another season.
Lucifer as the father-defying son I love because it works so well. The problem, at times, was that I didn't believe that the quick-talking smooth-mover was really the devil which I suppose is the point. You'd expect Lucifer to be evil to the point of not appearing as it. He's mastered that, after all but there was something unconvincing about it. Especially because he seemed, although misandry tendencies, pretty nice aside that. He almost appears as a jokester charming everyone especially when his powers don't work. It veers into the comedy edge and of course it's going to be amazing to watch him grapple with losing his identity and probably getting a lot more evil once he's realised he can't go back which would be ironic and interesting.
The theme that people blame the devil for everything and the way Lucifer lets everyone know that is great and topical. "God-given, I'm afraid", "Say hi. It's been a while" to a priest and phrases like it at the utter embarrassment and disassociation and humour of his conception stirs engrossment in the dialogue more than anything else. Some of it is so recognisable, it hurts but again, not a huge crime. There just needs to be more originality. As for the detective. She is a stock-type from the factory of american detectives which isn't a fault of just this show. Her back-story as an actress is slightly captivating but the mention of the films she's been in is a way for Lucifer to objectify her. Although she's not having any of it, it still exists for that purpose. I'm hoping that more will be revealed for her to stop that within Lucifer but at the same time it would be disappointing if he only makes the exception for her but again he's the devil, yada yada so you can't take any of this too seriously from a realistic representational standpoint but I believe it does.
Again, for her, I would have liked to have seen somebody who wasn't pretty, thin and blonde. Layers that could have been formed have been missed and that's a a bad decision that has been made because there is no reason for it. We have those representations. I am wondering if Lucifer will shift attention onto the cop who is the ex-husband which I would hope for an impartial sexuality standpoint but also a range of dimension from Lucifer (such as if Chloe dies) because the 'player' element will get old fast and I'm not sure if I, or anybody else will want to always stick around for that. Another thing that let the episode down was the racist stereotypes employed which included hip-hop, drugs and violence for Lucifer to criticise and could have been cleverer if it was something not so flat and void of truth that has moved past media's go-to. I'm slightly holding my tongue if the people he encounter steadily becomes unstereotypical and somehow showed that was his own views and racism warping it would be a good way to go but obviously can't remove what TV keeps doing and adding to it.
A plothole that I kept revisiting throughout the pilot was questions like "Why would Lucifer even want to solve mysteries?", "Will he stay that way or was he just attached to the girl who died?", "If so, why?" I'm convinced he's just been on Earth too long. His crime-scene ethos almost turns into Sherlock (the 'Elementary' version) when he's there. The scene, dealing with Chloe's daughter's bully intimidated by a less than pure stranger isn't new. Lucier's smiling face in the back of the police car gives a glimpse into what Tom Ellis can do when it comes to playing a dark character which counteracts the chipper 'Morningstar' English-engulfing aspect of him. Although, more paradoxical questions arise like "Why does he judge the activities that land people in hell, the place, the only thing he knows?" Is an attempt to separate him from it fot rebellious reasons or is his mind actually shaping? It feels a bit soon for that character development but it works, I guess.
The psychology appointments Lucifer might start attending is promising and the question the pyscologist asks him "You find it disturbing, don't you?" in how he can 'read' women or hopefully how he finds his sexism (because it is, disturbing) can take the show in any different directions. Lucifer when extracting information from an actor: "You're going to have to have get much better at lying if you want to be president." and the actor responds "I know, right?" is awesome commentary and I liked that. The information that pain in hell isn't being inflicted or, at least in the same way, because Lucifer isn't there. I'm looking forward to seeing if this will entertain, or bruise the ego of Lucifer. The episode ends with the good/bad partnership cliché but overall, I'm not compelled to through my laptop out of the window because there is a quality that I like about Lucifer.
It's difficult to defer what is Neil Gaiman's thought and what isn't. The majority of what is canon to Neil Gaiman is stripped back and losing from when it could be winning. There's no grit; just a safe slightly more soul-less interpretation. For now. Hopefully? At least the soundtrack is great.
I mean: this poster. Why, just why?
You can watch 'Lucifer' on FOX in the US, For free on Amazon Prime in the UK or FX in Australia.
Come and Marvel at the 'Serial Television Watcher.' She'll probably be locked up some day for too much Television but she hasn't been caught yet. She's already onto the next one. Follow for more.
