Lucifer Season 1

Right now you can watch Lucifer Season 1 on and — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Tom Ellis — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Lucifer Season 1 earns its spot. What makes Lucifer Season 1 work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. Bored with being the Lord of Hell, the devil relocates to Los Angeles, where he opens a nightclub and forms a connection with a homicide detective. Tom Ellis and Lauren German lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2016. The rules of Lucifer Season 1's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Lucifer Season 1 a chance. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Tom Ellis's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.