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Dan Espinoza met his end in Season 5b of 'Lucifer' and finds himself stuck in hell until a Season 6 newcomer gives him a helping hand, but with a catch.

Published on September 10, 2021

The finale season of Lucifer is finally streaming for fans to binge-watch. Netflix’s Lucifer season 6 comes with many new revelations and an answer to how Dan Espinoza (Kevin Alejandro) returns from the dead. In season 5b, Dan meets his end when he is killed by a French assassin and takes his last breath in Chloe’s (Lauren German) arms. Fans thought this was the end for the character, but the season 6 teaser and the official trailer have him return for the series’s final season. Fans were curious how his return was possible and in what capacity. Dan gets one last run with the rest of the main characters.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains potential spoilers about Lucifer Season 6.]

How did Dan die in Season 5b?

Lucifer season 5b was emotional for fans as they initially had to say goodbye to Dan. In “Is This Really How It’s Going To End?!,” Dan helps Lucifer (Tom Ellis) track down Amenadiel’s (D.B. Woodside) necklace. At the same time, a group of French mercenaries are hired by Michael (Ellis) to do the same. While trying to help a potential victim, Dan is kidnapped by the mercenaries and tortured.

As a struggle ensues and Dan takes down some of his assailants, he is fatally shot multiple times. Chloe soon finds him and holds Dan in her arms. He gives Chloe a message to tell Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) with his final breath and says his goodbyes to Chloe. In the aftermath, Amenadiel and Lucifer learn Dan never ascended to heaven and is stuck in hell over his leftover guilt on Earth.

Dan has been staying in a new form of pergatory

In the first episodes of season 6, fans did not have to wait long to remeet Dan. According to Digital Spy, Alejandro teased how Dan could return. “It could be through flashbacks, it could be through trying to decide what’s going on. I was on set a little bit in season six, so he’s coming back… just not the way everyone thinks he’s coming back,” said the actor. Season 6 brought back Dan in a way that some had already theorized.

Lucifer goes down to hell and enters a drab and desolate replica of the precinct. Lucifer created a special kind of purgatory for Dan to reside in. As time is different in hell, Dan has been stuck alone and playing ping pong with another demon for thousands of years. While Lucifer is technically God, he cannot send Dan to heaven as it interferes with free will. Dan has pent-up guilt he has to get rid of on his own.

Dan returns to Earth with the help of a special angel in ‘Lucifer’

The new angel in season 6 is Rory (Brianna Hildebrand). She is a rebellious and somewhat goth angel never seen before. She plans to destroy Lucifer and initially thinks Michael can help her. But another demon lets loose that there was a human who almost killed Lucifer- Dan. Rory is intrigued and sets out to find him in hell.

When she does, Dan thinks she is another demon sent to be his ping pong partner. Rory reveals her sharpened bladed wings, and Dan realizes she is an angel. Rory tries to understand how Dan almost killed Lucifer, but Dan is too loyal to betray his friend. The rebellious angel has the perfect trick up her sleeve and tells Dan she can take him back to Earth.

Dan calls her bluff, seeing as Lucifer told him it’s impossible. In the end, he takes Rory’s offer. In a later scene, Rory brings Dan back to Earth, but there is one small problem. Dan returns as a ghost-like entity since his body is in the ground as worm food. He can not touch or speak to any human. The only ones who can see him are celestial beings.

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