#crowley s2 hair project

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #4 Redone

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 1, The Arrival, The Perfect Entrance Trick

The entrance is part of the coffee shop scene, but it is so special, I am giving it its own post.

Sideburns Check

This show has treated us to something. Crowley does a full spin so that we can get a really good look at the hair from multiple angles. It's not that close up but still good. Thank you show and Crowley!

The sideburns are short. They are the intended shortness after driving. In turn, they are the shortest they have been up to this point in the present day storyline.

Short sideburns happen around human spaces most of the time, at this point in the story.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

It's easy to think the brighter red streak is not there because of its position. The above image is brightened and more saturated with white rectangles to indicate where I see the streak.

I often find the streak above the center of his left eye and going up from his forehead. Here, the streak actually starts from his part on the top.

...

Hairstyle Changes

In both the Bentley and here, the top hair flared upward. Just outside the coffee shop, the flare has shifted further to his right instead of straight upward and lining up with his nose as it did in the Bentley. There is no extra saturation streak on the right side of his forehead.

Earthly Objects: The Perfect Entrance Trick

(For reference: Earthly Objects)

We have arrived at our first Threshold Trick!

This part is going to be very detailed because of pockets and thresholds.

Here are some GIFs to start us off:

This sequence is The Perfect Entrance Trick. Way, way back before I thought there might be an Earthly Objects game and was just exploring the sideburns, trying to figure them out, I remarked on my appreciation for the camera work and music for this segment. I always compliment those parts because they are so good. They contribute beautifully to the idea here.

While setting aside the Sideburns Scheme and trying to figure out Earthly Objects, I made a "Bonus Round" part of my main post because this sequence had me so amazed. It looked like threshold-only touches and avoiding earthly object touches, but I couldn't be sure due to some specific questionable things I will explore further down eventually. Nonetheless, it sure seemed to me like Crowley knows how to play the game as an expert, so if he is aiming for threshold-only touches, there must be something to his methods that gets the job done. These Threshold Tricks might even be special supernatural bonus points he's earning in the game.

My understanding of the game at this point in time is like so: In this sequence, they are threshold-only touches, but how are they threshold-only touches with this game's mechanics? That's what an audience player is supposed to figure out in the puzzle.

The Perfect Entrance Trick is actually the third Threshold Trick I found without realizing it because I did not have the words, "Threshold Tricks" for myself then. It felt like the first one I found when I was trying to understand Earthly Objects. I had already found The Bigger Thresholds Trick and The Door Trick without realizing they were Threshold Tricks too. I didn't have names for them then. I just knew there was something special about sideburns and thresholds so caught onto those parts. It took something more than weeks to put these ideas together because I spent a lot of time just thinking and making pictures while readying myself for making posts about sideburns.

Before we go over this particular sequence in more detail, here's something I think the game is putting forth as a challenge. The Pocket Trick is a hidden giant with a giant impact on many things. While I am at a point that I do not think I will ever solve The Pocket Trick to my satisfaction, I believe a significant one of its hidden messages is, "Pay attention to the pockets."

As stated in my main post for The Sideburns Scheme, pockets are a big, little thing in GO2. They are easy to miss and to dismiss. One should also pay attention to doors and windows, but because the pockets are so easy to overlook—even more than windows, it's a good idea to mind that message on pockets specifically all the same. Between doors, windows, and pockets, pockets are the hardest to see and to understand.

In Earthly Objects, a pocket can be a hole created by a character's body between their own self, part of the screen, part of an earthly object, or even part of a threshold. A pocket can be two or more characters surrounding something or someone on the screen in the framing. A pocket can be a character surrounded by things in the framing. A pocket can be the actual literal pockets characters can have on their clothing. That includes the ones we understand are actual pockets and even little holes the clothing can make on itself. Pockets are everywhere, but making sense of them for how they count, when they count, and what they count for, is another story. It is overwhelming—as if "think outside the pocket" wasn't hard enough in The Pocket Trick to begin with!

I think chances are good that pockets are somehow related to every Threshold Trick, and a big part of this challenge I do not expect to pass is to figure out how. That means I won't ever fully solve every Threshold Trick. So, I will pay attention to the pockets, tell you about the pockets, and admit freely, once again, my understanding of them is limited.

Okay, so here's the sequence in more detailed text form with paying attention to the pockets. It is very quick and heavily based on movement. Parts are also blurry. I won't swear everything below is correct because to play, I mainly have to guess based on clues.

With the car on screen before it is parked, I can find multiple different humans using pockets. However, one in particular catches my interest because he put his left hand in a pocket near where Crowley will park, and I recognize this human:

That guy shows up three different times in episode 6 during The Door Trick and The Door Catch. He is responsible or the Purple in the Rainbow Connection on Aziraphale's part.

Nonetheless, Crowley parks the car. The camera work is doing amazing things by going under the car, then around a wheel, focusing in on the shoes of the nearby humans before Crowley himself starts.

The door to the car opens, and Crowley touches the edge of the sidewalk with only one shoe. The heel is touching nothing behind it. The front tip is avoiding the rest of the sidewalk. That is the Single. The edge of the sidewalk is one threshold, and it was touched by only one shoe.

The camera pans up.

Crowley touches two different thresholds with his right hand. They are the window frame and the door panel for the door to his car. The fingertips avoid the window pane. That is the Double.

One of the tie strands becomes visible, including a clasp and a tassel. That's a thumb and thumb joint of one of the Tied Hands. Crowley's left hand moves forward such that the tie strand is visually in front of that hand. The left hand is important because it's the one that's going to do the Triple part of this Threshold Trick. I don't know the watch's role in pocket mechanics. It generally likes to be seen and seems to also watch things, like it's some kind of "lookout," but something more too.

Getting back to the left hand's movement with the tie strand, at the exact frame that thing happened, I can find a human visually behind Crowley's right elbow using a pants pocket with their left hand. They are wearing a white shirt over a darker one.

This part is a clue that this tie strand is going to be tied to the left hand and that it is the longer tie strand when both are seen together shortly.

Instead of moving ahead to get to what is going to be the Triple, Crowley has his back to the camera. He takes some steps and moves his arms around. I don't have it in me to log every pocket they make and close and what they might frame, but they do such things.

A light briefly pops out in one of the trees trying to communicate something, and I'm going with saying it's a little overhead light for Crowley since it's above his ear and to the left of his head.

There is a nearby car with red rear lights. These types of lights are often used to alert about a color switch in the Rainbow Connection when they light up a bit more. So, the main thing I see it to be an alert for is that pocket user already mentioned and knowing what we'll see soon for switching without an active Rainbow Connection. The pocket user is even pocketed briefly between these red lights. In fact, that overhead light mentioned above lights up at the start of when this human starts to pass the first of the two red rear lights. If those red lights mean anything else, I don't know what it would be.

When that human pocket user that was visually behind Crowley is finally completely off-screen, Crowley's left hand and the watch also go off-screen.

Crowley spins.

As he spins, both tie strands become visible. The longer tie strand is on Crowley's right. That means it is mirrored for now. The left hand becomes visible again too. During the spin, the tie strands switch. The longer tie strand becomes aligned with Crowley's left side. Generally, these things have a special mirror that flips through a Rainbow Connection Reflection, or whatever that Connection allows, in the Pocket Chain of The Pocket Trick. However, The Pocket Trick hasn't started yet, and this Trick is not linked to the Pocket Chain.

Well, without the initiating power of The Pocket Trick or a Rainbow Connection, it looks like a little spin switch is allowed this time.

The belt—which is Crowley's Belt Head—also became visible, and Crowley has his mouth open during this spin. The vest tips are surrounding the Belt Head to have it pocketed between them. Additionally, the longer tassel tip just so happens to brush along the belt during the switch. There is even another self-made pocket of hair like there was for the newspaper door. With the movement, the vest tips and their pocket over the belt shift further towards Crowley's left as well.

The left hand and the watch hide behind Crowley's jacket. This action is part of closing pockets between Crowley's torso and both arms.

Crowley finally starts moving toward the door.

The right arm opens a pocket between his torso again, this time by itself instead of with the left arm.

The left arm forms a pocket between Crowley and the main part of the jacket.

The pocket between the right arm and jacket closes.

Soon after, the pocket between the left and jacket closes.

Then the left arm hides behind Crowley. In the blurred movement, that longer tie strand connected to the left hand pushes off the vest temporarily and becomes visible in the air. This action creates yet another temporary pocket.

In motion, all of these pockets amount to looking like pocket-to-pocket passes in the animated GIF shown further below.

Once the tie strand has presumably returned to where it belongs, the left arm is finally ready to make its move on the incoming threshold.

Crowley's left arm reaches out for the door panel. There is a lock that is extremely hard to see in the blurred movement, but it is there above the push plate. Crowley's palm of his left hand covers it completely. He pushes the door on the lock instead of the push plate.

Some video frames reach a nice, stronger clarity. Here is the one that strikes my own interest most:

There are three digits touching the door panel. That's what makes this part the Triple. The index finger and middle finger are touching the front. Most of the thumb is touching the side. However, the ever so vital and important thumb tip is on the edge of where the door panel meets the window pane. Edges are thresholds, and pocket trickery loves edges.

The reflection of Crowley's left hand has pocketed the lock on the other side within the palm that is covering the covered lock. In other words, the palm has the locks covered.

The Tied Hands are making this acceptable because of their link to reflections. Plus, all those words I just had to write out because word play is a key mechanic for pocket trickery.

And there's more!

With the palm being busy with the locks, the thumb tip touches its own reflection while doing its edge touching. All of the digits, the real ones and the reflected ones are pocketing the door panel and its reflection because of their framing. Any issues with that window pane have been neutralized. There is a small bit of Crowley's right sunglasses lens past the door frame but not much.

The watch takes over in the next video frame to keep everything in order because that real covered lock becomes slightly visible. The watch's reflective surface lights up to say that everything's still as it should be. Parts of Crowley's face—and more of the sunglasses themselves—visually passed through the door frame at the same time that real lock became slightly visible, so this threshold has been effectively tricked. We must recall the Belt Head had a role to play in the matter.

The Perfect Entrance Trick is the easy one! But the pockets have increased its difficulty immensely.

Something that is missing in this first Threshold Trick is a rainbow. Four of the others have one. The Sunglasses Trick does not, but it does have a notable white light reflected on the watch in its last touch. Rainbows can take shape through refraction in white light. The lighting on the watch here is not as white as what appears in The Sunglasses Trick. It has a tinge of yellow.

Well, Earthly Objects is a game with puzzles—and some silly puzzles at that, so I'm going to say that this Threshold Trick is excused because the Rainbow Connection within The Pocket Trick has not started yet. The Rainbow Connection starts in episode 2. In fact, the way it goes is that The Pocket Trick gets its official rainbow first. It and the other Threshold Tricks finish in episode 6. In episode 6 is where all of the other rainbows appear for the other Threshold Tricks.

The Perfect Entrance Trick is the only one that both starts and finishes in the first episode. It is the first of three Simple tricks. The Simple tricks are the ones that start and finish in the same episode.

Another way I like to play this game is that these Threshold Tricks are based on simple ideas even though they get so complicated—especially once pockets are known to be so important. I call these simple ideas "core concepts" because these things are indeed conceptual. While I don't like word play as much as The Pocket Trick does, I do like it some. So, let's toss some alliteration in here too.

My best guess for this one's core concept is, "Make a Perfect Entrance while making an entrance." The idea is also to introduce the Threshold Tricks. Each one is required to have a primary Single, a primary Double, and a primary Triple. A single is 1. A double is 2. A triple is 3. Add up 1, 2, and 3, and you get the number 6. That equation of 1 + 2 + 3 is what makes the number 6 a perfect number.

A standard set in Earthly Objects is 3 points. A Threshold Trick has a minimum of 6 points for its theoretical bonus rewards and must be done in this special format.

I had to look that up that part on "perfect" because that was the word I wanted to use to describe The Sunglasses Trick when I put those pieces together. I am familiar with the Tekken franchise due to a past stronger obsession with Devil Jin. In Tekken, a PERFECT is when a player wins a round without taking any damage.

So, once I grasped that 6 is a perfect number, for me, it was like "Oh! That's what the first one is! It has a name! It's a Perfect Entrance!" I had described it as a "beautiful entrance" in my Bonus Round section. Again, that took something more than weeks to figure out.

Also, David Tennant is perfect for the role of Crowley. I love this actor-character combination so much.

...

When Crowley enters and sits down, Aziraphale is sitting down, but there is no actual visible back of a chair for Aziraphale. I am reminded of Crowley's remark in episode 5 of "Looking where the furniture isn't." In one of my posts on Earthly Objects, I note this type of thing as a mysterious vendetta Aziraphale has with chairs. A lot of times, the back of one cannot be seen for Aziraphale. When he's in the bookshop and a back of a chair can be seen, his back will still not touch the back of the chair.

...

Story Commentary

Setting aside the threshold trickery at play in Earthly Objects, Crowley's open mouth could also be interpreted as him using his snake demon senses to find Aziraphale's precise location.

After the Threshold Trick itself is done, Crowley's body is briefly fully obscured, and suddenly the door's moving for him without his hands doing anything. The left hand that was on it is gone. He may as well be using telekinesis on the thing.

Crowley continues onward until he passes Aziraphale on Aziraphale's right. Aziraphale himself glances to his own left first, as that's generally where Crowley is expected for him. This movement also allows Crowley's body to be obscured briefly. He could even mouth something to Aziraphale without us seeing it.

The red on the back of the collar on Crowley's jacket is briefly visible before Crowley himself finally sits down and says, "Right, what's the problem?"

The car transformed a little. There's an extra part of a window frame on the window pane that wasn't there before.

...

Muriel

(For reference: Bookend Buddies - Crowley and Muriel (Part 2))

Muriel's first scene preceded this one. That makes their first scene the front bookend to the first Threshold Trick. Their last scene will act as the back bookend to the last Threshold Trick (The Window Trick).

In turn, Crowley's first Threshold Trick is the back bookend to Muriel's first scene.

...

That's it for this post. Way back when I started to track these things, I did have a tendency to update even these posts, so that could happen again, just FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

...

Past version of this post:

Post #4 (entering the coffee shop)

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley s2 hair project #crowley sideburns

[youryurigoddess]

The summer that was never supposed to end

You’ve probably noticed how in Good Omens 2 Crowley’s eyes are brighter, more saturated, as if glistening with liquid gold. We’ve already covered his hair. And it’s not only the visual aspect of him — even in objectively stressful conditions, Crowley appears mature and put together, way cooler and more protective than before. Even his faults are heavily romanticized in the past and present scenes, reminding of the S1 body swap, when Aziraphale projected his love to him on the way he played the demon in Hell.

It’s not just the demon. The whole season is more vibrant, bolder, filled with sunshine. Just like a summer that was never supposed to end. Like a memory of a loved one seen through the eyes of someone who thinks of them every day until the end of the world.

S2 seems ridiculously saturated, whimsical, and full of red and gold, just like a certain demon. Aziraphale not only painted his bookshop in his image, but literally colored the whole world in Crowley’s colors. It was such lush and saturated and blooming with warmth and hazy light.

It’s either that all the newest events are just another memory seen through a certain angel’s eyes, or said angel actively made it appear this way — as in, his feelings grew so strong that they’ve started to warp the reality around him. And it’s a well-known fact that Aziraphale has a tendency to affect his surroundings, either unconsciously, when his presence in the bookshop literally lightens up the sky seen through its windows, or very much consciously, when he takes over the position of a master puppeteer and manipulates people with or without the help of his miracles.

S1 was more dramatic and apocalyptic, but not particularly gray — at least not as much as the color grading typically used in portrayal of similar apocalyptic narratives. S2, at least as seen through Aziraphale’s own La Vie En Rose lens, is vibrant and saturated. And those colors drastically fade in the heavenly light of the elevator during the credits, suggesting that they won’t be as visible in the course of S3.

But I don’t want to ramble about the apocalypse sandwich and the three-act structure here, so let’s circle back to S2.

Good Omens 2 was really set in a summer that was never supposed to end. But it did, autumn crept in, and there was no chance of hearing the nightingales sing. They all had left by the time an angel and a demon finally kissed.

In the most literal sense: the very last nightingales usually migrate from the UK to their wintering grounds in Sub-Saharan Africa in the first days of September.

Aziraphale was right that nothing lasts forever — and the passage of time on Earth is marked by subtle details invisible to the immortal eyes.

The main thing about autumn migration is how sudden and hard to predict it is. The birds start disappearing gradually, often without notice, until at some point they are no longer here. Much like the angel leaves the bookshop — their shared nest — to spread his wings and fight.

And it was basically announced on the poster.

Can you see the migratory formation of birds up in the sky? It looks like Aziraphale is the last one to get off the ground and fly.

#Yuri is doing her thing #good omens #good omens 2 #go2 spoilers #go2 meta #good omens meta #no nightingales #in the most literal sense #ineffable husbands #ineffable divorcés #crowley #aziraphale #your friendly neighborhood eldritch horror might be messing with more than your life #the summer that was never supposed to end #the good omens crew is unhinged #everything is connected

[sighed-the-snake]

So, about Furfur's angel book. Remember the part about Baraqiel?

Image text: BARAQIEL. Dominion. Angel of the Sky. Appearance: Hair an eye-burning jinnjer. Eyebrows with the appearance of a grisly slug. Often draped in red. Occashunly damp, most likely singed.

I recently got my hands on a copy of A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels, by Gustav Davidson.

And here is the entry for Baraqiel!

Image Text: Barakiel (Barachiel, Barbiel, Barchiel, Barkiel, Baraqiel, etc. -- "lightning of God") -- one of the 7 archangels, one of the 4 ruling seraphim, angel of the month of February, and prince of the 2nd Heaven as well as of the order of confessors. Barakiel has dominion over lightning and is also one of the chief angels of the 1st and 4th altitudes or chora in the Almadel of Solomon. In addition, he is a ruler of the planet Jupiter and the zodiacal sign of Scorpio (as cited by Camfield in A Theological Discourse of Angels) and Pisces. With the angels Uriel and Rubiel, Barakiel is invoked to bring success in games of chance, according to De Plancy, Dictionaire Infernal.[Rf. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews I, 140.]

Lightning of God We see Crowley let off some lightning while too angry to control himself, and an angel of lightning could easily be considered an angel of the sky.

Archangel Baraqiel We assume Metatron was referring to Satan when he spoke of the Prince of Heaven they lost. Could he have been referring to Crowley? There was a lot of hatred in the look Metatron gave Crowley in the bookshop.

Crowley also told Beelzebub that the whole erasure from the Book of Life thing was something they said just to scare the Cherubs and that it wasn't actually a thing. We think of fat little cupids when Cherubs are mentioned, but Cherub is just the singular of Cherubim, and those guys are just one step below the Seraphim.

And he was teasing them.

Crowley says he understands what Aziraphale is offering him better than his angel does. If he was a Seraphim, then I believe it.

I know Furfur's book places him as a Dominion, but Neil can be an unreliable narrator, and who knows how accurate a demon's book might be. Neil could have also just decided to make Crowley a Dominion instead. Afterall, the angel guarding the Eastern gate in the bible was a Cherubim, but Neil and Terry changed that to Principality when they made Aziraphale.

Also, if Crowley was hanging out with "Lucifer and the guys," that suggests he was a high ranking angel. You're friends with the people you see every day. They were probably his office buddies.

Crowley said in the beginning of S2 that he worked "very closely with upstairs" on his nebula project. Anyone who has worked for a hierarchical business knows that lower order employees aren't even allowed to talk to the higher-ups directly. They would have to submit their issues to their direct supervisor, and that request would go up the chain until it's taken care of, probably never reaching the highest levels of the company. If Crowley was working directly with "upstairs," and his crossed fingers suggest a close collaboration, then he must have been a very high rank to be allowed to talk to them directly.

It is also worth noting that the use of the singular seraph, in the Book of Isaiah, is translated as "flying fiery serpent."

Ruler of the signs Scorpio and Pisces Crowley is hissy and wrathful and WILL CUT YOU, but he also loves children, and turns goats into birds so he doesn't have to kill them, and breathes life back into smooshed doves, so this makes perfect sense to me. Who's our moody little snek, you're our moody little snek.

Invoked to bring success in games of chance We have already seen him outsmart Heaven and Hell with Armageddon. He is uncommonly sharp-witted and capable for a demon, or even an angel. Look at the way he invented regulations for the Rules of Engagement so convincingly that Shax backed down, and how he got Muriel to sneak him into Heaven. I would definitely want an occult force like Crowley-Baraqiel on my side if I was doing something risky.

#good omens #Crowley was Baraqiel #good omens meta #good omens analysis #A Dictionary of Angels Including Fallen Angels #Archangel Crowley #Crowley

[thealogie]

whole new anon but even though crowley's s2 hair is an absurd color it made DT more hot to me idk what to say. thank you for speaking the truth about fourteen's hair, it's definitely worse than ten's and the look overall is so absurdly bad. how did they do that to him.

The funniest part of this that DT has his own hair guy he takes on every project. And this man just continues to alternate between making DT’s hair look good vs cartoonish. Love that for him

[book-buni]

HELLO MY DEAR FRIEND!! I SEE YOURE INTO GOOD OMENS. *slides teacups over the table. we are now in an elaborate tea house eating angel cakes and the likes* TELL ME EVERYTHING. THOUGHTS ON THE DEVASTATING FINAL FIFTEEN MINUTES. UNLEASH THE BRAINROT

also i am still so obsessed with dead boy detectives unfortunately. so this might seem very out of place. anyways the infamous three Fs: favourite character? favourite headcanons? favourite fanfic recs?

as you can tell i am making my way through my notifications backlog skddkdm. i’ve missed so much

YES GOOD OMENS ANDDVDJWJEB DNDK CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE LIKE THEY CLEARLY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH BUT HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS OF WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEM TO BE TOGETHER CROWLEY’S LIKE WE COULD BE US WITHOUT HEAVEN OR HELL AND AZIRAPHALE IS LIKE WE COULD BE TOGETHER IN HEAVEN ALSO LIKE GABRIEL AND BEELEZEBUB WERE SORT OF UNEXPECTED BUT ALSO IT MAKES SENSE AND WAS REALLY CUTE

but I also sort of burst out laughing for angel crowley since he was so innocent and less chaotic compared to this demon self (but also the hair was a bit hilarious)

also for dead boy detectives

favourite character: niko sasaki ofc

favourite headcanon: I’m not sure if I really have any but maybe niko coming back as a ghost to rejoin the gang and ediwin x charles plus niko x crystal happening in s2 (or maybe it’ll be a super slowburn if netflix gives the green light for a s3 and so on)

favourite fanfic recs: I don’t really save fanfics that often but here are a few I think were nice reads (and one that’s ongoing) - I’ll update if I find more I enjoyed a lot

sorry I replied late :(((

what are the 3Fs for you? (dead boy detectives)

#moots #asks #dead boy detectives #good omens #dbda fanfic #book buni

[sunderwight]

loosely inspired by this excellent post.

human sex worker crowley s2 au where crowley has worked at mrs. sandwich's shop since before it was mrs. sandwich's shop (previously madam tracey's new age 'massage parlor'), having gotten into the biz back when he was in his 20's to help pay off some debts and never really gotten back out

it's not angsty, though. or at least not about the sex work part. crowley's been back to school and gotten a degree in engineering and he's picked up a handful of trades, worked other jobs here and there, he just generally doesn't like keeping to a strict schedule and enjoys the extra money on hand, so even when he's got another gig he usually keeps touch with the other workers and dips back in whenever the situation calls for it

the pandemic was harder than he let on though. between the drop in business and the rise in costs of living he lost his flat and has been living out of his car for a while (not that he's told anyone)

aziraphale has been his consistent client since he first started out and they were fresh-faced youths. crowley spotted a cute guy radiating gay vibes leaving a bookshop one evening and did a bit of (ordinary human) temptation, and the fussy young mr. fell tentatively ventured a couple steps out of his transparent closet and ended up buying the rogue dinner. paid for his time too, without even purchasing anything off crowley's own personal menu that night at all

(for clarity, aziraphale has known that crowley was a sex worker since they met but he has conflicted feelings about the purchasing of such 'wares' due to his strict religious upbringing and such, so it took a while before he bit the bullet. as it were)

anyway crowley is aziraphale's only paid-for companion and aziraphale is the only client who crowley has kept consistently for some 30 years (they've been off-and-on a few times, but never longer than a year), so they're definitely friends even though it can get awkward because actually they're in love because az is still in the closet to his distant-yet-scary family and church and crowley still sometimes gets organized crime contacts coming after him (it's a whole thing) plus he hasn't much of a mind to live in aziraphale's closet

matters come to a head when aziraphale's distant cousin gabriel flees the family and shows up at aziraphale's doorstep, naked and with amnesia and probably on drugs of some sort (so aziraphale assumes)

without having any idea of how to handle this situation, aziraphale calls crowley, because at least crowley knows how to tell if someone is at risk of dying from an overdose on weird amnesia shrooms and other useful things of that nature (and also because aziraphale doesn't know anyone else he'd call for an emergency of this magnitude and actually expect to get help from)

crowley recollects gabriel as aziraphale's asshole cousin who didn't help when the bookshop caught fire a few years ago, and even made a cruel joke to his buddies about how it was a shame that aziraphale hadn't gone up in flames along with his stupid books. so. crowley is not terribly sympathetic and thinks aziraphale should just drop him in a ditch somewhere

but aziraphale is determined to help, which means crowley gets roped in

crowley gets even more roped in when it then turns out that some of his old contacts are looking for gabriel too, for some reason (???) and are once again knocking on crowley's door (or at least turning up at his car) to insist that they know gabriel's probably hiding somewhere in the vicinity and if crowley finds him and turns him over, they'll finally let bygones be bygones and give him a big fat cash reward

an approximation of s2's plot ensues. I don't know how crowley and aziraphale get over-invested in the coffee/record shop lesbians without the miracle angle but it still happens somehow. they project a lot. amnesiac gabriel/jim is easy to hide only because they dress him like a nerd and muss up his hair so he doesn't look like any of his glossy cult headshot photos, and most of the people searching for him have never personally met him and aren't looking for an idiot in multilayered sweaters. muriel is from the cult but means no harm. turns out gabriel went on a really bad trip but his memory's starting to come back, he was trying drugs to impress crimelord beelzebub. who met him because of the above mentioned bookshop fire, and who still runs away with him at the end. aziraphale's manipulative family patriarch also turns up at the end to ruin everything. and aziraphale and crowley have a LOT of sex and feelings throughout.

does the divorce still happen? uncertain. on the one hand, aziraphale is still struggling with his baggage, but on the other hand, his family/cult is not quite so powerful or able to threaten him and crowley in this situation. love may win out.

#good omens #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #sex work mention #crowley and aziraphale getting the shadwell and tracey happy ending in the south downs maybe? #or aziraphale goes back to try and fix his awful family and crowley cries into his sunglasses

[thesherrinfordfacility]

Follow-up from my sister: she'd like me to add that she makes no promises it's not the lighting, but that if it isn't, she's quite sure it's not the roots, because the rest of his hair is fine and it's a uniform, very deliberate-seeming change between solid brown and solid red, no layers or patches or ombre that would suggest dye growing out, like "they either forgot to dye the sideburns and then remedied that halfway through filming, which I somehow find unlikely, or had them red initially, then bleached the colour out and re-dyed it brown at some stage, which is ludicrous".

hello anon darling!!!💕 right! ive gone through this again because. my fixation on crowley's sideburns is ever dormant and this has only stoked it, im afraid ✨

ive gone through and taken what im hoping is a fair number of screenshots of each episode of s2, to try to pinpoint the trajectory that your sister suggested!!! im completely on board with what she says, they definitely seem to vary in colour, but my main thoughts are this:

(screenshots, btw, are under the cut in chron. order)

i do still think there is something to the short vs. long sideburns. i came up with a completely ridiculous time-travel theory (honestly just for the giggles), but regardless of how outlandish it is, the varying length is the element that i think is hardest to explain away. the only thing that would make sense is the DW thing, but i think the dates pretty much debunked that, or alternatively there was another project that dt was working on, and the timings of it were cutting fine with having to do pick-ups/any AP for s2, hence having to keep the long/short sideburns

following on from this, i do think crowley was intended, at the start of filming (im sure someone with receipts will be able to negate this for me - more than welcome!), to have short sideburns. reason i say this is because, to my eye, the beginning of ep5 has them cut very neatly, and they are more uniformly red (it's during the gabriel confrontation scene onwards that they change to long). this compared to his short sideburns in ep1, for example, where it looks like (again, only going based on sight and 1080p quality) his roots have grown out slightly, and you have an underlay of brown beneath the dyed-red ends. this therefore indicates to me that they were originally short, dyed red, but grew out over filming when scenes were shot out of sequence (would be interesting to compare this 'timeline' with michael's hair in the same sequencing!)

when crowley has long sideburns, in the 2023 scenes, they are always brown (as far as i can tell), so this would indicate to me that these scenes were filmed towards the end of the shoot, but again it's very obvious that the sideburn length changes - ie. it doesn't seem at all gradual, even if shot out of sequence - and the sideburns weren't redyed to match the rest of his hair

ep2 job scenes - i did my best, and im fairly certain they're long and brown, but it's a) hard to tell with the wig, and b) length/colour might not mean anything, it might be that whatever 'secret' the sideburn thing is potentially indicating only applies to 2023, not the flashbacks... guess it kinda depends on whether you subscribe to the notion that the flashbacks have been messed about with or not by modern-era crowley

ep3 resurrectionist scenes - honestly? god only knows. the lighting wasn't exactly conducive to empirical research (lmao who am i kidding, none of this is scientific)... but the muttons do appear, overall, to be more consistently and obviously red. im assuming that they were made from artificial hair pieces - as opposed to dt taking the time to grow them??? - and so would be easier to keep uniform in colour anyway

ep4 1941 scenes - i mean, yeah, they are long and brown (except the very end scene???), and this might just be down to when it was filmed in the schedule... again, same as bildad, it might not really mean anything, unless you consider that 1941 has been messed about with too.

so conclusion for me at the moment is that the colour variation is down to hair simply growing out/not wanting to damage his hair by constantly rebleaching (?) and re-toning, but where it coincides with whether the sideburns are short or long remains - and probably will for the rest of my days on this good planet - an intriguing mystery!!!✨

#good omens #ask #s2 meta #crowley meta #flashback meta #batshit time travel spec

[dex-xe]

I finished Good Omens Flufftober!! Here's the list of everything I wrote:

Reunited after S2

Playing truth or dare with Maggie and Nina

Aziraphale confesses his love

Body swap missing scene

5 times they shared a bed

Exploring a maze

Afternoon in South Downs garden

Snake!Crowley in a rain storm

Crowley buying gifts for Aziraphale

Bentley ships them via music

Aziraphale loves sweet treats

Biblical snow storm

Crowley's bad chronic pain day

Crowley hates Harry the Rabbit

Aziraphale confesses his love

Singing each other to sleep

Helping to open the bookshop

There was only one bed

Protecting each other from the rain

Testing out some pet names

Watching Pride and Prejudice together

Adopting a cat

Muriel starts college

Brushing Crowley's long hair

First time trying hot chocolate

Crowley has fire-related PTSD

They finally get their picnic

Post-Blitz missing scene

Bus ride missing scene

Aziraphale has self-esteem issues

Crowley dreams of life with Aziraphale

#good omens #good omens 2 #flufftober #flufftober 2023 #good omens flufftober

[thewinchestersgrimm]

SPN Questions Game~

Stole this from @secretsandgreeneyes​ cause it’s Sunday and I’m BORED.

1. When did you start watching Supernatural?

So the funny thing is, is that I watched Bloody Mary (in 2005 I was 12) when it was playing on TV but at the time I thought it was too scary (cause I was a big baby, even though there is nothing wrong with being that; it just wasn’t me) so I never went back to it. It wasn’t until the start of s8 (October 2012) that I actually watched live. I distinctly remember going out during a snow storm to go buy the s7 DVD so i’m guessing November 2011 is when I decided to finally start. 

2. Who is your favorite in TFW?

Sam and Dean cause they are 2 halves of a whole idiot and i love them so much

3. Who is your least favorite in TFW?

CAS LIKE DAMN. I used to really enjoy his character when he was funny and not getting the shit beat out of him and captured and being useless. I honestly blame the writers so much for my now displeasure with Castiel. 

4. Tag your top 5 Supernatural blogs.

@boykingsqueen​ i’m just tagging lauren cause i LOVE HER

5. Who is your favorite character (not including TFW)?

oh fuckkkkkkkkk....... it’s honestly a tie between Donna, Jody, Bobby (not AU!Bobby) and Charlie (again not AU!Charlie).

6. Who is your favorite woman in Supernatural?

FUCK. Okay okay okay imma pick Charlie just cause I am her and she is me 

7. John or Mary?

Is neither an option? Honestly though..... John. While he was aloof and never really there for the boys, he was there more for them than Mary is now. Again I blame the writers

8. What were your first opinions of Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack?

Sam: what is THAT HAIR? OH MY GOD HE’S FROM HOUSE OF WAX

Dean: Wait is he short, or is the other guy just tall?

Cas: I don’t like your species... when are you gonna go and fuck dean? (cause from tumblr i legit thought cas and dean were a couple. #sogladtheyrenot)

Jack: please don’t make him evil, please don’t make him evil, please don’t make him evil I love him so much already

9. What’s your favorite season?

holy crap these questions are hard. I have to go with s2 just cause a majority of my favourite episodes come from there.

10. What’s your least favorite season?

It’s definitely a tie between 4 and 9. I HATED all the mistrust between the brothers but I loved Powers!Sam. S9 I don’t even remember most of it so that’s saying something right there LOL

11. Opinions on Destiel?

Used to be into it mildly, not anymore. The destihellers ruined that for me and I also have eyes??? Like Dean and Cas don’t have a thing???? if you ship it, it’s no problem. ship away just don’t get pissed off at me cause i don’t agree

12. Do you believe Supernatural queerbaits?

I don’t even know what that is so no? *goes and looks it up* the answer is still no. They make it pretty clear in the show who is gay and who is not and if people can’t see that, that’s on them, but don’t force your opinions on me. Aint nothin wrong for shippin your ships! Again, just don’t get pissed at me cause I don’t agree with them.

13. Seasons 1-7 or 8-14?

okay..... i have to go early spn just cause that’s what the majority of the fanfiction I read is from. HOWEVER, I adored the end of s8 and s11 so...

14. Favorite villain (plot wise)?

I honestly really loved Amara and YED

15. Do you think they should end the Lucifer plot line?

YES HOLY FUCK YES GET WHAT’S HIS NAME OUT OF HERE AND LET SAM BE THE ONE TO KILL THE SON OF A BITCH

16. Who do you think has gone through more trauma (Sam, Dean, or Cas)?

It’s a close tie between Sam and Dean, but I gotta go with Sam. He spent more time in hell, had been possessed by Meg and then Gadreel, Hallucifer nearly offed him, yeah... Sam.

17. What’s your favorite Supernatural episode?

this is just a cruel question. I can narrow it down to 4.....Yellow Fever (s4), Sacrifice (s8) Baby and Red Meat (s11)

18. Do you like case episodes?

I do! It’s what I think makes SPN, SPN, however when they’re stupid ones I catch my self saying WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING. 

19. Who do you relate most to in TFW?

Again, Sam and Dean. I relate to Dean cause I am an older sibling and I am very protective of my younger brother. I also get angry very easy which Dean does too but thats just cause he bottles everything up (aka me). I relate to Sam on an interest level. I love school, I love to read, I love the little things in life. 

20. Why do you like Supernatural?

Sam and Dean’s relationship. I project my self onto them and honestly I feel like they are very much apart of me. When this show ends I’m gonna be a wreck.

21. If you could bring back one character and kill off another who would they be?

100% kill Lucifer/Nick and never let him come back. I would bring back Crowley (cause he was hilarious), John (cause the dynamic would be interesting to see. I GUESS WE’LL GET TO SEE THIS FOR THE 300TH) and my Bobby. 

I only tagged Lauren, but if anyone is bored like me, please feel free to do this as well! have a great night everyone! Imma go watch the Eclipse! 

#text #about me #spn #boykingsqueen

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme (Good Omens 2)

(Previous version: The Sideburns Scheme v1)

This post will likely be regularly updated as I process my thoughts.

Last Updated: 04/27/2024

This is short:

This is long:

There is more to to it than above, and we are going to work through that.

Crowley's sideburns change in length in season 2. I have worked out some of how and have some theory on why.

Space

The absolute most crucial thing to understand for my theory is space. Character presence, movement, and likely memory all impact the space, but the space decides the length based on those things. The space is practically a character reading the story with us and making decisions on what length to give Crowley in response.

If you walk away from my post with only one thing and one thing only, I want it to be this:

The Bentley is Crowley's own demon space, and the driver's door to that space is its primary threshold.

Effect

When I refer to the effect, I will specifically mean the changing of the length.

But what is the effect from that?

Each type of length probably provides a benefit of some kind since Crowley takes actions to get them one way or the other. Grasping what that is, is difficult to say the least.

We'll see what each space tells us because the spaces have different readings on Crowley as it is. There are lengths between short and long after all. Short is going to be considered a human space and long enough will be considered a demon space, to simplify things as best I can. I won't say "long enough" every time, just "long" and sometimes I will refer to a "longest-length."

On its most basic level, short trends human, and long trends supernatural with that length increasing depending on the supernatural elements within the space.

Even though the length is what I focus on, the sideburns even change on how full of hair they are, and sometimes aren't even...well, even.

Earthly Objects

So far as my own theories go, Earthly Objects is a large, difficult, hidden game that has findable solvable puzzles in Good Omens 2. It is a layered type of game. The characters themselves are playing it, some with a higher awareness than others. An audience member can play it by trying to figure out how the game itself works. I've played it in my attempts at understanding the sideburns. It is amazingly and infuriatingly complex.

The Earthly Objects game is somehow related to this Sideburns Scheme, which is also a game. Both deal with thresholds so encounter each other. Certain aspects of the Earthly Objects game hint at falsehoods in at least the tutorial sequence for the sideburns.

Even so, the message about how the sideburns worked is still true. This story is tricky like that.

As such, a lot of my analysis is still going to be on what is presented nonetheless. I'll note if and when I have a guess at its deceptive nature.

...

Another important component in my theorizing is that Good Omens 2 is especially interested in these three things: doors, windows, and pockets—especially pockets. We'll be seeing these things a lot within the spaces when studying the sideburns, especially once I get to making more in-depth posts.

The Past

The Season 2 present day storyline is broadly solvable for the sideburns without examining the minisodes.

The minisodes offer other things to examine more closely regarding the spaces themselves, but these things don't really seem to tell you how the sideburns work in the present day. One can look for parallels regarding the hair in the first two minisodes.

By this point, I think the third minisode, the one where Crowley has sideburns in 1941, is intentionally set up as a test because it reverses so much of how the present day sideburns work. When things aren't reversed, they at least don't quite match the season 2 present day. I'm reasonably sure of myself in a lot of this theory for the season 2 present day, so that's why I think this test is doing what it does. I will cover it more once I reach that point.

Still, the Job minisode offers a clue to pay attention to when a roof is around, which then actually gives a clue about the roof of Crowley's car in the ending credits.

Generally, the minisodes suggest to keep an eye out for fire and hats or head gear too.

...

Home Base Concept - The Bookshop

Aziraphale's bookshop is where a lot of the present day season 2 story takes place, and it is nearly a second home to Crowley. Aziraphale himself is an angel, or a former angel.

The bookshop's default reading on Crowley being with just Aziraphale—if later scenes in the story are any indication—is somewhere between short and long, a medium length that gets closer to proper human-space short when in a private room together.

That's a reading that recognizes Crowley as a supernatural entity but still giving something shorter than longer reading around other angels. Most likely, that's because Crowley and Aziraphale are supernatural friends whose relationship is very similar to human partners.

When other angels are around, the bookshop's reading on Crowley increases the length. It's most noticeable from Gabriel, but that's likely because Gabriel is the angel who is around for most of the story.

Muriel shows up later, and Muriel is an angel, yet the sideburns are short. What gives?

The bookshop takes Muriel literally when Muriel claims to be human. It probably helps that Aziraphale literally accepts this claim even if he is fully aware that Muriel is an angel. As such, the reading on Crowley is that being a demon who tends to be around humans and pretend to be human often enough, the sideburns should still be the proper length for this "human" encounter.

Later in the story, Muriel admits to not being human. Crowley acknowledges a full awareness that they are an angel. The next time they are in the bookshop together, both with other angels and alone, the bookshop then gives the longest type of sideburns to Crowley.

After that, the bookshop's not really going to tell us about other specific angels, such as Michael.

The main thing we're told is that other angels who are not Aziraphale are going to make that length longer, with at least Gabriel and Muriel being among those angels. And that lying by claiming to be "human" will make them shorter nonetheless.

So, what does longer mean among the other angels? My general guess based on character behavior and story events when it's on, is that it's also a mark of rank from Crowley's time as an angel before his fall. The reading comes from a latent memory within the angels themselves. The story has repeated implications he was a high rank, seeming to be most specific at "First-Order Archangel" among those implications.

Crowley seems to be in charge among angels. He becomes a decision-maker and ends up directing the action.

When he is with only himself and Gabriel, he is in charge.

When he is with only himself and Muriel, he is in charge.

When he is with only himself, Aziraphale, and Gabriel, Aziraphale might make suggestions but otherwise follows along with Crowley's direction of what to do.

When Crowley is in the bookshop scene with both the powers of Heaven and Hell, he is in charge right up until he says to Aziraphale, "You got this?" Before that, he is quick to deflect a war, and they basically just let him with him yelling, getting the cardboard box, and recovering Gabriel's memories.

There is a moment where it looks like Michael is taking charge by commanding mortals be turned into salt, but Crowley quickly steps in to volunteer to take care of it. Saraqael, who looked ready to do what Michael ordered, abides and lets Crowley escort the mortals out.

Do longest length sideburns do more than mark rank? I suspect they are related to memory, and they are always present during three access points of memory with Gabriel, who has amnesia. Each one is brief, and it's hard to say how much the information given is actually used. One access point is a mix of Gabriel's and God's voice, another is a mix of Gabriel's and someone else's voice who sounds like a woman, and a third access point is that Gabriel took his memory out of a matchbox, no, wait, he took it out first. In the first two access points, Gabriel's eyes turn purple, which seem to be a mark of rank on him as the Supreme Archangel.

Home Base Concept - The Bentley

Did you ever notice how abruptly the encounters with Shax and Beelzebub ended when Crowley was in or near his car? That was weird, right? Here is what I believe happened.

The Bentley has special rules as a space, and each of those encounters ended with Crowley kicking out the other demon, possibly on accident in two of those instances.

The threshold to the Bentley is mainly the driver's door, but the driver's seat acted as one when Crowley was summoned to Hell.

Of note, the sideburns are long in these instances though not at their longest length that happens in the bookshop. Based on Crowley himself, Shax, and Beelzebub, that altogether suggests a default demon reading from the car. It can change, but it has to be managed through Crowley in the season's ending.

Back to the topic of the encounters, let's move on.

Shax at the Door

Crowley placed himself on the threshold and possibly made Shax wait a full hour before answering his phone. When answering, some of his body is touching the roof of the car, which makes it so that he's not touching that door panel exclusively. Then he turns around when he would presumably not be touching his car but at least fully intending to touch it, which seems to suffice for the story. Shortly after, he is leaning against the roof again.

By taking this action, he is allowing Shax closer to the space around the car, so that she can talk to him.

For the shots we are allowed to see him from the front, he is touching the roof, door panel, and sometimes we see the window pane is included the lean as well.

Before he asks, "Is that all?", he stops touching those parts of the car entirely and cannot be seen touching any other part.

Shax disappears from the scene.

By removing the touch from the car, the home base kicked her out. The forced exit seems unintentional.

Summoned by Beelzebub to Hell

Beelzebub uses a fly already inside the car. Crowley did not invite Beelzebub in, but the fly is enough to get their metaphorical foot in the door.

After Beelzebub says, "Hello, Traitor," Crowley makes a hit against his driver's seat, then says, "Oh."

Beelzebub then does not fully manifest in corporal form into the car and summons Crowley into Hell.

Crowley very deliberately leans back and while we can't see his back constantly against the throne during the entire scene, it is implied, bare minimum, he is not leaning forward while on that throne for most of it. He's gathering intel despite his evident reluctance to be in Hell during the scene.

The throne he sits in represents his driver's seat. Even when Crowley seems to want to lean forward, he'll try to not lean too much or he will lean to the side. Until the end of the conversation, he only leans forward off the back of the seat when he asks something ("Is that a new face?" "How?"). As in, he is inviting that part of the conversation into his space. He'll lean most toward Beelzebub's throne, even making sure to place his hand on the seat. The seat is to Crowley's own left, which is akin to the passenger seat in his car.

Crowley never stands up from the throne and only leans too far forward possibly at the end and possibly on accident. Beelzebub's "So if you hear anything, you come to me first, yeah?" is good enough to end the conversation, and that was a conversation where they were not invited. Crowley himself has no further questions and no further interest in actually being in Hell. The intel gathering is done. As such, the space reads that business is done and sends him back to the car instantly, whether Crowley intended for that exact thing to happen or not.

Shax in the Car

Crowley allowed Shax in by not verbally denying her entry and looking at where she would manifest. He kicked her out by non-verbally revving up his car even more after doing it once and giving her a second look. The home base understood it was about to de-activate and kicked her out.

Activation Points for longer sideburns:

The proper border for short and long is hard to explain, but when I say "longer" below, I am looking for length beyond what you see before Crowley enters the coffee shop and walks across the street with Aziraphale when they leave. Both scenes show us multiple angles of his face for comparison to the rest of the season.

Activation Points for longer sideburns:

-The bookshop under the right conditions

-The Bentley under the right conditions

-The pub (dependent on its threshold)

-The music shop (dependent on its threshold)

-Hell (likely qualifying through the Bentley)

-Heaven (assumed, likely qualifying through the pub)

-The park (only slightly longer because of a newspaper door, find out more here)

...

What are the right conditions for the bookshop to make Crowley's sideburns longer?

Within the season 2 present day storyline, longer seems to be a default reading actually. It's more like certain exceptions must not be met.

-No individual angel claiming to be human

AND

-Not in the private room with Aziraphale after encountering Gabriel

AND

-Not alone before an angel activates the effect.

...

The sideburns will be at their longest-length in any significant angel encounter that has an angel who is not Aziraphale and not pretending to be human. Those scenes are:

Scenes with only Crowley and Gabriel

Scenes with only Crowley, Gabriel, and Aziraphale

The overall general scene with angels, demons, and two humans, where Crowley is actively trying to undo a declaration of war.

The scene with Muriel after everyone else has left.

There's a small chance they lengthened slightly after first encountering Muriel, then going to talk to Aziraphale in the private room, but I can't really tell.

The sideburns are long during the ball, some parts being very hard to tell if they have reached their longest-length when there is a stronger focus on Gabriel's presence at the ball.

...

What are the right conditions for the Bentley to make Crowley's sideburns longer?

These conclusions are based on clues from the story itself:

-Staying parked for a long enough time with Crowley inside

-Approaching the car itself being isolated in a familiar area at night

-Standing at the threshold with utmost precision in the season's ending

The sideburns are at their longest-length in the season's ending up to the final cut right before the credits start.

I currently think it is because of a combination of stillness and his left arm's exclusive touch on the threshold. There is plenty more going on with such a touch, but I think those two factors are what are really increasing the length.

..

Activation Points for shorter sideburns:

-Driving the Bentley for a long enough time after de-activating it as a home base. His plants are ensured to be behind him as well.

-Exiting far enough away from the bookshop, assuming the bookshop already activated longer sideburns. This distance expands during the story, explained further below.

-Being present in human spaces. Thresholds can both force and counter this effect, dependent on their design.

-Entering a private room with Aziraphale within the bookshop shortened them from the bookshop's main first floor after encountering Gabriel.

-Being in the bookshop with two humans when Aziraphale enters and before the humans leave in episode 6. There are pocket touches on his pants, but pants pocket touches themselves have not been shown to change the sideburn length. If anything, the sideburn length has been shown to remain as it is during and after pants pocket touches or have other reasons for changing, such as no longer touching a door. He is shown blurred from some distance, so it's easy to miss him. He's to the camera's right behind Nina. Both humans are no longer looking at him. It's a cut that ensures Crowley is briefly visible before the next Muriel scene.

...

Connecting the Two Home Bases

During the specific season 2 story, Crowley regularly parks his car across the street from the bookshop. He himself parks it by the coffee shop in episode 1 twice and in episode 5 once. During episodes 5 and 6, the car remains parked by the coffee shop. Aziraphale also chooses to park the car by the coffee shop near the episode 4. Otherwise, Crowley parks it across the street from the pub in episode 2 and right by the pub in episode 3.

In episode 1, once Crowley reaches the middle of the street and starts to count to ten, the sideburns are a shorter length that better matches before he entered the bookshop.

In episode 2, we see Crowley with longer sideburns right before he crosses the threshold whereas episode 1 showed them still short. At some point he leaves and is seen with short sideburns again, across the street.

In episode 3, Crowley exits the bookshop to interact with Shax. He never crosses the street and remains mostly along the sidewalk. Still, it might be considered further in distance and is longer for the sideburns than seen in episodes 1 and 2.

In episode 4, when Crowley exits the bookshop, his sideburns are again longer than the usual shortness around humans up to that point of the story. Episode 1 is structured to tell us that the sideburns get shorter from the bookshop threshold to the center of the street. Episode 4 shows us the sideburns did not get shorter from the bookshop threshold to the center of the street. They stayed longer.

Why?

Crowley and Aziraphale connected their home bases for when the Bentley is parked across the street, intentionally or not. I think it is intentional, but I have a very loose grasp on a possible reason.

...

So, how did they connect their home bases?

Aziraphale borrowed Crowley's car. Crowley borrowed Aziraphale's bookshop.

Put another way, Aziraphale inhabited Crowley's home base without Crowley for a certain amount of time and over some distance between the two of them. Crowley inhabited Aziraphale's home base without Aziraphale for a certain amount of time over some distance between the two of them. Both time and distance contribute to changing the length from each of these homes.

Crowley and Aziraphale remotely contact each other once during this borrowing phase. Assuming this effect is memory-related, those spaces now share those memories.

When Crowley and Aziraphale take Crowley's plants, living things that inhabited one home base, then another, during this process, they are finalizing this connection.

The plants will now have memories of being in each space, and each space will now have memories of the plants inhabiting them.

I suspect these plants are a key part of the connection that is better covered in my Earthly Objects theorizing, specifically here:

The Pocket Chain Rainbow Connection Part 4 - The Door Trick and The Door Catch

Yes, despite Crowley's seeming reluctance and discomfort with loaning his car, I think forming this connection was intentional from both of them. I go over the specifics of how I interpret the scene here: Post #31 (technically).

All the same, back to my main stuff. My theory is the home base border along the center of the street has disappeared. It is actually more like a radius around the bookshop expanded, but that's the main place the border was understood to exist.

Onto my loose grasp of a possible reason.

This connection—this disappearance of that border—does not protect the rest of the street from the incoming demon invasion when it starts. The demons enter the area without invitation.

After Crowley enters the bookshop for the ball, as best I can tell, no humans are on the street. There is a bunch of fog, and it's dark, and there are demons. Eventually, there will be an angel there, but there are no humans.

Crowley escorts some humans to safety to exit the bookshop. However, when he dismisses them, we don't really see where they go. The story cuts away, and when we are back to Crowley's location, they are gone.

There are other times we've seen Crowley in or near his car with longer sideburns and no humans.

The basic idea is that the space surrounding Crowley's car, that we've been seeing, has split itself into two different spaces at once. One is the Earth where humans do what they do, as usual, but are now not disturbing Crowley while he is in his car. The other is the Earth where Crowley does what he does, not disturbing humans. The spaces then re-merge when the driving time deems it to happen. The "no humans" space is a supernatural-exclusive zone when it comes to angels, demons, and humans.

For whatever it's worth, the only living natural beings I can find in the area are plants, inside and out of the car, and that one fly before Beelzebub shows up inside the car (assuming that fly is indeed natural).

Instead of a person, such as Crowley, being two places at once, one place becomes two places at once. The car being Hell, and the pub being Heaven further support this idea. Each of those spaces are accessed by Crowley when Crowley has the longer sideburns and in that zone to begin with.

The mechanics are confusing with the flies. I don't fully get it, but it probably relates to the car having thresholds in a wider supernatural space.

In the case of the ball, the split didn't just happen by accident or through time alone. Crowley's car is near the bookshop, but he wasn't in it. It wasn't in its usual isolated area. The window is open before the invitations start but closed when he talks to Nina, so we're never shown when it's being switched from open or closed.

There is a very specific point where things start to change, but before that, there are also some specific things that happen. Namely, during each ball invitation shown on camera, Crowley accompanies Aziraphale. He does not say anything during the actual inviting and makes various touches during each scene. These touches generally include earthly objects, self-clothing touches, self-skin-contact touches, and...pockets. Pockets are a big, little thing in GO2 that are beyond my ability to understand or explain.

I'm sorry. It sucks. It really, really sucks that I cannot do better. I've picked up enough to know they're important so am telling you at least that much. Touches and pockets or not, there are still ball invitations, and things still change. Crowley gets his own special invitation that's to the bookshop instead of the meeting.

Once he accepts this invitation, he goes to the bookshop and approaches Gabriel in basically Demon Mode. I'll get into it more whenever I reach the scene itself. You can read what I initially wrote in my past post on the Sideburns: The Sideburns Scheme

Nonetheless, I think Crowley was drawing out his own demonic energy to start the split, a shift from one zone to the other.

The shift is not instant. It's happening while Crowley is out in the street to make sure Maggie and Nina are on their way. The street is growing increasingly foggy as it is getting darker. Fewer and fewer humans are around as time passes.

It doesn't really seem to be completed until Maggie is walking toward the bookshop with Nina not long before her as next-to-last. Maggie herself is a human, but she seems to be a special type of human not explained in the story as to how or why she is different. Nina could be too, even if it's not as obvious. She is next-to-last.

If one excludes Maggie because she is human in some capacity, then it's probably done when Crowley himself enters the bookshop as a means to complete the matter, further confirmed with Shax arriving through the supernatural elevator in the pub instead of wherever the rest of the demons came from. The story referred to such a place as "stairs" when Shax was planning the invasion. An elevator is decidedly not stairs. It definitely raises questions about Shax with that kind of timing and wording.

Another thing about this special zone is that the Bentley is the only car around once the shift is done.

Speaking of the car, Crowley won't just drive away to re-merge these spaces. Not only that, he's not going back into that bookshop despite the indications in the dialogue he would.

Nope.

Instead, he goes to Heaven and spends time there until the war declaration goes off. Upon returning the following day, the merge has happened, either through the time itself or just the reset of the day. Sure, it could be the halo blowing up, but the people aren't shown as being in the street until Crowley himself is visibly there. It could be a combination of these factors too.

So, if Crowley and Aziraphale wanted to protect the street overall from the incoming invasion but somehow still needed this ball to happen with some humans, that's what they did to protect everyone as best they could.

It might even be a trial run for needing to protect Earth on a much bigger scale later.

Now, admittedly, Crowley did seem alarmed by the demons arriving, but both he and Aziraphale have been acting in certain ways to throw off whoever or whatever is reading them throughout this story. There is something about layering and switches they seem to have in the games they play that I don't fully understand.

By making the border expand, that meant that, for the most part, once Crowley entered the bookshop on the implied Thursday, his sideburns could not become their usual shortness around humans until that one fleeting moment mentioned earlier when Maggie and Nina were leaving. Even then, the sideburns quickly lengthened by the next scene. After that, they did not reach their usual shortness around humans until after he had driven for enough time and far enough away from the bookshop. He did not take that action and receive that shortness until right before the ending credits.

I suspect the sideburns do more than all of that since they seem connected to memory in some way.

...

The Bigger Thresholds Trick

This part of The Sideburns Scheme is a significant crossover with The Earthly Objects Game as one of the Threshold Tricks Crowley does during Good Omens 2.

There are three special locations that have thresholds bigger than Crowley, but we'll talk about a certain two first.

Those locations are the pub and the music shop. They are human-specific spaces that make it quite difficult to develop theories like the one about the connection and the other about the existence of a supernatural zone. In these two places, Crowley's sideburns are longer.

During the story, both locations have one thing in common that seems to have nothing to do with Crowley. Both locations have an encounter with a human who remembers a meeting from some years ago and say as much to Aziraphale. Each encounter mentions lights of a similar nature.

And then...there's Heaven. This time, there's no obvious way for a sideburn check. Instead, one is left to guess it's still relevant given the past two locations and noticing the threshold is bigger than Crowley.

I'll be covering these places more in-depth over time, hopefully, but you can again look to my previous post about the sideburns for reference: The Sideburns Scheme

The past post lacks many things about Heaven in particular, but the main one I want to note is Muriel's relevance. As far as my own theorizing is concerned now compared to then, Muriel is someone Crowley trusts deeply. You can find out more on that theory in these two links: Bookend Buddies - Crowley and Muriel (Part 2)

Before I move on from The Bigger Thresholds Trick, here is my understanding of how this part of Earthly Objects works. The sideburns being longer in the pub and music shop is a clue about this particular Threshold Trick.

A threshold being bigger than Crowley is not enough on its own to credit Crowley as having tricked that type of threshold.

Each one has a simple explanation but is done in a more complex way for an audience member playing to try and figure out in a puzzle.

My own conclusions are as follows:

In the pub, he "switched lanes".

In the music shop, he "never let go of the door".

In Heaven, there are possibly at least two solutions since the Threshold Tricks have a second round of play after the advanced pocket mechanics are found within The Pocket Trick, such as the Tied Hands.

If so, the first solution is, Crowley "didn't touch the buttons." That's always seemed too easy, and the second round of play indicates that a better solution should be found.

As more time passes, I lean most toward "pretended to be arrested". That's because it's emphasized as how Crowley gets in with Muriel. His own dialogue brings it up once he's actually inside the threshold. It has a little rhythm to it. The problem with that solution is that the ideal one would include a noun, such as "buttons" or "cells" or "doorknobs," to represent the Triple. Another good solution would be something like "engaged in misdirection", especially given the context of the entrance scene itself. The "LETTERS" on the right-side door is a potential clue as is the doors closing in so specifically on Crowley's watch. So, I'm not fully convinced "pretended to be arrested" is the answer. It's still the one I lean the most toward as of the latest update.

It could be all three I've come up with since I have three, it's the Triple, and Earthly Objects has a Rule of Three.

...

The Season 2 Ending (The Door Trick)

Just like with the bigger thresholds, this part of the Sideburns Scheme actually crosses over with the Earthly Objects game (Threshold Tricks)

I am cutting a lot of content on it in this newer post though, again, you can look to the older one for reference to find more: The Sideburns Scheme

Near the end of episode 6 during season 2, Crowley is seen standing at the door to his car with longest-length sideburns.

For anyone trying to figure out how the sideburns work, that's noteworthy.

Despite how much we've seen Crowley, the car, and humans throughout the story, we've never seen them all combined into this particular context.

Other angels and demons are gone. Muriel is supposedly around but not on screen. Aziraphale and the Metatron have some distance between themselves and Crowley. Meanwhile, Crowley himself is surrounded by humans.

So, a question arises. Why are they this long in this setting?

Well, I already mentioned my answer before, but I'll go over what he's doing because it's rather specific despite how simple it looks.

This character is precise in his choices, whatever this scheme really is.

He is standing incredibly still. He has his legs crossed. The scene is structured to alert us that even though we can't see his feet, they are not touching the edge of the sidewalk—a threshold. He has his right hand fingers in his pocket and his thumb outside the pocket. The camera work ensures we know that he is not touching the window frame despite the incoming angle where we, otherwise, could not know. His left arm is touching the door panel. The door panel is the threshold. It is not an earthly object. He is touching his own space in his own way while watching Aziraphale's departure.

I think the length is due specifically to the stillness and touch on the door of the car.

There is a lot to be said for that pocket touch, which I hope to do eventually in other posts.

My own personal interpretation—not just from the games—but as someone having played them and who has her own thoughts on the story goes as follows:

Crowley is giving everything he has in himself to see Aziraphale off without truly giving his full self up in the process. Aziraphale is going to a place Crowley will not follow. Even so, the demon of the pair has put pieces in place to help Aziraphale from the distance they will have between each other in the foreseeable future. They both contributed to creating and maintaining a connection with each other during Good Omens 2. They also had to work together separately. They both love Earth, and they are going to work to protect Earth in Good Omens 3.

In my view, there's a hidden "Separately Together" theme in Good Omens 2 that one cannot find—or will very much struggle to find—unless you figure out at least some of the pocket puzzles.

Linked to The Door Trick is something truly magical called The Door Catch.

I found it on accident through never fully solving The Pocket Trick.

These are generally the posts I have on The Door Trick itself for now:

The Sideburns Scheme (skip ahead to The Season 2 Ending (The Door Trick)

The Door Trick Visual Representation (GIFs)

The Pocket Chain Rainbow Connection Part 4 - The Door Trick and The Door Catch

...

Here are links to posts that cover parts of Good Omens 2 more in-depth.

​Episode 1: The Arrival (Links List)

​Episode 2: The Clue (Links List)

Episode 3: I Know Where I'm Going (Links List)

​Episode 4: The Hitchhiker (Links List)

Episode 5: The Ball

Post #64 (watch)

Post #65 (harpsichord)

Post #66 (depending)

Post #67 (approaching present day magic shop)

Post #68 (expert)

Post #69 (Mrs. Cheng invitation)

Post #70 (Justine invitation)

Post #71 (Nina invitation)

Post #72 (Crowley invitation)

...

This project is inspired by these posts:

Crowley’s Sideburns & what do they mean?

Ok, I love this theory that it could be some sort ...

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley s2 hair project #crowley sideburns #good omens theories #good omens theory

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #31

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 2, The Clue, technically

...

Sideburns Check

For most of the scene, the sideburns are short. During the cut where Crowley's legs are fully visible as he approaches the car, his left sideburn is long. His head is reflected in the rear window pane, and it's confirmed as long there too.

I've noticed the reflection many times and mainly that the cut has so much focus on a clear view of the car, so I have missed this long sideburn for a good, long while.

Given that, I have to look around and think about what is established so far in my whole theory. What stands out in the cut with the long sideburn besides the long sideburn itself?

Well, given the angles and timing, Crowley himself seems possibly reset a little further back from where I would expect, given his approach to the car with the preceding cut that had the rainbow.

This longer-left-sideburn cut itself is showing Crowley approaching closer to the car before Aziraphale crosses the threshold that is the edge of the sidewalk and getting closer to Crowley. Both the demon and the angel have full-body shots as they are visually "pocketing" the car and closing in toward each other. The car itself has a full body shot with this framing.

So, altogether, it's suggesting that this special pocket setup with the sidewalk threshold had a briefly active radius that lengthened the left sideburn to longest-length. Crowley's pants pocket touch with the right hand is implied, though not visually confirmed, to still be active.

My guess is that the closing in between characters with both being on the sidewalk is what shortens the sideburns yet again.

Interestingly, Crowley's right sideburn is never shown to receive this longer length and is actually the main sideburn visible throughout the scene.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

It's highly questionable for if the more saturated streak is there. Hair is more saturated in the areas of a generally expected split for the episode. However, the saturation is not as defined in its difference compared to the previous scene with Nina. Additionally, the angles don't allow for a good look to be sure. For instance, the best place to check would be probably when Crowley's legs are visible with the longer left sideburn, but he's walking, and it's some distance away to really check the mass of red hair for the more red streak.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The top hair still goes up and splits with more hair toward the right and not as much hair to the left. The split itself seems to have shifted to Crowley's right while the hair is going more upward.

At least partly thanks to the lighting from the sunlight behind Crowley, the hair looks more saturated in red too.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | The Pocket Trick - Basics | The Pocket Trick Touch #2 - Triple Part 2 - Between Cars | Rainbow Connection Part 2 - The Pocket Trick - Triple Part 2 and Double)

The scene starts with a shoulder-angel cut of Aziraphale by the car. Crowley receives an Overhead Light for The Pocket Trick Triple Part 2. The cut that follows is also for The Pocket Trick Triple Part 2. It shows the right-hand pocket touch, the rainbow, and the million other things that are happening with such trickery.

I went over it in the recently updated link, The Pocket Trick Touch #2 - Triple Part 2 - Between Cars.

I'll still talk about the touch here but not as thoroughly.

Every touch in The Pocket Trick has something I call a Touch Point, which is a specific video frame an audience player is supposed to find based on clues from the relevant cut.

...

Here is the Touch Point:

I have named this Touch Point as my guess for the most special Clue of clues that is not the record, for the episode. This episode has a lot of clues due to so much threshold trickery. In fact, every Threshold Trick has a reference in the Touch Point itself. There's the car door, car window, bigger threshold from the pub, the current pocket touch in The Pocket Trick, and the sunglasses. The sunglasses will change in the next episode. The car door and window were used in the Double for The Perfect Entrance Trick.

Of the 3 Complex Threshold Tricks, each one is active during the episode with two of those three having two touches during the episode.

Plus, there's the forming general connection between homes through the sideburns being referenced.

...

Findable Rainbow

This rainbow is the official rainbow for this Threshold Trick. You may recall I pointed out The Perfect Entrance Trick does not get one, and The Pocket Trick is the first of those that get rainbows at all, to get its rainbow. Here we are.

The rainbow moves across the screen, as if to target the plants in the car.

Often, rainbows are depicted as going from Red to Purple in fiction. This one starts with Purple, then goes from Red to Blue. That might be related to the idea of the story's distorted reality and questionable chronology.

...

Rainbow Connection

The Rainbow Connection starts on Yellow. It switches to Green. The rainbow helps trap the Green of the plants for repeat use in The Door Trick and its connection to The Door Catch. Then the Rainbow Connection switches to Blue.

Please see the reference links above for any further details.

...

Turtleneck

Thanks to the turtleneck, Crowley's actual neck has no illusionary skin contact with the car behind him that is used as part of the Pocket Frame during the Touch Point. That's somewhat relevant to one of the mistakes the Metatron makes during The Door Catch. The Metatron's left index finger is visibly touching a button. The threshold's buttons are equivalent to doorknobs, so he is regarded as touching his own Pocket Frame and with an index fingertip at that. My own play guesses that's a mistake on his part, based on the other clues from the game, Crowley not doing such things, and the specific choice in framing with this turtleneck in the Touch Point of this touch.

...

The Record

The main earthly object actually touched during the scene is the record, which is the presented Clue of the episode. Aziraphale's fingers are mindful of their touch on the record. As things tend to go in Earthly Objects, to receive credit for a physical touch with fingers, depending on the context of the object, three digits give credit when one hand is used, and six digits give credit when two hands are used. Thumbs are important overall.

So, here Aziraphale starts off with using two hands while one hand has two fingers on the record, and the other has one. A thumb is shown to hold the record from a shot behind Aziraphale at one point and again after his hand is slapped. I'm not really sure if the variance in the touch is trying to tell me he's getting credit for the physical touches or if he's avoiding physical credit since it has more to do with showing Crowley the record and the threshold touches we're going to see during the scene.

...

Thresholds

This scene has some very important threshold-only touches that are not the touches of the Threshold Tricks, even though that right-hand pocket touch is presumably still active.

In fact, I suspect that pocket touch is largely responsible for the format allowed here.

When Aziraphale says, "And while I'm gone, you can look after the bookshop," Crowley turns to look at the bookshop. His left hand goes up, and all five digits definitely, visibly touch the panel surrounding the doors. I've gone with calling this thing the "door panel" due to not being able to find the proper otherwise. I've gone with another search drafting this post and maybe "trim," or "casing" would be more appropriate. I still prefer "panel."

Whatever the proper word is, Earthly Objects treats it as the threshold that is specifically the threshold part of the door based on how Crowley positions himself so deliberately during The Door Trick.

There's a line across the roof of the car. The fingers are generally lined up with where this roof line is.

Knowing there's an implied pocket touch, we should check in on the Tied Hands. Oh, they might still be tied because the clasps of Crowley's left-most strand are lining up with the lapel edge of his jacket while the actual left hand thumb joints are lining up along the window frame. My current guess is that the Tied Hands still being tied was due to how the actual hands stayed off-screen once they were off-screen during The Pocket Trick Triple Part 2.

After Aziraphale says, "Yes?" Crowley's left hand changes its touch. Four fingers are on the door panel, and the thumb is on a window frame.

In the main Sideburns Scheme post, I noted that Good Omens 2 was interested in these three things: doors, windows, and pockets—especially pockets.

So, in this scene, Crowley is touching 3 thresholds of these things at the same time even if the pocket touch itself is off-screen. That's part of how significant this scene is for preparing to form the connection.

...

Sunglasses Reflection

Behold, it is possibly the first reflection of a person in Crowley's sunglasses this season. I miss things, so I won't promise it is. I've been checking while drafting these posts, but I still miss things.

Aziraphale holding the record can be found as a reflection in Crowley's sunglasses in 2 cuts. The first is when Aziraphale starts to say, "It is as you might say a miracle." The cut ends while Aziraphale is saying, "say". The second is Crowley saying, "Oh," in response to "miracle".

This reflection is one of the clues for The Window Trick as the last Threshold Trick.

...

Time to pay even more attention to the pockets.

As said in the Sideburns section above, Aziraphale and Crowley visually pocket the car with each of their bodies fully visible while Crowley has a longer left sideburn.

When Crowley reads, "The Resurrectionist" off the record, his pants pocket touch is not on screen, but there is a pocket between his right jacket sleeve, torso, and the bottom of the screen.That pants pocket touch will not be seen again. Sometimes, the cuts will show his upper chest and head without this sleeve pocket. When Crowley turns around to look at the bookshop, the pocket is gone, temporarily forms, and closes with his turning.

The left jacket sleeve, torso, and bottom of the screen also make a pocket when Crowley is implied to touch the car and says, "This Bentley is my car." After he slaps Aziraphale's hand, his implied touch on the car is gone, but the pocket itself is smaller and there before he turns to look at the bookshop.

The tie strands are sneaky and switch a few times off-screen.

Aziraphale makes occasional pockets with his hand and arm while holding the record.

Crowley and Aziraphale are visually pocketing the plants and car thresholds during the proposal.

...

Story Commentary

This scene is very, very important, as this part is where both Aziraphale and Crowley decide to form their connection through borrowing each other's homes as part of my overall Sideburns Scheme theory.

I think a lot of things are intentionally strange about it too.

For instance, the cut with Crowley's Overhead Light has different background humans for where Aziraphale is compared to the background humans for where Aziraphale is with the longer-left-sideburn cut.

Again for the longer-left-sideburn cut, Crowley himself seems to be reset a few steps back from his touch in The Pocket Trick, Triple Part 2.

There is that longer-left-sideburn just being there at all for one cut.

There's the already noted weirdness of the humans in the The Pocket Trick, Triple Part 2 cut with the rainbow, see link just above.

When Aziraphale reaches for the car, he reaches out with his right hand, there's a slap sound effect, and Aziraphale's left hand pulls away, as if it were the hand that was slapped for reaching toward the car.

But all these little oddities aside, when I first watched Good Omens 2, other things stood out too. For instance, Aziraphale says, "...but we both get plenty of use out of it, don't we?" about the bookshop with Crowley. They do? What does Crowley use the bookshop for then?

Crowley acts stunned after looking toward the bookshop, like a decision was made for him. I, as a viewer, eventually realize he's going to complain but still loan the car in the next episode. Why would he do that?

Well for that last one, this sneaky snake is playing games with us, that's why. Also, he likes to complain. And trusts Aziraphale.

Crowley traps the Green with the rainbow through the pocket trickery before Aziraphale even proposes!

When Aziraphale reads the record, Crowley says aloud, "The Resurrectionist," and the next minisode will be, "The Resurrectionists," so that could be Crowley picking up on the clue that's what the next minisode is going to be. Even though Aziraphale will narrate and be on a road trip, Crowley will still share the recollection with him.

Aziraphale is doing various non-verbal communication in the scene. For instance, his initial look after crossing over to the sidewalk is something like, he has an idea or he wants Crowley to roll with the idea he has.

When he says, "on the jukebox," the second time, he's nodding his head toward his right. Aziraphale's right is Crowley's left. To Crowley's left is the pub. The car will be parked in front of the pub next episode when Aziraphale starts to drive.

While holding the record in the earlier cuts of the scene, Aziraphale's right hand is showing two fingers holding the record and more of his fingers overall compared to his left hand. the left hand starts off with only the index finger with its tip visibly touching the record. That's, possibly, like the right hand is the symbol for "long" and the left hand is the symbol for "short" in whatever code he is using about the sideburns for this connection proposal. As things continue, the touch changes so that more fingers eventually are shown with the left hand instead of the right.

Aziraphale has a "tongue in cheek," right after he says he's going to "investigate." That could mean he's not really going to "investigate," the jukebox but is following the trail from the Clue or that he wants Crowley to act like he's not on board with the idea yet.

Before Aziraphale's hand receives that slap sound effect, he closes his left eye as if he is winking but closes his right eye soon after, so it's not actually a wink.

Aziraphale could also be showing Crowley the record to indicate the clues he found from the Job memory, such as "Goat Gate."

Meanwhile, if Aziraphale is looking carefully—and he probably is—he can pick up on Crowley seeing Aziraphale holding the record when Crowley does because of the reflection in the sunglasses. Not only that, shortly thereafter, when Crowley says, "What car?" little yellow lights are reflected within the sunglasses. These lights are relevant to the Pocket Trick touch that happened earlier and will be later with the Yellow for connecting Aziraphale through the door trickery in episode 6, that is both The Door Trick and The Door Catch.

This scene has the first of four times Crowley says the word, "train." Before I got all into theorizing on the Sideburns Scheme and the Earthly Objects game, one of my questions as just a generally confused audience member, was about why Crowley kept mentioning trains so many times in his complaints while still loaning the car. Why did he do that? There are three instances, but in one of them he says, "trains" twice, making the word use 4 total.

Only because I knew this post was hopefully on its way in the near future, I contemplated that question more recently. Playing with the words and ideas of the game, I reflected on the 4 lines I came up with to explain the non-rainbow shades in the Rainbow Connection. So, I looked up if there was a word for a 4-line poem, and there is. It's...a quatrain. I made a post about it, A Quatrain of the Shades.

My own Earthly Objects play interprets the touch with the thumb on the window frame as an assurance that if Crowley appears tricked into that first threshold touch, he's not. He did that on purpose. This demon knows how to use thumbs when it comes to thresholds. That's why he has 6 Threshold Tricks with imaginary Tied Hands involved.

That cut with the longer left sideburn stands out because it wants the audience to get a really good look at the car before this process starts. The car is going to transform during that process.

This scene is deceptive because the presented issue is a serious concern. However, based on the clues at least, these two are actually in agreement, even if Crowley seems to be manipulated on the surface.

They are likely being read or watched, so they are mindful of how they communicate in this open public human space. Aziraphale's cool with saying the name "Gabriel" instead of "Jim" aloud out here in the street though.

It's interesting that, "And Gabriel," is what gets that extra confirmation touch with the thumb on the window frame. That suggests Crowley wants to look after Gabriel. It's probably part of the overall plan because Gabriel is a catalyst used for the supernatural shift later in episode 5, but it does give Crowley an excuse to spend time with Gabriel too. Crowley's actually going to be in his most friendly conversation with Gabriel the next time they are in a scene together.

This scene is the last present day one with this pair of sunglasses. That's going to be another clue of Crowley accepting the proposal to forming this connection.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens meta #good omens season 2 #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley s2 hair project #good omens clues #good omens theory #good omens theories

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #10

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 1, The Arrival, storming out

Due to how this part of the episode is structured, this post requires a different format than usual to start.

I am going to start with a specific sequence but cover several things after that sequence in the rest of the post.

This sequence is very important and very special. It is going to demonstrate several game mechanics to the audience in a tutorial.

I strongly believe in my guesses that there are at least 2 fake Crowleys in this sequence. There could be up to 3.

Crowley is going to walk from the threshold of his private meeting room with Aziraphale, into the main bookshop first floor area, through the bookshop's overall threshold, and into the street, stopping specifically at the center of the street.

Let's begin.

When leaving the room, Crowley's sideburns have become longer than being in the room but not as long as when he encountered Gabriel. I strongly suspect this fake is Gabriel.

Then there is a cut.

This fake Crowley—who is probably Aziraphale—stiffly walks his way past a cardboard box with visibly long sideburns that are likely to be the same length as when Presumably Actual Crowley encountered Gabriel as shown earlier in the episode.

Then there is another cut.

Now we have a Blurry Possibly Fake Crowley. This version does not show us enough to guess the sideburn length. Instead, the sequence focuses on an avoided plate of Eccles cakes while a right hand picks up Crowley's sunglasses.

Then there is another cut.

A human walks past Now Presumably Actual Crowley. His sideburns are shorter than the Aziraphale-Crowley but not as short as when he initially entered the bookshop. He has passed the bookshop's threshold.

Then there is another cut.

Now Crowley's left profile view almost looks like it matches his left profile view before he entered the bookshop with the left sideburn. It seems to be a little longer still.

If the sideburns had not fully shortened in the preceding cut, they have here when Crowley is going to tighten his face in anger. I'll go over this part in more detail in the Earthly Objects section, along with the complex window scene that follows it.

...

Sideburns Check

Okay, so this storming out sequence told us the story was blatantly lying to us but not because the sideburns changed in length. It's other things detailed in the Earthly Objects section.

When first trying to figure out the sideburns, I saw this sequence, made a post about it, thought it over, and grew exasperated. How else am I supposed to figure out how the sideburns work if I know the story is so blatantly lying on things that are not the sideburns? That's the trick to it right there. The answer is in the question. There is no other way to know. If I want to keep playing the sideburns game—because I sincerely think someone or something in the story wants me to find their meaning, I have to believe there was a hidden message within the lie that was true. This sequence just told me some important things about how the sideburns work. It was a sideburns tutorial.

Proximity to Gabriel will make the sideburns longer. Proximity to humans, or a private space with Aziraphale, will make the sideburns shorter. There can be a length in between the two types with distance involving the thresholds of the bookshop.

Playing the game without that assumption makes the game much, much harder.

Reaching that conclusion took several days of just plain thinking, trying to make more posts, and otherwise living my life. I had to go back and thoroughly update my initial post.

The longer sideburns in the lie are also a clue that Gabriel was there after all, in whatever really happened.

Here is what it takes playing the whole game of season 2 to understand even more. There is an invisible supernatural border between Aziraphale's bookshop and Crowley's car when the car is parked across the street. The bookshop is Aziraphale's home. The car is Crowley's home.

Because this border exists as a human-dominant space, Crowley's sideburns will shorten to the length they usually are around humans once he has reached the proper distance—currently the center of the street—between these two special, supernatural places.

This border will disappear—or expand as a radius—at the end of episode 4 when Crowley visibly crosses the bookshop threshold and walks with Aziraphale all the way to his car while they both hold cardboard boxes of Crowley's plants. As noted in my main sideburns post, I think that's from the shared loan of the homes to form a special connection. After all I have been through with my limited progress in the Rainbow Connection for The Pocket Trick, I am all the more convinced. At my best guesses going over my archive here on Tumblr, I came up with the word "connection" in my main sideburns post a little over a month before I found The Pocket Trick, then took another few weeks to find the Rainbow Connection in The Pocket Trick's Pocket Chain existed.

After the border expands, Crowley has to drive far enough away and give the sideburns enough time to shorten to the desired length for being read as human in the street again.

The story demonstrates such an action with episode 5 showing him arriving back from a drive. A player has to give into the admittedly questionable chronology of the story for that conclusion as well.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

For Gabriel-Crowley starting off the sequence, I cannot find the brighter red streak of hair.

For Aziraphale-Crowley, there is something lighter in shade compared to the rest of the hair above the center of his left eye, but that's not the same thing as being more saturated in red.

For Crowley exiting the bookshop, it is mostly gone. It is only when he is about to stop in the street that I can finally see something that looks like more saturated red in the same general area I found it before he entered the bookshop. That is the only thing that might be the streak, and it is small. The above image is not brightened. When I tried to brighten an image to check, that part looked even less plausible to be the streak.

After that, I cannot find it.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The hair changes quite a bit during the whole thing.

For Gabriel-Crowley, the middle area of the front goes up and to his right some. There's something like a curl behind it on the top of the head.

For Aziraphale-Crowley, the style is more tidy. The front top swoops up and back.

For Actual Crowley, the style looks similar to before he entered but darker and with the tendrils on top positioned a little differently. I like this one too. It is very distracting in trying to make this post because I like it so much.

When Crowley's face tightens in anger, the cut ensures not being able to see if the brighter red streak is there.

After that, his hair looks to be losing its stronger red saturation before the lightning itself is actually released. It looks more relaxed too.

From what can be seen, the hair is getting darker.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | Earthly Objects Study - Windows Part 1 | Earthly Objects Study - Crowley's Sunglasses)

Whoa, there is a lot happening with Earthly Objects here.

So, the way I interpret the storming out sequence to right before a human passes by Crowley past the bookshop's threshold is that is basic rule-breaking in Earthly Objects on purpose.

It might not be, but that's how I like to think of it in the way I play the game as an audience member. Plus, I can name a place where I think the rule-breaking ends and the rule-following starts.

Aziraphale—or Crowley as Aziraphale—is in the chair. Gabriel-Crowley touches the door on the push plate, and somebody picks up those sunglasses. So, there are touches.

However, the main earthly objects meant to be noticed are the cardboard box and the plate of Eccles cakes because they were both left untouched with the box also being unquestioned. Dialogue is lacking when the fakes are on screen.

As I said in my main first post about Crowley and Muriel, Actual Crowley is a top tier player in Earthly Objects who is incredibly deliberate in what he touches, especially with his hands. He's also someone who tends to ask questions.

This part is not the Metatron editing the Book of Life. This part is Crowley, Aziraphale, and Gabriel collectively working together for their edit in the story through breaking the rules of the game, Earthly Objects. That rule-breaking then informs the audience of the lie.

When Crowley is leaving the bookshop, two fingers are touching the sunglasses. That is not enough to earn credit for touching them as an accessory yet. That is the end of the rule-breaking.

A human passes by, and then he is touching the sunglasses with at least three fingers. So, rule-following has started. The rule-breaking edit ended, and we have entered the main draft of the story.

By hiding the thumb, that helped put the sunglasses into Accessory Mode too and earning a point for that touch.

Crowley angrily mutters, "Just breathe, that's what humans do...then they count to ten before they do anything stupid!" The number "ten" is a dialogue point. That is Crowley's second point in this solo set.

Now here's where things get even more weird and tricky, but thanks to the annoying, difficult pocket mechanics that are so silly and emphasize a human presence in The Pocket Trick, I have a stronger belief in this ridiculous theory.

Crowley is creating a very specific context to allow him to earn a point by touching the sunglasses with his face.

Once he reaches the center of the street and stopped, the sideburns are shortened to the desired length for human spaces. He is being read as human. Humans use sunglasses as accessories. While pockets are what tend to use lighting as clues, in the cut where he is stopping, there is extra light on his left sunglasses lens that could very well be a clue about the sideburns, this incoming touch, and a couple of pockets of hair shown by toward the end of the cut. There is a lightning imprint visible on the forehead yet again.

Crowley tightens his face in anger. The cut itself focuses on the act, and the subtitles note he grunts. The eyebrows lower for an active touch on the top of the rims of his sunglasses and the cheeks rise for an active touch on the bottom of the rims of his sunglasses.

When Nina sees Crowley, she refers to him as "that bloke," so there is even further confirmation that yes, here is a human looking at Crowley and seeing him as human after he has done that particular touch.

So, a benefit to the short sideburns is that it allows him a face touch on the sunglasses in this special context. That doesn't seem like much, but it's valuable to Crowley because, if this theory is right, he does it two more times during Good Omens 2. That would make 3 face touches in a game with a Rule of Three.

He plays this game like it is a competition. He is likely the top tier player because he makes choices like this one: short sideburns for a slight advantage in earning 3 special accessory points across the game during the entire season.

...

Moving on, it is time for the story's first complex window scene!

These scenes have three steps, and this part is the game's initial tutorial on those steps.

The steps are:

Step 1: The looker looks.

Step 2: The window sees.

Step 3: The looker is seen clearly behind the window pane with at least some of the window frame visible.

When Nina gets Maggie to look, there is a shared blur between the two. That blur is the main one that made me think they mean pass or share in the game. When Maggie looks, she is known to have been attending to her tea, but if she is touching an earthly object, the touch itself is not on screen. She is at the threshold of the window touch with this particular look.

There will be more complex window scenes that will do the same thing to help further confirm this threshold component. For instance, in the next one, Maggie is doing a self-touch with her hand in her mouth and then actually removes the touch during the look. This threshold component is important because of figuring out the steps Crowley is following in The Window Trick without knowing whatever further advanced pocket mechanics might be involved.

For the window seeing, that would be the cut with Maggie and Nina shown from the back while Crowley is seen through the window. Generally, these parts make sure a window frame is somewhere in the cut.

Maggie is seen behind the window pane when the lightning shoots out. While it is a little blurry because of the lightning, that blur is not the same type as what the game uses for the passes and shares, so I think she is still considered to be seen clearly enough to earn the point for looking. The reflection of Crowley's lower body is in the window pane with his lightning.

While Maggie and Nina are looking, Crowley is still busy earning his own solo points, which the game focuses on when not focusing on Maggie and Nina.

I think it goes that one set is the hopping on the ground is point #1 as a touch. Shouting the number "Ten!" is point #2 through dialogue. The lightning actually hitting the coffee shop twice is point #3 as a touch.

The lightning earns its own 3 points with 3 different touches on the door. I eventually took that sequence as a clue about the Rule of Three in Earthly Objects.

For Crowley's next set, his lightning is channeling out of his own neck and striking him. There are actually three specific points on his body where the lightning is channeling out from him, like little nodes. I'm hoping I'm not supposed to count how many are doing what where because I won't do that, and it's mainly communicating the lightning is striking him for a point here.

Maggie will remind the audience in the dialogue that lightning striking someone or something is what lightning does on Earth. Hence, that is how Crowley earns that point.

With Maggie finally forced to see Crowley, the surrounding Soho people react oddly, almost in tune with her. They were moving when she first saw Crowley, but in the next cut, almost everyone is stopped and looking at Crowley. They see him release the lightning. Maggie says she thinks he was struck by lightning—which technically he was because of his own lightning striking him. As if in response, everyone in the street moves on as if nothing happened.

Another theoretical point for Crowley is bringing his teeth together in a chomp. The rules for supernatural beings and self-touches are very confusing because they look like they don't exist for various reasons, but Crowley's play especially suggests there is something like requiring an earthly object touch in several instances for him. This chomp would be one such time. Crowley can do it because of the lightning striking him. The chomp is so fast, I can only ever see it going frame by frame, but I don't think he gets a second point any other way, even with whatever he is doing with pockets.

The third point would then be Crowley letting the smoke hit him as he grunts.

Additionally, it is in this movement where I think the Tied Hands are finally officially re-tied because it's the closest thing resembling one of the clasps possibly striking an edge on the lapel to the jacket. It's hard to tell through the smoke, but I assume it's acceptable because of that and something found I'll describe further down.

Regarding whatever else is going on with pockets, Gabriel-Crowley has pockets existing while visually in the door frame before leaving. After he closes the door and starts walking, the tie strands switch though as they switch, only one of the clasps is visible. As he keeps moving and does another two switches, both clasps are not visible.

Aziraphale-Crowley makes a few pockets with his arms as he walks.

Whoever is the blurry Crowley makes a pocket with the left arm, then more pockets with the legs, waist, and dark horse statue holding the sunglasses. The left hand does end up in a pocket between the body and dark horse statue as the sunglasses are grabbed, creating even more pockets within.

When Crowley is exiting the bookshop, the tie strands are visibly off his chest before pulling back in as his arm obscures them. They looked about to switch, but he hides confirmation of if that happened with his right hand and blurred movement.

After that, the pocket mechanics finally let up a little bit to give the face touch on the sunglasses and the complex window scene the focus they deserve for what they are.

Crowley creates a pocket with his legs after he is done hopping and the lightning is shooting out from him. In his angered grunt of letting the smoke hit him, his right hand aligns with the jacket, so that an actual thumb joint is at an edge before re-tying of the Tied Hands is done.

Usually, when I refer to a thumb joint, I am specifically referring to the carpometacarpal joint (CMC joint)—which is connected to the wrist, but in this case, the thumb joint would actually be the metacarpophalangeal joint—which is within the thumb itself. I had to look up this thumb stuff. I don't magically know these things.

Further into the movement, the left thumb is visually over the assumed lapel area and avoiding a visual touch on the actual tie strands.

The pocket made with his legs opens to reveal little bit of reflected red light from the road. The CMC joint of the thumb is visually touching a different reflection of red light.

The Belt Head is partly visible between the smoke and likely has a tassel tip near it.

Yet another pocket is formed in the process with the left arm and torso of the jacket. As Crowley's position changes, that pocket opens. The left thumb tip is carefully managed to visually touch the edge of the jacket torso while a pocket is created using the left thumb, left arm, and torso. This pocket includes a red light that is not a reflection found on the road.

There is another red light by the right arm. So, this one is not reflected from the road, but these two red lights by the arms exist as a visual mirror to the camera. A human helps separate the red lights of the car by the right arm by being pocketed between those red lights and having their foot visually touch behind part of Crowley's arm.

I'm assuming these are all factors that help get the job done for retying: "smoke and mirrors".

So, given how much pocket care is being done, yes, I do believe the Tied Hands needed retying after all and required considerable effort to get it done.

I'll go over Muriel later where the phrase "earthly object" is at last uttered in the story after these tutorials the game is giving.

...

Story Commentary

For the record, I am going to use the phrase "appearance swap" and not "body swap" because I actually do believe Neil Gaiman on saying so here.

Unfortunately, I did not save a lot of valuable posts I skimmed or just read when I was first trying to understand what was happening in Good Omens 2 and not knowing I would eventually be making posts of my own. I'm not the first person to think that Crowley was Gabriel leaving the room, but I have long since lost the link and took a long time to come around to that idea.

Likewise, I don't have another link where someone speculated Aziraphale is later trying to grab Gabriel's hand as if about to do an appearance swap when about to do the little miracle to hide Gabriel. So, I at least had those things in the back of my mind when eventually figuring this sequence must indeed include some fake Crowleys involving appearance swaps.

The main reason I eventually accepted the idea of the fake Aziraphale was comparing the stiff walk he does in this episode compared to the stiff walk he does at the end of season 1:

They were close enough for me because the shoulders don't move as much compared to Crowley's usual walk. Gabriel-Crowley emphasized the shoulder movement for contrast in the preceding cut. This particular Tumblr post and a couple of comments for it helped point out the stiffness in season 1: Crowley's signature swagger walk.

I suspect that cardboard box was touched and questioned. Somebody might have even eaten some Eccles cakes. Crowley was willing to help Gabriel sooner with understanding the situation better through whatever he learned about the box. I don't know if Muriel was literally on Earth, but they seem to have had a big role in whatever happened because I sincerely believe Crowley has a deep trust in Muriel. I assume Muriel earned it. Beelzebub may have a had a role in things as well.

As I have said in another post, I theorize the original draft had a Big Miracle where the Book of Life was put in the matchbox. It might be more elaborate than that because of so many other things that happened after, but I suspect at least that much.

Still, such things are not in this draft. Whatever really happened has been hidden from the audience for now and replaced with this obvious lie.

Recognizing the fake Crowleys—especially Aziraphale—is crucial because it is extremely important to understand that Aziraphale knows about the sideburns even if Aziraphale never explicitly comments on their changing length. Without believing Aziraphale knows, the sideburns game is, again, much harder.

The lightning itself might be a cover for whatever really happened or part of an elaborate set up for what is going to happen.

It shot out multiple times. Generally, it went upward, spread somewhat in the back and to Crowley's left to do its thing to the coffee shop. It most assuredly did not strike toward the bookshop.

Regardless of its intention, this type of thing is what I love to see in fiction with my favorite characters. I love the anger and the release of actual lightning power. I live for that stuff.

Among the many weird things happening is something involving the car.

The car is very obviously black in its exterior and parked in front of the coffee shop when the lightning shoots out.

In the cut after Crowley starts to walk way with his head conveniently not shown, there is a blurry figure who looks like yet another possible fake Crowley. It is hard to tell with the blur, but it looks like they are wearing dark clothing and have dark red hair.

Later, we'll see that Crowley lost a lot of the red in his hair.

The figure's blurry left hand passes along where the car should be.

The little exterior visible looks more like a dark blue. Nina realizes she and Maggie are locked in, then moves to further confirm this oddity. So, is it the car or is it a fake car now too? Aziraphale-Crowley's attire looked more dark blue compared to the other versions of Crowley. Whatever the car is, Crowley does not get in it and is not seen driving it away. However, Crowley will be seen getting in his black car later at night.

...

Muriel

(For reference: Bookend Buddies - Crowley and Muriel (Part 2))

Well, now that we've had tutorials, it's time to learn the name of the game—the Big One that is. I don't think the word "sideburns" is ever said in Good Omens 2. I just made up "Sideburns Scheme" after awhile but given the word play for pocket mechanics, it might be a name I was supposed to find too. But back to the one I initially meant, Uriel will eventually say "earthly object".

After Nina and Maggie realize their phones are dead, the story cuts to Heaven. The scene starts with Michael and Uriel, leading to the arrival of Saraqael and Muriel.

As noted in other posts, thumb tips are relevant to Door Mode. It is my guess that given how the game works—especially with Crowley's sunglasses in The Sunglasses Trick and pockets in The Pocket Trick, a thumb tip could be like a password to activate whatever is in the matchbox.

Saraqael is even giving a clue to an audience member playing Earthly Objects that's possible by actively adjusting their hands to hide their own right thumb before Muriel reveals the matchbox. Thanks Saraqael!

Muriel brings out the matchbox from behind a folder. A thumb tip is visible, but there is a little shadow added to it, I assume to help cast doubt given how the rest of the scene goes. Muriel seems to be a hidden pocket expert and is making a pocket with their legs, among other things happening in the framing, so that likely contributes too.

At first, Uriel uses the phrase "material object" to describe the matchbox Muriel shows to all of them. Well, I assume it's Uriel. The subtitles technically say "Saraqael", but it sounds more like Uriel to me.

Muriel is holding the matchbox with their index, middle, and ring fingers. The touch is avoiding the palm and the pinky. The thumb is nearby and keeping the thumb tip off the matchbox.

When the matchbox is set down, the thumb is touching a corner, ensuring the thumb tip is not actually touching the matchbox. Meanwhile, the pinky tip is touching the side with the quote from the Book of Job. The subtitles do not inform the audience of the following. In my opinion, the sound that object makes is that of a disguised magical book, possibly a heavy one at that.

Another interesting thing I'm noticing as I type this post is that Muriel avoids having their digits touch their reflections. By this point in the story, Crowley has actually shown his index finger touch its reflection on his phone and a thumb tip touching its reflection during The Perfect Entrance Trick.

Still, the sound effect is part of why I think the Book of Life is in that matchbox. I also suspect Muriel's methodical touch is why that sound is heard with Muriel's touch but not what will happen with Michael's various touches.

Someone or something turns that matchbox around without us seeing it because the Job quote side was facing away from Michael when Muriel set the matchbox down. It is facing toward Michael when Michael touches it.

Michael touches the matchbox at the top with their index finger. The object does not react.

Michael nervously uses both index fingers, so that the left one holds the object from the top and the right shoves the inner box to Michael's left. Michael's thumb tip is actually visible and even touched by Michael's hand at one point within a pocket formed between the matchbox and Michael's hands. That's still not enough. The object does not react.

Michael nervously does another touch looking similar in reverse but not quite the same. The right index finger holds the matchbox from the top as the left index finger pushes the inner box to Michael's right. The pocket formed between hands and matchbox have the left thumb tip notably away from the touch and the right thumb generally hidden with maybe a right thumb joint visible. The object does not react.

With another last nervous effort, both index fingers work together to shove the inner box back into the outer box. The thumb is shown to be clearly aligned off the matchbox and by the bottom of the index finger in a cut. In the next cut, the right thumb might be visually over the matchbox, but it is understood to be not touching the matchbox because of its previously shown position. The object does not react.

As the whole affair concludes, we at last hear Uriel say, "That's definitely an earthly object." That is our key phrase, merely missing its plural form. The name of the game we've been watching at play in this story is Earthly Objects. All of that touching was a clue that Earthly Objects is a game based on touching. The matchbox was touched properly to remain an "earthly object" and theoretically not touched properly for Door Mode to fully activate and reveal whatever supernatural object it is actually hiding.

The scene in Heaven ends shortly thereafter with Uriel remarking they think "he" went to Earth. One would guess Uriel means Gabriel, but it is Crowley shown on Earth in the next cut.

That transition allows this Muriel scene to act as a front bookend to another Crowley scene. In fact, the next Crowley will scene will have the next touch of The Sunglasses Trick, so it is yet another bookend connection to the Threshold Tricks overall.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

...

Past version of this post:

Post #10 (angry lightning)

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley sideburns #crowley s2 hair project #muriel #maggie #nina #michael #uriel #gabriel #aziraphale

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #32

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 2, The Clue, lonely

...

Hairstyle Notes

This style is the shorter, more fluffy and curly style found at the start of the episode though it has some variance within the scene, depending on the camera angle. Much like the space in the starting scene for the minisode, no humans are around. I have looked and cannot find any human-built or human-inhabited structures around either.

Instead of a large supernatural fireball during most of the scene, there is a large, natural body of water.

There are no goats or other visible animals, but there are plants and rocks.

So, again, this space is like an open, younger Earth.

The camera shots closer to Crowley from a front view have a lighter red. Crowley's right side of his head is not as fluffy compared to other angles. The camera shots closer with a view from where Aziraphale is show a darker red and a stronger fluff on the right side of Crowley's head.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects)

The main earthly object of the scene is the rock being used as a seat. So, the touches are mainly self-clothing or self-skin-contact touches during or between using the seat.

Crowley's first line is a question, "Go where?"

Paying attention to the pockets...

Crowley briefly makes a pocket involving his left thumb and robe when saying, "and your neat white..."

Otherwise, the main pocket of the scene is the closing shot that shows both Crowley's and Aziraphale's back on the rock. It's reminiscent of when they sit on benches together later, chronologically, in season 1.

The structure also helps ensure no one's back is to the seat since there is none. As a reminder, Aziraphale is the character shown many times to be avoiding a back to the seat.

...

Story Commentary

As noted back in the post about the minisode's first scene, this one is more serious. The music is solemn.

The information we have about how angels fall is limited.

From what I have pieced together from the show, I understand it as the following:

There was a rebellion led by Lucifer that Crowley was a part of. As punishment for losing, the angels in that rebellion became demons. For Crowley, that involved doing a million-light-year freestyle dive into a pool of boiling sulphur. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that happened to the rest, based on lines from Hastur and Dagon in season 1.

The demons were forever changed and became vulnerable to holy water. It's not clear if all of the demons have an associated animal, but the ones we get to know by name do.

That's the main Fall referred to for most demons.

However, angels could still fall and become demons after that point. It doesn't seem like something that happens often, but it happens often enough to be mentioned with lines like Crowley saying asking questions was all it took to be a demon in the old days.

Gabriel has not truly fallen in the season 2 present day. He has left Heaven, and Hell is looking for him, but he found refuge in the bookshop with Aziraphale. Most supernatural beings cannot recognize Gabriel as Gabriel, due to the amnesia and/or the miracle performed to hide him.

This scene here at the close of episode 2 starts with Aziraphale deeply troubled he has become a fallen angel because of his actions in lying to other angels for Job's family. He says to Crowley, "I'm like you now." It's true that Aziraphale doesn't want to be a demon, and it's true that season 1 showed us Crowley doesn't like being a demon. Still, a demon is what Crowley is, and the wording is other-ing him.

Crowley finds this laughable at first, I assume based on how deeply his transformation affected him and what the experience actually entailed.

Nonetheless, Aziraphale is still scared and troubled, so Crowley eases up and stops laughing about it. By this point in the conversation, he's already said he won't take Aziraphale to Hell because he doesn't think Aziraphale would like it. Now, he adds that so long as neither of them tell anyone, nothing has to change.

So, Aziraphale doesn't fall.

The exchange shows Crowley considering what Aziraphale himself would have wanted. He didn't ask, but the assumption was correct.

We receive the third of the three lines by Crowley associating a demon with lying as Crowley says, "I'm a demon. I lied." These word are verbatim from the second one. The words are literally the same but contextually different. In this case, their meaning as an admittance of a lie to oneself, Crowley denying loneliness in choosing his own side.

That meets a Rule of Three within the story and thus, probably, the Earthly Objects game. It closes out the whole minisode and episode too, as part of the back bookend/pocket to both.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #good omens theory #good omens theories #good omens clues #crowley s2 hair project

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme - Episode 2 Links List

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

This post is to help avoid worrying about putting 100+ links in the main post linked above.

Episode 2: The Clue

Post #17 (permit)

Post #18 (meeting with Shax in the car)

Post #19 (the pub)

Post #20 (crossing street from pub to bookshop)

Post #21 (your boss)

Post #22 (so were the goats)

Post #23 (blameless goats)

Post #24 (quite sure)

Post #25 (a blue one)

Post #26 (my side)

Post #27 (God talks to Job)

Post #28 (shoemaker)

Post #29 (Introducing the Tied Hands)

Post #30 (Mr. Six Espressos in a Big Cup)

Post #31 (technically)

Post #32 (lonely)

...

This project is inspired by these posts:

Crowley’s Sideburns & what do they mean?

Ok, I love this theory that it could be some sort ...

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #david tennant #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley s2 hair project #crowley sideburns

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #22

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 2, The Clue, so were the goats

...

Hairstyle Notes

The red hair is not as fluffy and a little longer compared to the earlier minisode portion that started off the episode.

This style is what most closely resembles a "human" reading with short sideburns from the season 2 present day. Crowley is with two humans and no supernatural beings. The humans assume he is human during the scene.

Even though it's the accessory on the head, even the headband itself changed with its appearance in the back. While that looks to be a continuity issue, it's good to keep in mind that Crowley can control his own appearance so is likely mixing this headband appearance with the reading from the space.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects)

Job sits on the ground against some rocks. Sitis touches her own clothing.

Crowley likely receives credit for a miracle touch on a human when he says, "You tell me," and hisses at Sitis. This action looks like compelling someone for an answer though that answer is something Sitis herself decides. The name, "Bildad the Shuhite" is then said.

That name is his alias for these two. It's a human name from the Book of Job itself, and it's going to be reused later when he has this same hairstyle. While these circumstances are understandable in the context they happen, it's also a clue about the potential rule that Crowley isn't allowed to say his own name for any time period during the entirety of Good Omens 2.

Crowley has several questions when first talking to Job. Job says Sitis' name. They both say "God," in a way that I think qualifies as a name.

It's hard to really see much in the way of pockets. Everyone's separated and contained in their own cuts for most of the scene.

While Job and Sitis occasionally make pockets, those pockets are small and hard to notice to begin with. Their thumb joints do suspiciously align with edges of their clothing at times even though the Tied Hands aren't around.

Crowley's headband is like his substitute Belt Head at least. Sitis also wears something over her head.

Crowley still has the threads on his robe making pockets over his chest for where his Tied Hands would be.

When Crowley turns to show his back to the camera, then shows his front again, he does receive some extra lighting over the part of his chest exposed, before his beard covers it. He receives lighting generally in that area sometimes, and it's where the upper portion of his Tied Hands would be in the present day.

There's one cut with Job on the ground and Crowley standing, so a pocket generally exists between them though it doesn't seem to do anything special. There's another cut with Sitis pocketed between Job still sitting and Crowley still standing. Again, it doesn't seem to do anything special either.

For my tangential reading in my desperate attempt to improve my play, I finished The Sandman Volume 3. I'm still re-reading the Good Omens book.

...

Story Commentary

From the last scene, the story greatly implied that this part of the minisode is from Crowley's point of view. Aziraphale isn't around, and Crowley himself received stronger focus from the camera work.

When Crowley is talking to Job, the lighting on him is darker and favors his left.

When Sitis arrives, the lighting shifts. It then favors Crowley's right. With more light on him, his hair looks more red. After that, the hair generally stays as more red and favoring his right, regardless of the camera angle.

In trying to study the space and understand what's happening with the hair, the camera work ensures it is known that the space still has a roof—or at least roof edges—of a human-built structure, even if it is damaged and with an open threshold. Light pours in, presumably from that damage.

Crowley is not giving off the impression of someone secretly trying to save goats and children here. Without knowing how the minisode ends, the goats seem "destroyed", and now he's after the children.

Things don't look good. Well, things don't look good for people like Job, Sitis, and Aziraphale. Hell would be rather pleased.

Crowley expects Job to be furious with God and says so.

But Job isn't furious with God. He's furious with himself.

Then comes the main hint of Crowley's sympathy from the questions, "Yourself? Why, what have you done?" Then he looked like he wanted to say something more to Job's answer, but they were interrupted with Sitis' arrival.

We'll get a glimpse of Crowley's real scheme for this minisode in the next scene.

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That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

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Before the next post in this series, I am going to take some time to review things for The Pocket Trick that I'm hopefully starting to piece together and may update the main Sideburns Scheme post as well.

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Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #crowley s2 hair project

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #24

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 2, The Clue, quite sure

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Hairstyle Notes

The hair is long and will vary in fluff dependent on the camera angle. It gets most decidedly and noticeably more fluffy right before Crowley sets the place on fire. I think the headband changes too.

With the presence of an angel, no humans yet, and having his sunglasses off, the space gives Crowley the longer hair that better matches a supernatural reading.

Once the humans arrive, the fluff in the hair decreases on the camera angles most likely representing the POV of the children.

With supernatural power being all the more active when the fire is about to start, the hair gets all the more fluffy.

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Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects)

Crowley walks on a rug earlier in the scene. Aziraphale has a self-touch with his hands.

Keziah has a self-touch with folding her arms before the fire starts. Enon touches Aziraphale's clothing and touches his younger sister, Jemimah.

Jemimah has the main earthly object of the scene with her pot. This object is not a piece of clothing or body part, nor is it generated through a supernatural power. It's an earthly object of Earth, touched and made by a human.

The ox that will be eaten later is prominently visible throughout the scene.

Crowley's fire probably still counts as an earthly object touch since fire burns things on Earth.

There are various questions and names. Each child's name is said at least once. Questions include, "Are you a demon?" and "Can't you save us?"

A Rule of Three is found with there being 3 children.

Paying attention to the pockets...

Aziraphale's hand lines up in notably particular ways with Crowley when he says, "I have no wine, child." Later, his left thumb CMC joint lines up in place of where the Tied Hands would be when he says, "Tonight!"

Jemimah is pocketed between her siblings, Keziah and Enon.

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Story Commentary

We receive the second of the three lines by Crowley associating a demon with lying as Crowley says, "I'm a demon. I lied." These lines call back to season 1. When Crowley says, "Would I lie to you?" Aziraphale says, "Well, obviously. You're a demon. That's what you do." Such lines could be a clue to Aziraphale's POV within the story.

Otherwise, they add up to showing that yeah, Crowley lies but that doesn't mean he lies because he is a demon, despite the literal words. Crowley lies because he uses deception as a strategy, in more ways than one.

The two older children, Enon and Keziah, are shown to be arrogant with the expectation that angels should just do what they want or their father wants. They have no regard for their own selves being in danger even though they are.

Crowley borderline gets defensive on Satan himself, his own boss, in response.

Jemimah endears herself to Crowley by noticing the eyes and asking the question of him being a demon. Even during the fire, she looks generally awed more than scared compared to her older siblings.

Crowley himself smiles, impressed that somebody noticed, and gives her a compliment, "Oh, she's good".

The fire reminds us of Crowley's association with the element as a demon, something to keep in mind with that ominous matchbox still in Heaven that will make at least one more appearance during season 2.

Otherwise, it's all very dramatic, drawing Crowley and Aziraphale to each other again. Crowley challenges Aziraphale's trust in him, and Aziraphale meets that challenge. Yes, after everything he saw with the goats and knows of Crowley up to that point—in a place engulfed in fire, he is quite sure the children are perfectly safe. He understands the lie this time.

Crowley makes his next move to drop them all into the cellar together and away from the burning fire.

I think this moment is one of the better ones throughout all of the minisodes because of that challenge in trust that they have and work through, together.

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That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

#crowley #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #david tennant #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #good omens theories #good omens theory #crowley s2 hair project