Hazbin Hotel Season 2 is a Helluva Good Time
Voice Actors: Erika Henningsen, Amir Talai, Stephanie Beatriz, Blake Roman, Alex Brightman, Christian Borle
Created By: Vivienne Medrina
Vox: “One last question for the road, Princess. [voice distorts] Do you think I could be redeemed?”
Hazbin Hotel “Hazbin Hotel: Behind Closed Doors” (Season 2, Episode 3)
Charlie: “I believe anyone can be redeemed.”
Hazbin Hotel’s first season was a roaring success. The Disney musical from hell was filled with earworms and delightful characters, despite skipping the pilot episode. Now the curtains rise on the second act. Can Hazbin Hotel season 2 nail the encore or is redemption impossible? Let’s find out.
Scene Select
Recap
Heaven hosts yearly exterminations to keep Hell’s population from rising against them. Princess of Hell Charlie Morningstar creates the Hazbin Hotel to redeem sinners so they can be safe in Heaven. The hotel struggles until infamous serial killer Alastor becomes manager.
Charlie’s peace negotiations with Heaven fail because of extermination leader Adam and the discovery that even Seraphs don’t know what makes someone worthy of Heaven. Charlie is forced to raise an army that defeats the exterminators, proving to Hell that angels can be killed. Her friend Sir Pentious dies in battle and ascends to Heaven as the first redeemed sinner.
Good
New Tenants
Speaker: “Please, tell us your story.”
“Storyteller” (Season 1, Episode 2)
Sir Pentious: “Well, I don’t… I’m not much of a storyteller and I don’t know how I got here, miss… who are you?”
Speaker: “I’m known as The Speaker of God.”
Pentious: “Oh…!”
Hazbin Hotel season 2 doesn’t overload fans with a swelling cast. It introduces a handful of new players and builds on underused supporting characters.
Charlie has many new guests at the hotel, but the majority of them are only interested in killing angels. They leave in droves once she insists on redemption being the goal. The only exception is Baxter, a mad scientist who believes that redemption is impossible and is collecting evidence to test his hypothesis.
The other main characters have their own fallout from the battle. Anarchist Cherri Bomb mourns Ser Pentious’ death, murderous maid Nifty is idolized for killing Adam, and ex-exorcist Vaggie is building a new life. After Alastor was seriously wounded and lost his staff, viewers learn that he made a deal to become the strongest sinner in Hell and has been searching for a way out of his mistress’ control.
Heaven also has new faces. Fallout Boy’s Patrick Stump voices Abel, Adam’s son and new general of Heaven’s army. He’s a fun-loving coward who tries to avoid conflict. Fans also meet The Speaker of God, a motherly higher-up who advises the seraphs. She appears sparingly, but the showrunner confirmed that The Speaker is the closest thing to God that will appear.
Snakes in Paradise
“We’ll have so much fun here
“Storyteller” (Season 1, Episode 2)
From now till Kingdom Come here (No! No!)
We literally will (No-No! No!)
Have forever to chill! (NOOOOOOO!!!)”
Heaven plays a much bigger role in Hazbin Hotel season 2. But for one character, the pearly gates form a gilded cage.
Sir Pentious’ ascension has Heaven up in arms. The angels are convinced that he snuck in until The Speaker confirms he was redeemed. That revelation shatters seraph Sera’s confidence as she realizes that everyone she allowed to be exterminated could have been saved.
Sera’s sister Emily supports Sir Pentious as he adapts to Heaven, but she can’t cure his loneliness or alienation. Sir Pentious pines for his friends and searches for a way out of Heaven. He becomes a voice of reason, having been the only person to experience Earth, Heaven, and Hell.
Many angels are outraged by Sir Pentious’ presence and the loss of Adam. None are angrier than Lute, Adam’s top lieutenant and unrequited lover. She constantly demands that Heaven slaughter the demons who killed him. A hallucination of Adam encourages Lute’s madness and occasionally offers her solace.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei
“We Sinners do not need a king, we need someone who understands
“Silenced” (Season 2, Episode 5)
A different kind of despot bringing respite from divine demands
New order like what Lilith had envisioned when she threatened them
She knew that Hell was great and we can Make Hell Great Again!”
The voice of the people may be the voice of God, but a wise man replied “if you listen to fools, the mob rules.” Let’s see if season two’s Big Bad agrees.
The Vees played a minor role in season one. Vox, Valentino, and Velvette are the biggest media conglomerate in Hell, with an empire built around TV, pornography, and social media. Vox wants to conquer Heaven and begins ruining Charlie’s reputation to make himself the figurehead of a rebellion.
Vox becomes more popular and powerful after defeating Alastor in a duel. He makes grandiose speeches about raising sinners up and accuses critics of trying to censor him. Flashbacks show his past as a serial killer obsessed with fame. That hunger is leading him on a crusade to become the One True God.
The other Vees are pushed to the side by Vox’s self-interest. Velvette reluctantly goes along with his plans despite always being the first to point out when he’s acting like a jackass. Valentino is more hesitant because of his relationship with Vox becoming toxic. How ironic for a pimp and rapist to find himself on the receiving end of abuse.
Hazbin Hotel Season 2’s Encore
“HEAR MY HOPE!
“Curtain Call” (Season 2, Episode 8)
Let it thunder
Across this prideful ring
Till every last soul sings!“
Hazbin Hotel season one was full of earworms from Broadway and Disney stars, but they outdid themselves in season 2.
Hazbin Guarantee starts off strong with Charlie’s kitschy musical number being usurped by the Vees. It sets up Vox’s gimmick of remixing and exploiting other characters’ songs, as he does in “Don’t You Forget (Reprise)”, “Bad With Us”, and “Vox DEI” He only has one solo, original song called “Brighter.”
Many side characters get their own songs after missing out in season one. Nifty’s “Clean it Up!” is a bilingual sugar rush, Lute gives into madness through “Gravity”, and The Speaker offers advice while listening to “Sera’s Confession.”
Several melodies blend in the last two showstoppers. “When I Think About Tomorrow” reprises several songs as the characters prepare for the final battle. “Hear My Hope” has almost the entire cast join in song as Heaven and Hell are endangered. That song segues into a handful of others, including “Abel’s Breakdown” and an unnamed section where Alastor strikes a deal with his mistress.
Bad
Overnight Stay in Hazbin Hotel Season 2
“Let me stop you right there!
“Curtain Call” (Season 2, Episode 8)
There’s no cause for attack
Swallow your pride
Cast your bloodlust aside
Bitch, you better fall back!”
Hazbin Hotel Season 2 has a lot of pots on the fire and not all of them are meant for this season. Viewers are left with a handful of time-wasting subplots.
Lute’s on the warpath from her first appearance. She demands that Sera, Emily, and The Speaker let her wage war on Hell. “Gravity” reveals that her true goal is to kill Vaggie and make Charlie suffer. Lute agitates for war every chance that she gets, but can’t convince Sera or The Speaker to commit genocide.
Abel has the opposite problem. He’s a generally nice guy who feels unworthy of taking his dad’s role. He’s terrified of being hurt and always sits on the fence whenever the angels are torn over a decision. Abel does his best Cowardly Lion impression in a last minute stand-off against Lute, but it feels unearned due to being rushed in the middle of the final number.
Lilith is the biggest problem. The first season ended with the reveal that she was living in Heaven after abandoning Charlie and Lucifer. She appears sporadically in season 2, never saying a word as Lute rants to her. A very similar cliffhanger ends season 2, leaving fans waiting for Lilith to do something.
The Verdict
Hazbin Hotel season 2 built on the first season. Vox is a more despicable villain than Adam, Heaven and Hell share screentime as the plot thickens, and the soundtrack is arguably better than the first season’s. Lute, Abel, and especially Lilith’s storylines dropped the ball, but that doesn’t drag down the plot. Season 2 is worth your time.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
Leave a Reply