Ricky Church reviews the fourth episode of Hazbin Hotel season 2…
Finally, after sitting on the sidelines for three episodes and being a grump, Alastor takes the stage in ‘It’s a Deal’, not only revealing his backstory but upping the stakes in Vox’s media campaign against Charlie. It is a delightfully fun episode with some of the series’ catchiest songs yet and significant revelations made about several of the supporting but no less important characters.
Anyone who has watched Hazbin Hotel or knows about its fandom might know Alastor is a huge part of the series’ draw as one of its most memorable characters with his obsession with radio, 1930s charm and ability to become incredibly sinister at anything that displeases him. Episodes 1 and 3 had very little of Alastor as he was still upset over his loss to Adam in season one’s finale, enough so that he skedaddled very quickly when Vox showed up at the hotel in the previous episode rather than taunt him. The latest episode wastes no time showing us Alastor’s physical and mental state as he’s uncharacteristically disheveled and upset over his still healing battle wound. If this and being unable to take Lucifer’s taunts weren’t enough to show us he’s not alright, his sudden eruption that he’s quitting certainly is.
This led to big revelations as Alastor went to Rosie, revealed to be the demon who Alastor owes a debt to, demanding to be freed from it. It also fully confirmed that Alastor, despite his charm and polities shown to Charlie and most others, is a very despicable person both in life and afterlife, more concerned with his own power than Charlie’s well-being and has been a reluctant official at the hotel due to Rosie’s deal. The flashback detailing his days as a serial killer showed how cruel and cunning he could be as he made the deal knowing he would eventually go to Hell but wanted to keep killing instead of getting tortured.
It also shone light on Rosie’s character that despite her sweet exterior and manners she is very much like Alastor in how she is also cunning and has ulterior motives, raising several questions like why is she so interested in the hotel, why does she want Alastor placed there and why did she tell him to lay low for 7 years (which is the exact same time Lilith has been gone for and the Exterminations took place, surely no reason to feed the theories at all). Their song ‘Don’t You Forget’ is incredibly catchy and works well on a character level, showing what a schemer Rosie can be and just how much Alastor hates being at the end of somebody’s leash. It was the perfect blend of answers with more questions, character development and fun showtunes.
Of course, though, the real scene stealing moments of the episode focused on Alastor and Vox’s rivalry with a visually fantastic fight sequence and further backstory on how their feud began in the first place. The fight was very well choreographed with excellent animation. There was so much going on as Alastor took on the Vees himself, which only got crazier when Nifty and Husk joined the battle. Several moments throughout the fight were tense and funny, culminating in Alastor seemingly defeated and making a deal with Vox to be his prisoner in exchange for Husk, Nifty and Charlie’s safety.
Vox’s elation at his victory led to some great moments, such as the visual gags of him parading Alastor around as his captive, but gave further insight into his mindset in a flashback to when he offered a partnership between them. It succeeded in actually creating some sympathy for Vox as well as showing another example of how Alastor is not supposed to be viewed as a good guy, hinting again at what his ultimate objective in surrendering might actually be with the reprise of ‘Don’t You Forget’.
While Alsator’s A-plot was the focus, the B-plot following Charlie was also entertaining. Still determined to clear the Hazbin’s name of any wrongdoing and bad PR, she chose to go on Katie Killjoy’s show thinking she’d actually be able to outmanoeuvre the Vees and again did not listen to Vaggie and her friends how it was a terrible idea. Her over eagerness is proving to be a detriment and pushing her development forward (or rather two steps back) as she blindly didn’t listen to the solid advice she was given. It is an interesting arc she’s on this season and buoyed by the fun back-and-forth she had with Katie along with Nifty’s first single.
The fact Charlie thought Nifty of all people would be able to help her the most in this interview was a red flag that it would not go well, but ‘Clean It Up’ is a hilarious song with funny visuals, especially when it transitions to a Kpop-inspired tune that, while not improving Charlie’s image problem, ironically shows Nifty actually believes in her and the hotel’s mission.
As the halfway point of the season, ‘It’s a Deal’ greatly raises the stakes and provides answers to some of the series’ biggest questions while furthering the development for several characters. The animation was visually captivating and the songs are both fun and feed into the season’s narrative and character arcs.
Rating: 9/10
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