Currently I have this song from the show playing on repeat in my head, because I was informed by the internet that the clown sisters are also clown fish…that is so clever. It is also a great song, though the song after it blows it out of the water, like, everyone whose worked for a bad boss understands this song.
This show, is so well done, and I have found myself very much invested in the story. Like I am ACE, but it’s the romantic ACE. So, the love story in this has torn at my heart strings. Which, this episode really did. I honestly think it is why I had insomnia last night. I found it very hard to fall asleep, the episode really hit me hard.
On that note, everything past this point will be heavy, heavy spoilers for the episode. Like I am going to discuss characters and from my point of view why everything imploded.
So, we have Stolas and Blitzo. Through the first two seasons the show has delved into their pasts. Stolas was isolated, and forced to marry an abusive woman to produce an heir to his royal family. Blitzo accidently set fire to his family circus and killed his mother. There is more to it that that, but those are the highlights. Blitzo is also and Imp, and the lowest rank, and thus the poorest of the demons.
Building up to this episode we have seen that Stolis has started to realize that he has been abusing the relationship with Blitzo. He is the only way for Blitzo to go to Earth, which he holds over him, for sexual favors. This is something that all of the upper demons do, to different degrees to lesser demons. They use lesser demons as items or possessions. And while Stolis is not seeing Blitzo as that, he is still treating him as that. There has already been an episode that slapped Stolis in the face with that realization. So, to rectify that, he gets a crystal which will allow Blitzo to travel to the Earth without him. Which, looking at it as an abusive one-sided relationship, Stolis is trying to do a big grand jester to fix the relationship.
Now, Blitzo is jaded, he has had multiple relationships that don’t work. He has resorted to drugs and partying to fill the void the loss of his mother caused. The upper royal demons have abused him. He does care about Stolis, and like Stolis we’ve seen that in other episodes. However, he has a lot of wall up, and when they start to break he reverts to jokes and sex. That is where he is comfortable. Because it allows him to maintain the distance.
These are two broken individuals. And this episode showcased a very messy break up. One where both made mistakes, but after talking with my roommate/writing colleague, we realize that it’s actually Stolis that made the biggest mistakes. He realized the power imbalance, he was the one abusing the relationship by treating Blitzo as a sex object, and making Blitzo feel like he didn’t care for him. Granted he did try, but Blitzo wasn’t emotionally secure or ready, so pushing it. Forcing an ultimatum. Caused a primal angry response. One which Stolis, because he was upset, didn’t listen to. Blitzo basically said that it wasn’t fair that he wasn’t given time, that Royal demons treated them like objects, that they played with their emotions. Everything that Stolis knew he had been doing. But he was upset that Blitzo couldn’t believe that he wanted to change their relationship.
Blitzo responds to deep emotions with innuendos, jokes, and sex. It’s a defense mechanism. That means Stolis’ behavior up to that point hadn’t inspired him to feel safe, and allow him to open up. Which, with other characters, Blitzo has started to do. We are seeing him heal from his wounds. You cannot just force a change, no matter how much you want, especially not with a grand gesture meant to fix everything.
I don’t know, there are others who are going to do this better, but I had to get this out. It was circulating in my head. Just that ending, was just abrupt, it wasn’t bittersweet or heartbreaking. It just ended with no resolution. And relationships are like that, but man is that going to make me think about it for a while.
*Also disclaimer, yes this is animated, but no, this is not for kids.*
Matthew William Lindquist 