As much as I love Pentious’ design so so much, I kind of wish it changed when he got to heaven. He was a snake because of his sins, yes, his form changed because it reflected his sins and although the eyes on his body (reflecting his sin of watching and doing nothing) were vanished and signified his redemption of his sin, but I wish it showed more of his reason for redemption. The tiny wings are cute but imagine if he was changed into something else. If the forces behind redemption decided to take away his snake-like design and give him something else. Maybe it doesn’t have to be humanoid, maybe it could’ve been something else. Something more angelic because he was killed by Adam. Maybe he could’ve gotten something more bird like because he was flying and was trying to shield the hotel with his “wings”. Just the possibilities
Thing is, we don't know for sure if him being a snake was because of his sins, particularly with his sins already being represented by the numerous eyes that vanished upon his ascension. Given how practically every winner we see (save for Adam, Abel, and Peter) have non-human appearances, it gives the impression that him becoming a snake is what would've happened even if he went to Heaven. After all, Molly's a spider like Angel Dust, despite going to Heaven instead of Hell.
It's also possible that his snakelike form symbolizes his cause of death in some way. (My leading theory is suicide by hanging, with how long and stretched his neck is, along with snakes being known for constriction) It'd also tie into his current form having white scales on his lower half, reminiscent of the blast of holy light that killed him as a sinner. So while the aspects of his design representing his original sin were gone, his form would still be an amalgam of his prior lives, deaths, and experiences.
Idk, cherrisnake doesn’t feel forced to me, especially after season 2. I mean, literally any relationship in the show would benefit from more screen time, but considering the eight episodes per season constraint, I think they've made it convincing enough.
Like, I love him, but until Charlie, Pentious did not know how to properly connect with others, in life or death. The closest he ever came, as far as we know, is his (lab) partnership with Baxter, because, let's be real, making friends with Baxter doesn't require any of the social skills Pentious lacks. They had a common interest in science and a common goal in becoming overlords; let's move in together and raise a bunch of eggs. But yeah, my guy was moved to tears when a bunch of sinners cheered for his death machine, as if it meant they like him. He went "You like me, you really like me!" the minute Charlie gave him a single compliment. Any kind of attention would read as a sort of personal relationship to the guy who used to watch others from his window to pretend he had people in his life.
So, no, it doesn’t suprise me that he nursed a crush on the woman who quickly became a constant in his life through repeated turf wars. Unlike everyone else we've seen him (miserably fail to) challenge, his battles with Cherri were a give and take: he "messed with her shit every chance he got", she surprised him with her "brilliant explosives" and kept "fucking with him" (aka gave him attention and engagement), and if the line "turf war, what's the score?" is anything to go by, neither ever gained the upperhand for long. Of course, this was an important relationship to Pentious. Of course he was "obsessed". Here was someone who responded to him, who impressed him, who he schemed to impress (and defeat gloriously, of course), who was always going to be back for more the moment the dust of their latest battle settled.
But, crucially, he didn’t think of it as a crush at the time of their turf wars. He sings it himself: "Somehow I couldn’t see, through the cloud of debris, at the scene of the crime." The show never made the case that Pentious and Cherri were fighting because they were secretly in love or whatever, and we, the audience just didn’t know. I honestly think it only hit Pentious in that moment on screen when Charlie made Cherri take the hotel crew out for drinks. Because he never thought relating to her through anything other than battle was even an option, but then it is, and Cherri's important, and he's wired to want to impress her, and then she grabs his hand and shit - he suddenly wants the "other than battle" very much.
So, yeah, the reveal of his crush was sudden, but, especially from the vantage point of having watched both season 1 and 2 now, I disagree that it came out of nowhere for these characters. And Pentious isn’t exactly an emotionally repressed guy. I'm not suprised that, once the internal dam broke and the stakes were suddenly astronomically high, given the impending extermination, he leapt straight to "shit, she might die for real and I love her!". He calms down a little when the danger has passed, he's in heaven and actually has time to reflect, asking "could this be love?". So, not even on Pentious' side did the show go "bam, instant eternal love!". (Though of course, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Especially when you left with a kiss and love confession and have no idea what she thought of either!)
Now, we don’t know as much about Cherri as we do Pentious, but as we see her in the show, unlike him, she knows how to form normal amicable bonds with others: Angel, Husk, even Nifty she's just vibing with. She likely didn’t ascribe any special importance or connection to their "rivalry". Pentious was just that persistent steampunk "overlord simp" who kept messing with her shit. (Factually, however, their battles were a constant in an afterlife that otherwise seems to have had very few of those.)
I don’t think that means "she only started liking him because of his two dicks", though. Yeah, when she saw him in the hotel, she made a face like "ugh, not that fucker again". But she obviously clocked what he was doing in the club (just look at the way she smiles while making him explain himself), and, instead of just violently shooting him down, did what she always does with him: she messed with him. Because she enjoys that.
That enjoyment is key, imo. It doesn’t mean she was into him all along, but there's definitely a kind of familiarity there, on both sides. Then Pentious is surprisingly real with her on the eve of battle (even if he ultimately chickens out and storms off) and it's like...huh, maybe he's not just a cartoony-ass supervillain idiot. Then Angel comes in as the wing-man ever, like, you could totally tap that, two dicks, just saying. And that detail intrigues her, lol, of course it does. But, big picture, the point of the scene probably wasn’t "Cherri likes double dick", but the subtle change in how she views Pentious: no longer as a mere carricarture, but as a guy who seems to respect her, and, well, is a guy, actually, not a comically sexless entity.
So, then the big kiss scene happens, and, honestly, what’s so unbelievable about Cherri being into the kiss? Pentious isn’t some random stranger who grabbed her and planted one on her. She's just glimpsed a hint of depth under the hood, just found herself ever so slightly intrigued, and he goes and pulls that in the middle of battle, followed by an impassionate love confession. Then he immediately proceeds to get himself killed, which causes her a lot of confusing emotions in the aftermath - of course it does when someone kisses you, then dies for you. That's an extreme thing to happen. Nowhere did the show say that she’s suddenly totally in love with him, however.
Instead, we see her grappling with the shock of everything in season 2. I mean, there's such a huge dissonance between what she thought their relationship was and the stupidly brave thing Pentious did "for her" (not only for her, but he did do it right after kissing her). And then she learns that he's in Heaven, and suddenly it’s not this weird thing she'll move past soon, but something that bubbles back up to the surface, demands clarification, because, fuck, he's actually alive out there, right now.
From her expression after talking to Baxter, I surmise that his story painted Pentious in a light Cherri actually deems really decent. There's also the confirmation that Pentious always treasured their rivalry (since he was "obsessed" with her). No wonder it makes her question everything. No wonder it makes her reflect on everything, only to realize that their battles were a thing she actually enjoyed, looked forward to, were a constant in her life - and now that's all gone. And now she's bored...without him. It’s hell, there’s no shortage of opportunities to fight. But it wouldn’t be the same.
Basically, she’s hit over the head with a feeling of loss and regret she doesn’t know what to do with, because Pentious is cosmically out of reach without actually being gone for good. And it’s a very common phenomenon that people start to like someone when they know the other person likes them. (So many relationships in real life aren’t actually a 150k words slowburn?). This is that on steroids: Pentious went out with a kiss and a love confession, and Cherri just realized he was a more important figure in her life than she thought. She's not suddenly super in love, but something's there that wasn’t there before, and it only keeps growing, because it doesn’t have a release valve.
So, yeah, I find it very believable where they end up at the end of season 2, when communication is finally possible. They've both been stewing in the longing to find out what this all means, where it could have gone. The way Pentious left things, there's no use beating around the bush that there's romantic interest, so they transition into the early stages of long distance dating. Pentious is Pentious, plus he's been stuck in the peppiest place in the universe for a while, so, yeah, he packs the most thoughtfully (and adorkable) curated gift basket ever. Cherri is Cherri, so yeah, she sends him nudes to heaven (doesn’t surprise me one bit after she immediately had to make sure he hasn’t found a new rival in heaven).
Idk, it’s all pretty neat to me. And not exactly finished, though we'll see where things go from here.
Something that only ended up hitting me just now...
Up until season 2, much of Pentious's death scene was left up to the imagination, as all we see is the zeppelin being there one moment and fizzling out the next.
However, we now know exactly how Pentious's death against Adam played out in excruciating detail, after seeing all those other sinners being erased with holy light. With the light hitting them, stripping away flesh, then bone, until there's nothing left.
And while the sinners who died were all hypnotized and in a trance and were likely blissfully unaware of their own impending demise...Pentious was not. We see his expression during his last milliseconds of life during the Speaker's rendition of his sacrifice, and he is terrified and distraught. Fully under the impression that his death would be in vain and his found family would die in the exact same way shortly after himself.
Thankfully the Speaker's manifestations disperse before we get the imagery of Pen's flesh and bone disintegrating in rapid succession...
His actual design is passable, cute even, I’m just mad it’s yet another character who’s skin tone blends into their shirt. Also him being allegedly British and involved with Jack the Ripper is fucking bullshit and I hate it but it’s fucking, whatever, honestly.
Obviously I gotta change that but that's future me and Rena's problem.
Honestly, with how quick people were to get mad about it back when his human design was leaked, I'm surprised it took this long for someone to make a post like this.
But I agree, it's super baffling. Is the "allegedly" because his VA isn't British? By that logic, Cherri's "allegedly Australian." Friggen wild.
Yeah...that's the impression I got as well. Like...imagine if there was someone complaining about Alastor's human design being too dark-skinned, and someone making an edit of him being super pale. The internet would eat that person alive and rightfully call them out for being racist.
That's basically what's happening here, but because of the double standards, people are either too scared or unwilling to call it out.
His actual design is passable, cute even, I’m just mad it’s yet another character who’s skin tone blends into their shirt. Also him being allegedly British and involved with Jack the Ripper is fucking bullshit and I hate it but it’s fucking, whatever, honestly.
Obviously I gotta change that but that's future me and Rena's problem.
Honestly, with how quick people were to get mad about it back when his human design was leaked, I'm surprised it took this long for someone to make a post like this.
But I agree, it's super baffling. Is the "allegedly" because his VA isn't British? By that logic, Cherri's "allegedly Australian." Friggen wild.
I think I might've found a major hole in Vox's claims that Angel has been unknowingly hypnotized at various points all this time.
Look at Cherri's outfit from the scene as shown in episode 3.
And compare that with the outfit we see her in during the hypno-flashbacks in episode 6.
I don't think this is just an animation error, not when avoiding it would've been as simple as using the exact same asset that was used in episode 3.
This is an inconsistency between what really happened and what Vox's "revelations" depict. Which throws his claims that Angel's been a sporadically-hypnotized spy all this time into question.
Personally? I think Vox is using powers of suggestion to implant the notion that Angel's been an unwitting spy into his mind. Causing Angel to try and recontextualize already-existing memories with this new information, and leading him to believe that Vox is being completely honest here.
Vox has eyes and ears everywhere, and we know he's able to access other electronic devices. It's entirely within the realm of possibility that Vox could simply pick up on what people were saying using the microphones in peoples' smartphones, and we know both Angel and Vaggie have them (the latter being proven via her contact in Charlie's phone).
So why would Vox try to spin things this way? Simple. To leave Angel wracked with guilt, making his mind more vulnerable and malleable. Making it easier for Vox to well and truly bring him under his control.
Could I be reaching or overthinking things? Perhaps. But with the amount of information we have right now, it seems like an entirely plausible scenario.
They both held immense admiration and respect for an overlord, wanting nothing more than to help them and be seen as an equal. Wanting to form a connection with the person they idolize.
...Only for them both to be mocked, ridiculed, deemed as weak or a failure, and tossed aside as if they never mattered. All by the person they spent so long looking up to.
Makes me wonder if Vox saw a bit of his past self in Pentious, which is why he was so cruel to him.
Knowing that Pen's hat reflects his innermost emotions speaks volumes about this shot. Despite how fierce and intimidating and angry he tries to look, his subconscious feelings are slipping through via that one part of himself completely out of his control. The man is and was smitten, even way back then.
Also, I headcanoned for the longest time that the turf war battles he had with Cherri were essentially a shared/common interest, and while it may have started as genuine enemies, it became something they got enjoyment from. And since sinners can regenerate from anything that isn't angelic, it was essentially no different than just...two Pokemon that really really enjoy battling each other and showing off their new moves and techniques to each other.
I am falling more and more in love with this ship than I already was, and I am craving the moment in which these two are finally reunited for reals.
The fact that Cherrisnake is basically canon at this point, and the only things missing are Cherri getting to tell Pentious that she reciprocates his feelings and them officially getting together...
Honestly, it fills me with such indescribable joy. It's such a huge comfort ship for me, I've never shipped a pairing within the process of it actually becoming canon before. It'll be such a massive relief, that even if I encounter an au, fic, or rp where they aren't together...knowing that they're officially together, in canon, in a way that's undeniable even by the most hardcore antis...it'll really help me better be able to bear with those instances.
Less than three days now. As odd as the Cherrisnake song title is...well, so was "Loser Baby." And look how much love that one received. Plus, from the people I've spoken to who attended the Broadway, they described it as "corny but cute," with them thinking that the fandom's majority is going to love it.
I've already boarded my ship, and I've got no intentions on getting off anytime soon. Hopefully these next couple episodes, and this upcoming song, manages to get even more people on board!
You understand, this is exactly how I felt when I first saw those glimpses, it gives so much more weight to his death scene when we know that this is how he reacted to his impending demise.
The sad smile with his willingness to sacrifice himself, holding onto that last memory he shared with Cherri... Only to quickly realize that he'll be killed before he gets the chance to do anything. That he's failed and he's dying for nothing and his friends would almost certainly perish shortly after him.
It's so sad but sweet that, upon being taken to a snake exhibit by Emily, Abel, and Peter, the first thing Pentious tries to do is break the glass and free one of the snakes.
He probably sees himself in them, since he also feels trapped in Heaven and wants nothing more than to escape.
I've always found the criticism "Hazbin swears too much" to be kind of annoying, for quite a few reasons, and I normally just roll my eyes at. After awhile however, I actually decided to count how many times each character does swear.
I counted how many times each character swears per episode, and what swears are actually being used. I only counted a few words that are usually considered swears, so I didn't count words like "piss" and hell, depending on the context on how it's used. Also, any time a character swears over 10 times I didn't check what swears were used, otherwise I'd be writing all day.
I might make this a part 1 as I've only included the main cast, plus Lucifer.
Charlie Morningstar: 19
Overture: 7 ("shit" | "fuck")
Aah! Oh, shit. Did you hear all that?
VAGGIEHOLYSHIT!
To the Cannibal Town! Where they don't wear a frown 'cause. ♫ [Charlie was shot in the eye with blood from one of the corpses that the cannibals were eating on.] ♫ Holy shit! Ew, my gosh! WHY?! ♫
Today is gonna bе a fuckin' happy day in Hell!
Adam: Oops, almost out of time. Guess we should get into it.
Charlie: Oh, fuck!
Um, wait, you-you— [As Charlie tries to get to Adam, the door slowly closes while he continues to do a guitar solo shredding. It fully closes before she can reach him.] [tearing up] Ugh, SHIT!
Radio Killed the Video Star: 0
Scrambled Eggs: 0
Masquerade: 1 ("fuck")
FUCK Nooo!
Dad Beat Dad: 1 ("asshole")
Well, yeah, with Adam, he was an asshole.
Welcome to Heaven: 2 ("fuck")
Fuck, yes!
That’s what the fuck I’ve been saying!
Hello, Rosie!: 5 ("asshole" | "fuck" | "bitch")
I have enough on my mind without hearing your sadistic idea of a joke, asshole.
Oh, fuck you, Alastor.
Three years! THREE YEARS I've been sharing my life with her, and I tell her EVERYTHING! My hopes, my dreams, my insecurities, my embarrassing habits, what fucking DEODORANT I like, and she keeps something, like this, from ME?
It didn't explain anything about how we're trying to save demons from extermination, which is the whole fucking point.
Ugh, este pendejo... Why are you even here?
And here is Alastor, the egocentric piece of shit that—
That's it. I don't care who or what you are. If you're staying here, you're going to make this work, because it won't be so "entertaining" to watch over an empty hotel, will it, shitass?
Alright everyone, let's make a fucking commercial.
Radio Killed the Video Star: 0
Scrambled Eggs: 6 ("fuck" | "shit" | "hell")
Um, Pentious was just trying to take over the city with his weird steampunk bullshit a few days ago.
What the hell is that?
Trust exercises. Ah, shit!
Angel! What the actual fuck?!
Ugh! I can't fucking believe I let you drag us here, Angel. This is disgusting.
Time we don't have! How many Exterminations will have gone by before these idiots get their shit together?
Masquerade: 2 ("fuck" | "hell")
Okay! Enough of that. Angel, what the fuck?
Woah-- The hell? Angel, where are you going?
Dad Beat Dad: 1 ("carajo")
QUE CARAJO?!
Welcome to Heaven: *3 ("fuck" *technically 2.5 but get gets cut off before she can actually say it)
The thing with the.. thing uhm.. fuck, gah, I'm such a bad liar.
"Act selfless, don't steal, stick it to the man." Are you fucking serious?
You motherfuc-
Hello, Rosie! 2 (“fuck” | “shit”)
Fuckin' right you open that door.
Vaggie: Fuck! Ow! Come on, what is this?
Carmilla: You want me to teach you how to beat angels? That's what I'm doing.
Vaggie: By beating the shit out of me? I'm not used to fighting with long hair.
The Show Must Go On 2 (“hell” | “bitch”)
What in the hell are you supposed to be?
Try it, bitch.
Angel Dust: ~81-77
Overture: 2 ("bitch" | "shit")
That bitch is halfway down the street!
Well, we can improv this shit, babycakes. Rrawwr.
Radio Killed the Video Star: 11
Scrambled Eggs: 3 ("dick" | "bitch" | "shit"
Popsicles, you sicko! Get ya mind outta the gutter! [Angel falls backwards. Husk catches him] But, you know, dicks too!
I BLAME YOU FOR THIS, YOU CRAZY BITCH!
And then, when that buff guy started beating the shit outta you!
Masquerade: ~39
(rough estimate as Angel swears the most this episode and I feel like I still miscounted a few times, and it doesn't help he swears repeatedly within a single sentence. I've tried counting sooo many times how much he swears in this episode and I'm sure I'm probably still off, but again, it doesn't help he swears every word within a single sentence. And... that this episode is hard to watch.)
Dad Beat Dad: 1 ("dick" | "fuck")
Well, I’d like to meet the Big Dick in charge.
What the fuck?!
Welcome to Heaven: 18
Hello, Rosie: 0
The Show Must Go On: 6 ("fuck" | “dick”)
Eh, you fucked one cannibal pool boy, you fucked 'em all.
Angel: You know, you could totally tap that.
Cherri Bomb: Tss, don't be gross.
Angel: Cuz, you know, I hear he's got two dicks.
Fuck!
That crazy motherfucker.
Fuck... You did good, buddy.
Husk: ~36
Overture: 3 ("fuck" | "bitch" | "shit")
Why do you think I'm here? You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fucks bitch and moan if he wasn't forcing me?
I ain't no actor! I can't memorize this shit!
Radio Killed the Video Star: 0
Scrambled Eggs: 3 ("fuck" | dick")
So, uh, what's with the whole, uhh, this? *gestures to the stage behind Charlie and Vaggie* I'm not about to put on some show for these fucking chumps.
I swear to fuck if you say dicks-!
Masquerade: ~22
(same with Angel, swears the most and swears within a single sentence, and I made the mistake of counting back-to-back for both characters. however last I checked, Husk swears roughly 22 times within the episode)
Dad Beat Dad: 2 ("bitch" | “fuck”)
You and I both know Mimzy only shows up when she needs somethin'. That bitch is trouble, and who knows what kind of demon she fucked with to come running to you this time?
Welcome to Heaven: 2 ("fuck")
I ain't the one trying to get into Heaven. Look, you want to fuck up all your progress? Be my guest.
Angel Dust: You ain't a mess, it's fine...! Shh... Hey, you wanna play with the kitty?
Niffty: *stops crying* yeah... [Angel puts Niffty on Husk's head.]
Husk: The fuck is this?
Hello, Rosie: 2 ("shit" | "fuck")
I got one. How come every time Charlie talks to Heaven, we get in deeper and deeper shit?
Uh- are you fuckin' high?
The Show Must Go On: 1 ("fuck")
These fucking angels won't stop coming!
Sir Pentious: 5
Overture: N/A
Radio Killed the Video Star: *1
(*he does call Angel a whore, but "whore" isn't exactly a swear.
Scrambled Eggs: 1 ("dammit")
I... don't want to live without my minions. Nobody catch me! *falls backwards* Damnit!
Masquerade: N/A
Dad Beat Dad: 0
Welcome to Heaven: 1 ("dammit")
Is Cherri still here? [Cherri walks into the sex room with another demon.] Dammit!
Hello, Rosie: 2 ("shit" | "pussies")
What? They say insane shit all the time! How was I supposed to know this one was true?
What? Do you think we're a bunch of pusssssies?
The Show Must Go On: 0
Niffty: 0
(I find it so funny that Niffty doesn't swear at all)
Alastor: 4
Overture: 0
Radio Killed the Video Star: 0
Scrambled Eggs: 0
Masquerade: N/A
Dad Beat Dad: 1 ("fuck")
HA HA! Fuck you.
Welcome to Heaven: N/A
Hello, Rosie: 1 ("bitch")
Ornery old bitch?
The Show Must Go On: 2 ("fuck")
I’m about to end your fucking life!
What just happened? …Fuck.
Lucifer: 4
(Lucifer really likes to say "bitch" for some reason same)
Overture: N/A
Radio Killed the Video Star: N/A
Scrambled Eggs: N/A
Masquerade: N/A
Dad Beat Dad: 1 ("bitch")
Daughter? Daughter calling, daughter, daughter calling! OH! Uhm-uh. Hello, Charlie. H-Hey, heyy, hey Char-Char. No! No. That's not good. Oh, this is the first time she's called you in years. This has to be perfect. [takes a deep breath before he picks up the phone] Heeyyy, bitch!
Welcome to Heaven: N/A
Hello, Rosie: N/A
The Show Must Go On: 3 ("bitch" | "fuck")
Oh, I'm the only one that matters. See, you messed with my daughter, and now, I am going to FUCK you!
It's admittedly my Sir Pentious-fixated brain talking, but he does swear once more in Radio Killed the Video Star. It's right after he snatches a piece of Alastor's coat, but right before he's sent flying.
