Monday, March 8, 2021

What the Devil?

When it came to TV and the movies, I used to love a good serial killer or true crime drama. Malicious or mean, villains and their evil actions were as easy to watch as the popcorn was to munch: hot and salty and forgotten the moment the house lights came up. These days, though, with all the negativity in the real world, I have found it almost impossible to escape into the fictional world of TV. Everything is too sad, or too spiteful, or too violent, or too callous, or too unjust to enjoy. I've even taken a break from The Crown; they lost me when the queen told her son that no one, in the kingdom, the palace, or the family cares what he thinks. 

Googling "nice shows" will only get you so far, but there are a raft of sites that will tell you what to watch next based on what you liked before. Somehow, through a combination of scrolling and clicking, I found my way to a list that had the show Lucifer on it. Perhaps you, like I did, might think that a show about the devil is the opposite of what I was looking for, but we, friends, would be wrong. 

Based on a character created by, well, God, and a situation invented by Neil Gaiman for DC Comics, the series is about how Lucifer, having grown tired of Hell, moves to LA and opens a nightclub. Through a series of events, he becomes a consultant to the LAPD, using his unique abilities to question people of interest and uncover deeply buried clues. The show is irreverent and funny, with playful dialogue and silly situations. And although he expects selfishness and cruelty from all he meets, Lucifer Morningstar (as he is redundantly known) is more complex than either Milton or the Books of Ezekiel and Isaiah would lead you to believe. 

We are only a few episodes in, but redemption is a big theme. What could be more positive and feel-good than that?

1 comment:

  1. Oh good, I was about to post the job for a TV critic. You're hired!

    ReplyDelete