Netflix’s “Inside Job” exposes naked truths of Blucifer and DIA conspiracy theories

In the weird world of Netflix’s animated comedy series, “Inside Job,” flat earthers, lizard people and secret societies make up the basis of every plotline. So when infamous Denver sculpture Blucifer appeared on a recent episode, its characters seemed right at home beneath its monstrous undercarriage — if a bit annoyed to be in Denver.

“How is the access point for all shadow world air travel under this horse’s big blue (testicles)”? asks Myc Celium, a gelatinous living mushroom voiced by Brett Gelman. We told you it was weird.

Blucifer, technically known as “Mustang,” is one of the Mile High City’s artistic and pop culture icons. Located at Denver International Airport, the 14-year-old Peña Boulevard sculpture — created by late artist Luis Jimenez, who died when part of Mustang fell on him — is often the first and last thing visitors remember seeing outside the tented main terminal.

That’s due to its dramatic color and glowing red eyes, its 32-foot-tall stature, and its anatomical correctness, which is impossible to miss as Blucifer rears up on his hind legs.

“Inside Job’s” foul-mouthed characters show up at DIA with secret knowledge: With the press of a button, Blucifer’s legs splay and his eyes turn green as a metal door opens beneath him. Inside, monsters, aliens, wizards and more go through absurdly mundane TSA checks, past a Freemason symbol and a sign that reads Bluciferous Inconvenius.

“We are in an airport,” says Gigi Thompson (Tisha Campbell), the show’s gossip and conspiracy-PR expert. “Even the Deep State can’t beat TSA.”

“Inside Job” is a natural fit for DIA’s spiral of conspiracies, which have reached the mainstream in recent years. The show follows the exploits of the shadow-government group Cognito Inc., led by the brilliant Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan). In Episode 4 of Season 1, Part 2 (yeah, it’s a little confusing), “We Found Love in a Popeless Place,” the characters finally come around to DIA’s cornucopia of weirdness.

In fact, Blucifer first showed up on “Inside Job” in an Easter egg of sorts, gracing a framed poster in a hallway. Redditors rightly pointed out that “the eyes aren’t red enough,” and also the lack of, uh, male anatomy.

In “We Found Love…” Blucifer is simply the entry point to the otherworldly TSA checkpoint, which is where the rest of the Denver scenes take place. The show depicts Denver’s TSA leader (played by Patton Oswalt) as desperate to see the TSA recognized as “the unofficial sixth branch of the military.” That recalls the also-absurd, Steve Carell-starring Netflix show “Space Force,” which is set in Colorado Springs.