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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S03.E25: Boo Normal; Once Upon a Time

MostlyC

By MostlyC
in Lucifer [V]

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MostlyC

MostlyC

Quote

Lucifer and his team investigate the murder of a child psychiatrist; Ella thinks about a big childhood secret she's been hiding; in an alternate dimension, Lucifer is granted the freedom of choice.

Quote

Not sure if this is airing in Canada at the usual time (or if at all), but doing so just to be safe.

 

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NeenerNeener

NeenerNeener

(edited)

I understand why this first episode didn't make it into the regular season; this is so bad it makes the Decker-dates-Pierce episodes look Emmy-worthy.

Edited by NeenerNeener
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janeta

janeta

3 minutes ago, NeenerNeener said:

I understand why this first episode didn't make it into the regular season; this is so bad it makes the Decker-dates-Pierce episodes look Emmy-worthy.

Oh good, glad it's not just me....

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rainsmom

rainsmom

This just shows why they were canceled. It wasn't a travesty or in any way unfair. They worked HARD to get themselves canceled. Sucking this bad isn't easy. 

They sucked rotten eggs for 20 out of 22 scripts written this season. 

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Sakura12

Sakura12

I wanted to meet Azrael, for awhile I just wish they would've picked a better actress.  I don't mind that she's different then the other Angels. She just didn't work for me. 

As for the second episode Alt Chloe seems much more interesting. 

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Bruinsfan

Bruinsfan

I couldn't believe they actually got Gaiman to narrate as God in the last one.

Loved that Mazikeen was more like her comic book self. And the creepy half-masked acolytes!

In addition to Decker seeming much more interesting as an actress playing at being a detective, was I the only one that thought Lucifer was about ten times hotter than he's been all season?

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Featherhat

Featherhat

(edited)
1 hour ago, Shades of Red said:

This is horrible.  How can they do this to us?  This entire season has been a shit show with episodes out of order with no continuity whatsoever.  Is it any wonder people stopped watching this show?

I personally think that was the least of the show's problems this season. These were ok, though the standalones left from S2 that they showed earlier this season were stronger overall IMO. 

Neil Gaiman as God was the best thing about them. You can't say he's not creator of this universe. 

Edited by Featherhat
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wilnil

wilnil

If we all didn't already know these were standalone episodes intended for the canceled fourth season, I'd have said they wrote "Once Upon a Time" so it could serve as a finale. And I would've loved if they stayed with the alternate world for a while -- Charlotte and Dan on the run with Lucifer's loot? Maze apparently founding a cult of demon-worshippers?

I did notice the fudging in "Boo Normal" where Chloe told Ella she didn't think she was crazy because of all the weirdness Chloe herself had seen, which would've made it easier to sneak the episode into, say, the S4E2 slot (leaving Ep 1 to be the reaction to Chloe seeing Lucifer as the devil).

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I know we still have that cliffhanger, and its not the "real" show, but I think Once Upon A Time was a decent series finale. Definitely could have been worse. 

I actually liked these a bit more than most of the rest of the season, because they actually dealt with demons and angels and supernatural stuff, instead of an unbearably dull love triangle or characters acting ridiculous and out of character for the sake of jokes or drama. Granted, I wasn't blown away or anything, and the first one was very much a standard, kind of boring episode with a cool ending, but I will take Ella talking to dead people or Alternate Universe shenanigans over Chloe making goo goo eyes Cain and Lucifer making goo goo eyes at Chloe. 

I was glad to see Azriel showing up at last, even if I wish the actress had been better, or if she had more gravitas in her scene with Lucifer, like she was putting on the perky dork personality for Ella, but was more serious as her actual persona. I did like the reveal, and laughed at Lucifer's annoyance at his family interfering with his life. "Why does everyone think I need help meeting women?"

The AU was fun, and seeing how similar and yet different everyone was because of one change (Chloe is an actress, Maze is scary and has a demon cult, Dan is on the take still, Linda has a TV show, etc.) was fun. The "what if" AU episode is a standard in fantasy/syfy stories, and I usually enjoy them, so I liked this episode pretty well. I think it could have been better, but I still liked it. Again, at least it was something better than this show morphing into a boring procedural/romance. 

Neil Gaiman as God narrating how he put Chloe on the course to meet Lucifer (or didnt) is probably my favorite thing this show has done, and its awesome that he did this for them. I know it wasn't on purpose, but its fitting for Neil to close the show out. He is the creator is this universe and is this universes Lucifer's father, after all. 

  • Love 6
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ProudMary

ProudMary

I thought these two stand alone episodes were actually better than most of the drivel we got in Season 3.


I'm delighted that we finally got insight into the voices in Ella's head that she referenced back in the Vegas stand alone episode.  I really thought the writers just forgot about that or that they just would leave it as a throwaway line.  I thought RayRay was going to turn out to be a friend or family member killed in the auto accident Ella mentioned to the young violinist when she was wiping the blood from his hands.  That she turned out to be Azrael surprised me, even though I had been spoiled that Azrael was going to appear in one of these episodes!  I was expecting it to be in the AU ep.

53 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

In addition to Decker seeming much more interesting as an actress playing at being a detective, was I the only one that thought Lucifer was about ten times hotter than he's been all season?

You are definitely not alone.  I thought disheveled Lucifer stepping out of the stuntwoman's trailer was hot!  
I also thought AU Dr. Linda looked great and I liked Charlotte's haircut in the AU.

  • Love 7
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jewel21

jewel21

It was bittersweet. It was nice having two more episodes, even if they weren't fabulous, but it's sad knowing this is the end. I was hoping another network would pick this show up but alas, it doesn't appear that will be happening any time soon. 

I enjoyed the second episode much more than the first. Although, I did like Lucifer and Azrael chatting at the end though of the first episode. You could see how disappointed Lucifer was when he turned around and she was gone.  

AU Chloe was interesting. I wish we had seen Trixie though. Charlotte and Dan driving off in the car was kind of cool. I liked them together. 

Oh, and we got Lucifer singing one last time!

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GaT

GaT

1 hour ago, jewel21 said:

I was hoping another network would pick this show up but alas, it doesn't appear that will be happening any time soon. 

Tom Ellis said they were in "talks" to save the show. I thought both episodes were crap, so I doubt that they would bring back anything good.

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dwmarch

dwmarch

As far as a finale went, THAT WAS SOME BULLSHIT!

I did not know there were episodes beyond 3x24 and I wish it had ended there! I enjoyed seeing more about Ella but we could have done that mid-season!

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Notwisconsin

Notwisconsin

1 hour ago, dwmarch said:

As far as a finale went, THAT WAS SOME BULLSHIT!

It wasn't technically a finale. I think they were "pilots" for a season 4 reboot.

 

Pilot A shows the start of the plot that shows where the show would go had they been renewed and decided to continue the plot. Azriel would become semi-regular as Ella gets savvy with the supernatural stuff.

Pilot B shows a complete reboot a-la the final season of Once Upon a Time. (which I haven't seen yet, should I binge or erase from my DVR?). Change most of the characters around but keep the cast. It might have worked.

But we'll never know.

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rainsmom

rainsmom

(edited)

My guess is when they were renewed in 2017 they got a 22 episode order. So they made 22 episodes. HOWEVER, because of scheduling issues in the 2016-2017 season, they had 4 episodes from season 2 to air. They decided to add those 4 to season 3, which brought their total to 26. That's actually four more than normal, so they decided to push two off to next season. (Had they been renewed, they'd have been able to air a second season of 24 episodes and been back to "normal.")

Not filming (rather than pushing off) two episodes sounds logical, but it likely would have screwed with their budgeting for season 4 -- and it might have screwed with the actors' salaries, since they're paid by the episode.

Edited by rainsmom
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Featherhat

Featherhat

25 minutes ago, rainsmom said:

My guess is when they were renewed in 2017 they got a 22 episode order. So they made 22 episodes. HOWEVER, because of scheduling issues in the 2016-2017 season, they had 4 episodes from season 2 to air. They decided to add those 4 to season 3, which brought their total to 26. That's actually four more than normal, so they decided to push two off to next season. (Had they been renewed, they'd have been able to air a second season of 24 episodes and been back to "normal.")

Not filming (rather than pushing off) two episodes sounds logical, but it likely would have screwed with their budgeting for season 4 -- and it might have screwed with the actors' salaries, since they're paid by the episode.

Yeah I think that's what happened. There were 4 eps of S2 to air and they aired those and also produced 22 for S4. I don't think it screwed with the show. Lucifer has always had standalone episodes, and those fitted in ok. It also helped because Lesley Anne Brant was on maternity leave in the first part of filming and those eps made sure Maze had some screen time and wasn't just forgotten, (although the less said about the latter half of the season for her the better) same with Linda and RH's schedule. S3 also had standalone episodes that were shown in perfect production order. The last two were supposed to be slotted in to S4 as filler but the cancellation came as a shock. I don't think OUAT was a potential reboot, just a standard "AU/What If" scenario. Of course NG gives it a lot more meaning and gravitas. 

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Sakura12

Sakura12

Those eps were not a finale, they were extra episodes that we were going to air in season 4, like they did with the the four season 2 episodes that aired this season and messed up the flow of the show. The alternate one would've worked as a stand alone in any season. The Ella one probably would've stood out after this seasons finale. 

I did like the alternate one and think that maybe that should've been the show from the beginning. Actress Chloe had much more personality and didn't have the cliche dead parent backstory.  I loved Maze having the demon cult and was helping people sin so she could have people to torture in hell.  The only downside was no Trixie. 

If Azrael was going to be showing up more, I'm glad I won't see it. The actress they chose just didn't fit with the show and she looked like she was just reading lines. If they wanted to go with young and perky, I was thinking more of Malese Jow, she could've done the perky friend of Ella's while also having an underlying threat to her like I think the Angel of Death would have. 

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flyingdi

flyingdi

I was disappointed that Azrael didn't once say to Lucifer.  "Where's my sword?"

54 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

Those eps were not a finale, they were extra episodes that we were going to air in season 4, like they did with the the four season 2 episodes that aired this season and messed up the flow of the show. The alternate one would've worked as a stand alone in any season. The Ella one probably would've stood out after this seasons finale. 

I did like the alternate one and think that maybe that should've been the show from the beginning. Actress Chloe had much more personality and didn't have the cliche dead parent backstory.  I loved Maze having the demon cult and was helping people sin so she could have people to torture in hell.  The only downside was no Trixie. 

If Azrael was going to be showing up more, I'm glad I won't see it. The actress they chose just didn't fit with the show and she looked like she was just reading lines. If they wanted to go with young and perky, I was thinking more of Malese Jow, she could've done the perky friend of Ella's while also having an underlying threat to her like I think the Angel of Death would have. 

I thought they should just have Ella be the Angel of Death.  It would fit slightly into Gaiman's Sandman series.

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Sakura12

Sakura12

9 minutes ago, flyingdi said:

I was disappointed that Azrael didn't once say to Lucifer.  "Where's my sword?"

I thought they should just have Ella be the Angel of Death.  It would fit slightly into Gaiman's Sandman series.

That would've been a cool twist too.  I guess God could've put a block on her so Luci and Ami wouldn't recognize her. But they kept talking and showing us Ella's family that I don't know how they would fit. 

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Commando Cody

Commando Cody

I was watching the first episode wondering if, she were a real ghost, would Lucifer be able to see her. It was disappointing to see the actress as an angel, because she wasn't very convincing. It was bad casting. I used to like her character on the TV show House and I have to add that she hasn't seemed to have aged at all. However she was completely wrong for this role. By the way "Smell you later" is a pretty common phrase. More than one person uses it. It wasn't a very good reveal. 

 

As for the second episode, the characters were so much more interesting in these roles than in their regular roles. If they had been written this way all along, maybe the show would have had a chance. It was so nice to see Maze as who she is. She's pretty scary. 

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HunterHunted

HunterHunted

4 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

If Azrael was going to be showing up more, I'm glad I won't see it. The actress they chose just didn't fit with the show and she looked like she was just reading lines. If they wanted to go with young and perky, I was thinking more of Malese Jow, she could've done the perky friend of Ella's while also having an underlying threat to her like I think the Angel of Death would have. 

I've seen Charlyne Yi in other things and never thought she was too terrible, but now I realize that all of those other things were comedies and that comedy is clearly her strength. As ghost Ray Ray, she was fine with Ella. However once she had to be Azrael, she was terrible. She was stilted and wooden. Not only did it sound like she was reading off of cue cards, it sounded like she was reading off of cue cards that were being written as they filmed the scene.

If this was supposed to entice me and motivate me to protest the show's cancellation, it was made of fail.

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Rushmoras

Rushmoras

(edited)

That's Azriel? The Angel of Death is some wall-flower? I'm freaking speechless. Also, kinda funny. But a miscast for real. 

Oh, boy, did we really see Maze burning a chick's face? Well, then, why didn't ya show this side of her in previous episodes instead of letting her talk about torture. Hmm... AU reality's Lucifer is more like S1 Lucifer, so I liked this ep. But still, a shitty season.

Edited by Rushmoras
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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

4 hours ago, flyingdi said:

I thought they should just have Ella be the Angel of Death.  It would fit slightly into Gaiman's Sandman series.

That would have been a cool twist. I actually wonder if making the Angel of Death in this universe a perky gothic young woman was an homage to the Death of Sandman, especially with Neil Gaiman himself narrating the next episode? But if it was, it didnt really work, as Death in Sandman, while certainly a perky, sweet young woman, also had a lot of gravitas and wisdom, while this one just seemed too wooden and goofy. I think it was bad casting, but also not great writing. Which is too bad, because the twist itself worked pretty well. 

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Bruinsfan

Bruinsfan

3 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

I was watching the first episode wondering if, she were a real ghost, would Lucifer be able to see her.

Before the reveal I'd assumed that at some point Lucifer would make some comment that verified she wasn't just in Lopez' imagination.

 

5 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

If Azrael was going to be showing up more, I'm glad I won't see it. The actress they chose just didn't fit with the show and she looked like she was just reading lines. If they wanted to go with young and perky, I was thinking more of Malese Jow, she could've done the perky friend of Ella's while also having an underlying threat to her like I think the Angel of Death would have. 

Definitely with you about the actress not working in the role. She'd have been fine as Lopez' hallucination/alter (just as needessly quirky and annoying as Lopez herself), but just could not pull off being the Angel of Death. I think if they were going to do something hearkening to Gaiman's Death for the character, maybe an actress like Natalie Morales would have had the right vibe. Still would have kept up the tradition of the various archangels being of different ethnicities. Or, y'know, just rip off American Horror Story Season 2 and have Frances Conroy reprise the role—she'd have done it with the appropriate gravitas and majesty.

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Bobbin

Bobbin

13 hours ago, flyingdi said:

Was i right in thinking in the AU there was no Trixie?  Dan and Chloe were never a couple?

They apparently met on the force, so since AU Chloe wasn't a real cop, no meet, no Trixie. And even if AU Chloe eventually joins the PD, Dan is already on the lam with Charlotte and "Lu's" money.

I'm surprised no one has made a series based on the "Butterfly Effect" and "Sliding Doors" movie concept, where every episode has the same main characters and starting point, but something is "tweaked" each week, by God or by a roll of D&D dice, to send them all off in different directions.

I'm not sorry to see the series go as is. Too much dead-pan Chloe and Lucifer railing at Dad and not enough supernatural crime-solving -- and Tom singing (a show within the show).

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Helena Dax

Helena Dax

The first episode was meh until the end, when we met Azrael, although I agree that she wasn't very impressive. I did love the second one, though. It was funny and well-thought. Linda's cleavage, for instance: she's now a TV star and she's way more sexualized. Or Chloe's make up, heavier around her eyes. 

Loved Maze's mask and followers.

And the fact that God was the narrator (and his good will was obvious) seems to prove once and forever that Lucifer has been misunderstanding everything his dad does. 

I know third season sucked, but now I think fourth season could have been better, with a bigger dose of supernatural stuff, Chloe knowing etc. 

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rainsmom

rainsmom

58 minutes ago, Helena Dax said:

I know third season sucked, but now I think fourth season could have been better, with a bigger dose of supernatural stuff, Chloe knowing etc. 

I think it could have been GREAT. They have wonderful material and great actors to work with.

But they'd have needed to fire the showrunner and the writers, because they've proven they weren't going to use those elements as they should be used.

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Philip

Philip

I just finished watching these two extra episodes which made no sense after the season finale and they were absolutely terrible. One worse than the other.

 

I honestly wish I hadn't seen it, it kind of ruined Lucifer for me.

 

By the way, with the show cancelled, at least there'll be no more annoying scenes with Miss Lopez. Thankfully.

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Philip

Philip

It was bad enough the season was 24 episodes but 26? Yikes! Who's to say there may not be even more of this garbage unaired? I hope they don't bother releasing, if it does exist.

 

Season 3's season finale was amazing and watching this just felt like being punched really hard.

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Gigi43

Gigi43

Did I miss something or was the episode  description  writer drunk? I thought it was suppose to be "Mom's Alternate reality." The episode seemed to be largely backtracking the idea of God being a not-so-great figure with the way the narrative was done.  I did kind of like everyone but it still felt like anew hour long cop out. 

 

So Azriel didn't freaking mention the blade or Uriel (unless I missed that I was doing something for a portion of it) and Amenadiel and Maze were left out of the crumb of a supernatural story we were given. I get this show likes to go in "the other direction "  but this Angel Of Death was a but too much. Trixie could be a better Angel Of Death. Too bad though Lucifer and Ella didn't get to really  talk about this stuff.

 

Not surprisingly the episodes seemed to be the lowest rated ever. They weren't the worst ever but the show could have gone out on a higher note if they just left  these at a DVD release bonus or put them online  at some point.

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Jlina

Jlina

Who was the girl in the bar Amenidiel didn't tap on the shoulder? God would o my let me watch one for free, glad I chose the good one.   I liked it, was pleasantly surprised.

**FOX! Typed it twice and it still turned to God.  O.M.G.!!!

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Philip

Philip

9 hours ago, Gigi43 said:

Did I miss something or was the episode  description  writer drunk? I thought it was suppose to be "Mom's Alternate reality." The episode seemed to be largely backtracking the idea of God being a not-so-great figure with the way the narrative was done.  I did kind of like everyone but it still felt like anew hour long cop out. 

 

So Azriel didn't freaking mention the blade or Uriel (unless I missed that I was doing something for a portion of it) and Amenadiel and Maze were left out of the crumb of a supernatural story we were given. I get this show likes to go in "the other direction "  but this Angel Of Death was a but too much. Trixie could be a better Angel Of Death. Too bad though Lucifer and Ella didn't get to really  talk about this stuff.

 

Not surprisingly the episodes seemed to be the lowest rated ever. They weren't the worst ever but the show could have gone out on a higher note if they just left  these at a DVD release bonus or put them online  at some point.

What a treat for DVD/Blu-ray customers. lol

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CuddlerOfDragons

CuddlerOfDragons

18 hours ago, Bobbin said:

They apparently met on the force, so since AU Chloe wasn't a real cop, no meet, no Trixie. And even if AU Chloe eventually joins the PD, Dan is already on the lam with Charlotte and "Lu's" money.

I'm surprised no one has made a series based on the "Butterfly Effect" and "Sliding Doors" movie concept, where every episode has the same main characters and starting point, but something is "tweaked" each week, by God or by a roll of D&D dice, to send them all off in different directions.

I'm not sorry to see the series go as is. Too much dead-pan Chloe and Lucifer railing at Dad and not enough supernatural crime-solving -- and Tom singing (a show within the show).

They have, it was called 'Sliders' where a group of people travel to different AUs each week trying to get back home to their own reality.  There were some really clever versions of planet earth to begin with but it went down hill after a while.  Screened sometime in the 1990s.

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enoughcats

enoughcats

13 minutes ago, CuddlerOfDragons said:

They have, it was called 'Sliders' where a group of people travel to different AUs each week trying to get back home to their own reality.  There were some really clever versions of planet earth to begin with but it went down hill after a while.  Screened sometime in the 1990s.

Yes, good memory .  Sliders was the first show I remember John Rhys-Davies from. 87 episodes and they ran out of ideas and took it in a lesser (my opinion) direction.  

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