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 −1 for this episode
The episode presents the Devil as a sympathetic, witty hero and recasts God and creation in mocking, mythological terms, while giving some weight to honesty and justice through the murder case. That leaves its outlook ambivalent at best for Christian viewers.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentThis episodeShows 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
Frequent sexual innuendo, a casual sexual arrangement, a murder case with a body and blood, and a charming Devil lead in a reworked Bible story where God is mocked.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsCheck first
A glossy crime-fantasy episode where the Devil helps solve a murder, with frequent innuendo, irreverent talk of God and moderate violence. Its reworking of Christian belief is the main concern for families.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageOccasional mild swearing
Expect occasional mild and moderate swear words typical of the early broadcast seasons, without f-words.
BlasphemyIrreverent talk of God
Lucifer speaks mockingly about God, whom he calls Dad, and retells creation as a union of his parents. Some exclamatory use of God's name is likely.
Sex and nudityFrequent innuendo
Lucifer's flirtation and sexual jokes run through the episode, including with his therapist Linda, with whom he has a sexual arrangement.
RelationshipsCasual sexual arrangement
Lucifer's ongoing sexual relationship with Linda, his therapist, is treated lightly. Chloe and Dan are separated.
ViolenceMurder case, some blood
The case centres on the killing of a stand-in actress, with a body and crime-scene detail shown. There is some confrontation and threat.
Frightening scenesTense crime moments
A murder investigation and Lucifer's fixation on his escaped mother from Hell bring some tense and unsettling moments.
Drugs and alcoholDrinking at the club
Lucifer drinks freely at his nightclub and penthouse, presented as part of his lifestyle.
AttitudesDevil as charming hero
The Devil is the likeable lead whose vanity and indulgence are played for laughs. Amenadiel manipulates Chloe with a deception to hide the truth.
OccultDevil and Hell as real
Lucifer is the actual Devil, a soul escaped from Hell is a key thread, and angels and demons are real within a fantasy reworking of the Bible.
- To knowContent to know about
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Violence
A stand-in actress is found murdered, and the body and crime scene are shown as Lucifer and Chloe begin investigating.
- Early
Sexual content
Lucifer flirts and makes sexual jokes, including with his therapist Linda, with whom he has a casual sexual arrangement.
- Mid
Irreverent treatment of God
Lucifer gives Linda a scornful, legend-like account of the way his mother and father came together to bring the cosmos into being, and of how his mother was then cast out into Hell.
- Mid
Hell and spirits
Lucifer becomes convinced his mother's soul has escaped Hell and is living in the murderer's body to torment him.
- Mid
Alcohol
Lucifer drinks freely at his nightclub and penthouse, shown as part of his indulgent lifestyle.
- Mid
Deception
Amenadiel persuades Chloe that Lucifer is a deluded human using magic tricks, hiding the truth from her.
- Late
Family conflict
A woman arrives at Lucifer's penthouse asking for help and reveals herself to be his mother.
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
Lucifer, the Devil turned Los Angeles nightclub owner and police consultant, helps Detective Chloe Decker investigate the murder of a stand-in for a teen TV star. He is preoccupied by news that his mother has escaped from Hell. Chloe plans a test that could settle his claims about who he is, and Amenadiel sets out to stop it.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This episode retells creation and the Fall as a family quarrel, with God as a distant father and the Devil as a wronged son. Scripture presents the Devil very differently: a deceiver who prowls and is not a misunderstood hero. Jesus called him a liar and the father of lies, which sits oddly beside a charming lead who insists he never lies. The deception is the sharpest point here. Amenadiel talks Chloe out of what she has begun to see and steers her towards a comfortable falsehood, much as the serpent bent the truth in Eden. Chloe, meanwhile, wants evidence and the truth, and her search is the episode's most admirable thread. Paul urged believers to speak truthfully to one another. Lucifer's grievance against his Father also invites comparison with the elder brother in Jesus' parable, who stayed at home yet resented grace. Families may find it useful to ask what the story treats as true about God and what Scripture says.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
2 out of 9 fruits ripe in this episode
Ripe grapes are shown in the episode, buds are missing
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Goodness
- Gentleness
Faithfulness appears in Chloe's loyalty to Lucifer and her dogged commitment to the case, and Kindness in her patience with a partner she cannot explain. Sexual immorality runs through Lucifer's casual arrangement with Linda and his constant innuendo, and Drunkenness in his easy drinking at the club. Hatred and Strife mark the family quarrel, as Lucifer is consumed by bitterness towards his mother and the murder case turns on the killer's grudge. Jealousy and rivalry drive the crime itself. Sorcery appears in the angelic and demonic powers presented as real, and Amenadiel's stage-magic cover story. Self-control is notably missing in a story built around indulgence.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Lucifer MorningstarTom EllisThe Devil, living in Los Angeles. Charming, vain and indulgent, he is unsettled by his mother's escape from Hell and still insists he is who he says he is.
Chloe DeckerLauren GermanA police detective who wants a rational answer about Lucifer. She is caring and determined, but her trust in him is tested.
AmenadielD. B. WoodsideLucifer's angelic brother. He tries to rein Lucifer in and protect their secret, and he uses deception to do so.
Linda MartinRachael HarrisLucifer's therapist, who listens to his stories about his family while their relationship is blurred by a casual sexual arrangement.
Mazikeen 'Maze'Lesley-Ann BrandtLucifer's demon companion, whose absence is felt and who is working out where she belongs among humans.
How Christians are portrayed
No Christians or church appear. Faith is replaced by a fantasy mythology in which God, angels and the Devil are characters, with the biblical story reworked and treated with irreverence. Chloe is the nearest thing to a believer in the search for truth, but she is not religious.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
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Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
It rewards reviews that help other families decide, not how many someone writes. It's a sign others have found their reviews thoughtful, not a verdict on anyone's faith.
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Details
Episode details
- Cast
- Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D. B. Woodside
- First aired
- Sep 19, 2016
- Created by
- Tom Kapinos
- Networks
- FOX, Netflix
- Genre
- Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Episode length
- 42m
- 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: low.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (2.90) + 8 × worldview (−1) = 46
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14