S05.E10: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam

[paulvdb]

Quote

It's a musical? Yep, it's a musical. Lucifer, Chloe and the gang sing and dance to a slew of popular tunes while investigating a referee's murder.

 

[AnimeMania]

I enjoyed this episode much more than I did most of the previous episodes. The tone was upbeat and there was a lot of humor.

Amenadiel bends the railing.

Madam please!, ground your helicopter.

[pootlus]

That was a lot more sombre than musical episodes often are, which I thought was interesting.

Poor Luci really doesn't know how to fix things but Chloe is being so patient and caring even though it's eating her inside.

'Shiggles' may be my new favourite portmanteau.

[Gigi43]

I heard the last song be hyped a lot by German, and honestly, I don't think it lived up to the hype. It was good, but German said she cried... which, I don't see that. 

 

But the songs were fun and even Trixie got in on the action. I liked that in the end it tied into God maybe losing his powers. I really liked Ella/Maze's medley/duet. 

 

We got the payoff of Dan realizing he slept with God's wife but now I'm increasingly worried about him and how he'll handle this and his belief he's going to go to hell. 

 

The first two episodes were good for dysfunctional family comedy but now I feel like the story is picking up with the ending of this one. 

[AnimeMania]

I was thinking that with God trying a little harder to get the approval of his sons and the fact that he is having trouble controlling his powers, this episode might have been caused by people "catching the Holy Spirit/Ghost". This probably isn't the case since nobody seems to notice that the singing and dancing is happening except for God and Lucifer, not even Amenadiel caught on. Time seems to stop during the musical interludes, so maybe it is a shared "delusion" between God and Lucifer.

This episode had so many funny moments that even Detective "Buzzkill" Decker made me laugh when she did the "Miley Cyrus" twerk on Lucifer during the Football Stadium scene.

[Helena Dax]

This was funny and I loved the final twist.

[Anela]

I’m not keen on musical episodes, but this one isn’t bad, and the songs fit what’s happening.  Dan’s song made me smile.  God enjoying it, was fun too. I’m glad the show is back. But I’m not looking forward to Michael coming back.  
 
Poor Dan.  “I’ll be seeing you later... or not.” 

I love Linda. 

I get tired of books and shows about God, reverting to the “I have my reasons” and circular arguments, rather than just giving a straight answer to anything.  His making an effort with Lucifer, was a quiet acknowledgement that he might have messed up.  
 

oh. :(

[Anela]

Chloe also asked him if he was okay, when he protected her from the flame directed at them. I thought he was vulnerable to things like that, when he was around her.  It briefly went away, and then came back.  

[Peace 47]

Lucifer singing “Wicked Game” at the beginning was beautiful.  But I also chuckled when they were overlaying pictures of Chloe brooding at her own home during that song, and she was looking at the picture that Trixie drew of Lucifer winking as he was holding Trixie’s hand (that she later picked up during Trixie’s song).  Super cute prop.  

Dan’s conversation with Amenadiel at Lux was so, so funny.  Amenadiel being cautious and offering to give Dan space, and Dan totally having bigger problems:  “Yeah, you’re an angel.  Whatever.  It’s fine.”  Lolol.

Pretty big bombshell at the end there.  No way that I am not moving on to the next ep now!  
 

When God said to Lucifer that he was so very sorry about how angry Lucifer was at him, I think that is close to what God Johnson told Lucifer in S2.  And back then, Lucifer was so angry because he felt that it was something his real father would never to say to him.  Guess you were wrong, Luci!

I’m wondering about where this is going with respect to Lucifer’s regression about Chloe.  God telling Lucifer that he couldn’t fix Lucifer and Lucifer feeling despairing of that doesn’t seem like the path that I thought they would go down.  I thought Lucifer had already come to terms over many, many episodes (through life lessons and Linda sessions) with the fact that God wasn’t controlling and manipulating him:  that he made his own choices, that even if God put Chloe in his path, he and Chloe could both choose to love each other through their own free will.  But now he is putting it all on his dad again.  Hmmm.

49 minutes ago, Anela said:

Chloe also asked him if he was okay, when he protected her from the flame directed at them. I thought he was vulnerable to things like that, when he was around her.  It briefly went away, and then came back.  

His vulnerability is still missing.  It went away when Dan shot Lucifer at the end of 5A and still hasn’t come back.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Peace 47

[pootlus]

Yeah Lucifer is invulnerable around her - I should say 'again' because he was also invulnerable around her in the very first episode when he was shot by Jimmy Barnes.

I think once he felt reasonably secure in her affection, he didn't feel the need any more and since angels self-actualise...

[QuantumMechanic]

Not related to the plot, but boy the makeup people, etc. aren’t doing German any favors.

Especially when compared to the flashbacks they showed, her face is so noticeably more pinched and sharp.

[thuganomics85]

Thought this was one of the better musical episodes out there.  I liked that the cause was because God was causing "celestial karaoke" whenever he was around, and how at first, Lucifer thought it was because he was trying to liven things up/amuse himself, but then the end of the episode hinted that there is more to it.

The cast definitely seemed to be having a blast with everything and made it enjoyable, even if I did think Tom Ellis was a step ahead of everyone vocal wise (although Kevin Alejandro's got some dancing skills!  And Lesley-Ann Brandt was sizzling in her number!)  And I liked the variation of recognizable hits, from rock songs to freaking Les Miserables, and the variations they did, like the Bad to the Bone/No Scrubs combination with Ella and Maze, and Just the Two of Us starting out with Linda doing the original version, only for freaking Amenadiel coming in with the Will Smith rap!  Loved it!

Poor Dan not only finds out about God, but that he had slept with his wife seasons ago.  I know God seems chill about it right now, but I do worry for our beloved detective.  Even if God doesn't just smite him for it, I do wonder if Dan inadvertently punched himself a ticket to hell.  God wouldn't be that petty, right?

Amenadiel really did step in it when he basically claimed that angels are superior to humans.  Sure, angels have their advantages, but they also fall short on some levels!

Case of the week served it's purpose, although I notice it was another one where the familiar faces (Drew Powell, Debbie Gibson) ended up not being the killers.  God following Lucifer (and Chloe) on the case was fun.

Trixie!

So, God is losing control of his powers.  Sounds like it might not simply be a case of him being on Earth that is causing it.  Is he actually dying?!

Edited May 30, 2021 by thuganomics85

[Cementhead]

One of my pet peeves is when people suddenly break out into song & dance on a television show and/or movie, so yeah, this episode was truly my version of tv Hell.  Although I did enjoy Lucifer singing Wicked Games in his red satin pjs. 

Unfortunately I am not loving Dennis Haysbert's version of Dear old Dad/God so far.  He just isn't vibing right for me in this; especially in his scenes with Lucifer. 10 points for the beard though; it looks great on him.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Cementhead

[DEL901]

I loved the I Dreamed a Dream duet...and I confess to shedding a few tears.   

[roamyn]

Poor Dan.  Kevin Alejandro’s comedic skills are amazing (tho Ellis has good comedic chops too, see Miranda) and his body movement skills are great, too.  Plus, he’s turning out to be a good director.  And that sizzling Latin number, showed a little bit of vocal skills.  
 

He’s turning into this shows Jensen Ackles.

[Vikitty]

Normally I love musical episodes but some parts of this just felt... kind of cringe. Maybe it was the song choices? Or the fact that they did the entire song each time so it was a lot longer to sit through. I think the best musical numbers were Lucifer's version of Wicked Game, the group number that we'd seen a sneak preview of months ago, and I enjoyed Just the Two of Us as well.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Valerie

[rainsmom]

On 5/28/2021 at 11:33 PM, QuantumMechanic said:

Not related to the plot, but boy the makeup people, etc. aren’t doing German any favors.

Especially when compared to the flashbacks they showed, her face is so noticeably more pinched and sharp.

I don't think that's a makeup thing. I'm seriously wondering if she's anorexic.

[Zonk]

I was disappointed with this. I love musical episodes and adore shows like Zoey's extraordinary playlist, but this suffered from the same problem Glee did: Autotune all the voices to hell until no personality is left (for Glee compare the pilot to the actual show). I know it's often hard to get untrained actors to sing well, but they had one episode, Zoey's does it every week (granted, they have a bunch of broadway stars in there, but also normal actors). The magicians did it in their musical episodes, Buffy did it. Why can some shows not autotune the actors to hell and back and others can't?

I'd much rather have a few notes that weren't quite hit right than this sea of bland. How am I supposed to feel the emotion, the anguish the characters feel during "I dreamed a dream" when it's not in the voices anymore?! I mean you don't have to go full Tom Hooper and let the actors sing on set (which is a bad idea, btw.) but please don't strangle every emotion out of the performance with a computer program meant for minor pitch corrections.

On 5/28/2021 at 4:11 PM, Gigi43 said:

I heard the last song be hyped a lot by German, and honestly, I don't think it lived up to the hype. It was good, but German said she cried... which, I don't see that. 

She might have heard an earlier version of it before it was autotuned into the crapper.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Zonk

[jewel21]

I normally am not a fan of musical episodes, but I loved every single second of this one and I thought everyone did an amazing job. Gah, I want to watch it again. 

[Vikitty]

1 hour ago, Zonk said:

I was disappointed with this. I love musical episodes and adore shows like Zoey's extraordinary playlist, but this suffered from the same problem Glee did: Autotune all the voices to hell until no personality is left (for Glee compare the pilot to the actual show). I know it's often hard to get untrained actors to sing well, but they had one episode, Zoey's does it every week (granted, they have a bunch of broadway stars in there, but also normal actors). The magicians did it in their musical episodes, Buffy did it. Why can some shows not autotune the actors to hell and back and others can't?

I'd much rather have a few notes that weren't quite hit right than this sea of bland. How am I supposed to feel the emotion, the anguish the characters feel during "I dreamed a dream" when it's not in the voices anymore?! I mean you don't have to go full Tom Hooper and let the actors sing on set (which is a bad idea, btw.) but please don't strangle every emotion out of the performance with a computer program meant for minor pitch corrections.

She might have heard an earlier version of it before it was autotuned into the crapper.

I think that's what rubbed it the wrong way for me -- it felt too perfect and devoid of any character. Previous musical numbers on the show have been great because they felt much more "live" even if the actor was likely lip synching to their prerecorded vocals. But something definitely was lost with the autotune and cleaning up on vocals that likely didn't need it at all -- I mean Trixie's like 11, she's not going to have an amazing voice. 

[Vikitty]

A proper album of all of the song covers is now on Spotify. Nice that they were faster about getting these to us.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Valerie

[madmax]

I was really waiting for this episode and while I liked it, I didn't love it like I thought I would.

Hated that they did the song I hate most in the world, Every Breath You Take.  And I never listened to Debbie Gibson in her prime, so I don't know if that's her standard singing voice, but I thought her voice was atrocious.

Tom Ellis singing is always good and Wicked Game was fantastic.  Gotta add it to my Spotify Covers playlist.

Maze and Ella's duet was fantastic and I loved Just the Two of Us.

 

[GaT]

On 5/28/2021 at 8:33 PM, QuantumMechanic said:

Not related to the plot, but boy the makeup people, etc. aren’t doing German any favors.

They haven't done her any favors since the very first episode. I remember watching season 1 & being absolutely convinced that at some point they would reveal that Chloe was actually dead, all because of how pale & chalky she looked. I think I kept waiting for that reveal through season 3.

The scene between Dan & Amenadiel made me LMAO.

[roamyn]

11 hours ago, GaT said:

They haven't done her any favors since the very first episode. I remember watching season 1 & being absolutely convinced that at some point they would reveal that Chloe was actually dead, all because of how pale & chalky she looked. I think I kept waiting for that reveal through season 3.

The scene between Dan & Amenadiel made me LMAO.

It appears she’s also lost weight.  Her bone structure is too angular for that amount of weight.  She looks better w/a fuller, more chubby face.

 I put some of it down to that.

[DoctorAtomic]

I was NOT expecting Chloe to chew out Dad. Good narrative direction. 

Wow Debbie Gibson too! 

I figured the reason for the singing would be thin, but I think it was fair for the show. I liked Lucifer rolling his eyes over it. 

I also liked how the actors were allowed to sing and not overproduced. So far. 

I was expecting more Chloe relationship drama, and I'm pleased she's being actually adult. 

Edited May 31, 2021 by DoctorAtomic

[DoctorAtomic]

I like the take on god so far. He speaks calmly and looks nice, but he's always doing the question answer, and talking around everything and kind of being a jerk. I think it makes sense. Lucifer had to get his pride from somewhere. 

Rachel Harris has been straight killing. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I liked Dan's number. I'm not seeing he did anything wrong though. He was in a consensual relationship and basically lied to. Plus, the actual Charlotte earned redemption and Dan should be credited with some of that. 

The running gag about the coffee killed me. 

Just the two of us was a good choice too. 

Edited May 31, 2021 by DoctorAtomic

[theatremouse]

On 5/28/2021 at 7:11 AM, Gigi43 said:

I heard the last song be hyped a lot by German, and honestly, I don't think it lived up to the hype. It was good, but German said she cried... which, I don't see that. 

I didn't think it was cry-worthy from the performance, but I do believe it that she cried. Some songs (especially songs from Les Miz) always make me cry regardless of context. It's the song itself. She might have the same, even if she wasn't acknowledging that when talking about it.

Things I liked about this episode: the notion that musicals are heaven-sent. It's funny, but also, I like musicals. Maze, Linda and Ella. Haysbert's sweaters. The Charlie baby actor is SO CUTE.

Things I did not: The choreography was extremely skipping-heavy. Kevin Alejandro can't dance. I could see the counting in his face. The plot was super boring. Lucifer's angst feels extremely repetitive.

[HurricaneVal]

"All due respect..."  That was fantastic.  I love that Chloe found out who he was, then put her shoulders back, and told him off.  With all due respect.  With Lucifer looking on in amazement.  I did want and expected her to get on him about the "gift" thing though.  So the all-in defense of Lucifer was kind of a surprise.

I didn't know there was going to be a musical episode, however the Netflix episode description clued me in, but even then I didn't realize it was going to really be a musical episode.  I thought there would be actual Karaoke, like The Host's bar in Angel.  Last week's CotW was at a Mini-Golf/Family Fun Center, so I assumed this week would be at a Karaoke bar and various cast members would be tempted to try it out and God would sit there and compare psychological notes and motivations regarding song choices with Linda.  Which would be an amusing bit in an episode....

At first when the episode opened with Lucifer doing Wicked Game it seemed fairly normal, we've seen Tom Ellis singing and doing musical numbers before.  But the way he leapt out of bed to play and sing and the expression on his face made me realize he realized he was being unnaturally compelled.  So then I wondered if it was going to be like that "Once More with Feeling" episode of Buffy.  And it was!  I need to re-watch this one though, I was spending more time boggling than absorbing.

[tennisgurl]

Musical episodes can often be hit or miss, but I thought this one was pretty fun, and it actually seems like it is going to be end up being plot relevant. God creating music numbers is a good way to justify in universe why everyone is singing and dancing, and it possibly being accidental adds a whole new dimension to it. Can God run out of power? Will he have to retire? I also really liked how Chloe called God out on his questionable parenting when they first met. 

Obviously I knew that Tom Ellis was going to kill it, but I was really impressed by Kevin Alejandro's song and dance skills. No wonder they had him in two numbers and got one big song for himself, he has got some serious moves. Poor Dan, him freaking out about sleeping with Gods wife was funny, but it is sad that he really thinks he could go to hell now that he knows for sure that Hell is a real option. 

My main complaint was the overuse of autotune, even with Tom who we know can sing without any help. 

[Boilergal]

Rip off of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" singing heart songs - but it was a fun episode.

[DEL901]

2 hours ago, Boilergal said:

Rip off of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" singing heart songs - but it was a fun episode.

Which was a rip off of all the shows that did musical episodes?!?!

[pootlus]

Yeah not seeing how it's a rip-off, particularly of a very recent show.

Musical episodes have been a thing since Xena and that was over 20 years ago.

[Gwendolyn]

On 6/24/2021 at 12:15 PM, Boilergal said:

Rip off of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" singing heart songs

You should remember this episode was filmed pre-pandemic, so prior to March 2020, therefore the story was broken and scripted in 2019.  "Zoey's Extradorinary Playlist" didn't premiere until January 2020, so while the pilot and premise were known during the 2019 upfronts, I think accusing Ildy of ripping off a show that had NOT aired when the script was conceived and written is quite a stretch.

As far as musical episodes go, it worked fine. The show already has a fantastical premise and of course God would enjoy a musical number.  I appreciated the fact that Lucifer knew what was happening, but was still compelled to participate; while everyone else was none the wiser.

Musical episodes usually make me cringe because some people can't sing or dance to save their souls or the reason for singing is stupid (Hello "Grey's Anatomy" musical episode).

[ProudMary]

I've already referenced this regarding the Lucifer noir episode, but it fits in this discussion too. The groundbreaking noir episode of Moonlighting, "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice", also contained musical numbers. The episode first aired on October 15th, 1985, almost 36 years ago!

I don't see noirs and/or musicals as rip-offs; they're homages.

Also, y'all need to go watch some Moonlighting!

[sinkwriter]

On 5/30/2021 at 7:46 PM, madmax said:

Hated that they did the song I hate most in the world, Every Breath You Take.  And I never listened to Debbie Gibson in her prime, so I don't know if that's her standard singing voice, but I thought her voice was atrocious.

She was actually pretty impressive as a kid - I mean, voice preferences are subjective, of course, so you may just not prefer what she sounds like - but what I remember was that it was pretty rare at that time for a 15 or 16-year-old kid to sing and play the piano, write all the songs and produce their entire album. 

 

I'm a musicals gal through and through, so I enjoyed most of the songs. I think the only one that really didn't grab me was the football field number. I love that song by Queen, but I just couldn't really get into it from this show. But I thought Trixie's song was adorable, as was the Just the Two of Us performance by Dr. Linda and Amenadiel. I liked Maze and Ella's duet (and the morning after I saw the episode, I woke up with No Scrubs still in my head, lol). And of course I love Tom's stuff. I think Wicked Game might be my favorite.

[Quickbeam]

Just watched this now. I am always amazed at how many actors have really lovely voices. It was fun….and work for dancers is always a plus. 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Quickbeam

[Bruinsfan]

I didn't like the Bad to the Bone/No Scrubs mash-up, particularly Lesley-Ann Brandt's singing. Which really surprised me, as I've liked her previous musical performances. But I loved "Another One Bites the Dust," "Just the Two of Us," and "Hell," and at least enjoyed the rest of the songs, which is probably better than the batting averages of most musical episodes.

[Ava]

I'm not a particular fan of Every Breath You Take, but what I was impressed with was the lighting in that scene.  The blue filter in the interrogation room combined with the warm yellow light for Dad and having Ellis being half in the dark and half in the light was a terrific choice, along with the camera work going back and forth.  Amazing!