#as stolas did after the end of season 1 when he realized how his actions affected blitz and how wrong their deal was

[fan-of-chaos]

Hm. Just had a rather terrible thought.

We can all agree that in the beginning of their deal, Stolas treated Biltz in a way that was... very condescending and degrading, right? You could even say dehumanizing (de-demonizing?).

We also know that Stolas is very inexperienced in sex and sexual behaviors. He is very new to exploring it all, even if he seems to have some theoretical knowledge of it.

Most likely the only other sexual partner Stolas had before Blitz was Stella. And we know from the way Stella described it that it wasn't... a pleasant experience to Stolas, to say the least. ("He laid there, just staring at the ceiling" anyone???)

Stella is also most likely the only person Stolas ever had a romantic relationship with. And we all know how that was like. She disliked him and insulted him on daily basics. She probably never wanted to be with him, just like he never wanted to be with her.

So the only true experiences Stolas had with anything related to romantic relationship was with Stella, a person who treated him horribly and who was forced into that relationship and probably resented it.

So like. I wonder if Stolas, a person who had zero experiences with sex and relationships that wasn't terrible, unconsciously copied some of the behaviors that Stella showed him, in his relationship with Blitz. Because it was the only thing he had to base his understanding how sex and relationships worked like. He was unconsciously copying the harmful behaviors Stella showed him because it was the only thing he knew.

[flower-boi16]

My opinion on Stolas might be a bit different from most people who openly voiced their hatred towards him.

Honestly I wouldn't say he's evil, but I also won't say he's a saint either. The guy just honestly needs a bit of a wake up call that yeah, he kind of was looking down on Blitz by calling him his little imp plaything and what happened in Ozzie's. To truly think about how the way he treated him and being called those things would lead Blitz to thinking that he doesn't love him.

And to be blunt... it seems more like he in love with falling in love. Let me in explain. The guy was trapped in an unhappy marriage where the only light in it was his daughter, so of course he might wanna look for an escape of sorts. Something akin to a knight in shining armor saving a princess from an evil witch, taking her on his steed and living happily ever after.

But the problem here that in pursuit of that fantasy, he's also neglecting Octavia. So what I'm hoping for is for the call out to come from her and that would be the breaking point for Stolas, that he really wasn't the innocent party in this as he thought to be and take the steps to truly improve and find a way to make it up to Blitz.

The thing is, that is exactly what Season 1 was trying to do. Season 1 Stolas was a man who made many mistakes that ended up hurting others, he was consumed by his own lustful desires and in the process he hurt the ones he cared about.

Part of what makes Loo Loo Land such a fantastic episode is that Stolas goes through some level of character development in that episode; he realizes that he made a mistake that hurt his daughter and, he decides to fix it by taking her to a place that she likes, even if he probably doesn't care for it.

It shows that he has more dimension beyond being a horny twink. Season 1 knew that Stolas wasn't a great person but it still gave him redeeming qualities to make him at least reedamable. I don't Season 2 Stolas (as a person) is irredeemable, but Season 2 really took everything that made Stolas interesting and threw it out the window.

The fundemental problem with how Season 2 is handling Stolas is the season's insistance of painting him as the vitcim in every situation he's in; I've said this many times before but it bares repeating; anyone who was hurt by Stolas' past actions is demonized by the narrative. Stella is turned into a one-dimensional bitch so Stolas cheating on her could make him look sympathetic. Octavia is told to cut her father some slack because he's "trying his best" even when the series shows us the exact opposite. And Blitz is told that he just hates Stolas for being a prince and is frammed as jaded and biased by the narrative even when he has no reason to think Stolas loves him given everything Stolas did to him in Season 1.

Every problem Stolas has as a character began in The Circus, where it decides to add in that "Stolas just wanted genuine affection and thought he had that with Blitz" thing, which came out of nowhere and directly contradicts what Season 1 first established, it's such a weird change in his character and feels completely different to what Season 1 gave us. It's a retcon because it doesn't line up with what was set up in the first season.

And this, in a vaccume, isn't even a terrible idea for a character, it could be interesting on it's own, but it contridicts what was previously established and turns Stolas into an UwU soft sad boy.

I don't really think that they are going to call Stolas out, at all. From what I've heard there are leaks that say that Octavia was tricked by Andre and Stella into hating Stolas, so he is now being frammed as a victim again.

Stolas had the groundwork for being the best character in the show but bad writting turned him into the worst. And at this point I don't think there's any fixing him at this point, it'll just come across and as too little too late.

[theliterarywolf]

Alright, so Helluva Boss has finally returned for its second season.

The bloody, raunchy little indie show that could has obviously entranced viewers all over the internet (including some who probably shouldn't be watching it; *glaring at the parents who let their elementary-age children watch it because "all cartoons are totes for children, right?"), but is the series strong enough to hold up a continuation? Or was first season a fluke with an unsteady foundation?

So earlier when I made a bite-sized post after watching the S2 premiere, I had a few people who were unsure of whether my comment of 'that was a lot' was meant to be good or bad. Which is, of course, understandable. I was out and about so I didn't want to make a full post and accidentally end up spoiling people.

However, now that I can make a longer form post, I can firmly state that the first episode of Season 2, titled "The Circus" is definitely a strong opener.

While there were a few pieces of the humor that we've come to know from this production, the bulk of the episode was definitely more grounded and drama-focused due to it following Stolas from his childhood, to the early days of his arranged marriage, and finally the current timeframe (i.e.: where Season 1 ended off)

So, what were the stand-out elements for me?

Paimon - I really enjoyed how Paimon, while being an emotionally neglectful parent, wasn't so in the bombastic, emotionally/physically abusive sense. Oh, he's still not great, but he at least had the wherewithal to, upon seeing his son upset about his 'non-negotiable arranged marriage', try and make him feel better through material means. In comparison to most parents in that trope going the route of 'stop fucking crying, do what you're told, and GO TO YOUR FUCKING ROOM!'

Biltzo and Stolas's initial reunion - While their time together as children was cute, I feel like the reunion was a bit stronger not only because of the setting for it (Stella's "Not-Divorced" Anniversary Party) but also because it gave us stronger context for the famous 'Sorry, I fucked your husband!' scene from the pilot. Stolas's joyous crows of 'That! Was the sound! Of a FUCKING divorce!!' were the icing on the cake.

However, I will admit that there were two elements which, while still enjoyable to watch, weren't executed the best.

Stolas's new song - I felt like it was so much flatter than his last performance. Yes, the moods are different (singing a heartfelt lullaby to your child versus realizing that everything in your life has gone to shit) but it never hit that realm of musical-theatre like 'You Will be Okay' did.

Fucking. Stella. - Okay. *deep breath* Okay, okay, okay. I always knew that Stella's main presence in the series is that of an emotional antagonist to Stolas but there was always the hope in my mind of 'well, she probably has reasons or weight behind her demeanor and actions. While she acts abrasive, there's something else there!'

But... Nope. Spindlehorse has decided that she's literally just a bitch. And I can't help but feel like it's a bit of a wasted opportunity because, initially, there was room for something like 'oh, she's been trying to make this unhappy marriage somewhat presentable for the sake of duty but Stolas cheating on her has just caused her to say 'fuck it' but, no, she's always been violent and angry from birth. So... yay...

Also the thing with her cackling to her friends about 'all he does is lie there in bed, I have to do everything'.

Honey. Your husband is gay. Send for an incubus or some other prostitute to get him in the mood and then push them away for the main deed. Literally, you're rich!! There are ways to go about this, Stella!

Overall, this episode is a strong 7.5/10.

Also, I just remembered that someone on Twitter translated the pages that Stolas was reading during his song and they're roughly along the lines of a recipe for crystals that allow travel to the living world. So, oof, yeah: Stolas is thinking of ending the arrangement he has with Blitzo and its going to be interesting to see how that unfolds.