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zarnzarn · 9 months

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i see all these comments talking about this after the new episode, but. i would like to state for the record that stolitz isn't. toxic.

first off, the concept of a toxic and a healthy relationship are such... vague terms. when you're online, drenched in language and tight moral boundaries, trying to put a nuanced story like helluva boss's into boxes is easy to attempt and impossible to do.

a toxic relationship is one where one or both parties is maliciously affecting the other. I'm talking fetid, nasty, rude interactions where there is more hurt than love. they're unhappy more often than not when they're with their partner, there's no respect or give from the other side.

stolitz is nothing like that.

Stolas actively cares about Blitz and actually has no fear or hesitation in ADMITTING IT OUT LOUD TO OZZIE. he has been calling, texting, commenting, laughing and finding ways to spend time with Blitz. he's throwing everything he has to the wind, finding the courage to move forward with the divorce, putting everything he has into trying to keep him. he's been alone in a palace since he was born, on medication, with such less people dear to him that he remembered the circus boy who spent a day with him DECADES ago- so when blitz comes into his life and brings back in laughter and color and sex, he's holding on with everything he's got.

and blitz does care!!! he cares a LOT, the whole series we see him falling in love with stolas through SHOW NOT TELL (his expressions, his choices, his fear, his lashing out) and utterly unable to process that stolas cares about him too when talking to fizz; almost a desperate kind of denial-

cause yknow. the first time he tried to confess something to someone he really liked, he accidentally killed half the people he knew and ruined the lives of the rest?

thats gonna leave just a teensy impact on the will to express your emotions in the future, methinks.

even before that, he clearly felt like on some level that he was unworthy and he's said twice that he despises himself for the accident even though it wasn't actually his fault. being self aware doesn't stop the emotions from emotioning.

he keeps insisting its only sex so urgently to anyone who doesn't ask because he can't even imagine it being anything else. he's both disappointed and relieved when he repeats that stolas sees him as a novelty, because what else can it be?

(there's a whole other spiel of how brave both Stolas and Blitz have to be to say it out loud even when asmodeus can't afford to, considering how publically and completely beaten down both were at the club.)

(there's also another whole spiel about how frustrating it has been for ME to see all these comments over time with such bad takes based on like,, 20 min worth of info of a show that takes months to release an ep. like godDAMN have some patience?? let the story UNFOLD MAYBE? IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE AN EXPLANATION WHY WOULD YOU CRITICIZE THINGS THAT ARENT EVEN FINISHED ESPECIALLY AN INDIE ANIMATION- i digress)

mind you, this has NOTHING to do with abuse. an abusive relationship is one where one is actively harming the other with full awareness. Stella is an abuser and their marriage is abusive.

and stolitz isn't that; it isn't even unhealthy or toxic. it's a consensual, transactional fuckbuddy relationship that slid into something more for both of them.

but!!!!! one of the main reasons for the problems that everyone looks over is-

they're in a BDSM relationship.

I can't possibly delve into dynamics without making this a 10k research paper BUT even though we've gotten only hints and costumes and dialogue- they're very clearly and undeniably in a BDSM contract. Behind the scenes of this crazy show is a whole different story, of these two delving into the most hardcore kinks out there- knifeplay, painplay, bondage.

if you've gotten into the community, if you've read a couple dozen particularly good fics by authors who know what they're talking about, hell; even if your only experience is fifty shades or 365 or whatever- you gotta know that BDSM scenes are crazy fucking emotionally heavy. there's so much that has gone down between them during their full moons that helluva can't get into!!

but you know how in so many of these popular medias and fics, the dom in the relationship is also like,, the billionaire/mafia heir/prince, etc, the one with financial and physical power? this isnt that. it has been very clearly stated that stolas is subbing, blitz is domming.

now take a moment and think about how much that fucks up the dynamics.

in stolas' eyes, blitz is a confident, dangerous individual who's an old friend and cherished memory of his, who he's trusted wholly with his safety during sex and he's lucky to have; and he has been in an abusive arranged marriage for the past eighteen Years, he's probably not going to be pushing his luck with his dom that much in the first place. plus, blitz is never cowed by him during their conversations- think back to the first phone call right after he stole the book, completely unafraid.

and for blitz, it's someone trusting him again- but it's also a royal- a blue blood who's nearly untouchable and so much more powerful- who couldn't possibly like a piece of shit like him, apart from the sex he gets out of it. he only flirts once he gets some sort of cue from Stolas; he's desperately trying to view this as only a Goetia trying to get his rocks off, despite all the evidence to the contrary, because anything else is unfathomable to him, no matter how clearly Stolas shows it, because of the ptsd.

both of them thinks the other has the power. both of them aren't expecting the other to keep shut if something's bothering them.

and there's so much conflicting messages from the other too!

stolas calls him a plaything when trying to intimidate the humans; stolas cups his face gently and asks if he's alright

blitz asks him on a date and tells him to get better soon; blitz yells that it's only sex and doesn't reply to his messages

ya see?

bring it to fizzozzie for a second now; even though they do look all good on surface, you can still see fizz's trauma and doubt in all their interactions, they're still forced to keep the relationship secret. do you see his face when Ozzie says in hyperbole that he's never leaving the house again, or when someone accuses him of being a pampered house pet or when he got sexualized in the 7th ep? whatever happened in the interim between the accident with mammon, it fucked him UP. even though oz seems to be well aware of this when he tells him not to apologise and in their general interactions, fizz still visibly has trouble separating plaything/commodity from healthy relationship.

shout the fuck out to Ozzie btw, man knows whats UP. rooting for these two so much omg.

i forgot where I was going with this point, I'll edit it when i remember. but yeah! lovely fucking relationship, but damn what angst filled issues.

anyway, to sum up- stolitz is not a toxic relationship. the relationship is stuck sludging through misunderstandings and careless microaggressions and trauma responses, but it's not unhealthy or toxic because of the simple reason that most of the current hurt comes from... a misunderstanding. stolas didn't realise blitz would need reassurance about what they were and blitz didn't see stolas as someone who could get hurt.

unecessarily calling it toxic, even online, is more impactful than people think too. almost all spindlehorse ARE on all social medias; so MANY YouTube animators i know have found jobs there; they see your words, especially since a lot don't tag posts with "anti hb" correctly to keep them out of the main tag. there are Very few queer medias made BY queer people that haven't gone through heavy corporate revisions- helluva boss is practically a historical landmark in its success. it's very very very fucking easy to forget that not ten years ago some of the only queer videos on YouTube were butter lover (one kiss at the end post credits), dirty paws and welcome to hell (subtext).

the amount of "critical talk" helluva boss gets for what it is is very unprecedented. it's a beautiful show. can't wait for the next episode.

#helluva boss #stolas #blitz #stolitz #fizzarolli #helluva boss ozzie #okay im gonna make SO much content but i had to get this off my chest first #because so many people were like omg fizzozzie is so healthy stolitz take a lesson!!#and theres so much more nuance to it thats its so. frustrating to see a statement like that #meta #anyways #i love this fucjing show

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justanotherhh · 24 days

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smthin about blitzø's romantic relationships defined by him as bodyguard, with fizz, with verosika, and with stolas. something about that being a part of his core, either as a negative (it's all about putting his body in front of theirs because he's the "less important" factor and it's the only real thing he feels has to offer alongside sex) or as a positive (he likes protecting others, he likes being of use, it's a good way of communicating how much he cares and he's good at it)

but yeah, that forming part of the foundations of those relationships from his side

#helluva boss #blitzø #blitzo #he'll protect all of his loved ones of course #but that's not what's needed for millie or moxxie or loona or barbie #bodyguard is a function that specifically relates to his romantic interests #ALSO AGAIN MY DESIRE FOR BLITZ!WHUMP #BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IF HE CANT PERFORM THIS SERVICE??????? I WISH TO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#my meta

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roseyswords · 6 days

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FULL MOON SPOILERS!!!!

So first of all..

I was not expecting to see the cherubs this episode. That... That was a big shock. Seeing them and their plotline was certainly interesting. It was funny seeing their reactions to just everything going on with Blitzø.

And speaking of Blitzø. Um fuck?! My heart that hurt!? "I think so highly of you. I didn't realize you think so little of me" like OUCH? I keep adding question marks to my sentences because my brain can't quite comprehend how it's feeling.

I find it really interesting that Blitzø brought up Stolas's imp butlers. This is a part that has stuck out with me really strongly. Cuz we've seen Stolas squeeze the shit outta one of them when angry on the phone with Stella. And it really makes me wonder just what kind of behavior has Blitzø exactly seen of Stolas interacting with his butlers. Because Stolas is a very rich man, who has only imps working for him and Blitzø noticed.

Which is funny because he notices literally nothing happening around him this whole episode. Which feels thematically relevant. He's always been oblivious to the more emotional side of Stolas's affection for him but that is also by design of how Stolas treats him. Remember Stolas is the same guy who used to get routinely bleeped due to his sheer level of hornyness. Blitzø has only ever seen their relationship through a sexual lens.

I also find it very interesting that he goes into that interaction already extremely worried and insecure and scared out of his mind that Stolas is tired of him. Which makes going in and being confronted with Stolas's emotions even more jarring and confusing for him. He's already coming in with an intense amount of anxiety with the singular goal of pleasing Stolas, which just highlights the unhealthyness of their dynamic that Stolas is trying to break away from.

Moving on to Stolas's mind for a bit. It has got to fucking hurt that when you finally put yourself out there emotionally and the other person immediately thinks you must be fucking with them. I think it really opened his eyes to how their relationship has truly been when Blitzø assumes that this serious conversation must just be some really weird roleplaying scenario.

And when Blitzø yells at him and reveals that he thinks of him as this rich pampered jerk, it is a startling difference of perception between the two of them that Stolas now has to contend with. It is so interesting to me how Stolas in this scenario is trying really hard to think about things from Blitzø's point of view in terms of how their deal must be affecting him, but he's also not prepared or emotionally equipped to think about how that must shape how Blitzø sees him as a person.

So overall that just leaves us with a lot of pain, and anguish, and a really beautiful episode.

And wow...that hurt.

#helluva boss #stolitz #stolas #blitzø #blitzo #helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss full moon #full moon spoilers #full moon episode #helluva boss meta #my thoughts #ooh boy that was a weird ride of feelings #but what a great episode #what a curveball of one too #did anyone predict the cherubs being here cuz if they did they deserve a medal #wow

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witchy-capri · 6 days

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This expression will haunt me for the next months

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #full moon #stolas #Also I post a lot about Stolas because he was my favourite since day one #So I had a lot of time to think about him #But Blitz grew up on me so much #And this episode was a feast for his characterisation #I feel like I have so many thought about him but none understandable #I'm begging people to write Blitz meta about this episode #please i need this

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aarafox · 6 days

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I've been playing the last 5 min of the ep on loop for more than an hour and holy shit. I have so much to talk about.

At first Blitz’s attitude towards Stolas reclaiming the book is understandable, from a business POV: he needs the book to perform his job! It makes sense he gets a little desperate, tries to keep up the bargain, begs for Stolas to rethink.

But then. Then Stolas gives him the crystal, in one of the sweetest ways possible.

Like a marriage proposal.

The crystal is supposed to be everything Blitz wants, because, supposedly, fucking Stolas is just part of the deal… in any other situation, with any other person, he would’ve been like sure! Cool, thanks :)

But not for a single second he looks happy with this. We all know it’s because deep down he feels the same way… But he gets upset, worried, afraid. From the get-go.

And Stolas is telling him the loveliest things. He’s pouring his absolute heart out. I don’t think I expected him to tell Blitz exactly how he feels but he does. Just like in his texts, he’s completely honest with him:

“Blitz, I’m giving you this because… I care... VERY deeply for you. And I have for some time.”

How he places the crystal on his wrist like a ring on a fiancée’s finger. This is Stolas’ absolute biggest gesture of love. He’s setting Blitz free! From this transactional thing… That’s what Blitz wants… right?

“I want you to continue to… be who you are. Your business!” This was such a kind thing to say. In his eyes, Blitz is perfect as he is and I wonder how often - perhaps if ever - Blitz has heard something like this. The music reflects Stolas’ honesty and affection, the soft and beautiful melody that we know so well… This is Stolas’ big moment, his declaration of love.

“You don’t have to stay here with me... But... I want you to. I want you to stay here with me. Because you want to. Only if you want to.”

And honestly… the shock on Blitz’ face when Stolas says that first line (the "you don't have to stay" one):

Like seriously?? Biggest shock so far? Blitz doesn’t want to separate from Stolas! He wants to stay with him! But when Stolas reveals his truth… that he wants Blitz to stay because Blitz himself wants to and not for any deal or arrangement…

And Blitz, who still can’t believe someone could genuinely love him, responds in the only way he thinks he should: in their “business language”, the language of sex. Because he cannot let the truth sink into his heart.

Of course this hurts Stolas, for whom this reaction is only proof that his feelings are unrequited. If Blitz can’t respond to him in any other way than this, there’s little chance he feels the same…

And still, he is so so kind:

“Thank you Blitz. For… awakening me. For making me… so happy… if only for a little while.”

He was trapped in an unhappy, abusive marriage for so long and Blitz saved him from that. Thanks to Blitz, Stolas had a chance to find out who he was, change his life for the better, and experience true happiness. But if Blitz can’t give Stolas what he needs emotionally, then this is where it has to end.

And Blitz retaliates in the only way he knows how: self-protection. He doesn’t want this to end, but he also never expected Stolas to feel genuine love for him. He HAS no time to think about this, in his eyes Stolas is ending this on his own terms. But he doesn’t have the full words; he hasn’t faced his own feelings and, if he can’t even be genuine with himself, how can he be genuine with Stolas?

But his words, that he’s saying partly because he truly believes them but likely also because he wants to protect himself from the pain, cut Stolas like knives. Stolas flinches when Blitz calls him "asshole" and "bitch":

Blitz's words... shatter his heart.

Stolas has been on the receiving end of hate for a long time. But to hear this from the one he loves so much... It's simply too much to handle. So he sends Blitz away.

As Blitz’s apology still echoes through the air.

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aspoonofsugar · 1 month

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That's Entertainment

The Hazbin Hotel's Pilot is called "That's Entertainment". The title is a tongue in cheeck joke, as the series is good entertainment, but it also references "That's Entertainment!", a song from The Band Wagon musical. This song is quite famous and it became an anthem of sorts for Hollywood as a whole. Here it is its final stanza:

The world is a stage The stage is a world Of entertainment!

Does it sound familiar? It should:

Alastor: After all, the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment.

Why is there such a reference in the Pilot?

There are two reasons:

Hazbin Hotel is a series with allusions to musicals, movies, memes, fairy tales and different mythologies. All these references tie into the story and characters by commenting plotlines and arcs. So, The Band Wagon's easter egg is the same.

Both The Band Wagon and Hazbin Hotel are meta-stories. They are pieces of entertainment about making entertainment. "That's Entertainment!" (song) has something to say about musicals. "That's Entertainment" (pilot) has something to say about stories.

So, Hazbin Hotel is full of references that can be read:

On a story or character level - in the sense that they enrich the series and its protagonists

On a meta-narrative level - in the sense that they metaphorically comment on the entertainment industry

Let's analyze these two layers of reading, when it comes to some motifs and characters. Of course, let's start from one of the oldest creative minds of the universe. The very first dreamer:

Charlie: Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation.

LUCIFER: THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Lucifer is a dreamer both when it comes to morals (story and character level) and to creativity (meta-narrative level).

Morals - Lucifer's first big project is to share free will with humanity:

Charlie Morningstar: Together, they wished to share the magic of free will with humanity, offering the Fruit of Knowledge to Adam's new bride, Eve, who gladly accepted.

Lucifer and Lilith's plan was to give humanity knowledge, so that they could challenge the system and decide for themselves how to live. It is an ideal rooted in the faith people can be amazing, when in charge of their destiny.

Creativity - Lucifer is so passionate about "creation" that he turns Hell itself into a big colorful show. A seven-ring circus full of acts and performances happening at the same time. This is the metaphorical meaning of Hell's circus motif. This realm is the greatest shit-show of all times and Lucifer is its creator. He is the Greatest Showman. After all, Lucifer's known activities are:

Its previous shows with the Seven Deadly Sins' Troupe

A theme park called LuLu World

An App similar to Ticketmaster, which is called Lucimaster

These are all linked to the entertainment industry. Isn't it strange that the King of Hell has such a specialization? Shouldn't he have control over a more strategic part of the economy, like industry, banks or health? And yet, entertainment is Lucifer's domain because deep down Hell is nothing, but a showbusiness factory.

So, Lucifer is at his root a wide-eyed idealist, both when it comes to his political stance and to his creative process. And yet, Lucifer gives up on dreaming:

Charlie: Ashamed, Lucifer lost his will to dream.

He stops seeing the good in others and loses hope for the system and people alike to change. He can't imagine a different future than the sad and lonely present he lives in.

He is stuck creating "ugly ducklings" he himself dislikes:

Lucifer: That's it… Almost there… Now presenting… the magic-tastical back flipping rubber duck! Haha! That spits fire! Hoo hoo hoo! Hold the applause please, okay. Oh, thank you, thank you. Oh god, who am I kidding? This sucks!

Lucifer's creative block is conveyed also by some details set up in the Hellaverse. For example, Helluva Boss shows another sin, who is very active in the entertainment industry.

WHEN MAMMON STOLE THE SHOWBIZ

Mammon, King of Greed apparently breaks an established pattern in Helluva Boss. In this show, every sin is introduced by a song focused on their vice.

Asmodeus, King of Lust, has House of Asmodeus:

Asmodeus: You singing love songs in my lustful lounge? Fizzarolli: Ozzie's ain't the place for sentimental sounds! Asmodeus: What'd you expect from a proprietor like us? Fizzarolli: Your demon host, Asmodeus, the embodiment of lust! Asmodeus: Give me a thrust! Fizzarolli: Bwabwabwabwa bwaaaah- Asmodeus: Show me some lust From the groin to the bust In desire, we trust In the house of Asmodeus

Beelzebub, Queen of Gluttony, has Cotton Candy:

Hey! I'm whatchu need, I'm watchu want I got it all, a carnival I'll bring you up, I'll take you down I'm sticky sweet, stuck in your teeth Like cotton candy Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah) Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-oh) Cotton candy (Ah-ah, ah-ah) I'm whatchu want Not watchu need (Ah-ah, ah-oh)

What about Mammon? The King of Greed has actually a lot of songs that explore his sin. Let's think about what his debut episode is called: "Mammon's magnificent musical mid-season special (ft Fizzarolli)".

Mammon doesn't sing nor performs, but the musical is still his. Fizz, who is the main character of the episode, gets only a mention.

In other words, all the songs featured in the mid-season special are Mammon's songs. They do not directly say anything about greed, but they comment on this sin in a meta-narrative way:

Octavia: Is it true this park is just a really shameless spin-off of Lucifer's far more popular Lu Lu World?

The Sin of Greed steals others' talents, so his songs are stolen songs. Loo Loo Land is the perfect example of this:

Everybody's friendly And nobody is mean No copyright infringements ever seen I have a dream (He has a dream) I'm here to tell (He's here to tell) About a magical fantastic place Called Loo Loo Land

This song has Mammon:

Profit of Lucifer and his Lu Lu World theme park

Rip off Charlie's Inside of Every Demon is a Rainbow song

Possess Fizzarolli's body

The King of Greed is a talentless performer:

Asmodeus: Also, you are a waaaay better performer than Mammon ever was, and thaaat's just facts.

Still, he is good at marketing and is slowly stealing the showbusiness for himself. He organizes pageants, finds new talents to exploit and has convinced Hell's middle class that being a clown like him is the coolest thing ever:

Fizzarolli: It's not about that! It's getting to work with my idol. I just love that he's giving someone new the chance to be in the spotlight! He's an inspiration. Blitzo: Well he's- definitely something alright. I mean, I dunno, was it worth all our savings just to have him put on an over-hyped commercial, and then bitch about taxes, and then assault us with clowns, vomit, and pass out on stage? Fizzarolli: So worth it!

What does it all mean for Lucifer?

On a character level, it ties with Lucifer's depression and general sense of failure. He is a Seraphim, the King of Hell and a brilliant artist and performer. And yet, he can't stop one of his subjects from ripping off his ideas. Once again Lucifer's dreams are ruined. They become soulless and rotten. Moreover, the one doing this is a member of Lucifer's own Circus Troupe, which adds to the impression of isolation and loneliness Lucifer gives off.

On a meta-narrative level, greed is corrupting the entertainment industry, as the dreamer in charge of it feels unmotivated and uninspired. This is a pretty poignant and tongue-in-cheeck dig to the current state of things, where corporations are mass-producing empty stories. After all, Lucifer fits the Mr Alt Disney TV Trope:

A No Celebrities Were Harmed version of Walt Disney; expect him to be the animator of a world-famous cartoon character (frequently a Mocky Mouse) and/or the founder of Souvenir Land. Also expect an exaggerated interest in planned communities and/or creating a utopia, possibly with sinister undertones. He'll present said utopia in the form of a World's Fair-like exhibition, usually in his parks. Many of these characters go beyond parodying just Disney and fuse him with Howard Hughes, another mustachio'd early/Golden Age of Hollywood impresario and futurist. Hughes gradually became debilitated by severe mental illness (OCD and agoraphobia) and eventually was reduced to living in seclusion, obsessively carrying out odd habits.

Lucifer is an oddball with a Showbiz Empire in Hell. He is loosely an expy of Walt Disney and the old Hollywood, but he is now tired and unable to produce anything new. Luckily, there is a beautiful disney-like princess ready to help him.

HAZBIN HOTEL, THE GREATEST SHOW

Charlie is a disney princess with the twist she reigns in hell, rather than on a classical fairy tale kingdom. In particular, she resembles Rapunzel in both design and personality:

Both princesses wear their hair tied, but they let it loose when they use their powers. They are enthusiastic, able to inspire others, but also sheltered. So, they are a bit childish. Charlie is basically Rapunzel if Raps were met with a cynical world the moment she escaped the tower:

He's got a dream He's got a dream See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem Though I do like breaking femurs You can count me with the dreamers Like everybody else I've got a dream

Inside of every demon is a rainbow! Inside every sinner is a shiny smile! Inside of every creepy hatchet-wielding maniac, Is a jolly, happy, cupcake-loving child!

Rapunzel enters a sinister inn, shares her dream and is validated and understood by a bunch of bandits. Charlie explains her goal to all of Hell and is humiliated and laughed at by everyone.

Despite this setback, Charlie is still a disney-like princess and throughout the first season she brings dreams to others. This is true especially for Lucifer:

The King of Hell's dreams are awaken by Charlie's Hazbin Hotel project in two ways.

On a character level, Charlie's Hazbin Hotel is the evolution of Lucifer's dream, as it is rooted in the belief human souls can choose goodness. Even after death:

Charlie: Don't you care, Sera? That just because someone is dead, it doesn't Mean they can't resolve to change their ways Turn the page, escape infernal blaze

On a meta-narrative level, Hazbin Hotel is the greatest show. It is a new series, which takes obvious inspiration from classics, both disney movies and musicals. However, it is still fresh and innovative. Similarly, its protagonist is a disney-like princess (Charlie), who inspires a Walt Disney expy (Lucifer). She is a creation (daughter) giving hope to her creator (father). This is why by the end of season 1, Lucifer finds some of his old creative drive, as he helps Charlie rebuild the Hotel:

Lucifer: Remedial creation for me... it's as easy as can be!

Charlie brings back both hope (story level) and entertainement (meta-narrative level) in hell:

Alastor: Hahaha, why does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom! I've lacked inspiration for decades. My work became mundane, lacking focus, aimless! I've come to crave a new form of entertainment! Hahaha!

She has the talent to renew a showbiz (hell), which is mundane and aimless. She has a freshness, which catches the eye of navigated entertainers:

Alastor: She's filled with potential that I could guide Rosie: I concur Rosie and Alastor: Stick with her, you'll be on the winning side

Still, why is that so? Why is Charlie such a good entertainer?

CHARLIE: THE PERFORMATIVE DREAMER (CHARACTER LEVEL)

Charlie is entertaining because:

She tries hard to keep up her smile, even if she is suffering inside. In this sense, she is a real performer

She is so dedicated to her objective, that she is ready to do anything to reach it. In this sense, she is a true dreamer

Charlie, the performer

Alastor:Just because you see a smile don't think you know what's going on underneath. A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that no matter what comes your way, you're the one in control.

Charlie is a character, who masks her negative emotions behind smiles, enthusiasm and an apparent neverending optimism. In reality, she struggles a lot with who she is:

Alastor: Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, a misguided path to redemption! Founded five days ago by Lucifer's delusional daughter, Charlotte Morningstar! Come place your fate in her inexperienced hands, as she tries to work through her daddy issues by fixing you!

Has Charlie founded the Hazbin Hotel to help sinners or to find herself a purpose? The answer is both. Charlie's project is born from genuine altruism, but also from a selfish desire to matter.

Charlie, the dreamer

Alastor: You have a dream! You wish to tell! And it's just laughable. But, hey, kid, what the hell?

Charlie's dream seems impossible, almost a delusion. And yet, Charlie keeps pursuing it, no matter what. She sings her heart out to advertise the hotel... only to be seen by everyone as a joke. Still, she keeps going. She doesn't give up on her project.

Alastor: Consider it an investment in ongoing entertainment for myself! I want to watch the scum of the world struggle to climb up the hill of betterment only to repeatedly trip and tumble down to the fiery pit of failure!

Seeing Charlie struggle is fun because even if she fails, she tries again. She experiments new things, she learns and she teaches. She apologizes and she forgives. She never quits. So, she is an entertainer.

Charlie: I have a dream, I'm here to tell! About a wonderful fantastic new hotel!

CHARLIE, THE PERFORMER FULL OF DREAMS (META-NARRATIVE LEVEL)

Charlie puts up a performance and follows her dream no matter what. She hides within herself a selfish motivation (fiction), but earnestly pursues her selfless dream (reality). Similarly, Hazbin Hotel is a story (fiction) with a strong heart (reality).

That is because entertainment is rooted into reality:

Anything that happens in life Can happen in a show You can make 'em laugh You can make 'em cry Anything, anything can go (That's Entertainment! - The Band Wagon)

Charlie: Does getting into a fistfight with a reporter count as entertainment…? Alastor: Hahaha! It's the purest kind, my dear: Reality! True passion!

The song states anything can be entertainment

Alastor claims that good entertainment is born from genuine passion

It is the same idea declined in different ways. Entertainment is a representation of the world, of its flaws and beauties. It is fiction, but in a sense it must stay true to itself. Just like Charlie herself is both a performative dreamer (fiction) and a performer full of dreams (reality):

She is a performative dreamer because deep down she feels she must be perfect and repress her negative feelings. Only in this way she has value. She masks herself with a pollyanna persona.

She is a performer full of dreams because she has the talent to maker her dreams come true and to become a real artist in the process. To succeed, though, she should not ignore her hidden parts. She must face reality.

THE WORLD IS A STAGE AND THE STAGE IS A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT

When fiction and reality meet, entertainment is born. This is what Hazbin Hotel's meta-message seems to be. A story is invented, but the feelings behind it must be genuine.

At the same time, entertainment helps people better understand themselves. This may be why Hazbin Hotel is full of entertainment motifs. Here are some:

Charlie is a singer

Vaggie is a dancer

Angel is an actor

Alastor is linked to radios

Vox is a TV demon

Valentino is a director and producer

Adam is a musician, whose arc is described by the musical "School of Rock"

Charlie and Alastor's bond is commented by the musical "Annie"

For each one of these references, one could write a meta (I hope I will for some tbh). That is how much the idea of entertainment is intertwined in the story. In conclusion, it is definately true that:

The world is a stage = Fiction must take inspiration from reality or it will feel hollow

The stage is a world = Stories can help to better understand reality and make sense of it

Hazbin Hotel is a piece of entertainment about entertainment, which is best understood through the lens of entertainment. In short, it is entertainment!

#hazbin hotel #hellaverse #hazbin hotel meta #charlie morningstar #lucifer morningstar #charlie hazbin hotel #lucifer hazbin hotel #mammon helluva boss #my meta

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cosmic--dandelion · 6 months

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So I dipped out of the overflowing septic tank that is the Helluva Boss fandom for a few days to recharge and HOLY SHIT you guys need to get a fucking grip.

It is not healthy to hate someone this much, let alone someone you've never met and never will who probably lives thousands of miles away from your shitty flyover state and has done absolutely nothing to you personally expect make a free internet cartoon you don't like. And don't even get me started on started on inventing these increasingly elaborate conspiracy theories about why all the fulminating hatred is like, totally justified, you guys! Really!

Interacting with a relatively normal fandom gave me a new appreciation for how discincerningly obsessed the HB anti-fandom is. There is absolutely no excuse or justification for this pathetic, revolting, and downright freakish behavior. Get help, man. You're weirding me out.

This really is Gamer Gate Mach II, isn't it?

#helluva boss #meta #vivziepop #viv I don't know how you put up with this shit #i'm going to disappear back under my rock now

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a-h-li · 3 months

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Some…. Opinions….

An edit I made where I added some rare pairs mixed with some other popular ships!!

Bonus:

the ones before fav of all time with multiple colors I got stuck between or I feel like would have the most potential unrequited

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss #Hazbin hotel ships bingo #meta #look there’s no way I’m going to tag all of these #here striker x stella #strella ?#I want to comment on vox and his unnamed assistant bc hear me out .#if anyone has played yakuza oh my god vox and his assistant r literally so majima and nishida core #obsessed with that dynamic #like you’re chasing after your boss and worrying about him all the time but he’s chasing after bigger fish and ur left to pick up his pieces #he doesn’t appreciate u 90% of the time but u keep working under him because there’s the 10% of the heavy lifting charisma snd smidgen of #care that captivates u #AHHHHHHHH

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spiky-imp-teeth · 2 years

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so i just noticed this particular photo on blitz's wall

It appears to be child-Blitz feeding some giant horses? First of all, it's adorable, but the fact that Blitzø crossed himself out of that photo is giving me a whole lot of feelings that I wasn't prepared for.

like...his self-hatred runs SO deep, y'all. Idk, there's just...something particularly tragic to me about the fact that Blitzø crossed himself out of a fucking kid photo and not just the adult ones.

I mean, I feel like if I hated myself enough to cross out my face in any photos showing me, I don't think I'd necessarily do it with baby or little kid pictures? Like...idk, i feel like there's a sort of separation there. The person in those photos is just a kid - 3 year old or 6 year old or even 9 year old me looks and acts pretty different from the current adult version of me.

I think Blitzø not sparing a photo of his child self in his sad little "crossing out every picture of myself" art project could mean any number of things - his self-hatred started very early on, he hates his child-self just as much as his present self, or simply that his self-hatred is so severe that ANY version of his face - even if it barely resembles him because it was taken 25 years ago - is too painful to look at.

He can't bear to catch a glimpse of even a hint of who he is now.

#blitzo #helluva boss #helluva boss meta #my boy needs so much therapy

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tealvenetianmask · 6 days

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Blitz is going to be the death of me.

Right before the crystal, when he thinks that Stolas is really breaking up with him, he straight up begs.

"Stolas, please, I need this book. Please."

Uh huh the book . . .

"I need this book, Stolas. I will do anything.

Looking down (maybe telling himself, "I knew this was coming eventually") and then looking up, trying not to cry.

Despite . . . his everything here, I'm pretty scared that half the audience will think this is really about the book, and I'm not ready for the bad takes yet.

#I haven't read ANYTHING yet #and more cohesive meta will come later #just gathering moments for now #full moon spoilers #helluva boss spoilers #full moon #helluva boss #stolitz #blitz #blitzo buckzo #helluva boss full moon #I think I have all the tags #my helluva meta

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abnormalpsychology · 8 months

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Hear me out. Brad and Janet, and Tom and Shiv— two failmarriages who may have more in common than you’d think:

inversion / parody of gender roles hetero romance

they are trying SOOOOOOO hard to be a normal married couple and it is just Not Working Out

very very hot sex symbol girlboss woman obsessed with another more powerful guy (Logan, Frank) and extremely unreliable but sometimes present sense of self-awareness and craves independence

dorky asshole malewife bottom trying desperately not to be a malewife as hard as he can for the entire media but yet the malewife genes overcome his efforts valiantly again and again and aGAIN

they cheat on each other a bunch of times (but they don't mean it guyssss 😩)

YES. they cheat on each other. BUT it's made known to the audience that they feel really bad abt it Imao

a premature WEIRD proposal done in a close-proximity-to-death situation yet they’re still like “okay 😊!” like would you rather I propose to you in the hospital while your dad is in intensive care from his brain hemorrhage OR in a graveyard after another person’s wedding while a funeral goes on right next to us featuring a suspiciously child-sized casket? romance central am I right

dedicated loving relationship struggling to survive in a crazy environment that is directly corrosive to dedicated loving relationships

horrible communication where the lack of communication in their marriage is kind of essential to the plot in and of itself

a threesome kinda happens in canon (more an orgy. this is abt rhps obviously) vs they almost had a threesome and then didnt... basically a threesome could've fixed all of them

"yes I cheated on you. Yes I still love you and would protect you as best I can in a traumatizing situation where a key extremely complex and kinda shitty person we both kinda love dies in front of us. We exist."

protection motif is a huge thing for both of them and in the end it's pretty clear that delusion is really what's actually been protecting them

most importantly: getting into marriage and being like "wow bitch!!! you are not who I thought you were"

they both end up in this really subjective completely destroyed irrevocably changed and entirely mortifyingly known position in their relationship like "who knows if we even love each other anymore"

"lol we both betrayed the other's trust beyond repair. does the love matter anymore lol Imao"

way too many people rightfully think there's no way to work their issues out but I am so delusional I don't give a shit <3

married couple that gets pitted against each other and have all these reasons to hate each other but you can tell that all of the love can’t be gone and like the evolution somehow emphasizes the love that was there before = PEAK ROMANCE. TO ME

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justanotherhh · 6 days

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actually what really surprised me was how openly blitzø begged for the book and then at first when he got the crystal wasn't angry at all, but simply took it as confirmation he wasn't doing a good enough "job" and promised to do better

RIP stolas those were the clues you should've picked up on, but of course then we wouldn't have that sweet sweet miscommunication, because stolas' problem isn't just the physical manifestation of their imbalance (that is, the book), but it's the way he controls the direction of the relationship, including in this scene

blitzø doesn't get angry at him until he walks away, and stolas walks away because he's decided on his own that blitzø doesn't really care about him, without actually letting blitzø process things on his own time -- there's a certain... romanticism to stolas' whole structure here, like he's perceiving things from the perspective of a book (or a telenovella) rather than letting things be messy, and blitzø brings mess, he's not a natural at romance but he's trying. he bought him a giant candle and a sack full of sex toys for goodness sake!

stolas needs to look at what blitzø is actually doing, rather than what he wants him to do, based on the perfect 5-arc narrative structure he seems to have built in his head about the perfect romantic confession (and then the perfect tragic break up)

this including when he first takes the book from him and builds up the suspense of giving him the crystal -- in stolas' mind, this was probably a great way to do this, because the crystal is a beautiful surprise meant to clearly convey his feelings and it needs build up for the effect to land, but it allows a few seconds of blitzø being so afraid that he's "tired" of him that he starts to grovel, and that doesn't clue stolas in that he's not going about this the right way, he doesn't even really seem to notice that blitzø has tears in his eyes

never once does stolas relinquish control. he decides all the steps, including when to end it (right when blitzø would have apologised for his own harsh words)

my boy stolas is a romantic conflict averse control freak. and it's not quite fair when he also has the power to literally transport blitzø away the second he's decided it's over. it still doesn't allow blitzø the dignity to make his own decisions, which was the whole purpose of giving him the crystal in the first place

but also... ouchies at begging blitzø. that vulnerability must sting

#blitzø #stolas #stolitz #blitzo #helluva boss spoilers #my meta #i like seeing blitzø upset it fuels my enjoyment

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ripplestitchskein · 3 months

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The Real Helluva Boss Pilot

Episode 1: Murder Family

My intent with these essays to analyze the episodes both from an “as the information is presented to the audience perspective” as well as a Meta perspective, taking into account what is revealed later. I will also be analyzing the writing with regards to plot structure, dialogue choices, and characterization, as well as highlighting visuals and effects that are relevant. I will not be taking information that is not presented in the canon episodes, like the Sinstagram posts into account. I am writing as I watch the episode (and think it would be fun to read it as you watch it too but not necessary) so I strive for accuracy and while I do have bias, being human and all, I will try to justify it using the presented text. I will have a masterpost to keep track of these for future reference as I *plan* on doing every episode. I’m AuADHD though (if you couldn’t tell) so it really depends on the brain juice if the focus lasts. These will be long, but hopefully informative and interesting.

So lets get to it:

The episode opens on a flashback, we see a happy schoolhouse, have a heartwarming song and then the sequence of events that leads us to the panning down shot to Hell and our first glimpse of the world we are going to be inhabiting in the course of this show. There is a direct visual contrast between the blue skies, twittering birds, vibrant school house and later, Hell. It is established what sequence of events led the client there and the client is fleshed out a bit as far as who she was immediately preceding these events. It’s a really efficient character backstory presentation, we get who she was, what happened and why she did what she did, and how she felt about it. It’s a good deal of insight for a character we see once, they did a great job making her a bit more rounded in a short amount of time and with limited but pointed visuals. Her clothing. Her demeanor. Her relationship with the children. Their relationship with her. The contrast between what happens. Kudos all around. The song going from happy classroom bop to creepy and discordant with the chalk screech was great.

This initial opening sequence is for the plot of the episode itself not necessarily for the show overall, though it does highlight one of the central running themes of the show: that the human realm and Hell are only different on a surface level. An interesting choice made by the team here was that the horrific events take place entirely in the wholesome school house. Except for a brief cutaway to the cheating husband we stay in the bright cheery environment with the actions taking place - their teacher murdering her cheating husband and then killing herself - contrasting it. It’s really fitting for an episode themed around the human world not being as wholesome as it appears to be. I thought it was a good choice. I also love the pan down through the Earth to Hell and the visuals being very similar to a world we are familiar with, office buildings and cars in a downtown environment, but obviously other in regards to aesthetics.

We then get a large establishing shot of the office building and then a cut to the interior, specifically Blitzø’s door which has I.M.P Headquarters in large text, and “Meeting in Progress” taped to it in a more cartoony one. A visual to show the difference between the intended professionalism versus the actual professionalism.

So we are told where we are, and that the character doing the voiceover is in this office. The tone and mood so far is detective noir, starting with the client’s smoky voice over narration and continuing into the office which is lit and framed with this pastiche in mind.

The first bit of dialogue from one of our actual main characters is Blitzø asking if the mistress was hotter, calling the client “tits” and then giving us a summation of their business and some world building in a really tight character revealing expository dialogue drop. It also contrasts with the noir tone, instead of playing into the trope he breaks that tone and gives us the tone of the show itself. From this initial dialogue we know that they are in Hell, that their business is to take revenge on the living, that Blitzø is vulgar, rather misogynistic, and a bit silly (I.e. “Boop”).

We then jump back to the story of the episode to explain why this is a good case for them to take. The mistress is still alive and based on the scenes probably not a great person but there is still enough ambiguity there to make it seem like they are going to kill a fairly innocuous cheating woman for the sole reason that they were hired to do so by a jealous jilted wife (I’ll point out that this ties back to Striker later, he essentially is doing the same thing IMP does in this episode, for the same reasons, with some class issues thrown in for spice).

The client gets angry and aggressive and Blitzø urgently presses the emergency button under his desk. This button gives us a little insight into the office, Blitzø, and world as well. Or at least situations that require an emergency call.

More Coffee, Soiled My Pants, Horny Client, Deranged Client, Client Giving Birth, Ghost, and Stolas (See my feelings on the Stolas button here). I love that such a simple detail gives us so much information and also leaves us wanting to know more. Are these things that happen frequently, that Blitzø is scared of happening, that got added because of a specific event in the past? The visual story telling with that intercom system is *chef’s kiss* and from a story boarding perspective a great way to transition the scene.

This leads us outside of Blitzø’s office to I.M.P headquarters at large where we have Moxxie shaking as he tries to shoot a family picture. Here is the conflict of the episode introduced. We also meet the three other important characters of the business. Millie has a “if that’s what the client wants” attitude, Loona is dry and sarcastic and points out that we don’t know what the family are hiding (this episode’s prophetic character and the theme stated), and Moxxie is conflicted, only wanting to kill a family if it was a shitty Dad or a Mafia Family (Moxxie backstory and Daddy issues hint). Millie also indicates that Loona is different from them, that she is a Hellhound which is subtle world building via dialogue and I liked it.

We are given a little foreshadowing as to the episode’s “twist” (humans are full of secret nasties) in this exchange.

We also get a little taste of how different Moxxie and Millie are. Millie gives Moxxie the solution to the problem they’ll encounter later right here but he has to learn the hard way. (This comes up multiple times in their relationship, in Happy Campers most explicitly, but is established first here).

“Guilty and innocent ain’t our business Mox, killing who we’re paid to is our business. Shoot the target”.

Moxxie does not agree with this sentiment. This speaks to his personality and to his major character flaws. He wants to do things his way, and often ignores others and suffers consequences for it. Also this speaks to his role as being largely the audience perspective character in this episode (and often to the series as a whole). How Moxxie feels is largely how we as the audience should feel in this situation (hopefully).

Blitzø comes out, announces the new client, Moxxie misfires and the first long running gag of the show of the office being destroyed in some way is established. A gag that reflects the “continuing to keep trying despite it all continually falling apart” journey the character’s are on throughout the show. This misfire foreshadows what Moxxie will do when they go after the client, a missed shot being Moxxie’s fault.

We head downstairs, the firemen are dealing with the situation and Blitzø yells at Moxxie for setting the office on fire. (Foreshadowing what will happen to the house).

We are introduced to the grimoire, the fancy book that is their only ticket to the human realm. Loona sums up its function for us. This interaction also shows us how Blitzø interacts with Moxxie and Loona respectively. Yelling at Moxxie and squeezing him aggressively, vs simpering at Loona and offering her a treat. We also see her reaction to him, largely disgusted and fending him off.

We also see that Loona controls the grimoire, though her being the sole person to control it isn’t revealed until later. Blitzø and Loona’s relationship is not explicitly declared until episode 3. I’ll admit, based on Blitzø’s vulgar dialogue and how he treated Loona, and her reactions I was worried when I watched for the first time that Blitzø was like sexually harrassing her, but after episode 3 it made it more clear. (Yet another reason why you can’t base a character’s entire personality on one episode or a handful of early dialogue, you actually gotta like…watch the show as things are revealed). The billboard in the background is a super fun detail. The book is presented as the tool that lets them go back and forth and it is shown to be Important(TM).

We open a portal and now we’re in the human world. Due to the lighting, unlike the happy schoolhouse, it is not visually contrasting with Hell now, the lighting between Hell and Earth is the same, maybe even a bit brighter in Hell.

When they get to the house Blitzø offers the shot to Moxxie, he is visibly excited but he hesitates, Blitzø goes to take it but Moxxie is still conflicted, he ruins the shot just like in the office. It was a really quick insight into Moxxie still trying to prove himself, at being fairly new to this specific line of work. Because of him though the family is alerted.

We see that they are not the wholesome and innocent family they project, first by the background visuals of bones and weapons (and the wheelchair with the urn with a full meal in front of it which I did not notice until this rewatch, always finding new stuff) the music, and then by their behavior. Their faces resemble more the denizens of hell than humans now.

Outside Blitzø and Moxxie argue, and we get some insight into both of them, Moxxie is softer and more empathetic, he doesn’t want to kill a wholesome family. Blitzø is more jaded and says that there is no such thing. That no one is innocent from Birth. He tells Moxxie to get over himself, speaking to Moxxie’s established character flaw : He is so wrapped up in his own sense of what is right that he causes problems for others.

Blitzø also says something during this exchange: that they are not killing a family, they are killing a mother and ruining a family. Which considering what we find out about his mother is interesting. Mostly because he seems rather gleeful about it, but considering the theme of revenge present throughout the show looking at it now we could interpret it as him wanting to visit some revenge on a ”perfect family” but whether this was a conscious choice by the writers at this point, or one that we can just ascribe meaning to based on later episodes I couldn’t say. He might just like killing folks. It’s interesting tho.

They scatter and the chase sequence begins. Moxxie is grabbed immediately, Millie is shown to be a bit more dangerous and skilled at combat but she falls fairly quickly. Blitzø yells scatter and takes off. They have all three gone in different directions which is a running issue with their relationship and the business as a whole throughout, it is not a good strategy. They need to work together but it’s episode 1, so.

Moxxie wakes up and he’s in the creepy Ed Gein room with the kids. Loona, Millie and Blitzø were right, humans are full of secret nasties.

Now we follow Blitzø running from Martha. Stolas calls, and Blitzø answers and tells him it’s a really bad time.

We see Stolas for the first time. He’s in a fancy bubble bath with a fancy phone having a much different time than Blitzø. These characters are in two very different places from a variety of perspectives. There is a very deliberate theming for Stolas, a lot of effort went into the background and aesthetics, and his musical motif (Owl in a Cage) is heard for the first time. This indicates Stolas is an important character, inhabiting his own world within this world and with his own established designs and music. Even though he is largely only expository in this episode, to establish the grimoire as the reason they can get to the human world, it is indicated its use comes with additional backstory we don’t know yet, and forward story that will come up later and that Stolas will be central to those stories. It is, in fact, the ONLY explicit thing we are given to explore in future outside of IMP itself.

It also shows us how Stolas feels about Blitzø, he calls him Blitzy from the very beginning. His voice is simpering, cooing and sexual. Blitzø is colder, obviously he’s used the excuse of it being a bad time more than once to avoid this conversation. Stolas seems to be able to see him in a bubble but it’s not clear if that’s just a visual choice like a split screen or an actual ability he possesses, but based on D.H.O.R.K.S and the caller ID on his rotary phone I think it’s the latter. It is also not clear at this point if Blitzø is avoiding the issue of the book, Stolas himself, or both. At this point it’s probably safe to say both.

It is revealed that Stolas has been allowing Blitzø to access the human realm using the book illegally for an unspecified amount of time. He needs it back to do his job but suggests working out an exchange, favors for favors. He breaks down the deal for Blitzø, Blitzø returns the book on the Full Moon, they have a night of passionate fornication each month and Blitzø can keep it the rest of the time. Blitzø says “Okay, Whatever” and then Stolas starts in with the dirty talk.

The takeaway here is they have a sexual relationship that one party is more invested in, Blitzø is more worried about not dying at the moment.

I’d like to digress for a moment and have it noted that in no way does Stolas threaten Blitzø, he just offers the deal and takes Blitzo’s acceptance of it at face value. We do know it’s important to the business and that Blitzø has been avoiding discussing it. We also know what he’s doing with it is illegal. So I do understand early interpretations of it being predatory or coercive based on this exchange alone, but this is cleared up fairly quickly in Season 1, as we’ll see in later analysis. To me this exchange was as ambiguous as the Blitzø/Loona situation in terms of how these characters were related, a little odd at first because we didn’t know the full context and leaning towards creepy at face value, but later cleared up unequivocally and explained further.

I think the difference for people here comes down to foreknowledge, either watching the original Pilot (not canon) or following the creator. For me, as a brand new viewer who had no background or knowledge of VivziePop other than the presented text I was MORE initially eeked by the Blitzø and Loona dialogue in this episode than the Stolas dialogue because her reaction was so viscerally disgusted and the conversation with Stolas seemed to be an established “thing”. Blitzø picked up even though he was running for his life, something I wouldn’t expect a character to do if they were repulsed or avoiding someone. He also KEEPS TALKING TO HIM, even though his life in danger from doing so. Also not something a character does if they are repulsed. Man could have sent it to voicemail because he was being chased by a psychopath but still answers and chats. This leads to an important point, when looking at a piece of media you can’t really take in what is initially shown, as it can change as early as the next episode and character reactions to dialogue matter as much as what is said. Which is the case with both Loona and Blitzø and Blitzø and Stolas, and the audience should only be expected to know what’s shown on screen.

Additional outside the channel content is fun, like the Sinstagram posts, but a general viewer doesn’t have that unless they go looking for it so it shouldn’t be integral to understanding.

Blitzø is under duress because of the situation with Martha, not the conversation Stolas, so we cannot extrapolate much as far as his true willingness based on the first episode and this dialogue alone, though people sure do try. If the conversation were taking place when Blitzø was not running through the woods for his life it would give us more insight, but we have to wait for further episodes to get that. But we do get it.

Anyway, Blitzø gets caught by Martha and drops his phone. Stolas does not notice, he’s too wrapped up in the sexual dirty talk and cannot help him. A running theme for them.

Moxxie is struggling to escape inside, sees the flames and realizes Millie is in trouble. His primary concern is for her. He uses a chair to overpower the girl child and grabs a gun and runs to save Millie. This speaks to his priorities and his relationship with Millie which, up until this point was hinted at but not overly explicit. He also has no issue hurting a child now, up until this point he was trying to get away by straining at the ropes, when he sees Millie is in trouble his reservations about hurting children are gone for that moment.

Millie and Blitzø are tied to a stake, Martha gives a lil speech, they burn but it doesn’t hurt them. Blitzø reveals shooting them would. Millie is annoyed he revealed that. I thought it was interesting that we establish Imps can be killed by being shot, and then later that Stolas can as well, albeit with a different kind of gun. I don’t know if it’s necessarily relevant but you should always take note of ways characters can die and ways they can come back in my experience, and such dialogue is rarely for nothing. Stakes have to be introduced otherwise we won’t have the suspense they are in actual danger. This exchange puts Millie and Blitzø back in danger while still giving them a demonic flavor in the world building in that the fire wouldn’t hurt them. It’s a good, subtle, writing choice. Taking away stakes to establish a trait like fire immunity but then bringing them back with gunshot vulnerability.

Moxxie kills Martha by shooting her through the eye, overcoming his issue at the beginning of the episode to save his wife and also, incidentally, his boss. It’s a great shot from a visual perspective (pun not intended but appreciated) with Moxxie framed through the bullet wound.

Moxxie and Millie cuddle making their relationship more defined.

Blitzø is annoyed with Moxxie for causing the situation in the first place. Moxxie apologizes, Blitzø hugs him and forgives him and makes the first sexual threat joke about Moxxie and Millie of the series and confirms for the audience they are married. I appreciated this from a writing perspective, it gives us the info without Moxxie and Millie having to say it, which is always weird and unnatural in early episodes. “MY WIFE” kinda stuff, but having Blitzø do it casually in a very Blitzø way was just good dialogue. You always want dialogue to be revealing about both situation and character if you can and they nailed it with that line.

Blitzø calls for Loona, he calls her dear, another subtle hint at their relationship. It is not revealed they are father and daughter at this point but he treats her more affectionately than he does anyone else so far with his tone and dialogue so we know she’s different in some way.

Moxxie runs off to take care of something. He passes the phone where Stolas is still going on and we get the jelly sandwiches line. Freaky, oblivious bird. This is either a continuity error or Blitzø carries multiple phones as he just pulled a phone out to call Loona. I kind of assume he has the yellow one as a personal phone and the red one for business? I just noticed it so I’m going to keep an eye on it.

Moxxie tells the Dad Ralphie that Moxxie should have killed them because they are monsters, but they deserve a chance at a life and a purpose. He thinks mostly of the children. “I’m handling this my way” to show he is still holding to his principles and that he believes in justice prevailing and they have a slightly humanizing moment with the universal remote.

Moxxie joins Blitzø and Millie at the portal. Blitzø says some pervy Blitzø stuff. Millie asks if Mox is okay and says he has a good heart but a fussy head. Millie goes through the portal, Moxxie looks back and the Earth police blow up the house and everything he tried to do with his good intentions. Sad teddy bear shows us even the kids died. Blitzø yanks him back through to Hell.

The office is having celebratory cake. Millie is proud of Moxxie while he looks miserable. They sum up the “lessons of the episode” via dialogue.

Moxxie finally learned not to fuck up

Killin people is okay if they try to kill you back

That is messed up, but I paid for it!

Everyone laughs. Moxxie looks miserable.

We the audience are shown that this world has a very different moral code than our own, Moxxie is the most like us and the people proven right in the episode were the characters with no moral issue killing a family from the beginning. The lesson learned is Moxxie’s, and kind of echos the “road to hell is paved with good intentions” aphorism in that we assume the whole family ended up there by the end because of Moxxie’s. The family is revealed to be rather evil, but Moxxie still wanted to try to save the most innocent of them and still failed.

This episode serves as the entire series opening image in a sense. Here are who we are dealing with, here are some tastes of their personalities and hints at their relationships, the world has a much different moral code than our own.

This is the true pilot episode in terms of structure and content. We have a cohesive three act structure. In the first act we setup the characters (Blitzø, Moxxie, Millie, Loona. The client and the family), the setting (both Earth and Hell), the theme can vary based on your interpretation but there are several to pick from revenge being central, humans being as bad as hell residents, etc and we have the main conflict of the episode: Moxxie is not comfortable killing an innocent family but has been tasked with doing so.

In the second act, Moxxie attempts to solve the main conflict by ruining the shot, which leads to everyone being in danger from the family, and everyone gets captured.

And in the third act, Moxxie is able to resolve this conflict by killing Martha to save Millie and he attempts to give the remaining family a chance but is thwarted by Earthly law enforcement. It’s still a resolution, even if doesn’t align with human based ethics or end happily for Moxxie, the naive audience surrogate who has to learn along with the audience that it’s not that simple in this world, and it doesn’t always end in rainbows and happiness.

We have accomplished all Pilot goals. We have been placed in the world, introduced to the major characters and given hints as to their relationships and personalities. The major overarching plot devices for further exploration in the season are introduced: the business itself and the grimoire, both will continue to be relevant and are linked together.

The major questions we are left with to continue onward are the results of the Blitzo/Stolas conversation, the exact nature of Blitzø’s relationship with Loona, and how IMP will handle other clients in the future.

I thought it was interesting is the three main character perspectives, other than the client who is a throwaway character, are Moxxie, Blitzø and Stolas. Millie is a supportive role and mirror for Moxxie she doesn’t actually affect the plot in any way other than being the catalyst for Moxxie to make his choices and to highlight his flaw. Loona is largely there for an expository purpose to explain the grimoire and state the theme, she has no plot relevance. As far as character reveals and relationship reveals go the central focus of the episode is those three in that order of importance. We don’t even find out Millie is Moxxie’s wife explicitly until the end and we do so because she is why he made the choices he makes at the end, we don’t find out Loona is Blitzo’s daughter at all until episode 3, but we have the beginnings of Stolas and Blitzø, we have brush strokes of the team’s relationship to each other, and the beginnings of Moxxie and Blitzø’s dynamic as well.

In terms of the overarching plot structure of the show this episode serves as the perfect Opening Image. There are lots of things dropped we’ll pick up throughout this season and the next. A lot of stuff you don’t realize was established so early on is there.

The writer’s did an incredible job with the dialogue, the foreshadowing, and everything is so efficient and tight for a 13 minute runtime. Every scene, every line, every visual serves a purpose and it’s extremely well done. While I don’t consider it a masterclass in writing or anything, it is one of the best “by the book” Pilots I’ve ever seen.

#helluva boss #helluva boss meta #Stolitz #stolas x blitz #vivziepop #long post #I tried to find all Blitzø’s but my autocorrect hates it #I missed fandom #I love doing stuff like this #engaging with media is so fun

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broadwayfangirl222 · 1 year

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Demon royalty and how they're viewed

I think the reason why demon royals being seen with a "Lower class" demon is seen as a scandal in some cases and and not a big deal in others is cause of their roles in hell and their rhetoric/persona

Charlie with Vaggie:

Charlie only has her parents above her so she can basically do whatever she wants. And let's be honest despite her status no one takes her seriously so why would they care who she's with?

Stolas with Blitzø:

The Goetias seem to be more bound by tradition/rules/formality than the 7 sins or Charlie. They seem to heavily value the whole system and care about their image above basically anything. Of course it'd be a huge scandal if they were seen with an imp. Even Stolas who's likely a more progressive member of the Goetias has made unintentionally demeaning comments about imps

Ozzie with Fizz:

Ozzie is lust, of course he'd have as much casual sex as he can. If he was caught just hooking up with Fizz, or an imp in general, no one would bat an eye. It's his whole thing. However he's gone on about how soft, cutesy love can't mix with lust. He has a whole song dedicated to it. Any crap he's going to get for being with Fizz is less "Oh he's with an imp" and more the fact he's going against his own rhetoric by being in an actual relationship at all

Bee and Tex:

Bee is in a similar situation as Ozzie: No one would expect her to follow any kind of formality/tradition/rules/whatever. She's this party girl who does whatever she wants. The only difference between her and Ozzie's case is she didn't spread this whole rhetoric that ended up making her look like a big hypocrite

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #idk dumb meta #shut up me #might delete later #my gifs

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aarafox · 1 year

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On Stolitz, Desire and Misunderstandings

I’ve thought about them so much for the past few days that I just have to put my thoughts somewhere. This might be far from structured/coherent but contains everything that has been running around in my brain lately. Feel free to interact with me about this because they’re driving me insane (in a positive way).

Quick disclaimer: I’ve watched everything in nearly one sitting a few days ago and am new to the fandom, so I might be unaware of commonly known info or things the creators have said or confirmed. If you come across any of my questions that have been answered already, please forgive me for not knowing and feel free to enlighten me! Let’s begin~

The main thing that got me thinking about this so much is Blitz’s line in ep 7 when he brings Stolas home after their failed date: “Don’t act like what we have is anything but you wanting me to fuck you, okay? You make that really clear, all the time.”

But the thing is, he is wrong. We as the viewer know this, how Stolas chokes on his food when he sees that Blitzy calls, how he lunges to pick up the phone and how his eyes turn into little hearts when he hears the question. If anything, Stolas is smitten with Blitz.

He even calls Gabriella a “mood” when she asks Alejandro why he won’t love her. It’s indisputable that he’s thinking about Blitz here.

And how much he actually likes Blitz becomes even more clear to us at the start of season 2, when they’re kids. Stolas falls in love at first sight and blushes several times.

And then, 25 years later, he is delighted to meet Blitz again. After the initial (joking?) assumption that Blitz has come here to “ravish him”, he tries to make gentle conversation and asks him how he’s been. Blitz is the one who decides to initiate sexual relations—that is, he pretends to start it, and decides to keep it up when he hears Stolas chirp about how happy he is that it’s his “first ever friend” who wants to do him. But Stolas, before this, was surprised by Blitz’s advances and unsure how to react. Stolas, if anything, has to believe that Blitz is very sexually attracted to him.

That is why Blitz’s line in episode 7 fascinates me this much; one would think the reverse of what he says is true. Stolas has no reason whatsoever to believe that Blitz ever wanted more from him than sex/the grimoire, especially with how their relations began. So it strikes me that apparently, to Blitz, it hurts him to think that Stolas wants nothing else from him. He even begins to cry there in the van as he begins to reject the prince.

See the tears in his eyes? Why is that? Is he embarrassed? Angry? Does he feel guilty for putting Stolas in a “disgraceful” picture? Is he thinking about entirely different things that happened to him in the past?

And Stolas cries when Blitz is gone, because, well, he does think of Blitz as more than a sex friend. He was so excited to be asked out by him, he made himself look pretty, tried his best to make conversation with him, thought Blitz was actually taking him on their first date ever! He thought Blitz had called him out because he wanted to spend time with him, so he did his best to make the date a success, but all he received from Blitz was, well, nothing… He even tried to end the night on a more positive note by asking Blitz to come inside for something other than sex, perhaps to drink some wine and talk about what happened (or watch a movie, or cuddle 🥺). But when he hears that his sentiment of just wanting to spend time together has never come across—not now, not ever before—and Blitz actually believes Stolas just wants to frolic, that’s when Stolas leaves it for what it is and ends up crying.

(God I feel so bad for him, my heart)

And he spends a LONG time trying to show Blitz, via his texts, that sex is not the only thing that he’s after.

But he only gets one-word responses from Blitz. Nothing, literally nothing to keep going on. It’s no wonder he loses faith in that whatever they had could ever be anything more. And Blitz probably has commitment issues or is afraid of things not working out and he ends up keeping Stolas at a distance—until it’s too late.

And it just kills me that he does care about Stolas but somehow won’t admit it, won’t show it. And yet he sounds so hurt there in that van, when he accuses Stolas of merely wanting to be his sex friend. And he actually cries. For that reason, and for many other reasons not all clearly laid out for us.

Meanwhile Stolas has been crushing on him for 25 years. It’s only natural for him to propose the deal they made: he wants Blitz to be close to him (and he assumes Blitz enjoyed sex with him that first time, since he slept there for the entire night while at first only claiming he could do it “real fast”) and Blitz wants his grimoire. This is the perfect way for Stolas to get Blitz to be with him, because, frankly, he doesn’t have many other reasons to meet up with him. So they make this deal: Stolas gets to be together with him for once a month, and Blitz gets the grimoire. Perfect right?

Except when Stolas discovers that Blitz doesn’t even begin to know how much Stolas actually cares. That’s why he keeps sending those long texts, he tries so hard to let Blitz know they could be doing anything else and he’d love that too. That night after the date he already begins with those attempts, by telling him he enjoyed spending time with Blitz and suggesting things to do inside which Blitz misunderstands for him trying to get him into his bed.

But damn, if that was all Stolas was after, he wouldn’t get so depressed that he’d drink until passing out. He is heartbroken. And somehow, for some reason, so is Blitz. The first thing he does when he gets home is opening his phone to a selfie he took of them while Stolas was asleep.

And others have pointed this out as well, but Stolas doesn’t know about this picture and that Blitz smiled while he took it. On all the pictures Stolas has of Blitz, Blitz looks like he’s not enjoying himself at all.

So what must he think when he sends Blitz his reply that he could be in the hospital for a while in case he wants to visit, and Blitz doesn’t answer?

Well, that Blitz doesn’t want to come. That he doesn’t care enough.

Indeed, if there’s anyone who hasn’t been showing his true feelings or intentions, it’s Blitz. Stolas compliments him, calls him darling and “his” Blitzy, makes himself pretty for their date, and (for instance in ep 2 of season 2) blushes big time multiple times.

He’s had it bad for Blitz for ages, but he (correctly? incorrectly?) concludes that this is not mutual. And he has every reason to think so! Blitz treats their sexy adventures as a business transaction, is all serious and stoic to Stolas about it except for the rare occasion where he does show how much he likes it, like after Stolas rescues him from the demon hunters and he grins and seduces Stolas before kissing him.

But the times when Blitz talks about them to others? Those are moments Stolas doesn’t know about and doesn’t get to see, like when Blitz talks to Striker and stutters like mad trying to explain what they are and aren’t. He never outright says that they’re not dating. He doesn’t even deny Millie’s words when she says they’re boyfriends.

(M&M totally know I’m wheezing)

It just drives me insane how Blitz isn’t honest with his feelings, especially towards Stolas. He probably chooses to believe that Stolas only wants to have sex with him, because that’s more convenient and safer for him, and enables him to keep Stolas at a distance.

Perhaps that is why he never properly responds to Stolas’s texts, never jumps to the opportunity to agree to Stolas’s indirectly asked questions or suggestions. Getting closer might be a bad idea somehow—but after those texts he has to understand what the prince’s intentions are, right? They just don’t talk about it at all; we also aren’t told whether they still do it or not, or just exchange the book like Stolas’s texts suggest. This is striking compared to season 1, where we got scenes of them in bed or talking about their next meet up.

It isn’t until Stolas’s life is in actual danger when Blitz begins to realise how much he cares.

“He can get hurt?” His eyes are trembling with disbelief. After that he finally sends Stolas a text first, and then begins typing again, and stops. I imagine he started typing a yes, but stops himself for some reason. I really hope they’ll show us what Blitz was thinking in that moment. Why would he not go to see Stolas? Because he feels guilty? Because he’s afraid he’ll start caring even more when he sees him wounded in that bed?

But again, for Stolas this just means that he doesn’t care, and the poor owl curls up and turns away from his phone.

#stolitz #helluva boss #my brain is doing things #also if I'm posing any questions I should've already known the answer to please be gentle with me #stolas #stolas goetia #blitzo #stolas x blitzo #helluva boss meta #stolitz meta #I am greatly enjoying this show #not planning to interact with criticism #click on the pics for better quality etc etc #ngl their kissing scene was my fave moment lol... they looked so happy together #can't wait for the next ep uuuuuuugh sobbing

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