I know that I write about Lucifer a lot. It’s not my fault that it’s such a great show and that I enjoy it so much. Since season 5 premiered yesterday on Netflix, I thought of doing a piece on one of the things that drew me to the show. It also partly inspired this series of essays.
I’m taking a closer look on one my favorite ships – Deckerstar. It was this unconventional slow burn, forbidden romance, coupled with the humor and procedural format, that drew me to the show. Right after the devilishly charming Lucifer portrayal by Tom Ellis of course (excuse the pun).
Deckerstar is a rather unconventional ship. Although Lucifer is the more powerful partner, if you look at the human conventions, Chloe is shown as the stronger one. It makes for an interesting dynamic. That surely could pull much of the shows weight. With that being said there were quite few stumbles while crafting and developing the couple’s story.
The characters
It seems that I have exploited almost every possible crevice of Lucifer’s character. You can take a look at it in my previous pieces (here and here). I think it’s safe to assume that we know the devil quite well.
Thanks to Chloe, we can see something new, like how Lucifer reacts to challenges, because the detective constantly challenges him. Or how he reacts to feelings and emotions that she brings forward.
Chloe was an unplanned, at least by the devil, “disturbance” in Lucifer’s life that helped him. She showed him that there’s more to life than just fun. She also gave him a purpose, inadvertently helping him come to terms with being the one responsible for punishing wrongdoings. She helped him embrace the role he was given so long ago, even if he didn’t notice it.
As it happens when you write about something often, I already put my thoughts on Chloe Decker out there. While she can be whiny and sometimes a little self-important, I can’t deny that she’s one hell of a woman. Thanks to Lucifer, she learned to let loose a little more and enjoy her life.
Their story
The story is actually quite simple. Our ship meets, she can’t stand him and is a novelty to him. He is intrigued and wants to investigate further.
Then we have a quickly built rapport, and a unique and quirky partnership with lots of unresolved tension. Some heavy flirting on Lucifer’s side. After that, cue in the epic romantic relationship, which was completely natural with the amount of chemistry between the characters and actors.
I could describe their journey but it’s so much better if you experience it. So just watch it. You won’t regret it.
Although we’ve seen these types of stories before, this one is unique because of the light-hearted tone and humor. Especially if you take into account that these stories involve divine beings. If you juxtapose it with the humor, it offers an interesting perspective on being human, an avenue that wasn’t yet explored in the genre. It also humanizes the supernaturals in the show, giving us plenty of examples where they’re just like us.
Their flaws
I have to admit that my opinion on the characters flaws might be biased, simply because Tom Ellis is so charming as Lucifer that it’s hard to notice the bad. There were a few things that bothered me, though it would be mostly nitpicking if not for the two elephants in the story room.
The first is Chloe’s reaction to finally grasping that Lucifer actually is the devil (like, the real devil). Especially if you compare with Linda’s reaction. I understand that Chloe needed some time to think, but it seemed as if this realization suddenly made the otherwise smart and savvy detective susceptible to any and all manipulation. Which is why she so easily believed in the prophecy.
The other issue I have is the use of love triangles. It seems to be a favorite of the writers and producers. I totally get why on one level, it offers quick and easy drama. It can also serve many character stories or lead to new, interesting discoveries or arcs in the future.
Still, I think it was overused. Not only in the show, where the majority of the characters were in some kind of love triangle, but especially with Deckerstar.
They reused this trick 3 times. First with Dan, then with Cain, and then with Eve. The first time worked alright, the second and third were disasters. They offered little to no drama or conflict because we knew our couple would end up together. It also wasted the supporting characters and their arcs completely. The focus had to push this often artificial and forced conflict.
Why I ship them
It doesn’t necessarily need to mean love at first sight. I enjoy a good slow burn or enemies to lovers trope. The instant chemistry only helps you determine if you’ll like this pairing and the story behind it. Even with the greatest story you’ll hate the pairings without any kind of chemistry. But if the characters, or rather actors, have the chemistry, they’ll be able to save the story. Or at least minimize the damage of a not so great plot.
Let the Cain love triangle plot fiasco be proof of that.
There’s another reason why I enjoy Lucifer and Chloe so much, and it’s that they don’t try to change their partner. Rather, they bring out facets of the other character that may have been hidden, proving that if you connect with someone, you won’t want to change them or make them adapt to you. You’ll bring forward things that were already there and help them embrace it.
It especially shines through when Chloe brings out Lucifer’s emotions and feelings. She doesn’t force him to feel, he just does because although he pretends not to have any, the devil has feelings. It’s also proven when Chloe lets go of her inhibitions because of Lucifer. He doesn’t force her to, he simply makes her feel safe enough to let go.
I can’t wait to see what season 5A of Lucifer brings for the main pairing of the show, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two. I know that I’ll binge their adventures on the weekend. Let’s hope that they won’t disappoint.
Images courtesy of Netflix
