You Know, I Was Wondering If I Was Going Insane Throughout The Episode, Seeing How Lucifer's Eyes Are

I want to talk about a kind of troubling reaction I've been seeing to both Apology Tour and Ghostfuckers among parts of the fandom. The person is usually a reaction youtuber but sometimes someone writing on tumblr or twitter. They say something along the lines of "oh, I'm glad Blitz is being forced to confront his crimes/traumas/pain. This is the only way he will finally heal."

That's not how healing works.

I know that reaction youtubers don't always have the most developed takes because they're . . . you know . . . reacting in the moment. But I think it's still worth talking about.

I'm going set aside the people who seem to believe that Blitz needs to be punished for his crimes, and address those who genuinely think that getting a tidal wave of his own trauma in his face is what he needs to heal.

There's an attitude in contemporary culture that traumas are something people need to confront. As in, put on a brave face and dive in like a big boy. I blame capitalism, rugged individualism, and all the pieces of media that tie up a character's arc neatly by having them confront their darkest fears and insecurities. It can put a nice bow on things, but it isn't really how healing from trauma works.

Apology Tour:

Blitz gets confronted by a shit ton of people who hate him, at least some of whom are his exes, who he feels he's personally damaged. The decor and party games are all about killing and torturing him. Verosika confronts him about how much he hurt her. Oh, and then he sees the love of his life, who he's just recently pushed away, making out with another guy- proof, in his eyes, that Stolas is happier without him. And this all reflects the underlying fears he already has about who he is as a person (shown to us by Truth Seekers).

So what was the takeaway? Blitz came to the conclusion that he doesn't always want to be like this (good, but like . . . worth this much pain?). He flops on his steering wheel (relatable). He stops trying to reach out to Stolas (uh oh . . . ). He spends A MONTH spiraling in his own misery and making a mess of all aspects of his life until he's dragged out of it by a caring friend.

The party doesn't empower Blitz to change. It knocks him down and fucking traumatizes him (seriously, images of Stolas from the party show up later in his trauma reel) too much for him to be able to do actually work toward said change. I suspect that if left to his own devices, he would have kept spiraling for quite a while longer. It's one thing to want to change, and another to try to do so alone in the aftermath of a pile-on.

Ghostfuckers

After Blitz drags himself out of his hole of cheesy ice cream and despair to "play sex ghosts" (escapism, again, still knocked down by Apology Tour), infester demon Rolando picks him out as an easy target and assaults him, yes, assaults, with horrific images of his worst traumas and fears.

Not to state the obvious, but Rolando isn't interested in helping Blitz heal. He's trying to kill the guy. He wants to engulf Blitz in his trauma to the extent where he's consumed by it and loses the will to fight back. And as some excellent posts by others have pointed out already, he very likely would have succumbed if not for Millie's support.

Millie helps Blitz get through the onslaught by telling him about what makes him great and how he's improved her life and showing him love and care. And by literally beating the fucking infester out of him. Because there's someone in him who's hurting him, who's re-traumatizing him against his will. She takes him away from the reel of horrible memories.

So . . . do I think that confronting traumas can play a role in healing? Sure. But only if it's consensually (which neither of these situations are) and when the person trying to heal is ready. And most likely in small doses. No one's going and successfully confronting every horrible thing that's ever happened to them in one go.

And in my humble opinion, it's not going to work (for anyone, but especially not for Blitz) alone and without a healthy dose of kindness and compassion (both external and internal).

Blitz has a long road ahead of him toward healing, and it's going to be hard work on his part but also require love and support from the people in his life.

In a wonderful moment near the end of Ghosfuckers, Blitz and Millie work together to get Blitz's wrecked van unstuck and push it back through the portal into Hell. I love it because it's so simple and it kind of tells us everything we need to know. This sweet and salty gremlin has a lot of work ahead of him, but he doesn't have to do it alone.

Arcana Analysis: Helluva Boss--Blitzo (Wheel of Fortune)

Now we move on to the other half of Viv's Hellverse, Helluva Boss! also I hereby acknowledge that I'm walking into a warzone but whatever

First off is the protagonist of the show, Blitzo. At first fitting the "laughably incompetent main character" archetype we see in many other cartoons, there turn out to be a lot of tragic reasons for that.

His card is the Wheel of Fortune, number ten in the major arcana deck. Its very name and imagery go hand in hand with the show's musings on the respective cycles of life and misery.

The core of Blitzo's character is that he's rather contradictory. First impressions show that he's obnoxious, boorish, and pretty stupid, which would turn people off from him instantly. Yet during his more vulnerable moments, Blitzo reveals that he's afraid of being alone, even more so that he'll die with no one by his side. All of this causes him to take part in a pretty bad cycle of misery: he thinks so lowly of himself that he pushes away people interested in him with his bad behavior, best seen in his relationships with both Verosika and Stolas. And in turn, they form a pretty bad opinion about him--best shown in "Apology Tour", where the former organized a party dedicated to hating him, with many the attendees being people wronged by Blitzo one way or another. In a way, this also serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy; part of why Blitzo has so many enemies is that he was caught up in his own self-loathing and repulsed the people who would come to hate him.

This cycle can be traced back to Blitzo's childhood working at a circus with his family. Back then, his problems weren't quite as bad; despite growing up with a shitty father, he at least had his mother, his sister, and his best friend and co-worker, Fizzarolli, there to comfort him. Even then, however, Blitzo's self-loathing was starting to bubble up with Fizz being much more popular among the circus than him, with even Blitzo's own father outright saying Fizz should've been his son. Making it much worse is that Blitzo was implied to have a crush on Fizz, and was about to give him a flower and a letter for his birthday before seeing his father and Fizz together. And everything goes to Hell from there--literally. Blitzo, in his sadness, accidentally knocked someone with a lit birthday cake down, starting a fire that horribly maimed Fizz and killed Blitzo's own mother. As if that wasn't enough, his piece-of-horseshit dad blocked him from seeing Fizz while he was recovering, and then didn't tell Fizz that Blitzo tried to visit him, causing the friendship between the two to deteriorate for a long while. Combine that with his sister's current hatred towards him for the incident, and you have the biggest reason why Blitzo doesn't think he's worthy of love.

On a more positive note, however, Blitzo has broken the cycle quite a few times, evoking Fortune Reversed. It's most prominent in his forming of his company, IMP, which he calls "family". As a matter of fact, after he met his three employees, their lives started to improve bit-by-bit. He adopted Loona, a Hellhound, when she was living in a downtrodden orphanage that she almost aged out of. Despite the occasional misgiving between the two, she's truly grateful for him bringing her in a much better place than she was in before. He met Moxxie when the two were imprisoned, the latter after being abandoned by his ex boyfriend in a failed robbery. By taking him under his wing, Blitzo opened the opportunity for Moxxie's second, more successful chance at love. Said second chance came in the form of Millie, who was much more morose and caustic when she and Blitzo first met. After a scuffle between the two, she joined him out of respect, and meeting Moxxie led to her becoming much happier with herself.

The biggest triumph for Blitzo comes in "Mastermind" and "Sinsmas", the most recent episodes as of this writing, when he makes amends with Stolas. Blitzo is about to be executed by Satan for his past use of Stolas' grimoire when the latter shows up to save him. When he spins a narrative painting himself as the villain the situation between the two, Blitzo is horrified and scared for Stolas; during the eponymous song, he sings stuff like "Don't give your life to clean my slate" and "You're my heart", affirming that he's genuinely started to care for Stolas. When Stolas successfully convinces Satan and his court with his story, his punishment is a hundred years living among the common people, IMP included. Afterwards, Blitzo is quick to offer him shelter at his own apartment. Sinsmas then shows the two bonding on equal ground, further mending their strained relationship. Not only does Blitzo help him adjust to his new circumstances, but when Stolas' own daughter denounces him for his gambit in the previous episode, Blitzo comforts him again by relating to his situation. He then invites Stolas to dance with him, capping their first moment of romantic intimacy.

To cap it off, Blitzo represents both sides of the Wheel of Fortune, all positive and negative, with the circumstances of his life and how he grows in dealing with them. Starting off contributing to the cycle of misery with his crude behavior, the close calls he's had as of late have made him reflect on that behavior and clean up his act, breaking that cycle quite a few times and gaining the sincere love of many in the process. I make no apologies for diving into this show

Okay, I’m not coping well with the emotional whirlpool I’m experiencing after Mastermind. And this scene right here:

Is something that is haunting me. Because it’s not difficult to see what troubles lie ahead for them, what consequences await for the events of the trial. What do we already know about Blitz? That he has deeply hated himself for many years. Maybe he felt slightly better after Millie’s monologue in Ghostfuckers, but I think we all know that such a deep seated hatred of oneself doesn’t disappear in a single conversation. This much is clear by the pictures in Blitz’s apartment still being blacked out that we can see in the background in Mastermind. And any relief he may have felt from Millie’s sincere story is going to be completely shattered.

I have no doubt personally that Blitz has always thought he ruined Stolas’ life. He’s not a stupid man; he’s observant. He knows the struggles Stolas has gone through with the advent of their deal and relationship. He’s seen the wedge he put between him and his daughter. He knows the kind of hell the divorce has put him through. But now?

If there was any doubt he ruined his life before, it’s gone now. Because Stolas has now utterly, and completely, lost everything. His titles, his status, his wealth, his home, his power. All that’s gone. But worse? He’s entirely lost his daughter now. Blitz will probably never forgive himself for that. I mean shit, he literally said this:

Stolas is a much more powerful being than Blitz. But Blitz believes he deserves to die rather than put Stolas in harms way. Blitz will probably be wishing that he died rather than live with the fact that he’s brought Stolas low. Stolas’ punishment is far longer than Blitz’s life span. The consequences of saving his life will outlive him. There no chance Blitz will accept this as Stolas’ choice. Not only will he have to deal with the trauma of the trial before Stolas arrived, but also the result of what it’s done to the man he loves more than life itself.

But Stolas? Stolas would do it again. The way he says it, “Always”, is just so raw and softly powerful. Because he’s just had his powers ripped from his body. He’s lost it all, he’s lost his child. But he would do it again. There was no other choice to be made. There was no alternative. He said it himself:

Stolas is a suicidal figure. He prepped his daughter for the day he wouldn’t be around. He doesn’t value himself or his life at all. He’s suffered tremendously. He probably already believes he’s lost his daughter. His daughter has made it clear that she hates him. Outside of Blitz, who is his light in the darkness, his soulmate and true love, what does he have to live for? To Stolas this was a no brainer. He went to that block with dignity. He was so willing to die for his love.

So when Blitz thanks him for saving his life, Stolas, breathless and weak, says “Always”, because he will always love him, need him, cherish him. He will always put him above himself, which is something Blitz wouldn’t understand but is second nature to a gentle spirit like Stolas. Stolas who escaped the torments of his life in his books, who is humble and sweet with a lowly imp because his body and soul needs Blitz like he needs air. A true romantic, a soft demon who gave it all up for love and would do it again.

Always, he says, and means with every syllable.

Now this is an interesting idea that is as terrifying as it’s absolutely fascinating to me. If nothing else, it’s a different take on the love triangle idea that’s been going around since Vassago’s reveal

Sinsmas just might setup more than Octavia being manipulated

Figured Andrealphus is a sexually repressed closeted gay man, trying to act straight by mentioning his sister’s attractiveness almost everytime he speaks.

Okay so here’s when everything what I’m about to say from now on becomes far fetched. It might not even happen.

But I wonder, will Andre eventually get a gay awakening, a darker version of Stolas’ awakening? Andre is very entitled and full of himself. Giving his personality and how sexually repressed he actually is, I have no doubt that he will handle his attraction to another person very poorly.

Take this with a grain of salt, but apparently Viv said we’ll get a “hellfire” type of song in the future. She also apparently said that Andre would continue to play a bigger role in s3, so it could suggest that the song could be sung by him.

I’ve seen other fans talk about this. But If the “hellfire” type of song is true and it is indeed sung by Andre. What if Andre develops some twisted feelings for Blitz? You know, Esmeralda style? I feel it’s very in character for Andre to act like Frollo in that regard.

Even though it desturbing and terrifying, it would really be interesting storywise to see Andre losing his mind for a being he should find repulsive and unworthy of his attention, just like Frollo with Esmeralda. It’s like the worst thing that could happen to him. We know how Andre view imps.

If you haven’t listened yet to “Hellfire” from the hunchback of Notre Dame, I highly recommend it. It’s sung by Frollo and it’s about his lust and obsession with Esmeralda. It really is such a good villain song.

ages/lifespans in Helluva??

I know the sins are Immortal, it's established they've been there since the beginning of Hell. We know Stolas is only in his late 30s, and I assume Goetias have an unusually long lifespan (hence his 100 years banishment). Sinners don't age and that leaves the Hellborns. Blitz and Stolas are roughly the same age, but do Hellborns also have unusually long lifespans? Or do they age more like humans do? What does 100 years mean to Blitz?

Periodic rent-lowering-gunshots:

Fiction is not reality.

You can enjoy things in fiction that would be awful in the real world. Like playing a murderhobo in a game! In the real world, being or supporting a murderer-thief would be pretty damn awful, while in the game it's just good fun. Same with anything else you choose to do with the pixels on the screen, like kinks that don't affect anyone real, so they're okay in fiction, but would be pretty damn bad in real life.

No one else is responsible for your online experience. They are required not to harass you, but they are not and never will be obligated to not post about ships, kinks, or tropes you dislike just to avoid you seeing them. It's up to you to blacklist words or phrases, block tags, or even block users as needed to avoid seeing content that upsets you.

No one can force you to read anything against your consent. Any content you don't like seeing can be instantly avoided by closing out of the offending post/fic.

You are not owed an online experience free of discomfort.

Nothing that happens in your imagination can ever make you a bad person. Words you write or read about fictional characters will never make you a bad person.

The claim that media consumption influences real-life behavior is intellectually dishonest and serves only to excuse the behavior of real offenders.

Fiction is a safe way to explore horrifying or confusing concepts. Therapists agree that fiction, even (or especially) about taboo topics is a good coping mechanism, especially, but not exclusively, for trauma survivors. Fiction is to adults what play therapy is to children. This doesn't stop being true if the work in question is of a sexual nature.

Sex isn't an inherently worse or better motivation than anything else. A work written to create feelings of arousal isn't dirty, shameful, or in any way less pure than works written to entertain, provoke moral questions, or for other reasons. And worth noting is that multiple purposes can exist in the same story, especially fanfiction.

You aren't entitled to an explanation for why someone reads, writes, or otherwise enjoys certain works, kinks, tropes, ships, etc.

Gotta love Blitzø’s priorities.

You’re having dinner with your friend/employee’s mob boss of a father, and THAT’s what you decide to focus on during the awkward dinner talk. Freakin love him, honestly.

And it is done! I wrote a theory, I bought the merch and now I’ve buckled down and wrote a fanfic on the topic. May this obsession be appeased enough to leave me alone!

May everyone else enjoy my descent into madness.

Ever since season 2 concluded back in December, I’ve been rethinking Brandon Roger’s slip of the tongue about how Blitzø “ran” I.M.P. instead of “runs”. A lot of us were convinced that Mastermind was going to have Blitzø’s business being destroyed along with the building it was being run in. But then Sinsmas aired, and I.M.P. is still going strong.

But then that begs the question, was that earlier statement by Brandon just a slip of the tongue? Or were we given a hint to a future conflict/conclusion that takes place in a later season?

Personally, I think there’s still a chance that Blitzø is going to lose I.M.P. And my obsession with finding lore/future hints in Vivzie’s official merchandise turned a simple passing thought into a freakin full blown obsession that just won’t leave me alone. So of course I’m going to share the insanity.

This Halloween T-shirt’s art is what started it all.

Blitzø is dressed up as an angel, something that anyone from hell would consider as terrifying or monstrous. Perfectly in theme with Halloween while also being ironically hilarious to the audience.

But what if it’s more than that? What if it’s a possible hint about how Helluva Boss will end? What if Blitzø doesn’t lose I.M.P. or willingly retire and pass it on?

Helluva Boss could just as easily end with Blitzø’s death. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually “THE END” the end for Blitzø’s or even Helluva Boss’ story. Because Blitzø could be reincarnated as an angel, just like he’s dressed up as in the Halloween art.

After all, Vivzie is also famous for another show based in hell that focuses on redeeming those condemned to live in hell. And one of those sinners was even redeemed and made it into heaven after sacrificing himself for his loved ones.

This sounds exactly like something Blitzø would do. In fact, he’s already tried to sacrifice himself for his family once already, and I highly doubt he won’t do it again. Especially with Stolas in the picture being as apathetic of his own life as he is.

Now, we know little to nothing about how death affects hellborns, or if they even have souls that can die like a human’s from earth. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a possibility! After all, ghosts might not exist in the Helluva Boss universe. But reincarnation hasn’t been taken off the table yet! And it would really add an interesting twist in the lore of the Helluva/Hazbin universe. Which would then be the perfect excuse to bring some Helluva Boss characters over into Hazbin Hotel.

Oh, and then there’s the full moon/heaven imagery to consider.

Heaven is the freaking moon in Helluva Boss! And Stolas has already visualized Blitzø as being unreachable in the glow of said moon…

So, maybe there is merit to the idea that Blitzø can be reincarnated into heaven. Thoughts?

HELLUVA BOSS Truth Seekers | 1.06

This is my favorite scene and NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT

Them, being SO ADORABLE, being my NEW FAVORITE DUO EVER

Blitzo admitting to her that the “I want to fuck everyone, and only fuck them, because emotions and caring for people is dangerous” persona he has is not true, that it’s falling apart. This seems like such a silly line but I think it goes so deep.

Blitzo’s always been wanted for sex and sex only, which is why I think he might have looked up at Millie like that after he admitted he doesn’t actually want to fuck her. He’s scared that if his one good use is gone, then people won’t want him anymore.

Luckily this is Millie, and this whole episode is the beginning of putting that insecurity to bed. So he feels more comfortable admitting this to her

This part is really showing his growth. His maturity in his relationship- knowing that if he really cares about someone he can’t sleep around. His maturity with his friends- leaving their relationship be and no longer pushing and crossing boundaries. He’s letting go of that persona, the one that in his eyes has kept him safe. He realizing he needs to be someone else to be happy.

And of course,

Blitzo admitting just how much he loves and cares about Stolas- TO SOMEONE ELSE. This is HUGE for him- he doesn’t do the feelings talk, not even with the people he has feelings for, let alone bystanders.

He’s realizing that he doesn’t want to be with anyone else- that Stolas is the only one. He really understands (you can hear it in his voice and see it in his face) how much he fucked up, which is also how much he will need to fix to get it back.

This scene was the perfect way to end this episode and I just think it’s absolute perfection