The actress shared what the fan-favorite series has in store for its fifth and final(?) season.
Lucifer will soon be returning to Netflix for its fifth season, though, like most Hollywood productions, the beloved series -- which stars Tom Ellis as the titular Lord of Hell -- has been majorly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Thankfully for fans, star Lesley-Ann Brandt recently told ET's Katie Krause via video chat, the Lucifer crew had nearly wrapped production when the decision was made to shut down until the threat to public health allows for people to return to work.
"We were about halfway through the final episode of the season, so not ideal, but I am so incredibly proud of my producers and my studio, Warner Bros., for taking the action that they did," Brandt explained. "I was really proud. They had, not just [hand sanitizers], but mobile hand-washing stations and props were getting washed down, handles to trailers and that kind of stuff. But that’s only going to take you so far when we have a 400-500 person crew, you know."
"I think it was probably a really tough decision for them, but we were so lucky, because 99 percent of our show was shot," she added, noting that while the timeline is up in the air for now, they have a better chance of releasing the new season on schedule because so much of filming had already been completed. "There’s so many shows, they were three episodes into their season or pilots that are now going to fall away. In that, my heart goes out to the below-the-line people and the crews and the actors that booked their first pilot, you know. I remember that feeling, so yeah, it’s really tough."
Hoping to offer fans some "escapism" from the worldwide health crisis, Brandt took some time to tease what's to come for the Lucifer crew in the upcoming fifth season, noting that her character, demon-turned-bounty hunter Mazikeen, aka "Maze," starts the new episodes in a bit of a rut after getting her heart broken by Eve (Inbar Lavi) in season 4.
"I think she is in a bit of denial," Brandt said of her character's start to season 5. "She’s heartbroken, we’ve all been there, and I think she throws herself into work. So we see her with Chloe (Lauren German) a lot, because their stories are mirroring each other. They’re leaning into each other as girlfriends do."
"And, as you guys all know, Eve does eventually come back and there’s all kinds of drama," she added. "I think [Maze], at the end of the season, she makes a decision that is the best for her, but she goes through that breakup, hurt, trying other things. She then has to confront the ex. By the end of it, she makes a decision that is the absolute best for her and the character moving forward."
"I will say, for me as an artist, and as the actress who’s played this character for five years, this is by far my best work as an artist, I think. They really give her some fantastic storylines and themes and ideas to explore. There’s great scenes with D.B. [Woodside] and I think that storyline with Amenadiel, you’re not sure like, are they ex-hookups or friends or where are they at, you know?"
However, it doesn't seem a Heaven-Hell romance is in the cards for the adversarial pair, who both have a long and complicated history with Lucifer.
"No. I think that’s fair to say, no," Brandt cautioned. "I think what you will appreciate, at the end of that, is you have the angel and the demon -- which, by default, they’re supposed to be on opposing sides, right? But both of those characters have faults and had to, by pure force, explore their humanity, and in that you see this blossoming of a new relationship between these two and it’s really beautiful... I was really looking for the closure with those two as the actress."
As for her relationship with Lucifer himself, the actress assured fans that the two will always share an important bond. "I think the thing to remember about this is that they are forever connected. Forever. They have experienced so much, and there’s a really fun scene which is kind of heartbreaking too, but fun for the fans who are the purists who wanted to see those two, Maze and Lucifer, be the old-school versions of themselves."
But season 5 won't just be heartbreak and drama -- there's plenty of excitement as well, with the cast getting to flex new chops in musical and noir-themed episodes.
"Our musical episode is super fun, I do some sexy dancing in that, Brandt teased. "And I sing with Tom in the noir episode. I do a duet. So I got to really flex and do things with her, with Mazikeen, that I haven’t done before. I think having the freedom for the writers to write a show for Netflix fully knowing-- Last year was great, but like we were with Fox, canceled, picked up, so it was re-jiggered and this is now the pure Netflix version of our show and it’s so damn good. I’m so excited for everyone to see it."
The noir episode, in particular, is one the actress said she's excited for fans to see, as she explained the main arc of the hour is "really Mazikeen's story."
"She is confronted with having to deal with something that is the ultimate betrayal," she teased. "I can’t go into too much detail. It’s really challenging for her and she will carry that throughout the season, almost toward the end. That hurt, even though it’s present day, is tied into the noir episode."
Season 5 will also include the introduction of God, played by 24 star Dennis Haysbert, who Brandt joked appears because "his kids are acting a fool on earth. Time to check y’all!"
In all seriousness, the actress recalled being thrilled to get to share a scene with the man upstairs. "Dennis Haysbert is really just a gorgeous actor and there’s really great work between these two characters. I can say that she goes to him and asks him for something huge."
It's all leading up to a massive season 5 ending -- also set to be the series finale -- which will cap things off in a major way, according to Brandt.
"I think the general feeling for people will be throughout this season is a constant almost angst. Like, 'I have to get to the next one, I need to make sure that’s fine. Oh s*** this happened!'" she said. "And the finale is the complete, like, explosion of all those things that we experienced for the season. But we’re all in it and there’s a lot of scenes with all of us together, which I think is really nice, 'cause you rarely get to see the full seven of us."
The episode also includes one of "Maze’s most brutal fights," she added, noting that she's using her social distancing time to start recovering from the physical toll of the season's final episodes. "You’re going to see Mazikeen in hell."
However, parts of the finale are still in flux due to the production shutdown. Another complex scene, Brandt recalled, was set to take five days to shoot, but production was shut down before they were able to tackle it.
So, with the final moments of Lucifer season 5 up in the air, is there a possibility of a season 6? (The show's passionate fan base certainly has proven their powers of resurrection before, campaigning for the show's revival on Netflix after being canceled by Fox.)
"I do feel like it would be fun to explore, especially where we end off on season 5," Brandt said. "That being said, I feel like our show is peaking and I want us to end on that - pow! That was amazing!"
As for her message to fans amid the coronavirus scare, Brandt urged everyone to follow recommendations on social distancing while doing your best to support small businesses and the most vulnerable members of your community.
"We’re all in this together," she said. "I know it doesn’t feel like we’re connected, and I hope that’s what America gets out of this. It’s not us and them. If this virus has shown us anything, it’s that we literally are all connected."
See more from Lucifer season 5 -- including exclusive footage from ET's on-set visit, in the video below.
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