In the fifth season, the stakes are higher than ever. Secrets will be revealed, Lucifer makes a tumultuous return from Hell, Chloe rethinks romance, Ella finally finds a nice guy, and Amenadiel adjusts to the whole fatherhood thing. In the first half of the season, Lucifer’s twin brother Michael secretly takes the devil’s place on earth while he’s back in Hell. Eventually, Lucifer must face the mess his brother made with his life. He’ll also finally confront his feelings for Chloe, and answer a question that fans have been asking since the very beginning: “will they or won’t they?” Then in the second half of the season, God makes his grand appearance. Except, Lucifer never prayed for this, and he already can’t wait to send dear old Dad back where he came from. Unfortunately for Lucifer, God isn’t going anywhere, and wants to get into every aspect of Lucifer’s life. But our heroes will soon discover that God is here for more than just some family bonding time!
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Video Quality
Lucifer comes to DVD with 16 episodes over 4 discs, which offers a fair amount of room to avoid compression issues. This season has also received a Blu-Ray release through the Warner Archive, but this was not made available for review. Due to the limitations of the format, these episodes are not going to look as good as they do in high definition, but the presentation is top notch within the DVD format. Even without the added definition, this is still a sleek show with fine details easily visible. Skin tones look natural, and close ups look quite good. Colors are rendered favorably, and there is a whisper of texture in the clothing. Black levels are a little more problematic here, as nighttime scenes lose some of the outlines of objects within the shot. This is the type of show that you want to see in the best quality possible, but those who opt for the DVD will still receive a fine presentation.
Audio Quality
This DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that sounds great for the type of show that it is. Dialogue is rendered clearly with a focus in the center channel. The capable score and needle drops are presented beautifully here. Amongst all of the quips and din of the city, sound effects and background chatter never overpower the dialogue causing lost information. The rear speakers create a dynamic atmosphere as the sound of various urban environments envelops you at all of the appropriate times. The mix has a good sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels like it is coming from the wrong place. This track executes all of the key elements of a vaguely supernatural drama perfectly.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: There is a four-minute assortment of unused material from the episodes “It Never Ends Well for The Chicken,” “BlueBallz,” and “Daniel Espinoza: Naked and Afraid.” While most of this material was likely cut for pacing reasons, there is enough substance here for fans to check out.
- Gag Reel: A four-minute collection of flubbed and forgotten lines, joking around, malfunctioning props and more. This is always one of the best features.
Final Thoughts
Lucifer continues to be one of the most delightful surprises in the Vertigo stable on television shows. While many may have dismissed it after a few episodes as a disposable procedural, those who have stuck with it over the years have been treated to a hugely entertaining, layered narrative anchored by an impossibly charming lead performance from Tom Ellis. In this fifth season, the story develops in some notable ways while deftly balancing the case-of-the-week aspects and the overarching story that is staring down the barrel of a final season. This season is truly as good as it has ever been. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has delivered a DVD with a fine A/V presentation for the format and some brief special features that fans will appreciate. If you are a fan of the show, you might want to go all out and spring for the Blu-Ray. Recommended
Lucifer: The Complete Fifth Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
