Hazbin Hotel: Season One

After eight beautifully written, different, lovely episodes, Hazbin Hotel season one has come to a close. There's plenty of things we could talk about here. From the art to the story, Vivziepop, or Vivienne Medrano, has done an outstanding job of creating a great show. (I've been keeping up with her work since she came out with Timber nine whole years ago, so I admit I'm biased.) Originally, I wanted to narrow it down to a single category but, really, I just want to talk about the finale, or the last two episodes as a whole.

To start, Charlie. Her growth as a character from episode one to episode eight is astonishing while being slow and not incredibly obvious. Seeing her change from not being able to help the the denizens

Image Credit: Prime Video

of her hotel to watching her lead an army of cannibals was fantastic. Not to mention the character design in her new or full form. It encompasses her growth from a just a girl trying to help to someone strong and capable of defending her dream, something she learned from her dad. This is clear in the parallels between their designs. She's not just Charlie, owner of the Hazbin Hotel, she's Charlie Morningstar, Princess of Hell and the daughter of Lucifer Morningstar.

A lot of Charlie's growth can be seen in the actions of the occupants of the hotel. Look at Angel. He's one of the characters who interested me the most, not just in his design, but in his genuine want to grown and redeem himself. He makes a shift, partially due to Husk's intervention in the previous episodes, but because of Charlie's insistence in being his friend. Seeing him and the other choose to defend the hotel, Charlie's dream, and their chance at redemption shows the night and day difference between where they started and where they are.

And we can't talk about redemption without talking about about Sir Pentious. While I have to admit he wasn't my favorite character, he is and will be pivotal to the story. I mean, he was redeemed. He proved redemption is possible if the occupants of hell die, likely for a noble cause. He, as a character changed from someone who wanted to destroy the hotel to someone who died protecting it. I have a feeling that, if Angel had died, the same would've happened. This certainly paves the way for them going forward, especially if Emily can find a way to communicate this to Charlie.

Now what does this mean for hell? Why would sinners want to be redeemed if they know exorcists can be killed? Was a major point not just surviving? This may be a question for later on, especially because I know there's some context that was discussed and released through art and interviews and that's not what I want to focus on.

Another huge point I want to focus on is Alastor and his fight and appearance in the final episode. Admittedly, he's probably my favorite character. His design as a deer really stands out to me, especially when his horns start to grown and his form starts to change, not to mention his voice and the old announcer tone they use over it. More than anything, he seems to be one of the most unknown characters. I think his tone in his episode eight monologue says a lot about him. "Great Alastor Altruist died for his friends." This line stuck out to me, especially the expression he was making while he said it.

Image Credit: Prime Video

This isn't the tone of someone who was happy for their actions, but of someone who feared what they'd done. He isn't proud of it, but upset by the idea of it. Whether it be because of him actually forming bonds with the occupants of the hotel or because of the deal he's under is yet to be seen. (I'm hoping for the former.)

And Alastor's deal. He's clearly a lot more distressed by this than I'd originally thought, his monologue being the only part of the show where he begins to show how it's affected him and paints a different color over some of his actions. It does beg the question of who would put him in the position he's in? Who else would want to help Charlie?

My original guess on this was Lilith, my perception of her being what I know from Charlie. Her as Charlie's beloved mother and a powerful player in Hell just made sense to me. I'm starting to think that may not have been the case. She's still a major player in the game, but I'm starting to doubt who's side she's actually one. Especially with Lute's implication of Charlie being in their, or her, way. From what it looks like, Lilith may be more of a villain going forward than I'd originally thought.

At the very least, we know Charlie will have one supportive parent on her side, and that's my other favorite character, Lucifer. I like his design off the bat, with him following Charlie's color scheme. They're clearly lighter and more "pure" than the other's, with the blush marks on their cheeks and the white skin. At the same time, Lucifer wiping the floor with Adam while even Alastor struggled against him really proved to me just how powerful the King of Hell is. Not to mention his decision to finally support Charlie, to stand with her even if she fails, coming to fruition in his appearance showed a lot of his change from his first appearance.

We do, of course, have to talk about Vaggie as well. Her lesson with Carmilla Carmine and that whole scene was phenomenal. Her and Charlie's dual growth as characters and as partners really had me scared for a second that she would be the one to die, inspiring Charlie to fight more harshly. I'm glad that didn't happen. Seeing her come into her powers as an angel and seeing her fight scene with Lute was all I wanted.

There is one more character I want to talk about, but it won't be nearly as long as the other's. That's Nifty. I love her with my whole heart. I gasped then laughed when she killed Adam and she deserved that kill.

Image Credit: Prime Video

I genuinely loved Hazbin Hotel. It's a great show filled with amazing music thanks to it's outstanding cast and dedicated creator. I love all of the characters and episode eight showed that the story is deeper than I thought and that's actually saying a lot. I really hope we get another season so we can see exactly how far the line of control goes.

If you liked this show as much as I did, and you want more of Vivienne Medrano's work, she has another show called Helluva Boss. It has the same adult themes and compelling story. I would highly recommend it.