Is ‘Lucifer’ season 6 going to be the final season?
Lucifer is one of Netflix’s biggest shows. The dark comedy has captivated critics and audiences alike, but all good things must come to an end, and the official Twitter account for Lucifer confirmed that its upcoming season will be its last. “The devil made us do it,” the tweet read. “Lucifer will return for a sixth and final season. Like, FINAL final.”
The emphasis on season 6 being the “FINAL final” season is due to previous reports that season 5 would be the proper curtain closer for Lucifer. Showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich told Collider they were penning the season 5 finale when they were offered an additional batch of episodes.
“We were actually writing the finale of Season 5 – the season and series finale, like the end,” Modrovich explained. “Joe and I were writing it, and I was in the middle of writing act six – so the final act of the final episode of the series – and they were like, ‘Hey Joe, what if there was another season?’ It was whiplash, to be honest, and we were very foreign at first, when we first heard it.”
Surprise renewal
Modrovich considered rejecting Netflix’s proposal on the grounds that she and Henderson had written a worthwhile finale. “To be honest, we actually were like, ‘No!’ Because we had crafted what we thought was a really satisfying ending,” he added. “We thought we had stuck it, and we were very worried about having a subsequent season.”
The showrunners ultimately decided to accept, realizing they had another crucial story to tell. “Then we talked with the room about it for a couple of days, and just tossed ideas around until we found a story that we realized was a whole other chapter that we just hadn’t thought of,” Modrovich added. “We realized we have one more story to tell. Now we can’t imagine not telling that story.”
Contract disputes
Narrative purpose wasn’t the only setback that Lucifer dealt with on its way to securing a sixth season. TV Line reported there were contract disputes between leading man Tom Ellis and Warner Bros. Television over a requested pay raise. Ellis turned down the network’s numerous offers, despite repeated efforts to “sweeten the pot” for the actor.
A source told the outlet that Ellis and Warner Bros. were unshakeable in their demands, and a resolution seemed unlikely. “Everyone wants Tom to be happy,” they added. “But there’s a limit, and it’s been reached.” Fortunately, a deal was struck between the two warring factions and Ellis confirmed he will return as the titular character.
Ellis has been one of Lucifer’s most vocal supporters, and he thanked the fans for their support when Netflix rescued the show from cancellation in 2018. “Since doing Lucifer, I’ve done press in various parts of the world, and I’m fully aware that this show is much more popular than what it had seemed to be on Fox,” he stated. “So I’m not surprised about people being angry. I just wasn’t ready [for the] tsunami of love that came with it.”
COVID-19 delays
Lucifer is currently in the midst of completing season 5. The show was forced to halt production due to the coronavirus pandemic, and are scheduled to begin filming the season finale on September 24th. According to TV Line, the cast and crew will segue directly into making season 6 once the finale is completed.
Joe Henderson assured fans that Lucifer season 6 won’t end on a cliffhanger. “It’s very important to us,” he told AssignmentX. “We’ve done a bunch of cliffhangers – this will be an ending. We’re going to do the ending that we’re going to want as fans. That’s one thing Ildy mentions a lot in interviews, which is so true.”
The first half of Lucifer season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.
