Lucifer Bonus Episodes Review: It's a Wonderful Life
Carissa Pavlica
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After the series' cancellation, Fox decided to air the two remaining standalone episodes that were to be a part of Season 4 if it were to be. It was not.
As it was, having two episodes without a "point" in the narrative might actually help the series for once instead of working against the flow of an ordinary season.
No, I'm not a fan of episodes that are shoved into the middle of an otherwise serialized narrative, pulling regular viewers out of what can be a riveting plot.
It doesn't make sense to me why the content of Lucifer Season 3 Episode 25 couldn't be a part of a regular season. We've been waiting to discover what it is about Ella that makes her more than just quirky.
She became an integral character in such short order, and she's so darn cute. Of course she'd get an opportunity to hang out with her dead best friend from childhood.
But it could be both exciting and the kind of thing to keep her from leading a normal life. It's too bad she doesn't know she's in the perfect place to let her freak flag fly.
Related: Kevin Alejandro on the #SaveLucifer Campaign, Dan's Growth, and Directing the Final Episode
And that's kind of what her ghostie friend is there to talk about. When Ella considers moving back to Detroit because her family needs her, Rae Rae appears to talk her out of it. Part of Ella's reasoning is that she can stop hiding who she is if she returns and her family will still love her.
While these episodes aren't supposed to say anything about what's ahead after the "reveal" at the end of Lucifer Season 3 episode 24 we got a little glimpse anyway.
Chloe is the nicest person EVER but she's all about things she can see and prove, and I don't think she'd get it. And the truth is, I don't want to give her the chance not to.
Ella
Ella thought better of that after the case was solved and confided in Chloe. Chloe has a reveal of her own. She's seen a lot and believing in ghosts isn't beyond her.
The best reveal, though, was the identity of Ella's ghost and how Ella got to Los Angeles. Rae Rae was Azrael, the Angel of Death, and Lucifer's sibling. Having become enamored with Ella who didn't die as she was expected, she checked in on her over the years, making life rough on Ella.
Since Rae Rae couldn't be with Ella without causing her harm, she sent her to Lucifer so her two favorite people could be together. A worthy standalone episode with a great call out to the overall arc of family mucking in Lucifer's life.
There was a case, too, and the best thing to say about it was Lucifer and Dan were together again. Lucifer wasn't treating Dan as well as he was during Lucifer Season 3 as a whole, which was disappointing, but Dan was still a standout.
Watching Kevin Alejandro on the rollercoaster, and Dan telling off Lucifer for being a comrade in arms when it comes to the idiocy Lucifer is always accusing Dan of while playing innocent were highlights.
Related: Lucifer Season 3 Episode 24 Review: A Devil of My Word
Where was Linda? With an episode about a psychologist, checking in with her would have made sense. You can't have everything!
Up next was Lucifer Season 3 Episode 26, the one directed by Kevin Alejandro featuring Neil Gaiman as God. The world is not as it was in the Lucifer we've come to know, and everyone was off kilter.
It was a terrific look at how things could have gone much differently if Lucifer and Chloe never met, among other things. Alternate universes are my favorites, and glimpses of "Once Upon a Time" were a lot of fun.
As it turned out, it's the story of what would have happened if God hadn't manipulated things, rather than the opposite. And, yes, things were different, but at their core, people were the same even if they weren't quite as good or happy as they were with God's interjection.
Dan and Charlotte were destined to connect no matter what, just like Lucifer and Chloe, but they were on the wrong side of the law.
Dan: But I'll also be watching to make sure you don't sneak out and disappear.
Charlotte: Because you'd miss me if I did?
Dan: You know what? Maybe I would.
Catching Dan stealing money from the evidence locker gave Charlotte the idea to steal from her boss, Lucifer. That lead to one of the best moments of the hour, showing Maze in her true colors and wearing a mask only heretofore associated with her character in the comics.
Maze: Go, embrace your deepest darkest desire. Let the embers burn into a flame.
Charlotte: Why?
Maze: We'll meet again. Eventually. Somewhere hotter. The more you sin, the more fun it will be for me. Think of this as foreplay. However, if I ever see you and that boy toy in Los Angeles again, I will gut that pretty belly of yours. Everyone knows: you don't steal from The Devil.
It's apparent she could have a much more badass arc than she's been given in the world we've been living, and if Lucifer lives on, I wouldn't mind her splitting her time between trying to live with humanity and trying to keep them from finding themselves in hell.
Linda made an appearance on the Doctor Linda show, throwing her elite, famous patients under the bus if it was something the ratings called for, but not without feeling terrible about it.
Ella's admittance that she became a car thief because of Chloe's movies was very cute, especially when Chloe reminded Ella that at the end of the Bonnie movie Ella was talking about Bonnie became a police officer. Well, Ella hadn't watched that far, so her fate was sealed.
Ella was just as happy in her chosen profession and even more fashionable!
But Chloe wasn't quite as happy as she would have been if God had touched her life, but she did decide after working with Lucifer she'd like to one day become a cop. Lucifer bet her on it that it would happen.
Their partnership synced up no matter how they met, and their dynamic was similar. We saw it only at the beginning, of course, but they were fast friends.
Probably the biggest ache in Chloe's heart that she didn't even know was missing was the absence of Trixie. Because she didn't join the police force before she met Lucifer, she never married Dan and without Dan, there was no Trixie.
Losing her father, no matter how dear he was to her for the 20 years longer he lived, would be worth it to bring Trixie into the lives of those she touched.
Lucifer has spent so much time worrying about how his father manipulated his life, but Dad only wanted what was best for his son. That's what family does, and we all get annoyed by family interference. It's part of being in a family.
Lucifer doesn't always recognize it, but It's a Wonderful Life no matter what his family does. They love him to the core, and he's one of the lucky ones.
They were two good episodes to end on, but it may not be the end. Losing characters we love is never fun. Just the idea that Trixie didn't exist was unpleasant. Can we keep Lucifer alive?
I hope you enjoyed the episodes and the Twitter party that was a part of it. Did you go all out and make your voices heard? Will we have more from this talented cast and crew or will we be left only to watch Lucifer online?
#SaveLucifer #PickUpLucifer
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
