#i LOVE doing stuff like this | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ripplestitchskein · 9 months ago

Text

The Real Helluva Boss Pilot

Episode 1: Murder Family

My intent with these essays to analyze the episodes both from an “as the information is presented to the audience perspective” as well as a Meta perspective, taking into account what is revealed later. I will also be analyzing the writing with regards to plot structure, dialogue choices, and characterization, as well as highlighting visuals and effects that are relevant. I will not be taking information that is not presented in the canon episodes, like the Sinstagram posts into account. I am writing as I watch the episode (and think it would be fun to read it as you watch it too but not necessary) so I strive for accuracy and while I do have bias, being human and all, I will try to justify it using the presented text. I will have a masterpost to keep track of these for future reference as I *plan* on doing every episode. I’m AuADHD though (if you couldn’t tell) so it really depends on the brain juice if the focus lasts. These will be long, but hopefully informative and interesting.

So lets get to it:

The episode opens on a flashback, we see a happy schoolhouse, have a heartwarming song and then the sequence of events that leads us to the panning down shot to Hell and our first glimpse of the world we are going to be inhabiting in the course of this show. There is a direct visual contrast between the blue skies, twittering birds, vibrant school house and later, Hell. It is established what sequence of events led the client there and the client is fleshed out a bit as far as who she was immediately preceding these events. It’s a really efficient character backstory presentation, we get who she was, what happened and why she did what she did, and how she felt about it. It’s a good deal of insight for a character we see once, they did a great job making her a bit more rounded in a short amount of time and with limited but pointed visuals. Her clothing. Her demeanor. Her relationship with the children. Their relationship with her. The contrast between what happens. Kudos all around. The song going from happy classroom bop to creepy and discordant with the chalk screech was great.

This initial opening sequence is for the plot of the episode itself not necessarily for the show overall, though it does highlight one of the central running themes of the show: that the human realm and Hell are only different on a surface level. An interesting choice made by the team here was that the horrific events take place entirely in the wholesome school house. Except for a brief cutaway to the cheating husband we stay in the bright cheery environment with the actions taking place - their teacher murdering her cheating husband and then killing herself - contrasting it. It’s really fitting for an episode themed around the human world not being as wholesome as it appears to be. I thought it was a good choice. I also love the pan down through the Earth to Hell and the visuals being very similar to a world we are familiar with, office buildings and cars in a downtown environment, but obviously other in regards to aesthetics.

We then get a large establishing shot of the office building and then a cut to the interior, specifically Blitzø’s door which has I.M.P Headquarters in large text, and “Meeting in Progress” taped to it in a more cartoony one. A visual to show the difference between the intended professionalism versus the actual professionalism.

So we are told where we are, and that the character doing the voiceover is in this office. The tone and mood so far is detective noir, starting with the client’s smoky voice over narration and continuing into the office which is lit and framed with this pastiche in mind.

The first bit of dialogue from one of our actual main characters is Blitzø asking if the mistress was hotter, calling the client “tits” and then giving us a summation of their business and some world building in a really tight character revealing expository dialogue drop. It also contrasts with the noir tone, instead of playing into the trope he breaks that tone and gives us the tone of the show itself. From this initial dialogue we know that they are in Hell, that their business is to take revenge on the living, that Blitzø is vulgar, rather misogynistic, and a bit silly (I.e. “Boop”).

We then jump back to the story of the episode to explain why this is a good case for them to take. The mistress is still alive and based on the scenes probably not a great person but there is still enough ambiguity there to make it seem like they are going to kill a fairly innocuous cheating woman for the sole reason that they were hired to do so by a jealous jilted wife (I’ll point out that this ties back to Striker later, he essentially is doing the same thing IMP does in this episode, for the same reasons, with some class issues thrown in for spice).

The client gets angry and aggressive and Blitzø urgently presses the emergency button under his desk. This button gives us a little insight into the office, Blitzø, and world as well. Or at least situations that require an emergency call.

More Coffee, Soiled My Pants, Horny Client, Deranged Client, Client Giving Birth, Ghost, and Stolas (See my feelings on the Stolas button here). I love that such a simple detail gives us so much information and also leaves us wanting to know more. Are these things that happen frequently, that Blitzø is scared of happening, that got added because of a specific event in the past? The visual story telling with that intercom system is *chef’s kiss* and from a story boarding perspective a great way to transition the scene.

This leads us outside of Blitzø’s office to I.M.P headquarters at large where we have Moxxie shaking as he tries to shoot a family picture. Here is the conflict of the episode introduced. We also meet the three other important characters of the business. Millie has a “if that’s what the client wants” attitude, Loona is dry and sarcastic and points out that we don’t know what the family are hiding (this episode’s prophetic character and the theme stated), and Moxxie is conflicted, only wanting to kill a family if it was a shitty Dad or a Mafia Family (Moxxie backstory and Daddy issues hint). Millie also indicates that Loona is different from them, that she is a Hellhound which is subtle world building via dialogue and I liked it.

We are given a little foreshadowing as to the episode’s “twist” (humans are full of secret nasties) in this exchange.

We also get a little taste of how different Moxxie and Millie are. Millie gives Moxxie the solution to the problem they’ll encounter later right here but he has to learn the hard way. (This comes up multiple times in their relationship, in Happy Campers most explicitly, but is established first here).

“Guilty and innocent ain’t our business Mox, killing who we’re paid to is our business. Shoot the target”.

Moxxie does not agree with this sentiment. This speaks to his personality and to his major character flaws. He wants to do things his way, and often ignores others and suffers consequences for it. Also this speaks to his role as being largely the audience perspective character in this episode (and often to the series as a whole). How Moxxie feels is largely how we as the audience should feel in this situation (hopefully).

Blitzø comes out, announces the new client, Moxxie misfires and the first long running gag of the show of the office being destroyed in some way is established. A gag that reflects the “continuing to keep trying despite it all continually falling apart” journey the character’s are on throughout the show. This misfire foreshadows what Moxxie will do when they go after the client, a missed shot being Moxxie’s fault.

We head downstairs, the firemen are dealing with the situation and Blitzø yells at Moxxie for setting the office on fire. (Foreshadowing what will happen to the house).

We are introduced to the grimoire, the fancy book that is their only ticket to the human realm. Loona sums up its function for us. This interaction also shows us how Blitzø interacts with Moxxie and Loona respectively. Yelling at Moxxie and squeezing him aggressively, vs simpering at Loona and offering her a treat. We also see her reaction to him, largely disgusted and fending him off.

We also see that Loona controls the grimoire, though her being the sole person to control it isn’t revealed until later. Blitzø and Loona’s relationship is not explicitly declared until episode 3. I’ll admit, based on Blitzø’s vulgar dialogue and how he treated Loona, and her reactions I was worried when I watched for the first time that Blitzø was like sexually harrassing her, but after episode 3 it made it more clear. (Yet another reason why you can’t base a character’s entire personality on one episode or a handful of early dialogue, you actually gotta like…watch the show as things are revealed). The billboard in the background is a super fun detail. The book is presented as the tool that lets them go back and forth and it is shown to be Important(TM).

We open a portal and now we’re in the human world. Due to the lighting, unlike the happy schoolhouse, it is not visually contrasting with Hell now, the lighting between Hell and Earth is the same, maybe even a bit brighter in Hell.

When they get to the house Blitzø offers the shot to Moxxie, he is visibly excited but he hesitates, Blitzø goes to take it but Moxxie is still conflicted, he ruins the shot just like in the office. It was a really quick insight into Moxxie still trying to prove himself, at being fairly new to this specific line of work. Because of him though the family is alerted.

We see that they are not the wholesome and innocent family they project, first by the background visuals of bones and weapons (and the wheelchair with the urn with a full meal in front of it which I did not notice until this rewatch, always finding new stuff) the music, and then by their behavior. Their faces resemble more the denizens of hell than humans now.

Outside Blitzø and Moxxie argue, and we get some insight into both of them, Moxxie is softer and more empathetic, he doesn’t want to kill a wholesome family. Blitzø is more jaded and says that there is no such thing. That no one is innocent from Birth. He tells Moxxie to get over himself, speaking to Moxxie’s established character flaw : He is so wrapped up in his own sense of what is right that he causes problems for others.

Blitzø also says something during this exchange: that they are not killing a family, they are killing a mother and ruining a family. Which considering what we find out about his mother is interesting. Mostly because he seems rather gleeful about it, but considering the theme of revenge present throughout the show looking at it now we could interpret it as him wanting to visit some revenge on a ”perfect family” but whether this was a conscious choice by the writers at this point, or one that we can just ascribe meaning to based on later episodes I couldn’t say. He might just like killing folks. It’s interesting tho.

They scatter and the chase sequence begins. Moxxie is grabbed immediately, Millie is shown to be a bit more dangerous and skilled at combat but she falls fairly quickly. Blitzø yells scatter and takes off. They have all three gone in different directions which is a running issue with their relationship and the business as a whole throughout, it is not a good strategy. They need to work together but it’s episode 1, so.

Moxxie wakes up and he’s in the creepy Ed Gein room with the kids. Loona, Millie and Blitzø were right, humans are full of secret nasties.

Now we follow Blitzø running from Martha. Stolas calls, and Blitzø answers and tells him it’s a really bad time.

We see Stolas for the first time. He’s in a fancy bubble bath with a fancy phone having a much different time than Blitzø. These characters are in two very different places from a variety of perspectives. There is a very deliberate theming for Stolas, a lot of effort went into the background and aesthetics, and his musical motif (Owl in a Cage) is heard for the first time. This indicates Stolas is an important character, inhabiting his own world within this world and with his own established designs and music. Even though he is largely only expository in this episode, to establish the grimoire as the reason they can get to the human world, it is indicated its use comes with additional backstory we don’t know yet, and forward story that will come up later and that Stolas will be central to those stories. It is, in fact, the ONLY explicit thing we are given to explore in future outside of IMP itself.

It also shows us how Stolas feels about Blitzø, he calls him Blitzy from the very beginning. His voice is simpering, cooing and sexual. Blitzø is colder, obviously he’s used the excuse of it being a bad time more than once to avoid this conversation. Stolas seems to be able to see him in a bubble but it’s not clear if that’s just a visual choice like a split screen or an actual ability he possesses, but based on D.H.O.R.K.S and the caller ID on his rotary phone I think it’s the latter. It is also not clear at this point if Blitzø is avoiding the issue of the book, Stolas himself, or both. At this point it’s probably safe to say both.

It is revealed that Stolas has been allowing Blitzø to access the human realm using the book illegally for an unspecified amount of time. He needs it back to do his job but suggests working out an exchange, favors for favors. He breaks down the deal for Blitzø, Blitzø returns the book on the Full Moon, they have a night of passionate fornication each month and Blitzø can keep it the rest of the time. Blitzø says “Okay, Whatever” and then Stolas starts in with the dirty talk.

The takeaway here is they have a sexual relationship that one party is more invested in, Blitzø is more worried about not dying at the moment.

I’d like to digress for a moment and have it noted that in no way does Stolas threaten Blitzø, he just offers the deal and takes Blitzo’s acceptance of it at face value. We do know it’s important to the business and that Blitzø has been avoiding discussing it. We also know what he’s doing with it is illegal. So I do understand early interpretations of it being predatory or coercive based on this exchange alone, but this is cleared up fairly quickly in Season 1, as we’ll see in later analysis. To me this exchange was as ambiguous as the Blitzø/Loona situation in terms of how these characters were related, a little odd at first because we didn’t know the full context and leaning towards creepy at face value, but later cleared up unequivocally and explained further.

I think the difference for people here comes down to foreknowledge, either watching the original Pilot (not canon) or following the creator. For me, as a brand new viewer who had no background or knowledge of VivziePop other than the presented text I was MORE initially eeked by the Blitzø and Loona dialogue in this episode than the Stolas dialogue because her reaction was so viscerally disgusted and the conversation with Stolas seemed to be an established “thing”. Blitzø picked up even though he was running for his life, something I wouldn’t expect a character to do if they were repulsed or avoiding someone. He also KEEPS TALKING TO HIM, even though his life in danger from doing so. Also not something a character does if they are repulsed. Man could have sent it to voicemail because he was being chased by a psychopath but still answers and chats. This leads to an important point, when looking at a piece of media you can’t really take in what is initially shown, as it can change as early as the next episode and character reactions to dialogue matter as much as what is said. Which is the case with both Loona and Blitzø and Blitzø and Stolas, and the audience should only be expected to know what’s shown on screen.

Additional outside the channel content is fun, like the Sinstagram posts, but a general viewer doesn’t have that unless they go looking for it so it shouldn’t be integral to understanding.

Blitzø is under duress because of the situation with Martha, not the conversation Stolas, so we cannot extrapolate much as far as his true willingness based on the first episode and this dialogue alone, though people sure do try. If the conversation were taking place when Blitzø was not running through the woods for his life it would give us more insight, but we have to wait for further episodes to get that. But we do get it.

Anyway, Blitzø gets caught by Martha and drops his phone. Stolas does not notice, he’s too wrapped up in the sexual dirty talk and cannot help him. A running theme for them.

Moxxie is struggling to escape inside, sees the flames and realizes Millie is in trouble. His primary concern is for her. He uses a chair to overpower the girl child and grabs a gun and runs to save Millie. This speaks to his priorities and his relationship with Millie which, up until this point was hinted at but not overly explicit. He also has no issue hurting a child now, up until this point he was trying to get away by straining at the ropes, when he sees Millie is in trouble his reservations about hurting children are gone for that moment.

Millie and Blitzø are tied to a stake, Martha gives a lil speech, they burn but it doesn’t hurt them. Blitzø reveals shooting them would. Millie is annoyed he revealed that. I thought it was interesting that we establish Imps can be killed by being shot, and then later that Stolas can as well, albeit with a different kind of gun. I don’t know if it’s necessarily relevant but you should always take note of ways characters can die and ways they can come back in my experience, and such dialogue is rarely for nothing. Stakes have to be introduced otherwise we won’t have the suspense they are in actual danger. This exchange puts Millie and Blitzø back in danger while still giving them a demonic flavor in the world building in that the fire wouldn’t hurt them. It’s a good, subtle, writing choice. Taking away stakes to establish a trait like fire immunity but then bringing them back with gunshot vulnerability.

Moxxie kills Martha by shooting her through the eye, overcoming his issue at the beginning of the episode to save his wife and also, incidentally, his boss. It’s a great shot from a visual perspective (pun not intended but appreciated) with Moxxie framed through the bullet wound.

Moxxie and Millie cuddle making their relationship more defined.

Blitzø is annoyed with Moxxie for causing the situation in the first place. Moxxie apologizes, Blitzø hugs him and forgives him and makes the first sexual threat joke about Moxxie and Millie of the series and confirms for the audience they are married. I appreciated this from a writing perspective, it gives us the info without Moxxie and Millie having to say it, which is always weird and unnatural in early episodes. “MY WIFE” kinda stuff, but having Blitzø do it casually in a very Blitzø way was just good dialogue. You always want dialogue to be revealing about both situation and character if you can and they nailed it with that line.

Blitzø calls for Loona, he calls her dear, another subtle hint at their relationship. It is not revealed they are father and daughter at this point but he treats her more affectionately than he does anyone else so far with his tone and dialogue so we know she’s different in some way.

Moxxie runs off to take care of something. He passes the phone where Stolas is still going on and we get the jelly sandwiches line. Freaky, oblivious bird. This is either a continuity error or Blitzø carries multiple phones as he just pulled a phone out to call Loona. I kind of assume he has the yellow one as a personal phone and the red one for business? I just noticed it so I’m going to keep an eye on it.

Moxxie tells the Dad Ralphie that Moxxie should have killed them because they are monsters, but they deserve a chance at a life and a purpose. He thinks mostly of the children. “I’m handling this my way” to show he is still holding to his principles and that he believes in justice prevailing and they have a slightly humanizing moment with the universal remote.

Moxxie joins Blitzø and Millie at the portal. Blitzø says some pervy Blitzø stuff. Millie asks if Mox is okay and says he has a good heart but a fussy head. Millie goes through the portal, Moxxie looks back and the Earth police blow up the house and everything he tried to do with his good intentions. Sad teddy bear shows us even the kids died. Blitzø yanks him back through to Hell.

The office is having celebratory cake. Millie is proud of Moxxie while he looks miserable. They sum up the “lessons of the episode” via dialogue.

Moxxie finally learned not to fuck up

Killin people is okay if they try to kill you back

That is messed up, but I paid for it!

Everyone laughs. Moxxie looks miserable.

We the audience are shown that this world has a very different moral code than our own, Moxxie is the most like us and the people proven right in the episode were the characters with no moral issue killing a family from the beginning. The lesson learned is Moxxie’s, and kind of echos the “road to hell is paved with good intentions” aphorism in that we assume the whole family ended up there by the end because of Moxxie’s. The family is revealed to be rather evil, but Moxxie still wanted to try to save the most innocent of them and still failed.

This episode serves as the entire series opening image in a sense. Here are who we are dealing with, here are some tastes of their personalities and hints at their relationships, the world has a much different moral code than our own.

This is the true pilot episode in terms of structure and content. We have a cohesive three act structure. In the first act we setup the characters (Blitzø, Moxxie, Millie, Loona. The client and the family), the setting (both Earth and Hell), the theme can vary based on your interpretation but there are several to pick from revenge being central, humans being as bad as hell residents, etc and we have the main conflict of the episode: Moxxie is not comfortable killing an innocent family but has been tasked with doing so.

In the second act, Moxxie attempts to solve the main conflict by ruining the shot, which leads to everyone being in danger from the family, and everyone gets captured.

And in the third act, Moxxie is able to resolve this conflict by killing Martha to save Millie and he attempts to give the remaining family a chance but is thwarted by Earthly law enforcement. It’s still a resolution, even if doesn’t align with human based ethics or end happily for Moxxie, the naive audience surrogate who has to learn along with the audience that it’s not that simple in this world, and it doesn’t always end in rainbows and happiness.

We have accomplished all Pilot goals. We have been placed in the world, introduced to the major characters and given hints as to their relationships and personalities. The major overarching plot devices for further exploration in the season are introduced: the business itself and the grimoire, both will continue to be relevant and are linked together.

The major questions we are left with to continue onward are the results of the Blitzo/Stolas conversation, the exact nature of Blitzø’s relationship with Loona, and how IMP will handle other clients in the future.

I thought it was interesting is the three main character perspectives, other than the client who is a throwaway character, are Moxxie, Blitzø and Stolas. Millie is a supportive role and mirror for Moxxie she doesn’t actually affect the plot in any way other than being the catalyst for Moxxie to make his choices and to highlight his flaw. Loona is largely there for an expository purpose to explain the grimoire and state the theme, she has no plot relevance. As far as character reveals and relationship reveals go the central focus of the episode is those three in that order of importance. We don’t even find out Millie is Moxxie’s wife explicitly until the end and we do so because she is why he made the choices he makes at the end, we don’t find out Loona is Blitzo’s daughter at all until episode 3, but we have the beginnings of Stolas and Blitzø, we have brush strokes of the team’s relationship to each other, and the beginnings of Moxxie and Blitzø’s dynamic as well.

In terms of the overarching plot structure of the show this episode serves as the perfect Opening Image. There are lots of things dropped we’ll pick up throughout this season and the next. A lot of stuff you don’t realize was established so early on is there.

The writer’s did an incredible job with the dialogue, the foreshadowing, and everything is so efficient and tight for a 13 minute runtime. Every scene, every line, every visual serves a purpose and it’s extremely well done. While I don’t consider it a masterclass in writing or anything, it is one of the best “by the book” Pilots I’ve ever seen.

#helluva boss #helluva boss meta #Stolitz #stolas x blitz #vivziepop #long post #I tried to find all Blitzø’s but my autocorrect hates it #I missed fandom #I love doing stuff like this #engaging with media is so fun

21 notes · View notes