When Netflix saved Lucifer, I was overjoyed. Lucifer might have started as a simple procedural show that, yes, involved the devil, but the world-building that the show now relies so heavily on didn’t happen until it’s second season really. Over four seasons, Lucifer was able to introduce so much while also keeping its case of the week formula and build a rich world. Now with what I like to call “Netflix Money” the show is able to go bigger and it shows. With season 5 being divided in two and having been filmed with the idea that it would be their last season, even if now we know it will be getting a season six, Lucifer tries to hit the ground running with its first half of the season and while it stumbles at times, the charm of the show stays the same and the magnetic performances save it from itself.

There’s one thing that Lucifer knows what to do is make you believe you know where the show is going but in reality, you have no idea. When the trailer dropped and revealed that Michael was going to take Lucifer’s place, I was a bit shocked because it looked like an enormous spoiler that was simply put in the first trailer for the new season. While it is an important plot point, I am not surprised anymore that it was put in there because the reveal of Michael and who he is is not as important as his actions. His story doesn’t drive the show like I thought it would and instead is just another bump in the road for Lucifer and Chloe. I don’t want to dive too much into Michael and his arc because the twists and turns of it made a lot of nice surprises but I will say that Tom Ellis gives a powerful performance as Michael. I was wondering how I would be able to differentiate the characters but Tom Ellis is capable of switching between Michael and Lucifer with a simple posture and it tells you everything about both characters, just by looking, you are capable of knowing which character he is portraying.

From her first instance on-screen, Mazikeen has had my heart. Lesley-Ann Brandt’s performance has evolved so much over the seasons and yet she continues to bring it with every scene. Looking at everyone’s endgame, it is clear the route they are going for Maze and looking back at her overall arc, it has been a joy to watch Brandt explore Maze and her emotions and the fact that she has trouble dealing with them. This season explores a lot more of journey towards trying to find happiness and dealing with her emotions. A lot of Maze’s story last season revolved around Eve (whom I truly missed in this part of the season) and this time around she has to (finally) deal with her abandonment issues that have been hinted at since the first season. This season also gives us a lot of Linda and Maze together and I just love this duo so much that I wish the show would simply give me a full episode of just them because Rachel Harris and Brandt’s chemistry continues to be one of the most palpable on the show. Brandt comes close to stealing the show this season and would have been my favourite performance if it wasn’t Tom Ellis’ turn as Micheal.

With being able to do more on Netflix, it is clear that the writers had fun with this season. The noir episode is one of the nice surprises that the show throws at you and you might think it would work but they find a way to not only make it work but also bring some nice little cameos that maybe would not have had happened otherwise. As the show comes closer and closer to the end, it has been interesting to see where it is going. The show does have to deal with new dynamics this season and it has been interesting to see the pairings that the show is willing to explore so late in it’s run. The new dynamic of Chloe and Lucifer being totally honest with each other is a nice welcome and the show finally going towards them being together could have broken the magic of the duo but it truly doesn’t.

Lucifer knows what kind of show it is. It might not always do it in the most convenient way but it is clear that it is working towards its endgame. The growth of each character, the dynamics that are well established and the world that the show inhabits drive it towards a good season. Is it my favourite? No, but it also isn’t the worst one and I am okay with that because, in the end, I did enjoy the eight-episode that Netflix is releasing as Part A. Do I wish we got the full season as once? Yes, but I can live with having to wait again.

Also, I screamed at the end of the season and might have gotten mad that we had to wait for Part B because that ending had me on my feet.