Lucifer

[citrinesunset]

Okay, so, I've managed to get really into the new Fox show Lucifer. And now I'm really nervous about whether it's going to be picked up for a second season or not.

It took a few weeks for the show to grow on me. I started with episode four, which I only watched on a whim because it was on after The X-Files, and it kind of annoyed me. But I decided to give it a try for a couple more weeks, and now it's grown on me so much.

It's kind of an odd show. I haven't really read the Lucifer comics much (I'm mainly familiar with the character from Sandman, which is one of my favorite series ever), but I can tell that this seems like an adaptation in name only. Turning the story into a police procedural and making Lucifer a freaking consultant seems like a silly and frankly lazy choice to me considering how common crime procedurals are. The procedural aspect isn't even all that great, to be honest. I haven't found any of the cases too interesting. The attempted UST between him and Detective Chloe Decker also feels really formulaic to me.

Considering how even network TV has gotten a lot darker and boundary-breaking than it used to be, and how it's tried to jump on the bandwagon of antihero shows like Breaking Bad, Lucifer is surprisingly tame and dorky so far. I mean, Hannibal really pushed the limits of what's acceptable for Network TV, and you would kind of expect a show about the literal Devil to do the same. But while Lucifer does have moments where he's genuinely creepy and actually seems dangerous, he's mostly played like a petulant party boy who does stuff like bribe his way out of speeding tickets and smoke pot. And as much as he talks about wanting to punish people, we never actually see him do anything very bad. He's pretty tame, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes the show does seem like it doesn't quite know what tone it's going for. It reminds me a little of Torchwood in that respect. Like, are we supposed to see the half-assed demon face Lucifer sometimes flashes to scare people with as genuinely threatening? It looks like something out of a kid's show.

But the thing is, I really love the show so far. It's flawed, but I love it for the same reasons I loved Torchwood and love White Collar. It's fun. It's funny. There's banter and charm ridiculous situations. It's always this type of show, which I feel like I shouldn't necessarily like this much, that worms its way into my heart and puts down roots. I mean, I probably sound fairly critical of it, but I really do love it more than it probably deserves.

And Tom Ellis is so great as the main character. He does sell both the creepy and playful sides of Lucifer very well.

And this is why I hate getting into shows in their first season. I don't want it to be canceled. :/

Comments

[kanarek13]

Heee, I'm completely unfamiliar with the comics but I'm certainly enjoying the show. The guy playing Lucifer is epic... I can't say I'm extremely fannish about it but I certainly look forward to the next ep (AND ZOMG, the song at the beginning of last week's ep!!!).

I still need to watch this week's ep but all in all - yay :D

And yeah, it will probably get cancelled /o\ Figures, the crap drags on for seasons while enjoyable shows get whacked before they can truly take off :/

[citrinesunset.livejournal.com]

I'm enjoying it more and more. I wasn't sold on it at first, but it's a lot of fun!

[doctor-fangeek.livejournal.com]

I really like Lucifer. I don't know what the overall plan is - where they want to take the characters & plot. And there is surely depth to be had in the premise that they're not going for (at least not so far). But the show is *fun*, and Tom Ellis is casting brilliance, and I just enjoy watching it.

For a show that initially comes off as a fun take on something usually played for scares (and violence), but which turns out to be more complex and involving, I recommend iZombie. It's a remarkably fresh take, and the ensemble is terrific (led by Rose McIver, whose character takes on different personality traits every episode depending on whose brain she's eaten).

[citrinesunset.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's kind of hard to say. It's hard to judge a show by its earliest episodes sometimes. I don't necessarily want to see them go in a really dark direction (though I don't think they would--there's too much humor infused in the show for it to become super dark, I think), but like I said, I feel like they're playing it a little bit safe with the format right right and could probably take more risks.

Oh, and that's good to know about iZombie! I've been meaning to give that show a try.

[tjs-whatnot.livejournal.com]

I am actually waiting to see if it gets cancelled (and if so if they end it badly i.e. no closure) before I invest. I love Tom Ellis a ridiculous amount and got really invested in Rush because he was in it, and it was such a completely different show than the one I'd met him in (Miranda) that I was surprised how much I loved it... only to have it not be picked up. :(( And the only way I knew that he hadn't been renewed is that I saw that he was doing Lucifer.

So yeah... hoping, but not investing for a while.

[citrinesunset.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're probably smart. I generally don't watch shows until they've been renewed at least once, partly because I don't like getting into stuff that only lasts one season. But this kind of snuck up on me, and now I can't help myself.

(I've been interested in watching Miranda, actually. I've never seen it, but I'm pretty sure I used to know some people on Tumblr or somewhere who did watch it, because I remember Tom Ellis was on it.)