That’s it. It’s over. And if you’re here, you’ve probably already finished binge-watching. If not, then I suggest you step away or prepare yourself for big-time spoilers, because we’re going to be discussing the ending. And dissecting it. And trying to come to terms with very conflicting feelings about it.
But first, let’s try to answer the question: was the Lucifer ending satisfying? The answer isn’t as clear-cut as I would like it to be. It can be yes, and it can be no. It will mostly depend on the point of view – and, of course, what characters you were watching the show for. But let’s examine why the ending makes sense, feelings aside, even if we might have chosen a different one if it’d been up to us.
Lucifer is, not so deep down, well, the story of Lucifer. It’s kind of obvious, what with the title and all. So, the main character arc we’ve been following throughout six seasons has been that of Lucifer, fallen Angel. We’ve also been, through him, introduced to the celestial world, and all the issues with it. For years Lucifer has struggled with his true calling while helping Chloe solve crimes, all because he felt his job was to “punish the guilty.”
It’s not till this final season that Lucifer realizes what his true calling is. It’s not to punish, but to heal. It’s not to torture the souls in Hell, it’s to help them move forward. The idea that death isn’t the end of your journey isn’t new to Lucifer, The Good Place explored this idea successfully in its four seasons. But the idea that the Lucifer that once saw himself as a lost soul could be the one in charge of helping all of those who were once as lost as him, well, that’s a little poetic.
No, a lot.
This new-found calling for Lucifer comes in direct conflict with his life on Earth, however, not because he cannot do both at the same time, but because his daughter, Rory – in very Lucifer fashion – rationalizes his realization as something that needs to happen the exact way it happened. For her, and for all the other lost souls who might have to endure thousands of years of torment if the future changes in such a way that would make Lucifer either not realize his calling or realize it much later in life.
It isn’t about Rory right then, though it is. It isn’t about Chloe, either. In truth, it isn’t even about Lucifer. It’s about the greater good, and in the end, the time this family might have had together on Earth isn’t as important as that. Not for the show, and not for the mythology they built from day one.
Which, of course, doesn’t mean that, as a fan, I didn’t want to do something different — at least for Lucifer and Chole, because I was very happy with the rest of the temporary (earthly) endings. Because I did. I understand that on this show, mortal life means little. These people, this family, doesn’t end with death. It never could, not when half of them are celestials and the other half will either end up in heaven or will be therapied into heaven by Lucifer. This family is forever, and they still have that, forever, to live with each other.
This isn’t Arrow, where Felicity decided to abandon her kids to be with Oliver, and where he missed most of their lives without a possibility of ever seeing them again. Here, Amenadiel got the ending he wanted — and deserved, after taking the time to understand that what was expected of him was truly his happy ending. Linda got to understand how much she’d helped, not just Lucifer, but humanity. Ella found love — and a greater purpose than just her work. Dan finally made it to heaven. Maze and Eve got a lifetime together.
And Lucifer and Chloe (plus Rory and Trixie in some ways), well …for them this is a pause …before the real happy ending. I just don’t like pauses, okay? I get it. I was mad when I first watched it. And then mad after my second time watching. But I’ve had some time. I’ve gone through the five stages of grief, and I’ve come out in a place where, even if this wasn’t my preferred ending, I get it.
It doesn’t ruin the enjoyment of the show for me. It doesn’t make me want to re-watch less.
But you don’t have to be there yet. Or ever. Maybe you’ll feel better about it in a week, or a month. Maybe you won’t. When it comes to whether we enjoyed something or not, there are no rules, and there are also no wrong ways to feel.
Lucifer and Chloe didn’t end up together. Though they did, later, in hell (which is basically their heaven), for eternity. Death didn’t part them. Nothing did. Nothing ever could. Whether that’s a satisfying ending or not, I can’t decide for you. For me, it’s a little bit of both. Bittersweet and beautiful can co-exist, apparently. Who knew?
Lucifer Season 6 is available to stream on Netflix.
