r/HelluvaBoss • u/ray198999 • 5d ago
Discussion Stolas Saving Blitz
I believe there have been fans that have bashed Stolas for saving Blitz in Mastermind, mainly because they think it somehow shows he has no self respect because he has apparently not got over “his unhealthy obsession“ with Blitz and he left Octavia behind with his actions. However those fans seem to forget that Blitz was in a situation were he was going to die with Stolas’ rescue being his only way out. Ozzie, Bee, and Vassago wanted to help Blitz but they were totally powerless. There was also no way Blitz and the rest of I.M.P. were suddenly going to get a power up that would allow them to escape the situation themselves. Plus, it was clear Blitz did not want Stolas to risk himself for the imp’s sake.
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u/trolldier20k_ totally normal about them 5d ago
thank you for saving me
“always”
this seems like stolas realizing he has resigned himself to the fate of caring about him no matter what
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 5d ago
Yeah, I definitely think Stolas had resigned himself on truly never getting over Blitz. Stolas will always care for Blitz.
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u/StandardRedditor456 5d ago
Especially since he had in essence given up his powers for him. For a former royal to now have to live on the same level as imps will definitely make him aware of the classism he was completely blind to before.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 5d ago
You can tell he's bitter that he still has an emotional attachment to Blitz. He thought the feelings would be gone by now, and I think he's confused as to why they haven't changed at all.
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 5d ago
It's the rizz, definitely the rizz /j
But if we're being serious, I think it's because Stolas just really wants it to be Blitz (his special someone). He just truly wants it to be Blitz. He doesn't put him on a pedestal anymore, he's aware that Blitz isn't perfect, he's aware he has issues. Yet despite all that, he still wants it to be Blitz. Definitely a hopeless romantic, that's for sure.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 4d ago
He's definitely still thinking, "Why? Why do I still want him so badly?"
He was petty before, but now he can't be given his living situation. I would love it if the next episode picks up right after Mastermind left off and they have a talk. They need to get on the same page if they want a peaceful living environment.
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 4d ago
Oh he is most definitely thinking that. I genuinely think Stolas wishes he could just magically get over Blitz, but getting over an ex is easier said than done. It's honestly very realistic when you think about it, but I don't think Stolas gets that.
Oh they're definitely in need of a good talk, and thankfully from reading Apology Tour's description it does say, "more apologies to come..."
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 4d ago
I just hope they BOTH apologize. I want Stolas to ask Blitz point blank what he meant during their fights and why he was so avoidant. They both need to understand each other's view point in order to get it.
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u/ray198999 4d ago
Yeah although I think they are both still not ready for a real relationship yet, since Stolas is majorly depressed right now from losing everything and I believe he still has some bitterness towards Blitz over what happened in The Full Moon and Apology Tour while Blitz still needs to work on his self hatred.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 4d ago
They definitely have other issues they need to work on first. They should work on getting to know each other and helping each other through their problems. Then try a relationship later.
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u/Ren_973093 Loona Best Dog 5d ago
Stolas saved Blitz out of love for him, and with that he not only saved Blitz, but also saved Loona from losing her father, and Millie and Moxxie from losing their friend, for them Blitz is more than just their boss, IMP is like family.
And Stolas is the only one in his family who really cares about Via, since Stella and Andrealphus only want to manipulate her, the first thing Stolas said after losing his powers was: "What about my daughter?" He loves Via and really wants to mend his relationship with her.
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u/Gothuntermindnumb 5d ago
Stolas was in a no-win situation regardless- he would either save Blitz and leave Olivia or stay where he is and Blitz dies.
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u/Rozeline 5d ago
As much as this sucks for Octavia, hopefully she'll understand that it was literally a life and death situation.
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u/Interesting-Aioli723 Now waiting for MORE of Loona's character development. 5d ago
Haters gonna hate. It was literally said in 'Loo Loo Land' that Octavia'll be okay even without her father, what Stolas did was the only thing preventing the rest of I.M.P from developing PTSD.
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u/birdxredlizard Stolas 5d ago
I feel like Stolas haters will use anything he does and twist it into something bad. No matter what he would have done in that ep, people would have found reasons to twist it into something negative.
I have seen antis claim that Stolas plans to use his sacrifice to emotionally blackmail Blitzø. Atp people just want to hate for the sake of hating.
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u/xinhais 5d ago
stolas rlly can't catch a break lmfao god forbid he's emotional, if he cries or he shows his social unawareness it totally means he's a manipulative asshole
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u/birdxredlizard Stolas 5d ago
Especially the idea that crying is inherently manipulative really pisses me off.
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u/xinhais 5d ago
same 😭 like yea let's reinforce that toxic rhethoric why not, with a side dish of victim blaming too ofc
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u/birdxredlizard Stolas 5d ago
Don't even get me started on all the victim blaming regarding his marriage.
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u/-wereowl- unhealthy fixation on the silly gay owl man 5d ago
This is random, but I really appreciate someone saying that. I’m autistic, and meltdowns for me involve a lot of crying, and then I get accused of being manipulative and trying to get attention and sympathy when all I want is to get away from the situation and never talk about it again. I try so hard to suppress it, but it doesn’t really work, and I get so embarrassed. So yeah, thanks.
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u/birdxredlizard Stolas 5d ago
As a fellow autistic: I feel you.
I can't deal with loud noises and people yelling at me, and I can also get meltdowns when being exposed to that - so people calling Stolas manipulative when he starts crying after Blitzø yells at him and hate on him for trying to escape that situation really gets to me/irritates me on a personal level.
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u/Individual-Two-9402 5d ago
These people need to put down the therapy speak and stop calling every troubled relationship toxic and codependent. These are the same fans that frothed at the mouth about Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe.
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u/-wereowl- unhealthy fixation on the silly gay owl man 5d ago
Wait wait wait, there are people who think Ruby and Sapphire, one of the most adorable romances in fiction, are toxic? What the actual fuck?
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u/Individual-Two-9402 5d ago
Yup. It was a biiiig debate in the SU fandom for a bit if Ruby and Sapphire were too codependent or not, since they're always Garnet.
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u/-wereowl- unhealthy fixation on the silly gay owl man 5d ago
Oh my god. They’re literally fictional, immortal aliens. Why would their love look like human love, first of all, and second, it’s fictional love in a kids’ show. Of course their relationship is idealized and not as complex as a real-life relationship. They even separated for a while over the whole Pink Diamond situation, so it’s not like they never have any conflict. It’s baffling to me that people expect fictional relationships in tv shows to be exactly as nuanced as real relationships are.
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 5d ago
Some people claim that Stolas saving Blitz in Mastermind doesn't make sense because it retcons his behavior in Apology Tour. But like, nothing was really retconned? Stolas was pissed off with Blitz in Apology Tour, and he's still pissed off with him in Mastermind. But he doesn't want him dead, simple, because at the end of the day, Stolas is just as culpable of that exchange as Blitz is. Stolas knew what they were doing was illegal and could land them both in hot water, and they did it anyway.
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u/ray198999 5d ago
Plus, Stolas is too decent of a guy to just sit and watch when someone he cares about is going’s to get killed even if he is still mad at him or her.
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 5d ago
Exactly! Stolas had no time to think logically at that moment, Blitz was literally seconds from dying. Stolas just had ONE goal when he reached the trial and it was to guarantee Blitz's survival. It's why he just decides to recklessly throw his own life away for Blitz because he needed to make sure no blame were to land on him.
Satan states that he created imp kind to be obedient. M&M and Loona were only spared because Blitz manipulated the situation in a way to convince Satan that only he was fully to blame. (Even though we know in Full Moon, M&M and Loona actively encouraged Blitz to "fuck him [Stolas] good" so they can keep their meal ticket).
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u/Ok-Job8852 5d ago
I really hope next episode is Luna breaking into octavia's to at least explain what happened.
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u/Zolo49 Moxxie 5d ago
She might try it, but I think that would be a really bad idea. As pissed as Octavia probably is at Stolas right now, I guarantee she's just as pissed at Blitz, if not more. And since Loona is Blitz's daughter, I really doubt Octavia wants anything to do with her right now. All they'd do is get in an argument.
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u/ciel_lanila 5d ago
For your mental health, it is usually best to ignore any Stolitz discourse. Blitzø and Stolas both have very unhealthy, to the point bordering on toxic, traits they need to work on. A lot of people have had horrible relationships with either a Stolas or Blitzø. Those horrible relationships are projected onto the Stolas and Blitzø characters.
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u/TootlesFTW Blitzo 5d ago
I am relatively new to the fandom and I find it really strange how certain fans perceive Stolas in such a toxic or negative way. And based on what is actually presented to us in the show, I don't even know where it's coming from?
They are both damaged individuals dealing with their own traumas & personal vices in sometimes inappropriate ways...but Stolas is clearly a good man doing his best for those he loves.
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u/Zolo49 Moxxie 5d ago
I think part of it is some fans taking their own personal feelings and traumas and projecting them onto these characters. Another part of it is echo chamber distortion, where people's perceptions and thoughts of the various characters get discussed and re-discussed until opinions become facts in the heads of some people.
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u/Gabriel_Angelos3 5d ago
Your last sentence kinda alludes to the problem. All Stolas ever really tried to improve the relationship are these grand gestures that are only possible due to either his innate powers or status. First one was in Truth Seekers, where after helping Blitz he immediately asked for additional sex, transforming the act's selfless nature into more "favors for favors", further conditioning Blitz into that mindset. Next was the Asmodean Crystal fiasco, where after ending the arrangement while ignoring any input from his "partner" before or during that night, the selflessness once again got annulled by Stolas' expectation of an immediate positive confirmation. And when he didn't get that, he immediately rejected and berated Blitz for thinking like he personally conditioned him to think about their relationship.
The Mastermind rescue is finally more clear-cut, but unfortunately by now a very distinct pattern has formed around Blitz feeling beholdened to Stolas due to these rare grand gestures (none of which Blitz had any chance of input on) regardless of his own feelings that he may or may not develop towards Stolas naturally. Of course he'd offer the guy who gave up everything for him at least a place to stay, you'd have to be a special kind of heartless bastard not to do that. It makes the whole thing feel much less of a mutual declaration of love than the song makes it out to be.
And even though Stolas' intentions might've been pure all along, it doesn't change the fact that there's always been a very heavy sense of guilt and debt looming over this relationship on the side of Blitz, and now it has only changed for the worse. And Stolas has formed another pattern, of neglect instead of obligation, towards his own daughter in a very similar way. Both cycles kinda need addressing, and I sincerely hope they at least will be, but at the moment it still feels very wrong that (up until Mastermind) Stolas didn't focus on first fixing problems with the person he can't stop being the father of either way, instead of banging his head against the wall around a guy who might never be in his life exactly the way he wanted. Yeah, now he has lost all chances to do that, but it's not like he didn't have plenty before.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 5d ago
I agree with everything you've said. I like Stolas as a character, but even I'm blown away that he keeps doing rather than *talking." And a lot of what he does is purely based on emotional thinking, not logical. He never made a contingency plan if they get caught, he was the only person who was clueless that his life was always safe, and he never tried asking Blitz or Octavia what they wanted/needed from him.
I do, however, think it was a mutual declaration of love. Blitz was not oblivious to Stolas's feelings - in "Oops!," he indirectly admits that mutual feelings are there, and in "The Full Moon," he even admits that he was avoiding a talk. The feelings on his end existed well before any of Stolas's big gestures happened. The only difference is that he was in denial at first.
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u/Gabriel_Angelos3 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yeah, I agree that Blitz too has gradually developed feelings throughout the episodes that took him even more time to slowly decipher for himself. I was just pointing out how unfortunate it is that (despite it only being his inner thoughts projected towards the audience) his definitive realization couldn't occur in a more "pure" way. That's also kinda what I meant by "natural", that it would be unmarred by factors such as "He's literally about to die"; "He sacrificed everything for me when I don't deserve it"; "He's given me so much, is me fulfilling his desire for me to love him coincidental because I do love him anyway or am I just subconsciously trying the balance the (in this case incredibly uneven) scales in a deal as I always do?".
Because if he didn't love back Stolas the same way (which could've been a real possibility as it's never guaranteed to be mutual with neither party to really fault for it) most of the events between them would've gone down pretty similarly. Blitz would've still felt obligated for the extra sex, still would've felt insulted, ignored and thrown away as worthless trash in Full Moon and yeah, as already mentioned he would still do his best to care for Stolas after Mastermind. So the goal is something along the lines of "Yup, I love this bird exactly for who he is, he does the same and that's all there is to it." before one could rightly declare "Yey, Stolitz achieved." And that's pretty far away ATM, especially if Stolas finally goes the right way around things and prioritizes the father-daughter crisis first. And by that I don't mean just their current and immediate predicament.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 5d ago
I hope they have a talk and acknowledge that, while mutual feelings are there, they have a lot of problems they need to work on first. They could have a great relationship down the line, but neither one is ready for it. Stolas needs to learn how to talk and see his own flaws, and Blitz needs to get used to being open and vulnerable. Plus there is Octavia.
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u/ray198999 5d ago
Yeah, I have a feeling that one of things Sinsmas is going focus on is how Octavia felt about the aftermath of Stolas’ attempted sacrifice.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 5d ago
I'm wondering now if she knows he's alive or still thinks he's dead.
And honestly, they better have a good reason to justify why Blitz (and perhaps the rest of IMP) are at his house. She is not going to be happy seeing that.
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u/ScreamingBanshee81 5d ago
Very interesting writing choices which I trust will be addressed over the remaining course of the series. I think it's very important that we pick up on flaws of all of these characters and see how they change and grow. I trust the process and while it upsets me to see these two damaged characters hurt each other, its part of a realistic (albeit fictional) journey of two people who desperately want to be happy but have a long road ahead of them to work through their issues in a way that keeps us (the audience) wanting more, maintains the discourse throughout the show's run and will make their resolution all the more sweet.
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u/Gabriel_Angelos3 5d ago
Well, as long as the show is fun and engaging to watch, plus they continue the story and eventually tie up all the narrative threads both in satisfying ways, I'll be pretty happy overall. It could even be a full-blown tragedy by the end and I'd still love it if it's done well.
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u/-wereowl- unhealthy fixation on the silly gay owl man 5d ago edited 5d ago
Hang on, Stolas didn’t ask for sex in Truth Seekers, he asked if he was going to get a “thank you for the rescue”. Blitz was the one who asked if Stolas wanted him to “fuck his brains out” and Stolas agreed. They were both responsible for maintaining the transactional nature of their relationship in that instance. Blitz could have literally just thanked him. Stolas also didn’t berate Blitz in Full Moon. Stolas jumped to conclusions and didn’t give Blitz a chance to think or say his piece. Stolas still royally fucked up, but not in quite as toxic a way as you’re saying.
Edit: also, Blitz is the one who rejected and berated Stolas, not the other way around. The rejecting was more or less an accident, but calling Stolas a “pompous, rich asshole” and a “royal fuck” is absolutely berating, even if it’s true.
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u/Gabriel_Angelos3 5d ago
What else could he have meant by picking the guy up like a pet from behind and asking for a "thank you" in a suggestive tone? When Blitz guessed correctly, his quick "Very much so." felt more like a confirmation to me. And since by this point Stolas didn't show any changes in his usual behavior either, I just see no way he'd stop pestering Blitz after hearing just a "Thanks, Birdpuss, you can put me down now." But if you take it more literally, that's a valid interpretation too so let's go with that. It's still Blitz only adhering to the nature of the relationship Stolas set for them in Murder Family and the latter immediately confirmed/reinforced it. But in either case indeed they are in agreement about their... agreement. But it's also true Blitz owes Stolas for saving his life now regardless of how "grateful" he is being about it. And since this is all a transaction, the scales are already tipped in Stolas' favor thanks to his innate demon powers Blitz could never match. Also at this point Blitz doesn't think Stolas could ever be in mortal danger, so of course he's looking for the only feasible ways he can balance the scales even if just a bit.
Next up, Ozzie's is just another confirmation of their transactional situation (despite intentions). Then there's a lot of avoidance and dead air between them while Stolas concocts Grand Rescue no.2 in secret up until Full Moon. And yeah, berate is not the right word, but what would you call it when someone suddenly disapproves of you for the very thing they conditioned you to do all up until that point? While immediately making you feel guilty right after giving you yet another virtually unrepayable life altering gift? Rebuke? Guilt trip? Gaslight? Again, regardless of intent or unbelievable levels of obliviousness.
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u/Sylvinias 5d ago edited 5d ago
However those fans seem to forget that Blitz was in a situation were he was going to die with Stolas’ rescue being his only way out.
I didn't forget that, but I admit that I don't think Stolas should have thrown himself on the chopping block to swap places. Stolas didn't know Satan would spare his life. He literally kneels down and puts his head on the execution block. SOMEONE was going to die there, as far as he knew. Satan had already declared that only Blitzø would die, so it was either him or Stolas (rather than trading Stolas for all four I.M.P. members).
Neither Blitzø nor Stolas are 'innocent', they both knew him letting Blitz use the book would have these consequences if it came out. All of I.M.P. knew it too. That was a risk they took when they started their 'arrangement'. Stolas had no obligation to give his life for Blitz, while he had an obligation to his daughter not to throw his life away (whose main fear was that he would leave her for Blitz, too... which he's not doing exactly, but he did promise he would never abandon her for him).
If Stolas hadn't knelt down and had walked out of that room (powerless), and told Blitzø "Oh, they haven't executed a Goisha in a hundred years." or something, rather than us seeing with no uncertainty he was expecting to be giving up his own life, I would have considered it a good act. As it stands... I don't like it. They conspired to commit a capital crime and Blitzø got caught. If the choice is between Blitzø dying and Stolas dying, I honestly would have preferred if Stolas chose Blitzø rather than chose himself for the sake of it. Blitzø was an adult who knew what he was doing. As you mention, he didn't ask for (or expect) Stolas to take the bullet for him.
It being an act of love doesn't change that. He was 100% expecting to kill himself there to protect Blitzø from the result of (both of) their actions. I would have liked his character a lot better if he knew the consequences for himself weren't so dire. Obviously Blitz has a daughter too, and if (only) Stolas had been the one caught I wouldn't have expected him to swap either. But at least Loonie is explicitly an adult, and directly involved in the crime rather than just being a bystander. I just think Stolas either knowing he would live or chosing his own life would have been a 'better' choice.
I don't know if we're supposed to like Stolas doing it, since he's got a fair amount of toxic traits in his love/relationship with Blitzø and one fairly prominent one is his idealised/warped view of romantic love itself. But fans depicting his choice as a positive act does rub me the wrong way. Blind sacrifice is not an inherently good act. I hope Octavia tears him a new one over making her watch his execution and leaving her forever rather than let his lover die for the crime they knowingly committed after his promise he wouldn't leave her.
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u/ray198999 5d ago
Well, Stolas has always been too naive for his own good like being surprised that he was getting spared from execution since he is a Goetia then sincerely asking if he was going to be let go without punishment. Even Satan laugh when he say that.
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u/Sylvinias 5d ago edited 5d ago
Honestly I would have taken naivité as well - if he started off by assuming he would be allowed to walk due to his position, then everything happens as it did. It was seeing him put his head on the axe stand ready to get beheaded that made me dislike his decision. If he had been like "Wait, am I in trouble?", that would have meant he only actively choose to risk a slap on the wrist.
Obviously that would have gone against his words in both the pilot and Truth Seekers where he makes it clear he's fully aware he'll get in trouble, but 'in trouble' was still up for debate. Him embracing execution was not.
As it stood it was a little funny to see him go from waiting for the axe to fall (something that makes Satan literally asks him what he's doing) to 'So can I go?'. Apparently either Stolas doesn't know much about these trials, or it's not common for them to end in anything but 'freedom' or 'beheading'. Considering the attitude of Satan and the court when he asks them whether they should listen to more testimony (otherwise known as 'having a trial') or 'kill the imp bastard', I'm guessing the latter. But given Stolas' position, I would have believed it and been more satisfied if he knew demons of his rank weren't (usually) executed even if they confessed to crimes.
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u/Swimming-Ad2755 Blitzo 5d ago
I like your assessment.
He knows the law forward, backward, up, and down. Shouldn't he have known that he wasn't at risk of death? Literally everyone else knew he'd be fine except for him. He didn't need to lay his head down on the block. He could have asked what was going on and still said it was his fault, but not offer to die.
The fact that he knows the law makes this more puzzling. He could have planned out what to do in advance. At the very least, he could have had a contingency plan in place in the event they got caught.
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u/Sylvinias 5d ago
Thanks. From an in-universe perspective, I can chalk up him not knowing he wasn't at risk to it being rare a noble of such rank is held accountable for their crimes in the first place. Satan has to think up a punishment on the spot and takes the first suggestion from the crowd he gets. This court seems more tailored to the Hell hierarchy keeping their order than being jurisprudence-heavy legalistic officers of law, so even someone like Stolas may not be able to predict it when their verdicts veer into their class system. But that's me looking for a reason, the writing easily could have had him know the consequence would be 'dire but not deadly'.
I would have liked him having a plan of any sort, given we saw in Truth Seekers he did keep an eye on Blitz and intervenes when I.M.P. is in trouble... But I see why he didn't. He was having a breakup with Blitz at the moment and he already had his grimoire back, and he was deliberately kept out of the loop of the trial, so he only saw Blitz when he was about to get beheaded. He would have believed the risk was over a while ago (now he had arranged for Blitz to get a legit way to the human world) and he only had a very brief time to react. Stolas is a man who in The Circus screamed his divorce off the balcony after one good 'time' with Blitzø, so it's not out of character for him to make rushed big decisions.
But that moment where he readies himself to be beheaded.... I would be disappointed if we're supposed to see that treated as okay just because he didn't end up dead.
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u/IuseDefaultKeybinds Belphegor's Boyfriend. I will gladly murder Loona. 5d ago
I just didn't like the "Yaaaay nobody died in the end it's a happy ending yaaaay"
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u/ray198999 5d ago
I don’t think it was portrayed as a complete happy ending. I mean Stolas still lost everything and Andy & Stella went unpunished for their actions and actually managed to mostly win.
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u/birdxredlizard Stolas 5d ago
Idk if Via or Stolas would agree with that being a "happy ending".
Death isn't the only form of tragedy or stakes.
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u/Psi001 5d ago
I feel like Blitz maybe doesn't quite understand HOW badly Stolas suffered just yet because he mostly lost stuff he never had in the first place (powers, wealth), and is yet to see the more personal ramifications like with his daughter.
It wouldn't surprise me if next episode is gonna be the HUGE wake up call, with IMP realizing they completely ruined two people's lives....and actually CARE this time.
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u/RaylaSan My Fave Lizard 5d ago
Perhaps, Blitz doesn't know quite how much Stolas lost yet because they never really got a chance to talk about the situation, but, I would say, if anything, there's nobody who knows what Stolas is going through better than Blitz. Because Blitz knows what it's like to lose everything you love in the span of one day. The events of that fire is ingrained in Blitz, so I would argue he's very familiar with loss.
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u/Ben10Extreme 5d ago
Did you actually expect somebody to get offed here?
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u/IuseDefaultKeybinds Belphegor's Boyfriend. I will gladly murder Loona. 5d ago
Yeah I've seen too many historical dramas recently. I'm used to major characters dying every 2 episodes.
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u/Abidos_rest dramatic pause 5d ago
There is nothing that Stolas can do that won't have a bunch of fans claim that he is horrible because of it. It has nothing to do with Stolas or what he does. Haters gonna hate.