Episode 1:6
August 21, 2021
AVERAGE
Pros: Animation, Action, Some Brief Character Moments
Cons: Rushed Plot, Missed Character Opportunities, Crude Humor
The new episode of Helluva Boss certainly took things to the next level with its animation and action. Unfortunately, its story is rather rushed and it doesn’t quite have its narrative priorities right. It has the makings of a great climax, but it would be nice if it was built up more. It was, however, better the second time I watched it.
It begins with two government agents, One (Michael Romeo Ruocco) and Two (Erica Luttrell) reviewing footage of I.M.P.’s shenanigans on Earth. They ask how they could possibly know where the imps could strike next, only to immediately hear them making noise in the alley right outside. It’s a predictable enough joke, and it arguably negates the possibility of Loona and Millie’s finding out their location through patient detective work after Moxxie and Blitzo are captured.
Many fans stated anticipation for a plot in which the guys are kidnapped and the girls have to team up and rescue them, but the episode drops the ball on the character potential. Loona and Millie hardly ever talk to each other in the series, and I think the closest they come is when Millie unwittingly unpersons Loona in “Harvest Moon Festival.” While Loona is annoyed by the dismissive treatment she gets as a hellhound, Millie could point out her bitchiness toward Moxxie. That, combined with a more well-developed detective story, could have made the episode more interesting.
Not that there’s nothing there. Their personalities briefly clash when Millie orders Loona to reopen the portal so they can rescue the guys, and Loona points out that Blitzo ordered her to do so without any of his brand of facetiousness. This underscores Loona’s loyalty and cautiousness while revealing that she’s also sensitive to Blitzo’s cues; she even uses his preferred name pronunciation. Millie’s passion convinces her to go in, but not before donning her human disguise (which turns out to be unnecessary) and packing some weapons. It’s also notable that Loona empathizes with Millie for the first time when she sees the latter’s crying over her lost husband. Still, this interaction is way too brief and noncommittal.
For some reason, the episode sees fit to sort out the less compelling differences between Blitzo and Moxxie. I say this because, in spite of their butting heads, they’re still clearly comrades. Blitzo is rude to Moxxie, but it’s obvious he values his aid and is also fiercely protective of him. Meanwhile, the episode paradoxically espouses that Moxxie holds back on his true opinions out of fear, even though he’s frequently critical of Blitzo’s decisions. The two end up coming clean with each other after they trip on some truth gas exposed to them by the antagonists. Unfortunately, Blitzo still humorously abuses Moxxie physically at times during the final fight scene.
One rather serious issue between these two that is not addressed is Blitzo’s stalking of Moxxie and Millie. It could have been pointed out that Blitzo’s acting on fascination/jealousy of something that Moxxie, for all his nebbishness can pull off: a stable relationship. Moxxie could tell him all he needs to do is be a better person to women rather than try to impress them, segueing into his devotion as a father. Then Blitzo could call Moxxie out on he and his wife’s dismissive attitude toward Loona,.
An inordinate amount of time is devoted to our heroe’s hallucinations from the gas. Moxxie’s is appropriately a Disney-style musical, while Blitzo’s is Fleischer style mixed with 60’s psychedelics. Moxxie butts heads with a fictionalized Blitzo (singing voice Michael Romeo Ruocco) even though Striker and Millie’s family are far more appropriate foils for his insecurities. Blitzo faces Moxxie as well as multiple other antagonists from his life, including Striker, Verosika, and Robo-Fizz (who looks great in Fleischer style). Blitzo faces a fact most of us know about him: his unstable and unfaithful personality drives people away. A subtle positive point: Loona is not included among his accusatory demons. The animation of both sequences is beautiful, but I can't help but think it was an excuse for stylization.
Despite the skimpy narrative, this episode reinforces my affinity for Loona. It can’t be stressed enough that I believe she’s a distinct character than what we see in the Pilot. Moxxie’s practicality in that episode was transferred to her resulting in a more amusing and balanced dynamic in which Loona secretly turns out to be the sensible one while Moxxie is a classic stupid smart person. I tend to relate to stoical-but-occasionally temperamental introverts, and Loona is also the most cautious of the bunch as well; she usually doesn’t act without planning.
I also wanted to see Loona’s finally letting loose and kicking some ass while directly protecting Bltzo, and I got that. It’s always been implied that hellhounds are a force to be reckoned with. In the last episode the mere presence of one, despite costing the good guys a drop on him, was enough to make Striker flee, and they’re in demand as bodyguards. Loona’s background is an intriguing mystery that leaves the possibility of fight training open, but, like most things in this episode, it would be a lot more satisfactory if this were patiently held off.
And boy, oh boy, is this action scene glorious. It’s beautifully animated and a great example of cathartic action. It helps that it’s set to a passably effective guitar riff. It also draws attention to an advantage of animation: the “camera” follows the action in a physically impossible fashion that would be a cringe cheat in live-action. The animation team more than redeems itself for Ploona’s blatant force kick.
Despite the heroes’ triumphant performance, they run out of ammo and are trapped by the Agents, but are saved by a Deus Diabolus Ex Machina. Stolas appears out of nowhere to intimidate the Agents and rescue IMP. His only explanation for knowing their location is that “has his ways.” He then paternally chastises IMP for their carelessness only to leave Agents One and Two alive as loose ends, assuming no one will believe them. You’d think if he somehow knew where Blitzo & Co. were he’d also realized that this Government HQ was a branch, which it is clearly is when the the Agents decide to use evidence of his apparition as the proof they need to send up to their superiors.
Still, it’s amazing how well-executed the scene is. We finally see Stolas in all his demonic glory. Every little thing in this scene is great. The mysterious buildup. Agent Two’s getting possessed, zombified Agents drawing a summoning circle, the epic cover of Stolas’ theme, the look of wonder and horror on Blitzo’s face, the contemptuous glare Stolas gives the agents after reverting to his normal form, the swish of his cape when he turns his back on them. The “not worth killing” effect could have been maintained by Stolas’ simply picking up a handgun and unceremoniously shooting them without making him look like a fool.
These two unearned climaxes may be justified by being catalysts for further plot development. I have a hunch that Stolas’ apparition, while being horrifying from a human/imp/hellhound point of view, may have been considered straight-up clown behavior by demon royalty. He let himself be recorded by mortals, with evidence of his lending out his Grimoire to some losers and even said in the video that Blitzo was his “plaything.” I have a feeling that the resultant scandal is the reason why we see his sadly eating cereal in deserted mansion in the Season 1 trailer. It's heavily implied, after all, that Stolas is seen as a walking joke in hell already.
I’ll probably take the opportunity to point out that I hate Stolitz, even though it seems to be encouraged by the creators and popular among the fandom. Stolas is a pathetic simp who’s too horny to resist banging Blitzo even though it’s destroyed his marriage and traumatized his daughter, while Blitzo uses the Prince for transactional purposes. Despite a kiss at the end and an indication that Blitzo enjoys some of the sex play, I don’t think episode does much to justifiy this as a good ship.
The humor in this episode is a mixed bag. There are a lot of moments that got a chuckle out of me, but there are some moments of extreme cringe. It’s unfortunate that they had mess with one of the show’s more wholesome aspects by making a crude joke about Millie’s pegging Moxxie. Agents One and Two are not terribly interesting characters. They’re just basic G-Man spoofs who sport obnoxiously exaggerated accents, and were probably better left dead by Stolas. At least we were spared the cringe of the common fan speculation that the people who tied Stolas and Moxxie up were Catholic cardinals (for now).
The movie has a few great payoffs and opens up intriguing possibilities for the future, but could have used a lot more buildup in order to make these climaxes less unearned. It should have been a two-parter.
QUOTES
MILLIE: SHIT. Shit, shit, shit…agghh…
LOONA: You, uh, you okay, there?
MILLIE: What’re you doin’ sittin’ there? The boys are in trouble! Open it again.
LOONA: Blitzo was using a total of zero euphemisms, innuendos, or swears. That means it was serious, which means I don’t open it until-
MILLIE: OPEN THE FUCKIN’ PORTAL NOW!
AGENT ONE: What do you mean by that?
BLITZO: Oh, you’re stupid, huh? I can work with stupid. Daddy likey dummy.
[Moxxie can’t help but laugh]
BLITZO: Hey, aren’t we gonna get our phone call, bitch?
AGENT ONE: Well, that entirely depends, who you gonna call, hmm?
BLITZO: Your fat mom, thanking her for a fat time!
AGENT TWO: Nice try, demon, his fat mom is dead!
[Agent One cries]
[next scene with Blitzo, Moxxie, and the Agents]
AGENT ONE: Stop insulting my mother, she’s dead!
[Blitzo sticks his tongue out him]
[Loona and Millie come up to a keyboard with a the “1” worn out. Millie examines it carefully]
MILLIE: Try one.
[Loona presses one repeatedly and the door opens]
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