It really isn’t too much to say that the stakes are upped every week on Prime Video’s Hazbin Hotel. The season so far has been a delicious slow burn, and it seems like that will continue until the finale. We get some more big reveals this week, and a few duets that we have been eagerly anticipating.

Without getting too into things before our spoiler warning, keep reading below for our thoughts on episodes 5 and 6.

**Spoilers below**

Episode 4 left us with Alastor (Amir Talai) having willingly surrendered himself to Vox (Christian Borle). While his endgame is still unclear, we all know how the Radio Demon operates, and it is clearly a very calculated move. In fact, in episode 5, “Silenced,” we see that he is already beginning to get under Vox’s skin.

One of Vox’s biggest weaknesses is a preoccupation with how he is received by the public. As Alastor continues to goad him by poking at those sore spots, Vox is slowly beginning to lose that control he so desperately craves. In one scene, Vox is trying to get Valentino (Joel Perez) to do something for him, and Val’s reluctance has Vox looking for more persuasive ways to convince him.

However, once it is revealed that Velvette (Lilli Cooper) and Alastor were in the room listening, Vox switches immediately. It plays right into Alastor’s hands, as his comments about Vox being weak last episode have clearly gotten to him.

Lucifer Tries, At Least?

Our favorite duck-obsessed ruler of Hell and all-around adorably awkward fallen angel Lucifer (Jeremy Jordan) makes a reappearance in episode 5. Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz) is struggling with the fact that Charlie (Erika Henningsen) is fixating on the negativity and letting it get to her. She goes to Lucifer to see if he can do something about Vox, like smite him, but he can’t. Why?

Hell is a punishment for those there, and that includes Lucifer. So his punishment is that he can’t do anything to the sinners. Can’t hurt them, can’t kill them, nothing. However, it isn’t like anybody else knows that. And for his faults, Lucifer really does love Charlie deeply and will do anything he can to help her.

Meanwhile, Vox is hosting a rally (we see you, MAGA jokes) to get sinners on his side against Heaven. In the middle of it, Lucifer swoops down in all his demonic glory, doing everything he can to intimidate Vox into giving up. It doesn’t work, though, and when Sera (Patina Miller), Abel (Patrick Stump), Lute (Jessica Vosk), Emily (Shoba Narayan), and Charlie appear from Heaven to try to apologize, that also backfires.

Finding Love In A Bottle

Episode 6, “Scream Rain” is the one all Huskerdust fans have been dying for. With tensions rising between a fighting Vaggie and Charlie, Husk (Keith David) finally has enough and, like his boss, quits. Left to his own devices, he turns back to his old stomping grounds, the casino.

Once he’s there, however, he sees a surprisingly familiar face: Angel Dust (Blake Roman). After a sultry drag performance, he takes a seat next to Husk at the bar and they commiserate, much like last season with “Loser Baby.” Their relationship, whichever direction it’s going in, is certainly a slow burn. But we see how they interact when it’s just them, and how much softer Husk gets.

It’s also always a nice change of pace when we see two characters interact in a new setting. Though Husk hasn’t been to the casino in a while, Angel has been performing there consistently.

I’ll be honest: I want them to get together. I do. But I also love that it is not going to be an immediate thing. They both have their own issues to work on, and we have already seen how their friendship alone has helped them heal. Either way, their conversation at the casino bar definitely has Husk thinking about something.

What Is It About Lillith?

We learn that Lillith was originally planning to wage war seven years ago before she disappeared. It surely is not a coincidence that seven years ago was when the exterminations started and when Alastor disappeared.

We still do not know much about the absent queen of Hell. All season she has been dodging her family’s calls. What we do know if her from Charlie’s exposition in the pilot episode is that she used her voice to command sinners. Back then, it was framed positively, but now with Vox’s recent declarations we aren’t so sure.

Her absence is one of the show’s greatest mysteries, and the fact that it is yet to be solved is delicious. I am dying to know who she is, and what she’s done, but I am also enjoying the build up to it so far. We are getting bits and pieces of her from characters, but not enough yet to really be able to get a full picture. Lucifer clearly still loves her, so why did she leave?

Angel’s (Other) Major Reveal

Our poor spider demon has been having a season full of major reveals, and not one of them has been positive so far.

One of the most shocking moments of the season comes when Valentino brings Angel to a motel, where he thinks there is a client. However, the reveal is that it is Vox, and when he asked Val earlier to “borrow” Angel, this is what he meant.

You see, all along Vox has been hypnotizing Angel to spy on the hotel. It’s how they were ahead in the extermination last season, and how Vox knew Lucifer couldn’t do anything to the sinners before he appeared at his rally. While it has been obvious throughout the season especially that Vox isn’t exactly the best soul in Hell, we begin to see just how bad he is.

It is moments like this when Hazbin Hotel really shines. Sure, it’s a funny show that balances humor and drama fairly deftly, but when things need to get serious, they get serious. All season long Borle has been knocking his performance out of the park, but these episodes have been even a step higher. Likewise, with Roman, whose comfortability within Angel’s voice has given him an amazing emotional depth.

This episode also leaves many of us to wonder where Angel is going to be at the end of the season, as well as dread for what season three could bring us as well. And how exactly is Vox going to use him?

Songs That Once Again Live On Repeat In Your Head

Composer/songwriter Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg deliver us yet another impeccable set of songs this week. “Bad With Us,” the opening song, brings together all of the overlords, and we get Patrick Stump! It’s a fun, very fifties feel number, another example of the directions Haft and Underberg took the music this season.

“VOX POPULI” features Jordan and Borle in a duet every theatre kid has ever dreamed of. It’s hard rock beginning brings to mind Jordan’s band, Age of Madness, and it slips easily into a piano-focused number when Borle takes over. The duality of the track mirrors the duality of the show. Its sister song, “VOX DEI,” marries both sounds in a reprise-like manner.

We finally get a Husk solo with “Love in a Bottle,” and it is not a stretch to say that we’ve all been waiting for it. The subtle callbacks to “Loser Baby” during the number onscreen are also a nice touch. Paired with “Losin’ Streak,” Angel’s song, the two numbers could not complement each other more (much like the characters themselves). Roman also shows his frankly impressive range with “Losin’ Streak,” and I would be shocked if this song alone did not become a drag favorite.

Finally, we get the Vaggie and Charlie duet we’ve been waiting for. “Easy,” is sultry, sweet, and an absolute delight. Beatriz never disappoints, and having her and Henningsen harmonize is possibly one of the best decisions ever made. Also, what better way to make up after a huge fight than through song? That’s what musical theatre is all about.

The second season of Hazbin Hotel consists of eight episodes, with two episodes rolling out weekly through November 19. The series will be available on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Let us know what you think of season 2 so far! And for more Hazbin Hotel news and episodic reviews, keep checking back to THS.

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‘Hazbin Hotel’: Composer/Songwriter Sam Haft On Season 2 And The Rivalry Between Vox And Alastor [INTERVIEW]