| “ | Said out, bitch! | „ |
| — Lee to Lucifer Morningstar in "They're Back, Aren't They?" | ||
Lee Garner, usually referred to as Mr. Said Out Bitch by Lucifer Morningstar, was a low level career criminal who operated in the Los Angeles area. He ran through a continuous cycle of feast and famine, always pulling new jobs to restore the profit he blew from the last one. Beginning in season two, he crossed paths with Lucifer Morningstar at least once a year, as often as not, the encounter left him without trousers. After Lee was killed in season 5 and went to Hell, Lucifer took a personal interest in him. He helped Lee face his guilt, eventually resulting in Lee making it to Heaven, the first soul ever to do so. Lee repaid his debt to Lucifer by helping him find Chloe Decker after her arrival in Heaven in season five, so Lucifer could restore her to life.
Personality[]
Lee lived in constant expectation of the big payday, and worked as a low-end criminal who had no problem threatening people to get what he wanted. According to his sister, he never managed to hang on to money even when he could get his hands on it, often spending money he didn't have, resulting in him incurring massive debts, and he would resort to crime to pay them off.
Despite his behavior, Lee is aware of how his actions cause problems for others, staying away from his family for 15 years because he didn't want to disappoint them again. He is also shown to be relatively good at reading people, as he was was able to figure out that Lucifer was facing his own problems even while dealing with Lee's.
Once he acted on the information provided by Lucifer, and understood why he was in Hell, he became the first soul ever to make the transition from Hell to Heaven. Once he got to Heaven after facing his guilt, Lee was at peace with himself, his guilt assuaged, and was able to act on the core of goodness he possessed. Upon meeting Lucifer again, he patiently let him get his bearings and then helped Lucifer find Chloe to repay him for his help in Hell.
History[]
Lee after meeting Lucifer for the first time.
Lee encounters Lucifer Morningstar on several occasions. The first was when Lucifer and Amenadiel interrupted his robbery of a jewelry store when they were searching for anyone recently dead who might be housing their mother's essence. Lee had suffered a heart attack, and they thought their mother had inhabited his body after escaping Hell. Although Lee did have a heart attack, which left him at the edge of death, he was revived successfully by paramedics. After realizing that their mother was not in Lee's body, Amenadiel slowed time and Lucifer punished the thieves, incapacitating Lee's crew and leaving Lee stripped to his underpants, wearing a tiara, with his shoelaces tied together. When time began to flow again, Lee fell to the ground and was easy for the police to pick up. He spent some time in prison for his crime.
The second encounter was in the California desert, when Lee was fleeing from the police in a stolen armored truck. He encountered Lucifer, who had been kidnapped by The Sinnerman and left in the middle of the desert wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and his wings. Lucifer climbs in the truck and recognizes Lee, asking his name, Lee responds with a pointed gun and repeats, "Said out, bitch." Lucifer instantly applies the phrase as Lee's name from that point, calling him Mr. Said Out Bitch from then on. He took the truck, Lee's overalls, and set him loose in the desert so he could avoid arrest. Lee wandered the desert for days, claiming he barely survived, and thought the experience made him hallucinate Lucifer having wings. This dialogue in the scene gives Lee his nickname:
"You’re one crazy-ass bitch. Now, get out of the truck. [cocks gun] Now.”
"Look, I know you don’t want to shoot me, Mister… what's your name?”
"Said 'out', bitch.”
"Mr. Said Out Bitch, tell me, what is it you really desire?”
The third encounter was when Lee and his gang decided to rob Lux. After the desert incident, Lee researched Lucifer and found out who he actually was and that he was "loaded." Lee points a gun to Lucifer's head just as he finishes yet another rendition of the same song, and Lucifer thought it was a comment on him having overplayed "Creep." Lucifer then loses his temper, bends Lee's gun, and beat Lee's crew unconscious. Lee realizes that the wings he saw in the desert weren't an hallucination. Frightened, he begs Lucifer to spare his life, telling him he was only a thief. Lucifer made an instant connection, saying that was not all Lee was, he was more than that, and deserved a chance to prove it to people. He took Lee to the penthouse and gave him most of the cash in the safe, as well as a couple of gold bars and a jeweled crown, then offered his trousers as a show of faith for leaving him without clothes in the past, but Lee refused them. He told Lee to pay for the medical expenses of the crew downstairs and then make a new life for himself. Lee then leaves the penthouse, stunned, as Maze was walking in, and they exchange greetings.
The fourth, and longest encounter with Lucifer was after he was murdered and went to Hell. After using the money Lucifer gave him finance a new lifestyle, Lee was partying on his yacht, when the girls in the hot tub asked that he join them. He went into his cabin to change into his swimsuit. Lucifer is then shown sitting at the bar in the cabin and greets Lee. Flustered, Lee told Lucifer he didn't want anything to do with him, that while grateful for the money Lucifer gave him, does not want to get involved with the man any further, since bad things happen when they cross paths. Lucifer warns him another bad thing was about to happen, that he is about to be murdered, as he had been at least 200 times before. Lee doesn't believe him, but he is then shot by an unknown assailant. Lee asks Lucifer "What the hell?" for Lucifer to respond, "Precisely", revealing that Lee is in Hell. Up on Earth, Lee's is body being examined by Chloe and Ella who points out his hand had been amputated postmortem.
Back in Hell, Lucifer explains to Lee where he is. Lee asks Lucifer to get him out, but Lucifer explains that it is up to Lee as he is the only one who can free himself from Hell. Lee tries to exit the room but finds himself back inside. Lucifer explains that Lee is being held by his own guilt, then wishes him well before he says he is leaving. When Lee then mentions he was in Marina Del Rey, Lucifer pauses, feeling homesick for LA. Lucifer tells Lee that he knows who is probably working his case, then tells him that for old time's sake, he has decided to solve the murder.
When Lee's Hell Loop begins again, and the gunman enters, Lucifer uses his authority over Hell to freeze the scene stopping Lee dying again. Lee approaches the demon, Belios, who acts as his murderer and removes his mask, only to see that he has no face. Lucifer then explains that the Hell Loop is made of Lee's memories and he never saw his killer's face. Lucifer then asks Lee if anyone wanted him him dead. Lee has no solid answer to that, but assumes Dirty Doug, who held his marker for about three quarters of a million, might be a good suspect.
The two follow the Hell Loop to Lee's meeting with Dirty Doug and Lucifer comments that it is an exquisite Hell Loop. Lee points out Doug, then Lucifer—trying to emulate Chloe Decker—asks Lee for any background information on Doug, but Lee doesn't know anything. As the poker game progresses, Lee goes all in, explaining to Lucifer that Doug will offer him a marker, which he now regrets taking. Later, Lee shows the marker to Lucifer, who is upset that they lack any stronger evidence and caught up in the moment, calls Lee "Detective". Angry, Lucifer calls Lee useless before erasing the scene around them showing the landscape of Hell rather than LA. Before Lucifer gives up the case, they are approached by a demon followed by the recently deceased Vernon Gill, the man who had been hired to kill Lee.
Lucifer then gives Gromos a message for Chloe, who imparts it from the deceased Gill's body. Lucifer then decides to leave Lee to his torture — and he to his. Lee asks Lucifer about the detective that he keeps talking about. Lucifer seems to want to share until he realizes what Lee is doing, and believes it's false sympathy for the Devil. Lee just says Lucifer seemed like a "really sad Devil guy." Angry, Lucifer takes Lee to the root of his Hell Loop, and they arrive outside his family home. The two have a short conversation where Lee admits that he regrets not reconnecting with his family during his sister's baby shower 15 years ago. Lee explains that both his parents died shortly after this event and that he regrets not going inside. Lucifer challenges him to go inside, but Lee refuses, saying they don't want him. Lucifer suggests that Lee is afraid of disappointing them again, and would rather just stay away for eternity. Lee admits that Lucifer is right. Seeing the expression on Lucifer's face, Lee ascertains that Lucifer was talking about himself too, and he asks whose Hell they are in. Lee observes that Lucifer seems to be torturing himself and the two have a short argument about Lucifer's motivations. Lee admits that he should have talked to his family, but he missed his chance, then asked Lucifer if he missed his chance, too. Lucifer, angered, explains that he is in Hell out of responsibility, that it's his duty. Then a demon brings him one of Lee's old crew who had just been killed by Chloe. After the situation on earth is explained to them, Lee asks Lucifer if he won't go help Chloe. Lucifer replies that he has faith in her, and remains in Hell. Lee shrugs and tells Lucifer, "You do you."
"Mr. Said Out Bitch" (Lee Garner) in Heaven.
In A Chance at a Happy Ending, Lucifer breaks his banishment and flies to Heaven to resurrect Chloe. He is greeted by Lee, much to his astonishment, as no human soul had ever escaped from Hell before. Lee explains that after Lucifer left him in Hell, he eventually found the courage to face his guilt and his family, and he went through the door. After that, he transitioned to Heaven. Grateful for Lucifer's help, Lee helps the weakened angel reach Chloe.
When Dan Espinoza is trapped in Hell, he says that he tried every door to get out, including the one that Lee had walked out through. Lucifer tries to explain that Lee's door was a metaphor for his own guilt, but Dan interrupts him as he already knows this. Even though Dan has claimed to have dealt with his own guilt, he is still stuck in Hell, and he questions Lucifer on why only Lee has made it into Heaven and no one else. Lucifer, however, doesn't know.
After learning that Lucifer had helped Dan to overcome his guilt and reach Heaven, Chloe reminds him that he'd done the same for Lee Garner. Lucifer says that Lee had broken his own Hell Loop and that all Lucifer did was show him the door. "Like a wise therapist once said to me, I can't give you the right answers, only the right questions."
Trivia[]
- Lee is one of the few humans who has seen Lucifer's wings.
- It could be that Lee faced his guilt and ascended to heaven in Season 5 Episode 3 as God told Amenadiel that Hell doesn't need a warden and cryptically said it needs a healer, because if Lee was the first soul to ever do so.
- Starting in season 2, there is a recurring joke in that Lee always encounters Lucifer Morningstar in the beginning of the season premiere. However, he doesn't appear at all in season 6, although he is mentioned a few times in relation to Dan's situation.
- This tradition was slightly changed in season 5, when Lucifer met Lee not only in the season premiere, but also in the season finale.
- Lee Garner is the first soul who was able to leave Hell on his own, opening his door and going to Heaven, after facing his guilt and realizing that he no longer deserves to be punished. He is later joined by Dan Espinoza, with both men achieving Heaven thanks to Lucifer's influence upon them.
- Jeremiah Birkett, the actor who played Lee, appeared in one episode in Bones, Lucifer's favorite TV show.
- He wears briefs.
External Links[]
Appearances[]
| Season Two | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer" | Appears |
| Season Three | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | "They're Back, Aren't They?" | Appears |
| Season Four | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | "Everything's Okay" | Appears |
| Season Five | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | "Really Sad Devil Guy" | Appears |
| #16 | "A Chance at a Happy Ending" | Appears |
| Season Six | ||
|---|---|---|
| #1 | "Nothing Ever Changes Around Here" | Mentioned |
| #10 | "Partners 'Til the End" | Mentioned |