Trixie asks Lucifer to tell her a story – so it’s back to post-war New York and a tale of dames and devilry…

One of my favourite Saint novels, The Saint Sees It Through, had a line of dialogue used as its back-cover blurb – “You’ll recognise him by the knife he’s wearing – in his back!” I wonder if writer Alyana White was aware of this book, given that the flashback in this stylish episode of Lucifer is set in the same year and the same place, and even features a similar sort of nightclub at its heart.

These sorts of flashback episodes have become a trope of genre TV, and at least the Lucifer writers play with some of the casting a bit more than often happens – Aimee Garcia as the Italian mobster (well, Trixie did ask for gender-neutral casting) is fun, and it’s great to see Tricia Helfer back on the show as Shirl (Chloe’s wife… don’t ask). Kevin Alejandro has a whale of a time as the Sausage Prince – and the show dives into its Carry On roots with a vengeance at this point – while Lesley-Ann Brandt gets to show her other skills. The reconstruction of a film from the period is done well, particularly in its use of lighting and close-ups – Lucifer asking what a character desires, particularly.

Trixie is turning into a real little manipulatrix – the scene in the elevator towards the end is nicely done – and there’s a tonal shift as Maze follows up on the information that she’s discovered. Initially it seems as if this might have been intended as a standalone episode, but there’s quite a bit unearthed that I suspect will come into play.

Verdict: A very stylish outing. 8/10

Paul Simpson