Hazbin Hotel Season 2 Episode 4
It was so awesome seeing deeper layers of back stories in this one. SUCH GOOD SONGS TOO! Give me your thoughts! 👇
Comments (28)
At 34:44, aleister isnt smiling. Watch his shadow.
Hey man! Love your stuff! Figured you'd like to know, you missed one more helluva boss music video. It doesnt show up in the show itself so you might wanna check it out. Also helluva boss has shorts that are pretty funny. There are 8 out now i think
"The worst they can say is No" Alastor: "Hold my whiskey"
Okay, responding to this quite late. My saturday was very busy this week, so I didn't get to watch until now. Looks like most of my points I was going to discuss have already been covered, but let's go over a couple things: Charlie is almost obsessively defending herself, to her detriment, and Vaggie is seeing it and is upset and trying to fix. Alastor is *mad*, and scheming. So, one major thing to note: Remember, CONTEXT here. Alastor's deal is that he's the strongest sinner in hell. He went to Rosie upset, but in a sweet talk way to get her to fix his staff, she saw through him and put him firmly in his place and said no. He then left in a huff, and started plotting, and then said that there IS a way he can solve his problem himself. And then he attacked and gave up to Vox. What was his plan? (I picked this up on my first watch through, and think it's very clever.) So little bits and bobs that have not been mentioned: Alastor's power is amplified or comes from his staff, so with it broken, he's not as strong as he should be. The X in Alastor's head when he goes full demon is a reference to him getting shot in the head. Alastor himself can't not smile, in demon form you see his mouth has stitches holding up the smile, but his shadows do frown for him. When Vox smokes after sex, you can see smoke coming out of the gills on his sides. Others mentioned the mugs Alastor and Lucifer have, which are a clear Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny reference. (Duck Season, Rabbit season) Also Katie calls the Hotel the "Hashbrown Hotel" which is a direct riff from when Brandon as Blitz called it the same thing in the Helluva Boss to Prime announcement. (Or reversed, as Hazbin was obviously recorded before the announcement, even if the announcement came out first.) Lastly, it was mentioned by someone else, but if Rosie's deal was to make Alastor the strongest Sinner in Hell, she either isn't a sinner herself, OR, she has a deal with someone else that she could work with to make that happen. And with her desire to keep the Hotel going and Charlie safe... it could be someone related to Charlie, Lillith perhaps? (Pure speculation on the last bit) But that would explain why Alastor's disappearance lines up with Lillith's. Cooincidentally ALSO the timeframe for how long the exterminations have been going on, per Katie in this episode. My speculation, Lillith was playing the good cop to get people to rise and act in defiance peacefully (The resist posters) while also having through Rosie, Alastor causing terror and showing how strong sinners can be. When Heaven came to Lillith to get her to stop, the deal was to go to Heaven and not have contact with Hell, and they'll take care of the dangerous sinners. Exterminations happened, Lillith's last act was ordering Alastor into hiding through Rosie, so her trump card was still around. It all lines up at least.
I actually theorise that Rosie making Alastor the strongest sinner was partly giving him the staff and partly giving him the tools to make himself an overlord quickly. He was able to gain a lot of power very fast by going after other overlords to make soul contracts with. I think Rosie taught him how that worked, gave him contact, showed him which overlords were the easiest targets to begin with, and along with the power of his staff, owning all those souls that in their turn owned other souls made him the strongest. My theory about soul contracts is that it's not that owning other souls make you powerful in and of itself, but that overlords draw their power directly from those souls. So, the more powerful the soul, the more power it gets the overlord. This likely damages owned souls over time. I also like to think that Rosie made Alastor go into hiding when the exterminations began out of sentimentality. Because Al is just the kind of arrogant idiot who would throw himself at an exorcist angel to prove how strong he is and then get himself killed because, as she rightly points out, being the strongest singer doesn't mean you're strong enough to take on an archangel. That's probably just me enjoying their dynamic a little too much, though.
I love this episode especially since Vox and Alastor are two of my favorite characters. I love their interactions, their fight scene, and their song. I do feel bad for Vox with how Alastor rejected him so badly. You do see why Vox hates Alastor so much. I knew you would love Niffty's song. How can you not love it?
We all love Alastor, but this episode really reminds us, he is not a good guy. He was a serial killer in life and I think it's heavily implied he was a cannibal as well, especially since Rosie is the demon he got into contact with, and then how he laughs at and mocks Vox just for suggesting a partnership. Vox isn't a good guy either but you start to understand his hatred better.
Alastor is a confirmed cannibal
What's gayer: homosexual sex or whatever the fuck is going on between Alastor and Vox in this episode?
absolutely the latter
Season 2 has been a ride for sure! First they give us human Pentious, then human Alastor. And I didn’t get a chance to recover from Piss (A Love Song) before they launched Clean It Up! 💀 I got a copy of the English pronunciation of the Japanese part back when the song was first released. I’ll post it over on Discord.
Rosie owning Alastor’s soul was such a huge reveal the first time I watched it. How shocked were you to find out?
Also, I REALLY want to unpack the flashback Alastor and Vox scene, because there's so much to say, especially from a "reliable narrator" standpoint, and from an asexual-spectrum perspective, but I've already written a novel in another comment, so I'll refrain.
Okay, nevermind, I need to at least touch on it. Alastor WAS brutal in shooting Vox down. HOWEVER, I think, while disproportionate, he had multiple good reasons for doing so. Alastor is asexual, but not oblivious, and while Vox was couching the offer in terms of professional partnership, his body language and voice was suggesting interest in much more. Notably, we saw him invade Alastor's personal space more and more, and Alastor's body language subtly shifted to looking more uncomfortable and closed off. Having someone you may have viewed as a close friend suddenly start pushing for more in a sexual sense can definitely feel like a betrayal and genuinely hurt. In my experience as an ace-spec person, it also can suddenly feel like a genuine threat to your safety. I wouldn't be surprised if Alastor was feeling some of that, especially since Vox has been continually characterized as someone who is manipulative, invades personal space, and is used to getting what he wants (and not really taking no for an answer). As a fellow manipulator and an astute character, I believe Alastor recognized the manipulation techniques Vox was (likely subconsciously, as Viv confirmed his feelings were genuine) using throughout the conversation and saw where it was going. Between the perceived threat of a potential sexual advance, and his knowledge of Vox, Alastor probably knew a plain "no" wouldn't suffice. So instead he took a scorched earth approach and burned that bridge to ashes. Vox is completely valid in feeling hurt, but clinging on to it for so long and obsessively tracking and fixating on Alastor starts to speak towards this being more of a narcissistic injury rather than standard hurt feelings.
YES! One of my favorite episodes of the season. Sorry in advance, but Alastor is one of my favorite characters AND I have a master's degree in clinical psychology, so there's a lot to break down for his character. Firstly, I noticed someone else mentioned Voodoo. It is implied that Alastor practiced it as a human, however it is important to note (and someone knowledgeable in voodoo please do correct me if I'm wrong) that, save for in the pilot, there are no actual Veevees from Voodoo used (these would be the little symbols that sometimes float around Alastor or decorate infrastructure sometimes). This is because, in the pilot, some actual Veevees were used which prompted some negative feedback from real practicioners of Voodoo. It is a closed religion and, to my knowledge, deeply tied to family and spirituality. After getting that feedback, Viv adjusted to not include actual features of the religion. This is especially important because Voodoo has continuously been vilified and poorly represented as something dark and evil in a lot of media. Second, Alastor's psychology. Buckle up. I could do a whole podcast episode on this and I'm considering it. Overall, the end of season 1 AND small moments in season 2 (ones you've seen) show that despite his seeming lack of empathy, Alastor CAN, to some degree, form attachments and bonds with other people, though he doesn't appear to do so readily. 1. I believe it was Sam Haft that compared Alastor to Odysseus, in that Alastor is ready to risk nearly everything including himself if the payoff of a successful gambit is good enough, and that he is strategic in his choices. I would then extend that to Alastor having a Machiavellian approach. Very "the ends justify the means" approach, and not just in reference to the harm to others, but also if the means cause HIM harm or discomfort. 2. I've seen folks, including creators with some psychology training, referring to Alastor as a narcissist. I resolutely believe that we don't have enough evidence in the show to consider him a clinical narcissist. Certainly not anywhere near the amount of evidence we have for Vox being one. I will concede that there's a strong argument to be made for Alastor having the other two traits of the dark triad. 3. Alastor is not a sociopath, as sociopathy is not a clinical designation or diagnosis. What many people might be referring to when they say it is known as Anti-social personality disorder, of which psychopathy is a subset. It is important to note that someone can have ASPD and never be violent. If I recall correctly, core markers of ASPD and psychopathy are a marked lack or decrease in empathy and lower brain activation and intensity of most emotion (and thus resultant thrill seekiing). There's more, but I'm sure you're not looking for a dissertation with research citations. These features are innately tied to differences in brain structure, and are generally separate from learned behavior. The problem with Alastor is, we don't KNOW his inner thoughts and experiences. He shows psychopathic traits, but I'd be hesitant to definitively say he is a clinical psychopath. There is a very real possibility, based on pre-show not yet canon lore drops from Viv, as well as what was revealed for his backstory in this episode, that a lot of his behavior that could indicate psychopathy (emotional blunting, seemingly decreased empathy) could be learned behavior, based on being a creole man in New Orleans during the jim crow laws and miscegenation laws era. I'd unpack the nuance more but I don't want to give un-canonized lore. Also worth noting, not all serial killers are psychopaths. Nor are all psychopaths necessarily serial killers. It is also possible for someone to technically structurally have a brain of a psychopath, but not exhibit any clinical traits. This is linked to what's known as the "warrior gene" (a low activity variant of the MAOA gene). It is epigenetic, meaning environmental factors influence the gene expression. The warrior gene isn't specifically a gene for psychopathy, but rather it is a gene that is associated with higher rates of aggression and reactivity in stressful conditions. The presence of this gene, when combined with higher rates of adverse childhood experiences like trauma and abuse, results in higher rates of aggressive and reactive behavior. I firmly headcanon that this is relevant to why Alastor is the way he is.
Very interesting, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this. I'm also a big Alastor fan (and writing fanfic about him at the moment, so he's pretty much living in my head rent free) so I appreciate all analyses people make of his character as it helps inform my own opinions and ideas about him. An acquaintance from a Discord server I'm in wrote this analysis of Alastor as a serial killer. I thought you might find it interesting: https://www.tumblr.com/object-head/808671779066380288/an-in-depth-analysis-of-alastor?source=share
I love how easily alastor can push Vox's buttons and Vox let's him
One difference from season 1 to 2 is how expressive they made Alastor’s ears. Given his permanent smile, it’s a great way to display his emotions. For us Helluva Boss fans there was also a funny meme showing human Alastor in the crosshairs and then cutting to Blitzo with a sniper rifle.
That, and his shadow. His shadow frequently shows the emotion he refuses to overtly show himself. My friend and I have also discussed the fact that the various elk/deer calls that he very rarely makes always occur at times of great pain. He rarely makes those noises, but is frequently in situations that reasonably would be painful. This indicates that he has grown incredibly adept at hiding not just his emotions, but his pain as well, and that his pain tolerance is absurdly high.
Since you asked, I'm playing the Bendy series. Last week I was playing Bendy and the Inkmachine and today just got to the final boss fight of Bendy and the Dark Revival befote I realised you've probably posted this episode and it was time to come here. 😅 The games are set in the 30's-70's and have those swing/jazzy tunes and many of the fan made songs are electro swing. (Reminds me of Alastor). ANYWAY! This is a fun episode! What's Alastor planning? He used woodoo to contact Rosie when he was a human. He's from New Orleans. Do they hunt deer in the New Orleans swamps? 🤣 I guess that one guy did. (What do I know, I'm from Europe...) This hasn't been revealed yet, and I'm wondering, if Rosie was powerful enough to make Alastor "the strongest sinner in Hell" does that mean Rosie is not a sinner herself? Is she something else? Excited about future seasons...
There is one thing I just HAVE to recommend: The Behind the Scenes of the Nifty song. Its so funny, because while the singer is clearly visible, it still sounds like she is voiced by Nifty, not the other way round! It's great!
Indeed! Kimiko Glenn understood the assignment. 😂
Fun Easter egg: in the scene in the beginning where Alastor is being edgy, the roach crown Nifty gave him in S1 is hanging on his mirror. When Valentino is about to shoot Nifty, that's when Alastor decides to call off the fight. I love that the episode we find out this man was a full on cannibal serial killer is also the episode with hints that Alastor may be capable of genuine affection for his weird little pal. Vivienne Medrano just can't let characters be unredeemable 2D villains in peace.
I love that Alastor 100% has a soft spot for niffty
We get a first glimpse at Dubstep elements at the end of "Don't you forget (Reprise)" in one of Voxs songs. I always wondered why they didn't use more tecno elements in his songs since he is supposed to represent modern tecnology, but here it is! Sam Haft (one of the song writers) said in an interview that Vox does not need to perform for an audience here and behind closed doors he sings much more darker and more techo/dubstep like we can see here! Fun fact: Kimiko aka Nifty speaks Japanese fluently so she voices Nifty in Japanese too. It's really cool how they incorporated the language in the song here. :D
There's a little bit of the techno/dubstep elements at the end of Stayed Gone when he glitches out too, though.
I don't know if you noticed since they go by so fast, but the duet with Vox at the end is a reprise of the duet with Rosie earlier in the episode. At the end of it, Vox also quotes Once We Get Up There from s2e1, AND Stayed Gone from s1e2. It's really fun that way. I think the differing musical styles in the show are directly tied to the different characters. Whenever Alastor is in a song, it has a ragtime or hot jazz/swing feel. When Charlie does one, it's usually more contemporary musical theatre or Disney. When Vox is in a song it almost always has some kind of electronic or even dubstep feel at some point (you'll see more of that later, he's in a lot more songs this season), but also he's often borrowing melodies, styles and themes from others, showing that he's more likely to copy other people than come up with something new. It would be really interesting to go through and analyse which characters sing in which styles and why. Regarding Alastor's character design, he actually has antlers all the time. They're little sickle shapes between his ears most of the time and grow out when he goes into full demon form, but his shadow always has big antlers. He also has little deer hoof prints at the bottom of his shoes if you pay attention. In the scene with Lucifer, Lucifer's mug says "deer season" on it, while Alastor's says "duck season". Oh, and the gash in Alastor's chest is from his fight with Adam when his staff broke at the end of season 1. Easter egg: When Vox goes on TV and says Alastor doesn't have a tail and Katie Killjoy says that's gonna piss some people off, that's a direct nod to the fandom. For years, people asked Vivzie if Alastor had a deer tail to go with the ears and antlers and she always said it hadn't been relevant to his design cause he always wore the coat so she never made a decision about it. Until now, that is. And it did piss people off because a lot of people had been imagining him with a tail. So a large chunk of Alastor fans have just basically decided to ignore it and that he has a tail anyway.
YES! I've talked so much about how Vox frequently lacks originality in his songs (by design) and how that mirrors him as a character. Be it behaviors, how he looks (not a spoiler: both a moment later on and the fact he basically just took Alastor's fashion sense and adapted it to his color scheme and aesthetic), and there's a moment in the bit of a song in a future episode that seems like it's Vox being original, and there's a lyric moment that feels so intentionally clunky.