‘Lucifer’ Season 2, Episode 13 Review: ‘A Good Day to Die’

‘Lucifer’ goes into its three-month hiatus with an episode that set the stage for new highs – or is that lows, since the show has literally gone to Hell?

Season 2 of Fox‘s Lucifer took an exceptionally dark turn with its winter finale, which was also the conclusion to a two-part thriller. “A Good Day to Die” was all about saving Chloe (Lauren German), even if Lucifer had to go literally to Hell for his partner turned love interest.

The good thing about this bad situation was that it forced the series to pair Lucifer (Tom Ellis) with everyone other than Chloe, bringing Dan (Kevin Alejandro), Amenadiel (DB Woodside) and even Charlotte (Tricia Helfer) to the party. But of course the solution to Chloe’s problem was not on this planet anymore, so it was time to take a supernatural trip down South.

There were also a few well-placed comedic zingers, like both Amenadiel and Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt) volunteering to kill Lucifer, and an appearance from Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) after she’s been underused so far this season.

But the real meat of the episode was in Lucifer’s journey to Hell, where he tracked down Professor Carlisle (Tim DeKay) from the previous installment and found him endlessly re-living the moment that made him a villain. DeKay was almost better used here with less screen time; he’s just more suited to being human than inhumane.

More from FOX

• Only 3 of FOX’s live-action scripted shows are coming back in March 2024 the rest are being held for Fall 2024
• Is El Cantito from Kitchen Nightmares still open?
• Bob’s Burgers: The (Raccoon) King and I was a busy episode for all
• Bob’s Burgers skipping Thanksgiving this year: Here are 4 can’t-miss holiday episodes to rewatch
• Is Love Bites from Kitchen Nightmares still open?

Yet there was more torment ahead, as our hero had to face up to Uriel (Michael Imperioli) after killing him in the episode “Weaponizer.” That required Mom to also bump herself to rescue her son, which freed him but wound up driving the two of them apart. While Chloe survived the hour little else did, as the Devil left Los Angeles – for now.

“A Good Day to Die” was an improvement over the past week, as it mitigated more of its darkness with the comedic elements that keep the show from getting too serious. (And as strange as it sounds, Lucifer confronting his past in Hell was less creepy than Professor’s Saw-like schemes.)

It also cleaned the slate for the series now that the effective tug of war between Charlotte and God over their son seems to be truncated. The series can get even better now that Lucifer is a free agent, who is back in control of his own destiny, and that also stops the show from getting bogged down in too much mythology.

Honestly, the idea of Chloe as predestined to meet Lucifer – and by that extension, even the romance between them – feels like dangerous ground. There was nothing wrong with their story when they were just partners with no forced history, and there are too many things that can go off the rails now. As much as fans have been rooting for them to get together let’s not overcomplicate things (see: Blindspot).

But this episode could be a place to break from that. A Devil who trusts no one could be a very dangerous Devil, even though common sense dictates he’ll be back sooner rather than later (or we wouldn’t have a show).

There are some flaws in the episode, though. It pointed out how Ella, despite Aimee Garcia’s best efforts and a good introduction, still feels like she sits outside the ensemble. We saw more of her than we have in many other installments but it still felt like giving her something to do.

Hopefully “A Good Day To Die” won’t mean the end of Charlotte, because conversely Tricia Helfer has been a very effective addition to the ensemble and her scenes in the episode are a turning point for her character. To lose her now just because she’s no longer serving as an antagonist would be a mistake.

Fans will also recall that Season 1 ended with Lucifer getting a glimpse of Hell, and now Season 2’s halfway point has him going there. Another thing that we don’t want to do is overplay the Hell card and just go there every time we need a suspenseful ending.

And can we in general quit the tradition of shows needing to punctuate their biggest moments with musical montages? That got old about five years ago.

The biggest issue has nothing to do with the episode itself, and that’s the scheduling. Lucifer just took a break for the holidays in December, and now it’s going to be off the air – not even in reruns – for three months. That’s not conducive to holding onto an audience, let alone improving it as the series should be trying to do in Season 2. Will the extended hiatus, especially after such a brief time back, wind up working against a fantastic show?

Next: 5 Reasons Why Season 6 of 'Suits' Will Be The Best Yet

What did you think of the Lucifer winter finale? Where do you believe the show will go from here? And are you disappointed it won’t be back sooner? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Lucifer returns May 1 at 9/8c on Fox.