Season two of Amazon Prime’s smash hit adult animated series Hazbin Hotel is bringing more attention to the show’s major question: is redemption possible? It’s a topic that seems to go against current culture and its obsession with canceling people for large and small problems alike. 

At the end of season one, Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman) sacrificed himself to save Cherri Bomb (Krystina Alabado) and appeared in Heaven, redeemed. This gives Lucifer’s daughter and owner of the Hazbin Hotel, Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), hope that her plan to redeem sinners can work. However, in the second episode of season two, we see Sir Pentious in Heaven struggling to adapt to and be accepted in his new home. It’s a theme woven throughout the new episodes as several characters must face their cancelable pasts head-on in major ways.

Hazbin Hotel’s juxtaposition between its fame in cancel culture society and a plot based on redemption is not lost on the cast and creators. It’s an aspect they keep in mind as they bring the series to life.

“It’s something that matters a lot to me because, I feel like I don’t need to elaborate, I’m a woman on the internet and I have opinions, and there’s nothing worse than that,” said Vivienne Medrano, creator, writer, and producer of Hazbin Hotel. “I’ve seen the internet culture change and elements of people can’t get past someone’s mistakes, even mistakes they made as a teenager. And I’ve always thought it’s stupid and it is stupid, but it’s one of those things where turning and making a show that’s about characters that are flawed.”

There is still much to learn about the flaws that landed many of the sinners in this fictional version of hell. Season two gives more details on the history of some fan-favorite characters, and their voice actors say, they understand why fans in our current social temperature are drawn to the story.

“The reason people want to cancel is because we want there to be consequences for bad behavior,” said Amir Talai, voice of Alistor. “But, I think that everyone deep down knows that redemption is a more valuable and more rewarding but far more difficult path to take. When you see rich shitbags not being held to account for something, you go, well, I want that guy to get the death penalty for cutting me off in traffic.”

While research into cancel culture is ongoing, there are studies which back up Talai’s statement, saying those who feel harmed by someone’s words or actions then feel validated through participating in cancelation by raising awareness of the offense and marginalized group, while decreasing visibility of the offender. (“The symbolic meaning of transgressions: towards a unifying framework of justice restoration” in Justice by Okimoto and Wenzel). As to Hazbin Hotel, those who create the show want viewers to lean into the middle ground.

“We tell a very gray story,” said Blake Roman, who voices Angel Dust. “I think a story like this calls people in to recognize that nothing is cut and dry, and to try to employ some type of paradox mind where you can understand two things can be true at the same time. Somebody could have done a bad thing or saddest thing that made you feel a certain way. That does not mean that person doesn’t also have good aspects to their life or some good impacts. All these characters who are so fucked up and crazy and have done crazy shit, yet we love them for it. They’re complex. It mirrors us. We’re all complex, right?” 

Hazbin Hotel season two dives into the complexities of the grey space in human behavior.  Medrano says it’s important to her to show the reasons that lead people to making mistakes, as well as the love and faith Charlie pours into the sinners at her hotel. It’s a combination that’s made a personal impact on her, both through the show and real life.

“Making the show, it’s almost been a healing process,” Medrano said of her past and journey to finding community in Los Angeles. “I feel it very personally, but I feel very, very strongly that we need stories about redemption and about one mistake doesn’t define a person and it’s really important to like not just write people off for arbitrary things.”

Talai echoes Medrano’s point. “I think that’s what’s so appealing about the show is that you’ve got literally some of the worst of the worst and you’re going, is there a way for them to be redeemed? And if there is, maybe there’s a way for that guy who cut me off in traffic too.”