ineffable-human

[ineffable-human]

We focus a lot on Aziraphale’s kindness in giving away his sword, but Adam and Eve make a really interesting choice there too. Because they’re no longer being chased out by an angel with a flaming sword. They have the sword. And sure, the angel probably has other ways to kick them out if they won’t leave. Maybe, fresh off God’s wrath, they know better than to try.

Or maybe, having tasted the fruit of knowledge, they realize they’re starving. Maybe they peer out the hole and see a vast and frightening and beautiful world, and they have to have all of it — lions included. Maybe it looks like a desert, maybe the first few steps are terrifying, but maybe they now have the power to create the world they want to live in (to be like God, knowing good and evil). Maybe they don’t want to stay in their safe, tiny little Eden. Maybe they want to be out.

So anyway, when Crowley and Aziraphale leave the bookshop-

[ineffable-human]

It’s so funny to watch Aziraphale wander gleefully from disaster to disaster like a toddler who needs constant supervision. Crowley walks on consecrated ground and diverts bombs in order to keep him from getting shot and Aziraphale’s response is, “thanks so much my dear, what would I do without you? Quick question though: will you shoot me?”

[ineffable-human]

Oh my God

Aziraphale is in his Adam-at-peak-Antichrist phase. The point where Adam's puppeting his friends & saying "it's a bad world but we can fix it." People keep saying Zira's fallen back into his old Heaven is good mentality but it's not quite that.

His immediate impulse is to say he doesn't want to go back. He's convinced by the combo of "you can fix things" & "you can bring Crowley." Leaving the issues of his reasoning wrt Crowley aside, he's hesitating again after the argument, till Metatron brings up the Second Coming.

This isn't about "Heaven is good and perfect." This is about "Heaven has always claimed to be good and I can make that happen now." Just like Adam in Antichrist mode. This is about "I can be the right people & stop the next apocalypse, unlike last time when my call went wrong."

It's not exactly a regression so much as a sideways swerve of some kind, imo.

[ineffable-human]

[ineffable-human]

I think "Bad Writing on Purpose" is a misnomer.

And people focus too much on it.

First of all, I really don't understand why people were surprised by the cliffhanger. Everyone was talking about how Neil said season 2 was going to be "quiet, gentle, and romantic" but nobody noticed that he also, on multiple occasions, wrote that season 2 was not the sequel he and Terry plotted, but what needed to happen to get the characters to where they needed to be at the start of what they plotted as the book sequel but would now be season 3. He was always completely open that season 2 was a bridge, and after reading it here and there before season 2 came out, I for one knew that season 2 would most likely end with a cliffhanger.

I mean, I surely didn't know we would get OFMD-ed, that was indeed a surprise, but I knew there would be a cliffhanger. Why didn't you?

Now I have read ariaste's famous 15 000 word essay. I find her theory quite brilliant. I don't think she will be (totally) right about it, it's too specific and too reliant on her assumption of how the Book of Life works. I also disagree with some of the details of what she calls "bad writing". Especially Maggie might just be portrayed as a dork neurodivergent. And some of her visual "clues" already turned out to be simple homages. (Not "The Crow Road", though, I think. Yes, Neil and Terry were friends with Ian Banks. But he has written like 40+ books, why choose THAT one, the one that deals in part with people solving a mystery by going through old documents, just after we are shown that Aziraphale keeps diaries and definitely leaves them in the bookshop when he's going to heaven? Even if we ascribe its first appearance to the famous opening line which Gabriel reads aloud, why show the same book a second time, mid-frame?)

Also, yes, I disliked that Aziraphale's & Crowley's new first meeting put them on the wrong foot with each other, when their meeting in Eden had established them as kinda instant co-conspirators from the very beginning. The same with Crowley in the Job episode being the one to introduce Aziraphale to worldly pleasures instead of him discovering them on his own. But that is sometimes what happens when you learn more about characters from new canon, sometimes it doesn't fit your established headcanon. You either roll with it or you choose to ignore that part of canon.

But I do think she is on the right track. And the most important thing that ariaste pointed out is still the missing/unsatisfying payoffs and the unfired Chekov's Guns, which I am pretty sure is the very reason this season felt so "off" for most of us and why ariastes theory found so much resonance. But I wouldn't call that Bad Writing. I would call that at most Weird Writing Choices. Especially if

you view the whole of season 2, the bridge season, the quiet gentle and romantic interlude, as one. giant. setup.

Having Aziraphale use his never-before-mentioned halo as a deus-ex-machina option to defeat the demons in his bookshop is a weird writing choice. Especially when we know we have a literal Chekov's - Derringer - Gun hidden somewhere in there, which is not being used. Mentioning the Book of Life several times and have it be of no consequence, Crowley even doubting that it really exists, is another unfired gun. The Nazi-Zombies, which are somehow left to their own devices and never mentioned again, could be a Chekhov's Gun - and I feel a lot better knowing now that yes, the living dead are apparently part (a sign?) of The Second Coming.

But it isn't bad writing. It is setting up season 3. It has always been about setting up season 3. We got a nice, little, quiet gentle and romantic, fan-fictionesque Ineffable Bureaucracy main plot to go with it, but that was never the raison d'etre for season 2. It's main purpose was always to set. up. season. three.

After all, most paraphrasings of "Chekov's Gun" speak of acts. If a gun is shown in act 1, it has to be fired in act 2. If a gun is shown in one act, it has to be fired the following. If we look at Good Omens as a 3-act-story, with one season being one act, then all the Chekov's Guns were shown to us in act 2, and are not required to go off until act 3 - meaning season 3.

All of you who dismiss this and go "no one ever wrote bad on purpose just to fix it in the next season, why not accept this season was just bad" are missing the point, because you fixate on the "bad writing on purpose" misnomer. It's not bad writing. It's delayed gratification. It's setting up a payoff over more than one season. Which you can absolutely do if you have a plan, if you know where your story is going. It is what everyone still seems to expect from J.J. Abrams, even though we should know better by now. His setups never pay off, because he sets up things he never intends to resolve, never even has an idea about how they could be resolved, and keeps getting away with it. And yet, the overwhelming presence of his shitty writing in media has probably screwed with our expectations from mystery shows, which thanks to him are not very high. But I truly believe that Neil Gaiman (and John Finnemore, a frickin' COMEDY writer, for whom the setup-payoff concept must actually be like breathing) are both simply better than that windbag. There will be a payoff. Only later.

I believe we will come back to the halo. Aziraphale's Derringer Gun will be fired. The Book of Life will have meaning, even if it is different from what we might theorize. The Zombies will at least be mentioned. And I think even the weirdly framed and then forgotten Eccles cakes will make another appearance. We will have an actual, big-stakes gen plot next season. Aziraphale & Crowley will be stopping another apocalypse. It will have to do with Crowley's "all of us against all of them" line from season 1. It will have Anathema & Newt (I remember one Tumblr ask before season 2 where Neil was asked if they would come back for season 2, and he answered no, but they would hopefully be in season 3), and I personally think they're gonna regret burning that second book from Agnes. Crowley & Aziraphale will not have much time to talk about their relationship or to feel sorry for themselves, as a lot of fans seem to expect. This will not be fan-service, this will not be fan-fictionesque. The bigger picture is the second apocalypse and once again saving humanity, and saving earth. Doing that, Crowley & Aziraphale will find common ground again, they will find each other again. They will end up in their shared cottage in the South Downs, openly in love, and everything will be ok. I don't know exactly how, and I don't want to speculate too much, because that almost always ends up with me being disappointed by how canon actually turns out.

But I believe in Neil Gaiman. I believe he cares. I believe he might even care more about "Good Omens" than about any other of his creations. And I believe in the Brilliance of John Finnemore. I don't believe that he would have let Neil get away with these setups without real payoffs if he didn't see the point of them.

(And if Amazon and their greedy CEO/shareholders are the reason we won't get a third season, you'll hear about me in the news, I swear. 😡)

[ineffable-human]

Sometimes you’re just too close to see the big picture. 

.

Inspired by Adam’s aura :) Also, see how much I love you guys? I drew backgrounds.

[ineffable-human]

[ineffable-human]

I just adore how sweet and supportive of Muriel Crowley is.

I mean, Aziraphale is too, but he’s Aziraphale and there’s a certain amount of fellow feeling.

But Crowley spots an Angel and yes, makes fun of them a bit but gives them books (GIVES THEM

BOOKS!!!) and is all supportive when they’re in heaven and is generally just lovely to them.

I just think it’s a real insight into Crowley’s character that this demon who’s reaction to all non-Aziraphale angels is to hate them on sight, immediately takes Muriel under his wing (so to speak)

Ooh - also adding that Muriel loves Crowley too even after learning they are a demon

[ineffable-human]

Aziraphale: I left instructions for everyone while I’m gone.

Muriel: Mine just says “Muriel, no”

Aziraphale: I want you to apply it to every possible situation

[ineffable-human]

Gabriel, an angel in love with a demon, went to the angel who very famously also did that, for protection. It's making me emo that Gabriel, literally with nothing to go on, felt safe with aziraphale BECAUSE of his love for crowley!!! Thats what managed to survive the mind wipe: oh, aziraphale loves crowley, and so he is safe. Even when that was the original point of contention between Aziraphale and Gabriel!! He went to the bookshop because he KNEW not only that was where love lived, but where it would be PROTECTED and he was right!! 😭😭😭😭

[ineffable-human]

So did Muriel ever actually tell Crowley their job title or did he just know (read: remember) Because I now need fics of them being friends before the fall please and thank you

[ineffable-human]

Didn’t answer the first question...which continues to bed the question of why the bookshop remained a working embassy despite Azirpahale being out of heaven. SUSPICIONS GROW

Hi Mr. Gaiman!

Thank you so much for your work! You and everyone from the team made a wonderful (albeit heartbreaking) season 2!

I have some questions that I've been wondering about since my first watch-through:

Hell has appointed Shax as a replacement for Crowley - did Heaven deem it unnecessary to send a replacement for Aziraphale? Or does he just not know about that?

And what is the reason Aziraphale got to keep his bookshop? Considering Hell took Crowleys flat away and gave it to Shax, it surprised me that Heaven just lets Aziraphale stay there.

Once again thank you and good luck with the strikes!

(PS: I've started reading "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" recently and I absolutely love it, I hope I can still catch the theater production this year!)

Aziraphale owns his bookshop (and some of the land around it). He bought the land in the 1630s, built the bookshop in the 1790s. He always made sure that everything was paid for and only did miracles to obtain things in the most dire circumstances.

Crowley couldn't be bothered with buying things. He bought the Bentley (and, in the 1960s, a full tank of Petrol for the Bentley), but normally in Crowley's world paying for things is something other people do, and it's a minor enough and consistent enough miracle that it's just become a way of life. His flat was paid for by Hell's finance department and as far as Hell is concerned it belongs to them.

[ineffable-human]

-1500s england-

withfinder general: any last words, witch?

aziraphale, tied to the stake: this is all a misunderstanding

witchfinder general: *lights the stake*

aziraphale, extinguishes the flames via miracle: oh, dear. won't someone come to my aid

witchfinder general: shut up witch *lights the stake again*

aziraphale, extinguishes the flames via miracle: *louder* I am in Trouble here!

witchfinder general: what is this witchcraft? *lights the stake again*

aziraphale, extinguishes the flames via miracle, bored: any moment now...

crowley, hurrying over, breathless: witchfinder general. you have to leave. you house is on fire

witchfinder, confused: who are you? what is-

crowley, snaps his fingers: you go away and not bother anymore innocent women

witchfinder general: *obediently wanders off*

crowley: *miracles aziraphale free and helps her off the stake*

aziraphale, pouting: you took your time

crowley, sighs: I got lost

aziraphale, smiles: well, it doesn't matter. you rescued me *holds his hand* my brave hero

crowley: *pleased*

[ineffable-human]

Good Omens wip dump 1

[ineffable-human]

listen my theory is that ineffable bureaucracy didnt go to alpha centauri, they went to Edinburgh.

theres no way they wouldn't be bored of not watching drama and causing problems for humanity.

[ineffable-human]

GOOD OMENS "The Arrival" (2.01) #cat-behavior

bonus

[ineffable-human]

Prompt Request

I'm very bored and it's super quiet these days so please give me something to do tonight. hit me up with some promts for my fav 0T3 (Azi/Crow/Gabe) or just azi/gabe or crow/gabe alone. Season 1 or Season 2 ideas both welcome. AUs welcome. Jims welcome. idc just gimmie some stuff pls