Fans of Lucifer: How to Make the Wait for 5b Less of a Torturous Hell

It’s been 7 months since the release of Lucifer’s Season 5a and oh man... the wait for 5b has been hell.

If we look at everything LuciFans have been through, though (the show’s cancellation on Fox, the many DeckerStar fakeouts, and now all these #GoodbyeLucifer posts about final days of shooting before 5B even has a public release date ?!?!?… *breathe*)…

Lucifer fans are used to a living hell.

...And we like it.

It’s better than a life without Lucifer, right?

Well, I’ve consulted the Devil on my shoulder and come up with a list of recommendations for some content that will ease our finite damnation as we wait.

Oh and Hey, maybe you’re reading this and haven’t seen Lucifer yet? Well, consider this Exhibit A for why you should go start Lucifer right this second. It’s streaming on Netflix with all the most up-to-date information coming at us right here.

Why do we LuciFans absolutely adore Lucifer? What’s so great about him?

Ohhh, let me count the ways….

I’ve narrowed it down to 8 reasons… AND with each reason, I’ve got a recommendation unique to that reason too.

So, let’s summarize my reasons before we get to the exciting part — some more streaming shows to feed our devilish appetites.

What’s the best show ever and why is it Lucifer?

1. An awesome sexy male lead with such a distinct personality, solving crimes :)
2. Deep psychological exploration of hell on a personal level
3. An amazing redemption arc
4. Awesome twist on long-standing mythology
5. Fun, musical elements, mixed with darker gritty themes
6. Deckerstar! A compelling couple built on opposites that complement each other
7. Viewers get to watch a talented actor play two distinct characters, specifically two adversaries
8. Powerful, yet flawed, complex women starring opposite Lucifer

Here we go!

1) An awesome sexy male lead with such a distinct personality, solving crimes. :)

Obviously, Tom Ellis is incredibly sexy. Jeez, it’s unfair. But he’s also just so fun to watch!

Lucifer is perpetually fascinated by humans, which in turn perpetually fascinates us as we fall in love with him. Whether he’s cockily pursuing murderers or going undercover in the suburbs as a newly married gay man…

We just can’t look away!

So who are some witty dashing crime solvers that might even slightly compare?

Hmm.

Maybe...

Sherlock

And not just because Tom Ellis was quoted referring to Benedict Cumberbatch’s English accent as “a 10-inch accent”…

Though that definitely helps...

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the infamous Sherlock Holmes and often refers to himself as a “high functioning sociopath.” Both Lucifer and Sherlock see people for exactly what they are. Where Lucifer uses his mojo to reveal everyone’s innermost desire, Sherlock uses minute glossed-over details to reveal an entire life story.

The writing is compelling and, with 90-minute episodes, there’s a lot to enjoy at a time. Mini-movies, in fact. All available on Netflix.

Sherlock offers some gritty psychological depth too, plus grand emotional arcs. Sherlock, himself, seldom experiences an emotional arc (the exception being Season 4’s "The Lying Detective"), but everyone else around him does, often because of him, including Dr. John Watson (played by Martin Freeman).

Sherlock’s not one for emotion, he’s too rational, but even he makes decisions based on sentiment throughout the series. Much the way Lucifer, from the start, forms a sentimental attachment with his own Detective.

Now you might say:

“That’s all fine and dandy, but I want Lucifer-level humor! Sherlock’s so serious…”

Well, don’t worry, I’ve got you.

Psych

Psych’s on Amazon Prime and Peacock now.

James Roday Rodriguez plays the brilliant yet immature Shawn Spencer. In fact, there are many parallels that can be made between Shawn Spencer and our beloved Lucifer.

• Both completely disregard typical police protocol.
• Both are quite a bit egocentric.
• And both lovably get away with some ridiculous shenanigans.

LuciFans might also notice that God Johnson (from Season 2, Episode 16) is the hilarious Detective Lassie. While Detective Lassiter starts out as a cynical, climate-change-denying, NRA-loving caricature of a detective, his character evolves in some of the most shocking and satisfying ways (Marlowe, anyone…?).

The release of the second Psych movie has a touching behind-the-scenes story about how the creators completely rewrote the script so that Timothy Omundson could still be involved, even as he recovered from a stroke. If that doesn’t give you the feels, go back to Sherlock.

Plus, there’s one big benefit to becoming a Psych fan —

– More movies to look forward to!

We’ll need some of that joy once we’re sadly watching the Season 6 finale of Lucifer… (*breathes*, *repeats mantra* – There's still 5b. Then 6. No crying yet. So much ahead, right?)

Oh, the agony...

–Ooh! *Bonus: All three of these shows present some serious bromance chemistry. (Between both actual brothers and best friends brothers)!

2) Deep psychological exploration of hell on a personal level

This one might just be me (I've always loved this angle, I'll clarify more in my Author's Note at the end), but fans of Season 2, Episode 13, “A Good Day To Die,” have gotta be here for it too.

Lucifer is an angel, punished by God after inciting a revolution, damned to rule over Hell for all eternity. We see, throughout the series, that he actually has a lot of compassion for humans and even hates being blamed for their sins, but accepts responsibility for torturing them — it’s what he’s good at.

For LuciFans like me, it’s the means of torture that’s so dang fascinating. People are punished in hell on a very personal level.

Their own guilt drives their hellish repeat nightmares.

So fans that love this concept will adore:

The Good Place

If you haven’t seen this wonderful show yet, do not let yourself think you know what twists and turns lie ahead. You don’t. This show is so well written, with flawed, dynamic characters that magnetically pull you in from the start.

Kristen Bell plays the "average" and selfish Eleanor Shellstrop after she wakes up in the Afterlife — but all is not what it seems!

The Good Place is available on Netflix.

*Bonus: Reason #1, above, specifically focused on sexy male leads that solve crimes. But if we expanded “crimes” to include mysterious philosophical afterlife mysteries…?

Then The Good Place, for sure, would be mentioned under #1 too.

Because William Jackson Harper is JACKED.

3) An amazing redemption arc

If you haven’t seen Lucifer, you might think that the one character who could never be redeemed would be Satan himself.

HA! You’re so cute.

I mean, even us LuciFans have to admit there was a day when that was a reasonable conclusion.

…We were so cute back then …

Look how far he's come! Look!

Seriously, the last good redemption arc that was this extreme…?

It was probably….

Yup, Darth Vader, the man that was more present in his son’s life than my father was in mine…

Oh Hey, that's me! Cool, well, now back to our regularly scheduled LuciLove...

Lucifer’s never really felt at home anywhere. Or with anyone. Heaven is the place that cast him out, the place he hates. Hell is the place he was sent, “like the DMV.”

The only place he ever felt wanted or respected was Earth.

Amidst his deep “soul” searching for a place to call home, he evades some major responsibilities that he has as the King of Hell. Pretty reasonably — who would want to be the ultimate symbol for evil? All the time?

But the series delivers a beautiful and mesmerizing redemption arc in which he finally makes a very epic sacrifice for the people he loves.

God, it’s so good… (sorry Luci, force of habit)…

Out of all the reasons to love Lucifer, Reason #3 is probably the hardest one to provide a recommendation from … is there actually a redemption arc out there that can even remotely compete with Lucifer's redemption arc?

Probably…not.

Alright, it might be hard to compete… So how about I simply recommend a compelling comparable morsel?

Cobra Kai

Johnny Lawrence was the antagonist of the famous Karate Kid movies. And Cobra Kai opens with him as our leading man.

Johnny does not have his life together and even when the adorable Miguel Diaz seeks out his help against bullying, Johnny remains pretty reckless in a cycle of self-sabotage.

But man, do they take us on a journey…

Let me also just say — I had never seen the Karate Kid movies before I started Cobra Kai. I only watched them after watching the series because the show is THAT good. So take it from someone who had zero investment or nostalgia for The Karate Kid universe, this show will hook you anyways.

Just as in Lucifer, good and bad are not what they seem.

Cobra Kai is avaialble on Netflix.

*Bonus: Now I actually understand the hilarious reverse training montage in Lucifer, Season 3, Episode 11, "City of Angels?"!

Maxxx

Like Lucifer, Maxxx thinks the world revolves around him. And also like Lucifer, it’s a big deal when he finally lets it be about someone else.

End of 5a Lucifer fans?

Come on, it was the ONE time he didn’t make the case about himself! THE ONE TIME! And of course, who IS it about? Oh, his growth since the start of the series..!

In Maxxx, a washed-up boyband star tries to get back on top. As Joel Keller points out on Decider about Maxxx (article linked above), the first couple of episodes are definitely 'cringe comedy,' since Maxxx is stuck on a dark destructive descent. I’ve never been one for cringe comedy myself … (I just can’t, I empathize with the characters too much). But I stayed in it for the season and I am really happy I did. Thrilled, in fact.

It’s absolutely hilarious and by the end of Episode 3, it’s clear that he wants to grow and improve, plus he's taking steps to get there — even if there are more and more obstacles in his way. It’s just not so easy to change while still stuck in an old environment.

(LuciFans know what that's like ... We have Season 4 and Eve really brought back that 'old environment' for Lucifer too.)

At the end of Maxxx's first season, I, myself, make a 180 and root hardcore for Maxxx. I'm even trying to get the new song, “Rolling Dice,” in my Music Library...

Maxxx is available on Hulu. We only have 6 episodes of Maxxx for now, though we do get quite an effective arc for Maxxx’s character in so few episodes.

Some sources say the show’s been canceled and some say it’s merely pending/TBA… I think the discrepancy indicates a lack of certainty, meaning some excitement for the show could very well save it … something not at all untraversed for Lucifer fans.

Part of what makes redemption arcs so appealing to us is the affirmation that we can all change if we want to.

For that reason, Lucifer really is a great show for anyone dealing with addiction and patterns of self-sabotage.

Referring back to Reason #2 and Lucifer, Season 2, Episode 13, “A Good Day To Die,” the depiction of hell in Lucifer has real-world significance. Our own guilt and self-loathing can trap us in patterns that are very overwhelming and difficult to overcome. This happens in life too, not just in hell.

That’s why I have another recommendation, based on the importance and real-world impact of a good redemption arc.

Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil

Not just because of the title… Although again, that does really help.

But because this documentary does not shy away from the grit and pain that addiction can cause. As Lea Palmieri points out so succinctly, in the article linked above —

"What this series makes abundantly clear is the fact that addiction does not discriminate. A woman who seemingly has it all; a supportive family and friends around her and all the talent and money in the world, still has to face down demons every day. And she’s not the only one: this is a national crisis, and despite the series proving to be more devastating with each moment, the bright side is that it could help and even save the lives of those who watch it."

Only the first two episodes of this docuseries are available on YouTube as of now, but it’s certainly shaping out to be a powerful and vulnerable story. A trigger warning is appropriate for those who have suffered, but so is the reminder that you are not alone.

4) Awesome twist on long-standing mythology

Who doesn’t enjoy seeing characters from the oldest book in the world from a completely new perspective?

Religious or not, this is a compelling reason to enjoy the show.

Neil Gaiman set the foundation for much of the world in his DC comic, The Sandman, and soon after, Lucifer.

Sidenote: To the fans of the comics who miss Lucifer’s sociopathic distance from humanity, you should probably just stick with Sherlock.

In general, we, geeks, probably have an entire library of sci-fi books and comics that we would love to see on the silver screen.

As someone who was also raised Catholic, I was greatly impacted by another sci-fi author who brought to life a new perspective on Theology, asking some mind-bending questions about religion.

He built not just one world, but many, all with different answers to those questions.

And the newest, stellar adaptation of this author’s work happens to be on HBO MAX right now.

His Dark Materials

A legitimate and brilliant adaptation of the trilogy by Philip Pullman.

I love love love the original books and the HBO MAX series honors the best parts of it. It adds some new stuff in there too, but hey — I’m here for it. I’ll take more Lin-Manuel Miranda any day.

LuciFans, you might notice some parallels to the Lucifer Season 2 finale, what with the knife/blade opening up — you know what, Spoilers!

It’s a good show. I expect it’ll appeal to your devilish rebellious side, as you watch some children prepare to cross universes in order to save the multiverse from a power-hungry Angel calling itself God!

5) Fun, musical elements, mixed with darker gritty themes

Lucifer has its dramatic moments, but it can also keep the energy light, magical, and fun. Musical dance numbers have been used to convey emotional beats and please our eyes while Tom Ellis dances and sings for us.

The contrast between the two tones really creates a unique kind of experience. Because sure, I could recommend another musical show like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which I do enjoy, but it doesn’t quite explore the same dark, devilish themes throughout the show to provide that incomparable and intense contrast.

That’s why this recommendation can only be:

The Magicians

Follow a group of Magicians who learn to tap into and utilize magic in various ways, some the “authorized way,” via Brakebills University, and some the “unauthorized way” via the underground world of Hedge Witches and illegal scars and tattoos.

The Magicians introduces us to quite a magical world that can feel campy at times but really delves into some dark sh!t at other times. Julia’s storyline, in particular, is one I find very spellbinding and similar to Lucifer’s, as she struggles to find her way back to humanity after some harrowing and traumatizing experiences.

Also, there are tons more Gods and Goddesses messing with their creations the way God and Goddess do on Lucifer.

*Psych deserves another mention on this branch too!

Because, admit it, we’re all better for seeing Dulé Hill tap dance.

6) Deckerstar! A compelling couple built on opposites that complement each other

I literally swoon…

Season 5, Part 1, made a lot of Deckerstar fans very very happy — finally. With a specific scene that I know I replayed way too many times. I won’t give the number here. That’s between me and my Netflix viewing history.

Lucifer and Chloe are pretty much as opposite as divine and human get at the start of the series. And with Chloe being the only one impervious to his powers, weakening him with mortality whenever she’s around him, any normal Devil would want to be as far away from her as possible!

Lucifer, however, cannot stay away.

Their relationship is a slow burn, but man, does it pay off.

So what is the recommendation based on Deckerstar love?

Bridgerton

I mean, duh, right? While I do notice that anyone who doesn’t like Pride & Prejudice also doesn’t seem to like Bridgerton, I still recommend it to LuciFans. Why?

The wait to the sexy part is much more condensed! It takes like 4 episodes, which compared to the 72 episodes DeckerStar fans had to wait, is a very welcome release.

Plus Daphne and Simon have a similar opposites-attract relationship. I mean, most romance novels do, but there’s a reason for it, amiright? WE LOVE IT!

Simon, aka The Duke of Hastings, also bears some striking resemblance to our favorite tortured angel.

• Both “rake” about, proving very clearly that slut should not be a gendered word. (They’re not mansluts, they’re just sluts.)
• Both have an absent father complex that weighs heavily on the plot (them, Luke Skywalker, and me too!).
• Both are total “bad boys with hearts of gold.”
• And both are ready to punish the ill-hearted in their path.

Look at Simon punishing a disrespectful fool!

Also, BOTH BURN...

*Bonus: The Good Place deserves another mention here too. Eleanor and Chidi are also complete opposites that complement each other so dang perfectly.

7) Viewers get to watch a talented actor play two distinct characters, specifically two adversaries

Tom Ellis gives a very impressive performance as the Archangel Michael. I swear, I see a totally different shape in their faces…

Now, granted, I did just recently write an article about how our perception of a face incorporates much more than the objective features of said face… (even in the case of noticing subtle differences between identical twins, our mind is actually just projecting and physicalizing personality traits...)

So, I can't be 100% sure I'm not the only one who sees such a difference between Lucifer and Michael. Really, I can't be.

All I know is that Michael and Lucifer look different to me. And since production did not have the time to utilize prosthetics, we know that’s just pure Tom Ellis talent.

People who work with actors have said similar things about watching an actor be themselves between takes and then change into the character — “The molecules shift around them.”

Talented actors really do seem different and even lost in their roles.

Tom Ellis is no exception. And viewers get to enjoy the shift within the story too because even when Michael is pretending to be Lucifer or vice versa, there’s always a very clear difference between them.

So how exciting, then, to consider a recommendation from such a specific selling point of the show!!

A recommendation that seems obvious to me…

Orphan Black

Tatiana Maslany plays a low-level con-artist who gets swept up in an insane conspiracy with a group of women that all look exactly like her — because they’re all clones.

Look, I love Tom Ellis, I think I’ve made that clear, but as impressive as it was to keep two characters distinct within the same world, it suddenly pales in comparison to what Tatiana Maslany accomplishes.

This woman manages to keep FOURTEEN different on-screen characters distinct. Holy cow… FOURTEEN!

And I promise you, you’ll forget she’s playing all of them. You will seriously have to either (1) remind yourself or (2) go down a crazy rabbit hole where you wonder if maybe she did actually manage to clone herself somehow for the show… I’m just saying, she’s that good.

Orphan Black is available on Prime.

8) Powerful, yet flawed, complex women starring opposite Lucifer

I saved this one for last, not because it’s the least important, but much the opposite actually. As a woman, this might be one of the most crucial aspects of what makes the show so great to me.

Between Detective Chloe Jane Decker (a character that did not exist in the Neil Gaiman comics) and the faithful-servant-turned-independent-bounty-hunter Mazikeen, we have some kick-ass female role models. (Not to mention the Goddess of all creation…though she gets a bit homicidal…)

Or how about the surprising depth to Candy Morningstar?

One huge call-out that I think the Lucifer writers deserve is how much I respect the Season 4 relationship between Chloe and Eve. Both women put aside their jealousy for each other when it counts and guess what? That’s what women do for each other! It's time for the media to stop perpetuating the myth that women are constantly in competition with each other or cutting each other down. There can be elements of that present, sure, we're all flawed, but when push comes to shove, women will do right by each other, which is exactly what Chloe and Eve do.

So, if you’re looking for some baller forward-thinking representations of women, have I got some recommendations for you. And yes, that’s recommendationS. Plural, bi+ches!

The Boys

I know, with a title like The Boys, you would not expect this under Reason #8…. But this show’s representation of women is really elevating the genre. Decider’s Karen Kemmerle has a thorough breakdown as to how below.

If you don’t mind stepping it up a notch in terms of violence and gore, you’ll be rewarded with some Mazikeen-level awesomeness.

The Boys is available on Prime.

Veronica Mars

Kristin Bell is a tour de force as well. In addition to recommending her from The Good Place, her role as Veronica Mars deserves a mention too.

Veronica Mars gives us that taste of the anti-heroine in a dark noir (which fans of Season 5, Episode 4, "It Never Ends Well For the Chicken" have to appreciate), even though, in the end, she always does the right thing. She has a lot of parallels, in that way, to Lucifer (Season 4, notwithstanding).

It’s a solid P.I. mystery noir with its own shocking twists and turns, available on Hulu. There's also a movie on HBO MAX, which takes place between Season 3 and Season 4.

UnREAL

If you want to get a little more in the grit, UnREAL gives us the true anti-heroine, the one that blurs right and wrong way too well.

The female protagonists on this show are the definition of flawed and powerful. As masters of emotional manipulation, they really walk that line of being likable.

LuciFans will love watching Rachel navigate her guilt and belief that something is wrong with her, while she simultaneously tries to believe there’s a happy ending in this world for her. Much like how Lucifer wants to call Earth his home, even though it’s filled with people who are very easily manipulated by him.

The exploration of the shady behind-the-scenes world of a reality TV show will provide a nice complement for Lucifer lovers indeed.

UnREAL is available on Hulu.

Promising Young Woman

My one movie recommendation!

Definite trigger warning here. This movie had a stark impact on me and I’m honestly still processing it… Glenn Kenny says it best in the link above.

"The premise has a little in common with a 1983 novel by Fay Weldon, The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil, which also features a physical transformation."

"Fennell’s direction — extremely assured, especially for a first feature — steers the cultural allusions into corners that suggest rape culture is everywhere; as prevalent, in its way, as alcohol marketing."

"Promising Young Woman makes no apologies. But its statement is positioned in a much stronger way than a low-budget semi-exploitation thriller could ever muster."

Lucifer Fans who want to go deep into the grit of punishing abusers and wrongdoers, look no further than Promising Young Woman.

I May Destroy You

On the subject of overcoming violence against women, I May Destroy You has to get a mention. Especially since it was snubbed in so many other ways...

And not just because Tom Ellis says so himself ...

Although it helps!

I May Destroy You is on HBO MAX. Trigger warning again. I, personally, had to take many breaks in watching the show, but in the end, it's really just about empathy, no matter how raw, being the best solution to fractured trauma.

Doesn't Lucifer's Season 4 finale make the same point once Chloe accepts Lucifer for who he is?

Fleabag

If you want some of that fractured trauma and exploration into grief, but ultimately want to be able to laugh through it, the next recommendation is obvious. Fleabag.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays the lovable misfit Fleabag, another perfect anti-heroine to provide the depth of character and rebellion that LuciFans want to see in their protagonists.

Fleabag is available on Prime.

Season 2 messes with religious perspectives a bit too, it even graces us with some "signs" from God himself.

Also, Andrew Scott as a hot priest broke me.

Miranda

If you love Fleabag and want something with that same British sense of humor, but much lighter, sillier, and a bit of slapstick added in too? Then Miranda’s definitely worth a watch.

With three seasons and two specials on Hulu and Prime, the show is fun and just frustrating enough with Miranda's will-they-won’t-they romance – it'll remind LuciFans quite nicely of their own Deckerstar romantic-tension hell.

The finale is one of the most satisfying finales I’ve ever seen in a show (mostly because I immensely identify with any woman learning to surpass the need for external validation and love herself …).

<3 All in all, Miranda Hart has a lot of heart! <3

PLUS...

Lucifer fans will adore seeing Tom Ellis pretend he’s not a total Alpha… like he has to "overcompensate" to be one…

Ha!

Right.

We’re not fooled, Tom. We can’t unsee this…

Salivating. Can’t control it.

Author's Note

Truth be told, I’ve always adored dark psychological stories with themes of heaven and hell. Even when I went to film school, 10 years ago, my directing thesis was a 10-minute short film about a serial killer that went to heaven…

Want to see it?

...No?

Jeez, you and all the film festivals I submitted to...

Well here’s what no one asked for:

I hope you enjoyed reading this article even half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

And here’s hoping us LuciFans get our 5b fix soon. Until then, thank you for reading!

*Bonus: Be the first to tweet at me which recommended show is the only one NOT on Lucifer's shoulder/chair/head in this article's main picture and I’ll make a collage for you of whatever you want! Maybe your face smack-dab in the middle of all your favorite characters? You tell me!

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