C.H.E.R.U.B (episode)

"Oh, Lord! I’m being haunted by ugly orphaned children now."

- Lyle Lipton, upon seeing C.H.E.R.U.B.

C.H.E.R.U.B is the fourth episode of the first season of Helluva Boss. It premiered on March 14, 2021, on Vivziepop's YouTube channel.

Synopis
When Cherubs and Imps clash over the life of a shitty old man, things sure do happen.

Plot
The episode opens with a advert from Heaven, showing the Pearly Gates opening as Cletus introduces himself and his group, C.H.E.R.U.B, to the viewer. The C.H.E.R.U.B Jingle plays as a montage of people being killed or accidentally dying is shown, before it shows those people being saved by C.H.E.R.U.B. As the song reaches it chorus, it zooms out showing the I.M.P meeting room, where Blitzo has been watching it. Blitzo shoots the TV, which Millie compliments him for as Moxxie replaces it, and Blitzo asks Moxxie to switch the channels. Moxxie switches between 666 News, a Betty Boop cartoon, before finding another ad, this time for Wally Wackford's Wacky Idea Factory which Blitzo asks him to stop on. After watching the ad for a few seconds, Blitzo shoots the TV, and as Millie compliments him as being on a roll, a hellshake wakes Loona, who asks if they felt it.

Blitzo complains about the hellshake, as Millie and Loona tell a calm Moxxie to stop panicking, as he asks how a hellquake is even possible. Loona then throws him into the wall, as a demon bursts through it. It tells them not to be afraid, before Blitzo asks if it has that insurance thing, and Millie brandishes a axe and asks who it is and what it wants. Loopty Goopty introduces himself as a inventor. Loona asks him why he didn't use the door, and he tells her that he's eccentric and has to do eccentric things, before Blitzo notices he reeks of the living world.

Loopty tells him that he had just died mere moments ago, and as such he wants to hire I.M.P's services, holding out a photo of his prospective target. Blitzo takes it, saying he can respect someone who has only been in Hell a few minutes and is already plotting revenge, introducing himself to Loopty and asking for more details. Moxxie, who is still trapped beneath the wall Loopty destroyed entering the building, asks for help, but Blitzo ignores him to focus on Loopty. Loopty tells Blitzo that the target was his business partner, and that when he was younger they ran a robotics company together. They both were testing a device that was meant to de-age people, but they accidentally set it to age them forwards. Loopty died of old age in the machine, but his partner Lyle Lipton managed to survive.

Loopty now wants Lyle dead so that he can't benefit from their shared company alone, and potentially become the world's fourth trillionaire. As Moxxie begins blacking out beneath the rubble, Blitzo points out to Loopty that if they do kill Lyle, and he goes to Hell, then he will be there with Loopty for eternity. Several torture devices spring from Loopty's suit as he states that he's counting on it, which Moxxie says is kind of hot.

It then cuts to the living world, outside Lyle's mansion, as Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie are riding a tour bus in human costumes, as the tour guide mentions the house to the tour group. Drawing weapons, the trio hop off the bus and rush towards the house, as the tour guide says that they're going to see three tacky stalkers commit a murder, and how this happens all the time. The imps reach the house, and see Lyle in bed, connected to a machine kissing a photo of his one true love (a free stock image of $100 bills). Mourning the loss of his body and unwilling to live as a infirm old man, Lyle decides to commit suicide, knotting his IV line into a noose, as Moxxie asks if they should go in and tie it for him. As Lyle puts the noose around his neck a burst of divine light radiates from it, and C.H.E.R.U.B descends from Heaven.

The light pushes Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie away from the house, and the Cherubs introduce themselves to Lyle. Moxxie, remembering the ad they had watched earlier, tells Blitzo what they're dealing with. The Cherubs tell Lyle, who is convinced he's being haunted by ghost orphans, that all the people his technology saved that made it to Heaven sent them to protect him. Blitzo crashes through the window, as Moxxie and Millie use the door, and attempt to convince him to go through with the suicide, asking him what he can do with his money now he's old.

The Cherubs asks if that's a serious question, as he can commit his fortune to philanthropy, which Lyle disagrees with, asking the Cherubs why they won't let him die. Blitzo tells Lyle they can help with that, asking Moxxie what they brought. Moxxie empties his coat of weapons, including several rifles, shotguns, and a chainsaw, tossing both Blitzo and Lyle rifles. The Cherubs say Lyle is classier than that, taking the rifle off him as he tries to shoot himself, and has plenty of reasons to keep living.

Millie disagrees, saying it smells like he hasn't been out of bed in months, before leaning in for a better smell which causes her to vomit. The Cherubs tell him life can be beautiful at any age, and that they'll show him, to the disappointment of Lyle and I.M.P. The Cherubs take Lyle to a hill overlooking a forest, telling him that if he kills himself he'll miss out on all of nature's beauty. Blitzo, who like the rest of I.M.P is now in a animal costume, insults the Cherubs, and tells Lyle that nature isn't that beautiful, showing him a group of rabbits and squirrels being attacked by wolves through a pair of binoculars. As a bear attacks the wolves, the Cherubs ask Lyle to stop looking, but he tells them he can't and that he has never wanted to die more than he does now.

The Cherubs then take Lyle to a shopping mall at Christmas, where a large crowd of children is gathered around a mall Santa, intending to show him the joy of childhood wonderment. Lyle calls the children disease ridden vermin, but finds them inspiring, and he thanks the Cherubs for showing this to him. Blitzo then calls out to Lyle, before ruining Christmas for the children by ripping the suit off the mall Santa, revealing a dirty, creepy man that scares away all of the children. It then cuts to a lovers lookout, which Lyle complains reeks of teenagers, as the Cherubs say they want to remind him of life's greatest joy. Lyle asks them if it's money, but the Cherubs tell him it's love. Lyle says he has never been in love before, but he imagines its quite nice.

The Cherubs tell him it's not to late to find love, but Blitzo cuts them off, using a megaphone to ask if anyone would want to sleep with Lyle, causing everyone to leave. The Cherubs then confront I.M.P calling them cruel, saying that they're trying to give hope to someone in need, and Moxxie responds by asking if they're so superior to them just because they want a greedy authoritarian capitalist to die, which Blitzo says is making things too real, spraying Moxxie from a bottle marked "Piss".

At a opera, the Cherubs try to show Lyle the wonders of art and music, and above the stage Millie asks how they're going to make this look bad, when Moxxie says they can't, because there's nothing bad about opera. Blitzo says they should ruin it somehow, and grabs a spotlight and begins shifting it around the stage, causing the opera singer to run around trying to stay in the light. Lyle comments that the singer isn't very good, when Blitzo's frantic moving of the spotlight causes it to break, and fall onto the opera singer.

This causes the Cherubs to snap, and they all leave Lyle alone to confront the imps. Aiming magical crossbows at them, the Cherubs ask why they won't let them do their jobs, and Moxxie asks why they won't let them do theirs. The Cherubs say they're saving Lyle whether he wants it or not, and Blitzo tells them someone wants him dead, and they paid in advance, and because he already spent the money on a jewel encrusted horse statuette, Lyle's got to go. The Cherubs berate the imps, calling them disgusting and Hell nothing but dirt shitty dead people tread on, and that now they're trying to meddle with the living.

Millie angrily points out so are they, and insults the Cherubs, causing a fight to break out. As one of the Cherubs grapples Millie off the scaffolding above the stage, Blitzo and Moxxie run away from the other Cherubs. Moxxie dives off the scaffolding, grabbing a rope and swinging out over the stage, shooting a sandbag so it falls onto the cherub fighting Millie and then catching her. Millie and Moxxie then begin spinning around the stage, shooting wildly as they passionately kiss, which causes Lyle to come to a realization.

Having two groups of other worldly beings fighting over him makes Lyle realize he only has one life, and if they're fighting over it then it's surely one worth living. He also realizes since he's rich, he can buy all the things C.H.E.R.U.B tried to show him. The fight between Blitzo and Cletus then causes part of the scaffolding to fall onto the stage, which launches a piano into the air that kills Lyle. Moxxie points out the Cherubs did their job for them, and Cletus tells them this isn't over as the Cherubs attempt to return to Heaven. However, they are confused when they are mysteriously repelled out. Another portal opens, and a group of Cherubs tell them they are blocked from returning, as their actions caused the death of a human, and there isn't anything they can do to be forgiven. C.H.E.R.U.B attempts to blame I.M.P, but they've already left the theatre.

As the second group of Cherubs return to Heaven, C.H.E.R.U.B breaks down crying and it cuts to the I.M.P meeting room. Blitzo tells them that they failed, as because the Cherubs killed him Lyle is probably in Heaven, and they have to figure out how to break the news to Loopty. Moxxie asks how Blitzo plans to do it, and as he looks out through the hole Loopty made entering their office he tells him that he sent a text, figuring it'll make him less angry. Loopty then enters the meeting room, breaking through the wall again and narrowly missing Moxxie who scrambles to the other end of the room. Blitzo begins apologizing to him for failing, when the wall breaks a second time, crushing Moxxie, and Lyle enters the room.

Lyle explains his actions meant he was going to Hell anyway, and Loopty reveals the two have reconciled. As Lyle asks what two expert robotic inventor's are going to do in Hell, Wally Wackford breaks through the ceiling, asking if he heard someone say inventor's. Blitzo asks everyone to stop breaking the walls, because Moxxie's going to have to fix them, before it cuts to him beneath a pile of rubble frothing at the mouth. Blitzo complains about the day he's had, causing Wackford to make a bad joke, which angers Blitzo enough to tell everyone to get the fuck out of his office.

Characters

 * Blitzo
 * Moxxie
 * Millie
 * Loona
 * Wally Wackford
 * Lyle Lipton (debut)
 * Loopty Goopty (debut)
 * Cherubs (debut)
 * C.H.E.R.U.B
 * Cletus
 * Collin
 * Keenie
 * Deerie
 * Rachel (non-speaking cameo)
 * Bea (non-speaking cameo)
 * Beau (non-speaking cameo)
 * Honey (non-speaking cameo)
 * Verosika Mayday (drawing only)
 * Robo Fizz (drawing only)
 * Barbie Wire (pictured)
 * God (mentioned)

Locations

 * Heaven (debut)
 * Cherub Towne
 * Hell
 * Pride Ring
 * Imp City
 * Earth
 * Lyle-Lipton Robotics Industry (debut)
 * Lipton Mansion (debut)
 * Unnamed theater (debut)

Songs

 * C.H.E.R.U.B Jingle

Transcript
View the episode's transcript here.

Trivia

 * This episode is shown to take place sometime in December, as evident by the Mall Santa and the flyer by the wall advertising a Christmas Sale at 25% off.
 * A running gag in this episode is that Moxxie keeps getting crushed by debris.
 * This is the first time Heaven is fully shown in the Hazbin Hotel universe.
 * The episode is dedicated in loving memory of Adriana Margarita Rodriguez Hernandez, the mother of animator Adolfo Rodriguez, whom worked on this episode.
 * According to FX animator, Andrew Statler, the reason for the captions blocking the faces of the suicidal victims as well as their blood splatters being censored in the "C.H.E.R.U.B Jingle" musical sequence was due to YouTube's restrictions on blood and gore violence.
 * Lyle Lipton's demonic teeth resemble piano keys, a reference to the piano that killed him. This further supports the idea that a sinner’s demon form is partially inspired by what caused their death.
 * It is revealed that sinners have a different smell from Hellborn Demons, as Blitzo was able to figure out that Loopty had just been sent to Hell recently judging by his scent.
 * Just like the previous episode, this has scenes shown in the trailer for season 1, to which some shots were improved.
 * For some unknown reason, one of Heaven’s channels can be viewed on televisions in Hell.

Cultural References

 * In the "C.H.E.R.U.B Jingle" musical sequence, one of the humans is run over by a train that resembles from Thomas & Friends.
 * A poster of Gerbert and a stuffed Nanalan doll can be shown in the "C.H.E.R.U.B" song when Collin is doing paperwork. This is an in-direct reference to his voice actor, Jayden Libran's, puppeteer career.
 * ‌Near the start of the episode as Moxxie is switching through TV channels, one of the channels has a character that appears to be a demonized version of.
 * Blitzo's disguise when they arrive at the mansion resembles his voice actor, Brandon Rogers' Bla Bla the Clown character from his YouTube channel.
 * One of the paintings in Lyle's manor is based on Salvador Dali's .
 * Moxxie advising Lyle to continue on with killing himself by telling him to go "commit die" is a reference to the popular Roblox meme.
 * The katana that Moxxie lends to Blitzo is Leonardo's ōdachi from .
 * A plush of Jack from Zoophobia appears next to the shopping mall Santa.
 * One of the kids at the mall was wearing a "Craft Mine" shirt, a spoof of the game .
 * The boy sitting on the Mall Santa's lap is wearing a shirt with Pikachu from  on it.
 * During the shopping mall scene, Moxxie is seen wearing a costume.
 * When the mall Santa has his costume ripped off, the sound he makes is a reference to the "you've been gnomed" internet meme.
 * The shirt the Mall Santa was wearing underneath is labeled #CUTIES, a reference to the heavily criticized Netflix live-action film of the same name.
 * The cat-themed outfits for the I.M.P. gang may be a reference to the Broadway musical .
 * The opera scene between I.M.P. and .C.H.E.R.U.B was influenced by the shorts "What's Opera, Doc?" and "Rhapsody Rabbit".
 * Both Loopty and Lyle bear some resemblance to, the main antagonist of the  video game series. Both are hammy, villainous inventors and pollutive industrialists with large mustaches who wear decorative uniforms and eyeglasses that conceal their eyes.
 * After his death, Lyle Lipton's demon form resembles the same body shape of the character Bigweld from the Blue Sky animated film .

Continuity

 * The doctor and the nurse from the pilot appear on a billboard in the car crash at the beginning.
 * Blitzo references the pilot episode, mentioning his unfamiliarity with insurance after Loopty Goopty breaks into the office.
 * While the Cherubs are showing Lyle Lipton the shopping mall's Santa, one of the students from Mrs. Mayberry's old class is seen in the crowd of children.
 * Drawings referencing previous episodes are seen shown on the whiteboard in the meeting room.
 * Robo Fizz getting devoured by the dragon during the climax of "Loo Loo Land".
 * Verosika Mayday in a different parking space after the events of Spring Broken.
 * This is the second episode wherein Stolas is not present in any shape or form.
 * The gang have traveled to Earth with a handful of costume changes after being told off by Loona about it in the previous episode.
 * The costumes consist of normal wigs and clothing and not via shapeshifting, which still begs the question if they are physically incapable of doing so or merely did not bother.

Errors

 * When Loopty Goopty arrives to I.M.P., in the next scene the white mark from Blitzo's face in the circus portrait with "The Amazing Imp Twins" is gone.
 * When Cletus tells Lyle to look around the forest, the IV is drawn to look like part of it goes under his bed. Additionally, the IV moves alongside his bed without any of the Cherubs pushing it.
 * When the Cherubs confront the Imps after they ruin the opera, Millie is missing her gloves in one shot, while regaining them in the next.
 * The fight music that involved the piano kept playing even after the pianist stopped playing, as shown during the scene wherein Lyle declares he does not wish to kill himself any longer.
 * Additionally, the pianist was not animated during this entire scene.
 * The audio for Deerie telling Keenie "No" (regarding C.H.E.R.U.B. no longer having any access to Heaven) was not recorded.
 * The color palette of Cletus's wings change throughout the scene wherein C.H.E.R.U.B. is confronted by Deerie and her co-workers. It starts off missing the purple coloring it normally has, to his wings becoming fully purple, and back to his wings having the normal white and purple color scheme.
 * When Deerie heads back into the portal to Heaven, Cletus's halo is missing, but then it reappears in the next shot.
 * The back of Loona's phone is missing its cover when Lyle enters I.M.P.'s office.
 * Blitzo’s horns does not align with the rest of his face like it normally does throughout the scene wherein he is wearing his drag outfit.

Gallery

 * C.H.E.R.U.B/Gallery