#also funny that I will have seen all 3 good omens actors in person in the first few months of 2024 (MS and DT on stage and Jon Hamm sitting

[thealogie]

The scene where Gabriel keeps startling Aziraphale and gets asked to make a noise when he moves around would have fallen so completely flat if it hadn’t been played by Liz Lemon’s two least seen boyfriends. Their acting rescued what could have been something severely lame.

Liz Lemon’s least important boyfriends and yes they slay at both dramatic and comedic acting.

[rainbowcrowley]

for the good omens ask game— a lot since you said you’re traveling! 1, 3, 9, 11, 16, 19, 23, 24!

oh, what an honour to get an ask from op! :D thanks! strap yourselves in this is gonna be a looong one!

1. when did you first watch/discover good omens, and how did you find out about it?

i actually first heard about it after the first or second trailer for s1 dropped! idk how and when exactly that was (it's been a while) but i remember thinking 'oh i gotta watch this, it looks funny and has david tennant in it'. guess what. i didn't watch it until s2 came out and the entire internet was screaming about it. so i finally caved, asked for my friends amazon account (bc she had a prime account) and gave it a shot – the rest is history.

3. have you created any fanart or fanfiction, or really any content for the fandom?

i have created some gifs! you can find them here

9. have you seen any other work by david tennant and/or michael sheen?

oh yeah LOADS. i've been a fan of DT since i first watched doctor who back in 2011? or 2012? and i've seen the twilight saga films lots of times (aro was always a fave).

now, After-GO, i've seen/listened to a lot of davids stuff (like idk, 50 or 60%? which is a lot bc he has done soo much things) and i'm currently "working on" michaels filmography :) 'm watching masters of sex atm and i just bought tickets for the cinema run of Nye, since i wasn't able to see it in person when i was in london 2 weeks ago, sadly.

11. what is (if you read) your favourite type of human au for good omens? (ex. coffee shop au, surgeons au, plant store au

i adored almost every human au i've read so far!! but the two i'm obsessed with are that one actors au everyone and their mother knows and read (Slow Show on ao3, don't have a link rn sorryy) and the formula 1 au (idk how that happened, i don't even watch f1, it's just so good) i'm currently reading.

16. do you know anyone irl who has also watched good omens?

UHM YEAH but that's because i made them watch it lmao. a few of my close friends, that is. but besides them... nope.

19. have you ever read the crowley therapy fic (the most-read fic in the fandom)?

yep! i took me a while bc it was... A Lot but i finished it a few weeks ago. let's say it fucking destroyed me yup yup ✌🏻

23. what's a good omens headcanon that you considered canon?

idk if this is considered a headcanon but... they kissed in 1941. 100%.

24. what's a theory for season 3 that you NEED to be included?

hmm i'm not sure. like, i really like all those theories going around, but i'm traumatised by bbc sherlock so i'm trying not to get my hopes up lmao. again idk if that's considered a headcanon or theory, but i think we're likely gonna see (parts of) crowleys fall and i think it will also play a part in the plot. also: book of life shenanigans. and bamf aziraphale dismantling heaven (and hell). OH and a part 3 of 1941. (maybe a kiss...? 👉🏻👈🏻). yeah.

ask game for people in the good omens fandom!

[mottlemoth]

I'm having surgery soon and will be down for the count for 3 weeks minimum. What shows and/or movies would you recommend I binge watch while laid up?

I hope all goes well for you, friend ❤️ These are all just personal favourites, but the characters are easy to like and I find them very rewatchable/relistenable:

Cabin Pressure - actually a radio drama, but I feel like I've "seen" it a million times now (and will see it a million more). Very very funny, with lots of heart as well and fantastic characters. So easy to binge. If you like Good Omens, the writer of Cabin Pressure is now involved with season two and I'm so excited about that.

Black Sails - the first season is... very different to the rest. They were finding their feet, trying to be Pirate Game of Thrones. Then season two takes off and it's amazing. Flint 💔 My sad grumpy son. It's angsty and queer as hell and glorious.

Lewis - if you like British murder mysteries, I love Lewis. James Hathaway (the detective sergeant) is also a sad grumpy son I shall keep forever. Mydwynter has written amazing fics where he gets a lovely boyfriend to sort him out. (Also, because it's a British murder mystery, you can play Where Have I Seen That Actor Before.)

Galaxy Quest - awesome movie, all about fandom. Just the best movie. The best plot, the best ending. Alan Rickman's absolute peak.

Megamind - I feel so bad for Megamind, it kinda got buried under Despicable Me when it came out, and I think it's amazing. Really funny and warming and clever. (If you're like me and love queer-coded villains, this is the film for you.)

God's Own Country - intense and deep and healing, especially if you're gay. Superb acting and directing. I wept for days. I love that it's so emotionally complex and still has a happy ending. Gheorghe ❤️

Rings of Power - my wife and I just finished watching series one, it was good! I'm obsessed with the dwarves. Elrond is also now in my collection of adopted sons.

Ocean's 8 - I'm so mad that hysterical men got this written off as a bad film, it just isn't. It's funny and clever and cool.

Jumanji - the new one, with the Rock in it. I feel bad for assuming that this would be a bad film. I don't even know why I thought it would be. It's fantastic. (I like things that are funny and have some heart to them, and this does.)

Ghosts - I haven't caught up with the new series yet, but I love these guys. I've loved them since Horrible Histories and I will love them in everything else they ever do. (I first watched Horrible Histories in my mid-twenties - it's hilarious for adults as well as kids, I can quote maybe 55%-60% of it and sing all the songs. I should have put this higher up the list. It's fantastic easy viewing and always makes me feel better.)

Taskmaster - it's not fiction, but it's British comedy at its best, easy to watch and so very very bingeworthy. Season 4, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are my favourites so far. Comedians do stupid tasks; it's as simple and beautiful as that.

That's... probably enough for now, I think? I hope you find something to amuse you ❤️ If anyone else has any recommendations for good shows and movies, please add in the replies.

(Or if you are a fan of any of these things and want to yell at me about them, DM me pleeease.)

[trutrustories]

Okay, this will be probably long and with many errors (my english isn´t very good) But I saw several posts here on Lokius tag, talking about this ship as result of gay fetish, and about non existing chemistry and  how this ship doesn´t make sense etc… And from what I understood there is tagged Lokius because of genuine interest to understand others point of view, so here is mine: I wil try to explain where my frustration comes from, and how I feel about Lokius, Sylkie, AND representation + some other things which I saw here somewhere. But first of all: I like Sylvie, I don´t hate sylkie shipers, and after so many years reading fan fictions, I don´t mind selfcest – I read weirder things. I have some issues with this ship (the mainlythe fact that it isn´t Lokius), but  this is not one of them. Also, I am not about to tell anyone, they shouldn´t ship sylkie.Ship whatever. And I LOVED the show as a whole. 

I just want to defend my standpoint, that Lokius does make sense, people shipping it does make sense and whether it will happen or not, (I don´t have my hopes very high, and I learned to be very skeptical in this regard ) it is more than just about crack ship, or fetish. I´m honestly blown away that people are still surprised that this ship became a thing :D First of all, let´s look at some romantic story telling and tropes: I mean the way they introduced them in the first two episodes set the tone for all series and how the heck this isn´t romantic? Somehow there are all these romantic tropes existing in a show. They´re just there. Just chilling between Loki and Mobius and large portion of audience can´t even see them. (and some of those tropes were used for Sylki as well, so you could actually see them side by side)

For example: 1) traveling to the apocalypsis 2) breaking law/rules for the other 3) literally changing for the better thanks to the other 4) arguing like old married couple 5) saying secrets, personal things to the other 6) sharing glances, touches, visibly being happy around each other - in case of Loki happier then we´ve ever seen him before 7) being completely themselfs around each other 8) One knowing everything (even the worst) about other and still accepting him completely 9) teasing, being comfortable and domestic around each other 10) one being literally enthusiastic FAN of the other 11) Mobius defending Loki whenever he has a chance 12) Freaking amnesia trope that they pulled of in the end??? (It could be different Mobius, but point is he suddenly doesn´t know him - and Loki knows more, in contrast with the beggining) 13) the jealousy in ep4 14) Misunderstanding - when Mobius thought Loki betrayed him and Loki (thanks to Ravonna) thought Mobius betrayed him... 15) witnessing death of the other and being absolutely broken afterwards 16) The goodbye hug with romantic music in the backround 17) Saving life of the one (even when it means problems for the other ) - like Mobius saved Loki´s ass at least three times when he was trying to stop others from pruning him. 18) sharing deep conversations about meanings of life, freedom and how it would be fun to make some chaos and ride that fucking jet ski!!! 19) Inspiring the other 20) looking for each other (Mobius didn´t believe for a second, that Loki would die in the Void and the way how in the last minutes of the series Loki run through all places they were together when he was looking for Mobius... and I could go on. Point is, even if they are not planning to make Lokius canon, all these things are used on a daily basis to describe romance in media and they are used here. On top of that it´s just very poetic and cute, that this drama queen and powerful god of Asgard who looked down on people would find his match in someone, who is so quiet, ordinary on the first sight, and basically is just human from 90s, who loves jet skis. Mobius can´t even fight. But is highly inteligent and he also happen to be as good manipulator, such as Loki himself. - That´s why they work together so well. Mobius sees right through him and once Loki understands that, he drops his evil persona. Almost nobody expected to ship it for real. But story itself and chemistry between them just made it probably the most exciting duo in the whole MCU. And I mean it genuinely. Third episode, even though it was beautiful and Sophie was great in it (and is literally dipped in bisexual colors), is the least favorite for a reason. And that reason being, there is no interaction between Loki and Mobius whatsoever. Lot´s of people though that series slowed down a bit. Even when in fact there was more action, then when we watched Loki and Mobius working at the TVA.

(and let´s just talk about evil!Mobius narative for a bit and how some people say he is manipulative and toxic for Loki: show itself explore heavy themes and one of them is in Loki´s line: no one bad is ever truly bad and no one good is ever truly good. And as a theme in a fictional world, it is working as it should, for the  story. When Loki and Mobius meet, one of them just killed lots of innocent people and destroyed almost whole city. The other one is a part of fascist organization – and in the beginning of the series they both believe what they´re doing is right. They´re both bad, they´re both good, they´re both broken. And they are changing with the help of the other.) From all reactions I watched - and there was many of them, lots of people actually didn´t see dynamic between Loki and Sylvie as romantic in the third episode. So it´s not like Sylvie and Loki had unequivocally love story right from the start.

The only difference is that lots of people won´t see romantic tropes, when it comes to two men in a mainstream show – show that isn´t primarily about relationships and problems that queer people has to face. Because in super hero story and science fiction we have to warn audience, that they´re about to watch two man in love, right? At this point It´s just frustrating really. There were many M/M dynamics that used similar story line, as for example Lucifer, or X-files, or Bone collectors. -  But unlike those M/M pairings, no one was making fun of people for shipping main characters in these shows. But when it comes to two men suddenly you´ll see from all corners of the internet: “why can´t it be just platonic?” “There is not enough platonic relationships” “why can´t two man just be friends?” (They can and they almost ALWAYS are) and “if you think there something romantic between them, you´re delusional” “fetishist“ “And for god´s sake just let them be friends, Loki needs a friend more then....” oh wait, but Sylvie is allowed to kiss him. Sylvie doesn´t have to be just friend. (And I must say, that I love Sylvie, I liked most of the interactions between her and Loki and I think she is a great character ((I hope we learn more about her in the future)) it just doesn´t work for me as well as Loki´s dynamic with Mobius. Maybe partly because of chemistry between actors, partly because combination of characters and they´re personality and also because I had two whole episodes to fall in love with the pair before Sylvie was even introduced.)

First of all: people can be friends and then evolve into lovers. Not only it is common romantic trope, but it is also the most realistic one. And those relationships are usually strongest. second: If people want to see Loki in a platonic friendship so desperately, why can´t it be a woman for a change? They were acting like chaotic siblings for most of the episode three anyway. The age gap aspect is also very funny. Owen is only about 12 years older (That is not that much. But I imagine, some people would get uncomfortable. But If it was man and woman, most of them wouldn´t even blinked. But two men, that has to be somehow automatically son and father figure dynamic) And If you want to dive into age of an actual characters, then good luck with that in a series about gods, variants and time travel. Almost nobody cares about age gap between Lucifer and detective Decker, or Bella and Edward. On top of that, it was heavily implied, that Loki slept with older, silver haired guy in Ragnarok, so it´s not like he would have problem with that.

Different standards are projected in a way how we see romantic dynamics between fictional characters depends on what we are used to, how are we perceiving world around us, what we are expecting to see and ALSO, what we would like to see, that much is true.  When people are used to make no differences between heterosexual and homosexual pairing, then everything what happens to the characters is measured with the same meter. (Even though I experienced queerbaiting many times (( Once upon a time, Sherlock, Supernatural, Good Omens – the last one hopefully is not the case, but I guess we´ll see)) I also saw lots of lgbt shows like Queer as folks and Sense8.) And when we are not used to see it the same way, well… then it looks basically like that one comment under Castiel´s “I love you” scene on youtube, that said  “what a beautiful friendship”.

If we forget about all that chaotic mess behind the scenes (all those articles and contrary messages)  What is happening in a show between Loki and Mobius can be objectively considered romantic and what is happening between Loki and Sylvie in a series can be objectively considered platonic (until the kiss) and vice versa.  And then to see comments about how absurd it is to even think they have chemistry, and about gay fetish - it´s hard to swallow. I read posts about absurdity of a ship and how there is absolutely nothing that would suggests romance.  Well there is, actually. But whether creators are going to work with it or not, that´s something we can only speculate. They already made Loki officially bisexual. So why should it be so absurd to assume, that there is an actual possibility of romantic subplot between Loki and Mobius? Oh right… it´s Disney and Marvel we are talking about.

So on a subject of bisexuality: Bi people can date whoever they want.  But It is a little frustrating, when there is so many heterosexual pairings in the mcu and disney but when there is a promise of lgbt character (speaking of endgame) we get one line about date from a man we´ll never see again. And when there is a promise of lgbt representation you can´t even blink during movie, or you´ll miss it (Star wars, Beauty and the beast). And then Loki said “A bit of both, I suspect the same as you”. And I won´t lie, I was happy. And I think creators made biggest step yet with this one line (which is honestly terrible, that “a bit of both” coming from Loki of all people, is the biggest step forward.) But they played it VERY safe. Obviously, both Loki, and Sylvie are bisexuals, and in three episodes, we had Loki flirting with female flight attendant, Sylvie talking about her relationship with POSTMAN and then they fall for each other. So the only thing that suggests they are really as bi as Lamentis 1 is that little sentence, that can be edited out, or easily overheard. It´s the bare minimum. And I think that frustration with how freaking slowly we´re moving into some progress is understandable. From all those great M/M dynamics I talked about, those, that could make great love story, nothing happened, because too many people “don´t mind gays but don´t need to look at them” or are scared for their children. In 2021.

It is not a fetish to wish for a gay love story in superhero movies/series. (But anyway, I don´t think there is anything bad about it. Some men like to watch lesbian porn, some woman like to read gay porn. AO3 wouldn´t be were it is today, without people reading and writing slash :D – but that has little to do with what we actually see on tv)

I´m not delusional. As much, as I love these two characters together, I know how little chance it has.  I´m not delusional. I´m just in the future, old and tired, waiting hundreds of years for at least one of my OTP to finaly become a fucking canon.

[thoriffix]

Can you rec some media with canon queer characters 😌

ofc!! thisll by no means be an exhaustive list but idk what youre looking for specifically so ill break it into categories

my current favs!! if u follow me u know these already lol

the umbrella academy: netflix show abt dysfunctional superpowered siblings reuniting to stop the apocalypse. canon mlm character (pansexual according to his actor) w mlm romance, canon wlw character (lesbian according to someone on the show dont rmr who) w het romance in s1, wlw romance in s2 - this is one of my absolute fav shows at the minute in general its brilliant

the magnus archives: horror podcast abt the head archivist of an institute researching experiences w the supernatural. protagonist is canonically biromantic asexual, in a mlm relationship in s5, and there is another canon bisexual character, as well as (iirc) a canon wlw couple - yall know ive been so into tma lately its so so good, obviously if you dont like horror its not for you but if you do.. 👀

sanders sides: youtube series abt a gay dude working out his emotional problems via personified aspects of his personality. all the characters are gay cuz thas what thomas is baby! - i was hesitant abt putting this cuz thomas is a person not a character lol but if u haven't seen sasi i recommend it its like free therapy but theres songs sometimes

shows!

julie and the phantoms (netflix remake): musical show abt a teen girl rediscovering music after her mothers death w the help of three ghosts who were in a 90s band. canon gay character w a slow burn romance (not yet canon bfs but s2 lets go) - its very cheesy and the musical segments can drag on a bit but its p good overall

lucifer: detective show abt lucifer abandoning his rule of hell to buy a nightclub and beginning to solve murders w the lapd. lucifer is canonically bi/pan, as is his demon pal mazikeen, but queerness rly isnt a focus of the show its more casual rep - that being said its a good show overall, if a little predictable now n then (s1-3 on amazon prime, 4+5 on netflix)

kipo and the age of wonderbeasts: fantasy cartoon set in a future filled w mutant intelligent animals, kipo finds herself lost and has to get home w the help of her friends. canon gay character as one of the mains, canon nb side character - its a rly good cartoon! lots of fun, excellent soundtrack, and the main characters are all poc which is rly nice to see

the dragon prince: cartoon abt two princes and an elf assassin returning a dragon egg to its mother. canon mlm couple, several canon wlw characters, canon nb character - i havent seen the show myself but ive heard very good things abt it!

i am not okay with this: netflix show abt a teen girl discovering she has superpowers and hating it. protag is canon wlw (i THINK shes a lesbian but i havent watched it in a hot sec), developing wlw relationship - ianowt slaps! sad that s2 got cancelled but s1 is real good its a touch spooky and theres a bit of gore/blood so watch out lol

schitt's creek: sitcom abt a rich family who lose all their money and have to move into the motel of a town they bought as a joke. canon pansexual character and canon gay character w one of the sweetest mlm relationships - a rly good witty show w excellent character development for every character!

good omens: show abt a demon and an angel trying to stop the end of the world. every celestial character in it is nonbinary, + crowley and aziraphale have a nonexplicit (ie no on screen pda lol) romance - good omens is such a good queer show none of the characters care abt gender in the slightest lmao, plus the show in general is fantastic (the book is also very good)

movies!

the old guard: a group of immortals fight an organisation that wants to capitalise off their immortality. canon mlm couple - another one i havent seen yet (i will!) but apparently very good

it chapter 2: horror sequel to It, w the main characters returning to derry to defeat pennywise for good. canon gay character in unrequited love - i only say chapter 2 because his queerness isnt referenced at all in the first film, again its big horror and theres no gay romance just gay tragedy but its a good film

love, simon: romcom about a closeted gay teen falling in love w someone over emails. do i even need to state the rep? - honestly if u haven't seen love simon yet what are you even DOING its so good proper fluffy queer romcom, the book (simon vs the homosapiens agenda) is also really good!! so is the sequel (leah on the offbeat) where the protag is a bi girl + it focuses on a wlw romance

the way he looks: brazilian coming of age film abt a blind teen boy falling for the new kid at his school. canon mlm relationship - this doesnt seem to be on (british) netflix anymore so idk where youd find it with subtitles but i rmr liking it a lot!

games!

night in the woods: 2d platformer abt a young woman (well. cat) dropping out of college and coming home to live w her parents + discovering spooky happenings in her hometown. canon mlm couple and i believe the protag is canonically bi? - i will recommend nitw to literally anyone who will listen its one of my all time favourite games, deals w a lot of mental health issues and its absolutely gorgeous w a brilliant soundtrack and rly good dialogue thats witty and serious and realistic (its on steam + switch for sure dk abt other platforms, abt 15 quid i think?)

tell me why: adventure game abt twins returning to their childhood home + findin Secrets. canon trans male character - i havent got around to buying + playing this yet but it looks really good! (its in three chapters + on steam, not sure on price)

other media!

the art of being normal: slice of life novel abt a young trans girl discovering herself. main characters are a trans man and a trans woman. - a good novel! trigger warning for transphobic actions including descriptions of a transphobic attack on the guy, and its certainly not without its faults otherwise, but i thought it was pretty good

the adventure zone: dungeons and dragons podcast by the mcelroy brothers. idk specifics but theres a lot of canon queer characters in it! - i havent listened to taz yet but i know a lot abt it, inc that its good and funny and has plenty of queer rep

theres several more i like that arent listed here but to keep this from getting just ridiculously long ill leave it there :] tried to get a range of genres and medias, hopefully theres something for you in there!

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Let’s talk about The Twist of Good Omens (Pt. 1 of 2).

This is HALF a meta / scene analysis and praise for the actors, and HALF an Ineffable headcanon following the meta, so I hope you’ll bare with me as my brain spews out this shit that’s been going through it all week. It’s gotten really long, so I’m going to split up the meta / analysis and the headcanon into two separate posts because as I was writing this, it was getting long, and I know some people are here for either/or.

Spoilers follow, obviously.

A little known fact about me (or perhaps well known if you’ve been here for a long time) is that I LOVE the body swap / face swap trope. OBSESSED ABOUT IT. Loved it since I was a kid. I think it’s more the psychology of it that interests me (like I also consider “plopping a brain into a robot” part of this trope too, and the ensuing crisis intrigues me... a lot of my old Sonic fanfiction dealt with this type of thing). That and my innate desire to not be me, but I digress. One of my favourite movies ever is Face/Off... not a fantastic movie by any means, but damn if I didn’t obsess about it because of the psychology of it all. I LOVE watching actors pretend they’re the other actor playing their role. It’s amazing to me.

And AS someone who has consumed this trope like life since as long as I’ve consumed media, it probably took me less than a couple minutes to spot the twist ending in Good Omens. I immediately sensed something was off, mainly in their discussion in the park and  the mannerisms of the characters when they went to their respective places. 

When Aziraphale hesitated on saying “ineffable”  before death showed up, THEN Crowley’s hesitation on what Death’s appearance was, and THEN the “tickety-boo” from Crowley, is when something was niggling at me upon first watch of the scene. I wasn’t REALLY certain about my suspicions until C!Aziraphale and Gabriel were talking in the scene immediately following. Azzie was VERY subdued in Heaven, more like he was just trying to buy time or he was bored, when in the past he would... well, essentially not shut up and try to make small talk when he was confronted by the Gabriel or the other Angels. 

Instead he looked like a man who was lowkey annoyed and bored of being there, like he’s seen it all before. He didn’t question the demon bringing up the Hellfire. Just placid indifference.

It threw me for a loop, and that’s when I said, “Oh, they switched bodies, didn’t they??”. And it’s upon rewatches that I really REALLY became obsessed with this entire ending scene, because that’s when everything sort of falls into place, and you begin to see the minutiae of Sheen’s and Tennant’s acting in these scenes, and ALL the previous mannerisms from their characters are absorbed into each other’s portrayal of, well, each other. Essentially: “David, play this scene the way Michael would play this scene as if he were pretending to be you shamming the demons.” It’s amazing.

Here’s where I need to fucking praise Sheen and Tennant on their acting, because GODDAMN did they ever get each other’s mannerisms down pat, because upon subsequent rewatches, this is where I’m seeing all the clues about the twist ending that are GLARING, and I AM LIVING FOR IT.

So let’s jump back to the beginning of the scene, where they each return to their respective favourite material things: Upon returning, each character, if they were themselves, would have been OVERJOYED by their material items being back in tact. Azzie loves his books, and Crowley LOVES his car. Instead we just see... indifferent satisfaction that everything was restored? It was odd, but not alarming. You could stock it up to them being tired from the events of the day. It was still red flag one, for me.

Now, I’m not going to point this one out as “red flag two” because I can’t recall at all a time BEFORE this scene if this next thing ever happened, and perhaps someone can let me know if they recall before I get a chance to do my fourth run-through of the series: The flavours of ice cream they each end up eating; it would be a tell if they’re each eating what the other normally does. It would be a neat little clue that they each don’t realize they’re really doing that’s out of character. So... red flag 1.5 I will say until confirmation. 

The “tickety boo”, I’m going to label as a Red Flag 2: rewatching the series, we see Azzie uses the phrase when shit’s going tits up. Crowley mocked him for it, but never ever said it other than that one time. On first watch, you just write it off as Crowley picking up Azzie’s phrases, since Crowley says a lot of silly phrases, but upon second watch, you’re like, OH SHIT, wow, it’s totally Azzie, should have seen that.

Then there’s each of them in Heaven and Hell. I already talked about my tip-offs for Azzie, so let’s talk Crowley. A!Crowley was stammering on his speech, in that way that Azzie does when he’s nervous and unsure of himself and he’s trying to formulate his thoughts and understand what is happening. He was SURPRISED about Michael working with the demons, because – even though he saw Beelzebub and Gabriel interact, he had no idea how twisted in their own schemes both sides were. This is uncharacteristic behaviour for Crowley, I think anyway, because he would know that some of the Angels get away with all kinds of shit and STILL never Fall. Azzie... ahh, I love him, but I don’t think he would.

And A!Crowley STOOD like Azzie would... Crowley has this... way he sort of stands still (ie. trying to be cool but he’s really not). He wasn’t doing that at all in this scene. And the fact he was concerned about his clothes getting ruined? Yeah, when has that ever stopped Crowley? It was sort of a sweet thing that  this Lovely here pointed out and I only remembered about it when I read this post. Azzie didn’t want Crowley’s brand new coat to get ruined, aww. 

Jumping back to C!Aziraphale, still super quiet and indifferent and almost ANNOYED at the proceedings, and not once does he stammer at all. Azzie always stammers (a little more than his usual speech patterns, anyway) when facing the Angels, especially Gabriel, but this is legit the first time he doesn’t. Just smart-arse remarks and a “devil may care” (hur dur) attitude about the proceedings. 

I think I was 90% sure about my theory about the twist when the the bathtub scene that follows appears, because it didn’t really make sense to me in my head that the Holy Water WASN’T doing anything. The demons later surmise it’s because they’ve “gone native”, but are they really sure? Hmm. Anyway, this whole scene is HILARIOUS to me upon rewatch, because it’s now Azzie CERTAIN that he can’t be harmed here from the punishment even if he’s wearing Crowley’s face, and he FINALLY lets himself BE his own person. Funny how him seeing through a demon’s eyes is WHY he finally lets go (which, you know, is kind of what happened with Crowley 6000 years before... realized the world wasn’t fair and it wasn’t going to treat him with kindness). He finally understands Crowley, I think, in a way, because of this incident. 

Azzie is FINALLY certain and unafraid of being himself. He no longer stammers, and literally strikes fear into the demons in the dorkiest of ways and THEN secures Crowley’s future of being left alone. That tiny little thing there is really sweet and so Azzie. 

As for C!Aziraphale, he’s a dramatic bitch in the Hellfire to scare away the Angels. And though it’s not seen, I’m certain Crowley would have guaranteed Azzie’s safety in the same way that Azzie did his... I’m just assuming since it’s alluded to in their final park-bench conversation.

And – segue! – as we switch back to the park bench scene, I think this was when I was, on my first watch, all “yep, they switched”. Look at even just the camera pan-in: they’re sitting on the wrong sides (Crowley has ALWAYS sat to Azzie’s left-hand side), and Azzie is slouching. Azzie NEVER slouches, just as Crowley is never straight-backed and proper when he sits. I absolutely adore Tennant playing a reassuring-Azzie so beautifully, and then the uptick in the intonation of “Anyone looking?” is SO Aziraphale, that if you hadn’t picked up the clues by now, that should have set you off, as well as... why would Aziraphale know if “anyone is looking”? Crowley has ALWAYS been the one who’s able to sense other beings around, and I feel like it’s BECAUSE of his status as a demon that he can do this (as a former angel, it might be a “skill” he retained when he fell, and then gained the skill to sense other demons, so then he would be able to tell if either-or are around, whereas Azzie would only be able to sense love, happiness, and other angels, is my theory).

AHHH And then. AND THEN, Sheen’s impersonation of Tennant’s speech patterns when he says “Right. Swap back then?” and then with the face he makes. It’s ALL Crowley right there. GAWD, perfection.

I love their little interaction after the switch... Azzie is just SO DAMNED PROUD OF HIMSELF, WHAT A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL. And Crowley is enamoured by it all. He VISIBLY sees the change in Azzie, what seeing the world through Crowley’s eyes has done to him. So much so he chances to ask Azzie out, and he FINALLY accepts, no hesitation.

AH. That’s a WHOLE other meta in-of itself.

Next, Part 2, is my head canon for the lead up to this scene. It’s more of a musing than anything else, spawned by a thought I had about why are they able to switch so easily... and how did they know that they could? It won’t be nearly as long as this so I should have it up in a few days when I have a free moment :)

Anyway, I’d love for y’all to add your own thoughts or expand upon mine here if you’ve anything to say!

Cheers everyone, and welcome new people to my blog that my other GO meta may have enticed you to here <3 We’ll see how many meta this show squeezes out of my brain, probably not nearly as much as Johnlock does, but there we are, LOL <3

[turquoisemagpie]

My personal notes on Good Omens :

(just because I have to say it all at some point)

Thankfully, and to my absolute relief, the TV show DOES literally play by the book: this results in what makes it so good but what also makes it fall down slightly.

There is a huge difference in reception between those who only heard of the show, those who read the book in the run up to the show, and those who read the book waaaaay before the TV show was even considered (I fall in the latter).

For those who read the book, the show is very easy to follow, and even a bit dulled at times as what happens in the main plot is to be expected, so any surprise factor is lost= the book readers are as towards the show in the same way as Anathema is towards Agnes’s prophecies; expecting everything before it happens. There were also times where it was obvious a section of the story that was in the book was missed out (which feels like a deleted scene), which was a little deflating at times, but forgivable. 

For those who had just stumbled across the show as soon as it was released, I can understand it’s hard to follow or understand what exactly is going on at first.

The first episode is a little cluttered as it tries to cram the whole first 3rd of the book in within 50 odd minutes= when first watching the show, as someone who read the book, it seemed worrying that 1/3 of the book was covered in episode one of a 6 episode series; but this was before the discovery of extra plot and backstory that wasn’t in the book (1st half of Episode 3 and last half of episode 6).

David Tennant played Crowley 100% perfectly, Michael Sheen played Aziraphale 500% perfectly. In the book Crowley is my favourite out of the pair, but mainly because there’s more said about Crowley in terms of his personality than there is for Aziraphale. In the show Aziraphale is my favourite of the pair because Sheen was everything I expected from Aziraphale and more. Many complain about the other characters not being as well portrayed as Aziraphale and Crowley, personally I think they play by the book characters perfectly. In book standards they were great, in TV show standards they were average; not amazing, but not awful.

Individually the casting for sub-major characters was very good- specifically Anathema, Newt, Madam Tracy, Shadwell, The Young family, The Dowling family- in the context of the book they were very well casted and the actors really nailed their parts individually.

The added (as in character’s improved from the book or added in entirely) sub-major characters were also good casting- all the demons and angels were improved enormously in both physical aesthetic and character development.

The mise en scène was charming- very well crafted and designed as well as having a small hint of ‘this is the best we could do with what we could afford’ handcrafted-ness to it= very ‘made in Britain’, if that makes sense.

The diversity was also very good (it was very funny to see the more close-minded of Christian followers complain about the show within the first 3 minutes of the show), the addition of more characters in heaven and hell opened up more diverse characters in terms of gender, age, race, and body type.

The open nature of Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship was very pleasing, and it’s clear, especially on tumblr, that there is full acceptance and appreciation of LGBTQA+ depictions of their relationship. Whether their partnership is friendship or lovers, it is open to all possibilities in the portrayal of the actors and their dialogue.

The dialogue and structure of scenes that was originally from the book is near spot on.

The newly added scenes fit very very well into the story and boosted the story amazingly= the timeline of Aziraphale and Crowley’s partnership (Episode 3) was very pleasing to watch and re-watch, with a lot of pleasing historical references and a lovely display of how a very very very very very slow burning relationship has made such a wonderful partnership between and angel and demon.

The Holy Water; it was originally an unexplained phenomenon that Crowley just happened upon some holy water in the book, but the TV show took the chance to expand Aziraphale and Crowley’s partnership through it, and then develop it into an even more important factor at the end of the series.

The Trails of Crowley and Aziraphale, what is considered and ’epilogue’ of Good Omens (since it’s not in the book), were absolutely amazing. They fitted in very well with the flow of the original story while also giving some proper closure as to how Heaven and Hell reacted to the angel and demon’s part to play in stopping Armageddon. It was also a chance to see how versatile and talented Sheen and Tennant are as actors, as they attempt to play the other character in disguise of their original character.

I want to make some points about Anathema and Madam Tracy. I’ve heard and seen many complain about the fast and fickle developments of Anathema and Madam Tracy’s characters in relation to how they deal with the men in their lives; some say Anathema and Newts relationship is too quick and rather forceful, and also say it’s foolish for Anathema to burn Agnes’s further prophecies under Newt’s suggestions, as well as Madam Tracy dropping her jobs and independent nature for Shadwell:

For Anathema’s case I feel like those who have read the book are more accepting of her and Newt’s development; it is hard to convey Agnes’s hold over her descendants in terms of how her family are obsessed with keeping to her prophecies and what lengths they’d go to to keep everything predicted coming into being- the lovers first meeting and the sex scene is there to prove those lengths. Also Anathema is still portrayed as a very strong character and greatly independent woman through out the show; it’s her who approaches Newts and it’s her who decides how far their relationship is going and at what pace, and Newt goes with it, as he is less certain of the world than her. Also it was always her decision to burn Agnes’s further prophecies, but years of following the words of her ancestor that had adapted her to never decide for herself, she still needs a little push from an outside voice, which happens to be Newt. I do agree, however,  that for someone who doesn’t see Anathema and Newt’s meeting and partnering as Anges’s planted key to stopping Armageddon, it does seem far fetched that their relationship goes as fast as it does.

For Madam Tracy, yet again those who have read the book understand that Madam Tracy’s jobs are purely there to help her play the rent and save money to leave London. Some who haven’t read the book have missed out of the fact that Madam Tracy is not a proper psychic and doesn’t take it seriously; while she ‘goes under’ she makes shopping lists in her head to pass the time. And yet again, Madam Tracy takes similar independence from Anathema as she is the one who makes the moves; she is the one who invites Shadwell into her flat for dinner, when otherwise their separated relationship would remain the same as Shadwell would never make the move. Unlike Anathema and Newt, Madam Tracy and Shadwell are an older partnership in terms of their ages and how long they’ve known each other, and although Shadwell seemingly disproves of the nature of Madam Tracy’s jobs, it takes Armageddon for Shadwell to admit he actually likes her and is willing to protect her. And after what seemed like the end of the world, it’s easy to see how Madam Tracy would finally jump at the opportunity to the pair of them to get to know each other on better terms.

Speaking of Madam Tracy, I would also like to add I think Miranda Richardson as Madam Tracy was also perfect casting, not just for the perfect portrayal of Tracy, but also for her performance of mimicking Aziraphale as he possessed Madam Tracy.

Overall, a 9/10. It would be lower, but the joy of seeing a TV show book adaption that ACTUALLY STUCK TO THE BOOK is enough to make this my absolute favourite show.

Additional notes:

Favourite episode: Hard Times (3), purely for the timeline of Crowley and Aziraphale through the ages.

Favourite performance of Tennant: The start of The Doomsday Option (5); when Crowley discovers Aziraphale is gone and his bookshop is on fire (this included the scene with Crowley drunk in the pub talking to discorporated Aziraphale). Tennant really makes us feel how angry and upset Crowley is that he’s now officially all alone for the end of the world.

Favourite performance of Sheen: the end of The Book (2); when Aziraphale reads Agnes Nutter’s book and discovers who the Antichrist is. Sheen playing an awestruck Aziraphale was an absolutely wonderful performance. (I also absolutely adore Aziraphale’s angel-winged cocoa mug; I just imagine him first spotting the mug in a shop window and him feeling so pleased on seeing it and going in to buy it, his aura happiness staying in the shop a long while after he has left the shop. :) )

[mayfriend-archive]

Hey I need a new show to watch and I feel like you are a good person to ask because I am also a history student, bi, but 19. I see all these cool shows on your page but I can't keep up! can you give me your top five and why they're good? I've already seen good omens and tua! THX

Have I been waiting my entire life for this ask?? Possibly. 

Keep in mind these are my top five shows EVER, not just the ones I’ve been obsessing over recently. I wouldn’t actually put Good Omens in my top 5, but Umbrella Academy would probably get the number 3 spot if you hadn’t already seen it :)

   1. Dead Like Me (Amazon Prime)

This show, man. This fucking show. I’m a slut for found family (as the rest of this list demonstrates, with 4/5 of my favourite shows of all time featuring it as a main theme) and the Reapers are the Ultimate Found Family. The humour is incredibly dark and you will start sobbing at least once every episode; Bryan Fuller’s concept has stood the test of time and Mandy Patinkin kills it in what is (imo) his best role - sorry, Inigo. Dead Like Me was cancelled after two seasons, something I am still mad about almost twenty years later, but don’t let that stop you from diving head first into this exceptional show.

   2. Borgia: Faith and Fear (I watched it on Netflix although it’s since been removed; it might come back if you wait a little while)

I came across this show completely by accident. I’d heard a lot about Showtime’s ‘The Borgias’ and searched for it on Netflix - that didn’t come up but this utter gem did. I still haven’t watched The Borgias because Borgia made it obsolete in my eyes; a lot of people struggle with the fact that the cast’s accents are all wildly different, with Rodrigo Borgia voiced by American John Doman but I found it easy to get used to after an episode. Mark Ryder is Cesare Borgia, and the quality remains high throughout the three seasons, with each character being treated with care and completing their own story arcs in three seasons. 

   3. Daredevil (Netflix) 

Daredevil was the first ever Marvel Netflix show, and remains an example of just how good that genre can be. Seasons 1 and 3 are outstanding in every way, and Season 2 is still incredibly watchable. Daredevil is one of those shows that will stay with you long after watching it, with spectacular writing, incredible acting and cinematography that is as skillful as anything from a top Hollywood studio. Even if superheroes aren’t your thing, Daredevil is absolutely worth a watch.

   4. La Casa De Papel (Netflix)

The heist show to end all heist shows. Each and every main character is three-dimensional, complex and deeply flawed; Tokyo’s narration and the non-chronological storytelling take what is essentially a very basic premise into one of the best television shows of the 21st century. Netflix provides both an English dub and English subtitles, but I would stress just how much the actors original voices and intent matter to the quality of the show.

   5. Dollhouse (Amazon Prime)

Although Joss Whedon has fallen out of bed somewhat in the last few years, I stand by this particular work of his. Dollhouse explores the idea of what ‘makes’ a human being, and allowing actors to shine by playing multiple nuanced roles in universe by essentially ‘wiping’ people’s brains and uploading them with different personalities for the enjoyment and benefit of the obscenely rich who can afford their services. This show in particular is what made me fall in love with Enver Gjokaj and despite only getting two seasons, it manages to wrap itself up well whilst showing both the very best and very worst of human nature. 

Honourable mentions go to The Boys, which I just finished and adored (although it is very dark and an 18, so keep that in mind before starting), The Good Place for being simultaneously funny and philosophically compelling and Parks and Rec for being my go-to pick me up show (although its a good idea to skip season 1, which is of low quality compared to the following seven seasons).

[fixomnia-scribble]

And another just because

Tagged by: @chaotic-archaeologist

Rules:

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. Tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. The West Wing 2. Good Omens 3. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 4. CSI: New York  5. Midsomer Murders 

Who is your favorite character in 2? I have to chose between Aziraphale and Crowley?

Who is your least favorite character in 1? The pair of assholes who made Ainsley cry over dead flowers at her miserable desk in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue. Because many of us have known Those Guys in real life.

What is your favorite episode of 4? Anything with Danny and Don trash-talking each other

What is your favorite season of 5? I think the 4th, when they really     got into the flow.

Who is your favorite couple in 3? GSR BABY.

Who is your favorite couple in 2? Seriously?

What is your favorite episode of 1? Agh, just one? Let’s say…Bartlet’s Third State of the Union

What is your favorite episode of 5? I cannot possibly pick one out of all thirty-seven seasons. Except Cully’s Wedding was pretty amazing.

What is your favorite season of 2? There’s only been one!

How long have you watched 1? I started watching it in 2006, and have marathoned it at least twice a year since

How did you become interested in 3? OH FUNNY STORY. When I was first hired by the RCMP, I was sent on a three-week crash course in software, policies, etc. There were maybe four of us non-drinkers on the course. So one night I ended up hanging out with three female cops in their hotel room, eating pizza and watching CSI. When I say ‘watching’, what I mean is ‘yelling at the characters about scene protocol, bad science, and impossibly pretty, impossibly fast databases’. I had never watched it before and I was hooked. And that was also the week I started looking into going back to school for forensic science.

Who is your favorite actor in 4? Aw, Eddie Cahill. Six foot two of County Carlow with a New York City accent thick as a good steak.

Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? Still West Wing.

Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? CSI has more, so…that one.

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? Hm. Everyone’s so saddled with burdens! I’m not sure I’d actually want to be any of them entirely.

Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? It can and it did, at least twice.

Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple? Ed and Larry.

Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5? Given that CSI uses crime stories to dive a deeply personal character drama, and Midsomer Murders is entirely story-driven with familiar characters, I’m going to say that Midsomer has the better storylines.

Tagging: in 2020 we tag our our darn selves.

[chewiewrites]

@kishimotowrites asked : 7, 13, 15, 24, 26, 29 from ur abuelita xoxo

( thank u, queen for sending this . and big DISCLAIMER: puerto rico is a usa territory, but in my head, i distance and separate the two as culturally growing up in puerto rico is vastly different from growing up in the states ! we are a estado libre asociado, which has been the biggest joke since uh.. the 1950s, thanks for coming to my ted talk! that being said, puerto ricans ARE americans so i may have just played myself but let me live pls . ) trigger warnings : food (mention and description), and i think that is all! 

QUESTION 7 : three words from your native language that you like the most?

okay, so this is difficult because i don’t really think a lot about spanish, especially since i just read and talk in english constantly because of school.. so this was a Journey. 

1. boricua - so is it super patriotic of me to love this word? maybe so. the origin of boricua stems from the word borinquen which was how puerto rico was known for before we were colonized. the taínos gave it that name, and i’ve always found it just super comforting? i prefer to say boricua than puerto rican, if i’m honest, even though they refer to the same entity, i suppose. anyways, back to the main point. boricua refers to a person from borinquen / puerto rico. 

2. ñame - this word is not special at all in its meaning, it literally just means yam. like it refers to a verdura. but! i call my grandpa this as a nickname so the word always makes me really happy even if it isn’t special. i also like the pronunciation of ñ a lot. 

3. bacalao - this is random as well, sorry. bacalao/bacalado is basically a type of fish and we eat a lot of it with verduras and it SLAPS. i like this word because i started calling my nephews and nieces that whenever i got upset at them (they are like toodlers) so it was funny for them, and hence calmed me down. it just breaks away the tension when you say it around kids. just a fun word, and a great dish to eat. i know portugal also eats a lot of bacalado, at least in some areas i don’t wanna like generalize it. 

QUESTION 13 : does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

i’m not superstitious at all, and i don’t think my family is either. i don’t know if growing up christian kinda affected that, but tons of christians have superstitions, so i really don’t know. i can’t think of any superstitions at the moment, so sorry! as for traditions, i’m also going blank. i know we celebrate el día de reyes, but other countries celebrate it as well. the states doesn’t though. as far as traditions puerto rico has, i can’t think of anything that would be strange? i mean, i don’t find our traditions strange, so maybe i’m just an unreliable source. my family does have this tradition that when holidays come around, we always eat the same thing. my mom always cooks the same dishes such as rice (arroz con/de cebolla) and lasagne some days. we try to have pasteles. she always cooks these tortitas de harina de maiz y harina regular on christmas day, it’s always our first meal. so that’s a tradition we have, especially since we don’t see each other often coming together for the holidays is good and we get that nostalgic food. 

QUESTION 15 : a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

i don’t know why i’m being so political right now, but i have this sticker on whatsapp that says “FBI joined the chat” and it’s a reference to the scandal we had a couple months back regarding our former governor. that scandal caused all hell to break loose, and i -having a dark sense of humor- love using it for various occasions. honestly, puerto rican memes especially stickers are just fucking hilarious. i also made a sticker for whatsapp about a news ancher who said: avemaria, que mucha mierda hable (rough translation: man, i talked a lot of shit today). and honestly, peak comedic genius. he said it while the cameras were still rolling, i think? or like you heard him say it as the news ended, iconic. 

QUESTION 24 : what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

i’ve noticed that puerto ricans have a lot of prejudice towards dominicans. to me, it’s kind of similar to the hatred some americans give to immigrants. dominicans often immigrate or move to puerto rico for jobs, better lifestyle, etc. and puertoricans can be real assholes to them. there’s definitely a lot of jokes regarding them. i can’t think of any and even if i did i wouldn’t see the need to share them as it all comes from a discriminatory and prejudiced perspective. 

QUESTION 26 : does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

i feel like this is hard to answer. i can’t name five puerto rican characters that i know in large franchises. i know michelle rodriguez and adria arjona have made significant impacts in franchises. michelle in the fast and furious films. adria arjona in good omens, and different projects. obviously, we all know jennifer lopez, a fucking icon. i am not fond of the fast and furious films, therefore, i am not able to explain the representation of michelle rodriguez. i have not seen any of adria’s projects so i can’t speak about her either. i feel like puerto ricans aren’t really present in hollywood. i could be wrong, because i am not into films and am incredibly picky with tv shows, so maybe i’m missing out on a lot of things. i don’t think there’s a lot of puerto rican representation, in fact, i feel like we aren’t part of a lot of storylines so it’s hard to find one portrayal of us. that being said, the latino/latina/latine/latinx community does get the same stereotypes and conventions. women from pr or other latin american countries tend to be oversexualized, you’re more likely to see us portraying gang members or drug dealers than ceos, or teachers, etc. these conventions can be incredibly taxing, obviously, and i hope they just fucking stop presenting the community with such a lense. lately, we’ve been getting different break throughs with some shows and movies, etc. overall, this is a big way of me saying i don’t know enough about hollywood to fully answer the question but i can give you a general opinion on it. something i do like is the fact that the puerto rican actors i know are mixed. puerto ricans don’t look a specific way, we don’t have the same ethnic background at all; we are all so incredibly mixed and different. it makes me happy that michelle rodriguez, adria arjona, victoria justice, and other puerto rican actors that get good screen time or are involved in known projects, are mixed, and their ethnicities are different.

QUESTION 29 : does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

i’m from a pueblo, so a small town, and let me tell you, i don’t know any other town or city we have beef with. what i can tell you is some conventions we have over other regions and cities. bayamon and guaynabo have a shit ton of conventions and stereotypes, and i just find them hilarious. i do feel like ponce gets a lot of shit. the south of puerto rico (or the main island of pr) feels so different from the rest of the place. i don’t follow a lot of sports but basketball (especially back home) slaps (just bc of emotional attachment not bc the sport is any good or fun lol rip). and i do feel like the basketball team of ponce is just a big fucking mess, they cheat constantly and if you wanna fight me on this, please do, because i have receipts. 

anyways! this got long as fuck, i am so sorry. never let me speak again. 

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

my top 10 series of 2019~

aka i gush about shiz i watched this year for waaaaaay too long lol... 

i watched a lot of stuff this yr (well... it felt like a lot? there’s a lot more i wanted to watch but i’m terrible at time management lol...) so let’ssss explore that in a ~numbered list~ lol

(spoilers - there’s a lot of gay shit here lol... what can i say, twentybiteen really pulled thru lol)

10 - Stranger Things (series 3) 

i know some people didn’t like this series, but i legit thought it was really good lol... i felt it had gone back to the style of the 1st series a lil more? (whereas series 2 had felt a lil disappointing in a way??) & i loved all the new characters introduced (robin is a personal fav, obv), & the whole splitting off into the lil groups was really effective in not just feel like it’s always the same group together, and it also allowed for some interesting character moments!

visually, stranger things always looks amazing! but i thought the whole summer/july 4th vibes really made it especially stunning tbh... as most things on this list, i’ve only seen it once, so i would like to rewatch it at some point (actually wanna do a full stranger things marathon tbh i was trying to explain what had happened in the show to my friend who stopped watching it early in series 1 & it was so difficult to remember exactly what had happened in it lool... ) 

there were obv things about it that i wasn’t as big on, like the whole evil russian-invincible guy was v cliche and kinda silly, & some of the actions scenes were a bit awkward(?) feeling... but i’m a sucker for any 80′s style media so those things just reminded me of the goonies or some shit lol

9 - Ghosts 

actually the funniest & cutest series ever tbh!!! as someone who grew up with horrible histories with the original cast, this just made me immensely happy to see the whole team together again! the humour style is v similar to horrible histories too btw, though i feel they let themselves have a lil more ‘dark humour’ than in that (since this is more a general audience, whereas hh was definitely more aimed at kids tbh... tho they still won a comedy award for it lol! actual legends lol anyway...)

only downside is that it’s only 1 series atm & it’s pretty short... but i know there’s gonna be a new series at some point so i’m v excited for that!! i feel there’s sooooo many places they can go with the concept (i.e. exploring how/when the other characters died (like kitty!!! i need to know her story lol i love her!), maybe introducing another character who can see ghosts?? like a medium/psychic or something/etc ...) but legit, please watch this if u haven’t!!! 

8 - Good Omens

this pretty much took over the internet this year lbr lol & tbh i’d def say it was worthy of the praise!! ineffable husbands aside, the main story is super engaging and enjoyable, with some really awesome side characters (& some of my fav character designs in anything ever tbh!!) but definitely the biggest draw was the ‘6000 years mutual pining’ romance which they did so well lol & it was something that was genuinely so lovely to watch tbh!! i also really loved the ending message of the show! i really hope to rewatch this next year when i think it’s gonna be aired on british tv at last????

downsides would be that the plot can be a bit confusing at times? but maybe that’s just me being dumb lol... but i imagine it’s a lot easier to understand if u’ve read the book lol?? i don’t have a problem w/ aziraphale & crowley not being “explicitly” gay or whatnot (i know i’ve seen some people annoyed with this?), since the whole idea of their relationship is so much larger than just them bonking or whatevs lol? (in general i think more media should have less focus on kissing/intimacy as an indication of love/romance... which is something i’ve already talked about lol)

oh, and the title sequence is INCREDIBLE lol i seriously loved it so much!!

7 - Killing Eve (series 2)

finally finished this the other day & it was so good!!! i really love the dark comedic tone of the show tbh & i def feel there was more of it in the 2nd series then the first! i also liked the further development of villanelle & eve’s relationship, which is obv the highlight of the show tbh! there was also a nice lot of twists tbh, though i’d say it was a lil less intense than the 1st series? (overall i’d say i prefer the 1st series, but the 2nd was a fab continuation... btw i also watched the 1st series this yr lol)

negative points are that the plot wasn’t quite as interesting as the 1st series... i think cos the focus of the murders was taken off of villanelle that we lost some of that drama from the 1st? i thought the ghost was gonna be a more integral part but she was kinda weirdly pushed aside once we learnt her identity? & the creepy son dude just annoyed me lol (but i suppose that was the point lol...)... so like yh there were lil things that didn’t engage me as much as the first, but overall i still really enjoyed it lol

this is def fulfilling the hannibal-shaped hole in my heart tbh... (another series i finished this yr...)

6 - Dark Blue Kiss the series

look, it’s no surprise this is on my list lol... i was hella hyped for this series when it was announced last yr, even though my expectations were VERY LOW after kiss me again the series (which, lbr, is a massive mess lol... like it’s My Mess tho)... but for real, this series really exceeded all my expectations... & then some! like i’m legit shook at how good it was ngl! especially morksun’s storyline, which was by far my fav in the show (as much as i’m petekao trash lol...) also, i was surprised by how genuinely pretty this show is! esp in comparison to kma (like i know i keep going on about the goddamn bruise makeup but it is so ugly in kma, but they really did a great job in dbk tbh!)

ok so there’s a lot of flaws lol... like... a lot (i’m already complained a lot so i won’t bore u with that rn lol...) but for real, the thing that i love the most about this is the discussions of coming out/homophobia/general young people struggles/etc etc which is so refreshing to see in these series! like i love that despite the cheesy tropes, it still knows when to be serious & genuine...

5 - He Is Coming To Me

another thai series, i believe this has the same director as dbk? (don’t hold me to that tho...)... legit one of the best, if not the best, thai series i’ve ever seen tbh! so adorable, so well acted, so funny & heartwarming like... legit it’s so good!! i was already excited about it from the trailer, but the way it really delivered on the emotionality, whilst keeping it lighthearted, was truly wonderful tbh! the main actors did a brill job i gotta say, and all the side characters were amazing too (there really wasn’t a character i didn’t like i’d say tbh? i need to rewatch tbh... there’s a lot i’ve forgotten since this came out p early in the year lol)... also, visually it’s so pretty!! i swear the cinematography in these thai series just keeps getting better & better & it def improves the watching experience tbh!

a down point would be that the first ep is a bit slow/awkward to get in to... & i think it def could put someone off? but i’d say to stick w/ it since it just keeps getting better & better! i’d actually say there isn’t really anything else i didn’t like about it ngl? it’s just so good guys... u really need to watch it!

4 - Russian Doll 

probs the only series on this list that i actually actively went to rewatch straight away lol (didn’t do a full rewatch btw)... it was SO good for real! i already loved the premise lol (it’s basically groundhog day, which is already such a great film, but they explored those ideas even more in this which i loveeeed) the leads are fantastic, and the story is generally so interesting!  plus the editing & song choices are really brill tbh... 

my one complaint would probs be that the series loses a lil momentum at certain points (esp later in the series), but it still keeps ur interest, and the ending is really well done too! i know there’s gonna be a 2nd series, so i’m really hoping it’ll be able to live up to this one, and also explore more of the characters/concepts/etc! i’m def hyped for it tbh!  

i feel like this series is simultaneously underrated and also v well known lol?? like i know everyone sees that ‘thursday! what a concept’ meme but i feel like i didn’t see as many people talk about it as much as other series this yr??? 

(for my top 3, i’d say i love them all equally/for different reasons... so the order they’re in is changeable lol)

3 - Gentleman Jack

one of the greatest bbc series of the year, maybe even the decade lol! actually a masterpiece of cinematography, incredible acting, gorgeous costumes, beautiful depictions of love and intimacy, hilarious characterisation & just generally a wonderful series!! like i can’t praise it enough! it’s literally everything i could ever want from a series, and more!!!!!!! like everytime i think about it i just feel like ‘!!!!!’ constantly lol... like... what did we do to deserve such a series for real?? something that i esp loved was that i vividly remember not that long ago w/ people complaining about the bbc for having minor lgbtq characters in things, so to have a actual main lesbian couple series be on prime time bbc telly is kinda mind blowing lol... like.. i know we’ve got a long way to go, but it does make me immensely proud!! 

i have no complaints lol... other than - needed to be longer (i think we’re getting a 2nd series right???? i hope so tbh!!)

2 - The Untamed 

look, i don’t make 15 piece series’ for nothing lol... this show really got to me ngl... like i knew it was gonna be amazing from seeing tonnes of mutuals start watching it & praising it.. .but ohhhhhhhh boy i wasn’t reading for the angst and heartbreak and just generally how invested i’d be in all the characters lol... like genuinely there’s so much to praise about this show! it may not be as super ‘polished’ as some of the other shows on this list, but it really has so much heart and hard work and dedication put into it which really shows in the final  product!

there’s obv issues with it, but i feel like it’s kinda unnecessary to go over them lol? there’s so much more of this series that has brought me genuine joy, the biggest being the fact they were still able to depict a really beautiful, loving and /romantic/ relationship despite the strict censor is truly incredible lol!! like w/ good omens, it just shows what you can do to depict love/romance without having to over-sexualise something...

i feel like i’m saying less for these top 3, but it’s just cos i’ve already gush to high heavens about how much i love them lol... 

1 - HIStory 3 - Trapped

you - *pretends to be shocked that this is my number 1*

yeh... no surprises that this is in my top 3 lol... what can i say that i haven’t already screamed about for months??? this series truly surpassed any expectations i could have had for a HIStory series... the story line is complex & pretty well done (it’s not perfect... but nothing is so....), the characters are wonderful & also brilliantly acted! i think the thing that i love the most is that the director wanted to create a series that wasn’t just a cheesy gay series (don’t get me wrong, i loVE cheesy gay series’ lol... ) but also would have a more interesting, well developed & more ‘mature’ story line (i think esp in comparison to other HIStory series’ which are usually school/uni based)... it’s also one of the few lgbtq series i’ve seen that isn’t just about ‘first loves’, and doesn’t place a big emphasis on a sexuality/identity crisis... it’s just so unabashedly a mystery-romance drama, which is just so refreshing to see! & i genuinely hope we can see more series like this, where gay characters don’t need to ‘prove’ themselves in order to be in a series or to be in relationships (which it often feels like, where writers need to explain /why/ characters are gay...)...  

phew... that’s a lot of text lol, just like w/ the untamed, i feel like i’ve already talked about the negative points of the series (plot holes, awkward moments, weird editing/sound choices, bad tropey plots), but the positives of this series seriously make it worthwhile, and i’m just so so SO happy this show exists lol...

all 3 of these series have a special place in my heart of inspiring lots of my own exploration of art, as well as writing, which has been really crucial in me understanding what i wanna do with my life (i know that sounds kinda weird, but at the start of the year i really didn’t know what i wanted... and i wasn’t even sure what i was good at lol... so thru these shows i was able to discover a lot more about my own style of working & thru all of them i was able to meet some wonderful new people on here which has made 2019 actually one of my most enjoyable years on tumblr! 

this has been an...... interesting year lol... but definitely these shows made it just a lil bit better!!! 

Happy new year to anyone who actually read thru this & let’s hope 2020 brings us even more brill shows ~~~

[michelles-garden-of-evil]

Episode 18 Review: Making Biscuits

{ YouTube: 1 | 2 }

{ Synopses/Recaps: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }

{ Screencaps }

Early morning on Maljardin. Exhausted from a day of shock and disbelief at the arrivals of her mother and Reverend Dawson on the island paradise(?) of Maljardin, Holly sleeps on the couch in the château’s great hall. Quietly, a fully dressed Jean Paul descends the grand staircase and stops behind the couch to cover her with a blanket. “Hi, Dad,” she says. “I had a dream. I thought that-”

I know that she’s probably a bit creeped out, but, honestly, I kind of envy Holly in this scene. There are days that I wish that I could wake up to see Jean Paul Desmond at my bedside. I know he has all kinds of issues and personality flaws, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find him cute and charming.

She tells him that she was dreaming about waiting for her father at home. “I know the feeling only too well,” he responds. “ Sometimes you know when memories haunt dreams, nightmares can follow.” I know that he is probably referring to nightmares about Erica’s death and/or to that freaky dream sequence with Raxl from the end of Episode 5, but still, I have to wonder if he, like Holly, lost his father at a young age. They reveal a little about Jean Paul’s father in the third and final arc of the show, but I don’t recall them discussing the specifics of his death beyond one thing that would be a spoiler to mention at this point. It would have been interesting to learn a bit about Jean Paul’s father in the Maljardin arc, but, unfortunately, we don’t.

So gallant! <3

We cut to a scene of Dan waiting impatiently for Jean Paul at the French Leave Café while talking to Vangie. Mostly, this scene exists so that Vangie can elaborate on why Maljardin is so hard to get to. “That channel is a cross between a tide and a continual tornado,” she says. “It's full of rocks and shoals. Actually, it’s never even been properly charted.” (Except probably by one of the des Mondes.) This is the only new information we get in any of the scenes between Dan and Vangie in this episode; the rest is nearly all recap, so I’m going to skip over most of it.

We return to Maljardin, where Holly and Jean Paul are sipping coffee from some dainty little cups. Before leaving for the main island, he asks her to attend Erica’s funeral, but she is reluctant because her mother and Reverend Dawson will be there. He advises her essentially to suck it up and go--which, as she points out, sounds like something "the good padre” would say. And then this happens:

I...don’t think that’s the generator.

Holly goes running upstairs and, just after, Jacques reveals that it was indeed he who tampered with the generator:

Love Jacques’ sarcasm in talking about the importance of the Holly portrait and how Tim and Holly may be “finished” before it is. And yes, the good Jacques portrait is back!

Next, we get what has to be the single most painful line of dialogue that the usually witty Jacques gets on the entire show: “Dear me, it does pose a dilemma,” says he about the situation with the Holly portrait that Boring Artist Tim is painting. “Pose, portrait, dilemma. A little play on words.” He snickers, indicating that at least he thinks the line is funny. “But I assure you I'm not playing games.” As Paflad would say, “BADOOM, and indeed, TSHHH!“

After the bad pun storm is over, he tells Jean Paul to bring Dan back with him to Maljardin because “[Jacques wants] to be sure that he doesn’t work against [him].” Cut to the second Dan and Vangie scene, where they recap nearly all the most important events on the show so far. It’s not all recap, however, as we do hear Vangie’s interpretation of the King of Wands, one of the Tarot cards featured last episode:

Vangie: “This way, a man of immense wealth and prestige and power in the world.”

“Reverse him, and he becomes the traditional card of ill-omen, a devil himself. Jean Paul Desmond...or Jacques Eloi des Mondes.”

And now onto the scene featuring the Matt-Holly-Tim love triangle, which feels endless because I can’t stand this subplot. I’m planning on writing a post someday explaining everything that’s wrong with this subplot and exactly why it doesn’t work, but I want to wait until after I’ve reviewed at least three more episodes featuring it. Nothing important happens in this scene, but we do get these lines:

Holly: "I wish my mother was on canvas instead of always on my back."

Be careful what you wish for, Holly. Someday you could have a portrait of Elizabeth Marshall that speaks to you constantly and manipulates you into doing things that make no sense to other characters. (Not a spoiler.)

The best Tim line on the show, and it’s a line flub. Go figure.

After the seemingly endless Tim scene ends, we return to the main island, where Jacques possesses Jean Paul while he is meeting with Dan. (He takes Jacques’ suggestions an awful lot, and I’m not sure if it’s because he actually agrees or because Jacques is manipulating him and he finds it too hard to resist.) We start with this shot of Jacques with ever-so-mildly creepy lighting:

Not scary, but it successfully conveys the message that Jacques has just taken control.

This scene makes up for the mediocrity of the rest of this episode. Jacques is his devilishly charming self, impersonating Jean Paul and making a fool of him by behaving far too cheerfully for a man in mourning. When Dan questions him, he insists that he’s only putting on a brave face and inwardly grieving, but Dan remains suspicious.

I must admit that I found this Jacques line--cheesy as it is--pretty funny.

Jacques, of course, takes advantage of the opportunity to troll him. Why not? For the first eleven episodes, he stuck to aiding Jean Paul and mostly just did things that they both wanted to do, with just a few exceptions like killing Dr. Menkin and giving Alison romantic dreams about him. Since Episode 12, however, he has been regularly screwing with Jean Paul’s life, trying to undermine nearly everything he tries to do in some way unless it also benefits him. By now, Jacques is in control of Jean Paul even when he’s inside the painting and so he probably feels he can get away with anything.

Anyway, remember when Jacques fired Dan in Episode 15? Well, he’s re-hired now and invited to Maljardin. He’s also more confused than ever, particularly because Jacques (who he believes is Jean Paul) keeps making faces like this:

BISSITS FACE!

For those of you who haven’t read my review of Episode 4 or who don’t remember it, Bissits Face™ is the name I gave to the cartoonish faux-innocent face that Jacques likes to make, where he opens his eyes extremely wide and purses his lips in a very cute way. The name comes from its resemblance to the face my cat makes when he makes biscuits, or “bissits” as I call them in baby-talk. I know the name is silly, but it is a silly face and probably not one you’d make in real life if you genuinely wanted to appear innocent--which is further evidence that Jacques thinks that he’s smarter than everyone else (and is probably right).

If his wrists weren’t crossed, he’d look like he was getting ready to make biscuits on that table like a cat.

Meow?

Of course, this isn’t his only bug-eyed expression, and he does keep those gorgeous blue peepers open quite a lot. I think that Colin Fox intended for Jacques to look “crazy,” which would explain all the wide-eyed expressions he has him make. Crazy eyes are, after all, pretty much standard acting technique for playing characters who are mentally disturbed to some degree. There’s an old French actor named Gérard Berner whom I’ve nicknamed “Crazy Eyes,” because, in the two miniseries I’ve seen him in (La dame de Monsoreau (1971) and Le roi qui vient du sud (1979)), he played characters with anger problems and, when said characters got enraged, he opened his eyes so wide that you would swear they were about to fall out of his head. This scene from Monsoreau is a good example, as is the one that follows it (Berner is the man with the longish hair and the silver doublet). Obviously, the intended meaning of Bissits Face™ is “I’m pretending to be innocent” and not “I’m angry,” but it’s still the same technique.

Gérard Berner (right) as François d’Anjou in La dame de Monsoreau (1971), demonstrating the crazy eye technique in a very different context.

Anyway, after Dan leaves to get ready to sail to Maljardin, Jacques and Vangie exchange a few words. By this point, she knows for certain who he is and that he will bring death to the island.

A rare instance of the subtitles getting Vangie’s name right.

I really like this exchange, so, as with many other exchanges that I really like, I’m going to post a full transcription:

Jacques: "Did you hear it all, Vangie?" Vangie: "Enough to make me wonder if I shouldn't contact the newspapers and let them find out the kind of man you really are."

Jacques: "You wouldn't do that, because you're afraid of my...power."   Vangie: "In this world...or the next?" 

Jacques: "Next world?" *laughs* "What are you talking about? You've been playing cards too much. It's dulling your senses."   Vangie: "My father is dead. I am now the Conjure Woman. My senses are greater than ever. There is evil roaming on Maljardin. It must be destroyed."

Getting nervous, Jacques?

Jacques: "Vangie! You and your witchcraft. It will be the death of me yet.” Vangie: "I'm after the Devil."

Yup, definitely nervous.

Jacques: "And he's after you!"

And then we have a marvelous little credits scene where Jacques sits down in the big wicker chair, looking enormously pleased with himself. He puts his feet up on the table in front of him, grins, polishes his ring, all while looking incredibly self-satisfied. I love this comment about it on YouTube: “I can imagine the director telling Colin at the end credits,'Ok Colin-Baby, now just sit there and look smug...that's it...more smug-more smug...annnnd got it!'”

Smug.

Smugger.

Smuggest.

This episode is typical of Wednesday episodes on this show: light on plot and heavy on recap and character interaction that may or may not be filler. The only important things that happen in this one are (1) Jacques brings Dan with him to Maljardin and (2) Vangie reveals to Jacques that she has become the Conjure Woman and therefore a powerful opponent. But neither of these happen until the final scene, so, in all honesty, one could skip over most of this episode without missing much save for Tim’s hilarious line flub.

Coming up next: Reverend Dawson holds Erica’s funeral and Holly discusses an interesting nightmare she had about her mother.

{ <-- Previous: Episode 17   ||   Next: Episode 19 --> }

[lights-camera-sharks]

Episode 3 of Good Omens

Ok I’m back and I’m hype for the third episode!

-Oh we back in the garden now what’s happening

-You know what I need more of in my general life? Aziraphale lore. I guess.

-But what did Crowley do in between the Beginning and Mesopotamia?? All we know is he’s covered in dirt now.

-I love Crowley being very adamant about not killing kids and also his reaction to Noah’s arc is my exact reaction to all of religion

-Hi Jesus

-It’s quite early but I have yet to understand any great developmental purpose behind this backstory besides explaining Crowley’s name change. I guess it may help for setting up the rules of their Agreement. It’s hard for me to remember what the show has told me and what I know already, you know? I’m glad it can stand alone as it’s own thing though.

-What are those, the world’s earliest sunglasses?

-To be honest though they’ve always just been a less intense version of Tom and Jerry since the beginning of time so I don’t know if there’s any real development there

-oh no Crowley’s BEARD he looks like he’s about to spend 15 hours coding in the pitch darkness

-Whatever the Shakespeare scene is very funny

-very correct horses are a major design flaw

-I’m Aziraphale sitting patiently in a jail cell during the French Revolution

-also speaking very politely to the guy threatening to chop off his head

-Ngl Crowley’s revolution hair is kind of good in a horrible, horrible way

-THERE’S THE SAUNTERED VAGUELY DOWNWARDS LINE!! It’s kinda snuck in there but I’m so so glad it’s still here

-hey Aziraphale? Hmmm? Now who’s fraternizing HMMMMM??

-“My DOUBLE-DEALING Nazi aQUAINTance”

-“Oooh ooh ah it’s like being on the beach with bare feet!” Did you mean how I enter every room

-So true-to-form for AJ Crowley to blow up a church whilst dressed like a gangster but in sort of a lame way I love it

-(note to self remember to change the laundry at the end of this episode)

-Ok now Crowley is literally dressed like John Lennon and while I do not agree with this I do appreciate it

-...Don’t know how I feel about young shadwell? Definitely gave me mental whiplash though

-Young Shadwell is so well spoken though I guess I always assumed he was born a jabbering old man. This has yet to convince me otherwise.

-Gotta say it does make more sense than just casually throwing in how they all know each other

-Handing over holy water in a tartan thermos. Also very on brand. I’m glad Aziraphale and Crowley still feel like the same characters to me and I love being able to see them brought to life in another form

-We are halfway through the episode I guess it’s time for the title sequence

-it is a very good title sequence

-love the colors

-Yes I’m just typing to fill the time because I’m kind of confused as to why this wasn’t earlier

-Nice music too

-OH THAT IS THE SINGLE BEST WAY TO DO A PREVIOUSLY ON RECAP. Just fast forwarding through everything that happened is really all I needed and it doesn’t take away from the story at all. I am very excited about this

-good dog and cat actors. 10/10 would hire

-I guess they don’t explain Shadwell and Crowley’s relationship? They just meet once and you don’t tell me how he became boss of the witchfinders signing everyone’s paychecks?

-Witchfinder Sgt Pepper is my favorite character I especially loved when he told the band to play

-RP TYLER! I suppose I should never be that excited about RP Tyler. I just get excited every time I recognize something in this. Which is pretty darn often

-(okay I’m going to go change my laundry)

-You know when you’re just a Person of Interest

-“Pip pip” *shadwell sighs and shakes his head*

-I’ve seen Famine for less than thirty seconds but I love his casting

-“There’s people in Tibet watching everything we do through hidden tunnels.” That sure got mr young’s attention now he’s on edge thinking of all those Tibetans

-Awww they’re friends

-I’ll tell y’all why this isn’t queerbaiting and you can get mad at me if you want. This entire plot is enemies-to-friends. They are both extremely dramatic about their friendship which leads to storming off in a huff and sobbing because for someone’s sake they hate each other but they love each other okay? Interpret their relationship how you want but they care about one another and it’s an inconvenience.

Alright the flashback was a fun time and set up their interactions in this episode well so I’m fine with it. It probably could have been left out and the plot wouldn’t suffer, but I’m glad it’s here. I hope the phone chase scenes stay in one of these next few episodes because that is one of my favorite scenes. Perhaps with less maggots this time. Or more. Either way I’m excited. I’m also glad that I’m pacing these episodes out and not trying to watch them all at once because I may do that for a lot of media but this does not benefit to being “binged” as the kids say.