What’s the deal with Alastor (Amir Talai), the long lost Radio Demon, and what’s Vox (Christian Borle) going to do about his taking up at the Hazbin Hotel? “Radio Killed the Video Star” was written by Adam Neylan & series creator Vivienne Medrano and directed by Medrano.
RELATED: Read our recap of Hazbin Hotel’s previous episode, “Overture”
At the titular Hazbin Hotel, Princess of Hell Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen) paces back and forth in the parlor. She recounts the previous episode’s revelation that Heaven’s next extermination will come in six months rather than a year. Keekee paces beside her before scampering away. Charlie’s partner Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz) assures Charlie they’ll handle it.
Lounging on the couch and scrolling on his cell phone, Angel Dust (Blake Roman) says Charlie had less than half a chance at the outset. His phone buzzes with notifications from Valentino (Joel Perez). Charlie says they just have to look a little harder for the solution. Angel says that while she’s looking, everyone else in Hell is freaking out. When Angel turns the phone to demonstrate this, Charlie sees part of a message involving a “donkey show.” Angel says his boss, Val, is just freaked out like everyone else.
Vaggie realizes that Angel is right: sinners are desperate. Perhaps desperate enough to come to the hotel. Angel asks if Charlie is really going to go out recruiting in the rioting and violence. Charlie says it isn’t like the sinners are going to come to them. Cue part of the wall exploding inward. Immediately outside is the flying machine of Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman).
“Radio Killed the Video Star”
From inside his machine, Pentious calls for Alastor to show himself. He and his six Egg Bois want a rematch. But Alastor claims he doesn’t remember Pentious. Niffty (Kimiko Glenn) identifies Pentious as a “bad boy” and becomes interested. Alastor continues to claim ignorance of Pentious as Pentious claims they’ve battled in excess of fifty times. Pentious declares he will defeat Alastor so as to be recognized by the Vs as their equal. Niffty asks who the Vs are. Alastor answers, “Oh, nobody important.”
Elsewhere in Hell, a tower emblazoned with a trio of Vs is surrounded by a crowd. The crowd is watching screens that advertise new Vox Designer Voyeur-Scopes. They subsequently swarm the store to buy the product. Elsewhere, a television broadcast of “Yeah I Fucked Your Sister, So What?” is sponsored by Vox Tech. People all over Hell sit hypnotically transfixed by Vox Tech broadcasts.
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“Now that’s good television,” asserts Vox in his control room. He’s contacted by Velvettete (Lilli Cooper). She tells Vox she needs him up there now. When Vox asks what’s wrong, Velvette says Vox’s “little boy-toy is wrecking her department” when she needs to get a show done. She terminates the call. Vox mutters under his breath about Val as he exits the control room. He’s confronted by a half dozen reporters.
The reporters ask his thoughts on the updated extermination date. Vox informs the media that Vox Tech Angelic Security is coming soon. When an assistant asks Vox when they began working on Angelic Security, Vox says, “thirty seconds ago.” He instructs the assistant to cancel all his appointments today, as he has a fire to put out.
Vox, Velvette and Val
Velvette passes unfavorable judgment on four outfits as Vox arrives in her department. Vox asks Velvette where Val is now. Velvette says Val’s in his room waiting for Vox to calm him down. Vox asks what’s got Val upset, and Velvette claims ignorance, but says he “tore up [her] best model.” Velvette turns to another model and cycles her through four outfits before settling on the fifth. She flips Vox off as he heads off to find Val.
Vox arrives at Val’s room. Inside, Val is smoking to excess and immediately throwing glasses of liquor. Val calls Angel a “fucking whore” and asks if Vox can believe what Angel did this time. Val says Angel walked out on him. Vox asks if Angel quit. Val clarifies that Angel moved. But Val is angry that Angel wants to work for him while living elsewhere. He lets slip that Angel has moved into the Hazbin Hotel.
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Val continues to grumble as he pulls a pair of decorated pistols out of his closet. He asks Vox which one makes him look sexier. Vox says that Val isn’t going over there. To his pistol, Val declares he’s going to “fuck everyone in that rancid shithole.” Vox’s voice turns sharp as he finally seizes Val’s attention.
Vox says that the Vs brand is “perfection.” He asks what people will think if they see Val chasing whores around town. Val concedes he doesn’t want people thinking he can’t control his employees. Plus, since Angel is still under contract with Val, he isn’t going anywhere. Vox coaxes Val into saying the best thing to do is nothing. Val says he wanted to shoot someone, so Vox offers to call up the month’s lowest earners.
Hazbin Hotel’s Other Resident
Val is calmed regarding Angel. He asks Vox if he knows who else is staying at the Hazbin Hotel. When Val reveals its the Radio Demon, Vox is enraged. Vox demands to know why Alastor returning and moving in with Charlie wasn’t the first thing Val told him. Val says killing Alastor is Vox’s kink before turning on a closed circuit feed showing the front of the Hazbin.
Back at the hotel, Alastor has defeated Pentious. One of the Egg Bois is smashed in the process. Alastor thanks Pentious for another forgettable battle. Pentious thanks Alastor for letting his guard down before grabbing at his jacket. However, the corner of the jacket tears away. “Oh shit,” Pentious says before being blown sky-high by Alastor’s audio feedback-accompanied final blow.
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Alastor says he needs a visit to the tailor and turns to leave. But Vaggie and Angel say they need his help fixing the wall first. Alastor summons some shadow demon workers from the ground. Angel immediately begins hitting on one of the summoned.
Back at V Tower, Val seethes over Angel’s flirting. Meanwhile, Vox seethes over Alastor’s return. Val agrees that he also thought Alastor was gone for good. Vox states it’s been seven years. Val asks if Vox is still pissed over the time Alastor beat him. Vox obviously is. He says things have changed since Alastor’s been gone. Vox vows to send a message and let Alastor know who is in charge now.
Wish You’d Stayed Gone
Vox begins to sing. He sings that he’s going to make Alastor wish he’d stayed gone. Vox begins broadcasting. He begins an all-fronts slander campaign against Alastor. Calling Alastor a has-been and a loser, Vox declares Alastor should have stayed gone. He continues that while Alastor hid in radio, video usurped the medium. He emphasizes that viewers shouldn’t listen to anything Alastor has to say.
However, Alastor begins his own counter-broadcast, drawing the attention of a crowd that had previously been watching Vox screens. Alastor begins mocking Vox’s media empire. He further observes that Vox would be powerless without Val and Velvette. Finally, Alastor reveals that Vox asked him to join his team. Vox is just sore that Alastor turned him down.
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Vox grows more angry still, plugging cords into his screen-head. Alastor teases that the “TV is buffering.” Vox overloads and shuts down, losing his signal. Alastor takes control of the song. Antlers sprout from his head as he sings that he’s going to make them wish that he’d stayed gone. He sings that when he’s done, the status quo will be overturned. As he cuts the signal, he declares that it will be fun.
Alone in his tower, Vox howls, “Fuck.”
V Meeting
Val and Velvette join Vox around a table. Vox states that they have a problem: Alastor getting close to Charlie. He says their main concern is ensuring no deal is struck between Alastor and Charlie. Velvette asks how they’re supposed to do that as she scrolls on her phone. As he glues diamonds to a pistol, Val suggests putting something inside them, as he does with his “bitches.” Vox says that someone on the inside might not be such a bad idea. But when Vox suggests Angel, Val says, “The lanky prick won’t even return my calls.” Velvette says they need someone pathetic and desperate, but without any direct tie to them. Vox has an idea.
At the hotel, Charlie dejectedly collapses on the parlor couch. Vaggie tells Angel that they didn’t get a single new recruit. Angel asks, “Who would want to spend their final days not fucking and fighting?” Cue Pentious knocking at the door. He claims he comes in peace. Charlie gasps at his return. Pentious says he heard Charlie is helping people who want to be better.
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Charlie immediately begins showing Pentious inside. But Angel asks if she’s nuts. He says Pentious was trying to kill them six hours earlier. Charlie says the Hazbin Hotel is about second chances, and Pentious deserves one. Vaggie concedes that he isn’t much a threat without (or with) the war machine. Charlie welcomes Pentious inside.
Charlie shows Pentious the bar and bartender, Husk (Keith David). Other sights include the rebuilt wall from Pentious’ attack. When Charlie calls Pentious their first guest, Angel asks what about him. Charlie clarifies that it’s just nice to have someone interested for once. Angel looks dejected.
Hazbin Hotel’s New Resident
Next on the tour is Niffty, who is playing with KeeKee. Niffty is excited about the return of the “bad boy.” Charlie says they’re 80% sure Niffty’s harmless. That’s when Alastor arrives. Charlie says Alastor has met Pentious. Now that Pentious has ruined Alastor’s coat, Alastor definitely remembers Pentious. Charlie tells Pentious to admit he was wrong when he attacked Alastor. Alastor accepts the returned scrap of coat fabric, which promptly ignites in green flame.
In the parlor, Charlie leads an “introduction game” that involves chanting and clapping. After demonstrating the format, Pentious follows suit. However, Angel refuses to participate. Vaggie mockingly tells him to get used to it. Later, Angel and Pentious perform a ridiculous morality play scripted by Charlie. The play involves a dealer (Angel) attempting to sell drugs to a child (Pentious). But the child rejects the offer and leaves to not have sex.
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Charlie applauds the performance. She says Pentious will be redeemed in no time. Angel excuses himself and heads up to his room. He enters and throws his jacket on Fat Nuggets, his pet demon pig. Angel checks his messages. These are all from Val, and alternate between messages sweetly asking Angel to return and screaming, threatening messages. A final message mocks Angel for trying to change, since “addict trash like [Angel] doesn’t change.” These words are accompanied by the swirling red smoke that surrounded Val in the hotel room earlier.
Angel leaves the phone and Fat Nuggets on the bed, leaving the room. He heads to the bar and begins drinking straight from a bottle. But then he spots a shadow. He follows this to find Pentious hiding a camera on a bookshelf.
It Starts with Sorry
Angel confronts Pentious, accusing him of working for the Vs. The pair promptly fall to blows. Pentious momentarily hypnotizes Angel, but Angel shakes it off. Charlie and Vaggie arrive and ask what’s going on. Angel declares Pentious has betrayed them. Pentious pleads innocence. However, Angel cites the camera, which immediately destroys Pentious’ innocent facade. Pentious uses a wrist communicator to call for extraction. Vox mocks him for being caught so soon. He tells Pentious that if Charlie and company don’t kill him, he should just kill himself.
Pentious asks Charlie to make it quick. But Charlie offers her hand to Pentious. She begins to sing, “It starts with sorry.” Pentious sings that he’s a dirtbag who doesn’t deserve redemption. Vaggie and Angel sing that they have no problem killing Pentious for his misdeeds. Charlie sings that while that’s an option, everyone has been in his shoes.
RELATED: Catch up with all of our Hazbin Hotel recaps here!
Soon, Charlie is coaching Pentious through an apology. As the song concludes, Niffty appears and declares that she hated the song. She asks Pentious why he’s so lame and stomps on his tail, stating he is not a bad boy. Charlie says it’s been a good first day and now they should get some rest. They turn off the lights as they leave.
Alastor enters the empty room, picking up the discarded communicator. When Vox answers, Alastor addresses him as “old pal” and tells him that he’ll have to try harder than that next time. As he crushes the device, Vox howls in pain, frustration or both.
The first four episodes of Hazbin Hotel are currently available for streaming on Prime Video. Plus, two new episodes will debut on each of the next two Fridays.
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