‘Lucifer’: Promotional Photos Confirm the Return of This Character in Season 6

Does Dan come back in season 6 of 'Lucifer'? Showrunners found a way to bring the actor back, and promo photos confirm he has returning.

by Produced by Digital Editors

Published on August 19, 2021

3 min read

First, let’s recap what happened in ‘Lucifer’ season 5B

Throughout the series, fans and Lucifer (Tom Ellis) grew to like Detective Dan Espinoza (Kevin Alejandro). Even though he’s been a minor antagonist — going as far as shooting Lucifer and working with his evil twin brother — Dan was always there in those critical moments of the show. So, imagine the shock we all felt when he took his last on-screen breath.

After being tortured by Lucifer’s elaborate prank (when he made Dan believe he was involved with the mafia and gangsters), Dan was kidnapped by a hired hitman. While tied to a chair, he tried to escape. But before he could, he was shot several times in the back. We later saw Chloe Decker (Lauren German) finding him before he finally died in her arms.

It was a gut-wrenching episode, especially the scenes at the hospital and funeral. Fans lived vicariously as Lucifer and Maze (Leslie Ann-Brandt) got their revenge on the men who took Dan’s life. We later find out in the finale episode that it was Michael (Tom Ellis), the evil twin brother, who hired the hitmen to kidnap and kill Dan.

His death played a pivotal role in Lucifer’s decision to accept the role of “God” in his father’s absence. And now, Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) is joining the LAPD to honor his friend’s memory. However, Detective Douche and the whole team are due back for season 6.

Showrunners approached Kevin Alejandro to return as Dan Espinoza in ‘Lucifer’

Dan and Lucifer, Lucifer, side by side in police precinct

Dan and Lucifer of ‘Lucifer’ | FOX via Getty Images

Speaking with TV Line, Alejandro explained that he felt Dan’s death was meaningful, as season 5 was supposed to be the last. Owing to Netflix’s (and fans’) demands, it was renewed for its sixth and final season. He said after they got the green light, the showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich called him to say, “Hey, here’s the news. If you still want to be part of us, we know how to do it respectfully, and not change the quality of what we’re creating.”

Alejandro went on to say, “I wanted to be with these relationships and with these people to the very end …. Joe and Ildy respected that, and thankfully they wanted me to be a part of it as well.”

And Modrovich chimed in to say, “We could not do another season without ‘Detective Douche.’ We refuse to. So, yeah, we found a story for him that we just love.”

How will Detective Dan return in ‘Lucifer’ season 6?

In late July, promo material showed Dan back in the … well, maybe not the flesh, but he’s definitely back. It’s unclear if he’s a ghostly apparition, or a spirit sent to haunt Lucifer, or one of the other guys’ conscience. One photo showed Dan watching the new Officer Amenadiel working his new job in the LAPD.

On Aug. 10, a trailer for season 6 of Lucifer again confirmed that Dan is returning. He’s briefly (don’t blink, or you’ll miss it) seen playing ping pong with another officer and interacting with other characters.

In the TV Line interview, Alejandro mentioned, “[T]hey found a gentle way to bring me back — not the way people are going to expect him to come back, and maybe not as a huge part of the show. But I got to be there for the end in some capacity.”

Also, Digital Spy reported that showrunner Henderson said this at Comic-Con: “So much of what we were building on season 5 was Dan trying to leave a legacy. Because what he tried to do with his dying breath was introduce Ella to someone he thought might be good for her. That is something we will explore in season 6, the legacy of that gesture from Dan.”

Season 6 of Lucifer hits Netflix on Sept. 10, 2021.