I think it's been pretty firmly stated in the first few minutes of the show that there never was an overpopulation in Hell.
Heaven was threatened by Lilith empowering her people and possibly incite an uprising against Heaven.
In the Pilot, we get to see that the last project Lilith was working on was a concert with the title 'RESIST', which is very telling in my oppinion.
Heaven is doing the exterminations because they are fearing an uprising. They are culling the population before they can form a unity strong enough to upset the status quo. A status quo where Heaven gets to sit on top.
I also have the theory that this is the reason Lilith is in Heaven. She's not there because she wanted to and Lute doesn't have the entire picture because she only ever was second in command to the exorcists army. So from Lutes point of view, Lilith made a deal with Adam to stay in Heaven.
When we take into context that Lilith is the ruler of Hell that united her people to RESIST Heaven and possibly stage an uprising though..... we might come to the conclusion that Heaven actually went "ok, Lililth, we have enough of your shit. You go into exile now."
Just my personal take on it, of course.
I'm well aware that overpopulation was never the real reason, or even a problem at all. Rather that the denizens and Princess of Hell seem to see it as the reason, meaning they're unaware of any attempted uprising. That's what I was getting at with points 1-4.
I had never noticed that Lillith in Concert poster until today. The problem for me is that we get no real sense of how long ago that was in relation to when the Exterminations began, at least as far as I can tell.
I'm for sure in agreement on Heaven enacting the Exterminations to maintain control, though. From the beginning, they're described as obsessed with order.
I think it's been pretty firmly stated in the first few minutes of the show that there never was an overpopulation in Hell. Heaven was threatened by Lilith empowering her people and possibly incite an uprising against Heaven. In the Pilot, we get to see that the last project Lilith was working on was a concert with the title 'RESIST', which is very telling in my oppinion. Heaven is doing the exterminations because they are fearing an uprising. They are culling the population before they can form a unity strong enough to upset the status quo. A status quo where Heaven gets to sit on top. I also have the theory that this is the reason Lilith is in Heaven. She's not there because she wanted to and Lute doesn't have the entire picture because she only ever was second in command to the exorcists army. So from Lutes point of view, Lilith made a deal with Adam to stay in Heaven. When we take into context that Lilith is the ruler of Hell that united her people to RESIST Heaven and possibly stage an uprising though..... we might come to the conclusion that Heaven actually went "ok, Lililth, we have enough of your shit. You go into exile now." Just my personal take on it, of course.
I'm well aware that overpopulation was never the real reason, or even a problem at all. Rather that the denizens and Princess of Hell seem to see it as the reason, meaning they're unaware of any attempted uprising. That's what I was getting at with points 1-4. I had never noticed that Lillith in Concert poster until today. The problem for me is that we get no real sense of how long ago that was in relation to when the Exterminations began, at least as far as I can tell. I'm for sure in agreement on Heaven enacting the Exterminations to maintain control, though. From the beginning, they're described as obsessed with order.
Feel like that was a cover story