Hello! Welcome back to Queeries! In this week’s post, I’m going to jump back into another queer media review. This one is going to be a little different from my previous ones because I’ll be talking about Lucifer, which isn’t an inherently queer show. Or at least, I didn’t expect it to be at all when I started watching it, but I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I finished watching the entire series in a relatively short amount of time between the end of this past summer and the beginning of the fall semester. In order for me to actually talk about the queer parts of this show, there will probably be some mild spoilers, so this is your warning. 

Lucifer is about Lucifer Morningstar (aka the Devil) leaving his job as the keeper of Hell and going to Los Angeles. What starts as a bit of a vacation turns into Lucifer trying to start fresh and build a new life for himself. He gets involved with the Los Angeles Police Department and starts working with Detective Chloe Decker to solve murders and make sure that those responsible are properly punished. Throughout the show, we’re introduced to more characters including other angels, demons, religious figures, and God himself (who is of course Lucifer’s dad). 

There are tiny bits of queer representation starting pretty early on, as references made by Lucifer and Mazikeen (aka Maze, a female demon who protects Lucifer) or in relation to the people involved in their murder cases. It’s just there, without necessarily being the point of focus that makes it stand out or seem abnormal. But it also gets better from there.

There’s one case in which it seems several female murder victims are connected through the fact that they had all slept with Lucifer. A male victim shows up next and Chloe says something about the connection not holding true, which is when it is revealed that he indeed is connected, and Lucifer is bisexual. It also becomes clear that Maze is queer, and later on in the series Maze and Eve (as in Adam and Eve) become a couple and eventually get married. And of course, there’s much more. 

While I did enjoy the queerness in the show, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its issues and its critics. Some say that the show reinforces negative stereotypes. I understand this perspective since mainly the Devil and a demon serve as the queer representation. While they’re anti-heroes rather than being villains or antagonists in the show, it’s still a little bit concerning that they specifically are the queer ones. However, a main part of the show is about how Lucifer is not evil and does not convince people to do evil things (rather he punishes evil), which contradicts the way humans think of him. Therefore, although Lucifer has questionable morals sometimes, he grows so much over the course of the show, and I ultimately appreciate the queer representation throughout. 

I was asked a little bit ago what fictional character best represents me, and after putting some serious thought into it, I landed on Lucifer. By the time I finished the show, he became the fictional character that I relate to most (in some ways, not all). If you’ve seen the show, this may sound concerning, and it probably is, but by the end of the series I began to see so much of myself in Lucifer that it became my comfort show, hence me starting to rewatch it recently.

To sum things up, Lucifer is an amazing show, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve already convinced some friends to watch it. While not perfect, it has some pretty good queer representation (especially when compared to other shows like it) that only gets better as the show progresses. You should definitely check it out!

There won’t be a post next week since I’ll be on spring break, but I’ll be back the week after! Until then, take care of yourself and live authentically. As long as you’re still alive by the end of the day and you did your best, that’s all anyone can ask for and that’s all that matters. I love you, and you should love yourself too! Just look at how swag you are! 

 

With love,

PJ <3

 

 

Photo Credits:
Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4