Really hoping that Full Moon drops this weekend.

My clumsy ass tumbled down some stairs and injured her leg, so now I can't walk properly for at least 5 days and thus, I don't have much stuff to do.

The shitshow that is going to be the episode and the drama that's going to happen after it drops, as you and some other criticals have predicted, would be some damn good and well-timed entertainment to indulge in, as I wait to be able to walk from my room to my kitchen without a crutch.

Genuinely curious to see the reaction of regular fans and stans in particular - I will be very surprised, if the episode doesn't make at least some of them change teams, because... I don't even have words to describe how disgusting and messy Full Moon is looking to be, if your information holds up.

Hope your leg is faring better than that stinker of an episode, Anon!

Personally I like to think Stella would simultaneously fucking hate Blitzo but also empathize with him. Like, he runs into her while on one of his monthly Stolas-fucking sessions and asks why she doesn't just send an assassin after him or the imps, and she's like "Well, my husband ruined the family's reputation and my daughter can't study her birthright when it's only here once a month for that wimpy fuck to loan from another low-class imp, BUT you were also basically purchased and made to fuck that bird bastard for your job and your family." Then she leaves without explaining what the fuck that "also" means and reminds him Stolas is waiting for him.

She wouldn't give any other imp in their mansion a second glance, but remembers Blitzo face and calls off Striker so she can wait to see when Blitzo gets sick enough of Stolas to kill him.

Yeah, I think Blitzo would score in exactly two departments with Stella: his devotion to his daughter and his suffering at Stolas's hands.

She knows what it's like to be bought and purchased.

wait, that's what the VA was joking about before he deleted the tweet? that a nine year old asked something inappropriate at a con?

why do so few of the people remaining with the hellaverse projects seem to have any sense of like, boundaries, professionalism, any of that??

You've genuinely got to wonder if these people were always on some level this awful or if Viv's just a black hole that brings out the worst in everyone.

(I know Raph used to be really cool. It's sad to see what he's become.)

Since I know you're a Phantom of the Opera fan, I had this realization that I figured I'd share with you and all who follow this blog: Helluva, Stolitz in particular now, is basically gay Love Never Dies.

Characters starting out with having compelling relationship that could work in another life but there's a toxicness currently that won't make it work well and the one with the power realizes their wrongs originally (ending of Phantom of the Opera, end of Ozzie's) which later canon (Love Never Dies, Helluva Season 2) disregards? Check.

Other characters derailed far away from what they once were into unlikable people to force the focal ship to work? Check.

Character in main ship does a whole bunch of wrong and the narrative paints him as the victim? Check.

Characters in main ship sing a song about how they have sex? Check.

The only way Helluva could be more "gay Love Never Dies" is if Helluva ends with Fizz trying to murder Blitzo, Stolas dies, and then Blitzo sings sadly about how he lost Stolas.

-Afterlife Anon

God, it's true, especially the bit about overhauling all the other characters in an attempt to force people to like the main ship. Poor, poor Raoul...

The best thing that can be said for Love Never Dies is that some of the songs are stunning; the sex one is actually my favorite. The virgin When I See Him versus the chad Beneath A Moonless Sky.

(I've also been informed by a dear friend and resident Phantom of the Opera expert that Andrew Lloyd Webber projects something fierce onto Erik the same way Viv projects onto Stolas. So you know, there's that.)

I think this is less a media literacy thing and more a lack of education/determination to Stan at all costs but like

it's really something to see that some of the fandom's measure for what does count as coercion or slavery is literally just

"did the victim enjoy it or not though?"

when that's not. the damn. point.

The point is that buying or selling someone is slavery, period, end of.

Putting someone in a situation where they have to have sex they don't want is sexual extortion and coercion, period, end of.

It's really gross to see the show actively encourage a narrative that not only obscures these very obvious definitions but actively refuses to acknowledge Blitzo is a victim in these scenarios and then the fandom blames him for attempting to make the best of it

like that winceworthy slavery take asking whether or not, quote - "black children [had] the opportunity to have a cute day with their master's kid"

Um, how "cute" the day they had together is immaterial. It literally doesn't matter. Something being mildly enjoyable for the person who was forced into it does not suddenly make it right.

also the bit that is poor media literacy - Blitzo didn't want to go, had to be dragged away and guilt tripped into going and when he was there he was bored and annoyed until he made up a game to steal stuff to fulfil his father's wishes (which he was also forced and guilted into doing). even the text of the episode itself shoots this argument down because whatever 'enjoyment' Blitzo had was just him making the best of it in a situation he was forced into (and the fanbase still lambasts him for calling Stolas' interests 'boring' when he's never met this rich kid before in his life and is being forced to spend time with him, away from his real friend Fizz. like how dare he act out or be honest if it hurts Stolas' feelings)

like they can nitpick Blitzo was only bought for a day and not owned by the Goetias, but his time was still bought, still coerced. same as present day Blitzo is stuck with adult Stolas not because he wants to be there.

like if the show had decent writers these parallels would be intentional, but they're so obviously not because then they'd have to acknowledge the fact that Stolas is both complicit in and directly involved in perpetuating the unjust systems of Hell

The fact that anyone in the year 2024 who isn't a crusted over Kentucky senator is looking at any scene of coercion or slavery and asking "But did the victim enjoy it?" is honestly terrifying.

off the cuff thoughts about the episode (& bit of a rant, sorry!):

first bits with IMP talking about the grimoire & Stolas really drive home Blitzo was only ever doing it for the book - he sounds happy about having some months off, the others don't imply Stolas is into him romantically and are actually worried about losing their entire business (to the point they followed him!)

some of the bits with CHERUB were actually sort of fun

some good jokes

nice to see Fizz call Blitzo 'buddy'

then the worst scene in the episode is the one where Stolas gives Blitzo the crystal. He gives this whole speech acknowledging the full moon deal is wrong but pretty crucially doesn't say the actual words 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm sorry for how I treated you' or 'I shouldn't have treated you like a sex object'

then it's all down hill from there. He immediately gets indignant that Blitzo thinks he's trying to do roleplay and is annoyed Blitzo made it about sex when he's conditioned Blitzo to think that way

then when Blitzo rightfully calls him out for his bullshit he turns it around and says he 'thinks so highly of him but didn't realize Blitzo thought so love of [Stolas]'. like what is this self-victimizing BS??? he's calling Stolas out on how he treated him and Stolas immediately starts crying and refuses to hear it.

like what good partner material he is, first he makes Blitzo majorly panic about his business (did he seriously not notice that desperate little 'I'll do anything'???), dumps a major status quo and a confession on him (still without saying a single thing he likes about Blitzo, good job on the dialogue there) and then just walks off the second Blitzo doesn't immediately get on board with what he wants now

worse still, when he busts out the manipulative self-serving tears Blitzo sounds like he's about to say 'Stolas I'm s-[orry]' right before he gets thrown out, which...ugh. Can the show please stop making Blitzo apologize to Stolas when he hasn't done anything wrong???

as usual the bits of the ep without Stolas in were mostly fun, nothing too annoying or out of place this time, but unless the song Stolas sings in Apology Tour is reflecting on how he treated Blitzo to make him feel that way and showing some actual self awareness and empathy Blitzo is far, far better off without him and nothing will change my mind on that

(on a brighter note, dear god was it satisfying to hear Blitzo set the record straight with Stolas. He got to call him out for the classism, just wish the show had let him call out Stolas for using the fact he was getting shot at - and not caring about it - to coerce him into sex. Like gee I wonder why he thinks Stolas don't care? I wonder why he thinks 'so low' of him?? Because he behaved in a low despicable manner and Blitzo absolutely deserves to be able to yell about it

RIP Blitzo's 10 seconds of agency, dignity, and freedom to stand up for himself. They were fantastic while they lasted.

At the start of Blitz’s part in the full moon song we see a picture of him and Loona with his face scribbled out, which reminds me of all the other pictures we see of him scribbled out in Ozzie’s. Imagine if after a fun night together Striker gets up first and sees all those pictures, he even sees a few of them together with Blitz’s face scribbled out

He goes back to bed and just hugs Blitz for a really long time.

Honestly if Loona can tone down the bitchyness and work on her self-esteem issues I think Vortex, Bee and her would make a cute throuple. Bee already thinks she’s cute and Loona and Vortex have a nice friendship that could turn into something more romantic

Yeah, I've always thought they'd make a cute throuple. I can actually kind of see that one being canon.

So, after all that shit. Got any wisdom to share?

If you've been touched by the lifeguard, crossing guard, or your minister or rabbi, go back into the past and don't be fooled next time.

Also, drugs from your parents are free.

I’ve been wanting to send this in for a while but I kept forgetting- but here it is finally I guess

(Talking about tadc ep2 btw) MAN it’s really showed me how much people invest in fanon from the whole “oh wow the character who the creator specifically said was an unlikeable iredeemable asshole acts like an unlikeable irredeemable asshole how COULD HE” thing. like man. As someone who likes the show very casually and is not in the fandom whatsoever, he acted exactly like I’d expected him to from what we’ve seen in the pilot. And people were mad about that? Because of the apparent fanon version? I don’t get it it’s so weird

Certain shitty creators aside, I feel like it's a pretty piss poor time to be a creator. It doesn't matter how gently and clearly you try to lead your audience to the central point, there's a considerable crowd who'll sit there trying to stuff their fist in their mouth instead and then scream at you when it gets stuck there.

🧁 anon

Btw this episode is more fuel for the "theory" that Viv hates kids. The kid being the only survivor of the I.M.P, the child soldiers, none of it was funny. It just felt cruel for the sake of it

Confession....I actually laughed at that part. I have a very mean sense of humor.

Weird to bring it up now, I know, but I always liked the design for stoles as a child. And while the circus is a bad episode (when has this show ever had a good one?) I thought he was sweet as a kid. There's something sobering about remembering that child and seeing the man he became. It's like seeing baby photos of an abuser or serial killer. A good writer would probably have played into that at least a bit

💭 thought bubble anon

Oh god, I would bawl my eyes out if this show were clever and sensitive enough to go that route. Stolas either dies or Blitzo leaves him to wallow forever as the angry, delusional person he's become and it involves a flashback to when their day together as kids ended, just waving goodbye to one another.

Recently Twitter lost their minds because Alex brightman said fizz is in an open relationship

I know it’s a very unlikely thing and was probably a joke but damn fizz and Ozzie would take such good care of Blitzø.

Too late, BlitzFizz is canon, no take-backsies!

https://www.tumblr.com/chaifootsteps/751846864610050048

Hazbin stans like this 👆 is no surprising that why people put hazbin/helluva fans in their DNI list

That one made my goddamn jaw drop. These people really have no grasp on reality, no decency, and no shame.

https://youtu.be/90Gtc_dTGlc?si=FN1wKjOLi-YYqIdA

found this video and it talks about we should let characters be bad people. and the two characters discussed in that vid are Jax and Valentino...

I actually watch the whole thing and I get what OP is saying and fiction doesn't hurt real people but seeing so many gross Valentino fans glorify him, seeing him as "sexy hot" when he's clearly not. like they're aware of his crimes but then they say "uwueh but he's sooo hot" wtf. also hating on sa victims for not finding the ugly moth hot as well is kinda... hard to see that way.

meanwhile Jax is a looney tune character.

also why are they still pretending Val is a good written villain? ughhhhh like can this stupid bitch moth just die?

I actually think it's okay to acknowledge Valentino is a disgusting trash dump that deserves to eat a shotgun shell, but also have the vapors for him something fierce. Hell, even I used to. He use to be a lot smoother and didn't have the goofball voice.

What's not okay is calling for the mass reporting of posts making fun of Valentino and defending actual, real life rapists because you like Valentino, which Viv stans have done.

I haven't seen anyone talk about it , but I love how Pomni actually has SOME teeth to her instead of being all "Whaa, what is happening?!" the entire time, like when she says she's not a child to Ragatha, or curses at Jax, or immediately starts swearing when she learns the circus has a swear filter.

It's small, but nice to see.

It's nice. She's still pretty shell-shocked, but she's finding her feet.