Who is Merritt Yohnka? Lucifer season 5 finale airs title card tribute
The first thing that is worth noting here is that Yohnka was a beloved member of the Lucifer team behind the scenes. He worked as a stunt coordinator for the series for years, both when the show aired on Fox and also on Netflix. Prior to that, some of his notable credits included Pretty Little Liars, Rizzoli & Isles, Graceland, True Blood, Chuck, The Shield, Lost, and Nash Bridges. Just when you look at that resume alone, it says a lot about what Merritt meant to stunt teams all over the country. Not only was he exceptional at his job, but he continued to land one hit show after the next. He first started working in this field all the way back in the late 1980’s. He was also an Emmy winner, which showed further his overall level of work.
Yohnka passed away from cancer 0n September 16, 2020 making the second half of Lucifer season 5 the first opportunity that the show had to honor him. These title cards are the highest honor that a show can give — they come right at the end of an episode, when the highest concentration of viewers are tuning in. They also live on for years after the fact. Netflix viewers for many years on will see this name and from here, learn a little bit more about who he is and what he contributed not just to Lucifer, but all of the other shows he made an impact on.
We know that Yohnka inspired others who worked on the show, even after the fact. Fellow stunt performer Simon Rhee even said as much, thanking him for setting some of the “highest standards” for everyone else to follow.
Our thoughts go out to Yohnka’s family and loved ones during what must continue to be a difficult time. If you did not see, visit the link here to learn about the title-card tribute to Craig Charles Henderson and Arthur Melbourne Hooper season 5 episode 9. (Photo: Netflix.)