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myrddinmirror · 2 years ago

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The Divine Plan Theory

I'd like to talk about MOTIVES. My first investigation started with a question I asked myself: "Why does Gabriel need a big box?" This theory begins with the question: "Why does the Metatron need Aziraphale?" No one has so far convincingly answered it. The only logical version that was voiced: he was afraid of the miracle of 25 lazarus and decided to separate the couple. There are several questions about the idea:

What could stop Crowley from coming to Heaven AGAIN?

Why shouldn't Crowley change his mind after a little alone time?

How can the Metatron interfere if Crowley shows up in Heaven and says: "Yes, I want to become an angel, you promised"?

Who will prevent the Supreme Archangel from visiting Earth as often as he wishes?

Why give one of the strong enemies even more power? After all, the position of Archangel implies an increase in available power, right?

Having kidnapped Aziraphale, the Metatron leaves the enraged enemy on Earth. With the power of the Throne or more, who moreover belongs to the Other Side.

Why would the Metatron start a complicated conversation, manipulate, etc., if he could just let Michael run the Extreme Sanctions?

Suppose the Book of Life is unavailable. The Metatron can still request the subordinate angel to report to Heaven at any time and erase his memory there immediately.

He can just let Michael launch Armageddon 2.0 again, confirming that she is now the Supreme Archangel. What can Aziracrow do on Earth? They won’t even know about the End of Days until it’s too late.

Please give me a convincing answer to at least one of these questions, and I will drop my theory.

Well, if you’re willing to listen to me, let’s move on.

Two Plans

In the Good Omens universe there are two Plans of development: the Great, which is known to all parties, including Humanity (Armageddon, the Second Coming) and the Ineffable, the secret game of the Almighty, the rules of which no one knows. Heaven and Hell are guided by the Great Plan, but nothing is known about the Ineffable, except that it exists. And it definitely exists, the Almighty Themselves tell us about this at the beginning of the first episode of the first season.

The Archangels and the Dukes of Hell prefer not to think about this mysterious game because it doesn't fit into the established status quo and introduces too many unknown variables into the usual existence (too much of a headache for the authorities). So, speculations about the Ineffable Plan remain a verbal game for marginals, such as a boring bibliophile angel lost somewhere in a corner of the Earth.

Probably, there was only one Plan in the Beginning. God were young, cruel and quick to slaughter. We haven't seen the Fall yet. Perhaps this event has cooled off the Almighty's ardor. Did They understand what violence leads to and have grown up a little? Then the Flood - and a bit of growing up again? The Great Plan remained as it was, but God changed. Of course, They were not going to appear in front of Their children and, blushing with embarrassment, explain: "You know, I went through a period of youthful maximalism, I was probably wrong about something…". This is how two Plans appeared.

The Almighty

The Almighty is a full-fledged actor. They make decisions, manipulate events. At the beginning of History They did it more roughly and openly (the Flood - Job), then more and more subtly. But They are still playing - we see it. They gave all Their creatures Free Will: mortals, angels, and demons (1) but in some miraculous way everyone does what They want. Imagine that you are walking around the city, come to a street intersection and you can turn right or left, and suddenly a big dirty rat runs by on the right. You turn left, although no one forced you to do so, right? Their work is even more subtle.

How do we understand whether Their Plan leads to Good or Evil? Do you think They want to destroy the Earth? It does not look like. They tried the Flood, and They didn’t like it (2). Sodom and Gomorrah? Thank you, no more. Look from the beginning of History: of course, They wanted mortals to bite an apple (3), They obviously know that a certain angel gave people his sword. Well, They don't mind. They know that Job won because of Aziracrow's cheating. There is no punishment. Is it possible for subordinate creatures to go unpunished if the Almighty God is angry with them? Why would They replace babies, if not to make Armageddon less likely? A warning from Agnes Nutter that flew out of the book, and so timely and successfully fell right into the hands of Aziraphale? Was it just a gust of wind? Did the Almighty want Their children to be executed?

You can never be sure that you understand God, but it seems to me that They want the Earth and all Their children to continue to exist, because "God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (4)

In both seasons we are periodically shown a view from above. Obviously, this is the look of God (5).

They hear words directed to Them, but don't respond with speech. Gabriel’s words in the voice of the Almighty (6): "I remember when the morning stars sang together, and the all Angels of God shouted for joy" are hints to the angel and the demon. God doesn't command or ask, because for an angel, even a request from God would mean an ORDER, and thus means a refusal of Free Will. They TEST Their children. God is still quite cruel in Their trials. In the first season, the world was minutes away from the End, and Aziraphale had to deal with the destruction of his bookstore and Crowley suffered the loss of his angel. Do you think the fire was an accident? Just a windflaw? Then look at this frame, who set it up?

At the same time, the Book of Prophecies also "quite by accident" turns out to be lying on the floor right in front of Crowley. Why this fire, why so much pain? Well, perhaps They were unhappy that Aziraсrow were moving too slowly. "Don't dawdle." Azi thinks a lot after the minisode with Job. Test again? Cause to worry. Aziraphale is worried and calls for Crowley, but Crowley is GONE. Likewise, the demon will leave in the finale.

However, beyond glances and wind gusts, it would be nice for God to have agents on Earth to directly influence events when necessary.

Field Agent the Metatron

The most obvious helper, you’d be surprised, the Metatron. Well, he’s the Voice of God. Walks the Earth, unrecognized by anyone, ingested things (7), doesn't arouse suspicion among mortals - apparently, he has been in the field for a long time.

Really, why did everyone assume he was the main antagonist? Because of the serious expression on his face or the stare at Crowley? Manipulator - Yes. Crude methods, intimidation - YES. But an unfriendly appearance doesn't mean that a person is on the side of evil.

I know where it came from - the scene in the first season. (And yes, also from the book. But the book canon and the series canon are different canons for me.) Let’s analyze that dialogue in detail, because it's important (8).

-You are speaking to the Metatron, Aziraphale. To speak to me is to speak to God. I'm the Voice of the Almighty. What is said to me is said to the Almighty -The important thing is the Antichrist. I know who he is, I know where he is. -Good work, well done. -So there doesn't need to be any of that nonsense about a third of the seas turning to blood or anything. There needn't be a war. We can save everyone. -The point is not to avoid the war. The point is to win it. -What sort of initiating event will precipitate the war? -We thought a multi-nation nuclear exchange would be a nice start. -Very imaginative. -The battle commences, Aziraphale. Join us. -In a jiffy. Two shakes of a lamb's tail. Just a couple of things left to tie up. -We will leave the gateway open for you, then. Do not dawdle.

The dialogue begins with the Metatron’s assertion that talking to him equals talking to God. Many are wary because they don't believe that God desires evil. They're right. But I suggest you believe that the Metatron is telling the truth, because he ALSO means no harm. Praising Aziraphale for finding the Antichrist. It’s not a mockery, it’s sincere: "You’re doing great, you’re doing everything right".

"The point is not to avoid the war. The point is to win it": "Saving the Earth is YOUR mission. Do you want an easy way for the Almighty to do everything for you? It’s not gonna happen".

Nuclear war. It wasn’t the Metatron’s idea, it wasn’t his plan. Did he say "We want it"? No. It’s a prediction of what the Horsemen will do, a clue to the angel. And the Metatron has no gift of omniscience, it’s an attribute of God.

"The battle commences, Aziraphale. Join us." - "Join our team, the battle for Earth begins now".

"Do not dawdle". We already know that the Metatron knows how to be harsh, knows how to order (9). If he was playing for Armageddon, he could say, "You can’t stay here doing anything, because this place is about to turn to dust. Troops built, get in line now!" Instead, he said, "If you want, you can come to Heaven, but if you have work to do (if you want to save the Earth), then hurry up, there’s almost no time left".

You know, the Metatron may not know the Ineffable Plan, he’s really just a Will of God translator. He may not understand the Plan or sympathize with Aziraphale (much less Crowley). He simply does his duty as he is told. Think about the fact that the Metatron actually has NO reason why he should go AGAINST God's Will.

If Michael is stubborn in her determination to complete the Great Plan, it doesn't mean that ALL angels are. The Metatron DOES NOT obey the Archangels. Moreover, it seems that Michael annoys him with his excessive fanaticism.

In the Last Fifteen, Azi starts a conversation with Crowley with "The Metatron, you know, I don't think he's as bad a fellow. Well, I think I might've misjudged him". (thought after that scene in the first season). He may have begun to understand the motives of the Voice of God, but he failed to convey his insight to Crowley. You will object, why then doesn’t he tell the demon directly: "I think the Metatron needs us to prevent the End of the World from happening"? Firstly, because this is only an assumption and in fact Aziraphale is scared by the Metatron's words, which sound like a threat. And secondly, because Crowley obviously won't believe or agree. The demon RENOUNCED from Heaven, from God, he hates them and will never go to work FOR THEM in his life (10). Therefore, Aziraphale asks: "Work with ME! I NEED YOU!" He probably thinks that by bringing Crowley to Heaven he can protect him (from Hell at least). The angel knows that Crowley loves him immeasurably more than God. But even this doesn't help. I don’t judge Crowley, he has his reasons. But the fact remains - Crowley LEAVES.

In the Last Fifteen, Aziraphale is actually threatened by the Metatron. In any case, the words about his partnership with Crowley sound like a threat:

-I've been looking back over a number of your previous exploits, and I see that in quite a few of them you formed a de facto partnership with the demon Crowley. Now, if you wanted to work with him again, that… might be considered irregular, but…

That's his way of doing things. As you noticed, he's not very friendly in general. So, he is given the task of returning Aziraphale to Heaven (I remember about MOTIVES, we will return to them). Let’s review his manipulation technique a little more.

First a gift: "Well, I brought you a coffee from the shop". A gesture that should appease the interlocutor. It’s like the first "yes" in a negotiation: if you agree with your opponent once, then it’s harder to refuse.

Step two is to have a one-to-one conversation.

Step three is flattery. A set of obvious lies (11), because we have all seen how Aziraphale knows how to lie, how he tries to be a good subordinate and not contradict his superiors unnecessarily (12).

Step four - offer. Aziraphale refuses, well, the Metatron has an ace up his sleeve: "You can make Crowley an angel again. You will take him with you to Heaven. We don't mind." A very strong move. But Aziraphale is not so simple, so we move on.

Step five is an alternative that cannot be accepted. The illusion of choice, where in reality there is no choice. "You can refuse the proposed position, I’m not forcing you. But. I know about your fraternization with the demon. And that’s not what Heaven approves of, if you know what I mean…"

The methods are shitty, but the task is completed.

Saraqael and Muriel

The Metatron is undoubtedly the main conductor of the God's Will. But he also needs help. As we already found out in the previous theory, Saraqael is very familiar with the Metatron, she immediately recognized him in human form. Why? Obviously, because she saw him on Earth more than once. All operational information flows to Saraqael; she is the first to know about everything that happens in Heaven and Earth (13). It is Saraqael who sends Muriel to spy on Aziraphale. Moreover, she has the power to erase angels' memories and turn mortals into salt pillars (why doesn’t Michael do this?).

There’s an interesting detail. Remember how Saraqael spotted Crowley looking through Gabriel’s file and didn’t turn on the alarm? (14) Do you remember how a little later Crowley and the Archangels descended to Earth?

Who do you think told Michael and Uriel to come and WHO told them not to hurt Crowley? Saraqael is not technically an Archangel, but is actually the second person in Heaven after the Metatron. She makes her own decisions and DOESN'T LOOK like she's working for the Great Plan.

Muriel, who was "recruited" by Saraqael and apparently must report directly to her, easily falls under the Metatron's command. It is clear that she could not object to the Voice of God, but he also hires her quite calmly (are there any more angels in Heaven?), without worrying that the information she receives may leak into the "wrong" hands. He is not afraid precisely because he and Saraqael play on the same team.

Undercover Agent Maggie

We come to a dubious point. I think Maggie is an angel in the Metatron's service. Moreover - the Ascended demon. We are being hinted that Maggie is not so easy in the first note she writes to Aziraphale (15). Spelling problems are the demons feature in the Good Omens universe. Maggie doesn’t look like a demon. But there’s definitely something wrong with her.

I'm sure her quirks have been covered many times before, but let's quickly recap:

a) she cries very unnaturally (but she seems to be genuinely interested in Nina). b) she owns a record store c) she thanks Aziraphale for his kindness with the words "You are an angel." d) she is not affected by some miracles. e) she has no fear of demons. f) her words ("You wanna come in here and say that to my face?" ) work for demons as a permission to come in. g) she doesn't leave the store during the assault, doesn't ask questions like "what's going on here" (unlike Nina) and helps Aziraphale fight off the demons. h) she decides that it's very urgent to talk to Crowley, tearing Nina away from her work right in front of the line of customers. i) Nina calls her "angel". j) she doesn't drink alcohol (16)

Why all these weird things actually matter:

a) with her "financial difficulties" she attracts Aziraphale’s attention, and with her tears forces him to ask what happened, and thereby draws him into close communication just at the moment when Gabriel disappears from Heaven. Coincidence! b) you can come up with any plausible legend, no one will check anyway, but it is incredibly convenient to be the owner of a rare record store for an antique record player, and how lucky that the only one who needs them lives right across the street. c) there are many words of thanks, but she chooses this one. It’s like trying to give a sign: "I know who you are". d) some miracles don’t work on her at all, on Nina - not much. Is it because Nina is under her "wing"? e) it’s not a very natural reaction for an ordinary person to stand face-to-face with a crowd of angry otherworldly creatures who just "devoured" your neighbor and tell them that you grew up with brothers, and therefore you are not afraid (hey, even Crowley and Aziraphale are very nervous). f) if an invitation from any mortal worked, it would be too easy for any demon to get where he wants: give a coin to a beggar and he would happily hold the door for you. g) why does she need all this? There are much safer ways to impress a girl, especially since you are actually putting her in serious danger by getting into a fight that’s none of your business. h) is it really so urgent? It’s like she’s deliberately pushing the demon to lose control of himself at the worst possible moment. Nina warns her: "It won’t do any good". But she replies as if she had received an order: "It doesn’t matter. We have to tell them". i) yes, it’s just a term of affection, but there are a lot of other affectionate words out there, why that? a clue? j) in itself this would not be strange if not for all the other points. In addition, we remember how in the time of Job Aziraphale reacted to the offer of a drink (17)

Why do I think Maggie is not just an angel, but a former demon? Because it fits into the scenario logic: so many characters, events, or even items in the series have mirrors. So, if the plot mentioned the possibility of Ascending, then it's very likely that it will be played with respect to another character. Anyway it’s not really the most important part of the current theory.

What conclusions can I draw based on the above? Maggie was a demon, and then somehow she earned forgiveness. Few in Heaven may have the ability to Ascend: the Almighty, the Metatron, and (possibly) the Supreme Archangel. But no one ever mentioned that someone has been Ascended. Officially, this never happened. So when it happened one day, it remained a secret (no one wants it to come out and shake the status quo, just like Gabriel’s Fall). And then this angel goes to Earth: to work secretly among people or among angels - earthly representatives of Heaven (or maybe demons), wherever special finesse and insignificance are required.

The Metatron had probably been keeping an eye on Aziraphale (or all the angels on Earth) for a long time, his dossier on him must be quite extensive, and he could not help but realize that Aziraphale is the special one. And at some point Maggie goes to be nearby (eyes and ears that not only ducks have). Gabriel's escape is an extraordinary enough event to command the agent to activate. This is where season two began.

A little more about Motives

So, the Almighty doesn't want Armageddon and the End of the World. Through cunning manipulation of babies, and a dedication of one angel and one demon, Armageddon 1.0 fails. But the Heaven-Hell bureaucracy still needs it (it's the Great Plan!). Somehow so imperceptibly it turns out that the Supreme Archangel and Duke of Hell, responsible for the beginning of Armageddon 2.0, withdraw. Free will, a little luck, a couple of minor passes of the divine hands in the dark, and now the End of Days has not happened again, and seats at the top of the two hierarchies are vacant.

Our divine conspirators need to put someone on the throne who will help successfully fail the Second Coming. The candidacy is obvious, and it’s definitely not Michael (18). So I believe that although the Metatron’s methods are brutal and his flattery is false, in the main he told Aziraphale the truth:

-There are huge plans afoot, enormous projects, and I will need you to run them. You are just the angel for the job. … Well, I can't think of a better angel to wrap things up, and to set into motion the next step in the Great Plan. It's something we need an angel of your talents to direct. An angel who is familiar with how they do things on Earth.

The Voice of God did it. Yeah, Aziraphale and Crowley had a fight and now they’re not talking. God knows if it’s what the Metatron wanted. Maybe yes, maybe no. I'm inclined to think he wanted both of them. This is a much more logical option (see questions at the very top). But the Ineffable Plan is still ineffable, and everything that happens must lead to the best.

I wonder if Crowley will understand the Almighty's hint about the Second Coming? (19) Place bets.

By the way, have you noticed? The Metatron often says WE. Who are "we"? Heaven is only a habitat. And each Archangel plays his own game. So "we" isn’t "all of us, angels," it’s a specific "we": "God, me and our team". Besides, "we," are probably Jesus and Adam. I don’t think Jesus wants the End of the World, wants to cast people into Hell (even bad ones), or destroy demons. But he needs allies in Heaven - those who will not run joyfully to blow the trumpet of the Last Judgment and send misfortune to Earth. And Michael, Sandalphon and Uriel are among those who will (20).

(1) Neil's answers about free will: here and here (2) S1 Ep.3 02:08 "The Almighty's going to put up a new thing, called a "rain bow", as a promise not to drown everyone again". (3) S1 Ep.1 04:15 "Fruit tree in the middle of a garden with a "Don't Touch" sign. I mean, why not put it on the top of a high mountain?" (4) Genesis 1:31 (5) During the assault: is this not the gaze of God, but of the Metatron? (6) 21:34 Ep.2 (7) 35:54 Ep.6 "I've ingested things in my time, you know". (8) 50:26 S1 Ep.4 (9) 33:56 Ep.6 "Right, you, you, you, back to Heaven, spit, spot, not another word. … Well, go on, off you go, the lot of you!" (10) 42:58 Ep.6 -He said I could appoint you to be an angel. You could come back to Heaven and… -And you told him just where he could stick it, then? (11) 41:54 Ep.6 "You're a leader, you're honest, you don't just tell people what they want to hear". (12) 13:14 S1 Ep.1, 01:15 S1 Ep.2, 38:54 S1 Ep.3, 04:49 S1 Ep.4 ("I'm soft!"), 13:50 Ep.2, 39:10 Ep.2 (13) Muriel first takes the matchbox to Saraqael, and she is the first at the globe with a miracle of 25 lazarus. (14) 10:56 Ep.6 (15) 08:24 Ep.1 "ugrency" (16) a) 10:22 Ep.2 b) 38:01 Ep.1 c) 24:30 Ep.1 "Oh, Mr. Fell, about the rent. I just want to say, you're an angel". d) 37:03 Ep.5 e) 02:17 Ep.6 "You lot are ridiculous" f) 03:37 Ep.6 g) 37:20 Ep.5 "I'm not leaving him to face them on his own". h) 37:33 Ep.6 i) 38:52 Ep.6 j) 36:49 Ep.1 -I don't drink. I just never wanted to. I don't like the taste. -Well, I need a drink. -No judgement. (17) 30:15 Ep.2 (18) Oh, Aziraphale knows how to be willful! That’s why he is needed, because for thoughtless order execution there are other Archangels. (19) 38:53 Ep.3 "There will come a tempest, and darkness, and great storms. And the dead will leave their graves and walk the earth once more. And there will be great lamentations. Every day it's getting closer". (20) Michael is the main antagonist of the third season, I am SURE. Sandalphon loved to destroy people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And Uriel already had her first question.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens theory #the Metatron #crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable fandom #goodomens #gomens #gomens 2

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myrddinmirror · 2 years ago

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The Lost Treasure Theory

A far-fetched detective investigation in ten parts. Conspiracies, secret places, mysterious signs… and a missing treasure.

Introduction

Let's imagine the first season as a heavy rock that stands firmly, and the third season as something that is hidden in the fog. The second season turned out to be strange, with many hints, vaguenesses, mirrors (in which everyone sees something different) and lines hanging in the air (some people call them Chekhov’s guns). I like to think of it as a wobbly rope bridge connecting the first season to the third. It is stretched over an abyss, at the bottom of which the sharp stones of fan kinks and fetishes await, it is strewn with glass shards of the spectator's hearts, and anyone who steps on it will inevitably slip on wet traces of tears of those who tried to pass here before. The wind of unbridled fantasies coming from the ocean of theories shakes this already unstable bridge, making the task of preserving the mental equilibrium and the ability to reason almost impossible for any impressionable traveler. My investigation rests on very ephemeral grounds, so I try to hold on as tightly as possible to the nearly invisible railing that Neil handed out for us. I cling to any available clue, trying not to fall into the abyss, and after each careful step I freeze for a while and catch my breath. Everything around is hidden in mist.

Part 1. Conspiracy

Let's take a closer look at the scene of Gabriel's trial (1).

-I see. You're casting me down to Hell. Well, I accept my fate. Sometimes an angel just has to say, "Guys, enough."

Gabriel is absolutely calm. This is not at all sudden for him. He was ready for the Fall and doesn't mind. Why? Because Beelzebub is waiting for him in Hell, everything is fine. Probably, the couple agreed in advance that they would not stay in Hell, but would immediately escape when they had no other choice.

-You are not going to Hell.

We look closely at the changing expression on Gabriel's face as the Metatron reads out his sentence.

He's nervous, he thinks fast. And judging by how quickly he figured out what to do, he's not as stupid as he seems. Or he already had a PLAN thought out in advance for such a case.

-These clothes are tailored. Can I keep wearing them?

It would seem that this is not the most relevant question right now. But he pursues several goals at once: a) to distract attention (see, I’m an idiot and only think about clothes) b) we know that he has a Fly in his suit c) he guesses that they will answer him, and he needs an excuse to materialize the Big Box and not arouse suspicion.

-Well, I'll just need to take off my clothes and clean out my desk, then. I'll be right back.

We can feel the relief in his voice and he smiles again. Now let's move on to the final conversation with Beelzebub (2).

-You. Thank you. -Silly, silly angel. Why? -I was coming to you, but… I… forgot.

Looks like they actually had a plan. Why does Beelzebub give him the Container Fly? They could not help but realize that sooner or later either their relationship would be detected, or he would be punished for refusing to start Armageddon. The fly was part of the plan. Most likely, "Thank you" was said precisely for this gift. But if Beelzebub assumed that Gabriel would reset his memory, then what does "Why" mean? Why did you come to the bookstore? Why didn't you come to me (as we agreed)? "I was going (was going to go) to you, but my memory was already in the fly, so I forgot where I had to go".

(1) 12:47 Ep.6 (2) 28:10 Ep.6

Part 2. The box is heavy - the box is empty

Naked Gabriel with a box in his hands walks down the street to the bookstore. We are clearly shown that he did not arrive in the elevator that materializes in the Dirty Donkey (1).

Is that a hint that he was somewhere else on Earth before he came to Soho? Let's remember. Let's fast forward to Gabriel's first conversation with Aziraphale (2):

-My arms were aching 'cause I had to carry that box for so long.

Where he was? Why did his hands hurt? One fly doesn't hurt anyone's hands. One fly doesn’t need a BIG box. At first, I had the idea that someone stole "the thing" from the box while it was outside the store door, but this is not the case. If one looks closely at how Gabriel carries it one can see that he barely holds it in his palms (3).

Later he throws it at the front door (4) and it is quite obvious that it is empty and light. Well, let's move on to Gabriel's escape from Heaven (5):

14:50 - he puts a matchbox with a fly in an empty box, leaves the box under the camera and goes somewhere 15:07 - he is undressed and carries the box easily (i.e. it is still empty, so he did not put his clothes in there, for example) 15:10 - he is in front of the elevator, reaching for a matchbox with a fly (his memory is still with him), and the box already seems heavy, he has to hold it by the bottom.

He pulls the fly out, losing the matchbox. 15:18 - he is in the elevator, elbowing the Earth button. He's holding the box with both hands, and he's gripping it with his fingers because it's obviously HEAVY.

While he is going down in the elevator, his memory resets, since Saraqael does not see him on Earth. 15:32 - it turns out that Gabriel does not have a desk, so he could not take anything from it. Whatever he put in the box is not his personal belongings. So he took something, then forgot about it, then… lost it?

(1) 14:18 Ep.1 (2) 19:00 Ep.1 (3) 14:08, 14:30 Ep.1 (4) 14:57 Ep.1 (5) Ep.6

Part 3: Insurance and a Reliable Plan

So what the Archangel took was not his personal item and hardly a souvenir. It’s something really important. Realizing that with the memory cleansing he would essentially lose himself, Gabriel had to take something to protect him. What about emergency insurance? In case you get caught? Crowley, if you remember, had holy water as an insurance against Hell - a demon-threatening thing that can both save and destroy. What could be so useful and possibly so terrible to other angels that Gabriel could take with him? It could be either a very powerful artifact, or it could be an important dossier, like compromising someone from the Archangels. There is a lot to speculate about, but let’s start with the fact that, as in a good detective, authors always give the viewer some clue. What is so important, so significant in the series that you might consider a good prize for an Archangel on the run? I think you have already guessed that I mean the Book of Life. Gabriel and Beelzebub had a great plan. They were supposed to meet secretly while they could, and then run off with the Book. If Gabriel had been brought down to Hell, it would have been easy, and in case of force majeure, he had a fly. It is obvious that both the Archangel and the Prince of Hell are well aware of the punishment of erasing the memory. A fly is a container for memory, a gift that matters. Of course, the plan did not involve any bookstore. Who in their right mind would entrust themselves and the Book of Life to the "traitor" whom you just recently ordered to be killed? It is also obvious that it would be very unwise for a naked Archangel with a big box to take the elevator down to the hall of Hell. Therefore, the plan was very simple: Gabriel gets to a familiar bar in Scotland, Beelzebub learns about his disappearance and goes there. Then they go off into the sunset together. Happy End. However, in the world of Good Omens, nothing can go according to plan. As they say, watch your hands. The Almighty again lays out three cards. And now the boy… I mean, the Book is lost, and the fugitive is missing. How did this happen? Let's think about what Gabriel had left when the fly reset his memory in the elevator. He still has an idea of himself ("I’m me. I just don’t know who me is") and he still has his angelic powers. Angels can feel love. He forgot Beelzebub, forgot the bar, and when you don’t remember anything, you get instincts. Angels have no instincts, so he was led by a sense of love. Very strong, truly great. He might have ended up in Tadfield, but Adam is still powerful(1), so Tadfield is closed to outsiders. And where else in Britain there is a knock-down love? We all know where (2). Gabriel came to the bookstore, Aziraphale, whom he vaguely remembered (3), opened the door, and for lack of a better one, the Archangel thought that it was him he was going to (4). An ordinary cock-up, as Crowley would say.

(1) 10:37 Ep.1 Crowley sits on a bench reading the Tadfield Advertiser. On the first page is a large article "According to voters of latest: "Best Village in England" poll Tadfield really is the loveliest place to live." And on the blue background: "Entirely perfect weather AGAIN for Tadfield".

(2) 20:25 ep.1 "You’re funny. I love you." A farting song emerged from the overfed zombie, and confessions emerged from Gabriel. Overflowed, too much love. (3) 14:57 Ep.1 "Hey you!" (4) 17:07 Ep.1 -You don't recognize me? -No. Sorry. -Then… why did you come to my shop? -I don't know. I just thought I should. You know what it's like when you don't know anything at all, and yet you're totally certain that everything would be better if you were just near one particular person? … I had to come here and give you the thing.

Part 4. Lying or not?

I’m no brain scientist, but when Gabriel comes to the bookstore, he’s acting like a real memory-loss person. You believe that he doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or what he’s doing here. He has the reactions and behavior of a curious child. At the same time, he has a vague sense of anxiety, as well as a vague sense of recognition of Aziraphale, and it all seems quite natural. However, at some point I began to think Gabriel was lying. To begin with, he suddenly stopped having questions, he no longer asks: who am I? How do you know me? Who are you? What the hell is going on here? A person who has lost his memory is only interested in bookselling and gravity, seriously? Review the episodes listed. Don’t you think the same as I think?

-And now I will make a noise when I move around (1).

He is the outspoken troll of Aziraphale, grins and walks away, very pleased with himself, it is clear. Not a child, but a smug bastard.

Aziraphale talks to the Archangels on the street in front of the bookstore (2). The door swings open and Gabriel appears, loudly and joyfully declaring that he is Jim, the bookseller's assistant. Why would a memory-losing person who knows he’s in danger of something terrible, rush out into the street so loudly in front of strangers? Maybe because this is Gabriel-with-memory, who, of course, recognized the visitors, realized that a hidden miracle of great power had been created, and now just checks the boundaries? When the miracle passes the final test (Michael does not recognize Gabriel at point-blank range), he mocks the angels:

-What about me? Uh, guys, shouldn’t you keep a close eye on me too?

Typical Gabriel's insolence and self-confidence.

There is an idea that you cannot punish an angel outside of Heaven. After all, in the first season, Aziraphale had to be kidnapped first and then executed. This means that Gabriel, who has regained his memory, must realize that on Earth, with all his powers, he is practically invulnerable. This is indirectly confirmed in episode 6, when representatives of Hell and Heaven demand that the escapees be handed over to them. It would seem, here they are, punish on the spot. With humans, by the way, there is no such problem, only Crowley’s intervention saves Maggie and Nina from immediately turning into salt pillars. But maybe Gabriel is just a very brash son of a bitch.

There are also more obvious signs that the fugitive is okay in the head:

You can't fool Crowley that easily (3). He listens very carefully to Gabriel’s nonsense and says:

-Ah, you can do better than that. Come on, think! Think hard!

I think at this point, the Archangel realizes it’s better not to push Crowley, he "shines" his eyes and pop out a biblical phrase. Think about it, if ALL his memory is in a fly, where did this piece come from? Well, the trick was a success, and they are leaving him behind.

The prophecy of the Second Coming (4) is coming out of Gabriel. Is this a conscious attempt to warn? Or a random trigger on the word "tempest"? The only thing that’s clear is he’s got his memory back.

Conversation with Crowley (5):

-You have no idea of trouble you’re causing, do you? -No. Or yes. Or… no. -Year. I’ll tell you something Jim, or Gabriel. If any harm comes to Aziraphale because of this, I will…

And Gabriel is listening. VERY carefully. And he looks like he understands everything.

Crowley arrives in the Archangel’s room (6). The demon openly attacks. Gabriel is frankly nervous. When Crowley says that Aziraphale was not at the execution, Gabriel surprisingly asks "He wasn’t there?". Not the kind of reaction you’d expect from someone who doesn’t know what you’re talking about, is it? And it’s no less strange when Gabriel almost jumps out of a second-floor window. For a person, with or without memory, these are guaranteed injuries (the floor is high, and the bottom is asphalt), and the act is absolutely senseless. The archangel is not in any danger of such a jump, but it is a great way to avoid a very unpleasant conversation. Crowley then demands that Gabriel remember. He replies:

-I don’t have my memory. -Well, where is your memory, then? -In a matchbox. No, I took it out, first. And I put it in the box and brought it here. And it’s everywhere.

First, how do you know all this? Second, what do you mean, everywhere? It’s not in the fly anymore? You don’t want to admit you already got it back, do you?

I have an idea why the memory (partially) might have leaked back into Gabriel's head. And also why he’s not in a hurry to get away from the store when Heaven is already on his heels.

(1) 06:25 Ep.2 (2) 12:45 Ep.2 (3) 20:54 Ep.2 (4) 38:45 Ep.3 (5) 41:35 Ep.3 (6) 14:20 Ep.5

Part 5. Memory Leak

If we consider ourselves sufficiently convinced that the Archangel is no longer as unconscious as he wants to appear, we will have to look for some moment when his memory may have returned. The first assumption. Several times we see that Gabriel tried to catch the fly, and that it often circles around him. The interaction with it may have caused a partial leak, but we’re not seeing any specific episode. Second assumption. It was a side effect from "the tiniest, most insubstantial, fractional, half a miracle". The chair Gabriel was sitting on was on a portal to Heaven. Crowley, Gabriel, and Aziraphale were holding hands, and the miracle was directed at the Archangel, so that a huge power passed right through him. I mean, some kind of electroshock therapy. And immediately after the miracle there was such a dialogue (1):

Aziraphale: Good news, Jim. Nobody’s going to notice you. You’re safe here. Crowley: While we figure out what’s actually going on. Gabriel: I think I know what’s going on.

And I think your memory is partially coming back to you, but you really need to keep it a secret.

In Ep.6 we see what memories actually return to Gabriel from the fly, and there is nothing about the Beginning nor about 6000 years of service as the Supreme Archangel, and only briefly the events of the Armageddon't (2). Gabriel truly remembers only the most dangerous, most well-encrypted moments of his life - his relationship with Beelzebub. Everything about their feelings and the alleged conspiracy, including the theft of the artifact. Why did he not leave the bookstore? Because he did not remember the reasons why Heaven sought him, he did not remember Beelzebub. But he knew that he was in some terrible danger. And where should he run? Here he is protected, cared for - but only as long as he pretends to be a helpless fool. However, there is one thing that is so powerful in itself that it affects Gabriel even when he has forgotten about it. The Book.

(1) 41:50 Ep.1 (2) Of course, maybe this doesn’t matter, the authors just didn’t have enough timing, but we agreed at the beginning that we would consider the script well thought out, right? If it is written poorly, then such theories make no sense at all.

Part 6. Hide a tree in the forest

So, it’s not even matter if Gabriel remembers something about his previous life or not. The catch is that the Book disappeared between the memory erasing in the elevator and his appearance in the bookstore (i.e. this piece is not recorded in the fly), and this period remained with Gabriel only in the form of vague sensations. He carried the box somewhere for a long time, his hands hurt… the rest is unknown. When the Archangel walked along Whickber Street, the box was already empty, so there is no Book in the store. However, if you don’t know or remember this detail, you might think it’s there. It’s a very logical decision to hide a book among books, right? And guess what? There are at least three person looking for the book in the series, and all three of them think Aziraphale has it somewhere. The trap of the obvious. Let’s start with Gabriel. Yes, he doesn’t remember it, but he’s looking for it. I don’t know why. Perhaps it would be appropriate here to recall Octavo (1) and other Terry Pratchett grimoires with the ability to strangely influence people. There are two things in the series that indirectly indicate this search. First of all, a very strange thing Gabriel found himself doing in the store: placing books by the first letter of the first word in the first sentence (2). Occupation, at first glance, the most absurd. But! Aziraphale’s permission allows Gabriel to open all the books without raising any question or suspicion. He doesn’t remember what the Book of Life looks like, but he obviously recognizes it when he starts reading. The second point is the dialogue about gravity (4). Yes, here again, we’re paying attention to the fly, but at the beginning it’s about the books not staying where Gabriel puts them. Maybe it’s a hint like, "I remember putting the book in the box, but now it’s gone, where could it have gone?"

(1) Octavo - A Magic Book that the Creator himself has forgotten on Discworld. It contains the Eight Great Spells, which have their own consciousness and are designed to help the Discworld in important situations. The book is located in a specially sealed room in the basement of the Unseen University's library chained to a lectern, for safety of the browsers, not the book. The wizard Rincewind who had once accessed the Book, read it, and one of the Spells, the Change Spell, settled in him, preventing Rincewind from ever learning any other magic. (2) 06:05 Ep.2 -What exactly are you doing? -I thought I'd make the books easier to find, so I thought if I put them in alphabetical order… -By author? -What's "author"? (3) No, I was shelving the books by the first letter of the first sentence. (3) He really may not know this, because the only book he knows has an obvious "author". (4) 16:17 Ep.3 Gabriel drops the book on the table. Crowley says it's gravity, it needs things to stay where they are ("So things would stay where you put them, not just drift off".) -But it doesn't stay where I put them. It goes down (5). Except for flies, they go up. (5) It is still possible to speculate a little bit that the book dangling in space near Crowley when he launched the nebulae was the Book of Life, and it certainly did not fall anywhere. This idea is interesting because it could suddenly take off in the third season if Neil decides to somehow develop the plot about the Book.

Part 7. Saraqael

The second investigator is Saraqael. She’s the head of Heaven’s security, an angel who needs to know everything but prefers to stay in the shadows. She is so underhanded that Gabriel has difficulty remembering her name (1). I believe that she was the one who provided the compromising images of Aziraphale from the Earth in the first season. And unlike the other Archangels, she immediately recognized the Metatron in human form (2) .

Neil wrote (3) that Saraqael does some secret things in the second season, and is also an angel you do not want to mess with. I would point out that it is she who executes the sentences like erasing memory or turning humans into salt pillars, i.e. she has real power and authority in Heaven. We are not shown what "secret things" Saraqael does, which means that it is not about some covert actions per se, but about motives. The secret motive is to find the lost Book of Life without anyone in Heaven or Hell knowing it was missing. Besides, the Book’s disappearance is extremely enough to force her out of the shadows. Saraqael doesn’t seem to believe for a second that Aziraphale himself performed a powerful miracle, and it is she who sends to him an inspector, and in fact a spy: a naïve angel who sniffs out at the bookshelves all the time. It is possible that Muriel reporting to Saraqael separately on everything that’s going on in the bookstore. When Crowley sneaks into Heaven, Saraqael spots him, but doesn’t stop him. Why? Because she’s running a similar investigation herself, and it is extremely important to her that the insightful demon notices something interesting. Much more important than just turning on the alarm. Saraqael prefers to keep her mouth shut for the last general conversation, but she listens very carefully to what others have to say, and I think she will give us more surprises in the third season.

(1) 27:52 Ep.6 (2) from 34:00 Ep.6 (3) answering questions

Part 8. The Metatron

It will be very funny if in the third season it turns out that the Voice of the Almighty all this time was the only positive character from the side of Heaven all along and sincerely wished good to our angel and demon. In the meantime, we can assume he’s the third investigator on the missing artifact. No proof, of course, but there are some observations. The Metatron, entering the bookstore, hears Michael's threats to erase Aziraphale from the Book of Life and gets very, very angry (1). It can be assumed that it was precisely the words about the Book that enraged him, and not about the actual powers of Michael, because in fact, she really is now performing the duties of the Supreme Archangel. What if the overreaction is caused by the fact that he is aware of the loss and absolutely does not want to draw attention to the Book once again? By shutting Michael up and sending the angels to Heaven, he shuts down the discussion about the Book before it even begins. He asks Muriel to stay ("except the dim one"), saying: "I may need you". That is, at this point he is not yet sure that his plan will work. Of course there is a plan. Many say that the Metatron thought to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, because on Earth they are said to be a danger to Heaven. And supposedly he was sure that Crowley would refuse the offer. But isn’t it much more dangerous to give Aziraphale enormous power? What if Crowley agreed? No one set the condition that there is only one attempt. What if the demon suffers a few days alone and changes his mind? Since the Metatron was watching Aziraphale, and he openly mentions it (2), then he must know that Crowley ALWAYS returns to the angel. So, it seems to me, the plan was exactly the opposite: to drag them both to Heaven, where firstly they would be under constant control, and secondly, they would have neither the time nor the opportunity to endlessly wander around the store. It is for this case that the "naïve" Muriel is needed, who, as it turns out, just successfully addicted to reading books (3). She remains the "caretaker" of the bookstore, but at the same time she can carry out a "stocktaking", and no one will ask why she is scouring the shelves so diligently? When the Metatron returns for Aziraphale and discovers that Crowley has refused, he seems more vexed than satisfied (4). And then he asks: "Anything you need to take with you?" and glances quickly towards the bookshelves. When the angel answers "No", he makes a strange sound (5). I think this could be a test - does Aziraphale know something about the Book, is he hiding it in the store? Maybe he will somehow give himself away now? No? Well, we'll look without you. There is one more thought. As the Metatron takes Aziraphale away to talk, he glares at Crowley (6). Many have decided that he has something personal against the demon. Perhaps, but we have not yet been shown anything that could serve at least a hint of reason. But if we assume that the Voice of God is looking for the Book, and Crowley is one of the few who knows what it looks like, because with its help he "launched" the Universe (7) (not the fact that this is the same Book), then the look becomes clear: the Metatron may fear that the demon has pocketed it or is ready to pocket it for himself on occasion.

(1) 33:56 Ep.6 -You're talking utter balderdash. I mean, complete piffle! You don't have the authority to do anything like that. … Right, you, you, you, back to Heaven, spit, spot, not another word. (2) 42:28 Ep.6 (3) 40:23 Ep.6 -What's that you're holding, Muriel? -I'm reading a book. -Excellent! What a perfectly splendid thing to do! (4) 47:47 Ep.6 (5) 48:19 Ep.6 (6) 36:14 Ep.6 (7) 01:13 Ep.1

Part 9. Secret place

Do you remember in Part 3 of this theory, three cards were mentioned on the Almighty’s gaming table? The first card is a bar with a jukebox in Edinburgh, a secret rendezvous between Gabriel and Beelzebub, a place where the conspiracy was ripe and where the memory-deprived Archangel with the heavy box was likely to come. The second card is a bookstore in Soho, a place of strong love, where the Book could be so safely hidden if someone brought it there. And now the time has come to reveal the last card - the place where, perhaps, the Book of Life was actually hidden. I’ll start a bit from afar. As Gabriel drank hot chocolate on the first day of the rest of his life, he said to Aziraphale:

-I'm me. I just don't know who me is. But you know me. You recognized me. -I know someone who LOOKS like you. -That's probably me then. I think that's one of the main ways you can tell (1).

I think you know where I’m going with this. There’s one place on Earth Gabriel loves more than anything else combined. The place where he spent his hours admiring (2) what he held most dear in the world. If an angel can be attracted by a feeling of intense love, then, of course, for Gabriel it will first of all be a monument to himself in the Edinburgh graveyard. It’s scary to imagine how many total years he spent there. An egoist and a narcissist, to whom could he entrust the most powerful and dangerous artifact? Obviously, only to himself. The statue is mentioned 3 times in the series (3). And it's also in the opening credits. I don’t believe that all this is just for the sake of one joke against Gabriel. In part 4 of the theory, which talked about the possible restoration of the fugitive Archangel's memory, or at least about some flashes of enlightenment, I deliberately kept silent about one more episode. It happened at the moment when Aziraphale called Crowley from Edinburgh right from that very graveyard and happily reported on the hard work done. Among other things, he said, "Do you remember the statue of Gabriel in the graveyard? I’m looking at it now." An unnecessary detail, what does it have to do with the bar? None, but Gabriel heard these words, and we are shown how he, seemingly in deep thought or even in a stupor, suddenly reacts (4). Does it really matter? God knows. Now you have to ask: but we don’t see any Book at the statue, where exactly could Gabriel have put it? We are given two clues. First: the statue either has a large cross in its hands, or it doesn’t.

Given that the statue is not CGI and the props were installing it in the graveyard, there’s very little chance it’s a mistake. It looks like a sign. Just look at this:

Cross marks the location of buried treasures, right? There is a second clue. We’ll talk about that in the final part of the investigation.

(1) 16:46 Ep.1 (2) 24:45 Ep.6 (3) First time in 1827: Crowley showed it to Aziraphale (09:01 Ep.3). Second time: Aziraphale comes to Edinburgh to investigate (34:03 Ep.3). Third time: Gabriel showed it to Beelzebub (Ep.6). (4) 35:20 Ep.3

Part 10. Ben Gunn

In one of the posters for the series, Treasure Island is in a stack of books to read.

If you remember, there was a map with a cross. But when the pirates arrived at the designated place, the treasure was gone. Some clever guy (by the way, "retired" by his side) solved the puzzle, dug up and hid the valuable prize. We know that Aziraphale (our "retired pirate") is brilliant smart. Not knowing why the fugitive Archangel was in danger, he could draw his conclusions from the facts he had. So, Gabriel has a box in which he carried something heavy for a long time. He is in danger from Heaven - for what? Because he stole something very valuable. Jim looks with frightening enthusiasm at the books in the store, strange for the Archangel, who earlier called a book just a "material object" (1), right?

Knowing what artifacts are in Heaven, it is not difficult to deduce what was in the box. Further, having analyzed the dialogue with Gabriel ("I’m me"), knowing his love for himself, remembering the statue (namely, one of the most exciting episodes in Aziraphale’s life began with it) and getting a CLUE in the form of a song from the Edinburgh bar (the statue is located right there!) the angel only had to go and check his hunch. We have a hint. When Aziraphale leaves the Bentley in Edinburgh, he has a briefcase (2). What could he have stored in it? He puts a pen and a notebook in his pocket. From his pocket he also takes out a portrait of Gabriel (the briefcase is on the floor at this time). Aziraphale didn't spend the night at a hotel and doesn't need a change. Apparently the briefcase was empty. The angel leaves the bar with a briefcase and we never see it again. And so he stands at the graveyard and looks at the statue. He looks strange, thinking about something (3).

Why did he come here? This place has nothing to do with the bar and the song. He could have called Crowley from any other location. Showing a moment of nostalgia is very expensive for extremely limited screen time. Therefore, all this has a separate meaning. By the way, at this moment there is a cross on the statue, but there is no briefcase with Aziraphale (4).

But it seems there is a FRESH HOLE in the ground right next to the statue (5). That second clue.

Well, here’s the thing: Aziraphale found the Book, took it, put it in the briefcase and hid it on the same graveyard in a crypt we know. Exactly the same way as Ben Gunn hid the treasure, moving it from the original location to the cave. The crypt is the perfect hiding place. No one knows about it (except the Masons?), but it is a very memorable place for Crowley (the demon immediately recalls the story of Wee Morag as soon as Aziraphale SPECIFICALLY mentions the surgeon). It is extremely dangerous to take the Book to London: the Archangels are trampling around the bookstore, and on his way to Edinburgh, Shax broke into the car. Right now neither the angel nor the demon needs the Book, but it is easy to take away if needed (6). I have no doubt that Crowley KNOWS where the Book actually is. This alone explains his absolute calm when Michael proceeds to a direct threat to immediately apply the "Extreme Sanctions" (7). And the Metatron, who at that moment enters the bookstore, sees and hears everything.

He can't help but realize that both Crowley and Aziraphale KNOW. That’s one of the reasons why he’s so alarmed and casts such a stiff stare at Crowley, who is calmly lounging in a chair. He knows, but he can't do anything yet. The big game is just beginning.

(1) 00:48 S1Ep.2 (2) 21:22 Ep.3 (3) 34:02-34:08 Ep.3 (4) 36:37 Ep.3 (5) 36:54 Ep.3 (6) Neil mentioned that Aziracrow can move between locations by miracle, they just don’t like to do it because they’re used to imitating people. (7) 33:41 Ep.6

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens theory #crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable fandom #goodomens #gomens #gomens 2

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