helluva girlboss

s2e1: the circus

[A/N: The story of how I found out about HB is that I watched s2e1 The Circus on youtube, but ONLY that ep, then I forgot it for like a year and a half.

Then when Hazbin Hotel became a popular trend, I remembered HB and I watched all of it. But I think I rewatched The Circus first, then the rest of season 2, then season 1. I'm quirky like that 😘]

[TW: Stellan is sexist]

The episode opens with an exterior shot of Paimon's palace. Young Starla sleeps in her bed, surrounded by stuffed animals while hugging one resembling a demonic Max from Sam & Max. Starla wakes up, yawns, and smacks her lips. Then she realizes what today is.

"My birthday, my birthday! It's my birthday!"

Starla leaps out of the sheets and lands on all fours on the floor. She runs off to her dressing room, arms raised in excitement as an Imp butler comes to attend to her. "Yaaaay! Birthday, birthday! WOOHOO! Birthday tiiiiime!"

Mister Butler opens a tin of hair gel and begins applying it to Starla, then he separates her hair-feathers into 2 ponytails.

"Calm yourself, young princess." He says. "You know excitement is unbecoming of a Goetia."

"Oh!" Starla says, calming down. "Right."

Starla takes a deep breath to calm herself. As Mister Butler goes to retrieve the young owl-demon's dress, returning to helping her put it on. Those dresses were still too complicated for her to get into by herself.

"But I'm finally turning into double digits now! And Father told me, today is the day, I am old enough to know my purpose and responsibility!"

"Of course." Mister Butler places a crown on Starla's head. "I'm sure it will be wonderful."

Starla follows the butler out of the dressing room down a large hallway. The wall is lined with 4 giant pictures of Starla at various prior ages.

The butler pushes open the large double doors that lead to the throne room. Paimon, Starla's father and King of the Ars Goetia, is seen sitting on the throne in his monstrous black demon form. He stands up, his form shifting to display various demonic creatures as he transforms into his normal, bird-like self. The butler walks over to Paimon and stands next to him as Starla approaches her father.

Paimon smiles. "Ahhhh! There is my little, uh..." he bends down and whispers to butler, "Which daughter is this one? There's so fucking many."

"Starla, your highness."

"Starla! Yes! Ha! Right, right! That's the one! The owl girl."

Paimon goes to stand in front of Starla. "Well, my little one, it is finally your day of becoming a true part of the Goetia family. How good for you. Now that you're turning 10, are you ready to know what you'll be meant to do to serve Hell?"

"Yes, Father!" Starla says excitedly.

Paimon opens a portal to the cosmos as he speaks, showing Starla the stars she is meant to study. Two comets, blue and pink, respectively, fly out of the portal and up out of view.

"You will be entrusted with the study of the Earth's skies, the stars, the prophecies they hold, all that stuff. Isn't that fun?" He explains, and then he shut the portal and summoned a Grimoire into his hand. "You will begin the studies of your Grimoire, which will grant you access to the mortal realm to study and observe..." He levitates the Grimoire to his daughter, who is bouncing with excitement. "And you will grow to be a mighty Princess of Hell, with your own legions to lead and pass on your knowledge to!"

Starla holds the spellbook in her hands and looks down at it with a grin. "I will do my best, Father!"

"Wonderful!" Paimon said. But then he pulled a photo out of his cloak. "Also, my daughter, you are destined to sire a precautionary addition to the Goetia family. So, you are now engaged. Congratulations. Isn't he charming?"