#helluva boss s1e7

[followthemadrabbit]

Helluva Boss s1e7

[sammis-hellaverse-brainrot]

Rewatching S1E7 of Helluva Boss is so incredibly painful knowing what comes next and it wasn't easy to watch the first time, like... Stolas just wants to be loved, he's so excited at the prospect of Blitzø reaching out first and you KNOW it's not going to go well, it's plain as day from the moment you start watching and it just somehow gets worse and worse and it makes me want to bawl my eyes out or scream uncontrollably and I'm wkdnejxjsnxn

God

Because finally, FINALLY, after ALL this time, an interaction between Stolas and Blitzø is initiated not by Stolas for once, no, for once it is BLITZØ doing the reaching out, and Stolas is at his beck and call

The only other time Blitzø has been the one to initiate contact was when he was literally about to die and had no way of knowing he was even summoning Stolas in the first place

So he shows up, and he's so excited, he's so overjoyed to be wanted on a night when no one else wants anything to do with him, because not only is Blitzø INITIATING contact, he's initiating nonsexual contact, he's asking him out on a date

Which Stolas goes out of his way to CLARIFY that it is indeed a date and Blitzø halfheartedly goes along with it, and so now Stolas is hyped because not only is Blitzø finally showing that he wants him, he's showing he wants him for his personality, because he's Stolas, and not because he has fancy shit to offer

And Blitzø, god, Blitzø is so fucking desperate for someone to love him, so fucking desperate for someone to care, so desperate to worm his way into places that he's not wanted that he is completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that Stolas is right fucking there, offering his bleeding heart to Blitzø on a platter and being 1000% genuine about it and HE SEES NONE OF IT I WANT TO BASH MY HEAD AGAINST A WALL GOD

AND THEN! AND THEN! AFTER ALL THE FUCKING SHIT THAT GOES DOWN, STOLAS IS STILL TRYING TO SALVAGE THIS MESS OF A DATE THAT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A DATE! BECAUSE SURELY IT STILL MEANS SOMETHING THAT BLITZØ THOUGHT TO INVITE HIM OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE RIGHT?? NO! IT MEANS NOTHING AT ALL AND IT GOES JUST AS HORRIBLY WRONG AS EXPECTED AND IM TEARING MY HAIR OUT AND PUKING MY GUTS OUT WHY DO THEY DO THIS TO ME

[crispynosferatu]

I'll never be over this actually

[lunaeclipse1057-ao3]

I'm going to commit many crimes

[murainhell]

Helluva Boss Spoilers!

The longer it's been since Full Moon was released, the more I think I like the fight. The writing and acting is incredible, they have done a fantastic job.

I know some people have taken my drawing as Blitzo being the one who acted wrong, while my friends think I'm blaming Stolas because I defend Blitzo when they complain about him. But no, I'm not taking sides. They are both wrong and at the same time right and their reactions are perfectly justified. They are two complex characters with complicated traumas that are clashing at the worst time. As a psychologist, I'm loving all of this. 

All of Stolas' opening dialogue is correct. You can tell he's been thinking about it for a long time, practicing, figuring out exactly what he wanted to say. That's great. The only problem is that when you practice a conversation, in your head nobody answers you. There were two possible outcomes, that Blitzo would say yes and they would see what happens after that together, or that he would reject him and there was no longer any reason to continue the conversation.

But Blitzo reacts in a way he didn't expect. Blitzo begs him not to change anything. “I can do better.”

The entire HB team has done a brilliant job of letting us feel Blitzo as a kid saying the same thing to his father. By now he is flooded by his own trauma. He doesn't accept the gift, he wants everything to stay the same. He wants the book, because:

It's something that works for them, it's something that is simple, why change it? Changing it is uncharted territory, and his past relationships have been complicated. But Stolas doesn't really know about those relationships.

Having the book is an excuse to see each other, it's a chain that binds them together as long as Blitzo needs it for his work. It means Stolas won't abandon him, they have a deal. But for Stolas that same tether is unbearable, because he knows what it's like to be tied down in a relationship, he's suffered the effects of that with Stella, and that means he's condemning Blitzo to the same situation, turning him into the monster he feels he is. But Blitzo doesn't really know that.

Believing it's a lie, a role-play, hurts Stolas, but how to blame Blitzo when he believes he's unlovable? He hates himself, how can Stolas be serious?

And I was hurt when Stolas said that for Blitzo it's always about sex... Bird boy, that's all he knows with you. And you know he thinks you're only there for the sex too, he tells you that in S1E7! Use your words to make him understand!!! 

But Stolas believes that everything he is witnessing is the answer. And he gives up. He's saying goodbye... ready to disappear from Blitzo's life, abandoning him when he can't give him what he asks for, when he's not enough. 

The reaction of both is understandable: Blitzo is ready for a fight (his way of communicating), he reacts poorly to the fact that Stolas is sending him out of his life because in the end he's confirming that rich people are like that, he's been a plaything for a while and now he's left behind; Stolas shuts down, he reacts poorly because he's been suffering yelling and hitting things and insults from Stella for years. 

And it breaks my heart. “Just look my way” Stolas, he's doing it. Blitzo is screaming and crying but he's looking at you. He's mad, but you just have to listen to him. Really listen to him. Because Blitzo has every right in the world to be upset, everything he says is true.

Stolas has dropped an emotional bomb on him, one he wasn't prepared for because in his head no one would want that with him. And then, without giving him time to process, to think, he's dismissing him.

He charges his fury at the social rift between them, but it's just that that difference has existed for as long as he can remember. Blitzo was sold to be a playmate for Stolas. Their relationship began within an abuse of power, where Blitzo sells his body for the book. Stolas is privileged enough not to have thought of any of that until now. It's not that he thinks badly of Stolas (although in his eyes, Stolas is confirming it by sending him away, he's a broken toy), it's facts. They need to put them on the table to grow. 

But Stolas is also within his rights not to listen when that's the tone he's using with him. He's using his coping mechanism to endure the fights with Stella. Blitzo is also confirming his worst fears; sending him away, removing that source of emotional damage he's suffering, is understandable, though by doing that he robs Blitzo of the opportunity to choose and make himself heard. 

Still, they needed this fight. Let's face it, they were not at all in a situation to start a serious relationship. They need it to know what they want, spend time without obligations and chains (as free equals) and to have space to have a real conversation. Because they don't talk, they don't have emotionally vulnerable conversations, where they can understand why the other is the way they are. 

I firmly believe they're going to figure it out. I believe in them. But we'll have to wait. In the meantime, don't hate any of them for reacting like complex souls.

Let's be Team Stolitz.

[mahoushojo-chan]

helluva boss / hazbin hotel fic recs

this is going to be a growing, very self-indulgent (and subjective) list that i'll be updating as i find them. the list is mainly for myself, but if someone wants to shoot some recs my way i'll never say no to fresh content while i desperately await new episodes.

♡ - recommended ♡+ - highly recommended

stolitz fic recs

♡♡♡♡♡ there ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb Rated M. angst, fix-it fic, groundhog day loop from S1E7 ozzie's. blitzo gets stuck in a time loop and has to re-live the worst day of his life over. and over again.

Aren't We A Pair Rated M. angst, hurt/comfort. can you tell that i have a pattern? blitz isn't in the mood for sex after ozzie's and stolas decides to let him use the grimoire without strings attached. blitzo takes it personally.

♡♡ Dusk Till Dawn Rated M. hurt/comfort, angst, tw: torture. blitzo barely makes it out of a kidnapping and gets hurt in the process and stolas helps get him back to speed. i'm such a sucker for wound dressing fics, and this is quite well-done and in-character.

The Mating Habits of Imps Rated E. fluff and smut. stolas finds a book on imp sex and wants to try it out on blitzo. they're switches, your honor.

[lilacthebooklover]

hey so do you ever think about how in helluva boss, the title of season 1 episode 7 features ozzie's name, and the title of season 2 episode 7 features mammon's? and how both of them are integral to fizzarolli's arc and development as a character? and how in s1e7, ozzie & fizz seemed like the villains because they forced stolas and blitz into a spotlight they didn't want, whereas in s2e7, mammon's the villain instead because he forced fizz into a spotlight he didn't want?? yeah no me neither

[onesidedradiostatic]

helluva boss s1e7&8 reaction

season 1 finale let's gooo (REALLY GOOD STUFF???)

episode 7

OZZIE yes one of the characters I've been looking forward to seeing

"YOUR BORING AS FUCK MONOGAMY" HELP HE WANTS TO THREESOME WITH THEM SO BADLY

I love seeing some of these tiny hazbin details in the background

kinda funny how some hellborns are just chilling as the exterminations happen

they're so fucking toxic

wait at first I was like ANOTHER ROBO FIZZ but OH MY GOD is that ACTUALLY HIM????

oh yeah it's not asmodeus that blitzo doesn't wanna see huh

oh my god

ohhhh my god

oh my god

HEEEELP WHAT IS THIS

btw one of the things I already know is that fizzarolli and asmodeus are in a (secret?) relationship so I wanna be transparent about knowing that but of course don't know all the details

oh my god x5

oh my god (I'm not offering any insightful commentary I just have to screenshot all this ohm y god)

oh my god

okay yeah that was really good holy shit

OH MY GOD HIS FACE ALSDGMLSMGSHML

awww

honestly good on moxxie and millie for continuing their sappy love song even when fizzarolli and ozzie were screaming about lust LMAOSDIOHKOHSF

HELP LMAOOOOO

oh my god???

oh my god it's this picture

OH MY GOD?????

okay that. that was really good. best episode so far imo jesus christ. well another thing I know about is that blitzo and fizzarolli eventually do patch things up? so really looking forward to that, this is so good

episode 8

heard about this one getting delayed to hell cause of kesha LMAO

I love how awkward loona is here

I don't have much to say about this part, think I've seen some of the visuals cause of twitter back when it first released (so I don't really have any comments on beelzebub)

"she's hot" LMAO??????

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

"CAN WE NOT TALK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW?"

awwww man

they are both NOT in good places right now LMAO

this is sweet

AND that's it for season 1, yeah things really started to pick up at the end here, that was really good, definitely definitely need to see more about stuff between fizz and blitzo, and the drama between blitzo and stolas is definitely getting interesting, and glad to see loona got some time to shine in this episode too

but yes, will start season 2 soon (not immediately probably idk), stay tuned 🫡🫡

[angelshizuka]

I swear, out of all the times I could've chosen to get into Helluva Boss, I had to pick the wait for Full Moon....

(Shout out though to the important meeting I had early in the morning about a month ago, because that's what caused me to be unable to sleep, so I decided to finally check out HB instead.)

I mean, I'm more than positive long time fans have gone through WAY worse waits than this (I've heard stories about the s1e7 to s2e1 wait). But I feel like how even they talk about it, this episode really is the biggest deal yet, or at least one of the biggest deals (in terms of Stolitz that is).

I'm genuinely excited, but also scared. Like, even if the episode is mostly positive, I'm still scared of feeling overwhelmed. I can't remember the last time I was this excited for an episode of a show (too many shows have let me down lately, so I stopped getting excited to not be disappointed).

And Idk, I'm just not sure how to process these emotions, since I have no experience with this show aside from binging all episodes in one day and jumping head-first into the fandom.

Anywaaaay, filed under why I shouldn't be allowed near a keyboard when I've been awake for 18 hours...

[vivid-bluez]

Helluva Boss' Worldbuilding is Awful

This is going to be a different post than what I normally post. It will be a bit more negative than how I normally word things but I want to get my thoughts out there since it's something I've been hyper fixating on for awhile.

Helluva Boss is a web series on YouTube currently in its 2nd season created by Vivienne Medrano, it serves as a spin-off of her other creative property Hazbin Hotel which was recently picked up by A24 and will air its first season on Prime next month. I wanted to discuss the worldbuilding of Helluva Boss, how and why I think it doesn't work, and why that hurts it's storytelling. This essay isn't meant to be only dunking on Viv or people who still love the show, I'm not writing this to be mean. I'm writing this because I do have a soft spot for these shows, Helluva Boss S1 is a comfort show to me and Hazbin was my first foyer into indie animation. I respect Medrano for what she was able to accomplish with her shows and I write this as my own form of a love letter to the show that I want so badly to improve and be the best it can be.

The Hierarchy

Both Hazbin and Helluva take place in the same universe and are set in the same location, Hell. Hell is a concept that's been around for a long time and has had several stories written about it, it has multiple different interpretations and depictions throughout the years. Medrano's version of Hell seems to be based on Dante's Inferno version of Hell, a story that depicts Hell as having multiple layers with the sins being condensed to their own rings. Medrano's version only has 7 rings as opposed to Dante's 9 rings, one ring for each of the 7 deadly sins.

Medrano's Hell is depicted as a hierarchical society with very strict rules that those within the hierarchy must obey. Those at the bottom of the hierarchy are treated like garbage by those above them, with very little one can do to transcend the position they were born into. Furthermore, dating someone underneath you in the hierarchy, especially if you're higher on it like in the Ars Goeita, is seen as disgraceful and disgusting. The hierarchy is depicted below:

This hierarchy, as confirmed by Medrano in an interview and further established in Helluva, is the official ranking of the denizens of Hell. It seems fine until you realize that the Sinners, former humans who sinned in life and got themselves into Hell, are above all of the Hellborn in status. The reason it doesn't really make sense is because Hell is meant to be a place where sinners are tortured for eternity for their sins, with the Hellborn usually being the ones doing the torturing. So why are they above the Hellborn? Why do mortal souls outrank those of actual demons? We're never given an answer for this, it's really odd.

My other problem with the hierarchy is that its established rules are often broken and bent when the writers feel like it. The most prominent example is when it comes to Higher Demons having relationships with Lower Demons. In the first season; Blitz, an Imp, someone at the bottom of the hierarchy, and Stolas, a member of the Ars Goeita and a Prince, being in a sexual relationship with each other is seen as disgusting and shocking by those around them.

When Stella is calling Stolas out for cheating on her she seems more upset that it was with an imp, with most of her insults being based around that.

"Do you want to fuck this one (referring to their imp butler) too?!" - Stella (S1E2 LooLoo Land) "Fucking IMP SUCKER!" - Stella (S2E4 Western Energy)

When Stolas and Blitz are called out in Ozzie's for their relationship, the characters don't seem to point out that he's cheating but again, who he's cheating with.

"ARE YOU SLEEPIN' WITH AN IMP?!" - Wally Wackford (S1E7 Ozzie's) "Whew! My dark lord, how the mighty do fall." - Asmodeus (S1E7 Ozzie's)

All of these moments make it clear that having a relationship with someone outside of your social class, especially those at the literal bottom of the barrel, is frowned upon heavily in Hell's society.

So why are Ozzie and Fizz, and also Bee and Tex, able to be so public about their relationships and nobody cares?

Tex, a hellhound on the same level of status as the imps arguably even lower, is dating Beezlebub, a Deadly Sin and queen of the Gluttony Ring. They don't hide their relationship at all, with Tex introducing her as his girlfriend at a public event and Bee acting very lovey-dovey to him in public. Shouldn't there be a scandal about this? The class difference is arguably more than Blitz and Stolas, with Stolas only being a demon Prince, Bee is a Queen and she's dating someone whom most of Hell considers to be little more than actual pets. No one looks at them weird or even makes a comment about it?

Fizz and Ozzie are in the same boat, a deadly sin, the King of Lust is dating an imp. They at least somewhat point this out in the universe (Newspaper articles of Ozzie being a hypocrite and characters calling their relationship the worst-kept secret in Hell) but they don't get nearly the same amount of venom and societal ridicule that Stolas and Blitz got. When Asmodeus confirms in front of an entire crowd of Hellborns at Mammon's Clown Pageant in S2E7 MAMON'S MAGNIFICENT MIDSEASON SPECIAL, the crowd is... extremely accepting of it. With all of them cheering for Fizz and Ozzie and Mammon seemingly being the odd one out when it comes to ridiculing them for their supposedly forbidden love.

So what's the deal? Are higher demons and lower demons forbidden from dating each other or not? Because of how the show is written, it seems like it's only a problem when it's Stolas and Blitz. It's one example but still a glaring inconsistency in the worldbuilding that leaves several fans confused.

Hell not feeling like Hell

So outside of the hierarchy posing its own issues the actual setting also poses its own issues. A common criticism I've seen of Helluva and Hazbin is that Hell is just "Earth but red" and I'd have to agree with that honestly. You could replace the setting of Helluva as a group of assassins running a business in a major city like Los Angeles and change Stolas to being just a shady rich corporate backer and very little about the plot would change.

I'll just rapid fire some things that Hell has that make no sense in a place that's supposed to be evil, lawless, and a place of eternal suffering:

Fire Fighters

Hospitals that even lower classes can use.

Jails and Cops?? (What the fuck)

A fucking priest, officiating a wedding with a bible which implies there's a Hell Christianity?

Weddings and marriages that seem identical to Earth ones or Christian marriages (wouldn't Hell hate marriages for how they're tied to religion and God?)

Fucking Courts.

If these were one-off gags or something mentioned only once, I could let it slide. (Like Millie and Moxxie being married or Stolas and Stella getting a divorce) but when you drag out these plot points or repeatedly show things that make your world just feel like Earth but with a new coat of paint on it, It begins to feel like your world is just Earth but with a new coat of paint on it.

The worldbuilding in Helluva Boss feels like the worldbuilding in Cars where it just leaves more questions than it answers. (Why are sidewalks a thing in a world of sentient cars? They show an American flag so does that mean that the Car Civil War happened? THE POPE IS HERE IS THERE A CAR JESUS THAT DIED ON THE CAR CROSS FOR OUR CAR SINS??)

What is Demonic Law?

In Helluva Boss, the business the characters run is stated by multiple characters to be illegal. There are demons permitted to access the human world and imps are not one of them, making their business illegal. I.M.P's use of Stolas' grimoire is illegal it is not meant to be lent out to anyone, especially not to imps, Stolas even says so himself in S1E5 Harvest Moon. Stolas later affirms that the Imps need to be careful because if they get caught it could land all of them in trouble in S1E6 Truth Seekers:

"How the fuck did you get caught!? Were you not being careful? If you get in trouble I get in trouble!" - Stolas (S1E6 Truth Seekers)

So what's the deal with Stolas in S2E6 waltzing up to a DEADLY SIN and basically admitting that Blitz's running an ILLEGAL BUSINESS AND HE'S AN ACOMPLIS TO IT?? Asmodeus just... doesn't care that this demon prince just admitted to breaking demon law? Also, Blitz can advertise his business without worry that it could bite him in the ass, no one else at I.M.P. is concerned that they're running an illegal business that could land all of them in hot water? No one questions why a bunch of imps have access to the living world even though they're not supposed to?

Another thing they set up is Human Disguises, in S1E3 where Loona calls them out for going to the human world without using human disguises, making a big deal out of it. Whenever Loona goes to the human world she wears a human disguise as well as Verosika, her squad, and Stolas in S2E2.

"A human called me a possum! I am NOT a possum!" - Moxxie (S1E3 Spring Broken)

The human disguise rule is so inconsistent, why do Loona and Stolas wear theirs in Seeing Stars when Octavia is wandering around without one and the most people do is give her weird looks. The imps run around fine without them and no one cares or can see through their bad disguises The humans in the Hellverse are too stupid to notice the literal demons so why even bring up disguises at all? Why have human disguises be apart of Demon Law if it doesn't matter?

Demons being ...Nice?

A common response to criticism of this show is usually "It's Hell.". While I've already gone over why it sure don't feel like it but what's weirder still is yes, it's hell. Why are some people so fucking nice?

Moxxie doesn't want to kill an innocent mother and seems pretty soft, Millie and Moxxie are incredibly loving and caring to each other, when Blitz is younger, he has qualms against stealing, then we've got Beezlebub and Asmodeus who, by all accounts, are just nice people.

Bee becomes concerned for Blitz when he begins binge drinking (Aka, engaging in her sin) at one of her parties and Asmodeus has an entire speech about why consent matters and how lust shouldn't be forced. I'm not advocating for Ozzie to be a rapist or for Bee to be a one dimensional bitch but, it really doesn't make sense for the literal embodiments of sins to be so nice.

On that same note, there are villians in this show that we're mostly supposed to hate because they're.. mean?

Glitz and Glam, we hate them because they're hyper-competitive and mean to Fizz, but they're demons? Shouldn't we expect them to be mean? Stella is an abusive screaming harpy and awful to Stolas and we hate her for it, but she's a demon princess? Shouldn't that behavior be normal in Hell?

Certain demons being nice is fine, and it can give them depth, but when every 'good guy' is nice and chill and only the evil or villainousxczxc characters are cartoonishly evil it starts to become apparent that it's writer's bias.

Conclusion

While this isn't all of the worldbuilding issues that exist within Medrano's Hellverse, it's the big ones that I have the most problems with. For a show that's supposed to be made as a way to further build upon the world of Hell, Helluva does a very poor job at that and at points is even detrimental to Hazbin.

What I mean is, if Charlie needs a backer to the hotel, why doesn't she ask Ozzie or Bee? They seem like they'd be down for it since they're surprisingly anti-sin. Charlie no longer feels special because she isn't the only nice demon, she isn't the odd one out anymore since a lot of Hell's leaders also seem to be pretty chill and nice.

Again, this isn't a rant or something that I made to dunk on these shows, I love both of them still and I want them to be better. For Hazbin and Helluva to live up to their potential and be the best they can be, no work is above being critiqued, it comes with the territory and I wish more of the fandom was normal about someone having negative feelings towards parts of the show's writing and to stop putting good faith and bad faith criticism in the same boot and backing that shit into the Hudson.

[trashogram]

did u see the new helluva boss short , it implies that blitz can’t eat p*ssy for shit but moxxie is a pro & its sending me into orbit 😂

I didn’t see it aside from gifs and screenshots, but I guess it lines up with what Verosika said in S1E7. I don’t know how I feel about it tbh haha. I feel like “being a top” doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t do oral. Dude has so many exes but he never sucks a dick or eats a kitty? With that big fat mouth of his? 👀

I’m glad you found it funny tho!

I’m such an overreaching sourpuss but it makes me wish Blitzø was just exclusively into guys instead of him being labeled Pan bc he doesn’t seem all that attracted to women

[quillyfied]

Hellaverse Theories: Helluva Boss S1E7 and S1E8

Welcome to Quilly’s Hellaverse Theories, where I overthink the entire Hellaverse! Finishing up Season 1 of Helluva Boss with this post! As always, spoilers for the s2.5 trailer speculation and we all know the O in Blitzo is silent so let’s get on with it, assuming the severe weather that’s passing through now lets me! (Spoiler alert: it kind of did. Halfway. You'll see later on.)

Starting with s1e7:

This is not one of my favorite episodes, but it does have so much good character development and theory meat to chew on, so I will push through the secondhand embarrassment and sadness. Just for you, lovelies.

I wonder what the sigil Loona activates goes to; it’s too squiggly for Stolas’. But the focus on it also makes me think it’s foreshadowing. Just gonna file that away with my “IMP and Stolas are legally boned” theory. Maybe one of the cameras in the DHORKS facility managed to get a look at the page of the grimoire that gets them back to Hell. Hmm. The outline of the portal is also red flames, which feels…different? Heck. I haven’t been paying much attention. But I’m pretty sure I thought grimoire portals were more purple and sparkly. Maybe that’s just Stolas’ portals.

Blitzo inviting himself along to MnM’s dates is one of his more underrated unhinged behaviors, imo; would love to see it pop up in fics more (and the ones that play with it, you have my sword and my heart). But he’s SO EXCITED. It breaks my heart for him a little. Moxxie has every right to be mad about it and frankly he really should be; go find and celebrate your own boring as fuck monogamy, Blitzo :P

Alright, 1:56 we start seeing the elevators that get Hellborn folks around the rings of Hell—and whaddya know, it matches up with the ring models that pop up in the background of Hazbin Hotel. Gosh I hope these two shows still exist in the same universe. It just makes me a little happier to think about. Oh, look, an Exorcist angel on the back of the newspaper Blitzo is hiding behind. Classic. Though it seems the Loo Loo Land fire is still front-page news. Is Hell for Hellborn really that boring? Or is it an old newspaper? Well, either way, it’s most likely just an easter egg rather than an earnest thing so eh.

A delightful detail: even the dumpsters in Lust are neon-lit XD (or possibly UV reactive? Unclear).

STOLAS MY SAD BIRD SON.

(Also lol at how Stolas and Blitzo are both looking for an Alejandro :P)

This episode also is really good at highlighting all the painful underlying cracks in Stolas and Blitzo’s situation as it stands: Stolas’ naïve romantic obsession, Blitzo’s general assholery in using Stolas to get in to spy on his employees and ignoring Stolas once he gets what he wants, the way they can’t really carry on a conversation, the mismatched desires, and that’s all BEFORE Fizz makes his grand debut and the night goes straight to the toilet for them. I don’t blame folks who protested at this point that Blitzo doesn’t care much for Stolas, because it sure doesn’t seem like it. All Blitzo does in public is gripe about him and forbid him from diddling his holes, and in private he’s thorough but not really emotionally engaged. Yet, there’s still the fumbling to describe their relationship in the Harvest Moon Festival and the whole Truth Seekers hallucination that places Stolas pretty high on Blitzo’s emotional radar. Stolas’ feelings are pretty unambiguous, but his life situation is anything but, at least as far as pursuing any kind of relationship with Blitzo goes. Would Stolas like that? Yes, I think he would. But he’s still married and still figuring himself out. Second adolescence, I’ve heard it described. So much about Stolas feels…stunted. Juvenile. Like a man who’s finally discovering himself and letting himself be who he wants and is rather than who he’s expected to be. But more speculation on that front later, because this necessary but horrific train wreck has to play out first.

He's putting Gabriella’s streak in his feathers, KILL ME HE WANTS THE FANTASY TO BE REAL SO BADLY. You know what else this show does really well? Debunking the inexperienced hopeless romantic’s fantasies. Which isn’t painful at all and doesn’t at all hit way too close to home I’M FINE IT’S FINE.

“This is our first real date, after all!”

“Oh, yeah…I guess this is, huh.”

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGK

Like do you all GET IT? Do you FEEL how painfully mismatched that is?? It makes me want to break down crying, because for sheltered kids who lived out their escapism in books and TV and thought life was going to go a certain way because that’s the way it is in all the stories, this reality check, while necessary, is SO PAINFUL. Blitzo is no Romeo (Alejandro?), he’s no knight swooping in on a horse to sweep a prince off his feet, he’s not the daring rogue charging in at the last minute to save his beloved from a terrible fate (yet, I see u s2.5 trailer). Blitzo is just a guy. A royally messed up guy, but a guy nonetheless. And it’s that guy that is still so worth loving, once Stolas can wrestle the fantasies out of his system, and unfortunately this episode is the hard knock his brain needs. And it’s the tenderizing that Blitzo might unfortunately need to break down his own shell and examine what he really wants, the behaviors that he’s stuck in but doesn’t want to be. We haven’t even GOTTEN IN THE DOOR OF THE CLUB YET and I am a WRECK.

Can you IMAGINE being that bouncer, throwing out this sleazeball, only for him to show up half an hour later with a FUCKING PRINCE on his arm?? Blitzo’s game is insane.

Shoutout to the imp waiter who preps Blitzo’s chair with books, you’re doing great sweetie. (I wonder if it would be more condescending to produce booster seats for imps and smaller demons, or less.)

Double shoutout to Stolas’ little butler imp, whose name I don’t believe we know but I’ve heard Pringles enough times to become attached to it, who is rightfully having the night of his life (eat it Blitzo, your game might be insane but it’s got nothing on this guy). I’ve only seen screenshots of this, it always navigates away too fast for me to notice, but I hit the pause button jackpot tonight, folks. Also interesting that imps and other Hellborn are allowed to intermingle as much as they want, it’s just the upper crust that aren’t allowed to mix. Which tracks, but it still surprises me at the mixture of surprisingly realistic and almost mundane fantasy racism and classism that this show is choosing to play with, for a comedy.

This is just. So painful to watch. Mostly Stolas’ overcompensation for Blitzo’s full detachment. Well, not FULL detachment; he does respond to Stolas’ questions, at least. But the way Stolas is full-on twitching and vibrating trying to be a good date while Blitzo is a terrible stalker…lol look his way indeed lol lol lol. “What made you decide to ask me out after all this time?” “UUUUHHHH—” And the way Stolas’ face just FALLS, ARGH. (Don’t worry, Blitzo, your vindication is coming—only it also sucks and we’re all weeping, it’s fine it’s fine it’s FINE.)

FIZZAROLLI!! I don’t remember when the penny dropped about Fizz’s scarring but I know when it did, I was kinda horrified. And like most people, I didn’t really care for Fizz and Oz, just based on how characters I was already fully on board with were reacting to them. Having the full picture now, I’m tickled that this is their introduction, because once again it’s putting the entire audience on the back foot about them and it’s GLORIOUS. Because Blitzo with the Loo Loo Land Fizzbot? Priceless, hilarious. Blitzo with the actual source? OOF. Wow. You can taste the juicy backstory already. And Fizz doesn’t disappoint; he’s a joy to watch work, even if his entire jester schtick seems so incongruous with the exclusive Lust Ring club atmosphere (which honestly should have been my first clue that something was going On there but I was bingeing it all in one go or as close to one go as I could get, sue me).

He's such a bitch though. He’s SUCH a bitch. He and Ozzie are SUCH BITCHES. LET MOXXIE SING HIS STUPID SONG AND MOVE ON, YOU INSECURE OVERCOMPENSATING WAFFLEHEADS XD (and I see all of you cringing audience members, INCLUDING Blitzo and Stolas, BUMP OFF ALL OF YOU)

I do have to wonder the timeline on all of this, though. Like. Assumptions can be made that Blitzo adopted Loona about five years ago, maybe a little more. Sometime after that, Blitzo met Moxxie, and they started IMP, doing contracts on folks in Hell. And Millie joined after that, and she and Moxxie have been married for a year now but no clue on how long they dated before that. Hope that flashback of Blitzo and Millie meeting might give us some insight.

…listen, though. Moxxie goes overboard on the “I love yous” and I start to agree with his stupid audience. Uuuuugh hang on need to just. Crawl under a rock until we get past this one part.

Listen, Ozzie might look more like a shiny Haunter than a chicken, but designing the embodiment of Lust as a giant cock was the absolute funniest move anyone could ever make. Well played, Viv. Well played.

What is it with Alex Brightman and vocalizing the instrument solos? Because I’m here for it. Trumpet vs Guitar Solo, who would win?

Fizzarolli has a lapel flower that squirts piss. Of course he does. Weirdo. I love him.

It’s also interesting that this gig allows Fizzarolli and Asmodeus to basically be all over each other and it’s more or less fine. I mean, they’re fooling absolutely no one in-universe who’s been watching them for literally years, but for first-time real-world viewers…idk, I know I thought nothing of it when I first watched, mostly bc I was worried about Moxxie (and shortly Blitzo), but they read as Boss and Comedic Sidekick for folks who aren’t paying much attention and don’t really know what’s going on. I also find Fizz’s color scheme interesting; his eyes are almost more green than yellow and his teeth are often colored sort of greenish or bluish, I assume to make them stand out from his skin, but I wonder if these color abnormalities add to why Ozzie calls him Froggie.

BLITZO STANDS UP FOR AND PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE. Whether they want him to or not, but he does it, even knowing that Fizzarolli is not gonna be happy to see him. That’s BRAVE, okay!! Especially when Millie is more than capable of standing up for her and Moxxie both.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: Fizzarolli reacts pretty cool under pressure here for seeing Blitzo for the first time in fifteen years. Makes me wonder if they’d been hearing about each other on and off during that time (probably from Barb? But we don’t have confirmation that Fizz is still in contact with her either, do we?), so it’s less jarring, but WOW this confrontation with further context really stings. Even without the context, the way it plays out between the two of them speaks of bone-deep resentment on Fizz’s side, his razzing from earlier cranked up a notch. And the spotlight being red…hm. Interesting color choice.

“Last I checked, your love life is a pile of shit” Fizzarolli the last you checked, you two were teenagers and Blitzo was in love with you, how bad could it have been :P Though I do think Blitzo and Verosika’s relationship might have had a public element that would have been pretty easy to track, all things considered; even if they weren’t dating when she was actually famous, with how badly she got burned and how public her arm tattoo is, I’m sure she rants about it whenever the opportunity arises.

That little glance to Stolas, though. Speaks of embarrassment to me, not wanting Stolas to see what’s about to happen.

Verosika IN THE LUST RING telling everyone Blitzo didn’t return oral, though? Low blow :P But!! But but but!! This is the second very interesting thing that Verosika says that hints at their relationship being messy and deep: “a reckless heartbreaking freak.” Reckless and Heartbreaking are not words you apply to an ex who was just shitty in bed. Those are words you apply to an ex who left a trail of destruction in their wake far beyond the emotional damages of a breakup. An ex who left you in a financial lurch and with a ruined credit score and no car, perhaps.

And the way Stolas rises, like he’s about to jump to Blitzo’s defense—poetry. Y’know what else is gonna be poetry? His song in Apology Tour. I’ve been observing the discussion back and forth on if Stolas is going to be singing to the theme of “BlitzO Sucks,” or if he’s going to sing whatever defense he didn’t get to come to here in Ozzie’s, and here’s my two cents: Stolas is going to be singing about himself and his feelings. His heartbreak at the hands of Blitzo, but even that heartbreak is multi-faceted, many-leveled, and not insignificantly Stolas’ own fault. If the short sassy robe scene is during Apology Tour (I’ve seen compelling arguments for it being during Mastermind/whenever CHERUB attacks in the Lust Ring), Stolas is going to be hurt and angry and likely have every right to be, but from what we’ve seen…Stolas is also in love. And he isn’t blind to how Blitzo lashes out when he’s hurt, thanks to Ozzie’s. Verosika got the young Blitzo, the reckless and inexperienced one who trashed her bank account and her heart and kind of stalled her own growth and progress, too. Stolas is getting the more mature Blitzo AS he matures, which is a special treat. But the bottom line for my prediction for Apology Tour: it’s gonna start out as pointing out all the things Blitzo did wrong, then morph into the things about Blitzo that Stolas loves. Something to bring out those big doe eyes that Blitzo only very occasionally gets.

Anyway back to the roast at Ozzie’s.

“Are you sleepin’ with an imp?” MIND YOUR BUSINESS, WACKFORD.

I also love how Fizzarolli can’t seem to resist getting up in Blitzo’s face. Because. Y’know. They haven’t seen each other’s scarred-up faces up close for fifteen years. Yikes.

Ozzie pointing out Stolas’ family feels especially unfair when nobody knows the situation, especially between Stolas and Stella. But that’s Stella’s particular curse: all she has is her beauty and her status thanks to marrying Stolas. Which could make for a very compelling character, if she had any depth to her at all (note that “compelling” and “likeable” are not the same thing); she’s Stolas’ “smoking wife,” she’s “so lucky she’s attractive”. And Stolas? He doesn’t even get that much recognition; he’s known for when he starts to misbehave according to Goetia standards and that’s not a good place to be in. And good GRIEF, that man needs a divorce and a proper talk with his kid more than he needs to be dicked down, but that’s why we watch: they’re messy. Swapping physical intimacy in for emotional intimacy and bungling it so badly it’s gonna take like seven musical numbers to untangle is PRIME ENTERTAINMENT. But Ozzie is absolutely right: from the outside, Stolas’ affair with Blitzo is the perfect spirit of lust, the swapping of the stable family life for the more exciting sexual escapades with a lower-class unstable lover and destroying all of their lives in the process. That’s the consequences of sin at its best. No wonder he’s so elated over it. Especially since stirring up other drama keeps the heat off of Ozzie’s own worst-kept secret.

Now there it is, the controversial menu face-hiding moment, which Blitzo clearly sees as shame at being seen with him, and Stolas…little more unclear, but a charitable interpretation is shame at himself being perceived, at his dirty laundry being aired out in public. But consider that he CHOSE to be out in public with Blitzo, knowing that he’s a royal figure and being seen at a sex club with someone who is not only not his wife, but on the bottom of the social ladder, is going to cause a stir if he’s recognized. We know later that Stolas really doesn’t command much authority or garner much attention, but he IS known. Really, it’s understandable that he’s overwhelmed in that moment; it’s one thing to try and leap to Blitzo’s defense, but defending himself? Stolas doesn’t do that. He doesn’t rock the boat, he doesn’t cause stirs, he doesn’t get noticed. And being noticed for public infidelity? Kinda heavy, no matter what his feelings towards Blitzo are. Unfortunately, his reaction does have consequences. Damage scraping against damage. Wheeeee.

GET HIM MILLIE. I love you Fizz, but you deserved that one.

(Also, I totally missed Ozzie’s reaction to Fizz being smushed my first go-round; it’s fun to watch him flap about it and snuggle his Fizzy better.)

I also love how the rest of Moxxie’s song still gets applause, and really sets the mood for Stolas to attempt to repair the damage done. Unfortunately…it ain’t that simple. Especially with Blitzo, who just came face to face with the victims of his two biggest mistakes and got torn to shreds by both of them, THEN shunned by his new kinda-sorta fuckbuddy whom he might have feelings for shut up it’s transactional—

Anyway. Blitzo calling it a mistake and wanting to leave immediately? Surprised he waited until the song finished. But I do notice that Helluva Boss’s pacing tends to let things happen, THEN let characters react (Moxxie getting tranquilized and falling down, THEN Blitzo reacts; Fizz getting blown up a second time and surrounded by fire and failing to escape, THEN Blitzo reacts; it’s a little unusual but I’m not mad about it tbh), rather than showing more instantaneous reactions? I’m not sure how to put it, maybe that doesn’t actually make any sense. Anyway. Disastrous date nearly over.

Someone recently pointed out that Stolas teleported there, and Blitzo still takes the trouble to drive Stolas home despite everything, and I wish more than anything that we could see that conversation. Blitzo clearly wants Stolas out and gone so he can have his breakdown in peace, but he deliberately prolongs their proximity? Did Stolas ask? Did Blitzo offer? I need to KNOW, dammit. Because Blitzo comes incredibly close to crying while trying to extract himself from the situation and I need to know whose decision it was to let it get to that point.

Stolas is pushy and weird and condescending but my goodness does he try—and stop trying when a hard boundary is enforced. This poor guy. Gets settled in for a depression dinner, then gets asked on a date out of the blue by his pining-while-fucking crush, the date goes about as wrong as it can go and that’s before the public roasting, and his every attempt to fix it, smooth it over, or do damage control is shut down. No wonder Stolas immediately looks into Asmodean Crystals after this: his fantasy is shattered, and the reality he’s left with is sobering. This is good! It’s also really depressing and kinda hard to watch, despite being very, very necessary! More details later when he has his musical number!

Hang on have to have an emotional moment about how very emotional Blitzo sounds during this entire scene, because he’s on the brink of tears THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION. He’s trying so hard to hold it together in front of Stolas. But these aren’t emotions Stolas gets to see yet. He will soon though! Yippee!

And this night isn’t over, folks! Now we get to see Blitzo’s apartment, where he scribbles his face out of pictures of loved ones and flips through happier memories until he cries for real! What fun! The music playing over this scene has a name, I know, because it also plays when Stolas is in the hospital and realizing that Blitzo isn’t coming to see him and their relationship is probably even more fucked than he realized, but the name is “heartbreaking pretty twinkly tune” until I learn what it is because guess what it does to me!!!!

I love that it’s his mom and his sister that finally causes the dam to break. Because. Yeah, that’s the base root of his problems, huh? Makes sense. Even not knowing yet what happened, the weight behind how Blitzo reacts to seeing that picture is palpable. Blitzo doesn’t cry. Blitzo gets over it. Blitzo is always okay. Blitzo doesn’t do things like feelings or boundaries or appropriate behavior. But Blitzo sure as hell does cry when he’s at the end of his emotional rope and unexpectedly faced with memories of loved ones we haven’t met!

AND THE NIGHT IS STILL NOT OVER!!

Time to switch gears to s1e8, which despite the tonal whiplash is actually a perfect follow up to the emotional train wreck of an episode that is s1e7:

(In the spirit of full disclosure, I usually do these posts all in one sitting; however, it’s the day after I wrote the first half because the severe weather last night was actually pretty bad and I had to stop watching and writing because I was keeping an eye on the local news channel. But! Weather has passed, work day is over, and I’m ready to jump back in after reading what I wrote last night! I’m just pleased it turned out so coherent, despite how scattered my attention was.)

Aww, Loona! She’s so pretty! And so nervous! And I love her contact photo for Blitz, it’s just. So good. (And so on-brand for family; my contact photos for my siblings are also horrendous selfies they took of themselves when I left my phone unattended :P)

And Gluttony! A new ring of Hell!! Huzzah!! I love the look of it; almost Seussical, in a way, but also kinda…domed? Like a greenhouse? The honeycomb texture of the sky (????) certainly makes it look artificial. I want to see more of it immediately. And also, how much unexplored wilds are there in the different rings? Because that is PRIME fandom fodder. My kingdom for an atlas of Hell, Viv. (Also, very interesting that Wrath is the ring that produces the food, not Gluttony; makes me wonder what Gluttony’s major export is other than Beezlejuice.)

WE. DON’T. DESERVE. TEX. BEST BOY.

Also, love Loona for continuing to try this party thing out, despite it clearly not being her comfort zone. At least there’s one introvert out there who can do it. I LOVE the different looks of all the hellhounds, too, but the way so many of them look like dogs really makes me start to question if hellhounds parallel dogs in terms of pedigrees and breeding practices, too, which…eeeeugh. The social connotations of that being permissible and then possibly the grounds of a hellhound social hierarchy are really gross but also interesting. Like. Does the massive bitch (call it like you see it, Loona) come from an established hellhound facility nicer than the shelter Loona came from, or an actual family? How are hellhound families structured? They clearly have a pack mentality, and the fact that Beelzebub is known for throwing hellhound-centric (not exclusive, certainly, there are SO many imps at her party too, like wow, it’s just imps and hellhounds and I don’t see any other demons really, which is FASCINATING) parties but nobody says a word about it against her that we can tell is pretty great, actually. Kinda seems like in a way Bee might be trying to make the best of a shitty situation for hellhounds, at least, but we don’t really have enough information about her or the full social context for hellhounds to give her that kind of benefit of the doubt. Idk. I think Bee’s signature is on Loona’s adoption certificate (hellhounds originate from Gluttony? Or just the shelter Blitzo got Loona from?), but the context for that…I don’t know it. Maybe someone else does.

I saw all the hype on Tumblr when Ke$ha dropped as the voice of Bee, and I had some vague context for its importance to Viv, but I forgot about it when I was watching the show for the first time (which is funny bc I kept watching for her in Hazbin Hotel like a dweeb), so I will freely admit I very nearly teared up when I heard her voice and I was cheering like a maniac. Hell yeah, Ke$ha.

Also. Anyone complaining about her design. You’re entitled to your opinions. Your wrong, wrong opinions :P

Now, looking at Loona’s reaction during that whole glorious musical number: painfully awkward and shy around Tex, vacillating between disbelief and some begrudging awe at Bee, maybe kinda confused about why everyone around her is going this insane for what Bee is offering them. I don’t have a lot of experience with Loona’s set of issues, what with her being a foster kid who made it through the system on her own and all the anger and trouble connecting with others that comes with, but I’m gonna shoot my shot at trying to understand it anyway: she doesn’t trust Bee. Which is smart, given that Bee is a Deadly Sin, and another way that I find her similar to Blitzo in that she doesn’t respect authority in any way, nor is she charmed by outward displays of generosity, so she has a pretty good vantage point for seeing through any potential bullshit Bee might be trying to blow her way (like Blitzo seeing through Mammon’s shit but Fizz being blinded by hero worship). What’s also really funny is that Loona has NO IDEA who Bee is this entire musical number, so everything Bee is doing is just SUPER WEIRD to Loona without context. She’s primed and ready to see through another person’s veneer, especially the veneer of someone throwing a lot of flashy magic and candy around.

The problem? Bee is pretty genuine, but it’s easy to see how her mannerisms and phrasing could come across as fake, especially given Loona’s earlier confrontation with poodle bitch. ESPECIALLY since Loona has a big ole crush on Tex and yeah RIGHT is Loona any kind of competition with QUEEN BEE OF GLUTTONY (she is, but I don’t think she knows that). Loona can’t just snap her head off, not just because she’s a Sin, but because she’s someone important to Tex, who is important to Loona. It’s an unbearably awkward situation to be in—especially if Loona was serious about Bee being hot (listen my shipper brain is always gonna go for it, Loona/Bee/Tex WHEN), which adds another layer of complexity to this already pretty treacherous social terrain.

And poor Tex, being in the middle of this and not knowing what to do!! Guy just wants his new friend and his girlfriend to get along. Totally understandable. (Though, is it just me, or are there elements of Tex being maybe a little embarrassed by how Bee is in social situations?)

(Also, Bee relating this story about Satan and confirming that the Sins aren’t related—makes me want to take this and rub it in the faces of people who start to get weird about “but the Sins and the Goetia are like cousins” NAH Y’ALL THEY AREN’T EVEN RELATED TO EACH OTHER, THEY AREN’T RELATED TO THE GOETIA EITHER, unless that’s background context from other sources I’m missing, but if it ain’t in the show, I’m not fussing about it yet tbh.)

(The Sins being Charlie’s honorary aunts and uncles is canon, though, you’ll take that one from my cold dead hands.)

And after this whirlwind of an interaction, Bee sweeps off to be a good hostess, and…Loona tries to run for it, overwhelmed and embarrassed and more than a little out of her depth. And despite the fact that Blitzo is in the middle of his own emotional breakdown for the night, YER DAMN RIGHT HE PICKS UP THAT PHONE WHEN SHE CALLS. BLITZO IS A GOOD DAD ALRIGHT. Loona wouldn’t call him if she didn’t trust him and need him on some level. I’M FUCKING EMOTIONAL ABOUT THESE FATHER/DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS OKAY VIV HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, A DAUGHTER WITH A FATHER.

But the knowledge that Blitzo was a known figure in the party scene, well known enough that the Silent O hasn’t gotten around to the old crowd yet—how interesting! Verosika days, I wonder? Pre- and post-Verosika days?

Another way Loona and Blitzo are so alike: a little bit of positive reinforcement from the right person at the right time, and they just melt. And Loona using the puppy eyes: super effective, bless her for being willing to pull that out. (Though Blitzo was right on the money for not wanting to put more stress on himself for the night, as the rest of the episode will tell.)

Blitzo is sad. He’s vulnerable. He’s ABSOLUTELY IN THE RIGHT HEADSPACE TO GIVE A DEADLY SIN A RUN FOR HER KEGSTAND MONEY. Listen probably not good for his physical or mental health but I’m kinda really glad that he got the opportunity to not only humble a Sin, not only get crowd validation, but hear Loona freely admit to other people that that’s her dad. HE DESERVES IT OKAY. (I have deep wishes, if Blitzo ever winds up in court for what IMP stirs up on Earth, for Bee to show up as a character witness for him, because there is prophecy in the next episode about what Blitzo wants to do and be when he grows up, and having the respect of at least two out of seven Sins would certainly put him on the map for Most Famous Imp Ever.)

I do like how Bee and Tex immediately look concerned for him, though. They’re good people okay. Sometimes it’s nice to know that there are decent folks in Hell to get through a tough episode. Especially since Loona isn’t in a headspace to recognize that Blitzo isn’t okay—especially when it’s Bee telling her so. He’s always a mess, he’s always fine (she needs him to always be fine), and Bee better get off her territory already. And tbh, Bee has maybe a little bit of an overreaction (which is what I think Tex is more upset about, Bee flying off the handle than Loona snapping at her), but lest we forget: she’s still a Sin. A Sin who is trying to help and is getting some serious attitude out of seemingly nowhere in the process, but she’s in charge of this party, and she’s trying to be nice about it but if Loona doesn’t respond to niceness, maybe she’ll respond to a giant bitch. Which. She doesn’t. She responds to Tex being sad, because Loona cares about Tex in a way she doesn’t care about Bee (yet??? Unlikely but I can dream). And as much as I would LOVE to see Loona and Bee in an earnest fight…not like this, I don’t think. And not with Blitzo in need of support right now. Because ultimately, Bee and Tex aren’t wrong, Blitzo needs to be checked on. That’s just good party etiquette, even without the hosts of the party telling you to go check on your friends. Man just downed an entire barrel of Beezlejuice after having to be CONVINCED to stay at a party when he’s always trying to drag IMP to bars. Loona letting her jealousy get in the way of actually hearing what is being said to her is understandable, relatable.

And I love that Bee apologizes to Tex for throwing her weight around. Seems like a thing she doesn’t like doing. I personally do have a little trouble parsing if her apology is sincere or not, if this is a recurring problem or not, because there are hints that it might be, but until we get more of Bee and Tex, it’s gonna have to stay speculation, and I like living in a world where Bee and Tex are actually good together, y’know?

Anyway, time to check in on Blitzo, which. Phew. There’s nothing wrong with you, Dennis, your voice and design are both perfectly sexy. Also, I love both that there actually is an Alejandro (or a Monica?) present, that said person has a bite mark scar, AND that the frame I paused on has Loona literally punching their face in Disney Hades-style, this will feed me for weeks thank you.

Alright. Captions spell it Beelzejuice. I know it would most likely be spelled that way because Beelzebub. I know there’s a sign for it on the wall of the Hazbin Hotel bar, which I could go look up right now to get a second source for spelling. But Beezlejuice is more fun to say and I’m pretty sure Viv’s musical-obsessed ass did it on purpose. So I’m gonna stick with Beezlejuice. At least in my analyses; I might spell it correctly in my fics. Assuming I write any more.

ANYWAY. Loona being the responsible one is Excellent. Because she’s an adult, and while Blitzo is her dad in the ways that matter, she’s also more in a position to try and help him out too than an actual kid would be, and my good dude needs so much help right now. And look! Loona has friends now!! Tex’s plans worked, he’s too good for all of us and I hope we see more of him in the future (beyond just Apology Tour, where he's working and thus on the BlitzO Sucks squad).

Gonna get a little personal and also gross for a second, warning about vomit talk: I recently went through a medical procedure where the point of the meds I had to take to prep for it was to clean out my digestive system. The second dose made me throw up, which I haven’t done in years. It was two in the morning, and even as I was trying very hard not to spill my guts and then lost that battle, all I could think about was this scene, where Blitzo needs to hurl—he needs that cleanse, physically and spiritually (please note this isn’t an endorsement for purging, at least not physically). He goes through the physical cleanse (an inordinate amount of vomit, like wow), but I think he still hasn’t fully spilled his metaphorical guts in a way he needs to. He certainly bleeds off the valve a little, admitting to Loona that Fizz is right and he’s gonna die alone and wanting her and Millie and Moxxie and Stolas to all be there when he does. (“just a wrinkled old weathered waste” kinda hits me in the squishy emotional bits, a little too close to home) He later finds resolution with Fizz, tries with Barb but gets rejected, and really needs to with Stolas. But he’s an unstable volcanic mess of emotions ready to pop. Have I mentioned yet that I’m REALLY EXCITED for Full Moon?

Poodle Bitch’s name is Vikki? Or was that someone else? Heck.

This terrible night is over, everyone is home safe and sound (well…safe), and that’s a wrap on my season 1 theory posts! Thanks for being patient! Might get one more post out tonight; we’ll see. Gonna take a break and see what happens. Until then: later!

[chaifootsteps]

Going back and rewatching S1E6 and S1E7 of Helluva Boss is such a depressing experience - the writing isn't perfect but it's leagues above what S2 is doing; the show felt like it was going somewhere and was setting up Blitz and Stolas to have to have real character development to fix the issues in their lives, and it seemed like all the writers were on the same page for the vision for the show at least.

Idk if it was always destined to fall apart in S2 or if it got shunted to the side in favour of Hazbin or if Brandon was just way less invovled in the scripts or what but it's such a night and day difference, it's weird to look back at

It's almost surreal. Just a hard, sharp pivot away from every ounce of development they ever achieved.

[baiika]

i miss stoliz too but its rly cute seeing blitz and fizz as friends again they have a good dynamic

//I'm glad they're on speaking terms again! Speaking exclusively from Blitz's point of view, he really needs an anchor right now. & like, I kinda know the feeling? Like, we're social creatures. I know imps aren't teeechnically humans, but like, if they were entities of evil, they wouldn't grief, love, etc. Evil is selfish & cruel. Blitz is violent, gross, tactless, mean, etc, but he's not cruel or selfish. He protects Moxxie in s1e6 when they're ambushed by D.H.O.R.K.S. He stands up for them at Ozzie's in the next episode. Out of all the hellhounds he's perusing in s2e2, he picks Loona because he empathizes with her. He's CONSTANTLY doting on Loona. We see him compliment her makeup in s1e3 when she's feeling self-conscious, he gloats & kisses her in s1e6 when she's slaughtering D.H.O.R.K.S. agents. In s1e8, even though he's miserable & exhausted, he races to the gluttony ring to pick up Loona when she wants to leave the party, & only goes in at her behest, & these are JUST off the top of my head. 

These aren't the actions of an evil person. These are the actions of someone full of love, & because imps experience love much like us, they need community the same way. Like, I love where I live now. Chicagoland is significantly more liberal so I, as a queer woman, don't experience a fraction of a bullshit I did in Utah. But it's far from my family & that's very isolating.

The humiliation Blitz suffered at Ozzie's in s1e7 really did a number on him. I mean, Blitz is a very expressive person, but I think we can agree it's either a) a deliberate facade, or b) a punchline written in by the writers. But s1e7 has been the second time we've seen him show emotion that isn't either of those. The first time was his spat with Loona in s1e3 where he seems to be hurt when Loona says they're not a real family after Blitz interferes with her conversation with Vortex, but Blitz's pain isn't really explored until s1e7 & s1e8.

He doesn't even swear during his conversation with Stolaswhich means he's Super Serious, & Loona confirmed this in the previous episode.

Like. Blitz is going through it here. The writing alone is STELLAR but, like, the animation cinches it. Blitz is covering his mouth & pulling his face down when Stolas is nice to him, & when he has to pause to gather himself a few seconds after, it's raw. I'm pretty stony when I read & watch shit. Like, the only time I've actually cried recently is when I was watching e4 of D.eath P.arade the other week. Before that, s1e7 was the last time I cried. I was fucking moved because his pain is so palpable.

It's EXTRA apparent Blitz needs community when he fucking breaks into rehab to see Barbie in s2e5, then interrogates a string of people to find her, & needs to get a new way into the Human World since Millie & Moxxie have the book. Judging by their fight later in the episode, I'm under the impression Barbie didn't want to see Blitz before her recovery, but Blitz didn't understand that, or was so desperate for someone to latch onto that he rationalized it as something different. 

But like... he's so desperate that he's seeking companionship from someone who hates his guts! Who everyone has warned him that Barbie wants nothing to do with him! 

& then The Universe(tm) throws Fizz in his fucking face. Fizz's antagonism comes to a head & they finally talk & it's delicious that Blitz has someone from Ye Olden Days that doesn't want to eviscerate him. 

So yeah. I miss my sweet sweet Stoliz angst, but Helluva boss is a pretty small op. There's only so much you can do in the timespan they have, so I'm fine with the rekindling of BlitzFizz in the meantime.

What REALLY gets me about s2e6 though is how Blitz's abrasiveness is turned on its head. Like, it's normally seen as a) a punchline (s1e3 when he & Verosika are fighting over the parking spot in the beginning of the episode), or b) A Bad Thing (pilot when he calls Moxxie a slur), but we see Blitz face off against Fizz's stalker in the beginning of the episode & it's portrayed as a good thing. We see him tell off Mammon & it's seen as a good thing, because they ARE good things. 

Like, my general enjoyment of subversion aside, it's a really interesting view into Blitz being a good friend to his loved ones! I think it's an important piece to rounding out Blitz as a character.

[doomalade]

Helluva Boss peaked in S1E7 and everything after has progressively become less funny and less entertaining

Especially the tone shifts that feel like being slapped with a fish

[frownatic]

I got curious because people have been saying that HB has been losing viewers, but never acknowledging that an episode that's been out for a year will naturally have more views than one that's a week old

So here are the views for each episode after 7-10 days, like the most recent episode:

Pilot: 8'290'000

S1E1: 7'250'000

S1E2: 13'000'000

S1E3: 10'000'000

S1E4: 8'750'000

S1E5: 11'000'000

S1E6: 8'280'000

S1E7: 8'500'000

S2E1: 12'000'000

S2E2: 10'000'000

S2E3: 10'000'000

S2E4: 8'400'000

As you can see, Helluva Boss had had a very consistent level of views that have actually increased this season even though the latest episode has been the weakest so far (in regards to views)

Now there's definitely a point to be made that the views not getting bigger isn't great, but they're not losing viewers