Netflix's Lucifer has a devoted fan base that would walk through hell for the show. It's easy to see why so many love it. Lucifer is handsome, charming, and funny. The characters are interesting and the writing keeps things fresh. But even the best of shows have their faults, and Lucifer is no exception.
There are some glaring mistakes and contradictions that could torture even the most devoted fan. These oversights don't spoil the fun of watching Satan himself solve crimes, but they're worth exploring. Fans and critics alike can enjoy hunting for the errors in shows. It's still a great show with a talented team, after all. The occasional slip-up or continuity error isn't enough to overshadow a great cast and good writing.
Updated on August 2nd, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Lucifer became one of Netflix's most-watched programs in 2021 as the streaming platform dropped its final season. It's clear that there's a lot of love for the comic-book-inspired series. Lucifer is far from being a bad show. Fans hoping that some confusing aspects of the show would be cleared up in the final season, however, might have been left wanting. There were still aspects that didn't make sense and aspects that even the most devoted of fans didn't love.
God's Overall Participation
In the show, God is never really meant to be a solid character just like in real life. He's the creator, the father to Lucifer, and so on. His overall participation in the show is questionable when it comes to people's responsibilities.
Amenadiel is sent by God himself to take Lucifer back to Hell. God seems to have a say in what goes on but doesn't do much else afterward. When Eve is introduced, it's perplexing to consider how she got away from the Silver City. How could God let one of his first creations leave Heaven? Then there's also the fact that he doesn't seem to care to bring her back, but allows her to find a new life on Earth even though she's already lived a life once.
Lucifer As A Civilian Consultant
No one ever really questions how Lucifer is even able to help in murder cases. Lucifer becomes involved in a professional relationship with Chloe when his friend is murdered. Beyond that, it's bizarre that Lucifer is taken on as a "civilian consultant." The fact that the police captain lets it happen is a real head-scratcher.
As fans are aware, Lucifer has no police training, no forensics skills, or detective knowledge. He works simply by what he knows as the Devil, focusing on what someone desires most. It's a valid criticism to say that this character detail only functions as a way for Lucifer to be involved with Chloe.
How Long Has Lucifer Been On Earth?
The show never really details how long Lucifer has been on Earth. Audiences are aware that Lucifer used to pop in every once in a while for some fun. With Lux being a major hit, Lucifer has an established network, but audiences don't really know how long it took to get there.
Was it months? Weeks? Perhaps a year or more? All fans know is that this is the longest Lucifer has stayed on Earth, hence why Amenadiel is tasked with taking him back. He's only on the police radar when his singer friend is killed. He's on Earth for five years (on and off) once he and Chloe become partners, but just how long he's there before that is left up in the air.
Baby Charlie
In Season 4, there is a huge discrepancy that no one addresses concerning baby Charlie. Charlie was conceived by accident due to Amenadiel not knowing an angel can impregnate a human. In the show, they use the character to progress the storyline that Charlie is technically capable of ruling Hell as a celestial being.
No one mentions the implication of a half-angel child beyond worrying about whether or not Charlie will have wings. According to common mythology, a child born of an angel and a human is called Nephilim. The show does talk about Charlie's ability to leave and enter Heaven without damage. But in a lot of lore, Nephilim aren't well-liked by the rules of Heaven.
How Souls Get To Hell
The reasoning concerning how souls get banished to Hell changed quite a bit throughout the show. In the grand scheme of things, it's a detail some fans have pushed to the side. In one episode, Lucifer explains how souls end up in Hell.
Yes, a person has to commit a sin to enter Hell, but Lucifer explains that those who know they are guilty are the ones who are damned. He then further explains that one can only leave Hell if they truly believe they hold no guilt. Hence why Lucifer's mother, the Goddess, was able to escape. This creates a perplexing dilemma. If some of the most heinous of Lucifer villains honestly believe they have done no wrong, can they leave? Do they go to Hell to begin with?
What's In A Name?
Few texts in history have been as hotly debated as the Bible. Readers can find the name Lucifer sprinkled throughout the holy book but it may simply be a sloppy translation. Lucifer is the Latin name for the planet called Venus. The word literally means "light bringer" or "morning star". Due to the movements of Venus across the night sky, it's often associated with mythologies that include falls from heaven.
A similar term was translated from the Hebrew Bible to Lucifer in the King James Bible. That's where the Christian tradition of using the name to describe Satan emerged. The translation is considered questionable at best by modern scholars. Lucifer Morningstar looks great on a business card but it's not the name this angel should go by.
Cash Flow
One thing is for sure: Lucifer has plenty of liquid assets. He never has a shortage of cash, which poses several questions. As the owner of Lux, he certainly has some income. The club seems to be pretty successful and probably makes plenty of profits, but even that income source would have its limits. The existence of Lux brings up even more loose ends.
Where did he get the capital to open a luxury business? Does Lucifer have a social security number? What exactly does he do to get his hands on an endless supply of cash? In one episode it's revealed that his lease was written in lipstick on a pair of underwear. What exactly did he do to pull that off? After all, he's able to get people in touch with their desires and grant them favors, but he can't make people do things for him unless he's already granted them favors in the past.
Anatomy
Lucifer's trusty sidekick Maze is gorgeous. Every part of her physical form is near perfect other than the "demon face" that she keeps hidden on Earth. No one is complaining about her appearance, but her body does leave a lot of questions unanswered. It's been revealed that demons like Maze have no soul. She makes it clear that if she's killed on earth she'll go straight back to Hell and can't take on a new body before she discovers she's capable of growing her own soul. If that body is Maze's actual form that means she was made in God's image just like angels and human beings. That's nowhere in biblical canon that the Lucifer story draws from.
According to the Bible, demons don't look like any life form here on earth. Revelations is pretty descriptive including tales of beasts with 10 heads. The audience sees her half-demon face at a few points in the show, but there's no explanation for how Maze is able to hide it from humanity or whether other demons have different features.
Questionable Police Work
When working with the devil one has to assume some corners will be cut and some rules will be broken. It's understandable that Chloe would be helpless to reel in her divine partner. What's a little harder to believe is that none of the higher-ups hold anyone responsible for Lucifer's fast and loose investigative style. More than once he's employed his otherworldly powers and some illegal antics to further an investigation.
Good police work begins with a keen skill for observation. In one episode the powerful Amenadiel stops time allowing Lucifer to seem to move instantly from one location to another. That event should have raised some questions from the police officers surrounding him at the time.
Green Screen Glow
Audience members would be hard-pressed to find many dramas on TV that don't employ CGI. Computer effects allow filmmakers to break through the boundaries of reality. CGI can drastically reduce the cost and time it takes to produce a show. It's a miracle of modern technology that can transport viewers into new worlds. When executed poorly it can destroy our suspension of disbelief. There are several instances on the show where green screen shots are painfully obvious.
Scenes including characters in moving vehicles are the most common example. As the landscape speeds by in the background, a green glow can be seen around the actors' heads. This is evidence of green screen shots that have been poorly edited. It's a nit-picky Lucifer criticism, but to a seasoned film buff, or someone who consumes a lot of television, this glow is distracting.
Dr. Linda Is Too Chill
Dr. Linda Martin is a core character on the show. She provides a convenient sounding board for Lucifer's inner thoughts. Visits to her office often provide the catalyst to keep the plot moving forward. She also helps round out Maze as the two women become closer as friends. Dr. Martin provides Amenadiel's humanity as his love interest. The show needs her. As a therapist, Dr.Martin has been exhaustively trained to be an objective skeptic.
Mental health professionals know that the human mind is susceptible to delusion and hallucination. When Lucifer showed his true face to the good doctor she fell apart. Within a few episodes, she had accepted a complete challenge to her worldview and seemed very comfortable with the existence of the devil. One would expect a highly trained professional would take seeing Satan's face with more skepticism.
The Scooby-Doo Effect
In nearly every episode of Scooby-Doo, the gang unmasks a human villain and the same classic line is delivered. "I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids!" Even the best shows can get a little predictable several seasons in. Becoming formulaic in the third season doesn't bode well for a series. How many times had the audience followed Chloe and Lucifer into the interrogation room with the first suspect in a new case by that point?
Each interview ends the same way. The first suspect is shocked to learn the victim is dead. They then provide an alibi that exonerates them and the investigation continues. It's not a bad trope for a cop show but it's rolled out far too frequently in a series that combines the crime procedural with the supernatural.