Helluva Boss Critique - Tumblr Posts - Page 6

Almost as bad as War Thunder leaks💀

Despite the episode leak, I'm not going to say anything critical until the episode comes out officially.

The new episode is pretty much leaked. Almost entirely. View it at your own discretion if you want to be spoiled, but I'm still not going to say anything until the episode is released officially.

Now whoever is leaking the episodes, they must be really unhappy with Spindlehorse and Vivziepop if the they're willing to leak the entire episode out like that. Goddamn.

Somebody call the police, because I been robbed of a better design.

Like, I know beatboards are basically not final and such, and it's just made to show a concept but, I feel that that design for Martha looks a LOT better than what we have. I really like the heart shaped eye hole, the ram horns and EVEN the leopard spots on her body, plus she looks like such a badass but then again, I kinda understand why Vivzie may have gone with a different design because ya know, the leopard spots.. Maybe it's a similar situation like Ladybug and Cat noir (or chat noir depends on where you live), where originally the show was gonna be an anime but it was scrapped due to how hard it would've been to animate Ladybug's outfit because of the spots.

That is what I would've said if it wasn't for the fact that characters like Beelzebub exist.

And before you hardcore stans come at me and say "But the hair and tail is animated separately + green screen" or even "The animators have fun animating her" which yeah but I'm talking about the colors, don't get me wrong I LOOVVVVVVVVVVE Bee but I can't imagine how painful it must be to animate her because of her LARGE color palette and details. Just because the animators had fun animating Bee does NOT mean that it wasn't hard to do.. and I know they don't get paid enough to do it because, Viv has a bad track record when it comes to paying her staff but that's not what I'm talking about, we're talking about Martha's design and how she could've had a better design. I'm attempt to redesign her like what everyone else has been doing

Man, The Crew Just Love Safe Blandness

So, they changed the guy Stolas hooked up with from this (which stood out from a lot of other designs).

To a bland incubus who is a dime a dozen.

It's like the thing with changing the Magnes to Morningstars it feels so bland in comparison to what they previously had and probably shows she doesn't know how to really capture her audience as she thinks.

You know it wouldn't surprise me that Octavia would develop either a moderate to hardline type of classism and low opinion of lower caste hellborn due not only her father continuously neglecting her but also giving away a highly prized heirloom to a species that can completely be considered trash and disposable by most other hellborn. It's possible that the future attitude destain towards low caste hellborn can be tempered down by Octavia disguising herself as a low hellborn and finding a couple of new friends among the lower caste which would be due to the fact that her home is becoming too chaotic for her to endure sometimes so she needs an outlet while she is still young. Though I can't see Octavia and Loona becoming friends due to the latter's association with Blitzo, generally ass-holishness attitude, family heirloom used for business, and I just dislike the thought these two goth girls with two different backgrounds are now convenient friends later on.

Both Stella and Blitzo need to come to a mutual agreement on killing off Sad Gay AssOwl. Only by doing this will the two reach true happiness.

This essay is 100% spot on.

When you forget there’s sin in Seven Deadly Sins

[I guess this could be treated as part two of my rant about Hell’s ruling class.]

The Seven Sins are the embodiment of their vice, in a modern setting, they will probably be seeking to indulge in harmful activities themselves since they are immortal and can’t face consequences and influence others into falling into dangerous lifestyles. I can even see a scenario when each of them tries to make propaganda through the internet with platforms like Instagram or TikTok, like Beelzebub promoting Bezzle Juice except that it’s purposely made to be extremely addictive and one shot of it gets you hooked forever.

We’re gonna start with Lucifer, the only angel of the Seven. He’s a dreamer quirky cutie patootie with dePwezIOn that just wanted to give humanity Fwee Wil🥺.

What were Lucifer’s plans/dreams for humankind in the first place? He was dismissed as a troublemaker, okay…? What portrayed him as such? He’s a socially awkward silly guy but honestly, that’s all there is to his character. But I won’t get too deep with these questions maybe we’ll get more answers in Hazbin. However, what I can ask is…

How did Lucifer manage to find himself so close to The Garden of Eden? If I’m making something important I ain’t letting the petulant kid get close to it because… you know he might ruin it.

Elder or not Lucifer is still a Seraphim, did he not know that giving Free Will to humans would mess up everything? Even if HE didn't know what about the others? Were the angels even aware of Evil as a whole? If yes, why didn't they warn Lucifer before giving him access to Eden? Like “Hey dude the glowing red Tree in the middle of the Garden is bad news don’t let the mortals near it.” was it that hard?

Can someone explain to me how is this the embodiment of Pride? I personally don't see anything prideful in his attitude at all. Pride is the belief that you don’t need God in your spiritual journey, in a worst-case scenario, you think yourself above him. In the Bible, Lucifer was too Proud to bow before mankind and tried to overthrow God which led to his banishment. But since Viv totally changed the story and forgot to add the Pride elements, there’s nothing justifying Lucifer’s title as Pride incarnate.

TW: Mention of sexual assault/rape and a brief mention of other sexual practices.

Following with Asmodeus, why is he like this? Don't get me wrong, I can understand why he isn't a fan of rape as a whole, rape is rarely, dare I say never, about sexual craving, it’s about control. Val doesn't rape Angel Dust, and his employees because he feels needy, he assaults them because he knows that’ll break them psychologically and physically which makes them vulnerable to manipulation. Sexual assault as a whole is never about lust.

It makes sense if we drop out of the fact that Lust isn’t just physical but religiously speaking just an intense craving for something, like power or control. Viv took the easy way and reduced it to a physical craving so Asmodeus could be anti-rape I can’t blame her for that, it’s her ✨interpretation.✨

So Asmodeus is Pro Concent and it kinda makes sense. Since he’s the Prince of Lust, he technically should have influence over the culture in the Lust Ring and other species like Succubus should at least be weirded out by innuendo of non-consensual sex.

Well, shit.

“OooOoooOOH But Tiz is Not Rape!”

Compare the succubus’ abilities to aphrodisiacs and it all makes sense. Increasing someone’s libido without their consent alone is sexual misconduct proceeding to have sex with them later is rape. And it’s not the only instance of succubus assaulting people.

[Context: Ep3 S1, Verosika’s crew basically made condescending comments on how Moxie was cute and how they wanted to kiss him despite his discomfort and the fact that he mentioned being married. They still eventually kissed him by force and it was treated as a joke. “I care about male victims.” Sure we believe you.]

So Asmodeus is a hypocrite for giving succubus and incubus a way to get to Earth while knowing they are raping as many humans as possible.

“D3mOn @re BAAAAAAD Pweple So |t makse sense.☝️🤓”

I know, I wouldn’t complain that much if Asmodeus wasn’t painted as this cutie patootie lovely doe who is so in love with his lovely cute good boy partner.

Talking about partners, why does the Prince, no… why does LUST INCARNATE have ONE partner? The dude’s sex drive should be higher than the Olympus Mons and you’re telling me he doesn’t have a harem at disposition and he’s FAITHFUL?!! No free relationship, no hookups, no polyamorous relationship, and no mention of orgies he organizes to test the efficiency of his toys! Hell, we’re talking about Lust shouldn’t he be more inclined to have exhibitionist behavior (In recent episodes Lust’s citizens were desensitized about voyeurism so showing a bit of skin shouldn't be a problem)? Or, I don’t know, the ability to change his appearance and sex to appeal to a larger audience. Maybe the smoke secreted by his fire can serve as an aphrodisiac he only uses to put his partners in the mood (With their consent if she’s so attached to that idea.)

Viv, with two shows whose humor is mostly based on sex you certainly lack representations in terms of positive sexual activities, every time sex is mentioned in both of her projects it’s either a joke or diabolized. I’ve seen teens on Wattpad and AO3 writing foul smut with sexual practice so taboo it’ll make you gasp out loud! Take an example! (This was obliviously a joke but seriously, smut’s writers scare me with their tags.)

This leads us to Beelzebub, she’s supposed to be…. an animal tamer? She did not give off this vibe at all, she’s a party girl at best, stop saying things on Twitter Viv, and show it in your shows!

Is there a reason for her to be so nice? What do you mean you don’t want Bliztø to lose himself in alcohol and sex, you’re all about overindulgence. If anything she should actively invite people who are mentally distressed as they’ll be more willing to drink excessively in a “forget my life’s issues” type of way. This could also explain why so many people in her parties are minorities, Hellhounds and Imps are treated like shit by Hell’s society so being invited to one of Queen Bee’s parties will be a great honor and a way for them to forget how difficult their life is.

“E3RmS Actoualli, Bee ite the Viiiibe! S0 ze kant let Peple b3 s@d or ze will be sad too. ☝️🤓”

Ah… okay, still don't explain why she can’t be a bitch about it. Since she “eats the vibe” and feels for her people she could be affected by Blizt's destructive behavior and be absolutely furious someone is ruining her parties for her! Then she could have gotten to Loona and been like “Look your dad doesn't have the vibe I’m looking for so get him out unless you wanna learn what happen to party pooper.” implying that she will most likely kill him (or eat him) and that this isn't the first time she offed someone for that. But I guess we can make another EMBODIMENT OF SINS a decent girl, it’s Viv ✨interpretation.✨

Going forward with Mammon, Viv humanized the Sins mentioned up there, so you would think Mammon would also get the humanization treatment?

“T3re Is NOO g0od s|de to GrEed!!!!! 😡”

Okay.

What’s Greed, it’s a selfish desire for more than what you already have (money, fame, etc...) The mention of selfishness doesn’t give Greed a positive connotation but you forgot…. This is Viv ✨interpretation✨ she reduced Lust to craving sexual intimacy just so she could make Asmodeus Pro Concent. Beelzebub doesn't need food she eats the Viiiiibe so she can’t let people self-destruct! Here she’ll politely ask you to go away because she caaaaaares. And Lucifer isn’t Prideful at all.

She removed part of the definition of each Sins so she could make them good people and you’re telling me that she couldn't do the same for Mammon?!

“But H0w can ze posibli m@ke Greed Pozitif?”

If you remove the selfish aspect, Greed is wanting something more. There’s nothing wrong with that, like wanting more recognition, and more money when you’re poor. Mammon could have been this guy who worked himself at the top and his money could have been the fruit of his hard work.

So why, of all the Sins that got turned down was Greed the only one who got the “I’m pure Evil” treatment?

The Seven Deadly Sins aren't supposed to be decent beings. They represent the worst of what humanity can do and they are embodied by equally bad entities. With a setup as shitty as the Hellaverse, where there are little to no rules, slavery, classism, and drugs available everywhere I was expecting them to be a tad bit vicious, purposely making the life of everyone worse for their benefit. Mammon could have been the reason for this capitalist society as it’s the perfect environment to develop other sins and his. Yet, Beelzebub is friendly to the Hellhounds while letting them be treated like lesser than how we treat dogs. There’s even rehabs in Hell, Verosika and Barbie were in the same one.

Asmodeus will sue you if you rape someone unless you’re a succubus. Ironically he said that he’s against love potions when that’s literally what the succubus do with their abilities, get you in the mood without you knowing.

Lucifer is the number one silly guy and he even has an attraction parc for others to have fun.

I know it’s Viv ✨ interpretation✨ but you have to make it make sense. You can’t have demons this high-ranked being nice portray them as good people in the narrative when they are responsible for Hell being so unfair to the lower class.

As for the other sins…

Traditionally speaking Wrath isn't just unjustified violence but hatred and a desire for revenge. I think that’s one of the main reasons Satan and Lucifer are treated as the same person as Lucifer is both prideful, hates God, and seeks revenge. I don't see how Viv’s Satan could be vengeful as they were no war with Heaven to begin with.

Envy isn’t wanting something that someone else has (it’s jealousy), it’s hating someone because they have something that you don’t. Which often results in trying to make the life of this person worse but that’s another thing. I didn't see anything about Sloth and judging by the Sloth Ring, Beelphagor is going to be medical-themed, we know he makes drugs and has a brand of anti-depressant named “Happy Pills.” (Nothing to do with the circus aesthetic she was going for.)

I don’t know if Viv really has a good grasp of what these Sin are traditionally as she claims but we have to see in future episodes. My guess is no.

I personally didn't care all that much for the Antartica short in all honestly. All it did was serve as a reminder of what is wrong with Helluva Boss in general and what it lacks. Still shitting on Moxxie as that joke within itself will still continue to be a running gag to run into the ground until the end of the series, keeps letting us know that Blitzo is a sex machine/Dom Top in some shape or form of course, emasculating Moxxie further by lustfully tonguing Blitzo's Asmodeus crystal on his arm and Millie saying she taught him that and no explanation given as to why the penguins are so murderously dangerous in this short.

I still fucking hate that the series has more or less stopped doing hit-man jobs for I.M.P. given the fact that in the Pilot that is what they should have been doing half the time in the series but given the fact it's been made clear by the writing within the show that the main characters won't face severe consequences for their actions and the side villains will be swiftly swept away/killed off without hammering home on exactly why these guys are serious threats in the first place(DHORKS, Cherubs, Striker, Any Goatia Nobility threatening Stolas's Family, etc.).

The only time I can consider Angel Dust attractive is when he is in his drag outfits. Like seriously, in his old drag design Angel Dust not only looked actually gorgeous but someone you would want to bang as well but now...nothing about this thin-sticked, pink all over, barely there bust, supposed "spider-boy" is appealing at all. Glitz, Glam, Verosika, and Paimon practically shit on Angel Dust in the Atrractiveness Department.

Welp. The helluva boss ep. 3 short did it's job of making viewers feel annoyed about it's weaboo character.....I still feel nothing besides that.

Just a rewritten story rant post in regards to the episode The Full Moon.

I do not like either Stolas or Blitzo since their characterizations are utter dogshit within the show but if you are going to portray one character in the wrong for not liking back their abuser/rapist back as well as not being grateful for the gift said abuser is giving them and at the same time not going into detail how they used coercion and degrading comments towards them then you need to stop writing and actually acknowledge how utterly terrible you are making your story become. There's only so many ways this meeting could have went between the two in episode 8 and I would at least like to put out a rewritten conflict where if Blitzo is supposed to be blamed for the falling out between the two I at least want to show how everything fell apart and why it was half the fault of Blitzo for how the toxic coercion relationship ended.

One, I am going to set the Stolitz relationship to be one-sided attraction on Stolas's side so it can be one of the main breaking points for why the toxic relationship broke apart.

Two, I would have Stolas be shown being bored and tired with his strict upper caste lifestyle which would lead him disguising himself as a middle caste hellborn in order to gain new insights and experience of the daily going-ons of those belonging to this caste. Stolas of course has no intention of ever disguising himself as one of the Imps/Hellhounds under certain circumstances as he along with everyone else above the bottom tier trash caste consider those types of hellborn beneath them and disposable. This outlook from Stolas softens as the series goes on but still stays with him for the rest of his life.

Three, have the disguised Stolas and Blitzo meet by having the latter either try to cleverly rob him or cause some type of accident that arouses Stolas's ire. In order to save himself Blitzo offers himself sexually to Stolas and telling him he is a pretty good fuck to which Stolas finds Blitzo's attempts to save himself hilarious but decides to indulge and the two spend the night fornicating but not before Stolas uses his magic to calm a terrified-for-his-life Blitzo who realizes who he is dealing with once Stolas reveals himself.

Four, Unfortunately Stolas failed to put in counter-measures for when Blitzo wakes and Blitzo, in his panicky state, quickly takes the opportunity to quietly escape as soon as possible and without taking the book, and of course things more or less occur as they did in the Pilot.

Five, While I highly doubt Vivzie will be able to spring four seasons out of Helluva Boss I will just headconon that each season has 12 episodes so that we have plenty of good characterizations and lore expanded upon as the show goes on. Besides that, I would have it be shown that Stolas is starting to catch feelings for Blitzo at the end of season 1, season 2 would have Stolas continuing to have deepening feelings for Blitzo but will become uncertain that Blitzo actually shares his feelings as he's picking up some hints that Blitzo does not reciprocate in turn by the end of season 2.

Six, Blitzo at the beginning of season 1 would stay the same more or less but around Stolas he would be nervous and half scared behind his confident mask because he knows the situation he got himself and his crew in can turn absolutely horrible if any of them messes up the missions they go on can turn horribly wrong but also that he can't dissatisfy Stolas in any shape or form. Of course, Blitzo would come to love the brief dominant powerplay he gets to have as a part of their deal. Blitzo would also come to find out that Stolas seems to have genuine feelings for him but Blitzo simply fakes having returning feelings to Stolas so that the deal that was made between the two does not turn out worse later on.

Seven, Things of course come to ahead during the middle of season 3 when Stolas decides to put forward a couple of tests to see if Blitzo really loves him back but becomes crestfallen when he finds out the truth. Near the end of season 3, The Full Moon episode happens but this time Stolas actually steps up and tells Blitzo that he(Stolas) was in the wrong for making Blitzo feel like a sex object, that he coerced Blitzo into a sexual predatory deal, did not really respect Blitzo for who he is, and made derogatory/uncomfortable sexual comments towards him. Blitzo is standing back looking very shocked/stunned but quickly comes around to the situation and excepts Stolas's apologies out of half sheer gratitude for finally understanding the situation the both of them are in and the other half of Blitzo hoping that this isn't a bad dream that's about to get worse. On Blitzo's part he also apologies to Stolas for not reciprocating his feelings and promises to do his, and his team, to help and protect Stolas if he ever is in danger(to which Blitzo hopes is not often).

This is absolutely going to happen and I am practically horrified for Octavia here.

Octavia WILL bend the knee

Here I will go in-depth into why Octavia will not be given the same grace in the fandom as Blitz did when she has her Full Moon Reckoning with Stolas.

NOTE/WARNING: I have seen and read the leaks, and they will be part of the reason why I feel this way.

What I mean by Full Moon Reckoning:

This is when the writers finally allow a victim of Stolas to be fully and rightfully angry at him for all the transgressions he has done to them, and more importantly when the FANDOM treats the actual victim's pain as the take back my power moment that it is.

The reason for this distinction is that I have noticed that Stolas is the fan favorite, and therefore it seemed all his wrongdoings got default reasons for not being that bad.

However, when Full Moon aired an odd and swift negative wind hit his character, and it has not abated.

Even with the newer ep the wind didn't lessen it got stronger.

It's like some spell broke.

It feels like a genie that can't be put back in the bottle.

He has gone from the fan-favorite to the most criticized.

The fandom is pretty unanimously on Blitz's side and has stayed on it.

However, as I've stated Octavia will not get this.

Octavia's pain in Sinmas is going up against:

Blitz and Stolas are male

Octavia is female, and a female in a Yaoi series at that. The women exist only as one-note plot devices for male pain, and that's even when said women themselves are technically leads(Loona, Millie).

2. Blitz and Stolas are main characters

Octavia is a side character who has barely been in two episodes spanning two seasons.

3. In the leaks Octavia takes up for her mother twice

Basically, she goes to bat for the fandom's hatesink.

4. Two other fan favorites(Fizz and Asmodeous) are written to be Team Stoliz

Plus, apparently, they are going to be against Octavia's mother and therefore Octavia.

5. THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON why Octavia is going to get it both barrels from the fandom is that Blitz and Stolas are canonically a gay couple by Sinmas.

Viv said an important arc will be finished by season's end, and I saw a post from her patron where she point-blank says they are a couple by the end of season two. Also more proof to me is that Blitz is very affectionate to Stolas in the trailer and in the leaks.

Speaking of, if you go to YouTube pretty much every comment is praising the ship sailing. A daughter is painfully estrangling herself from her beloved father, while he cries and begs for her mercy, and all everyone can talk about is getting wet over a toxic ship flying into her pain.

Recap TLDR:

Blitz got fandom grace because he is THE main character and was at the time rightfully against Stolas.

While Octavia will get to have her say she is also a woman bit player up against Blitz THE male main character who is now with Stolas THE male fan favorite in a gay romantic relationship.

She will also make the unforgivable sin of taking up for her cheated on mother Stella the hatesink.

Blitz and Stolas will also have the backing of two other favorites Fizz and Ozz as well as the rest of I.M.P.

The YouTube comments ignoring her anguish for the now canon ship are simply a taste to come of what the fandom as a whole is going to do.

Basically, this poor girl doesn't stand a chance.

I WANT to eat crow.

I realllly do.

That's why I employ the fandom to give the same grace they gave Blitz these last two episodes to Octavia as well.

However, this show is made by a fujoshi for fujoshi and that's why I know in my heart of hearts she will be damned instead.

Now, I've stated that the fandom is probably going to kiss the Stolitz ring against Octavia, but let's go into what I think the show is going to do.

Yes, after a year in the show and two seasons overall, Blitz finally got to angrily reinsert his personhood to Stolas, and yes it was cathartic and I'm glad it happened.

However, that doesn't change the fact that four episodes after Full Moon his fate is to be his abuser's boyfriend.

Also, if the merchandise is said to be hints of the creator's thoughts then his final destiny is to be his husband.

Basically, if the main character ultimately bent the knee then so will Octavia.

While the fujoshi in charge does allow them to assert their pain their ultimate fate is to comply.

Essentially it's just lip service to shut critics up.

She, and apparently his voice actor, has said don't worry everything will be alright, and by everything it's obvious they mean Stolas.

She has also said she likes happy endings so you can bet there will be none given to Stolas that doesn't have Blitz and Octavia by his side.

Also make no mistake Blitz's own daughter is also there to help the story ignore their pain. The seed was planted in Seeing Stars when Octavia warmly hugged, hung out, and was gaslit by a complete stranger. It's also why she's her ''sister' now in the pride poster.

Yea, Loona has a big part to play in season three alright, and it's to brainwash Octavia's distress so Stolitz can reign supreme.

Realistically if a fujoshi fangirl weren't writing this show this is what would happen:

Now that he has the crystal; Blitz would completely cut ties with the guy who sexually extorted and depersonalized him for a year. Not become his boyfriend/husband.

Sometime in season three Octavia finds out about her father's (poorly written) abuse and attempted murder attempts by her mother. However, instead of seeing him as a martyr, she states that Stella's actions toward him DON'T NEGATE HIS toward Octavia.

He still broke his own daughter's mental health with his infidelity and abandoned her as a consequence of his own actions i.e. illegal grimoire lending.

She then states she still wants him, and her other toxic parent, out of her life for good.

Her final words are Goodbye Dad... No.... Stolas.

Stolas for his part should be having some serious self-reflection by season 3. He should be strongly asking himself if Blitz was worth Asmodeus's self-fulling prophecy of losing his title, wealth, home, and daughter.

It should be NO, but a fujoshi is steering.

What she is going to do instead is make them use Octavia's pain to trauma bond into domestication.

Then Loona and the writing, in general, is going to make sure Octavia solely blames Stella: The Convenient Stolas Trump Card so they can all just be a family already.

Bonus: We will even get to see Octavia kick her mother from the palace with Stolas' signature GET OUT this time.

Ultimately Blitz and Octavia's misery will not mean anything. As the official car sticker merch states they will be a blended family and their suffering by Stolas be damned. 

However, I do have a small (delusional) theory that Ms. Fujoshi could throw a curveball:

Apparently, she has been liking a lot of Vassago and Stolas romantic fanart, but with a of course jealous Blitz. 

What if Vassago is Disney Princess Stolas's true endgame.

The guy who gets to show him what an actual healthy relationship looks like, and for a romantic like him this would be his true Prince Charming.

Sure Stolas ending up with a prince(and therefore getting everything back through him) just drives home that dirty, poor, broken, baggage-having, hypersexual Blitz was ultimately never going to be good enough for Purity Angel Stolas in the first place.

However, on the bright side, he's finally away from his abuser...

So on that note, Blitz's true endgame is Fizz. 

His real first friend. His real first love.

The correct star-crossed lovers.

The person who actually knows the true Blitz and can meet him blow for blow when he gets messy instead of running away crying with self-pitying gaslighting.

However, since she seems to hate her own main character Blitz's true endgame is going to be tainted.

Foreshadowing Number 1:

I've always found it curious that right after the can we make-out line the very next scene is Fizz coming back to Ozz wiping his mouth.

Why even put that thought in the audience's head unless....

Foreshadowing Number 2:

When Blitz shoots the stalker the mirror that Fizz and Ozz are kissing in front of breaks right down the middle, splitting them, with Blitz's face the last thing seen in the fracture.....

Basically, she is going to have Blitz and Fizz get together by cheating on Ozz, and the fandom is going to blow them both up for it.

Other Tidbits:

Blitz still very much has feelings for Fizz.

Even how he acted when he met him shopping in Full Moon showed this, and he fully blushed in the storyboard.

This is something he has never done for Stolas.

You know the endgame we should be rooting for and all that.

Also Fizz full-on blushes(cage) in the Opps storyboard.

Of course, the show properly erases those because we can't have anyone shipping Blitz or Fizz with their true soulmate.

Apparently, in a leaked script bit, Blitz falls in love with Stolas because he reminds him of Fizz. I mean my dear Stolitz shippers it should be a yikes on a bike for that alone.

It's honestly a disservice to both Verosika and Blitzo that we will never at least get a flashback episode of how these two met, fell in love, and how the relationship ultimately crashed and burned the way it did visually.

The Verosika in season 1 had an air of class, self confidence in spades, better-than-you-attitude and while she is seen being angry and bitter at Blitzo it wasn't as explosive and frenzy-like as was shown in Season 2 episode 9. In said latter episode Verosika looks like she is completely pissed off and upset over what Blitzo has done to her and their relationship and I'm not trying to say that Verosika doesn't have a right to feel like that but comes across to an extent out of left field and it doesn't help that there isn't at least two prior episodes in season 2 to set up the rising confrontation these two would have had in in the beginning stages of season 3(of course this would mean that the writers actually understand what pacing and outlined plotlines are).

Overall, in general it just sucks that like with every minor character in H.B. Verosika is a simple plot device to be used when it suits the writer's needs at any given time.

I'm just going to say that some of the goats in HB Short 4 were cute but everything else was shit, overdone or just stupid.

An SA Survivor's Reading of Stolitz

I don't believe that creators should be confined to telling one type of story. The beauty of fiction is to explore worlds, emotions and scenarios that are by definition unreal. It gives a safe space to interact with extremes that we would never necessarily wish to experience in our real lives with the ultimate safeword of no longer engaging with the material.

That being said, as creators, there is an ethical awareness that must be maintained in order to tell stories of things like trauma and abuse. Being alone in a cabin in the woods with a killer, that scenario is not a pervasive subculture in our society. Whereas cases of child abuse, sexual and domestic abuse are not only real, but common. And the complexities of psychological damage that perseveres long after the traumatic events are necessary aspects to telling these stories.

If you are not consciously aware and attentive to the lasting impact these events have, you run up against the horrific possibility of retraumatizing an individual unprepared for the callous invalidation of their experience.

No one should ever be shamed for engaging with media that depicts trauma they themselves may have experienced. For many, engaging in the fiction of it is a way of processing and validating their experience. Frankly saying, if you wish to write about trauma at all, you should be writing for that audience in specific. Otherwise you are simply exploiting the horrors that real people live through and struggle with every day for some cheap drama at the risk of triggering someone whose story you are inadvertently telling.

And much like most therapy speak, the term Triggered has become appropriated and misused to the point of losing all meaning in the lexicon. According to the University of North Carolina, "A trigger is a stimulus that elicits a reaction. In the context of mental illness, "trigger" is often used to mean something that brings on or worsens symptoms. This often happens to people with a history of trauma or who are recovering from mental illness, self-harm, addiction, and/or eating disorders."

The university breaks down the types of triggers as well and gives examples as to what those subcategories mean. I highly recommend that even if you are not the sort to follow up on references, I do recommend going over the article. It offers coping suggestions as well for those who are at risk of becoming triggered and helps refocus the sense of control back to the individual.

With that said, this is where I came across the inspiration for this essay. I completely removed all information for this user because the last thing someone needs when expressing how the misappropriation of abuse triggers them is how it is their fault for being triggered. These are the original tweets this response was in reference to.

As such, I feel the empathetic need to write this essay as a sympathetic reading to this person and others who have experienced SA who find that Stolitz resonates in an undesirable and even harmful way. I think this person deserves to feel seen.

To make the argument that the relationship between Stolas and Blitz isn't fundamentally abusive requires an author-intent reading of the series. It necessitates massive leaps to fill in gaping plot holes that never clarify the story Medrano is intending to tell. This is plainly just a reading of the series as is with all the context that has been physically, actually, shown in the series and that alone.

Throughout the series, Blitz is depicted as emotionally volatile and unpredictable with low self-esteem and crippling loneliness. He is constantly hounding his employees through sexual harassment from a sense of envy over their loving relationship, and infantalizes his twenty-two year old adopted daughter through an abusive dynamic where she ranges from rude to outrightly cruel while he consistently sacrifices any personal boundaries and self-respect.

The relationship between Loona and Blitz in specific feels like a masochistic self-hatred on Blitz's part where he allows himself to be used and abused by a parasitic family member to feel wanted, showing a pure desperation to be desired by someone in any way. Loona is verbally and physically abusive to her adopted father, using terms of endearment like "Dad" as a tactic to control Blitz's behavior, rewarding him when he does something for her benefit and taking it away when she deems him embarrassing or unwanted.

Blitz's tie to Stolas in the main story comes when he is called in a vulnerable time. Hiding from Martha who is hunting him down, he explicitly tells Stolas that now is not a good time to call. Stolas, who has a visual of Blitz's situation, ignores all of it. He is unconcerned about the danger Blitz is in, instead viewing Blitz solely as a sexual object as he offers the trade of the book for sex.

Stolas is more keenly aware of Blitz's situation than even Blitz is aware of. He not only is told that the current moment is not a good time, and Blitz's tense tone portrays a sense of anxiety, but he can physically see Blitz. It exists entirely within reason that he chose this specific moment to call while he knew Blitz was in a difficult position, using the tension to leverage a quick response that would get Stolas his way without needing to intimidate Blitz himself. Using the threat of a third party to pressure compliance from Blitz.

Come Loo Loo Land, the interactions between Blitz and Stolas are simply outright hostile. Blitz actively does not want to have a sexual encounter with Stolas and is even so untrusting of the Goetia that he is repeatedly asserting the boundary that he is not at all interested in sex, which Stolas explicitly mocks by being openly sexually suggestive to him. Everything Stolas has to say to Blitz is steeped in objectified sexuality as Blitz asserts his person, dehumanizing him to the point that Blitz is first and foremost an object of gratification. Even to the point of neglecting and humiliating his daughter, Stolas uses the excuse of spending time with her as a means of leering on Blitz.

In this episode we see Blitz has a history of being overlooked and unappreciated. His act in Loo Loo Land went nowhere and we see the first hints of his failed performance career. Over the course of the series, this hint towards a crippling lack of self esteem masked by an extroverted exterior is reinforced.

In Harvest Moon, Blitz is genuinely flustered when given recognition by Striker. He is quick to devalue his relationship with Stolas because there genuinely isn't a relationship at this point.

After having gone missing for two episodes, Stolas returns, being slightly less sexual and slightly more affectionate. It is a sudden recharacterization, but it is only for this scene. The rest of the episode once again shows how Stolas values Blitz physically in a sexualized manner and claims Blitz through the use of a pet name he repeatedly requests not to be called. In the opening scene, Blitz vocalizes that he "doesn't mind" their arrangement for the book, which could be taken at face value in regards to the first season. He does have the option to reject the agreement at any time and return the book in the context of this episode. It's why, despite still being an abuse of power dynamics overall, the relationship itself doesn't tip over into abuse. Blitz has the same amount of autonomy as Stolas at this time, before the context of season two, he has just as much power to end the agreement.

With the addition of The Circus, this retroactively is a situation of placating one's abuser. Blitz assuring Stolas that he doesn't mind the sex would be a way of asserting Stolas' complete control over the relationship and that Blitz isn't necessarily threatening the status quo by his question.

They don't actually know anything about each other, they aren't friends and don't spend time together outside of their forced meetings. Blitz doesn't know anything about Stolas and questioning the need Stolas has for his book could very well be read as a means of interrogating the agreement as a whole and figuring out why this was the arrangement.

(The argument that Blitz had any opportunity to negotiate things comes from an audience bias. It is probably the dumbest thing I have ever seen put into writing. Blitz doesn't know that he has any leverage in the relationship at all. He doesn't actually know Stolas has any feelings for him. That's kind of the whole point of the hot and cold romance slant that Medrano is trying to replicate.)

This is because the book is not the reason the relationship exists.

Blitz does not instigate sexual conduct, Stolas does by leading Blitz into a private room and locking them both inside with the impression Blitz would have sex with him. Blitz has no choice in the location or the isolation. He was caught trying to illegally break into the home for the explicit purpose of stealing the book. He was caught and is effectively at Stolas' mercy in every sense of the word. Not only is he still alive due to Stolas' whimsy, but if he tries to escape now after being shown this grace he could risk having the guards hunt him down and the second time will most likely not be so kind.

He literally does not know Stolas. They met for a day as a playdate and Blitz spent the whole time manipulating Stolas into facilitating his own robbery. There is no trust between them, there isn't even a relationship. While the doe-eyed pink vignette animated around Blitz shows that Stolas has an attraction to him, Blitz is entirely in the dark about this. Stolas' behavior is merely unpredictable and precarious from his position and limited knowledge.

(Just a side note, the argument that because someone decides to do something must mean they are not afraid is just asinine. Generally speaking, most people who commit crimes are in a state of fight or flight, it is more akin to gambling your actual life. Its a rewards and risks assessment, not a case of being sociopathically unafraid.)

It isn't until Stolas dramatically announces his desire for sex that Blitz realizes he has something that can be used to distract the Prince while he steals the book. And that's the issue with the argument that Blitz is the one willingly escalating the situation: it's not sincere. Throughout the entire sequence, Blitz isn't once sincerely interested in Stolas. He leans into the pretense to gain control of the situation, of which, might I remind you, he has had zero control over up to this point. Not only is he not interested in Stolas, but this is a bid for control from the position of helplessness. This way he is not relying on Stolas' unpredictable behavior, he is reclaiming power in the dynamic by playing into Stolas' desire.

("But Stolas says nevermind and Blitz keeps going!!"

Yeah, because he needs to maintain control of the situation. This is what power dynamics actually look like; there is a two-way push and pull. The only way he has any power is through the lens of sexuality. He needs to keep Stolas interested in him to keep his position. But throughout the scene, he is explicitly depicted as being put off by Stolas. In fact the entire reason he ties Stolas up is because he was becoming too into the act. He is shown to not be sensually performing bondage, he is trying to remove a problem.

And side-side note, I know I said I wouldn't lean into Medrano's intention or explicit dictation on how she demands her show be interpreted, but she was the one who said that The Circus and Loo Loo Land are connected in the timeline and Blitz's hostility in Loo Loo Land reads far more like a man who feels used and taken advantage of. So even the argument that Blitz was an enthusiastic participant is disproven by Medrano's own metacommentary and character interactions.)

And ultimately, it all boils down to that last moment scene. Between willingly having sex with Stolas when he is tied up or the book, Blitz makes for the door to leave. He doesn’t willingly engage in sex with Stolas. Either you can read the scene as a form of pity sex, which in the context of Medrano’s timeline and Loo Loo Land, shows Blitz was not enamored with the encounter or you have to read this as being manipulatively pressured into it. There is no way to argue Blitz has any leverage in the situation and no grounds to argue that it was mutually enjoyed.

That doesn’t even start to cover the fact that all the way to Ozzie’s, Blitz is repulsed by Stolas. When calling, he openly shows that this is something he would rather not be doing. He doesn’t have feelings for Stolas and despite just using the man who is using him, just having to deal with Stolas is distressing for him.

This is not an equal or fair relationship dynamic. It is not a mutual relationship. This is a relationship of self-preservation and coercion. And the fact is, it could have worked with very small changes to The Circus. Having the dynamic be actually mutual would have been a great start, but just properly addressing the actual dynamic and having Stolas take ownership of what he's done, and validating the fact that coercion is sexual abuse. Because out of all the sweeping changes, retcons and inconsistencies, the one aspect that has persevered throughout the show is just how trapped Blitz feels.

In Truth Seekers, Blitz’s hallucination is contradictory in its attempt to be visceral, and that is not inherently a problem. Trying to be abstract, it is normal for people to experience contradictory emotions over something. It makes sense in that way, but it needs reinforcement in the expanded narrative to tell it's story. As such I am just going to give my reading on the sequence based on my narrative and state it as fact.

The clown costume shows that Blitz sees himself as a joke, feeding into his low self-worth that no matter what he does, he is always the clown being laughed at. The murky wasteland is a reflection of his life. Devoid of anything bright or good, it is populated by dead trees and the ground is a quicksand like sludge, showing how he devours the good and extinguishes it in his own life. He kills his own happiness. Moxxie exists as a critical voice Blitz hears, telling him how stupid and awful he is to everyone around him. Blitz rejects his own self-criticism, reaffirming his self destructive victim mentality that appears when faced with the consequences of his own actions.

It's when the characters of Fizzarolli, Verosika and Striker appear that Blitz gives his regrets, insecurities and resentments voice, poorly impersonating the voices of those who saw the real him. Striker mocking Blitz’s need for companionship, how he lies to himself constantly and presents himself as independent and assured when really he sees himself as needy and pathetic.

Fizzarolli adds to it, pointing out Blitz’s failures to make it on his own, however this portion of the series should probably be considered non-canon as the newest episodes established that Fizzarolli and Blitz have not had any contact with each other since the accident. The more important line Fizzarolli says “You're going to die alone”, have been written out of the show. There would have been no time or place for Fizz to have ever spoken this to Blitz.

Then there is Verosika, who brings up Blitz’s self destructive tendencies, showing Blitz’s own abusive behaviors towards characters like Moxxie. It also suggests an explanation to why Blitz tolerates Loona, because her constant rejection of him contradicts his reactionary need to push others away, as well as feeds his self-flagillation.

It is when he endeavors to flee the reflections of the worst parts of himself that he runs into Stolas. Perched atop a pristine staircase of gold, being fanned by two silhouettes of Blitz. This shows the power imbalance in every way. Blitz doesn't even walk up the stairs, but crawls. Himself just a faceless accessory to Stolas’ desires, but everything he has intrinsically tied to the power Stolas' exerts over him. This is shown explicitly by the chains around his hands and neck, Stolas' reeling him in as he bears a grimace of reluctance. It is the most explicit representation of being trapped between two bad decisions. Either he is just the joke, the failure, the asshole, the stupid piece of shit, or he is the pet, the object, the toy. Stolas mentioning Blitz being "afraid to love" is less a suggestion that Blitz has any feelings for Stolas, but instead his psyche convincing himself that the relationship is not so exploitive. That he is not being dehumanized and abused, but on some messed up level he is being wanted and desired, which is better than the wastes below.

Maybe one could say that Blitz is being elevated out of his situation for how the feathers removed the costume and sludge, essentially wiping him clean of his worst self, providing a sense of safety. But he only has this opportunity because of Stolas, and it isn't free as shown by the feathers also becoming the chains binding him. Because at the end of the day, Stolas isn't the prize at the end of the climb to self actualization, the stairs belonged to him in the first place. To escape the horror-filled wasteland below, Blitz has to play by the rules of the owner of the stairs.

And ultimately, that isn't a story that is off-limits.

The Stolas apologist argument is why the depiction of this dynamic is triggering and harmful, not the fact that it exists in the media. Just owning the scenario and having Stolas acknowledge that he has sexually abused Blitz would have gone a long way. Instead, Medrano and the fandom have insistently represented this victim-blaming interpretation where Blitz is responsible for his own abuse. And that will never be okay. This goes all the way back to my "Not All Victims are Survivors" post. Blitz is the victim in this and his bad behaviour and own abusive actions directly correspond to the fact that he is a victim with a victim mindset. He actively lives in the middle of his abuse and has formed maladaptive strategies through manipulation, harassment, verbal abuse, and self harm. These do not remove his victim status. There is no such thing as a "Perfect Victim". And he should not have to be any sort of way in order to have that experience validated. And the issue that is at the heart of this show is that the narrative and the fanbase require a victim to be framed as delicate and hapless to circumstance with a soft and gentle personality to be a victim. To come out of abuse aggressive and harsh with sharp edges is framed as being less valid. But this outcome is normal and it's a difficult battle to work on oneself to feel safe again. It's absolutely a story worth telling.

But you first have to be interested in telling a story.

Helluva Boss has responsibility issues - Stolas, Stella and Octavia edition

Yep, Stolas is likeable, in his own right and the fact that he's part of a ship, which is a formula to certain success. However we know Stolas, we don't know Stella nor Octavia.

Let's be honest, this drama started off pretty reasonable.

We had no reason to believe Stella had done anything wrong, when we met her in a flashback, what was there to indicate Stella and Stolas didn't like one another?

We even see them sharing a bed in that big whole castle.

Fast forward to the future and Stolas has cheated which lead to their bitter divorce, which is an unfortunate common case, Stolas is in the wrong, doesn't mean he's a monster who deserves the worst to happen to him. Stella on the other hand has put a hit on him, a horrible thing to do yes, but a random act of malice, no.

Yet the worst happened in making light of Stolas's very common mistake and pushing it onto Stella

Why do this? Why take away from his story, his tough decision making and the fallout from his actions, the loneliness he feels in his big dark home and the fear of retaliation? He was a complex character in the making and pretty likeable regardless of his questionable conduct.

He has been absolved of responsibility in an attempt to make him more liked than he already was.

He could have been sympathetic simply down to the unsuitable arrangement and being born to fulfil a purpose, something that seems a theme in his lineage.

Now he's another victim. A victim of years of abuse at the hands of this horrible volatile woman who humiliated him every chance she got who he had no choice but to put up with because arranged of the evil institution of arranged marriage. He initiated the divorce, easily, which would have to be on grounds of his adultery

so Stella moved out, but he had to put with years of this marriage, which had the clause of a child being essential, their child is 17.

Stella and Stolas get given the exact same sob story

yet where Stolas was a cute, innocent and inquisitive child who just met his first friend and crush in little Blitzø, Stella was an aggressive scary fiend from day one, so as Stolas grows up to keep some of his childhood attributes, where does this leave Sella? A mean girl at her core?

This is a absolutely what we get, a simply irredeemable villain, a dramatic woman scorned who put a hit on her ex, then when we learn more, she's elevated to a wicked woman who just loves the drama.

With Stolas being a victim now who deserves the transactional relationship with his first crush and Stella being a evil and proud yet probably set to be shadowed by her probably more padded out brother, we also have their neglected daughter.

We don't have any evidence of Stella being a bad or inattentive parent, just because she was a bad wife that one episode, but we also don't know anything about their dynamic, this rare example of a character having parents, having a mother and being of an age of dependency, but nothing.

One interesting thing about Stolas's backstory was that he appeared to have his own palace, no mother only staff, his dad visited and wasn't sure which of his children Stolas was but what he did know was that this particular one had that purpose and this business arrangement had been made for him. Loneliness and the realisation of dysfunction could have served as Stolas's personal conflict in choosing to upkeep the unsuitable relationship, rather than 'Stella is a meangirl'.

We are used to sad backstories, yet we have Octavia, a child being left behind in real time and as grown as she may seem, she's still a kid, yet she manages to be one of the most sensible characters in this.

On top of maybe knowing about the bounty on her dad (pity we never see how his hospitalization impacted on her as his technical only loved one)

and having to be reminded of his cringy hookups with Blitzø (that dirty talk over the phone in her presence, also the reminder that though Blitzø is our likeable leading character, he's someone deeply obnoxious by design) and the time he manages for him,

along with growning up amungst hostility, she is now a child of divorce, which shouldn't be a bad thing considering her parents open dislike of one another and their marriage being something forced, however there are other factors, the back and forth continues dispite her being old enough for neither of them to speak again, along with her birth alone being the contracts completion.

Yet she doesn't ask for much, a dad who's interested on the occasions we see her, hears her and sticks to their plans. She expressed no idealistic wishes for her parents to be back together nor did she feeling the need to know what their issues were nor pick a side and fight for it.

Her interests are in the stars and sky, Stolas's line of work.

When it comes to interest and investment in a subject that could go on to be her trade, Octavia may be up there with the sin leaders we have met so far. She has been show to want to learn and be resourceful, going as far as to sneak into IMP to steal back the travel grimoire in order go about alone a day out she looked forward to.

It wasn't as heartwarming as I'm sure it was intended to be when Octavia's very valid upset undermined by Loona, who truly doesn't know any better, who advised Octavia to cut her dad some slack, Loona who is in her mid 20s and proved that episode that a toddler has more reason and self control than her. But this was Loona's time to shine in her grow up moment before returning to her usual aggressive self, so that's that.

A child wanting attention or love from a parental figure is not cockblocking

A minor who's dealt with abuse, especially neglect, from a parent who cares only about their relationship with someone else doesn't make the minor a slut

It's disgusting that we've resorted to slut shaming minors who are neglected by parents who won't pay any fucking attention to them

Sometimes I love twitter.

Honestly, Stolas talking about Blitzo being his one true friend is stupid, dude, he spent one day with you, he didn't even want to in the first place, his dad just guilt-tripped him into it, and all he did was steal from you (Not putting the blame on Blitzo for this, his dad manipulated him into it but still) and now you are acting like you two were childhood friends for years, it's stupid, Blitzo didn't even remember you.

This song is a lot more disturbing than people realize. Blitzo is just trying to appease Stolas (his abuser) in order to keep him and his employees from becoming homeless. Thats why he sings about fucking and not wanting to talk about what they’re both feeling because in reality; Blitzo only cares about the book, not Stolas. And he has every right to not want to talk about feelings with Stolas when he’s holding collateral over Blitzo as a means of controlling his bodily autonomy. It makes me so angry when people call Blitzo a “sex worker” when in reality, victims are not all the same. Abusive relationships are complex and are not black and white. All abuse victims are different and it drive me crazy when Stolitz fans don’t realize this.

This Song Really Is Trying To Sell The Narrative That Stolas Is The More Innocent Party BS

While Stolas sings a sappy Disney princess number about setting Blitzo free from the contract, Blitzo sings a song about how much they are going to fuck. In other words, we are supposed to see Stolas having grown to see Blitzo more than a play thing but actually in love with him when in earlier episodes he was more in lust with him while Blitzo tries to placate him to keep business up. This is a case of just another case of his woobification of making him seem just like a mistunderstood sad boy who deserves love despite the many ways he can be so self-centered about it. Not to mention Stolas when you realize it makes it all about himself despite saying it's for him and Blitzo. Seriously, he created the problem in the first place and should get no reward for doing the bare minimum and calling it off.

Helluva boss episodes that could have existed if the show was good.

1. A three way conflict where IMP were assigned to kill someone, Verosika was assigned to get him to cheat on his wife with her, and the Cherubs are trying to save his soul.

2. An episode where Stella calls IMP to guard her from her family because they’re that pissed about the divorce and have decided it’s her fault.

3. An episode where Stolas pays Blitz to kill some guy before he cures cancer and he’s not sure what to do about it, maybe his mom died of demon cancer.

4. An episode where there’s one guy who’s so damn obnoxious that everyone he knows wants to kill him and has either hired a different demon group or are making plans to do it themselves, and IMP have to do it before someone else does or they won’t get paid.

5. Moxie and Millie take a side job babysitting and have to do a kill with a tom and Jerry slapstick baby involved.

6. They have to kill some guy but he’s so strong he’s genuinely difficult to kill. Maybe he summoned them specifically to kill him because he wants to die.