Rock Candy Reviews

(Spoilers for season 2 of Helluva Boss)

When I first discovered the YouTube series Helluva Boss, I almost decided to not watch it because of the pointless use of the “R” slur. I decided ultimately to give the show a chance, because I was more interested in the concept of hellish assassins than the bad first impression. While I am glad to have continued the series, the show has made me come to some scary conclusions about modern day writing. After studying creative writing in college, and dedicating most of my time to improving my own writing, the show has brought just as much joy as anger and fear. It has actually discouraged me in a lot of ways, since the show has polarized so many people. This is why I feel the need to start a discussion about how the show has influenced me.

What I learned:

• People seem to put characters before plot.
• Audiences WILL put their feelings above analysis.
• Nuance is no longer considered to be a good thing.

Characters

Let’s make one thing clear; I enjoy the show, and I do not support the mindless hate it gets. That being said, I definitely realize that this show relies too heavily on character personalities and moments, rather than connecting them in an overarching narrative. I adore the characters for how fun and chaotic they are, but season 2 did not do a good job of making those characters develop in present time. We get so much backstory on multiple employees at I.M.P, but it feels hollow. This is because the show’s writing prioritizes dramatic moments over pacing and lore.

So many watchers ignored the conflicting moments, just because they liked the characters. Examples would be inconsistencies with Moxxie’s upbringing (Wrath, or Greed), and questionable tone shifts mid-episode. Season 1 did a much better job at foreshadowing and easing into emotional moments. Episodes like Loo Loo Land and Ozzies prove that the writers do know how to set up major moments within one episode. The characters’ behaviors and interactions become more drastic and meaningful until they reach a boiling point. Then, the emotional moment encompasses the climax. While, season 2 doesn’t seem to care enough to properly build up to emotional scenes. This is why things like Blitzo and Stolas’ relationship aren’t as strong as it could be.

Moments like Millie crashing the mobster wedding, or Striker kidnapping Stolas could have been so much more impactful if the show focused more on incorporating better exposition and less on shock value. Things like transformations, changes in setting, and important character interactions don’t have to be blatantly explained through dialogue, but should not be left up to interpretation. There needs to be a balance between the two, that Helluva Boss can’t seem to find.

This has led me to believe that the show simply doesn’t want to put in the extra time it takes to fully flesh out these moments. They seem to know the fans of the show will defend the show and characters, because they simply want more content of the characters themselves, regardless of the writing quality. Which makes for a decent show, with a lot of untapped potential, instead of a great show that takes full advantage of its cast.

Audience Bias

The things that the show does well usually involve the music, animation, and the comedy. Unfortunately, this leaves the overall direction of the show up to preference. Looking at both the haters and the super fans, it is obvious that Helluva Boss has changed a lot actually. Depending on who you ask, some will say the it got better or worse. The haters will be extra hard on the show because they wish the show would’ve stayed an episodic comedy, rather than a romantic sitcom. On the other hand, super fans will say the show is an absolute masterpiece just because they prefer the drama.

Of course, neither of these conclusions are accurate to what the show really is. However, Helluva Boss doesn’t seem to care either way. It really is just doing its own thing, regardless of valid critiques or mindless hate. I find this to be really sad, because it shows that personal preferences have turned writers away from the people consuming their art. That is to say, the writers don’t want to deal with the fans or the critics, or anyone in between, because they know their work will be judged based on personal experiences, and not storytelling techniques.

I have seen this happen more frequently with modern shows. Creators interacting with the public less, and less, because of the general lack of critical thinking surrounding media. People will say a show is trash, just because the show went in a direction they personally didn’t like, instead of actually critiquing the writing. People will say a show is phenomenal just because the show talks about controversial issues, but not discuss how well it depicts those issues.

Writers are not made to just please their audience, but having a respectful relationship with the public is important to improving stories and characters. Of course, proper boundaries need to be set, but projects usually are more enjoyable for everyone if productive conversations happen within a show’s run time. Yet, Helluva Boss has opted out of this exchange.

I can’t blame the writers for doing this, though. It definitely is the easy way out, but it probably eases the stress of the job by a huge margin. Ignoring audience reception is never a good thing, but writers are beginning to ask startling questions about the true goal of their projects. What’s the point in putting in effort to writing a complex character, if everyone is going to judge it based on only its design? Why show all sides of a conflict, if everyone is just going assign blame based on personal feelings? Why use writing techniques at all, if people will only praise you when you cave to all their demands?

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but Helluva Boss has already given its response. A resounding “screw you. We do what we want!”. Whenever the show decides to throw in random new abilities, or suddenly make characters weak or strong, it is the show saying it will do what it thinks is cool. Even if it isn’t fully fleshed out, or contradicts previous episodes. The show wants to be taken seriously, but only on its own terms. Which is actually fine, but highlights a lack of connection to the audience.

Nuance = Dissatisfaction

Lastly, the characters of Helluva Boss are very nuanced. Their flaws are all connected to their strengths, and despite the favoritism the fans display, all the characters have problems that influence their decisions. Even then, the majority of discourse surrounding the characters is heated for all the wrong reasons.

Many people have come to believe that liking a character means acting like them in real life. If a character has made mistakes, they are considered to be either pure evil or completely innocent. People will treat their theories as the truth, and persecute anyone who dares to bring up context or writing techniques that indicate otherwise. Characters are written off as inconsequential or overly important on the basis of whether or not they are hot enough. All these things lead to extreme polarization in the fandom, and create a hostile environment for artists and writers.

Whether or not it is a casual watcher, a staff writer on Helluva Boss or a YouTube reaction channel, everyone is at the same risk of these behaviors. This shows that these people care more about being personally validated and catered to than anything else. Not everyone has to be a professional media reviewer, but people have been bullying and harassing others based of of these judgments.

Audiences seem to not want nuanced characters anymore. They want characters that are easy to categorize, despite what most say about hating stereotypes. Anytime a character changes or grows, it is seen as a betrayal. It discourages writers from expanding plots and character arcs, and encourages fan pandering and less engaging stories.

All this is to say, Helluva Boss has shown me that writing and media literacy are no longer the driving force for making shows, and movies. It’s more about popularity, and causing as much intense discourse as possible. Even if it allows both writers and audiences to become lazy and complacent.