Haven’t had a chance to revisit Lucifer’s freshman season ahead of its return on September 19? Hypable has you covered with our Lucifer season 1 recap!
Time is always at a premium as we head into the fall television season. We’re wrapping up our summer binge-watches and catching up on the shows we couldn’t quite fit into our schedule last year. Squeezing in a rewatch (or several) of the devilishly addictive first season of Lucifer might be low on your priorities — but fear not! We’ve put together a season 1 recap to get you caught up on everything you need to remember before the show returns on September 19.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Lucifer season 1.
You have no power over me
We’re introduced to Detective Chloe Decker practically from the word go during Lucifer’s pilot, as she heads up the investigation into the murder of Delilah, a popular musician catapulted into the spotlight by Lucifer himself. A determined, smart, and accomplished member of the LAPD, Chloe goes toe-to-toe with Lucifer and piques his curiosity — not least because she’s immune to his supernatural persuasions.
The whys and wherefores of this immunity isn’t something that the show has divulged as of yet, but we certainly have our theories. (Of course, it won’t be long before we discover the truth behind the mystery, if comments from showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con are to be believed.)
Lucifer’s unwavering fascination with Chloe Decker is a focus throughout the entirety of the first season. It not only results in Lucifer manipulating his way into a consulting position with the LAPD in order to remain close to her, but it also drives a dangerous wedge between Lucifer and Mazikeen, one of his most loyal followers and fierce protectors. Oh, and did we mention that when Lucifer is in close proximity to Chloe it makes him mortal? Not exactly an ideal situation for the former Lord of Hell.
Whether you’re on #TeamDeckerstar or not, there’s no denying the powerful and enduring connection between Lucifer and Chloe — from the moment he saved her life during that fatal shooting in the pilot, to giving his own to ensure her safety in the finale. It’s a relationship that will undoubtedly get more complicated in season 2, with a certain member of Lucifer’s family on the loose. But more on that later.
Source: Tumblr
The curious case of Palmetto Street
Though Lucifer followed a procedural format during its freshman run — something we believe it should consider moving away from in season 2 — there was one particular case that haunted Chloe Decker from the pilot through to the finale episode.
Prior to Lucifer crashing into her life, Chloe was investigating the possibility of there being a dirty cop within her department at the LAPD. The cop in question was homicide detective Malcolm Graham who, ultimately, turned out to be an informant for Los Angeles’ gangsters and underground criminal organizations. Chloe’s surreptitious investigation led her to follow Malcolm to Palmetto Street, where he was due to cut a deal with a gangster and his bodyguard.
Just as Chloe’s presence in the warehouse was discovered, and she was facing down gunfire intended to take her out, a (then unknown) third party took matters into their own hands, killing both gang members and sending Malcolm into a coma.
Despite Malcolm falling in the line of duty, as assumed by the rest of the force, Chloe was steadfast in her belief that Detective Graham was dirty — making her unpopular amongst her co-workers who ostracized her for her beliefs.
Chloe continued to look into the case, ignoring warnings from her estranged husband Dan Espinoza that she should close it and allow Malcolm’s family to grieve in peace without the potential scandal hanging over their heads.
It seemed as though Chloe would do just that until news reached her that the plug was about to be pulled on Malcolm’s life support, but further evidence came to light that a second cop within the department was responsible for the shooting — a “999” key discovered on the floor of a hidden tunnel in the warehouse that is only issued to active Detectives in the LAPD.
Another spanner in the works? Amenadiel, Lucifer’s brother charged by God to return him to Hell, spared Malcolm’s life in order to recruit him to his cause. But, as these things are wont to do, it didn’t exactly go according to plan. Lucifer turned Malcolm against Amenadiel with a “get out of Hell free” token, putting into motion a series of events that steadily escalated on our journey to the season finale.
Outing Chloe’s not-quite-ex-husband Dan Espinoza as the third party shooter (talk about gaslighting, right?), who carried out the deed only to save Chloe’s life, Malcolm became fanatical about Lucifer himself — going as far as to murder several occult worshipers taking his “name in vain” to please the Lord of Hell.
(Yeah, Amenadiel probably should have realized that Malcolm wasn’t exactly the most well-adjusted person ever.)
The man-hunt for Malcolm culminated in a showdown at a warehouse, where the truth about the Palmetto case finally came out, and ended with Chloe putting a bullet in Malcolm and stopping him for good.
But what about that “get out of Hell free” token, we hear you cry? Well, Malcolm made a grave error in threatening Chloe’s life, and Lucifer rescinded it with some deft slight of hand. You reap what you sow.
Jerry Springer, eat your heart out
You’d think with all that, we’d be just about ready to wrap things up — but not quite. There was one, final, key ingredient to Lucifer season 1 — the family drama.
As previously mentioned, with Lucifer’s absconding from Hell to open a club in L.A. and lead a “simpler” life, his brother Amenadiel was tasked with returning him to his rightful place — as well as temporarily guarding the gates in his absence.
The lengths to which Amenadiel was willing to go in order to achieve those ends went to the extreme — including, as above, the resurrection of Malcolm to act as his personal hit-man.
Prior to that plan, however, Amenadiel partnered with a despondent Maze (both professionally and… in the biblical sense) to steal Lucifer’s wings, hoping it would become a catalyst in reminding Lucifer how important they were and lead him to return to Hell voluntarily. But does Lucifer ever do anything willingly — especially when it’s something that, ultimately, his Father wants?
Lucifer burned his wings to ash, effectively ensuring he could never return to Hell, but one solitary feather remained secretly in Maze’s possession.
Amenadiel and Lucifer continued to butt heads over Lucifer’s perceived responsibility, but they put those differences aside when Malcolm became infinitely more dangerous, threatening the life of Chloe Decker. When Malcolm used a Demon dagger to stab Amenadiel, Lucifer was willing to abandon the chase to stay by his side — but was urged on by both Mazikeen and his brother.
Maze healed Amenadiel’s fatal wounds with the feather from Lucifer’s wings, as Lucifer lay dying in a pool of his own blood from his own fatal wound, inflicted when he stepped in to save Chloe Decker’s life during the showdown with Malcolm.
That mortal death sent Lucifer back to Hell, where he made a startling discovery. His mother had escaped her chains and made her way to Earth. God, silently tasking Lucifer with returning her to her bonds, resurrected him — further complicating Lucifer’s “Daddy issues.”
And with a third brother also entering the mix when Lucifer’s sophomore season hits our screens, there’s little doubt that the family drama will be cranked up a notch… or several.
We certainly wouldn’t want to be at that dinner table next time Thanksgiving rolls around…
‘Lucifer’ season 2 premieres on Monday, September 19 at 9 p.m. ET on FOX!
Want more ‘Lucifer’ season 2 teases to whet your appetite before September 19? Check out our coverage from San Diego Comic-Con:
? Lucifer at SDCC: What we learned about season 2
? Lucifer cast discuss how ‘Mom’ will shake up season 2
? Lucifer cast reflect on season 1, preview what’s next for Maze and Amenadiel
? Lucifer at SDCC: Aimee Garcia on what to expect from Ella Lopez
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.