Reaching the conclusion of your favorite show can be a crushing experience. What are you supposed to do when you get to the end of all those episodes? Well, in the age of streaming, there’s more opportunity than ever for spin-offs, and some of the biggest hits on various platforms have other shows that fit neatly into the universe you’ve gotten yourself hooked on. “Hazbin Hotel” exploded onto Prime Video a few years ago, and it’s going to be a while still before season 2 hits the airwaves, but you can sink yourself into the beloved spin-off, “Helluva Boss,” in the meantime. In fact, there are two seasons ready to roll for you to stream at your leisure for absolutely free.
For those not familiar, “Hazbin Hotel” is a wildly-popular animated musical series created by Vivienne Medrano and tells the story of Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), the daughter of Hell’s king Lucifer (Jeremy Jordan) and, as such, the princess of Hell. While that’s probably enough responsibility for a young person, she also really wants to open a hotel where demons are rehabilitated and, in turn, stop the forces of Heaven from constantly coming down to start a war in Hell. Unfortunately for Charlie, the forces of Heaven are intent on coming down to Hell ahead of schedule and finishing the job. It’s grand fun that’s more risqué than a lot of the animated titles that fans lump it in with (specifically those that reside under the Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery umbrellas). Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg also contributed massive songs to the project and employed multiple musical styles, and the fans love it (as you can see from those wild view counts on YouTube).
In contrast, “Helluva Boss” centers on a group of demons doing their evil thing and just kind of wreaking havoc. Leading the way is Blitzo (Brandon Rogers), the head of a team of “Immediate Murder Professionals” who undertake various dangerous jobs and try to carry out assassinations with the help of a magic grimoire. Yes, this all sounds a bit loopy, but all those streams don’t lie: The people who have dipped their toes into “Helluva Boss” have enjoyed their time with “I.M.P.,” and watching this show is one of the best ways to keep the party rolling as you wait for “Hazbin Hotel” season 2.
Helluva Boss is the madcap musical spin-off you need to watch after Hazbin Hotel
“Helluva Boss” fans know the backstory of this unique series, but newcomers might want to learn more about the future of the show up-front, as there’s a bit of a catch with this spin-off. Yes, there are two whole seasons of “Helluva Boss” to stream on YouTube for free, and that’s just an amazing option for so many people out there who don’t want to fork over the money to Prime Video just to watch a story set in this universe. However, future installments of the show won’t be available in the same way. Instead, Deadline has reported the new seasons of “Helluva Boss” will premiere on Prime Video, with the platform getting a window of exclusivity.
If you’re simply after some more fun in the “Hellaverse,” then that doesn’t change anything for you at this moment; just be aware the futures of both “Helluva Boss” and “Hazbin Hotel” lie with Prime Video at the moment. The streamer has already given the spin-off series a season 3 and 4 renewal, so there’s no real danger of “Helluva Boss” falling by the wayside. On the other hand, there’s definitely going to be a FOMO-effect for the folks out there who wait to watch future seasons the way they please but want to avoid being spoiled on social media. (If you’re at all familiar with the workings of animation fans on YouTube, then you know that once new seasons hit the web in any country, you’re at risk of getting the entire thing spoiled before you even get to the first episode.)
Medrano also issued an official statement when the renewal was announced, which you can read below:
“I am so grateful to Prime Video for their continued support of our work on ‘Hazbin Hotel’ and for allowing our team at Spindlehorse to expand The Hellaverse by embracing ‘Helluva Boss.’ I’m so excited for what this means for the continued rise of Indie animation! It’s a dream come true to be able to tell these stories, and I truly can’t wait for you to see what we have planned!”
Helluva Boss extends the Hellaverse and offers some great animation for free on streaming
Over time, there have been more and more options for people to stream things for free on various services. The problem is, that means this current era of TV has come with the added task of sifting through an ocean of programming to find shows that you like. Fortunately, a spin-off series like “Helluva Boss” helps cut through that clutter because a lot of the folks that like it have already checked out “Hazbin Hotel” and that makes it more likely viewers will stick around. As an added bonus, the animated spin-off musical is a unique enough concept that you don’t have to worry about it not standing out amidst a crowded field of options vying for people’s attention on either their phone or a bigger screen.
That said, one assumes agreements like the one between Prime Video and Medrano aren’t going to be long for this world — or, at the least, they’ll soon become extremely rare and only afforded to shows that already have a massive fanbase primed for YouTube consumption — and that’s a sad thing to see. Still, if “Helluva Boss” ends up being a massive winner with this hybrid model on Prime Video, maybe we’ll see more unique animated projects make their way onto streamers this way, especially as animation as a medium continues to prove its doubters wrong at every turn. You might run out of episodes of your favorite show to stream, but there’s always going to be something interesting to fill that spot if you look hard enough.
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