Just a Sci-Fi Kid Like Me

Because I am tired and tomorrow will be a Very Long Day Indeed.

This weekend I binge-watched Lucifer S4. I struggled a bit at first with the way one of the main characters was OOC, but I thought it was usefully explained towards the end. Compressed to ten episodes and now on Netflix rather than Fox, the CGI was upped, the adult content a little more so (we got to see Luci's butt, and even better, Ella's), but the pacing felt rushed, despite the ten eps taking place within a time frame of eight months or so. All that said, I still adore everyone in that bar, and earnestly hope it is renewed for S5.

Meanwhile I have been enjoying Game of Thrones this season, and look forward to the grand finale this weekend. I know a lot of people have been disappointed by decisions, which I get--I'm less than thrilled by some of them too--but I'm also like, Were we not here for the plot twists rather than the characters anyway? I mean really.

Also, check out this twitter thread  on GoT by one of the SPN writers, notes that "what a show like Supernatural promises its audience in completion is so different than what a show like GoT owes" and "For one thing, SPN believes in heroism--GoT never really has. For another, for all its worldbuilding, SPN is a show about core characters; GoT is about a world. Both shows foster strong emotional identification with their characters--but on SPN that is the whole point; on GoT it is more of a byproduct/enticement for a larger point/story." To me this bodes Really Well for whatever SPN's epic finale is next year. 

I AM SO HAPPY OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the wake of the show's cancellation and because I was in dire need of a break, I rewatched/binged all three seasons over a couple of weeks. (Easy enough to do when two seasons are basically half seasons.) To my surprise, the episode arcs I found the weakest, especially in S2 and the first part of S3, are much less wobbly when binged than when watched one hour a week. At the same time, some of the weaker plot points/holes show up in starker relief, eg. Amenadiel's insistence at the beginning of S2 that a sample of Lucifer's blood can't be tested because it would be proof of the divine and thus damaging to humanity, and then in mid-S3 he goes to the doctor like nbd and gets a false chlamydia diagnosis. And I guess you could argue that by S3 Amenadiel is functionally human? No wings, etc. (But also...where does he live? Where do his clothes come from?) But still.

ANYWAY, what struck me is how the show's big theme is about acceptance, both of one's self and of others, and that a lot of the great character moments happen around this theme. For example, when Mazikeen shows Trixie her demon-face, and Maze's relief at Trixie's delighted and heartfelt "COOL!" (Also can we talk about how in S3 at some point Maze made Trixie a pink and glittery set of demon blades and was teaching her self-defense? New headcanon that at some point Trixie told Maze about how she got kidnapped and S1 and Maze was all "Imma teach you how to never get hurt ever again!" with srs demon mama-bear feels.) Lucifer's ambivalence around his role as Lord of Hell, but at the same time his sincere love of justice. Amenadiel's plot of letting go of the idea of being the perfect son. And so on.

Also, every character has their own arc, including the minor characters. Dan starts the show as a corrupt cop and a not great husband, and by the end everything he does is for justice; I also like that after the divorce, he and Chloe are sincerely good friends who look out for each other. Ella got the least development, but in one of the final "bonus" episodes that were meant for S4 we learn about her friendship with a ghost...who is really the Angel of Death...and her fear of being herself, eg. someone who does have this relationship with the supernatural. Her relief when she tells Chloe, who believes her and is the first one to do so, is a beautiful moment. Ditto when she goes into science geek mode to Lucifer and then apologizes to him, and he's like, "No no, keep going, tell me more," and it was JUST SO ADORABLE.

I also love the representation: Lucifer may be the main character, but over half the recurring cast were POC, several characters were bi like nbd, and all of the women are well-written, individual characters who are genuinely interesting.

I just love this show so much and still have hope that at some point it could get picked up somewhere. The CW would be ideal because then they could have a random crossover and Constantine could show up and it would just be great.*wistful sigh*