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 loss, grief and love with real feeling, but it presents the devil as a sympathetic hero who seeks God's throne and frames revenge as understandable. Its picture of God and the afterlife departs sharply from Scripture.
- +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
A much-loved character is tortured, shot and mourned, and the leads then take violent revenge, so the distress and grief are strong. God is also treated as a role to be taken over.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsCheck first
A grief-heavy episode in which a main character is tortured and killed while Lucifer campaigns to replace God. Expect violence, revenge and a reimagined heaven that sits far from the Bible.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageSome moderate swearing
Expect occasional mild and moderate swear words in the dialogue, in line with the later seasons.
BlasphemyIrreverent talk of God
The devil and his angel siblings compete to take over God's role, and God is spoken of casually and irreverently; some exclamations are likely.
Sex and nudityLight innuendo
Expect some of the show's usual suggestive banter, but this episode centres on a case, a death and grief rather than sexual content.
RelationshipsUnmarried couple
Lucifer and Chloe are a committed but unmarried couple, and their relationship is strained by his secret ambition. Dan offers to set Ella up with a friend.
ViolenceTorture and shooting
Mercenaries kidnap and torture a main character and then shoot him as he tries to escape. A man with superhuman strength attacks Lucifer, and Lucifer and Maze later take violent revenge.
Frightening scenesDeath and grief
A much-loved character dies after torture and a shooting, followed by a funeral and raw grief. Family members, including his young daughter, are shown mourning.
Drugs and alcoholSome drinking
Drinking is likely in the background, as is usual for the series.
AttitudesRevenge, deception
Lucifer hides his plan from Chloe, and he and Maze take brutal revenge for a death. Vengeance is framed sympathetically as an expression of grief.
OccultFallen angel as hero
The devil is the sympathetic hero, and angels vie to replace God. A magical necklace grants powers and a weapon of divine power is being rebuilt, all within a fantasy setting at odds with the Bible.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Irreverent view of God
Lucifer pleads with his angel siblings to back his bid to become God, and some of them refuse. God is discussed casually and irreverently.
- Early
Fantasy violence and magic
A fence with superhuman strength attacks Lucifer in a fight, and he escapes. A magical necklace is the source of the power.
- Mid
Torture and deathSkip if under 13
Mercenaries kidnap Dan and torture him for information. He tries to escape and is shot, then dies after giving Chloe a name.
- Mid
Secrets in a relationship
Lucifer admits to Chloe that he hopes to take over as God so he can show he deserves her, and she is furious that he hid this. Chloe has also resigned from the police without telling him.
- Late
Grief and the afterlife
At Dan's funeral, Amenadiel tells Lucifer that Dan is not in heaven. Family members, including Dan's young daughter, grieve openly.
- Late
Revenge violence
Lucifer and Maze take violent revenge on the mercenaries. Lucifer next informs Linda that he has to take on the role of God in order to put right the universe's injustice.
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 is campaigning among his angel siblings to take over as God, but not all of them are willing to back him. Chloe, unaware of his plan, makes a big career change to work beside him. Their latest case, involving a thief who steals from the dead, grows far more dangerous than expected and touches everyone close to them.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This episode sets two ideas of power and justice side by side. Lucifer explains that he aims to take God's place, both to correct the universe's injustice and to show Chloe that he deserves her. The Bible's first great grasp at godlike status was the serpent's promise in Eden. Isaiah describes the fallen morning star who said he would ascend and make himself like the Most High. Scripture shows God's way as the reverse: Christ did not grasp at equality with God but humbled himself. The episode's grief is real, and Dan's death is mourned honestly. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, and God promises to wipe away every tear. Lucifer and Maze answer the death with violent revenge, yet Scripture says vengeance belongs to God and tells us not to repay evil for evil. The worry over whether Dan is in heaven is also worth testing against the Bible, which says our standing before God rests on grace through Christ and not on our own record.
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
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Gentleness
Love and faithfulness show in Chloe's loyalty to Lucifer, in Dan's stubborn loyalty to his friends even under torture, and in the family's grief at his death. The works of the flesh are more prominent. Rivalries, jealousy and envy run through the angel siblings, who compete over the throne of God, and the strife between them keeps the family at odds. Lucifer's ambition divides him from Chloe, who is angered by his reasons. Hatred and fits of anger drive the mercenaries' cruelty and the revenge taken on them. Self-control is notably missing when grief turns to vengeance.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Lucifer MorningstarTom EllisThe devil, who wants the God job and hides his real reason from Chloe. He is charming and driven, and he is hit hard by loss.
Chloe DeckerLauren GermanA detective who leaves the police to work alongside Lucifer. She is loyal and honest, and she is hurt when she learns what he has kept from her.
Dan EspinozaKevin AlejandroChloe's ex-husband and a fellow detective, devoted to his daughter. He is brave when his friends are in danger.
AmenadielD. B. WoodsideLucifer's angel brother, who tries to put right a past mistake. He is caught between loyalty to family and concern about what Lucifer and Michael intend.
Mazikeen 'Maze'Lesley-Ann BrandtLucifer's demon friend. She is fiercely loyal and reacts to loss with anger and a wish for revenge.
How Christians are portrayed
No Christians or church appear. Faith is replaced by a fantasy version of heaven in which angels squabble over God's job and God is absent. A funeral scene touches on hope after death, but heaven is shown as uncertain and arbitrary rather than as the gift described in Scripture.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
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Review
Helpful reviewer
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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
- May 28, 2021
- Created by
- Tom Kapinos
- Networks
- FOX, Netflix
- Genre
- Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Episode length
- 1h 2m
- 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 (2.70) + 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