Lucifer Season 5, Part 2’s Biggest Mistake Was Shortchanging Ella Lopez

Warning: SPOILERS for Lucifer season 5, part 2.

Lucifer season 5, part 2 shortchanged Ella Lopez (Aimee Garcia), a mistake that was the downside of an otherwise excellent half-season. Granted, once God (Dennis Haysbert) arrived on Earth at the end of Lucifer season 5, part 1, He had to be the center of attention, along with how Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside), and Lucifer’s other main characters’ reacted to the Creator of All Things now walking around Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Ella largely shifted to the background, and Lucifer season 5B left her story unfulfilled and unresolved.

Introduced in Lucifer season 2 as the LAPD’s new forensic scientist, Ella (whom Lucifer affectionately refers to as Miss Lopez) quickly became a fan-favorite. The friendly and huggable nerdy girl nonetheless had a shady past; Ella had a tough childhood growing up in Detroit but embracing her Catholic religion and moving to Los Angeles let her start a new life away from trouble. Ella has also been touched by divinity; as a child, she befriended Azrael the Angel of Death (Charlene Yi), who guided her to LA, where Ella met Azrael’s brother Lucifer. In Lucifer season 5, part 1, Ella finally took a chance on a boyfriend, Pete Daily (Alexander Koch), who seemed like a good guy and a perfect match for Miss Lopez. However, Pete turned out to be the Whisper Killer, the demented serial murderer Lucifer and Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) were hunting. The realization understandably shattered Ella.

Lucifer finally gave Ella a major role with her Pete Daily story instead of her usual job of supporting Lucifer and Chloe. But despite the shocking revelation about her boyfriend, Lucifer season 5, part 2 doesn’t deliver a sufficient follow-up to Miss Lopez’s dalliance with a serial killer. Pete doesn’t even appear in the back end of Lucifer season 5. Instead, Ella once again becomes a background player supporting Lucifer, Chloe, and also Dan Espinoza (Kevin Alejandro) in his spotlight episode, “Dan Espinoza: Naked and Afraid”. Pete drove a stake in Ella’s heart by telling her that he saw “darkness” inside Miss Lopez, and Ella spent the rest of season 5 sorting through what that means for her emotionally. But after Miss Lopez excelled in her spotlighted story of dating Pete, it was disappointing that Lucifer decided to sideline Ella in season 5, part 2.

This isn’t to say that Ella didn’t take full advantage of her opportunities to shine in the second half of Lucifer season 5. Aimee Garcia remains one of the show’s MVPs and her inimitable talents were on full display, whether it was singing and dancing in Lucifer‘s musical episode or hilariously writing a novel about a forensic scientist who planned the perfect murder. Ella also had heart-wrenching moments in Lucifer season 5, part 2, like her confession to Dr. Linda Martin (Rachael Harris) about her darkness and how Miss Lopez reacted to Dan’s shocking and tragic death.

Perhaps Ella’s highlight in Lucifer season 5, part 2 was her encounters with God (Dennis Haysbert), who she thought was Lucifer’s dad, Mr. Morningstar, since Miss Lopez still doesn’t know the truth that Lucifer is really the Devil. God not only thanked Ella for “all of the support” but He told her what she needed to hear, that even if there is darkness inside her, it means her light only shines even more brightly.

Lucifer season 5, part 2 also set up a possible new love interest for Ella in Carol Corbett (Scott Porter), although fans won’t know what becomes of this potential new couple until Lucifer season 6. With Dan now deceased, it does give more space for Ella to be spotlighted in Lucifer season 6. Hopefully, Lucifer season 5, part 2 will be the last time Miss Lopez will be a background player and she’ll once again receive the meatier role she deserves in Lucifer‘s final season.

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