Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor
Content warning: this article contains spoilers, mentions of sexual assault, abuse, drug and alcohol use and violence
Amazon Prime is no stranger to streaming shows based around angels, demons and the redemption of sordid characters. When Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” premiered on the company’s streaming service, Prime Video, it quickly gained notoriety among subscribers. Prime’s newest show, “Hazbin Hotel,” has been met with similar excitement since its release.
In its early days, “Hazbin Hotel” was first posted on a YouTube channel run by the show’s creator, Vivienne Medrano, who went by the handle @vivziepop. Since its initial release on Oct. 28, 2019, the pilot has garnered over 97.1 million views. In 2020, film studio A24 earned the rights to fund and produce the series, but it did not find a home company until Prime Video picked it up for partnership.
“Hazbin Hotel” follows Charlie Morningstar — played by Elsie Lovelock — as she attempts to rehabilitate sinners in her hotel. Working at the hotel with her is the enigmatic Radio Demon, Alastor, bubbly one-eyed Nifty and alcoholic Husk, who act as the hotel’s business partner, housekeeper and bartender respectively.
Together, they work to better the souls of p**n star and addict, Angel Dust, and the loveable loser, Sir Pentious. While attempting this, the hotel residents must prepare to face the coming exorcism, led by none other than the first man himself, Adam, or “the original d**k” as he calls himself.
The show’s first season runs eight episodes, with a runtime of 25 minutes and two songs per episode. It also boasts a well-known cast of Broadway stars, including Alex Brightman, who performed in “Beetlejuice: The Musical,” Stephanie Beatriz, known for Disney’s “Encanto” and “Centaur World” and Keith David, who stars in Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” and “Coraline.”
On the surface, “Hazbin Hotel” may seem like a raunchy, adult comedy with flashy animation and rock-style musical numbers; however, it goes much deeper than what meets the eye.
A primary example lies beneath the surface of character, Angel Dust, played by Blake Roman. At face value, he is flirtatious, constantly intoxicated and hides his insecurities under aloofness, but, in his song “Poison,” the audience is given a glimpse into Angel Dust’s inner monologue, as well as his abusive and controlling relationship with demon overlord, Valentino. In episode five, “Masquerade,” viewers see Angel — in flashbacks — assaulted and beaten by Valentino, as well as being forced to star in adult videos, usually with violent premises.
“It’s not an act! It’s who I need to be! And this, this is my escape. Where I can forget about it all and how much I hate everything. A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore, and maybe he’ll let me go,” Angel says.
“Hazbin Hotel” also explores strained father-daughter relationships, with Charlie and her father, Lucifer — played by Jeremy Jordan, who is known for “Newsies” and “Tangled the Series.” In episode five, “Dad Beat Dad,” Lucifer comes to the hotel to help Charlie in her enterprise, and ultimately repairs his relationship with Charlie in a song titled “More Than Everything.”
The hashtag “hazbinhotel” has garnered over 1.1 million posts on TikTok and 767 thousand on Instagram — skyrocketing the show into popularity in the wake of the finale. Edits and clips of the show have taken over the for you pages of many TikTok users, as well as some users on the platform, gaining overnight fame due to their cosplays of characters and usage of dialogue or songs from the show.
“It definitely deserves the hype it’s getting,” said sophomore, Faith Woolsey. “The plot is amazing and the animation is so good.”
However, there has been some bible-thumping, Ned Flanders types who have taken to TikTok to claim that the show makes Satan the hero and God the enemy.
One such video was posted on Jan. 28, by TikTok user @kmarie_g, and captioned “are they getting bolder with satanic worship or are we waking up more? Either way, it’s here and it’s in the wide open. Amazon’s new cartoon series about Satan being the good guy should be a wake up call to all Christians that now more than ever we need to stand up and guide people to Jesus because this world is doing everything they can to pull them the other way.” In the comments, it was a similar story: other users supported her “message” and were asking God and Jesus to bring the end times. None of the users had watched “Hazbin Hotel.”
This is evident because these claims could not be further from the truth. For one, Lucifer and Satan are two different people in the Hebrew Bible; while Satan is known for trying to tempt Jesus, Lucifer is known for serving him. Lucifer led Jesus to the cross and was cast from Heaven for rebelling against God, while Satan rebels against God and wishes for humanity to serve under him. The title of “Devil” is interchangeable for both Lucifer and Satan. Additionally, it is Adam and his exorcists who are portrayed as evil in “Hazbin Hotel,” not God — who is not even seen and hardly mentioned in the show’s first season.
“Hazbin Hotel” has been greenlit for a second season by Prime Video, with the show’s creator stating a one and a half to two year period before the release of season two. For now, fans can enjoy the show’s sister series — Helluva Boss — on YouTube.
Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu
