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krummholz-go · 4 months

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Doubt is the Essence of Faith - Questions, Prayer, and Crowley’s Relationship to the Divine

In the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany we meet a flawed pastor named Lewis Merrill who is suffering a crisis of faith. He believes that God has turned away from him due to his sinful thoughts and actions and that he is not worthy of forgiveness. As he silently wrestles with his personal demons, he preaches the most optimistic version of his belief to his congregation: doubt is the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.

In Good Omens, we see a similar theme play out throughout the series. While many angels and demons blindly order others or follow orders on the perceived will of the Almighty, it is those who question and who are open to questions who are ultimately closest to God. Let’s delve into the relationship between doubt and the divine, and particularly how Crowley fits into it.

God’s Presence in Good Omens

What do our characters know about God in Good Omens? For a world replete with angels, demons, heaven, hell, Satan, miracles, and nuns, there is comparatively little representation of God as experienced by the characters. (I am not counting the 4th-wall breaking narration from God in Season 1 since that is an audience-only view.) The characters of Good Omens see and hear very little from God, and the status quo is that God is distant, unreachable, unknowable - ineffible. As Crowley says, “There is just God, moving in mysterious ways and not talking to any of us.”

We only know of two instances where the characters hear from God: God speaks to Aziraphale when he leaves the Garden of Eden, and God speaks to Job at the end of his trials. The Metatron claims to be a conduit to God and to speak with Their voice: “To speak to me is to speak to God. I am the voice of the Almighty.” But the Metatron is not necessarily a reliable narrator, and even Aziraphale questions his claim by categorizing him more as a spokesperson. From an audience perspective, the more we see of the Metatron and his manipulative ways, especially when he is underscored by sinister music, the more it seems like he really speaks for himself.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Crowley

If God isn’t generally speaking to our characters, the reverse is also true. Communication is a two-way street and the characters in Good Omens rarely reach out to God. Prayer is conspicuously absent. Angels do not pray, nor do humans who come face-to-face with immortal supernatural beings. The Them, Anathema, Newt, Shadwell, Madame Tracy, the shopkeepers, Maggie, and Nina - not one of them engages in prayer when confronted with a glimpse into a world beyond their mortal sphere or even when facing Armageddon. We do not even see the Satanic nuns, a full on religious order, engaging in prayer to their dark lord and master.

While Aziraphale does not precisely engage in prayer, he does at least try to talk to God in Season 1 when he takes his concerns about Armageddon “all the way to the top.” The whole thing feels rather technical, however - more like a celestial phone call than a cry from his soul to the Almighty. When Aziraphale connects to heaven the exchange feels bureaucratic, beginning with him lodging a complaint about the conduct of Michael and the other angels. He is unable to reach God directly and at the end of the conversation, the Metatron “leaves the line open,” again more like a phone call than a prayer.

There are, however, three characters we see who engage in more traditional prayer. Job is the first character (chronologically speaking) we see speaking to God. Job is “literally God’s favorite human,” so it is unsurprising that he would commune directly. In his case it is unclear if he is actively engaging in prayer or simply receiving messages from God, but given that God starts off by saying “Job, if you have questions for me, I have questions for you,” it seems likely that Job is actively praying.

Jesus is the second character who prays. We briefly see him praying as he is nailed to the cross, entreating the heavens, “Father, please, you have to forgive them.” Again, this is unsurprising - Jesus is the son of God, has a direct relationship with Them, and is traditionally depicted as praying for the forgiveness of humanity while on the cross.

The third character who engages in prayer is… Crowley. In Season 1, Crowley turns his eyes heavenward and directly implores God not to destroy humanity: “Great Plan? God, you listening? Show me a Great Plan. Okay, I know you’re testing them, you said you were going to be testing them. You shouldn’t test them to destruction. Not to the end of the world.”

Crowley’s prayer is noteworthy when compared to what we see from Job and Jesus. For starters, it is significantly more substantial. By Crowley’s generally reticent standards it’s almost a monologue. It is also significant because instead of simply beseeching God, Crowley first questions God, then makes a demand, then suggests an alternative to what he believes God’s plan to be. Out of everyone we see speaking to God, Crowley has the most interaction and is also the one who approaches Them most like an equal.

In a second small example of prayer, Crowley says a quick “oh, God” under his breath in the confession scene after Aziraphale makes his heartbreakingly naive statement: “If I’m in charge, I can make a difference.” Here Crowley is subconsciously reaching out to God in his deepest moment of need, readying himself to try to salvage the future he sees going off the rails. He is the only main character we ever see directly reach out to God in distress.

Dangerous Questions

The characters within Good Omens share a common conviction that God is not to be challenged or questioned. In Season 1, Aziraphale is repeatedly told not to challenge God’s will via the Great Plan - after all, the war is to be won, not to be avoided. In Season 2 at the creation of the universe we see Aziraphale cautioning Crowley not to ask questions or make suggestions because it could get him into trouble. The baseline assumption is that doubting or questioning God can remove you from Their grace. Even Crowley believes that he was cast away from God because he asked too many questions. “That’s just how it started for me,” he tells Aziraphale in Job’s cellar as Aziraphale begins to question his blind loyalty to a God that would kill children. “See you in hell!”

It is also made clear that the angels and demons in charge of heaven and hell are not personally a fan of questions. In Season 2 we see the Metatron brooking no challenges from the archangels and sneering at Crowley’s history of “always asking damn fool questions.” In hell, Shax’s response to Eric’s repeated challenges and questions at the kick-off before the bookshop attack is to destroy him. Both heaven and hell are in the business of control - they give orders and expect obedience. Asking or answering questions only undermines their position of authority and control. But fallen angels, angels, and even the Metatron are not God and do not necessarily share God’s perspective.

Divine Questions

All evidence we have indicates that God actually loves questions. They sound delighted that Job has questions for Them, and They are definitely in the business of asking questions of the mortals They speak to. In fact, almost every statement we hear God make is in the form of a question. When They speak to Aziraphale, They say:

“Where is the flaming sword I gave you, Aziraphale, to guard the gate of Eden?”

And Their conversation with Job is almost entirely made up of questions:

“Do you know how I created the Earth? Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth, Job? Were you there when all the morning stars sang together and all the Angels shouted for joy? Do you know the rules of the Heavens? Did you set the constellations in the sky? Can you send lightening bolts and get them to report back to you? Did you give wings to peacocks, Job, or teach the ostrich to run?”

And interestingly enough, God is not the only divine entity to communicate through questions. When Satan appears at the end of Season 1, his dialogue is also almost entirely made up of questions:

“Where is my son? You? You’re my rebellious son? Come here. What? What did you say?

(As a fascinating side note, when asked a question about God in Good Omens on Tumblr, Neil Gaiman responded entirely with questions: “Does God know everything in this universe? Does God act on what God sees? Does God tolerate the behavior of her creatures?”)

In each of these examples we see that far from God being averse to questions, the act of questioning is integral to the divine. It is part of the process that God engages in when trying to make a connection. Job, as God’s favorite, is tacitly given permission to ask questions. Blind obedience is apparently not what is demanded - some measure of doubt, of questioning, is required to arrive at a sincere faith and relationship with God.

Crowley’s Relationship to the Divine

So how does Crowley fit into this? Crowley is a questioner at heart. From the beginning we see him asking hard questions. Standing on the wall of the Garden of Eden he immediately doubts the foundational actions he and Aziraphale have taken: “It’d be funny if we both got it wrong, eh? If I did the good thing and you did the bad one?” At Noah’s ark he peppers Aziraphale with questions about God’s intent, at the crucifixion he wonders what Jesus did to get everyone so upset, in King Arthur’s time he questions the value of what he and Aziraphale are doing as they cancel each other out, and on and on. Throughout this questioning he has little patience with the idea that the answers are unknowable. “Are you going to say ‘ineffable?’” he asks Aziraphale, witheringly, as he watches the Ark be loaded.

When it comes to his relationship with God, it’s clear that Crowley has many unresolved issues, particularly around the trauma of his fall and his separation from God's love. As many other people smarter than me have pointed out, his entire approach to plant care is simply a replay of his own trauma: identifying a flaw in a plant, expressing his personal disappointment in his role as houseplant God, holding it up as an example to its friends, destroying it/casting it out of its home, and threatening the remaining plants with the same fate if they don’t grow better. The bookshop fire is also experienced by him as a replay of his fall - the loss of someone he loves deeply, the fire itself, and even a physical fall when he is shot by a jet of water - that leads him to immediately get drunk and remember what it felt like to do a “million light-year freestyle dive into a pool of burning sulfur.” Crowley relives his trauma over and over.

As a result of this unresolved trauma, Crowley can have difficulty acknowledging the reality of his fall and his status as a demon. Sometimes he downplays the fall itself (“I didn’t really fall, I just, you know, sauntered vaguely downwards”) as well as his responsibility for it (“I just hung around the wrong people;” “All I ever did was ask questions”). From our first introduction to him he does not behave as other demons do, responding to a ritualistic demonic greeting of “All hail Satan” with an unenthusiastic, “Uh, hi, guys.” He deliberately distances himself from hell by describing himself as “going along with hell as far as he can.” And perhaps most significantly he sets himself apart from other demons with his love for the earth, its creatures, its people, and all the lovely, clever things they invent.

Just as Crowley has never fully embraced and integrated his transformation into a demon, he has also never fully abandoned his subconscious associations as a former angel. When we first meet him as an angel in heaven at the start of Season 2, we learn that he is architecting the universe by creating nebulas, stars, and proto-planets and see the pride and love he holds for his creations. When things get tough on Earth and Armageddon approaches, his immediate thought is to return to the vast reaches of space to see Alpha Centauri or one of the nebulae he helped build, the last place where he felt a part of creation rather than of destruction. Similarly, when Aziraphale forces Crowley into action at the airbase in Season 1, Crowley’s primal instinct is to stop time and transport himself, Aziraphale, and Adam to a place that looks remarkably like the featureless white of heaven. In a callback to his previous life as an angel, he then uses the crank from the Bentley to restart time the same way he used a crank to start the engine of the star factory (perhaps even the same crank). He is even still sensitive to blasphemy, chiding Aziraphale for saying “oh my God!” and is clearly awed by and envious of the sight of Job speaking with God. “Just to be able to ask the question,” he says, wistfully.

All of these interactions indicate that Crowley is not at peace with his current station, continuing to straddle a space in between angel and demon while wrestling with his past trauma. While there are times that Crowley leans hard into being a demon, he has many unresolved issues and doubts regarding his past life as an angel, the reality and meaning of his fall, and exactly what kind of demon he is now.

The Divinity of Doubt

So where does all this lead us as we enter Season 3? Crowley’s willingness to engage in direct prayer shows he is still subconsciously close to God. More than that, his propensity to constantly ask questions mirrors God’s behavior even more than God’s special favorites, Job and Jesus. Rather than being distanced from God by a tendency to ask questions, the available evidence points to questioning as being integral to a divine connection.

If anyone is to make a direct connection with God in Season 3, I predict it will be Crowley. His doubting, questioning nature is likely to be critical to the healing of his past trauma and the completion of his character arc. I would not be surprised to see Crowley get the opportunity “just to be able to ask the question” of God even if no direct answers are forthcoming. If doubt is the essence of faith, Crowley is well situated to to recover his - whatever that looks like for him - through the course of the final season.

#good omens #crowley #good omens 2 #good omens meta #gomens #essay #long reads #good omens season 2 #good omens s2

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shoemakerobstetrician · 9 months

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The Tragedies of Aziraphale and Crowley

A loooonng time ago I read a letter by a major American playwright (I think O’Neill or Williams) in which he was discussing one of his works, saying that he had to reinvent tragedy, that the Classical Greek form of tragedy was having to betray one’s duty to society to fulfill a personal or family obligation, and we no longer had that framework in modern society. His conclusion was that modern tragedy would be having to betray yourself, your dreams, your beliefs.

So we have Aziraphale, being asked by Crowley to run away with him and betray heaven - a Classical Greek tragedy.

And we have Crowley, being asked by Aziraphale to return to heaven and betray himself - a modern tragedy.

Either choice at the end of S2 that ended with the two of them together would have still been a tragedy for one of them.

This shit is heavy man.

I’m just going to click my heels together and repeat “South Downs cottage, South Downs cottage, South Downs cottage”

EDIT - I had most of what’s below in a comment on a wonderful post by @andromeda4004 , but I wanted to tack it on here as it’s related.

Somewhere here in a comment about the actors that recur in different roles (which, honestly, there’s a narrative reason for that, Neil lies) Neil refers to S1 and S3 as something like the main story. Presumably the main story is the end of the world, or the resolution of the question of whether or not heaven and hell will end it.

I think the main thing we got in this season is that Crowley will do ANYTHING for Aziraphale: dance, let him drive the Bentley, become a bookseller (even though he said not even at gunpoint) point a gun at his head. I think the reason he is so insistent with Aziraphale that he will kill Job’s children is that he is trying to keep Aziraphale from getting involved in not killing them, to protect Aziraphale from possibly falling, or at least from a crisis of faith. He’s willing to have Aziraphale think he’s a killer of children to protect him from that.

It makes it all the more tragic when Aziraphale asks him to come back to heaven with him. Aziraphale has finally crossed the line, asking him to betray himself, who he is now, for something he knows is a baseless fantasy. It’s a brutal setup for season 3.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #good omens 2 #good omens spoilers #crowly x aziraphale #gos2 spoilers #good omens s2 spoilers #gos2spoilers #disaster puppy #michael sheen #David Tennant #neil gaiman #Classical Tragedy #Modern Tragedy

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aziraphales-library · 2 months

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Hi! Blogs like yours truly are such a blessing, every fandom should have one of these. It's so difficult to navigate large fandoms without them. I'd like to ask if you (or your followers) know of any human AU fics that make the implicit themes of religious trauma in the show explicit, where Aziraphale is in a cult or something the like? I've had a look at your crisis of faith tag and found a few, but I'm looking for more :) Thank you for your hard work!

Hello. Here are some human AUs involving cults and religious trauma for you...

Don't Ask by wyrmy (G)

Aziraphale's family always wanted him to keep secrets: secrets about their own controlling religious fanaticism. it's a hard habit to break.

Memory Lane Is Paved With Thorns by retiredseraph (T)

Aziraphale looked around. He was standing in the courtyard of his old church, which had a few trees but was mostly paved with pebble-laden concrete, which was all slightly blinding in the sunlight. People from the congregation moved around him as if it was an average Sunday after the morning sermon, going in and out of buildings, forming little groups, heading to cars, children running around. The usual. But Aziraphale didn’t feel like he had when this was the average weekly occurrence; cheerful and looking forward to changing into more comfortable clothing. Instead, it felt more like a sickly sweet poison was smothering him.

how to pay for my own life too by MostWeakHamlets (T)

"Growing up, Aziraphale knew long skirts and waist-length hair in braids." Aziraphale is raised in a religious cult that promises its members will all become angels when the rapture comes. He learns all the things a girl should know, but problems quickly begin to form when he attends school on the Outside. He starts doubting that girls his age are actually supposed to know how to deliver babies, mend clothes, and cook dinner for their 10 siblings as he's always been told. And he highly suspects that he's never been a girl in the first place.

The Drowning Men by karuvapatta (E)

Crowley was done with religion years before he met Father Aziraphale.

One and the Same Fall by ElliottRook (E)

Aziraphale Fell is a UK student attending an American Catholic school on exchange, an escape from a strict, conservative family. Anthony Crowley is a juvenile delinquent on his last chance, sent to live with his uncle and attend a school that promises to shape him up. When they cross paths at St. Bernadette's, they nearly instantly become friends, and nobody likes it--not the teachers, not the old-money students, not Aziraphale's family--but it's the best thing that's ever happened to either of them. Hanging over their heads, though, is Crowley's plan to flee the moment he comes of age, and what will happen after they're no longer trapped in the same gilded cage.

Millennial Blues by comicgeekery (E)

Aziraphale is a standard retail bookseller trying to make ends meet. One day a man named Crowley shows up with a flyer for a variety show looking for new acts. And, well, Crowley is handsome and Aziraphale has been lonely...and working on some magic tricks. What harm could a bit of light flirting do? It all should be fine as long as no one asks about his past...

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #adult omens #religious guilt #crisis of faith #human au #mod d

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cheeseplants · 8 months

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Aziraphale's crisis of Faith

So this scene has always been the one that gave me goosebumps from Good Omens. Even from the first time I saw S1, it properly took my breath away. But for a long time, I felt like I was missing something.

Of course we know that when Aziraphale says: “You go too fast for me Crowley” he isn’t talking about the car. He is talking about something else. And I think a lot of us immediately jumped to the idea that Crowley was pushing their relationship faster than Aziraphale was willing to go.

But it doesn’t feel like the whole picture, because well we know Aziraphale does do a lot for their relationship. He literally sets up an embassy of Heaven so they can hang out (his bookshop). He almost gets himself decapitated so he can invite Crowley out for crepes. He puts on a whole magic show to get Crowley off the hook. Sure he might have been scared by the fact that Hell managed to get a photo of them together, but that still didn’t quite fit the line.

Then I realised if you take all of S2 into account, it’s not about Crowley pushing their relationship too fast, it’s about Aziraphale having a crisis of Faith.

Take the lighting in this scene. Most of the time to show that Crowley and Aziraphale are on 'their side', they tend to be lit one half dark/one half light.

BUT in this scene Aziraphale is almost entirely in the dark.

He is nervous and twitchy, and when he hands over the Holy Water he knows what statement he is making. He is the one pushing their relationship to another level. He is showing Crowley that he will go against what he believes “I haven’t changed my mind” to show how much he cares about him.

He hands him it in a flask made out of his own tartan. When Crowley offers him a lift, he says: “Maybe one day we will go for a picnic or dine at the Ritz”. He is saying that some part of him hopes and believes there is a future where they can be together.

My theory is that “You go too fast for me Crowley” is basically Aziraphale saying, for them to take it to the next level he has to give up his Faith. Crowley is pushing Aziraphale to reconsider what it is to be an Angel, to go against Heaven, to actually renounce it.

And Aziraphale is saying: “Maybe one day I will, I’m just not there yet”. But that’s huge, because Aziraphale is literally saying one day I might give this all up for you.

Then I saw the script notes for that scene in S1, and in the bit that was cut you see him with a Halo that is switching on and off. They also nearly put Everyday in this bit, which feels like an analysis for another day. But it does suggest the start of something.

I think that something happened between 1941 and 1967 which pushed Aziraphale to question his Faith, but he’s just not ready yet.

Which then makes the last 15 minutes of S2 even more brutal, because Crowley really believed that Aziraphale was ready. That he was willing to give it all up. And the shot of Crowley waiting by the Bentley parallels that scene in S1, because Aziraphale could go take the lift with Crowley or he can walk back out into Heaven.

But here’s the thing, you look at Aziraphale’s face. I don’t think he is fully on board with Heaven anymore. And guess what, the lights on that elevator sure look like they are blinking on and off to me.

#aziraphale #good omens 2 #aziracrow #good omens #you go too fast for me crowley #michael sheen #Aziraphale's crisis of Faith #good omens 1

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wistfulcynic · 9 months

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listen.

aziraphale made the only choice he could make. From a narrative perspective, yes, but primarily from a character one. He would never have been happy if he'd run away with Crowley. He wouldn't even have been content.

however much he loves Crowley, Aziraphale has never been the impetus in their relationship. It's always been Crowley, nudging, urging, pushing, tempting and Aziraphale, for all the progress he's made over the millennia, still retains a deep-seated and not wholly conscious horror of giving in to temptation. The more he wants a thing the more bad he believes having that thing would be, and while he can rationalise the food and drink and clothes and books as harmless earthly pleasures, to turn his back on his devotion and his duty and give in completely to what he wants more than anything--that remains unthinkable, impossible for him even to contemplate.

he's a true believer, and true believers cannot be swayed by arguments. The more convincing the arguments are, in fact, the more the true believer refuses to consider them. The only way Aziraphale can find his way back to Crowley is through a crisis of faith. He needs to see the truth for himself and independently reach his own conclusions. If he didn't then he would always feel, deep down, that Crowley had manipulated him, that what they were doing was wrong, and that he, Aziraphale, had failed by giving in. Those kinds of doubts are the ones that kill you, slowly, by attrition, and by extension destroy everything you love.

but just think how much more powerful it will be when (not if... projecting) in Season 3 Aziraphale chooses Crowley with full willingness and his whole heart. Not because Crowley talked him into it but because he knows himself at last and knows what he wants. And is finally unafraid to take it.

"i choose you" is, has been, and always will be the most powerful declaration of love.

#good omens #good omens meta #good omens season two #go2 spoilers #ineffable husbands #not to start Discourse in the tags but this is also why i don't go in for coffee theory #give aziraphale some agency please #give him room to make bad mistakes and learn the lessons he needs from them #that sort of grace we all could do with

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gregorovitch-adler · 8 months

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A date after the crisis has been averted, at least temporarily.

You know you're down bad, completely fucked up in love when THAT is your reaction when your crush has (jokingly) called you a bastard. What's even the point, now? You're doomed!

So, I've finished watching Season 1 for the first time and here are my thoughts:

1.) I love the writing of this season overall. I haven't read the book, so can't make a comparison, but Satire is one of my favourite genres, and I love it when things like Religion and Righteousness™ are questioned and satirised.

Also, I loved how witty some of the dialogues were. This one, for example:

"I don't see what's so wrong with them (Adam and Eve) knowing the difference between good and evil." (Crowley says).

"It must be, otherwise you wouldn't have done it!" (says Aziraphale).

It effectively calls out the lack of reasoning and blind faith in the real world.

I love how nuanced these two are. Crowley is a demon and pretends to be the Big Bad but time and again proves that he does care. Even when he doesn't want to.

As for Aziraphale, he's a good person overall but it's not like he always makes the right choice. He's fucked up too. And he has said hurtful things to Crowley. For eg. he didn't have to say, "We're not friends and you and I are on the opposite sides," to Crowley. I know he was trying to protect Adam Young at first, but still.

Aziraphale is quite stuck in his own prejudices. He wants to be with Crowley but still feels compelled to be loyal to his own side - even when the other angels have been nothing but arses to him the whole time.

Crowley is more open-minded in that sense. He's got greater vision and clarity about what he wants and the things that matter to him - he's been pretty much upfront about wanting to be with Aziraphale and ditch this nonsense about the good side and the bad.

I guess that was the whole point they were trying to make in this show.

2.) Aziraphale and Crowley are head over heels in love. I know, old news, but let me as a new fan just gush about it for a second.

Ever since they meet for the first time - when Adam and Eve are escorted to Earth - their chemistry is off the charts and it looks like they're perfect for each other.

Since Episode 2, it's clear that they have feelings for each other but they don't talk about it.

I love how even with his prejudices, Aziraphale is totally with Crowley when they want the Antichrist to be a completely normal child. Aziraphale wants the same things as Crowley but doesn't want to say it out loud.

The scenes where Aziraphale dresses up as a gardener and Crowley shows up as a nanny are hilarious. That too with the wrong child because of that mix-up eleven years ago!

This is my favourite scene:

It's ... nothing needs to be said. He's practically glowing with his love for the Demon.

Their banter, and the way Crowley playfully teases him sometimes - it's absolutely perfect. I love them.

3.) Coming back to my point about the other angels, can I just say I hate Gabriel? Fuck that guy.

He's the most despicable character of this show. I don't know if he gets better or worse in the next season, but for now, fuck him.

I guess I hate anyone who bullies and is condescending to Aziraphale lol.

I hate him even more than Hastur. Hastur is at least supposed to be cruel because he's a proper demon. People like Gabriel - who're supposed to be good but are actually assholes - can fuck off.

4.) I don't know if I missed it when it was being explained, but why is Crowley stuck in traffic in E5?

I know there's a huge demon prayer ring of fire set up by Adam Young but Crowley is a demon, and demons aren't bound by Physics, or so the God narrator told us. Couldn't he go to Tadfield any other way?

Also, why did Hastur burn to death in that episode? I thought the only thing that kills a demon is Holy Water.

Maybe I was being dumb when I watched the show lol. Would appreciate it if someone clarified this point for me in the notes.

5.) Whoever did the voice acting of God did a fantastic job. She had a lot of sarcasm in her voice at many points and I loved that.

Also, seeing Michael Mckean as Witchfinder was such a pleasant surprise! I'm a huge Better Call Saul fan.

6.) I loved the humour of this show. These two scenes were the funniest:

7.) Crowley's walk was my absolute favourite thing:

That's all for now. See you again once I'm done with Season 2.

#good omens #good omens season 1 #first time watch #new fandom #new fan #aziraphale #crowley #crowley/aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #my thoughts #season 1 review and ramblings #meta #review #show blogging #live blogging

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theangelwithawand · 11 months

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Good Omens Incorrect Quotes Part 3:

Once again, I did not come up with these, I just have quote generator access…

Crowley : I'm having problems with a guy...

Anathema : Like his dead body won't fit into your trunk kind of problems, or you like him kind of problems?

Crowley : Who the fuck-

Aziraphale : Language!

Crowley : Whom the fuck-

Aziraphale : No.

Aziraphale and Crowley : I believe in you, Adam!

Adam, to themself: God, I must suck. The nicest thing they can think to say to me is that they don’t doubt my existence.

Aziraphale : There are some things beyond our understanding. We must accept them and learn from them. Because these moments of crisis are also potential moments of faith. A time, when we either come together or fall apart. Nature always has a way of balancing itself. The only question is, what part will we play?

Crowley : Did you just make that up?

Aziraphale : No. I read it in a fortune cookie once.

Crowley :

Aziraphale : A really long fortune cookie.

Crowley: Could you maybe just like… stab me… right in the gut. Just REALLY twist it in there. ‘Cause that honestly seems less painful than this conversation.

Aziraphale, texting Crowley: Text me when you’re home safely.

Crowley: I’m home dangerously.

Aziraphale: Stop it.

Crowley: I’m home lethally.

Gabriel : Pardon the intrusion, but-

Aziraphale or Crowley: On this moment or just my life in general?

Aziraphale: Why shouldn't you put a toaster in a bathtub full of water?

Crowley: Because your toast would get soggy!

Aziraphale: When I said bring me something back from the beach I meant like a conch shell!

Crowley: *Struggling to hold a seagull* Fucking say that next time!

Crowley, at Nina’s: Can I get a venti vanilla latte with um, seven espresso shots.

Mrs. Sandwich, in line behind them: Jesus Christ, just do cocaine.

Crowley, making coffee: This is going to fix everything.

Aziraphale: I have very high standards, you know.

Crowley: I can make spaghetti...

Aziraphale: Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!

Crowley: You can do it Adam!

Crowley: But if you can't, at least your death will be quick, painless, and really cool to watch.

Crowley: *standing on a balcony and sneezes*

Aziraphale: *standing on the roof* Bless you.

Crowley: God?!

Crowley: I'm sorry. Please talk to me.

Aziraphale:

Crowley: Hello? World's most amazing person?? Sweet pea? Precious cinnamon roll that's too good for this world, too pure?

Aziraphale: 'Sorry' doesn't bring back my fucking M&M’s.

Aziraphale: Is five a lot of followers?

Crowley: Depends on the context.

Crowley: On Instagram? No, not a lot of followers.

Crowley: In a dark alley? Yes, a lot of followers.

Crowley : You know what’s funny about Aziraphale ? They’re my best friend, and anyone who’d hurt them is someone I’d murder, probably.

Crowley : Are you busy?

Aziraphale : Yes.

Crowley : Cool, listen to this...

Aziraphale or Nina: How would you like your coffee?

Crowley: As dark as my soul.

Aziraphale or Nina: Got it, one cup of milk coming right up!

Crowley : I can’t believe all these people are wearing black. black is supposed to be my thing, they’re all just posers.

Aziraphale: Crowley, for the last time, we’re at a funeral.

Aziraphale: No more making fun of me when I misuse dated cultural references, alright? Are we cowabunga on this?

Crowley, sighing: Fine. We're cowabunga.

Crowley : *trying to get five seconds of sleep*

Aziraphale, poking Crowley ’s arm: Crowley Crowley . Crowley . Crowley .

Crowley : WHAT?

Aziraphale : …We’re out of Capri Suns—

Crowley : Valentines Day? I'm ready. *Sprays an entire can of AXE body spray on themselves*

Crowley : *makes Aziraphale a cup of tea but puts salt in it*

Aziraphale : *sips tea*

Crowley :

Aziraphale : *finishes tea*

Crowley : Didn't it taste bad?

Aziraphale : Yeah, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings so I drank it all.

Crowley, tearing up: Oh, okay.

Aziraphale : How petty can you get?

Crowley : I once edited a Wikipedia article to win an argument I was wrong about.

Aziraphale : Crowley, I beg of you. Please, PLEASE go to the doctor.

Crowley : Hey, I'm sorry. Is this OUR stab wound?

Crowley, to The Squad: You should change your passwords to “incorrect”. Then, every time you forget it, the system will remind you, “your password is incorrect”.

Aziraphale : Not to brag, but I can go into the Spirit Halloween without crying.

Crowley : I wanna sleep for 40 hours.

Aziraphale : You know that's called a coma, right?

Crowley :

Crowley : That sounds so refreshing, I could totally go for a light coma right now.

Aziraphale : Ugh, crushes are so dumb.

Crowley : I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid.

Aziraphale : But you’re always acting stupid?

Crowley : ...

Crowley : Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

Muriel : Hey, aren’t you Aziraphale ?

Aziraphale : You a cop?

Muriel : No.

Aziraphale : Then yes, I am.

Aziraphale : Crowley ! Have you no dignity?

Crowley : Of course not! How long have we known each other?

Aziraphale : What are you drinking?

Crowley : Vodka.

Aziraphale : Straight?

Crowley : No, gay. Why?

Aziraphale : So you like cats?

Crowley : Yeah.

Aziraphale : *tries to impress them by slowly pushing a glass off the table*

Cop: You ran a red light.

Crowley : So did you, hypocrite.

Cop: I was following you.

Crowley : That was dumb, I'm a terrible driver.

Cop: Get out.

Aziraphale : What is the one thing I told you not to do?

Crowley : Burn the house down.

Aziraphale : And what did you do?

Crowley : I made dinner.

Aziraphale :

Crowley :

Aziraphale :

Crowley : And burnt the house down.

Aziraphale : Do you need help getting up?

Crowley : Nah, I'm cool down here on the floor.

Crowley : Dracula had it right, sleep all day, live alone in a castle, and explode into bats to get out of all social situations.

Anathema: At first I thought you were foolish and incompetent.

Crowley : My apologies for whatever misstep I may have taken to dispel that impression. It was an honest mistake, I swear.

Aziraphale to Crowley : Turn that frown upside-down!

*a little while later*

Aziraphale : What are you doing?

Crowley , trying to do a handstand: You told me to “turn that frown upside-down” but it’s not working .

Gabriel: Think you can answer some questions without the usual level of sarcasm?

Crowley: If you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupid.

#azicrow #aziraphale x crowley #crowley x arizaphale #good omens incorrect quotes #good omens #aziraphale and crowley #aziraphale #crowley

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theeminentlyimpractical · 10 months

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ALRIGHT I HAVE SOME CROWLEY THOUGHTS that are LONG and UNHINGED buckle up kids //// MILD SPOILERS(?)

Essentially - knowing Crowley's angelic rank recontextualizes a lot of the first season. Hat tip to @moonyinpisces for inspiring this madness with their Pre-Fall Thoughts.

BLUF/shitpost TL;DR:

God machinated the not-pocalypse, including manipulating both our idiot angels (this is canon, fight me)

Crowley Fell out of necessity in The Plan, knows that as a higher ranking Angel and both resents God and still believes in Her Plan

When foiling the Antichrist initially fails, my man has a crisis of Faith, thinks God has abandoned him yet AGAIN, and is like WELP FREE WILL IS ON THE TABLE NOW BABYYYYY

LET’S RUN AWAY ANGEL NO ONE IS WATCHING THIS IS MY ACTUAL SELF HELLO NICE TO MEET YOU

Aziraphale, having been a heavenly plebe*, still believes in the hierarchy of Heaven and blah blah blah

Crowley, still a Believer at heart, makes one last plea to the Almighty OR HE WILL RUN AWAY SO HELP HERSELF

My Guy is successfully manipulated by God into staying and also rescuing Book Girl’s Book

Great Plan fails successfully

Oh. OH.

They survive thanks to another divine intervention.

Crowley muses on the ACTUAL Big One, which like, my dude, how do you KNOW? 👀

Aziraphale is entirely unaware of this whole process and is fully on team Free Will and is all “our bookshop” this and “our car” that; meanwhile

Crowley is now a full time existentialist and part time Sad Keanu because if his entire existence is predetermined, why do anything, including love?

*this also makes it super fucking funny that Aziraphale insists on standards. Crowley is quiet luxury. Aziraphale is nouveau riche.

ACTUAL META WITH CANON CITATIONS (yes the above is the short version):

I’ve always assumed that Crowley falling was part of The Ineffable Plan, similar to how it was necessary for Aziraphale to give away his sword. God accepts Aziraphale’s babbling excuses, and 6,000 years later the sword shows up in the hands of War. When he returns to Heaven, he is reprimanded only for losing his body - the sword has ineffably disappeared from Heaven’s requisition roles. He HAD give it away in order for it - and him - to play their respective parts in The Great Plan.

And that was thwarted only by Aziraphale and Crowley collaborating for the good of humanity, and (selfishly) for themselves, rather than angels and demons. For it to work, there needed to be an agent of the Ineffable Plan on each side.

We now know Crowley was fairly high ranking in heaven. Would he have had insight on the Plan, or some part of it? Or merely assumed, truly believed, as he still seems to, that they would all play a part? We also know he is somehow wrong about how the hierarchy of Heaven works - what if his error was in assuming his role in the Plan meant maintaining his status as an Angel? [EDIT GIVEN NEW INFO: seems plausible he went to God and asked for a stay of execution on the Earth, and he got it, whether knowingly or not.] And instead God sends him away to fulfill his role in Hell, when that comes to pass. It could be why he’s not too concerned with the day to day of demoning - it will all work out as intended, in the End.

Does he know, suspect, or just truly still believe that they were meant to thwart the Apocalypse, which is why he is so confident in their cockamamie scheme? And when that apparently fails, he feels betrayed by God again, because the Plan he felt entrusted with seems to have been scrapped. He rages:

“For the record, great pustulant mangled bollocks to the Great Blasted Plan!”

That may be why he’s so ready to run off with Aziraphale in that moment. If the Plan is off, then he can finally make his own choices, and he chooses Aziraphale and freedom. Aziraphale doesn’t choose him back, and Crowley moves to run away anyway, with one final plea to God to not let this come to pass, a Psalm 22 of his own.

Crowley is the only demon we see who still seems distraught over his Fall, rather than out for vengeance. He resents God for damning him, but often seems to believe in Her ineffable game. He still addresses his final pleas directly to the Almighty -

“God, you listening? Okay, I know you’re testing them, you said you were going to be testing them. You shouldn’t test them to destruction. Not to the end of the world.”

Only he never leaves, because of a fire started by a gust of wind and the sheet music for Her favorite musical.

And then they do thwart it, and survive, thanks to Agnes’ note fluttering inexplicably right into Aziraphale’s hand. So many little details demonstrate divine intervention.

So now what’s the Plan? Crowley was ready to run away when the Plan was off, but now? He muses on the nature of The Big One before they dine at the Ritz. He says it lightly, but how does he have this insight?

What, exactly, is their role in the Second Coming? Because, it appears, they do have one.

Aziraphale seems blissfully unaware of the divine intervention in successfully averting the Apocalypse. He is now All In on Their Side, finally feeling free. Crowley, on the other hand, seems painfully aware. My man had the full free will he finally grasped in that bandstand burned away in a bookshop fire.

Do I think he necessarily knows their exact role in this? No. And they still have free will in the small things, naturally. But I wonder if we will see Crowley resigned to his (and Aziraphale’s) fate being predetermined, a foregone conclusion. So why do anything, including love, if in the end, nothing really matters.

#good omens #good omens 2 #go 2 speculation #go2 spoilers #s2 Crowley is a full time existentialist and part time Sad Keanu #good omens 2 spoilers #good omens spoilers

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i-only-ever-asked-questions · 9 months

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Like many others, I have a lot of thoughts about different things in Season 2. So many things that I want to write about that I end up not writing anything at all. So if I am ever going to get things out I should start now. Maybe I am crazy, maybe I am not, but I read the conversation between Aziraphale and the Metatron a little differently.

The first thing we see is the end of that conversation: M: You don't have to answer immediately. Take all the time you need A: I- I don't know what to say M: Well then, go and tell your friend the good news I don’t think this is about taking his time to decide whether he is taking the job or not, Aziraphale already said yes.

That is why the Metatron ends with a confident “Well, then go and tell your friend the good news”. When Aziraphale turns around and walks towards the bookshop, his face is like that of a student going to defend their thesis in front of their committee or an accused going to their trial. It is scary but you can’t turn back.

The “Take all the time you need” is about breaking it to Crowley that Aziraphale is going to Heaven and that “Crowley can become an angel again.” Take your time to have this conversation. Aziraphale doesn’t know it is a goodbye yet; Metatron does. That’s why he comes in immediately after Crowley leaves and innocently asks “How did he take it?” meaning “how did he take the news that you are leaving?” He didn’t ask “Is he coming?” or “did he accept?” or anything of the sort. He knew Crowley wouldn’t come from the very start.

“I don't know what to say” may then be a “thank you, I am so very grateful for your generosity.”

Aziraphale said yes without discussing it with Crowley first, which is a very Aziraphalean thing to do. Remember how he lied to Crowley about Adam’s whereabouts? Crowley and him were not having an argument about it then, they weren’t fighting, in fact Crowley was sure they were on the same page, in the same team. Aziraphale unilaterally decided he was going to tell Heaven because Heaven were the good guys and they would stop the apocalypse if only they knew where Adam was.

At the bench Crowley offers his place and Aziraphale responds “I don’t think my side would like that" He hasn’t forsaken Heaven yet, he still has hope, he still believes Heaven can correct course and become what Heaven is supposed to be because underneath, the core of Heaven is inherently good. He went rogue because he didn’t trust Heaven’s current management, but he didn’t lose faith in the Heaven-that-should-be.

In the first episode of Season 2, at the coffee shop, he sheepishly says "It’s nice to tell someone about the good things you’ve done now that I’m not reporting to Heaven". He misses Heaven, he misses his job, his purpose. He is unmoored and Crowley is not being the supportive friend Aziraphale needs right now. Aziraphale is going through a crisis that Crowley went through and moved on from a long long time ago. Crowley forsook Heaven after they kicked him out and metaphorically forsook Hell very early on ("I'm on my side" in Job’s times already). He's peachy! And he can't understand that Aziraphale cannot just walk away.

Metatron exploited Aziraphale’s doubts, validated and encouraged them. "But Heaven. Well, it’s the side of truth, of light, of good" is a line that Aziraphale would never have uttered if not for the encouragement that the Metatron gave him. “Like the old times. Only even nicer” is Aziraphale’s imagination running wild, after the beautiful picture Metatron painted. The Heaven-that-should-be is the Heaven-that-was before the rebellion, the Heaven that Aziraphale can make happen again. How can Crowley not see that?!

“But… obviously you said “No” to Hell, you’re the bad guys” is also Metatron’s fueling Aziraphale’s doubts. “you’re” instead of “they are”. If Heaven is inherently the side of good, then Hell is inherently the side of evil. Angels are inherently good and demons are inherently bad. Crowley is at heart a little bit of a good person, Aziraphale has 6000 years of proof. His Fall must have been a mistake or something. How can Crowley not jump at the opportunity to go back? To right that wrong!?

Metatron is not stupid, “The name of your establishment Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death. I assume they always ask for coffee [...] so predictable”. He doesn’t say it outright, but in urging Aziraphale to take the post, he is also implying that the alternative is “death”, it’s a threat, bad things would happen to Earth, to humans, to Crowley. See how Gabriel messed up, he was a bad Supreme Archangel, he led Heaven astray, he didn't work out. if you don’t step in, everybody will suffer, you are the angel for the job, only you can bring Heaven back to the light, to what it should be. For Aziraphale it is a bit of a no-brainer. Now he only needs to convince Crowley.

#good omens #good omens 2 #aziraphale #crowley #metatron #give me coffee or give me death #is a metaphore for #take over Heaven or let all these people die #good omens meta

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skinnyscottishbloke · 9 months

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i haven’t seen anybody talk about this but aziraphale’s decision and the end of s02 in general in terms of series arc and character development make a lot more sense if you think about avatar the last airbender and what zuko went through.

zuko’s arc is all about struggling to escape his upbringing, about de-programming himself from the idea that what the fire nation is doing is good and right. (sound familiar?) he goes through several crisis’ of faith, and with the help of his uncle, by the middle of book 2 it seems like he’s making good progress; we see him living in ba sing se, helping run the tea shop, going on dates, being a standard boy. (again, sound familiar?) but then azula (cough cough the metatron) comes. and all those things he thought he’d pushed down/dealt with come screaming back to the surface and he ends up siding with her to conquer the city, betraying his uncle and the gaang in the process. in fact, it looks like azula has killed the avatar and all hope is lost. kind of shocking ending right? what a cliffhanger! so devastating!

in book 3 zuko returns to the fire nation, a conquering hero. HE (azula says) has killed the avatar! he has restored his honor! his father welcomes him with open arms. the entire country celebrates the return of their prince. everything he has been working for since ep 1 is happening. so he should be happy right?? WRONG. he absolutely hates it. he’s angry, he’s bitter, he doesn’t know why but he knows something is off. he gets invited to a war council meeting, sits at his father’s right hand….and realizes being the perfect prince isn’t HIM. Living up to the expectation of who his father wants him to be instead of who he actually is is not his destiny. So he leaves the fire nation (again), this time of his own free will, and goes to help the Avatar. And it’s HIS CHOICE. He was offered everything he thought he ever wanted and has been trained to long for and CHOSE to leave it. which is so much more powerful than doing something because you’ve been forced into it with no other options.

and THIS is what Aziraphale has to do. he’s zuko at the end of book 2. he thought he’d come to terms with being an outcast from heaven (not Fallen like crowley but still in heaven’s bad books thanks to s01), but he hasn’t, not really. there’s still a part of him that believes that all the bad things heaven has done happened because he didn’t have the power to do it the right way. he doesn’t know what crowley knows. so he goes back. and it’s a huge betrayal. but the thing is, he NEEDS to live through getting everything he ever thought he wanted to realize that it’s not actually what he wanted at all. he needs to be able to finally escape heaven and if he doesn’t go back the what ifs will always be hanging over his head. he needs to be the one to tell heaven to fuck off and finally chose crowley in no uncertain terms. without crowley there. without crowley rescuing him. HE needs to do it.

and frankly that’s why I’m EXCITED for s03. because zuko is one of my all time favorite characters and atla is one of my all time favorite shows and if we can get that level of emotion and development from our two ineffable idiots??!!! OMG it’s going to be AMAZING!! bring on bamf! aziraphale. bring on the angst. bring on the big actually romantic kiss and gesture (that kiss we got was incredible and game-changing but so so desperate; we deserve a soft passionate one please and thank). bring on the second coming. neil always said s02 was the lead up to the good omens sequel aka s03. and what a brilliant and devastating lead up it’s been. but it will allll be worth it when our boys are reunited, when az comes to crowley and fully apologizes (we need many many dances), when he finally catches up to where crowley has been in terms of their relationship, when they are truly on equal footing at last. i am so excited to see david and michael play that out with their brilliant brilliant faces. we’re gonna be crying again, but in a good way, I FEEL it. LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOO!!!

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