#helluva rambling

Namely, that Helluva Boss is a show about messy, fucked-up, ‘disaster’ characters. But very pointedly not just the fun, silly and sexy parts of ‘disaster’ characters that fandom loves so much. It’s ALSO about the actually messy, uncomfortable and UGLY aspects of these characters as well. Specifically, how deeply hurt and traumatized people can all too often and easily make TERRIBLE decisions that end up hurting themselves, and OTHERS around them.

As in, this is the CORE of both Stolas’s and especially BLITZO’s entire characters, as well as the source of basically all of their relationship conflicts. Blitzo and Stolas are both deeply hurt men who’s deeply ingrained trauma and inability or refusal to recognize or understand it leads them to make terrible decisions that end up hurting themselves, each other and many others around them. And it is notably something that, by the end of Season 2, they have both only just started to recognize and take steps to improve.

It’s why Blitzo has left a trail of broken-hearted and often traumatized exes in his wake, it’s very likely why he destroyed his relationship with his sister (I have a hunch it wasn’t just the fire that drove them apart…) and it’s why he still has an understated but very dysfunctional relationship with Loona that is sure to blow up sooner or later.

It’s why Stolas unwittingly drove his own daughter away from him by unknowingly giving her the, frankly entirely reasonable, impression that he simply did not care about her anymore, or at least cares FAR more about his imp boyfriend.

It’s why Blitzo’s and Stolas’s big fight and breakup in The Full Moon wasn’t just likely, but frankly INEVITABLE.

And so much more that we’ve seen so far, and no doubt WILL see in the upcoming seasons.

Now for me, this complicated, ambiguous and general messiness just makes the characters in Helluva Boss all the more INTERESTING. It’s why Blitzo is probably my favorite example of the ‘sympathetic asshole’ protagonist trope (at least the male version) that’s become so popular over the last twenty years. It’s why I find Stolas to be one of the most compelling and interesting ‘entirely-loving-yet-super-dysfunctional-dad’ characters I’ve ever seen. It’s why I find Blitzo and Stolas interesting as a VERY dysfunctional relationship between two very flawed people who nonetheless have grown to love each other and are now trying to make things work. And it’s likewise why I find so many other characters in the show so damn interesting and compelling.

But I have to wonder how much of the rest of the fandom feels similar, or even just recognizes all this complexity and nuance to begin with? Given how fandom seems to so often prefer trying to sand off all the edges of characters like this so they can use them as some metaphorical stuffed animal to cuddle with.

First, in the pilot episode, we see in Blitz's office that there is a framed poster on the wall:

It's an advertisement for a "1 night only" show at the big top featuring "The Incredible Blitzo!"

The fact that this poster solely mentions Blitz, when Fizzarolli was always Buckzo's shining star must mean something. Not to mention that the design of Blitz's profile is when he is older, from my guess when he was an older teenager or young adult.

Then in episode 6 of season 1, "Truth Seekers," we see a cartoonish character in the image of Fizzarolli taunting Blitz during his bad trip, who seemingly makes reference to this same night.

Subconscious Fizz: "You tried a solo-act, It didn't work out so well!"

Though, Fizz could just as easily have been referring to when Blitz attempted to impress the audience with his horse balloon trick when he was a kid, which we see in episode 1 of season 2: "The Circus."

We watch baby Blitzo struggling to form a balloon animal. When he finally manages something that looks like a horse (but is lacking legs), the audience remains silent, which greatly discourages him.

We should also remember what Robo-Fizz said to Blitz in season 1, episode 3: "Loo Loo Land."

Blitz: "The 'O' is silent now."

Robo-Fizz: "A-A-Aww, just like your audience always was when you to-told your lazy jokes here."

Basically, Blitz hasn't had a lot of luck in the spotlight. His audience is unimpressed time and time again.

What I'm theorizing is that Blitz had wanted to shoot his shot at preforming on his own, possibly preparing all of these great tricks and jokes, only to be completely shut down when the audience didn't find him entertaining.

So I actually find it really funny whenever I see Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss get really talked up by people, for good or bad, as these super ADULT shows with EXTREME and gratuitous depictions and amounts of swearing, violence and sex!

Now of course, the Hellaverse certainly DO have quite a bit of all of these, I’m obviously not trying to argue that.

Rather, I find it funny that a lot of people seem to think that these shows are somehow extreme outliers in their content among mature, adult-oriented, ‘child-unfriendly’ media. Even just among adult-animation.

I mean, yeah Helluva and Hazbin say ‘fuck’ and other uncensored swears a lot. Well guess what? So do a lot if not MOST adult animated shows. I mean, have you seen literally ANY clips of South Park?

And a whole lot of over-the-top violence and gore? Yeah, a whole lot of adult animation does THAT TOO. Just look up clips of Invincible.

Frankly, I’d say the one area the Hellaverse shows are an outlier in terms of maturity compared to a lot of other adult animation is in their WRITING. As in, the writing and story-telling in these shows are frankly a WHOLE lot more mature, introspective and nuanced (in other words, BETTER) than frankly a shitload of ‘adult’ animation/media which seem to be much more interested in showing a bunch of swearing, violence and titties.

Speaking of titties, when taken in comparison to how much some people talk it up, Hazbin’s and Helluva’s depictions of sex thus far have been HILARIOUSLY tame. I mean, people are saying that Stolas’s intense flirting or the M&Ms sloppy make-outs are SO raunchy and vulgar?

Please. Where’s the full-frontal nudity? The explicit on-screen sex? I mean we haven’t really even gotten one topless pair of boobs yet. Especially when, again, compared to ACTUALLY super raunchy stuff in other adult animated shows.

I mean, THIS was early 2000s Family Guy.

Come back to me when we actually get to see Blitzo’s dick or see Charlie and Vaggie scissoring. THAT’s some extreme raunchy shit.

Honestly, whenever I see people try to make some big deal, hype up or freak out about how so-called ‘SUPER adult’ the Hellaverse shows are, I can’t help but think of figuratively, or even literally, a bunch of sheltered teenagers/pre-teens watching their first R-rated movie. Like, have you actually seen any adult animated shows before or have you just been watching stuff like Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Owl House, Gravity Falls, Avatar, etc up to now?

Obviously I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with shows like that, but it’s also worth remembering that they have always been (quite sadly and despite the best efforts of their creators I might add) FIRMLY locked into the child/pre-teen demographic. It’s not like we ever actually see Grunckle Stan doing all the swearing he clearly WANTS to be doing. Or the many explicit deaths and warcrimes of both Avatar shows that were always just offscreen. Or just Pearl having countless torrid love-affair rebounds on ANY Gem or human woman who even vaguely reminds her of Rose.

So again, the Hellaverse shows aren’t actually all that extreme in their adult content. Rather only in comparison to what I’d wager some of their fandoms are USED to in animated shows.

And the funny thing is, personally speaking I’d actually really LIKE IT if Hazbin and Helluva go actually extreme in the adult content. Bring on more swearing, gore and fucking! Like I’m hoping that the ‘Chaggie sexy song’ we’ve heard about in Season 2 is going to include/lead to an actually explicit, on-screen sex scene for Charlie and Vaggie. Both for story/character/thematic reasons such as how I think it would be very appropriate if Charlie’s and Vaggie’s relationship is very much a combination of ‘wholesome’ AND ‘sexy’,

"Are you gonna run off with him?

And leave me behind?

Go away were I can't find you?"

So we all understand that Stolas, however unintentionally, validated EVERY LAST ONE of Octavia's fears this episode?

And that when Octavia tells Stolas "You never loved momma and you don't love me! You love him!" next episode, she has every reason to believe that?

So I’m not sure if anyone else remembers this, but a while back now Vivzie mentioned in an interview about Season 3 of Helluva Boss that we’d actually be learning a bit more about Stella. And that we’d find out some things that, to paraphrase: Probably won’t make us actually LIKE her, but still let us understand why she’s the way she is.

And I feel like I may have a pretty good guess as to what that might be:

For as much as people have been joking around with and headcanoning the idea of Stella hooking up with Barbie Wire, I think it is entirely possible if not quite likely that we’re going to find out that Stella is in fact just as gay as Stolas.

And I feel like that perfectly contextualizes so much of Stella’s character? Particularly Stella’s utter loathing of Stolas.

Because looking back, that is a rather interesting question. Yes, Stella is an extremely cruel and sadistic person, but that doesn’t really explain the extreme HATRED and vitriolic loathing she has towards Stolas. It seems like Stella absolutely despised Stolas and their marriage, even before he started his fling with Blitzo, and Stella simply being this cruel and sadistic person doesn’t really explain that.

But Stella turning out to be a lesbian woman who was forced into a compulsory heterosexual marriage with a man, to the point of being expected to even have a child with that man?

Yeah, I’d say that would explain Stella’s loathing of Stolas quite nicely. Not excuse how she acted on that hatred, but explain it nonetheless.

Really, Stella being a lesbian woman in a comphet marriage does so much to contextualize her as an actual character.

Everything we’ve seen of Stella paints her as a woman who does not give a FUCK about ANYTHING, save for her casual whims and social status among her peers. She doesn’t care about Stolas, her marriage, any of the actual power of being a Goetia (unlike her brother), she doesn’t seem to even care much about Octavia.

Because she never actually wanted ANY of that.

Something even further explained by the clear sexism and power-imbalance of Goetic nobility. After all, Stolas was the one who got all the titles, power and authority, while it seems that all SHE got was the expectation of being a dutiful wife and baby-factory.

Really, it paints Stella’s abuse of Stolas as her own toxic coping mechanism. Her way of gaining some kind of power and authority when someone in her position really shouldn’t have any.

And what I think makes this so interesting is that it explains and contextualizes Stella’s character in a complex way, without actually EXCUSING any of her actions.

As in, yeah she’s had her life completely dictated for her and forced into a comphet marriage to the point of even having a child, and she also decided to cope with it via cruel, sadistic abuse. And of course all the elitism, classism and racism.

In effect, it really makes her a pretty interesting foil to Stolas. It turns out they were both victims of the rigid, hostile societal expectations that the Goetia place on even their own children. Except whereas Stolas coped in self-destructive fashion, Stella coped in abusive fashion. Leading to pretty much a textbook example of a loveless, dysfunctional, toxic and abusive marriage.

Heck, Stella turning out to be gay would make a quite funny and ironic trend in that for all of the Goetia’s fixation on having ‘precautionary heirs’, NONE of the Goetia currently in the story, Stolas (gay), Octavia (ace), Stella (lesbian), Andrealphus (gay) or Vassago (gay), have sexual orientations that would leave them actually wanting to ‘produce an heir’.

Ultimately, given everything we’ve seen and how Helluva Boss has handled its characters and themes, I think Stella turning out to be just as gay and repressed/in-the-closet as Stolas is/was (maybe to the point of, unlike Stolas, not even yet realizing/admitting it herself) makes perfect sense.

It gives a lot of depth and complexity to Stella to make her a more fleshed out, three-dimensional character while not necessarily changing the overall person we’ve come to know her as. Much like Blitzo, Stolas, Moxxie, Loona and so many other characters in both Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, it allows Stella to be a complex character that doesn’t easily fit into a box of tropes.

Thinking about how Stolas clearly didn't mean his statement of it 'not being an imp's place to protect a Goetia' and was instead being sarcastic to provoke a response from Blitzo.

Which would make it all too appropriately ironic if that statement wound up being prophetic.

Random little ‘fridge logic’ thought: Has anyone else looked at the house Verosika is throwing the ‘Blitzo Sucks!’ party in and wondered; ‘just who owns this house?’

Like I know the answer some people might come to is something like ‘Verosika seduced/mind-controlled whoever owns it and has them stuffed in a closet and/or basement’.

But you know, I think Verosika probably just owns this house HERSELF. Like we know from Spring Broken that Verosika’s human-sona is apparently a known celebrity in the human world. Meaning that she likely has a full-fledged human cover-identity to go along with it. So is it so surprising that at some point she would have just bought a house herself? Especially given that she’s been apparently throwing these ‘Blitzo Sucks’ parties for a number of years now.

And I think that could be a really neat bit of world-building, you know?

From everything we’ve seen and heard, it looks like a lot of succubi/incubi and demons in general do regular business in the human world. And with asmodean crystals and likely other devices/spells capable of providing a human disguise, it makes perfect sense that many of those demons would have cover-identities to go along with them.

So like, how deeply entrenched into human society have demons become in the Hellaverse? I feel like there’s going to be a pretty fun answer to that at some point down the line.

I feel like basically everyone at I.M.P. comes off as more or less pretty competent and capable in the video…

Except for Blitzo.

Like how the combat-training section where Millie and Moxxie are doing most of the talking and action (while Blitzo is basically just a punching bag lol) is actually very well and competently presented, with Moxxie and Millie coming off as generally pretty slick and professional.

And of course Stolas comes off as the epitome of professionalism when he’s put in the secretary position.

And I’d argue that even Loona comes off looking pretty competent if instead of looking at her secretary work (which she has ALWAYS been extremely ill-suited for), we actually consider that she’s apparently meant to have done the in-universe editing and VFX work for the video. Which of course is actually quite good, particularly given what she probably had to work with. Like yes, we see Blitzo doing editing in the actual credits, but he clearly has no idea what he’s doing and calls for Loona at the end so I think we can assume she ended up doing it instead.

(plus I think that actually paints a pretty accurate picture of where Loona’s REAL talents and role at I.M.P. lie? She’s terrible at the job Blitzo tries to give her, ie; dealing with customers, but is VERY capable at field-work and all the ‘behind the scenes’ work that actually keeps the business running)

But of course every time BLITZO is doing the talking or otherwise the focus in the video, he comes off as a totally incompetent, egotistical, insecure, unhinged fuckup.

It’s been clear for a while that the shorts often contain hints and foreshadowing to future character and plot developments in the show, and I’ve seen some theories that both this short and the previous ‘Big Boss’ short are hinting that Season 3 will see Blitzo’s newfound fame go to his head, leading to his ego and insecurities threatening to drive away his friends.

And while I think that could definitely happen, I feel like this short in particular could be hinting at something else;

That deep down, Blitzo actually isn’t as really cut out for running an assassination business as he might think.

As I’ve discussed in a previous post a while back, a have a feeling that Blitzo’s fixation on being a hitman is largely if not entirely a toxic comping mechanism for his grief and trauma. Essentially an internalization of his belief that he ‘ruins everyone’s lives’ that his father almost certainly beat into him after the fire.

Like just contrast how Blitzo seems to have all these personal hang-ups and insecurities about needing to be a great assassin to how Moxxie and Millie seem to view it as simply a job that they both happen to enjoy and are really good at.