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 treats the devil as a sympathetic, wounded son and God as a distant, neglectful father, reframing biblical figures as a dysfunctional family. It does value self-control and resisting the urge to harm, but the overall outlook is ambivalent.
- +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 16+ for this episode
Several people are stabbed to death by a cursed blade, with bodies and wounds shown, alongside frequent sexual innuendo and a scornful, sarcastic take on God and angels.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsCheck first
A crime-of-the-week episode in which a cursed blade sets off a string of stabbings, mixed with the series' irreverent take on God and the devil. Expect bloody crime scenes, innuendo and scornful talk of God.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageOccasional mild swearing
Expect occasional mild profanity and crude remarks typical of the series' early seasons.
BlasphemyIrreverent talk of God
Lucifer speaks of God, his father, with scorn and sarcasm, and God's name may be used as an exclamation a few times.
Sex and nudityInnuendo
Lucifer's trademark sexual innuendo runs through the episode; nothing explicit is shown.
RelationshipsFractured family ties
Dan resents Lucifer over the break-up of his marriage to Chloe, and Lucifer's own family conflict with his mother and brother drives the story.
ViolenceStabbing victims shown
Several people are stabbed to death by a cursed blade, with bodies and wounds seen at crime scenes. Dan threatens Lucifer while under the blade's influence.
Frightening scenesTense, grim scenes
Murder scenes and a possessed-seeming rampage create tense moments; Linda is still shaken by having seen Lucifer's true face.
Drugs and alcoholSocial drinking
Drinking appears in the usual social and nightclub settings.
AttitudesManipulation, revenge
Lucifer's mother deliberately puts a murderous weapon into human hands to get God's attention. Dan's resistance to the blade is framed as admirable willpower.
OccultCursed angelic blade
A blade belonging to the angel of death compels anyone holding it to kill, and angels and the devil are reimagined as a dysfunctional family at odds with God. A yoga group borders on a cult.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Violence
A woman is found stabbed to death. Her link to a cult-like yoga group sets the case in motion.
- Early
Sexual innuendo
Lucifer's usual sexual innuendo and flirtation runs through the investigation and his nightclub life.
- Mid
Occult and angelic lore
Charlotte admits she put Azrael's blade into human hands to get God's attention, knowing it drives its holder to kill.
- Mid
Violence
A number of people from the yoga circle turn up dead from stab wounds, and the knife stays lodged in the final body. Bodies and wounds are seen.
- Late
Threat and menaceSkip if under 13
Dan lifts the knife and comes under its sway. Holding Lucifer responsible for wrecking his family, he makes threats against him, but eventually breaks away from the weapon's grip.
- Late
Irreverence towards God
Lucifer speaks scornfully of Heaven and of his family's relationship with God. He resumes therapy with Linda.
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 and the police detectives look into the knifing of a woman connected with a yoga circle that is close to being a cult. Lucifer is also hunting for the stolen angelic blade that once belonged to his sister Azrael. As the killings multiply, the two cases begin to cross, and family tensions among Lucifer's heavenly relatives come to a head.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This episode turns on a mother who hands a murderous weapon to humans to force God's attention, and on a man who will not let a power rule him. Scripture knows the first impulse: Saul's jealousy drove a spear toward David, and Cain was warned that sin crouched at his door but that he must rule over it. Dan's struggle to master the urge to harm echoes that call, and the Bible says patient self-mastery is worth more than might. Charlotte's scheme treats people as tools to win a reply from a Father she feels has gone silent, yet Scripture presents God as one who does not need to be provoked, who is patient and wishes none to perish. Lucifer's scorn of Heaven and his wish to be respected on Earth reflect pride, the sin that brought the morning star low. The show casts God as distant and his rules as arbitrary, which is not the Father of the prodigal son who runs to meet his child. Families may find it useful to compare the two portraits.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
1 out of 9 fruits ripe in this episode
Ripe grapes are shown in the episode, buds are missing
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
Self-control is the one fruit clearly lived out: Dan, gripped by the blade's pull to violence, fights free of it by sheer willpower. Hatred and fits of anger show in the stabbing spree and in Dan's threats to Lucifer, whom he blames for his broken family. Strife and divisions run through the family of angels, as Amenadiel, Charlotte and Lucifer clash over where each belongs. Jealousy and resentment feed Charlotte's bid to win God's notice. Sensuality appears in Lucifer's usual innuendo.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Lucifer MorningstarTom EllisThe devil, who runs an LA nightclub and consults for the police. He is charming and flippant, and hides hurt about his family and about God.
Chloe DeckerLauren GermanA police detective investigating the stabbings. She is grounded and practical, and pushes through the case while those around her are unsettled.
Dan EspinozaKevin AlejandroA detective who resents Lucifer for the breakdown of his family. He is tested by the blade's pull and has to fight it.
Charlotte RichardsTricia HelferA lawyer who is also Lucifer's mother. She manipulates events in the hope of drawing God's attention and reuniting her family.
Linda MartinRachael HarrisLucifer's therapist. She is recovering from learning who he really is and begins to see him as a hurting patient.
How Christians are portrayed
No Christians or church appear. Through a made-up family of angels, the episode touches on God, Heaven and Hell, while the cult-like yoga circle it shows has no Christian connection. God is portrayed as absent and distant, and his rules as hard to bear.
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.
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.
Found a review useful? Mark it Helpful: it tells the writer, and helps others find the best reviews first.
Details
Episode details
- Cast
- Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D. B. Woodside
- First aired
- Nov 14, 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 (2.66) + 8 × worldview (−1) = 49
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14