Hazbin Hotel inspired a lot of passion in people, and I wanted to be able to express clearly where I stood with this phenomenon. There are a lot of complex concepts and characters that could be brought up and how well the show handled them. But I’ve decided to simply state that it was a show I enjoyed but felt there were things that could be improved upon.
Season two did just that.
With the aftermath of Hell beating Heaven’s attack, the hotel is doing great business but for the wrong reasons. Many of Hell’s residents think this is the place to go to kill angels and they are not interested in trying to be redeemed. Charlie is still dealing with Sir Pentious’ death, leaving her overwhelmed, with Vaggie stepping in to keep things together. Vox sees this situation as a chance to rally Hell around the idea of attacking Heaven now that they know how to kill angels, and the fact that they have the numbers. Meanwhile, Heaven is also in chaos with the angels learning that they can be killed, and with sinner Sir Pentious now in Heaven proving damned souls can be redeemed, everything the angels believed has been shattered.
With all that is going on though, this season feels a lot tighter with a much greater focus on the big issue of the season. Most diversions are done either in service to this overall goal or to give us some burst of character growth. Charlie is still our center and, with the new challenges she is facing, she jumps in with her great deal of optimism but sometimes a lack of common sense. The threat this time around isn’t a physical one but a fight to get the truth out to people, and she learns that’s a lot harder than she thought it would be. Her frustration is something we really can feel, especially knowing she is right. Vaggie continues to be her rock, but seeing the subtle shifts in their relationship as Charlie becomes obsessed builds ever so slowly with us seeing how miscommunication between a couple can be just as damaging as miscommunication on a global scale can be.
Vox was shown in early advertising as this season’s main villain but he is more than that, he is a co-lead. Whenever I think back on this season he comes to mind in the best way possible. Vox, when first introduced in season one, didn’t feel that essential to the story, even when he had some great lines both spoken and sung. He was fun but not a major part of the show overall. Yet what we learned in season one really is a great setup for what we get here. The writing has really fleshed him out from his hatred of Alastor and his connection to the other V’s and his overall ambitions and insecurities. Another part I found fascinating is that if we did not have the audience’s knowledge of everything that’s going on Vox’s arguments would actually be compelling. As far as Hell is concerned, Heaven has been indiscriminately killing them for centuries, and now Hell knows they can fight back. Vox saying that we have no reason to believe that the angels have changed their minds makes a lot of sense. He is still using people and manipulating the media with fear and lies but there is that element of truth.
Christian Borle’s voice work as Vox should get him an Emmy nomination at least, if not a straight-up win. In season one I remember Vox being more comedic in his voice even while being evil. That comedy element is still there at times, but we also get to see him being truly evil and manipulative but then also frustrated and surprisingly genuinely hurt by some people’s actions. Christian’s ability to get that across with minor changes in his voice was incredibly impressive. On top of that he gets the best songs this season as well, though I’ve always been partial to villain songs.
The animation itself seems brighter, with the show’s distinct color palette continuing being used to great effect. The battle sequences are incredibly kinetic without making you feel lost, while also creating a feeling of dread, not quite certain what’s going to happen. Music remains an essential aspect of the show, never there as a distraction but as a way to get into the mindset of the characters and just to create fun music and visuals to go with it. Like with the first season, I liked some songs more than others but there was nothing I hated. In fact some surprised me that they worked for me. Charlie and Vaggie have a romance song that really touched me in ways I didn’t expect.
The show also does a great job with the many mysteries it’s been throwing at us, about the characters’ origins and situations. This season some of those are answered while others are not, and new questions are added. I never got the sense that the show was messing with us or trying to prolong things just because they could. We are meant to know these things now because it helps move the story forward, and it looks like it is setting up for us to get even more answers in the next season.
Hazbin Hotel really likes to play around with the idea about what is good and evil. We see demons that appear to be genuinely good people while we have seen angels be genocidal. Sir Pentious, now redeemed, is actually quite sad in heaven because he’s away from his friends.
Emily trying to help Sir Pentious get used to Heaven was beyond cute and made me almost ship them. (Do not worry; he still only has eyes for Cherri Bomb.) But it did make me think about what will make someone really happy. Several people are suffering in hell but we have also seen some people who seem to be thriving in this environment. Is redemption really for everyone? I do not know if that is a direction the show will take but either way it did make me think.
There are a few nitpicks I could make like with Baxter, a new character, who feels more like he is there for plot conveniences they need this season than as a full character. Though his interactions with Niffty are very funny, and there are definitely things to build on for him in the coming seasons. Some characters are not given as much attention this season, but that really was a smart choice to help move the overall themes this season. Also, the way things end they seem to be set up for more in the next season. There is one minor plot line that felt rushed in the finale, but again it looks to be addressed further down the road and didn’t take away from the finale overall.
The show improved on all the ways it needed to, while staying true to its style. Tighter storytelling and deliberate character focus moved things along. The music was great fun, and it continues its big questions about what makes someone good and bad while still mixing in humor with some really raw emotions. Hazbin Hotel is back and better than ever and I really cannot wait for fans of the show to get to see what happens next.
Hazbin Hotel season two premieres on Amazon Prime on Oct 29th.
