Review: Hazbin Hotel “Silenced” ; “Scream Rain”

Overview:

Hazbin Hotel‘s second season is coming to an end. The fifth and sixth episodes, “Silenced” and “Scream Rain,” have come out on Prime Video. As conflicts between Heaven and Hell loom in the background, tense moments, manipulations, and even a few reconciliations are happening down below.

Our Take:

“Silenced” opens up with a breaking news report. Carrying on from last week’s episodes, Katie Killjoy announces that Alastor has been captured by Vox. Hell’s denizens shares their reactions to the big news with a musical number, “Bad With Us,” a lavish doo-woop techno fusion number.

Meanwhile, Charlie is trying to get Emily’s attention, all while worrying about what’s happening to Alastor and what’s going to happen to the hotel without him. Seeing this, Vaggie tries to get help from Lucifer himself. The king of hell admits he can’t just smite his enemies. After all, hell is just as much a punishment for him as it is for everyone else. However, learning that Vox has been causing a lot of trouble for Charlie inspires him to get angry.

Up in Heaven, Emily wants to contact Charlie just as much. Sera believes hell should sort itself out first, but Emily wants to work on another solution with Pentious. Probably gift baskets. With lots of taffies. Eventually, the angels fly on down to speak with Charlie.

This could be the ace in the hole Charlie needs. The angels themselves can disprove Vox’s lies and offer the apology they’ve been mulling over. However, it’s going to be another angel, a fallen one, that’s going to face off against Vox in a big musical number.

However, Vox and his schemes aren’t easy to overcome. After all, he knows the one name that puts Lucifer in his place: Lilith. A few photos even inspire some conflict between Charlie and her father. Even Emily and the other angels aren’t able to convince Hell from listening to Vox’s plans: ultimately inspiring Hell to rise.

This episode really doesn’t promise a happy ending: war is declared on Heaven. Emily is in tears. Charlie is angry with both Lucifer and Vaggie. Residents are leaving the hotel. In a final moment, Charlie tries to reach out to her mother, but can’t get a hold of her, leaving her alone in tears. Things aren’t looking too good, but the season isn’t over just yet.

One highlight in the episode is Husk’s therapy session, which, if nothing else, serves as a great thesaurus when the residents of hell are in need of some new insults. Some are genuinely surprised to learn how many ways there are to call someone “stupid.” It’s also shown that Alastor is still able to get under Vox’s skin. However this plays out, fans could rest easy knowing that video hasn’t “killed” the radio star just yet.

“Scream Rain” Vox has big plans for the war, commissioning Carmilla to build a weapon for him, which she reluctantly agrees to. He also likes throwing Lillith’s name around, suggesting something big from around the corner.

Things aren’t looking good at the hotel. Husk wants out of the hotel, leaving it without a therapist and a bartender. Charlie and Vaggie are still fighting, eventually giving into petty high-school behavior, even as they head out to talk with Carmilla. Soon, Niffty is left in charge.

Charlie and Vaggie aren’t able to convince Carmilla to stop, even with the knowledge that Heaven doesn’t want to fight. Instead, they are coldly reminded of Vaggie’s past and that any attempts at peaceful protest are as gone as Lillith herself.

Meanwhile, Husk goes to a casino, performing “Love in a Bottle,” a fun song that gradually turns into a drunken mess. He encounters Angel, who is performing in drag, performing the haunting “Losin’ Streak.”

Back at the hotel, Vaggie and Charlie talk things out in a blanket fort. Charlie opens up about her mother, and her pain about seeing everyone leaving her. Vaggie comforts her with the episode’s final musical number, “Easy.” Naturally, the Latin-infused number turns into a duet between the princess and the fallen angel. Of course, with the scene taking place within a blanket fort, fans can already guess where things are going.

Reconciliation is a recurring theme in the episode. Husk and Angel also talk things out at the casino bar. This convinces Husk to return to the hotel after all. Of course, it’s too soon for everything to work itself out. Vox knows how to mess with the angels, and he’s got a scheme involving one “Angel” in particular. It comes to light that Vox has been using him as an unwilling mole, explaining how he’s been able to get the information he needed to undermine Charlie and start the war. Vox already proved himself to be a piece of work, but some fans might be shocked to learn he’s something straight out of The Manchurian Candidate.

If this wasn’t horrifying enough, Vox tells him that his time at the hotel is coming to an end, leading fans to fear what’s coming next. The final scene even reveals Angel’s not the only pawn Vox has got, either, thanks to his talent for mimicking voices.

Ultimately, Hazbin Hotel‘s two new installments show off a few tense moments and promise fans a lot of drama. Fans could still be left wanting more, with a few things being teased. However, that’s all to be expected. After all, the season’s last two episodes are only a week away. If all else, a few of this week’s musical numbers are more than worth the price of admission.