Update #2
This goes without saying, but massive spoilers ahead for season 1. If you somehow haven't watched all 8 episodes yet, I strongly encourage you to read no further until you do.
On February 2nd the final episodes of season 1 dropped on prime, and let me say, the first season was phenomenal! While not without it's share of faults, episode count and consequent pacing being the most prominent, I absolutely adore the series! The season just kept getting better and better, I was absolutely right to pick this as my favorite show! However with the massive amount of new lore revealed in the official series, and as I am endeavoring to make this series as canonically accurate as possible, with a few exceptions, this has many implications for this and the eventual future works in this series.
I was surprised by the direction the show went in season 1, but this was always going to happen. After all before the premiere the show was one pilot episode, a few comics, and lore drops from various live streams. In the immediate aftermath of the finale's release I was reeling with how to incorporate the new plot into this narrative, and to an extent I still am.
I am beginning to formulate how I will weave these two stories together, however the final plot will look very different from the official series. Along with the inclusion of my original character, I will continue with certain deviations from the canon lore that I had planned from this story's inception. However at the same time I will be making every effort to introduce as many canon plot points as possible, in more or less the right places.
That being said, there are plenty of areas that will deviate from the official canon simply because I started writing this piece before the series officially began. I will outline all I can think of here, as well as provide some commentary I feel is relevant. First generally and then for individual characters.
General;
There is no heavenly embassy, either in pride or elsewhere. I am sorry I cannot include this, but I cannot for the life of me think of how to write such a large plot element in. Not without it feeling lazy or tacked on.
Consequently The events of episode 1 will not happen. Before the series proper I imagined there was very little direct contact between heaven and hell outside of the exterminations and strictly necessary communications. For the proposes of this story that remains true, at least for now.
I am officially retconning one piece of lore I set out in previous chapters. While Vox undoubtedly has the largest tech monopoly in the pride ring, he does not make absolutely every piece of tech in pride. In that vein, I am changing the lore of this story so that there are a few other tech manufacturers in pride, either owned by other overlords, or vicious businessmen who managed to survive Vox's rise to power. Additionally there is nothing to say that tech, like other goods, can't be imported up from the other rings. Namely greed. I hate retconning unless I absolutely have to, but I feel this change is necessary.
Vaggie;
For obvious reasons, this is the character I have the most to say about. Starting with the elephant in the room, Vaggie is an angel and a former exorcist. This point has long been theorized by fans, but I myself had hoped it wasn't true. But with the revelation that this is indeed the case I have been forced to rewrite her backstory.
The backstory I have in mind for Vaggie is actually something I'm really pleased with. Without giving anything away I personally think it to be thought out and pretty interesting. Though it does go to some very dark places, this is one point of the story I'm actually very happy with. I am also happy to say that I was able to rewrite her backstory to be very compliant with current lore, of course this is subject to change as we learn more about the characters in seasons 2 and 3. Needless to say however, the events that happened the night she fell play out a bit differently than in canon, and I'm really looking forward to writing those chapters.
It was reveled in episode 7 that our favorite moth was in a relationship with Charlie for three years, presumably starting out as friends for some time before that. I imagine her relationship with Angel Dust to have been going on for roughly the same amount of time, maybe a bit longer, though not by much. This is the reason I lean in so heavily with the romantic scenes between them, their relationship has been going on and developing for years at this point.
It is confirmed that her weapon is an angelic spear, and I am aware of the fact that my character Tafford was disallowed from having a dagger of the same material early in the book. You may see this as hypocritical, and you would be absolutely right. Unfortunately I believe this is one of the areas I have written myself into a corner. The spear is such a big part of her character that I don't feel I can change or get rid of it, even as she doesn't allow anyone else at the hotel to have exorcist weapons. This is a flaw I really didn't consider at the outset and one I hope my readers can forgive me for.
Apparently Vagatha isn't her name. This little detail was tacked on during episode 8 but, in any case, it is far too late to alter now.
Nifty;
Holy shit was I wrong about her personality. I always knew she was a little unhinged, but I never figured she would be completely and utterly insane. I'm not sure how much I can course correct with this as the story progresses, especially as we get into the second book and on in the series. While I hesitate to call her evil, she is, without a doubt, eight flavors of batshit crazy.
Charlie;
Not much to say here really. Although I may have made an error or two here and there, principally her last name which I can hardly change now, overall I think I got her personality down fairly well.
Alastor;
I grossly underestimated his ambitions and goals. I will admit the eventual betrayal I originally had planned for him was very weak, but fortunately this is an issue that was caught in time to correct without too much difficulty.
I'm not sure how to handle the fact that he is under a deal himself. One popular theory, one I personally believe holds weight, is that he is under a soul deal with none other than Lilith. Whatever purpose such a deal would serve is pure speculation at this point, but I believe one of the most likely reasons would be to serve as her agent within hell. Given his lyrics at the end of episode 8, it is entirely possible this deal is restricting his full power.
I know the direction I eventually want his character to go in this, even if I don't exactly know how I'm going to get there yet. Some of you will like it, some of you probably won't.
Husk;
I never suspected he was an overlord. There were no indications in the pilot and he never seemed to use any of his power, or even demon abilities, before episode 4. Had I known of his powers I never would have had him use Tafford's shotgun in overlord's umbrage. In the future I will certainly have him use his powers, but I'm not sure how I can explain him borrowing a weapon in chapter 16.
Keekee;
I honestly wasn't expecting this one. Apparently Keekee has been around from the beginning, in the form of the key in Charlie's pocket. While I will be able to write her in pretty easily, how this happens will not be how she was created in canon.
Angel Dust;
I have never been able to get his personality exactly right. I have done my best thus far, but he has such a bombastic, spontaneous nature I struggle to capture it accurately. Not sure how much I can improve on this, though I will continue to try.
Turns out he can summon more than just his tommyguns. Something to keep in mind.
Lucifer;
I don't think anyone expected his character to be what it is. Like many others I always expected him to be very serious, aristocratic, commanding respect, and quick to dole out punishment if he didn't get it. A man who was not a good father, mostly by his own actions. Disappointed in his daughter despite still loving her. I have to give props to Vivzie on this one, she subverted this view masterfully. This is one point I am glad to say I was wrong on, and the story will be all the richer for it.
Lilith;
The biggest twist in the series thus far was the reveal that Lilith has been in heaven the whole time. Having apparently made some kind of deal with Lute, Adam, or one of the other higher ups of the celestial realm.
It is known that she was gone for seven years, the same amount of time as Alastor. As stated before I believe there is a very strong possibility that it was Lilith herself that made a deal with Alastor for whatever propose. Even if she didn't spend all of that time in heaven, she clearly has been there for a very significant period of time, I would say at least a few years.
As far as her inclusion in this story, right now, like so much of the new lore, I'm not really sure where to include her. After this goes up I will get together with my writing partner for a major brainstorming session to see where she would best fit in. I honestly didn't intend to include her at all before season 1 went up, but the fact that she will almost certainly be one of the major antagonists of season 2, and possibly 3, means I would be doing a disservice to my story, my readers, and myself if I did not take advantage of a character with so much potential.
There are lots of theories, and just as much speculation, going around about where the story will go from here after this twist, and while I will comment on if I believe the theories I hear hold weight or not, I prefer not to speculate myself and just wait for where the series takes us.
The Vees;
The three Vees are much more concerned with their image than I thought. Weather it be their brands or personal images there is much more emphasis on portraying themselves as perfect than I could've guessed.
Which means, the last few chapters were exactly what the Vee's wouldn't do. Damn it.
Sera/Emily/Heaven;
I had always planned to include heaven in a limited capacity in this narrative, but it was more short paragraphs emphasizing heaven's reaction to Tafford countering the exterminations. With hell's opposite now being explored, the lore expands, and with it Heaven's role in the story.
It was speculated that Emily was basically heaven's Charlie. I can now say, that was right on the money.
Sera will undoubtedly be a secondary antagonist in the series at some point, but not the ultimate big bad. In heaven or otherwise it is clear to me that while she is bad, she is far from the ultimate evil.
I actually see the story of the Night Sentinels mirrored in Sera's character. In defending her realm with everything she has, but never stopping to consider if what she is doing is right, or if there could be another way, she may end up damning herself, or heaven, to a fate similar to what befell Argent D'Nur.
The fact that no one really knows what gets a soul into heaven is clearly a carryover from the oldest iterations of Hazbin Hotel, back when it was still a plot arc from zoophobia.
I find it odd that even if no one really knows what gets a soul into heaven that not once over the centuries would anyone try to deduce the criteria for themselves. Is the divine plane really so intellectually bankrupt that not one being would seek to discern the limits of what behaviors lead to damnation? So much for having "the best and brightest".
Yes I am aware there would be a lot of fear over falling like Lucifer, especially among the heavenborn, but to my knowledge that has only happened once. And from Charlie's story in episode 1, it's apparent that big L was cast out at the judgment of some angelic council. Not by natural cosmic forces, not by god, but by the whims of the higher angels. What kind of paradise would kick you out for asking questions?
Roo;
The so called "root of all evil", or Roo, has long been speculated to be the ultimate big bad of the series. Given that we have only seen one glimpse of this character in the very first scene of episode one it is very likely that it is being saved for later seasons. Even more so than Lilith, I see big things for this character in the endgame, both in the official series and in this story. Don't count on seeing it in book one, but it's influence will have far reaching effects as the series progresses.
And that's pretty much it. I can be scatterbrained so there may be points I missed on this list. I'll list these as they come in author's notes, either at the end of individual chapters or at the end of chapter blocks.
My lack of progress on this work has proven to be a double edged sword. While I am sure the readers of this story are left unsatisfied by the infrequent updates, it now also allows me to adapt to the changing lore in ways I couldn't otherwise.
In the immediate future I will try to get the next two chapters out as soon as I can. As these already had a general outline planned out it shouldn't take too long. Aside from that I will probably try and make a road map for the rest of this book, both to keep myself on track, and make sure I include everything I want in this work.
Thank you all for reading despite the numerous flaws in my writing, and for bearing with me as I adapt to the changing lore.
Get ready for,
Chapter 19: Cherry bomb
and
Chapter 20: New Faces
