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idliketobeatree · 6 months

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Crowley was God's most dramatic creation.

She was also feeling particularly bitchy and gay that day, and thus, Aziraphale was made.

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fuckyeahgoodomens · 2 months

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Peter Anderson: Hi, my name is Peter Anderson. I'm from Peter Anderson Studio and we created the title sequence to Good Omens Season Two. So this scene is quite literally a continuation from Season One.

An interesting detail with this scene is the fly. The fly is significant because it stores Gabriel's memory.

Gabriel is hidden in every scene. This is the first time we see it.

This goat is half bird, half goat, representing a mistake in a moment of transformation.

In the pickled herring barrel, we have literally red herrings sticking out.

A lot of the gravestones have hidden engravings, easter eggs, all written by Neil.

[This one says: HERE LIES THE FORMER SHELL OF BEELZEBUB referncing Beelzebub having a new face in S2 :), another ones are: EVERYDAY, JANE AUSTEN, Here lies ADAM (the Adam from Adam and Eve is meant)]

Another hidden Gabriel.

Our same character that was trying to escape Hell in Season One titles is also trying to escape here, moving in the opposite direction to the rest of the procession. Except this time he's apprehended and dragged back into the procession.

Our Hell spider from episode four makes a little appearance in the background here.

Can you tell where the bus is going? Director Douglas McKinnon selected Powell and Pressburger's Stairway to Heaven to put on the billboard.

Another thing to note here is the type is all handmade specifically for Good Omens. The Alphabet only exists within the show.

The big floating turnip is a nod to Azirafel's magic tricks.

The Ladies of Camelot poster we pulled from the show.

We added plaques to the back of the chairs and Neil chose who to honour.

[There are: A TALE OF TWO CITIES by CHARLES DICKENS, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by JANE AUSTEN, THE CROW ROAD by IAIN BANKS (twice!) and GOOD OMENS by TERRY PRATCHETT (Neil missing for some reason :) <3)]

Saraqael made an appearance from Heaven.

Our Space is back from Season One. Aziraphale and Crowley are having a little dance here. A moment of flirtation. There's a tiny planet in the middle that comes into existence at this moment.

Our Scottish tartan hills make an appearance here.

The aeroplane and the airline is a little bit of a clue here.

[THY KINGDOM AIRWAYS 👀]

It's raining love hearts in reference to Aziraphale's attempt at making Maggie and Nina fall in love.

Here are elevators to Heaven and Hell. A wee thing to spot. Here is Gabriel in the lift arriving from Heaven.

We've updated our flags to reference some of the plotlines in Season Two. For example, The Second Coming.

The movie poster artwork changes every week, representing the episode plotlines and the minisodes. We made the posters to look like the time period and in this case we've got a Good Omens version of Buddy Holly.

[The posters are:]

In the snack bar some of our popcorn is actually communion wafers.

There are specific characters from Season One in the boxes watching the movie as the procession goes by. This includes some of our original concept art from Season One.

The duck playing the accordion is from a newspaper headline that someone is reading in The Dirty Donkey from one of the episodes.

[this is also from the Good Omens book :): "Daily Mail. 'Letter From America.' Um, August the third," said Newt. "Just after the story about the woman in Worms, Nebraska, who taught her duck to play the accordion."]

Each episode is showing a new movie on the screen, each one selected by Douglas, and has clues about what's to come.

The season one phone box tumbles in the background.

The big mountain is made of all the ingredients from Season Two and a couple of remnants from Season One. We are heading towards the biggest Easter Egg, which is the lift. We're heading towards the Second Coming..

#good omens #perer anderson #peter anderson studio #bts #opening title #s2 opening title #fun fact #second coming #kingdom thy airways #duck playing accordion #videos #bts videos #easter eggs

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woodchuck019 · 9 months

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Crowley was Raphael?

WARNING: MAJOR GOOD OMENS 2 SPOILERS

Ok, so in the last few years we all enjoyed the headcanon that Crowley was the Archangel Raphal pre-Fall. To be completely honest, in season one this theory didn't make a lot of sense because we knew basically nothing about Crowley as an angel except for the fact that he helped create the stars and fell because he asked too many questions. So, even though it was a nice and interesting theory, I thought it would remain that, a theory.

Well, seems like this theory is basically confirmed now at the end of season 2. But let's start at the beginning.

First, we have to talk about the Hierarchy of Angels in Christianity. This Hierarchy was theorized by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). Dionysius described nine levels of spiritual beings which he grouped into 9 orders.

Highest orders:

Seraphim

Cherubim

Thrones

Middle orders:

Dominions

Virtues

Powers

Lowest orders:

Principalities

Archangels

Angels

Now, a lot of people asked Neil why the Archangels have so much power if they are so low in the Hierarchy and he said that he and Terry actually tought of archangels and Archangels as different beings.

So we have the arch-angels, in thre sense of being just above the lowest Choir of angels, and then we have the Arch-angels, in the sense of being above all angels.

Actually, the term archangel itself is not found in the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, and in the Greek New Testament the term archangel is used referring to Michael, who is called 'one of the chief princes,' and 'the great prince'.

The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the apocryphal Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him."

In Judaism the Archangels are given the title of śārīm, meaning "princes", to show their superior rank and status, so they are also called "Princes of Heaven".

In season 2 episode 6, when Crowley is in Heaven trying to find any info on Gabriel, Muriel gives him the missing Archangel's file explaining that even if they wanted, they couldn't show it to him, since only angels above the rank of Dominions could access it. Immediately after, without putting in any effort, Crowley opens the file, saying that he was an angel once and they never bothered to change passwords. (I totally read a fic like this btw).

When the Archangel Saraquel meets them and recognises Crowley, she says that they worked together on the Horsehead Nebula. So Crowley must have been pretty high up in the ranks if he worked with an Archangel.

When they show us the scene of the trial, Gabriel is ready to be cast down to Hell, but the Metatron stops him and says:

"You are not going to hell. For one Prince of Heaven to be cast into the outer darkness makes a good story. For it to happen twice makes it look like there is some kind of institutional problem."

So we know that one of the Seven Archangels has Fallen, and it could be Lucifer, even though in the bible it is never stated that he was an archangel, but wouldn't they have said so if it were the case?

Also in episode 2, when Shax tells Crowley that Heaven and Hell think Aziraphale has something to do with Gabriel's disappearence, she says:

"A miracle of enormous power happened last night. The kind of miracle only the mightiest of Archangels could've performed".

Reminds you of something? Raphael, one of the mightiest of Archangels?

I really hope they will confirm the theory in season 3.

#go2 spoilers #good omens spoilers #good omens #crowley was raphael #antony j crowley #ineffable husbands #neil gaiman #good omens 2

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invisibleicewands · 9 months

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When Good Omens wrapped its first season, the story was over. That was it, the Amazon Prime TV series created by Neil Gaiman had finished adapting Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 apocalyptic comedy novel. But Gaiman wasn’t quite finished with the tale of the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and the demon Crowley (David Tennant).

“We always knew from the beginning that there was more story because Neil and Terry, when Terry was alive, had talked about ideas beyond the first book,” Sheen tells Inverse.

In fact, some of those ideas made it into the first season of Good Omens, which aired on Amazon Prime in 2020 to widespread acclaim. With new characters like the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm), and scenes showing further insight into the millennia-long relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley, Gaiman was planting the seeds for the second season of Good Omens. That wasa gamble, considering Season 2 didn’t get greenlit until 2023. Even then, Sheen and Tennant weren’t even sure if Good Omens Season 2 was happening until they showed up to set the first day.

“Until you’re on set on day one, you don’t really believe it’ll happen,” Sheen says.

Nearly five years after they filmed Season 1, Sheen and Tennant settled back into their characters as if they’d been doing this for, well, millennia. With the apocalypse out of the way, Good Omens Season 2 is very much the Aziraphale and Crowley show, dedicating lengthy flashbacks to their friendship (or maybe more) through the ages. The chemistry between the two can be credited to Sheen and Tennant’s close real-life friendship, with the pair even poking fun at their relationship in a comedy series called Staged that aired during COVID. But the Aziraphale and Crowley relationship took off in a way they couldn’t anticipate after the first season, and which Sheen and Tennant felt some pressure to live up to.

“Gradually, I’d start meeting people dressed up as Aziraphale and Crowley,” Tennant tells Inverse. “And then that would happen more and more and more, and you realize, oh, this has got legs.”

Inverse spoke to Sheen and Tennant about Good Omens Season 2, how they dealt with the show’s passionate following, and what Easter eggs fans can expect to see.

Knowing the first season of Good Omens finished adapting the book, what was your reaction when you were asked to be in the second season?

Michael Sheen: Well, there was no real clear point where it was put to us. We always knew from the beginning that there was more story because Neil and Terry, when Terry was alive, had talked about ideas beyond the book. And in fact, some of those ideas are in the first series. The angels and Gabriel are not in the book. So we knew there was more story. And then as the series came out and it got the reception it got and the audience seemed to enjoy it so much, it was clear that there was possibly an appetite for more. And I think because Neil had talked it through with Terry in the past, about where the story could go, that gave him the confidence to feel like maybe we could explore this. And then it just developed.

David Tennant: Yes. But it crept up on us, didn’t it? It evolved as an idea, and it went from being something that, oh, wouldn’t it be nice if, to a genuine exploration of a possibility of Series 2, to when can we do it?

Sheen: Until you’re on set on day one, you don’t really believe it’ll happen. And then when I did turn up on day one—

Tennant: I wasn’t there.

Sheen: Because he was ill.

Tennant: I got COVID for the first couple of days of the shoot. Remember that was a thing? Everyone stayed off work and everything.

Sheen: Well, you did. Some of us battled on.

Obviously, both of you were in Doctor Who. I saw the handful of Doctor Who references in this season, with Aziraphale haggling over a lost episode of Doctor Who, Peter Davison playing Job, and David, your reference to Alpha Centauri. Whose idea was it to sprinkle in those Doctor Who nods? And were more that didn’t make it in?

Tennant: That’s Neil [Gaiman], isn’t it? Neil’s a fan, and Douglas [Mackinnon], our director as well, who’s worked on Doctor Who, so there are a few overlaps. But there are lots of, not just Doctor Who, there are lots of references to all sorts of things that are sprinkled in there.

Sheen: For film and TV buffs, there are so many little Easter eggs. There’s not a scene that there isn’t something going on in there.

Tennant: Yes. Some of them are very explicit, others you have to really search for, and lots I still don’t understand. But there’s a lot going on in there and there’s a lot of hidden content.

Sheen: Yeah. Because the episode of Doctor Who that I did was written by Neil. That was the connection.

A fantastic episode.

Sheen: Some say the best episode.

Tennant: Eh, there were better ones. I don’t know.

The relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley was a major part of what made Season 1 work so well, and I was overjoyed to see Season 2 doubled down on that. They’re obviously close in the book, but it was your chemistry in the show that made fans really embrace them as ineffable husbands. Did the glowing reception for the Aziraphale-Crowley ship influence Season 2’s direction? And how aware were you of the immediate fan reception to your characters together?

Sheen: Well it was quite overwhelming, really. When the first series came out, I’d never experienced anything like it before. I suppose David, having gone through the whole Doctor Who experience, had experienced some kind of passionate fan base now.

Tennant: Yes, yes. Particular shows like this that have that kind of enthusiastic following, it is quite overwhelming. But it’s lovely. It’s very humbling to be in the midst of that. And Good Omens, I don’t know that I was immediately aware of it, but then gradually I’d start meeting people dressed up as Aziraphale and Crowley. And then that would happen more and more and more, and you realize, oh, this has got legs. This has grabbed a level of adoration and love that is really lovely. It’s a real privilege to be connected to because it goes well beyond anything that we do. It becomes its own thing, and that’s lovely.

Sheen: There’s a lot of incredibly creative and talented people out there watching this show. And then putting that creativity and talent into writing fanfiction or doing fanart or making things, I’ve seen the most extraordinary things that people have made based on this show. And it’s amazing to have that and to know that people care about the story and these characters so much. And we carry that responsibility into the show, and take it very seriously, the way people have responded to this, just seeing how people have created their own communities based on it and formed incredible friendships and meaningful relationships as a result of it. It really is a privilege. It’s very humbling to witness that.

#Michael Sheen #David Tennant #Good Omens #Good Omens 2 #Interview

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dee-morris · 7 months

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Three Minisodes, Three Themes

The Final Fifteen kicked me in the face, because it felt like it came out of nowhere. As a breakup scene it felt identical to the Bandstand Scene but unlike the Bandstand I didn't sense any foreshadowing. You could see Aziraphale's anxiety and denial throughout season one, so as painful as it was it felt like a natural progression of events. This didn't feel like that. It felt like a complete gut punch.

But that's because Aziraphale's situation was different this time around, the circumstances were different, the motivation was different. Aziraphale is the one asking to run away this time, and Crowley is the one saying, "I can't, it would mean giving up everything." It's the Bandstand in reverse.

And there WAS foreshadowing; I just wasn't paying attention. If we'd gotten one episode at a time like Neil wanted maybe it would have been different, but never mind. There were three flashback minisodes in season two, and each one showed a significant step forward in the ineffables' relationship and Aziraphale's thinking. All of which culminated in That Decision, which was painful but necessary and I will die on this hill.

In the Job minisode, Aziraphale that he can lie for a good cause and get away with it. He also learns that heaven isn't necessarily the arbiter of all mortal goodness and sometimes he has to follow his own inner compass against the advice of people who claim to know better.

In The Resurrectionists, he learns that there's no such thing as absolute good or absolute wickedness. It's an extension of the first lesson, actually, about free will and making choices when none of them seem optimal. When you don't have enough power to keep you and your love ones safe, every choice is going to suck. And sometimes doing good is a matter of creating better circumstances so good choices are practical and feasible. You can't just wag your finger and expect people to do right. You have to give them the tools. Like, idk, angels who have been told for millions of years that Metatron is the final authority on the will of God: what if something happened to make everyone doubt that? (Did Metatrash actually know what he was doing by hauling Aziraphale back to heaven?)

In the Flesh Eaters minisode (my beloved), the ineffables take turns rescuing each other. "I knew you'd come through for me. You always do." "You said, Trust me." "And you did." (whimpers and bites fist) If that's not foreshadowing of the leap of faith they're going to have to take together to survive and save the world again in season three, I will eat Sir Terry's hat.

I knew from the start that there was a good chance season two would end like that, but I thought if I ignored it hard enough it wouldn't happen lol. Oh well. I hope Neil is feeling better, I had that new variant over the summer and it sucked goats.

#good omens #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens season 2 #good omens 2 #crowley good omens #crowley x arizaphale #good omens meta #a companion to owls #The Resurrectionists #gos2

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heatherhpogson · 4 months

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Week One: Good Omens "The Flaming Sword"

First, I want to take this moment to dedicate this artwork to the Good Omens community, to @neil-gaiman (and co-writer Sir Terry Pratchett R.I.P), to the cast and crew of Good Omens, and to @goodomensonprime. Thank you for inspiring me to create this year. Enjoy the journey.

25+ hours in the making, I've finally finished my first artwork of the year! Since this is a series, this is number 1 out of 52! If you want this on your computer screen, check out my link tree! (If I did this right, it should be linked on the photo. Spoken by a Tumblr noob).

This took a lot longer than I originally thought, but I was having so much fun trying different things. I'm unsure if it's always going to be like this, fun that is, but it is a 52 week challenge. Eek! Did I get myself into deep waters?

Anyway, about the scene and why I chose it...

I think a lot of people like this exchange between Crowley and Aziraphale. It's the first time we're meeting them. Crowley inquires about Aziraphales's missing flaming sword and the poor angel is ashamed to say he gave it away! When Crowley hears this tidbit of information, he appears to be amused. (I was too).

I like this exchange because they don't despise each other. They just accept one another in each other's presence. When Aziraphale covered Crowley with his wing, it solidified my eyes to the screen. I had to see what was going to happen throughout the rest of the show. An angel and a demon? Friends?

The 25+ Hour Journey...

I am not a digital artist, or even a professional artist. I just do this for fun (and sometimes torture). So, when I declared to myself this challenge of doing fan art every week, I was thinking, "this is going to help me improve my art! It's going to be fun." Hmm...Sure, Heather. Fun. Turns out, fun was going to be secondary as I kept running into challenges!

We were sick over the holidays, and to get a good start on this very serious project, I decided to start early. Little did I know when I closed my art program for the weekend everything I worked on for the day would vanish. Poof! Into the nether. Sigh... don't worry, I learned my lesson. Save frequently. Seems common knowledge, but when you have kiddos constantly beckoning you, you sort of forget if you saved.

Then, I decided to color Aziraphale's eyes. Since Crowley's eyes were already a beautiful shade of yellow, Aziraphale needed the same sort of love. Only, as I re-watched the show, it wasn't clear what color his eyes were! They changed from blue to honey in a matter of seconds! So, I played around with it and came up with something I rather liked a lot.

So, despite my mini hardships, I had did have fun with this piece. I usually don't draw backgrounds, but since I want to do more personal artwork of my own characters, I'm trying hard to learn composition.

The end result might not be a masterpiece, but it still means something to me, and I hope it will mean something to others. Don't forget to download this for your computers, let me know if you like it, and have a happy week! Bonne journée!

#good omens #good omens fanart #aziraphale #crowley #aziraphale x crowley

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queenofthearchipelago · 3 months

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The good omens fandom has been disappointing lately, and I don't mean because of Neil. I mean because of the small pocket who lashed out at Neil not long ago.

For those reading my post out of context, let me explain quickly that Neil has always said, very specifically so, that Aziraphale and Crowley are not men, and therefore are not gay. That being gay is a human thing, and angels and demons generally don't even really understand it. (This is not a direct quote from him, but I've read this sentiment from him a few times.) And in response to that, I've seen popular members in this fandom respond in harsh anger because they feel that when Neil says these things, that it comes from a place of internalized homophobia that he's been holding onto like his life depends on it for the last 30 years.

If I may gently offer a different perspective... and please do not come for me, I really genuinely do not want to interact in debate or argument, I simply want to lay out how I see this, and lay it down as a kinder perspective for those it may help.

Neil (and Michael and David) have always used incredibly vague language to determine who and what exactly Aziraphale and Crowley are to each other. The only consistencies are that they are an angel and a demon and they love each other, they're in love with each other.

If it comes to answering any questions more specific than that, like if they're gay, then the answer is that Aziraphale and Crowley are not men, they're supernatural beings.

This is not coming from a place of bias, this is coming from a place of protecting the fandom.

This fandom is such a diverse and beautiful place. I see many people who headcanon them as being gay. I also have met people here who headcanon them as lesbians. As being trans. As being asexual. As gender fluid. As being every different type of orientation and identity possible. The theories and headcanons on who and what Aziraphale and Crowley are, is just as varied as every single person in the fandom.

And that's so important.

For a group of people who know what it feels like to not have representation on screen... for some since the book has come out more than 30 years ago and for some who have only come into this fandom with show 5 ish years ago, you guys know how important representation is.

I can't help but feel that some of this frustration and anger towards Neil for not blatantly saying that it's a gay love story comes from a place of wanting their version of Aziraphale and Crowley to be deemed superior to the others at the cost of erasure of the orientations and identities possible in everyone else's headcanons.

It's a queer love story, whatever that means to you. Before the first season aired, Neil directly said that no one was trying to take your version of Aziraphale and Crowley away from you. And do we not all read the same blog? I see posts from this man celebrating how different members of his readership, young and old, find representation and comfort within this story he AND TERRY PRATCHETT made.

I do wonder if you would treat Terry this way. I sure hope not.

We're never going to get Neil Gaiman saying these characters are gay, because it would crack the very rare and delicate and beautiful thing that's been created here. A couple of characters in a deeply loving relationship where you the audience get to decide what their relationship is? Where you get to decide their gender, because they literally don't have one? A story where the characters could genuinely, canonically, be like you because there's nothing inside the story saying that aren't like you? Where that freedom to interpret is part of the very foundation of the characters?

What other story would you guys be getting that from? Because I don't see any others like that on any bookshelf I've scanned recently.

Neil isn't going to ruin that for you.

And even if he did, he's also directly said that his stories speak for themselves. He isn't Word of God. Neil doesn't pretend that extra information he brings on Tumblr dot com actually adds anything to the story we all watched. That stands on its own, anything extra he may say or not is up to us to decide if we think it's canon or not. Do you, yes you, very specifically YOU... do you care about Word of God? Do you care about Author's Intent?

These are choices you make as a reader, as a viewer of intelligent television.

Aziraphale and Crowley are whatever you want them to be. They're in love. They always have been. And whatever that means to you, is yours and you can have that and share that and no one (not even Neil Gaiman) is ever going to take that precious thing away from you.

So write your fanfics and draw your fanart and participate in roleplays and take your comfort and guard your peace.

It's supposed to be safe here.

#I might delete this later #good omens #thoughtsfromthequeen

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celestialcrowley · 1 month

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Hi! For the fanfic author ask… 🥕, 🥨, 🍕, 🍔. Any and/or all! 🥰

Hi, @zeldamacgregor!

I chose some extra question for the any and/or all. One of those — the first one — took courage to include. 😁

🥝 Who are your literary influences, and have they shaped your own writing?

🪴 Neil Gaiman. Should I tag him? I’m going to tag him. @neil-gaiman. Oh, lord, heal this bike. I did it. I’ve been scared to — and to even pop in to say hi to him — because I’m a shy awkward bean, and he’s someone who very much inspires me. He’s a phenomenal writer, and — how do I say this? — my mother and I watched Good Omens, and because of how … anti … she is, I was honestly about to fly onto the ceiling during the Final Fifteen. She’s gone from outright stating she will not watch shows or movies involving anything LGBTQ+ to telling me that she wants to watch Good Omens again. She even raves to her friends about it. I’m not sure if you’ll see this, but thank you, Neil. You truly are a legend. Here’s to you, Sir Terry Pratchett and season three.🥂

🥕 What's your favorite fic you've written, and why?

🪴 Memory Reboot. It’s a WIP and my first multi chapter piece for the Good Omens fandom. To get to the fluff, we must first survive the angst. It’s my favorite mostly because of the original character I created that wasn’t actually supposed to be in the story. He was only intended to be an RP character, but here we are. Allow me to introduce you to Raven. A Nephalem. Half angel. Half demon. Writing him is a blast!

🥨 How do you overcome writer's block?

🪴 I honestly don’t know. 😂 Perhaps lurking about to see what other writers are up to in hopes of finding motivation or by rewatching Good Omens. Or being affectionately yelled at to write like Michael Sheen yelled DAVID WHAT HAS HAPPEN TO YOUR HAIR. Seriously. Do it. Haha.

🍕 What's your favorite comment you've received on a fic?

🪴 I can’t choose just one. There are too many.

🍔 What's a headcanon that hasn't made it into a published fic yet?

🪴 Ooh! I headcanon that Crowley might grumble about it, or at least never admit out loud — he might even pretend to hate it — but he would absolutely love to be held by Aziraphale. To have the angel run his fingers through his hair. To fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them as well. Why? Love. And also because the chaos demon pretty much short-circuited here…

And here…

Sorry, I’m awkward. I’ll shut up now.

🍭 What's been your most challenging story to write, and why?

🪴 Memory Reboot because *Gabriel voice* there’s a lot happening.

🍩 What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

🪴 Let’s see — there will be good days where the words will do the thing and bad days where they won’t do the thing. There might even come a day where you’re not happy with what you’ve written and want to scrap the whole thing. If that happens, take a break and do something else that you enjoy. Talk about it with your beta if you have one, or with someone else you feel comfortable sharing it with. Some fics or chapters may get more love than others, but don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up. Keep writing. 💚

#the ghost speaks

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lauranalanthalasa · 9 months

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Wait! We're all talking about which Angel Crowley might have been before his fall, but what about Aziraphale?

I mean, he was THERE with Angel!Crowley when the universe was created! Before the creation of the earth and of people. He WORKED on designing people! That's why he loves them so much as well, but I digress!

So, Aziraphale can't just have been some 37th grade scrivener or something.

And then I started digging!

There are suggestions that angels helped God with creation (see here) and that's exactly what we see Angel!Crowley do and Aziraphale tell him.

Well, Aziraphale does give Angel!Crowley his name when they meet for the first time, so this does seem to be his real angel name (although it is odd, that it ends with -le instead of -el, but again, I digress), but that doesn't mean, Neil and Terry didn't model him after one or more mythological angels.

So there is Anaphiel (or Anafiel). The name is already a bit similar to Aziraphale and he is cited in the Merkabah, early Jewish mystical tradition, as being among the eight great angels of the ascending heavens.

His name means "branch of God" - and wasn't Aziraphale on "apple tree duty" once?

The words for his name originally stem from a primitive root meaning "to cover" or "to shield".

Anaphiel is an Archangel, a Cherub, a Power, a Virtue & a Principality over water.

But you know what my favorite part is?

Anaphiel was chosen to punish the angel Metatron by glogging him with fire.

#good omens theory #aziraphale meta #Anaphiel #battle angel aziraphale

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pod-together · 8 months

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Pod-Together Day 4 Reveals 2023

something like a prayer [text, audio] (The Magnus Archives (Podcast)) written by Lua, performed by semperfiona Summary: It’s a never-ending prayer: his heart belongs to her. . . . It’s a never-ending prayer: his heart belongs to him.

A Lesson in Binary (Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types) written by cac0daemonia, performed by Flowerparrish

Angelic Rage Generates Humdingers (ARGH) (Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens (TV)) written by Sodium_Azide, performed by Djapchan and Sodium_Azide Summary: Their bosses have less than no idea about the best way to actually get things done, so this cooperation with The Enemy is important in a couple of ways. Face-to-face conversations are easy, but few and far between. The humans have invented plenty of ways to communicate long distance-it will probably be fine. In which Crowley's handwriting is the true enemy, and Aziraphale somehow invents the Twitter thread via actual birds.

These Are the Words You’re Looking For [text, audio] (The Mandalorian (TV)) written by bluegeekEM, performed by blackglass Summary: The droidsmiths were onto something when they created the IG-11 mecha, so Din turns to them and Greef for help once again. (And again. And again...)

A Nightmare within a Dream (Hannibal (TV)) written by poppetawoppet, performed by NotBatman52 Summary: A Princess Bride fusion, as every fandom deserves at least one.

Illness of the Heart (The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien) created by Sivan325, PolynomialPandemic, and Juulna Summary: Gandalf could hear a very distinct coughing sound and when he stepped inside the room, there were green leaves everywhere. He stepped closer to examine the prince, and it was then that he noticed a symbol, inked over the prince's heart; a sword, a bow, and an axe. The elf prince looked paler than Gandalf had ever seen him.

The Great Globe Itself Job (Leverage) written by shadowsong26, performed by Shakespeare_stole_my_url and Wereflamingo Summary: So this is the Leverage team, going about their business--in the style of William Shakespeare.

The Art of Not Letting Go (Ted Lasso (TV)) written by rockinhamburger, performed by klb Summary:Beard takes a deep breath and gives in to the impulse he’s been restraining for weeks: “But with your permission, I'd love to run off this plane and into her arms.”

Ted’s eyes widen now, and Beard watches anxiously for hints of how he’s taking this. Ted leans back in his seat and closes his eyes for a few moments, like he’s doing some internal reflection. Then he opens his eyes again, looks at Beard, and says, soft and quiet, “No.”

No. The no hangs in suspension as Beard struggles to make sense of it, that’s how sure he was Ted would say yes. He’s too surprised to speak. He must be taking too long because Ted shifts forward, expression conflicted. “Now, obviously you got free will, Beard. I’m not about to tell you what to do. You’re free to make whatever choice you want, so if you wanna stay here… stay with her? I trust you to make good choices, and I’ll support whatever you choose.” Ted lets out a slow, emotional breath. “But if you’re asking for my permission, I--” He visibly swallows, “I’m not giving it.”

The Ones Who Need Us (The Ones We Need) [text, audio] (Good Omens (TV)) written by estelraca, performed by justaphage Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley haven't just had each other through the years. The problem is that pets (and people) just never last long enough.

Once a great love (Original Work) created by Colourofsaying, Flowerparrish, Hagar, jennisaisquoi, kittona, MsTiggy, Rambling_Company, sapphoenyx, stargateinmybasement, and bluedreaming Summary:“Once a great love cut my life in two. The first part goes on twisting at some other place like a snake cut in two.” -Yehuda Amichai Far out in the Asian Badlands, Colonel Dr. Baek needs to keep alive a psychic who just lost her supporting partner, and solve a seemingly-unrelated medical mystery.

I Am Not There (I Did Not Die) (The Locked Tomb Series | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir) written by zombified_queer, performed by CrimsonMoonn Summary: After everything that's happened, John Gaius, the Emperor Undying, takes a moment to read the letters his Saints have sent and kept secret behind his back.

#podfic #fanfic #the magnus archives #star wars the clone wars #good omens #the mandalorian #hannibal #lord of the rings #leverage #ted lasso #original fiction #the locked tomb

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the-apology-dance · 9 months

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To figure out that this soul-wrenching scene in the first season of Good Omens was, indeed, written specifically not only to show the emotions of Crowley losing Aziraphale. It was written to show the emotions of Neil Gaiman himself.

As you know this whole story was created by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman together over the course of the summer as a fun project, the two never believing it would turn out to be as loved as it is now.

Terry Pratchett had passed away before he could see what Good Omens truly turned into, but Neil Gaiman carried out his one wish, which was turning Good Omens into a tv show.

This scene was written by Neil Gaiman himself, as if you read the book, this scene doesn't exist. As Crowley sits on the floor of the burning bookshop, it depicts that the thought of Aziraphale, the only person who truly cared for him, being dead is his absolute worst nightmare. The flames behind him showing that this is truly Crowley’s hell.

If you think that was a gut punch, know that Neil Gaiman wrote that specific scene because that depicts how much the loss of Terry Pratchett affected him. To know someone he was extremely close with was now no longer alive. That it seemed almost unfair to have them go to a place where you know they will never be coming back from. A place you'll never be able to reach? It is a feeling that is devastating.

Knowing that this is Neil Gaiman’s depiction of his emotions through his characters is heartbreaking, and shows the viewers just how much the loss of a friend affects you.

It can truly feel like the end of the world.

@neil-gaiman is truly an amazing writer and deserves all of the love the Good Omens community gets. Thank you for these amazing characters. 😇😈

#good omens #aziraphale #crowley #overanalyzing #too many emotions #neil gaiman #terry pratchett #small details #fan theory #the bookshop #ineffable husbands

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fuckyeahgoodomens · 9 months

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ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS S2 BTS VIDEO! :)❤ 🐍😊

David: Good Omens 2 will be once more unto the breach...

Michael: The kind of world that Neil and Terry Pratchett created here. It's... it seems to be expanding out into the world in all kinds of unexpected and and truly joyful ways.

Douglas Mackinnon (the directior): If Season one was a comedy about the End of the World, Season Two is a comedy about the beginning of everything else.

Miranda Richardson (demon Shax): The Bromance is continuing.

Doon Mackichan (Archangel Michael): What a cast, is all I can say, incredible, incredible cast.

Liz Carr (angel Saraqael): But of course a script of Good Omens is a whole different thing because anything can happen.

Shelley Con (Prince of Hell Beelzebub): There's always a smirk somewhere around the corner in a Good Omens script.

Quelin Sepulveda (angel Muriel): I had no idea what to expect, where this character was gonna go...

Liz: I feel quite honored that when they were thinking of the realms of sarcasm they thought of me.

Gloria Obianyo (angel Uriel): Seven-year-old me is like, 'Oh my God! This is the stuff of dreams!'

Maggie Service (human Maggie): A whole Fantastical Universe of joy that we just get to playing and you'll get to watch.

Tim Downie (Mr Brown): I am immeasurably, immeasurably excited.

Jon Hamm (Archangel Gabriel / Jim): You know I was very pleased when when I was brought back to be a part of that story.

Neil Gaiman: Ppeople are excited and I'm working so hard to tell them absolutely nothing. I'm very lucky because Michael Sheen and David Tennant love Crowley and Aziraphale. I think the first moment that I saw David and Michael acting together... all of a sudden there was Crowley and there was Aziraphale, it was like seeing two friends who I hadn't seen for years.

David: There's something about the way Neil sees the mundane that is extraordinary and there's something about the way things filter through his imagination and of course in this world it also sprinkled with the imagination of Terry Pratchett and those two together created this cocktail that is it's unlike anything you've seen anywhere else and yet it feels utterly familiar.

Michael: And they both have a sense of the absurdity of what it is to be a human.

Rob Wilkins: When you've got David and Michael in front of the camera David and Michael evaporate and you have Crowley in Aziraphale and that relationship it needed it needed interrogating more and of course we all know that Terry and Neil had conversations about what the sequel would be and Neil has taken that and he's blown it up in a way that the viewers are just going to love so what would Terry think? Terry would pat Neil on the back and he would push Good Omens forward, he would break a bottle of champagne over its bows and be absolutely delighted and I know that, I'm the one person on Earth who's been entrusted to know that for certain and I promise you Terry would be absolutely delighted.

David: We've got some cast members coming back, returning but playing different parts which is a lovely little addition to things isn't it, so Miranda Richardson is back not playing the same role as Season One, she's now Shax, my replacement - Crowley's replacement on Earth.

Neil: Shelley Conn came in as Beelzebub and it feels in a weird way kind of like a Doctor Who Regeneration. We have a new demon called Furfur played by Rheece Shearsmith who was our Shakespeare in Season One.

David: Nina and Maggie were two of the Sisters in Season One, The nunnery of Doom, and now they are two characters imaginatively called Nina and Maggie.

Maggie: In season one really it was just me and the nuns, it was the nun gang, so to actually get to meet Aziraphale and Crowley... I hadn't been prepared for how delightful Aziraphale is.

Neil: Season Two begins about threem four years after the events of Season One.

Michael: Aziraphale and Crowley now are, you know, out on their own, they're.. they're a team to themselves.

Neil: Everything changes when Aziraphale gets an unexpected visitor.

Michael: A familiar face comes along with a mystery that needs solving and as Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to solve that mystery they realize that there are much more terrifying things ahead than they've had to deal with in the past. That involves having to go back through history as well to get clues as to what might be going on.

David: When we go back into these stories set within Aziraphale and Crowley's personal history there are moments within those stories where where their relationships sort of pivots or develops in some way. Himself and Aziraphale I think rely on each other even more in season two than they did in Season One because they are by necessity and by circumstance they're a they're a double act that nobody else can join.

Michael: It's extraordinary to see how important these characters and this story have become to a lot of people and how much people enjoy expressing themselves through art, through fan fiction.

David: I went to a Comic-Con and the amount of Crowleys and Aziraphales that I saw everywhere, the cosplaying just took off, and always in twos, which was joyous because of course the characters in my mind only exist in relation to each other. They are the Ying and the Yang.

Michael: It's such a... I think it's such a compliment and I think Neil feels the same way as well.

Maggie: Always clever Neil Gaiman, isn't he?

Nina: Yeah yeah, you'd have to sort of admit that at some point, yeah-

Maggie: He's quite good at his job.

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marta-bee · 5 months

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Some caveats: I'm nursing a headcold today, so taking off work and more than a bit confuzzled from decongestants. I also 100% recognize what I'm about to say probably wasn't what Neil and P-Terry had in mind. But what is the internet for if not sharing our theories and thoughts just because we can?

So with that rather large grain of salt in mind, I want to talk about Good Omens (obviously), and medieval philosophy (equally obviously from me), and specifically what might have driven Aziraphale's fall. I'm using that term with a bunch of caution flags in my mind, because I don't think it's wholly accurate for angels, but there's definitely something going on with Aziraphale's character because he's changing and growing. Theologically, angels are supposed to start out good and stay that way, so any change can only be a step away from that ideal.

That's the standard view in most medieval Christian philosophy. I don't actually agree and think the possibility of change is what makes life worthwhile. (How boring, to be perfect with nowhere to go!) But my point is if the Aziraphale we meet in Eden is different from the one who says "after you!" outside a bookshop in Soho, that's .... not management-approved angel behavior, to put it mildly. Whatever he's changing into.

(I should probably add a third caveat: I've still not seen the second season, so I'm thinking mainly in terms of Good Omens the book and the first series storyline, and what little of the second series I've gleaned from the Tumblr ecosystem.)

Here's the part that fascinates me. Crowley's fall is a very familiar story if you grew up around Protestant Christianity, even culturally. Humans first sinned when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; when they lost their innocence and understood morality. And Crowley fell because he was just asking questions. That either means he's trying to understand things he should have just accepted, or he's questioning if they really should be that way, or both. In either case it's a very knowledge-based form of falling.

I don't get that vibe from Aziraphale. If anything, what drives him to change is he loves too extravagantly. I'm reminded of this bit from Augustine's On Christian Doctrine:

But living a just and holy life requires one to be capable of an objective and impartial evaluation of things: to love things, that is to say, in the right order, so that you do not love what is not to be loved, or fail to love what is to be loved, or have a greater love for what should be loved less, or an equal love for things that should be loved less or more, or a lesser or greater love for things that should be loved equally.

Put more simply, we're supposed to love things that are good, and love them in proportion to how good they are. Love God unconditionally and without restraint; love other things as a reflection of God, to the extent they reflect Him. It all reminds me of nothing so much of Othello's famous description of himself: "one that loved not wisely, but too well."

And if that's not Aziraphale to a tee. It's not just that (if I may be allowed my shipper's goggles), is head over heels in love with an actual demon. He also loves the niceties of the created world so durned much: sushi, and crepes, and music that's not The Sound of Music, and all the rest. He loves it so much he'll do nearly anything to protect it, to keep it in existence, even if it means toeing the line over what God Herself actually wants. And loving the created thing so much we value it even above God, which Aziraphale is getting very close to doing, in spirit even if he keeps finding clever ways to avoid actually crossing the line? That's one of the ways Augustine actually defines sin. From The City of God:

These are thy gifts; they are good, for thou in thy goodness has made them. Nothing in them is from us, save for sin when, neglectful of order, We fix our love on the creature, instead of on thee, the Creator.

There's something delightfully queer about all this, or at least something I suspect resonates with a lot of queer peoples' experience. It's not that Aziraphale loves a male-presenting character, or even a demon, but that he loves so carelessly, so extravagantly, he loves everything and not just the things he's been told he should love. And that's enough to stop the apocalypse. To catapult him firmly past your or my side to ours.

And if that's not a delicious and true-to-character way to start his fall, I don't know what is.

#theology #marta blathers #good omens #aziraphale #philosophy #really this should all be taken with a large grain of thought and i can't promise I'll hold to any of this tomorrow #still the thought is an intriguing one

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invisibleicewands · 10 months

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Michael Sheen on ‘Good Omens’ Season 2 & Reacting to the Show’s Cult Following

With a career spanning the last thirty years, there are a number of things that audiences might recognize Michael Sheen from — maybe Masters of Sex, or Frost/Nixon, or, if you’re of a certain age, the Twilight saga. But many recognize him as part of one of Prime Video’s most beloved series, a show that garnered itself not only a cult following but also what many deemed impossible: a story beyond the ending of the book it’s been adapted from.

This month, Sheen co-leads the highly anticipated second season of Good Omens, adapted from the novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. In the series, he plays the goody-two-shoes angel Aziraphale, one of many lovable characters and a lover of tea, antique books, and classical music. Formerly under service to Heaven, he’s since been cast out by the other do-gooders after preventing the apocalypse with the help of his good friend, the demon Crowley (David Tennant). How that counts as an infraction, we aren’t sure, but now he’s found himself in the midst of another crisis — figuring out just why the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) has shown up in front of his quaint little bookshop in London’s SoHo, and why he can’t remember a single thing about himself. Not an easy task, surely, but one Sheen plays to perfection as the anxious angel who only ever wants to do the right thing. (A challenge, when your best friend’s a demon formerly employed by Hell.)

Collider was excited to sit down with Sheen to discuss Aziraphale’s journey in Season 2, and what it was like collaborating with Neil Gaiman to create a story beyond the end of the original novel. During this interview, we also discussed what it’s been like for him to work with David Tennant on both Good Omens and Staged, where they play fictionalized versions of themselves, and how playing Aziraphale compares to voicing Lucifer in Audible’s version of The Sandman.

COLLIDER: Obviously, when you were making the first season of this show, you had the book to work off of, you had a characterization to work off of, but because this season is an all-new thing that Neil Gaiman has written, did you get to work with him at all to develop what Aziraphale was doing this season, or was it all dependent on what he wrote?

MICHAEL SHEEN: Yes, I think when we were doing the first season, Neil always talked about the idea that he and Terry [Pratchett] had talked quite a bit about future storylines and that they had worked out quite a lot of it, actually. They just never got around to writing it down in a book. So there was quite a lot of material already in his head. One of the wonderful things about this, as well, working on this project, has been how much myself and David have been able to collaborate with Neil on the characters and inhabit them and bring them to life, and developing the relationship between them and the storylines. So it’s felt very collaborative, but then, of course, Neil is very good at making it feel collaborative even when he knows exactly what he wants.

Speaking of that relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale, you are obviously quite close with David Tennant. You work with him not only on this but also on Staged. What's it like getting to put that friendship dynamic to use on those shows, especially since Staged is something that's so completely different from Good Omens?

SHEEN: It's just wonderful, really. You know, often you work with actors that perhaps you have very good chemistry with on-screen or on stage, but maybe off-stage, off-screen there's not a particular spark. It's fine, but there's nothing particularly special about your relationship on stage or on-screen. Then other times, there are people you get along with really, really well, but maybe there isn't necessarily that amazing chemistry on-screen or on stage. So it's very rare that you have both. I think with us, we've just sort of discovered that that is the case, or it seems to be that people feel like we have good chemistry together when we're working. And we just have a lovely time together in between working as well, so it's such a pleasure to be able to do that, and to be able to work on projects like Good Omens and Staged with the characters that we play in those. It's just a real joy, so, you know, long may it continue.

Personally, I love the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the show has had such a massive fan response. How much are you aware of that, and what do you hope fans take away from this season as opposed to the first one?

SHEEN: Oh, I'm very much aware of it. Yeah, it's one of the most enjoyable aspects of working on this, to see how much the audience and in particular Good Omen fans just give to the project. It does feel like a fulfilled kind of creative collaboration with the fans as well. There's so much talent when people come to writing fanfiction or artwork, or just discussing ideas or things that have sort of been born out of it. I mean, there are all kinds of amazing groups who fundraise now for charities and do all kinds of incredible things. There are conventions and all sorts. I love that, and I love seeing how people have made friends, really close friends, through their connection to this and these characters in this story, and how communities have been created, and how much people are helping each other. I see all that online and I hear about it. It feels very in the spirit of the story, you know, it feels very in keeping with what it's all about. I think that's a big part of why Neil and I and the rest of us have all really opened ourselves to that fan community, because I think it feels like a very living part of the story.

How do you think Aziraphale has changed between where we leave him at the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2? Is there anything unusual that we can expect from him this season?

SHEEN: Well, I think he's in a quite odd position for him because, on the one hand, he's got a lot of the things that he's always wanted. He's always wanted to just be left alone and live in his bookshop, and drink tea and listen to music, and read books and go to the theater, and eat nice meals and drink nice wine, and be with the being that he loves being with the most. But on the other hand, he's also someone who feels very anxious about not being part of the company, you know, being out on his own and sort of independent. It’s quite a challenge for him. It’s that thing about “be careful what you wish for.” He got what he wished for, but he still feels a bit off-kilter, I think, and then this unexpected guest arrives and turns the world upside down for him again.

But one of the things that we wanted to explore with Aziraphale in this series is perhaps finding something a little steelier underneath the apparent soft surface, that maybe there's something else going on under there. So we see that kind of come out as the story goes on, as well.

In addition to playing Aziraphale, you also did the voice for Lucifer in The Sandman audio series, which is obviously also a Neil Gaiman joint. So what's the difference between playing an angel and playing a demon?

SHEEN: Well, of course, Lucifer is an angel, was once a fallen angel. My first experience of Neil’s work was The Sandman. That was what I first read when I was still a teenager in the late ‘80s, and it just absolutely blew my mind and opened me up to all kinds of things and started a journey [with] Neil’s work, but also all the people that Neil kind of points you towards through his work as well. It opened so many doors for me. So to be able to then be a part of The Sandman world, as well, to play such an iconic character, it was and is, because we're still doing it, just a bit of a dream come true.

I have one last question for you, and it's a little bit of a silly one. One of the most iconic parts of Good Omens is Crowley's Bentley, which is cursed to play nothing but Queen songs forever and ever. I would love to know what you think Aziraphale’s favorite Queen song is.

SHEEN: Well, I think he likes the more operatic ones. So he probably…I think he likes “Bohemian Rhapsody.” All those nifty chorus bits. He’d love that. So yes, probably “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

#Michael Sheen #Good Omens #Good Omens 2 #Interview #Aziraphale

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bryantspeed · 9 months

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Season 2 Good Omens spoilers

Long rant incoming

Now that I’ve finished crying I wanna talk about the ending and some gut punch reactions I’ve already seen from other people. A repeated sentiment I’ve seen from Aziraphale and Crowley’s separation after the kiss is that “we don’t need more tragic queer endings” and that Our Flag Means Death and Good Omens suffer from straight writers writing queer love that fails in the end. And there are a few problems I have with those sentiments

The first being, BOTH GOOD OMENS AND OFMD AREN’T FINISHED? Like Neil Gaiman has stated in the past that he and Terry Pratchett envisioned 3 seasons in the TV adaptation of Good Omens, and we have definitely left off on a very interesting note for the third act to pick up from. This is the furthest thing from an ending as we can get.

Second, Season 2 of Good Omens very much shifted away from the idiot plot of Season 1 to truly make it a love story and emphasize that above all else. Hell, both Crowley and Aziraphale both point out romcom tropes that they find attractive and attempt to use them to make Maggie and Nina fall in love! Good Omens may be a self aware romcom, but it would be wrong to say it’s not still a romcom that subscribes to those tropes and utilizes them fully! We are ending the second act on a three act romantic story, and what typically happens then? The romantic leads, despite their mutual attraction and desire, split on ideological grounds and leave each other with regrets heavy on their lips (no matter how powerful a kiss is). Queer love stories do this too! Look at the movie “Bros”, they have this same 3 act structure, as does “But I’m a Cheerleader!” where we are screaming at Graham to please just run away with Megan but she is prioritizing her financial safety and family above her own desires.

Hell's sakes, look at the pinnacle of Romance, the brains behind the 1810 Clerkenwell diamond robbery, Jane Austen! Pride and Prejudice also follows this format where Elizabeth and Darcy are ideologically and emotionally split apart, and it is not until Darcy and Elizabeth grow and change for the better that they come back together in the most romantic scene to ever grace the world! "One word from you will silence me forever. [...] You have bewitched me body and soul". What I am trying to say is, Aziraphale going back to Heaven with Metatron is an extension of that common romance trope, splitting our star crossed demon and the too-trusting angel apart to prepare for the third and final act.

And ya know the funny thing that would have certainly happened even if they ended up together at the end of the second act? They would have been split apart very early into the third act. Stories are born of conflict, no story worth telling is one that culminates in "Nothing bad ever happened and we just watched our two lovebirds go on dates and explore each other's bodies for six hours!" Love stories thrive on setting up conflict, so that the romantic leads can fight and claw and work their way back to each other in a much more satisfying emotional climax than if the sloppy, rushed confession that Crowley gave Aziraphale had worked. Stories where the leads end up together in the middle of the story itself don't tend to end well for them (See Romeo and Juliet, "La La Land," "Titanic," et cetera). That is how you end up creating a romantic tragedy.

Third, while “We want queer stories that don’t end tragically” did have a place in film criticism at one time, and a time fairly recently, I feel that sticking to that now when there are a lot more stories that express queer joy and love (especially if you look beyond just major studios, support indie filmmakers, and support the SAG AFTRA and WGA strikes!!!) limits the kinds of stories we can tell. A genuine benefit of today is that there are a lot of queer stories that we can tell, and I’ve been lucky to read a lot of them. The freedom with which we can create stories about us is breathtaking. I've had the privilege to read many well written queer stories, but I've also had the strange privilege to read poorly written queer stories that I can't fathom how they made it past editing. There’s a fierce joy I carry knowing that there are a plethora of queer stories that I can read now, and that more are being created, good and bad.

My point is, there are so many queer stories to be told, and that are being told, so limiting queer media to “must end happily” is exactly that! Limiting! If we go in to every story with the foreknowledge of a happy ending, well frankly that’d be so boring! I want tragedies! I want fucked up characters not fully resolving their problems and being left in situations arguably worse than where they began!

And while I doubt that's the direction Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett wanted to take their supernatural love story, if Aziraphale and Crowley, despite all their struggles, are tragically separated because of metaphysical forces beyond our wildest imaginings, then that would be something new! It'd be interesting if done right! As painful it would be to not see Aziraphale and Crowley together gallivanting off to Alpha Centauri, I'd much rather see a story that has these sorts of stakes for both the characters and the audience!

Anyway, the reason for this rant is just to say that I'm excited for where Crowley and the new Supreme Archangel Aziraphale go in their final act, and by god will I impatiently wait and see.

PS: to those that I saw dismissing Good Omens' and OFMD's cliffhangers for coming from straight writers, Taika Waititi literally came out as queer, and Neil Gaiman had boycotts on Sandman in the 90's because of his queer characters, and his loving portrayal of Wanda, a trans woman that I will protect will all of my heart.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens 2 spoilers #ofmd #terry pratchett #neil gaiman #neil you've done it again but I can't keep going through this emotional turmoil #Aziraphale what the fuck #crowley my beloved #I have an English major and I'm not afraid to use it!#Metatron you bitch

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sendarya · 5 months

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Hello Sendarya,

and thank you so much for the Good Omens video essays and analyses! Especially the ones about music (hidden clues etc.) are so enlightening, and for a person whose mother tongue is not English, your way of speaking is clear and easy to follow. Thank you!

I've been a long-time (but now several years absent) member of Wheel of Time community (tarvalon.net's Brown Ajah), but new to GO fandom, and I thought to ask you before pestering Neil Gaiman - I mean I don't know if this has been already asked of him (didn't find it in the spreadsheet FAQ, though).

Appearing/disappearing miraculously. Furfur has the ring, Aziraphale has his portal, both angels and demons can travel through telephone wires. Then there's the lift, and the "big transporter" (out of service) and "little transporter" (maybe the lift?), and the stairs. In addition the demons and angels just appear, sometimes with fanfare, lightning, or flames directly from heaven or hell.

What puzzles me is whether they can appear from place to another on earth without telephone wires or other transportation means, and without going to heaven/hell in between. Do you know if Mr. Gaiman has answered this? Shax seems to be able to, at least short distances (from outside to inside the Bentley, and after the "awning of the new age" disaster in front of the bookshop, but that might be something else because she appears as random people on the street and not herself all the time - and then when she's masquerading as the woman needing a lift).

Crowley drives everywhere, and when Aziraphale wants to drive the Bentley, Crowley suggests Aziraphale should go by train, like a miraculous way of traveling wasn't an option.

And related thing, about the last episode of S2 when Beelzebub, Furfur and Dagon appear directly inside the bookshop. Always before both the angels and the demons have appeared outside and then needed a direct invitation to come in - save in S1 when Gabriel and Sandalfon can walk in, but that's probably because it was the rare times the bookshop was open for customers (anybody could just walk in). Do you know the demon trio could appear inside the bookshop because "the thing with the halo" somehow neutralized the threshold/boundary line?

Sorry for being so wordy, and thank you if you can enlighten me!

Hello!

Never be sorry for being wordy. Your English is also excellent! I'm always impressed with bilingual skills.

I'm glad you've enjoyed my videos! Finding and sharing things like the hidden music is a real joy. I'm also glad I'm easy to understand, and thank you fur the compliment.

As far as I know, Neil has not addressed the question of how transportation works in the Good Omens universe magic system.

My answer, my best guess anyway, is in two parts.

First, the magic system in Good Omens seems to be a soft magic systrm. This a term coined by author Brandon Sanderson, and essentially it means that although there are rules to the magic, they are flexible and often not clearly defined. This allows the writers to use the magic in whatever way they need that best tell the story.

Second, from what I can tell, demons and angels can only teleport on earth to one another, not to any location they want. Crowley at the Bastille, Shax to Crowley in the Bentley, Aziraphale near Crowley at the Bentley, etc.

Why can they sometimes just sort of beam up or down (the teleporter i presume) and other times need to take the lift, I don't know. It's a good question, but one who's answer might just be: "because it serves the story."

It's not the most satisfying answer, but much like the messy angelic heirarcy, in the end I'm not sure Neil or Terry ever created a solid, fixed magic system with inflexible rules that we can make sense out of.

#good omens #good omens 2 #neil gaiman

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