A year ago around this time, fans of the then-FOX television series Lucifer got some bad news: The broadcast network decided not to move forward with Season 4 of the series. Fortunately, after a powerful #SaveLucifer campaign, Netflix made a deal with the Devil – literally – by arranging for a fourth season of ten episodes which will drop Wednesday, May 8 on the streamer.
We’ve seen the early episodes of Lucifer Season 4 and it is very much still the series that fans came to love in its three years on FOX. The show isn’t plagued with a change in tone or a sudden negative change in budget. Those who missed Lucifer, Chloe, Trixie, Ella, and even “Detective Douche” will be happy to see they are all back with some great storylines.
In anticipation of Season 4, we spoke with “Lucifer” himself, Tom Ellis, about the season to come — but first, we went back to that bad time a year ago where it seemed the Devil’s time on TV was at an end.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: Going back to like a year ago, was there a time when you thought you might never get to play Lucifer Morningstar again?
TOM ELLIS: Yeah. When I heard the show was cancelled, in my experience in the past, when you’re cancelled, that’s kind of it. There’s always the “maybe you could take it somewhere else” thing but it’s not really often that that works out.
It sounds quite sad, really, but I was devastated. For lots of lots of reasons, but I feel I was more gutted than anything.
When you were shooting the season three finale, it was all under the assumption that the show would be back, right?
Well, we were still waiting to find out, so there’s always that sense of looking over your shoulder. I don’t know. For some reason, I had a strange feeling that I just wasn’t that sure that we were coming back, for lots of reasons. I wasn’t as confident as I had been in the past.
Where were you when you got the news that Season 4 was being picked up by Netflix?
I was in my house in London, and I had just picked my kids up from their after school thing. And I got in, and my phone rang. And it was Peter Roth, head of Warner Brothers. And he was like, “Tom?” And I went “Yeah?”
He went “sharpen your horns, baby, we’re going to Netflix.”
And I was like “WHAT?”
And then I broke down a little bit, embarrassing to say. It was really overwhelming. It was an incredible feeling.
Now, aside from the possible flash of rear end, or something like that is the show more adult now that it’s on Netflix?
One of the things that we became sort of aware of during the whole campaign and saw families coming out and sort of speaking out was how eclectic our mix of fans were. In terms of age, as well. We’ve got kids right up to pensioners who love the show. People watch it with members of their family, and people are always coming and saying, I watch it with such and such. I watch it with my brother, with my mom, with my husband, with my kids. It’s one of those shows that got a broad appeal, and one of the reasons that is, is because we never went too far with that.
We never got sort of vulgar or too violent with it, and we didn’t need to in order to service our story. So, yes, we’ve got different values on Netflix, and we have at certain moments pushed it, but not too far away from what our show was in the first place. Because that’s what Netflix also said: They really just wanted that show.
Can you talk about how Chloe is coping with seeing Lucifer’s true face?
It’s kind of conflicting for Lucifer that she seems to have dealt with it and process it so readily, but with Lucifer being Lucifer, he’s willing to believe that. Until, of course, something doesn’t feel quite right about it.
It’s a great season for Chloe, this season, and Lauren [German] just does amazing work. She’s really, really great. I’m really excited about people seeing it.
Can you talk about how Lucifer, Amenadiel, and Maze have changed since even the first episode of the series? It seems like they’re all getting closer to the humans in their orbit.
I think the notion of “home” and “where is home?” and all of that is a big question for Maze and for Amenadiel this season. I think they all — whether they want to acknowledge it or they have acknowledged it — they all now feel the Earth is their home ,and Los Angeles is their home, and they’ve kind of made lives there, and they have started to absorb humanity a little bit. Of course, we find out that Amenadiel a very good reason to stay, and Maze, I think, acknowledges for the first time that she’s lost a little bit more, and that she might need something.
I think they’re sort of submerged into humanity. It’s all about their characters also becoming more vulnerable, and more human, and more relatable in that sense. But again, you have to remember these people, at the heart of them, still are an angel and a demon.
What can you say about Eve?
One, I really enjoyed watching her. I mean, Inbar [Lavi] was great. She’s so much fun to work with. She’s a just a really great character. Obviously she’s Lucifer’s first, and I don’t think Lucifer expected to see her again ever.
Eve comes along and professes to Lucifer [that] she’s come back for him and she’s willing to accept him for everything is, and that’s what he believes. So, it starts off well with Eve, but I love the notion of Eve being the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and it goes that way toward the end of the season.
Will we see any faces from the show’s past like Tricia Helfer or Tom Welling at all in the fourth season?
We do see a face from the past, but it’s none of our regulars.
Is “Detective Douche” ever going to forgive Lucifer for all that has happened?
Eventually, I think he’ll get there. Kevin’s storyline this season – Dan’s storyline – it kind of ties in a lot with what Luci was going through about, you know, if you’re going to forgive people, maybe you have to forgive yourself first.
He goes on quite a journey this year, and Kevin is so good. I keep texting him while I’m watching episodes. It’s a really emotional journey.
Will we get some more Lucifer and Trixie moments in Season 4?
We do. And yes, quite a fun moment in an environment where we’d never seen Trixie before.
Goodness me, [Scarlett] was tiny when we started. Having a child on the show that comes back every year, it sort of it reminds you how long you’ve been doing it.
Is there a particular episode in season four that fans should really look out for?
I think there are a couple of episodes. I love Episode 4, which is Eve’s arrival. I love it.
I also love Episode 7 where there’s a huge reveal at the end about what’s happening to Lucifer or what’s starting to happen to Lucifer.
It’s so difficult, because I like all the episodes this season for lots of different reasons. But that’s why I’m excited. It’s 10 episodes, just streamlined… it’s just all great story. Every episode counts this season.
Is the door left open for Season 5?
Oh, I believe so.
How would you like to see Lucifer’s story end?
I’ve had a few thoughts about how we would ever wrap up the show, which I wouldn’t spoil here with you, but I kind of feel like there is something at the center of the show that is about forgiveness, and about love. So I imagine that will have something to do with it.
What do you envy about Lucifer? And what do you think Lucifer would envy about you, Tom Ellis?
About Lucifer? His ability to anything he wants to anybody without any comeback. That would be lovely. And his liver! I envy his liver.
And what do you think he would envy about you?
My soon wife-to-be.
Why do you think Lucifer as a TV series has worked so well? And why is this a show worth bingeing to you?
I think there’s a broad appeal. There’s something in it for lots of people. It’s a character that people think they know. People are fascinated by the character of the Devil. So, in this particular instance, this take on on the story of the devil has captured people’s imagination, because I think it’s, it’s told from a slightly different perspective, where we’re taking away with the assumptions and we’re actually finding out who the Devil was before he was the Devil.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to the fans who will be reading this?
Thank everyone so much for getting our show back.
Lucifer Season 4 drops May 8 on Netflix. You can see a trailer below.
