“Lucifer” has risen from the fiery pits of cancellation hell, thanks to its savior, Netflix. But now that it’s back, Lucifans want to know how much more of the Tom Ellis-led former Fox drama they are getting.
The answer is at least 10 episodes, according to co-showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich, who are busy plotting out how to shape their new Season 4 to fit the streaming service’s order, seeing as a broadcast series is used to getting around 22 episodes a year. So they are basically breaking their original idea in half and starting with one chunk, for now.
“We were going to have two parts to it anyway, so we’ll just tell a really strong, gnarly first part,” Modrovich told TVLine, in an interview published Monday, following Friday’s news Netflix had revived the show. Henderson says this “lets us concentrate the story and focus it, and that’s what’s really exciting about this. We have a really strong first half that is now going to make for an amazing story.”
The co-showrunners say the Season 4 episodes will each run around the normal 43 minute mark “Lucifer” grew accustomed to during its first three seasons on network TV before it was axed last month.
Now, if you are worried this shortened season might be even shorter because of those two “bonus” episodes that already aired on Fox — and were promoted as episodes that would have run during Season 4 — don’t be. The co-showrunners want to assure you that Netflix’s episode order does not include those two, so you’re looking at 1o fresh episodes. And they are trying to decide how to fold one of those extras into their new season.
“The first thing we’ve got to figure out is where the one that wasn’t a complete standalone, the Ella-focused episode, might fit,” Henderson says. Fans know that “Once Upon a Time,” the other extra episode, was the bizarro world storyline. So that one is easy to keep out for continuity’s sake.
As of now, Netflix has only ordered the 10-episode fourth season, but “there is always the potential for more,” Modrovich said, when asked if this will be “Lucifer”s final go-round. So hopefully you’ll ultimately get both parts of this two-part tale.
Modrovich says “Lucifer” is looking at an “August-ish” production start for the next season.