#radiostatic analysis

So I watched this amazing video analysis on Al, with this REALLY MOVING section covering RadioStatic (Al's side is from 23:35 ish). It's amazing. The basic gist is "Alastor is afraid to ever open up again because of what happened with Vox".

Which I think means that, in order for Al to get the happy ending they propose for him in this video, he has to have some kind of closure with Vox, and it can't just be killing him or going on with this destructive crazy whatever they have now.

For me, what I want for RadioStatic in canon - as opposed to fandom where they can marry and be in love forever in 10 billion diff ways - is for them to get some kind of healing and closure. For Vox to let go of his toxic self-destructive obsession and maybe become a marginally better, happier person. And for Al to be able to find some kind of closure/catharsis for the friendship he lost. I mean, we can dream.

I'm gonna go in with the obvious and say it's kind of implied they'd been drinking for a while.

The flashback starts with Vox saying "You're inspiring, really! And when you think about it, modern entertainment actually started with radio!"

The line seems to be part of a bigger talk we weren't made part of yet: the viewer is thrown immediately into the situation.

Right after this, Alastor hums, almost bored, which prompts Vox to say "Ah, sorry, am I boring you with my compliments?"

He had been talking for a while, then. And at the rate Alastor is going with that whiskey (he shortly after asks for another one), he probably had others before this moment, which means that during this, Alastor may not have been totally sober.

Vox has no glasses around him, he sounds clear and steady, so he's lucid.

We do get from the show that Alastor turns to drinking and smoking when upset, which we see at the start of the episode, in front of his vanity.

The bar chat in the flashback happens a bit before he disappears on Rosie's account, which means he'd know by now that he has to go do whatever she asked of him, and that could be the reason of his supposed frustration at this moment.

While Vox keeps talking, we see he manages to get away with a few things that would have had most people dead by now:

- Mocking him

- Touching him (despite the discomfort we hear via the radio screech)

Knowing Alastor's character, this is insane. There's no hiding the fact he's comfortable with, if not fond of, Vox. I mean, look at him while Vox mimics him - soft laugh, dilated pupils... he's relaxed. He let his guard down.

Difference in pupils:

But this could also be because, as theorized before, he may be tipsy in this scene, which is even greater: mr. Control Freak Alastor loses his inhibitions in front of Vox. He trusts him enough for that.

Vox, at this point, is well into his partnership talk, and this is where it goes ugly.

But there's a detail most pointed out before me already: Alastor pulls/tugs his hair when upset.

Guess what.

Same exact thing. Alastor is upset - I actually like to think he's more frustrated than anything.

We know Alastor is fed up with being chained by Rosie. I wouldn't be surprised if his frustration initially stemmed from the fact he had to do something for Rosie, maybe even whatever led him to disappear for seven years, and now this: Vox asks for a partnership.

This prompts to ask the question, what if Vox had always been his ticket out? That would explain why he's entertaining him at all: he needs him. He sees his ambition, the hunger for power, and decides he still has one more way of using it without sharing his power and risking losing his chance at escaping the deal with Rosie. So not only he rejects him, he's unnecessarily cruel, knowing it'll spark in Vox a hatred so deep, he'll want to destroy Alastor in any way, shape or form, becoming the strongest sinner in Hell and nullifying his deal.

It also explains the fact that he even engaged in a fight with Vox later. At the start of "Stayed Gone," Valentino says, "you still pissed he almost beat you that time?"

=> I oficially believe that alastor and vox might actually be secret allies right bloody now and that's why.

first of all, why the fuck not? all we know about alastor is that the guy desires power and prepared to do many crazy things to get it, such as selling his freaking soul. now, is being controlled by rosie 24/7 so much better than teaming with vox? doubt so. he put up with the hotel shit for a YEAR, he had to film commercials, fight for the little gang and listen to all the songs. and compare, being vox's CAPTIVE he's having the time of his life. he doesn't need to hide his real personality, he might be killing and eating raw deers at a business meeting and vox would look at him like it's all he ever wanted in his life, which is quite true, by the way, but I'm getting carried away.

so there's noting that bad in teaming with a powerful dude. now, we know, he rejected vox years ago. he did, no matter that the reasons were, but I've watched it for like a thousand times by now, and so many ppl mentioned that at the very first moment alastor reacts suprised, his smile stays genuine for a second or two, later he HIDES his face's expression and only then turns into I-love-humiliations-dude. and I definetly ain't buying that it was 100% ideological, no friends in hell, all the shit. he is a mister lets-make-a-deal, why didn't he take advantage of this for himself?

and now, there's this little nice touch with vox proposing angel as a spy, and val puts it like it's impossible, and by the time he's communicating with angel again we have already forgotten this idea ever existed. so we're led to believe that alastor cannot teammate with vox cuz he already rejected him? weeeeell, the fact that the plan to make angel a spy was initially rejected did not prevent it from being implemented anyway.

and that's more, alastor says "a tantrum you threw after, now, that was entertainment". so while the most logical assumption would be that after being humiliated like that vox would just freak out and run away from there that very second, the fact is that BOTH of them stayed there in the bar DISCUSSING this shit? vox threwing a tantrum and alator listening to it?

I say there are chances that at some point, maybe not that exact moment, but later, they had an agreement. they lived in the same city for... the Bar Scene was 70 years ago, minus 7 years, that leaves us with a 63 years of their history we know BLOODY NOTHING about. and they interacted, they definetly were. "you're still pissed off he almost beat you that time?" says val at the beginning of stayed gone. "he owes us much more than money"...

moving forward, now, why al and vox would act as rivals with each other, why stayed gone, why they never communicated secretly with each other? well, and rosie and alastor, did they? not in the slightest. and yet here we are, knowing they've been hiding their relationship so successfully. and vox and al never were really alone, even in s2ep4 there's somehow valentino wathing them, at it has been pointed out that he's been listening from the start. and if you wanna fool someone, the greatest caution should be exercised with those who are closest to you, who are val and vel.

now, and here I am really going nuts, vox says "I gotta send a message (of who's really in charge of things now)". alastor's comeback was some sort of a sign to vox he had to reply to? as crazy as this sounds, I just love overthinking stuff as you might have already noticed.

and there's always more. vox didn't hurt alastor LIKE AT ALL. he only tears the threads on alastor's wound, which alastor stitches back together with his magic in about the same fucking second. they pretend to fight, but all they really do is pressing each other against different surfaces such as a table, a wall, an office chair and eyefucking intensely.

and alastor says "right according to plan", he doesn't say "right according to MY plan".

and just to sum up, I mean COMEEE OOON NOW, they are literally MADE FOR each other, they never been more human than with each other, and that "love saves everything and everyone" IS KINDA THE DODDAMN POINT OF THE SHOW. charlie and vaggie, Im not even commenting. pentious was redeemed and his lovestory with cherry had a huge role in that. angel is closest to redemption than anyone because of husk. husk is overcoming his addictions thanks to angel.

but losing their love makes characters weak (like lucifer missing lilith) or outraged (like lute) or freaking insane (like vox). and I will never buy the idea of vox having any real feelings for val, they're just friends with benefits. and val gets offended only when he realises alastor for vox is so much more than that, cuz if it was just physical, vox would have already fucked the brains out of alastor right on that chair.

and all those speculations about a way to stop vox... there's one, tied up to a chair and grinning like he has just stolen bloody christmas. just make alastor do this, and he would stop vox with ONE conversation. and those two should just fuck already, what, am I wrong?