HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis episode
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis episode
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why 0 for this episode
A sincere, self-giving priest is portrayed warmly and his faith challenges Lucifer, yet the series casts the devil as a likeable hero and God as distant and unfair, leaving its outlook mixed.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralThis episodeNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this episode is for each age group.
Why 15+ for this episode
A fatal church shooting, a near-fatal choking, a drug ring drawing in teenagers, and frequent innuendo are handled at a fairly strong level. A sympathetic Satan mocks God.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsCheck first
A gentler-than-usual episode in which a kind priest's faith unsettles the devil, set around a violent drug-crime plot. Expect a fatal shooting, innuendo and a sympathetic Satan.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageOccasional mild swearing
Expect occasional mild to moderate swearing typical of the first season, without f-words.
BlasphemyMocking talk of God
Lucifer makes sarcastic remarks about God, whom he calls his father, and debates faith with a priest; some exclamations with God's name are likely.
Sex and nudityInnuendo
Lucifer's usual flirtation and innuendo, with scantily dressed women around his apartment and nightclub.
RelationshipsCasual sex implied
Lucifer's casual sexual lifestyle is played for laughs; a corrupt police officer pressures Dan.
ViolenceShooting, choking
A murder investigation, an attempt on a man's life and a fatal shooting in a church, with a character dying of his wound. Lucifer nearly chokes a man to death in anger.
Frightening scenesTense, upsetting death
A tense confrontation in a church and a sympathetic character's death are upsetting.
Drugs and alcoholDrug trafficking plot
The story centres on a drug ring drawing young people in through a youth centre; dealing is shown as destructive. Drinking at Lux.
AttitudesCrime, revenge urges
Drug dealers coerce a teenager towards violence, and a police officer is corrupt. Lucifer's vengeful rage is challenged by Chloe.
OccultDevil as sympathetic hero
The central figure is Satan himself, portrayed as charismatic and wrongly judged, while an angel plots to return him to Hell. Biblical figures are reimagined freely.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Innuendo
A priest asks Lucifer for a favour and is turned away; Lucifer's usual flirtation and innuendo surround the scene.
- Early
Drug trafficking
A youth counsellor is found murdered, and the investigation points to a drug operation using a youth centre to draw in teenagers.
- Mid
Faith and doubt
An attempt is made on the priest's life, and Lucifer hides him at his nightclub, where the two bond over the piano.
- Mid
Mocking talk of God
Lucifer sneers at God and the priest's faith, while the priest answers him with patience and kindness.
- Late
Shooting and deathSkip if under 13
In a church, a drug dealer orders a frightened teenager to shoot the priest. When the dealer shoots, the priest is hit by the bullet and dies while Lucifer holds him.
- Late
Violence and revenge
Furious, Lucifer chokes the dealer almost to death until Chloe persuades him to stop.
- Late
Occult and Hell themes
A corrupt police officer is told by an angel that the only purpose of his return from Hell was to murder Lucifer.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
A kind priest asks Lucifer for help, and Lucifer brushes him off. When a youth counsellor is murdered, the priest's concerns about a drug operation at a neighbourhood youth centre bring them together again. Meanwhile, a corrupt officer tightens his grip on Dan.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
Father Frank's costly kindness to a troubled teenager echoes the words of Jesus about laying down one's life for one's friends. His readiness to take a bullet meant for Connor also points to the Good Shepherd, who protects his sheep when others flee. Frank welcomes the devil himself without flinching, as Jesus ate with those the respectable avoided. Lucifer's urge to repay violence with violence meets the call not to take revenge but to leave room for justice. Chloe's plea that he stop is a small picture of overcoming evil with good. The drug dealers who use a youth centre to draw in the young recall warnings about those who lead the vulnerable astray. Yet the episode treats God as distant and the devil as the wronged party, which sits against Scripture's account of Satan as the accuser and deceiver. Frank's death is not the end of his witness: the story shows goodness unsettling cynicism, and wrongdoing carries real consequences.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
5 out of 9 fruits ripe in this episode
Ripe grapes are shown in the episode, buds are missing
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Self-control
Love shows in Father Frank, who gives his life for the boy he fosters. Kindness and gentleness mark how he treats Lucifer and Connor, and goodness and faithfulness appear in his steady care for the youth centre's children despite danger. Chloe shows goodness in talking Lucifer back from the brink. Among the works of the flesh, hatred and fits of anger appear in the dealers' violence and in Lucifer's rage after Frank's death, and jealousy drives Malcolm's scheming to keep watch on Dan.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Lucifer MorningstarTom EllisThe devil, running a Los Angeles nightclub and consulting for the police. He is charming and flippant, and he is unsettled by a priest's sincere faith and kindness.
Chloe DeckerLauren GermanThe detective leading the murder case. She is level-headed and compassionate, and she steers Lucifer away from vengeance.
AmenadielD. B. WoodsideAn angel and Lucifer's brother, who is impatient to send Lucifer back to Hell and pushes a scheme to that end.
Dan EspinozaKevin AlejandroA detective and Chloe's ex-husband, under pressure from a corrupt officer who wants to keep watch on him.
How Christians are portrayed
Father Frank is a warm, sincere and humble priest who lives out his faith with courage, and the episode takes him seriously rather than mocking him. His belief is a foil for Lucifer's cynicism and challenges it. The wider series, however, treats God as remote and the church's teaching as something to be questioned.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
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Details
Episode details
- Cast
- Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D. B. Woodside
- First aired
- Mar 21, 2016
- Created by
- Tom Kapinos
- Networks
- FOX, Netflix
- Genre
- Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Episode length
- 41m
- Age rating
- US TV-14 · UK 15
How we analysed this
We gathered the episode's summary, its reception and facts about the series that independent sources agree on, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: medium.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (2.82) + 8 × worldview (0) = 55
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14