#clue with a capital C

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The Honolulu Roast sign appears in the middle of a scene?! AND the lamp moves?!

Ok, I've been internally screaming about this since yesterday so I'm making a separate post to share more widely:

@snek-eyes has a lovely post about the use of an instrumental of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody playing in the coffeeshop, you should definitely read it here. And then @kayleefansposts pointed out that this sign just ... appears?

I thought maybe it was a weird change in camera angle or focal depth or something, so I went back and got some of my own screenshots. As far as I can see, the sign just MATERIALIZES while the camera is on Aziraphale.

AND I realized shortly after posting this that it ALSO looks like the lamp moves further away from the menus and Crowley!

Go back and watch this scene and let me know what you think! And here it is, one more time, with marks to help clarify what I'm seeing with both the sign AND the lamp's position on the wall:

Edit: @indigovigilance tracked down a possible symbolic meaning behind "Honolulu" and "Queen", here.

Interested in diving further into all the Good Omens mysteries? I have lots more of my own posts plus Clues and metas from all over the fandom, here.

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Sharing this sweet analysis as part of my 🎉Clues and Detectives Milestone Celebration🎉

The fact that Aziraphale emerges from this flashback

Makes this face

and then with a ginormous gap on the right side of the screen, proceeds to be like "I must call Crowley right now immediately."

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Ineffable discontinuity and the Bentley's roadtrip transformation: new back doors and other changes (after it was yellow), and Crowley... didn't notice?!*

*Also, as a side observation, did he leave the Bentley window open during the ball and everything that happened after? Why?

Have you been longing to be even more perplexed by the ineffable discontinuity of Good Omens season 2? Do you love endless data in the form of screencaps? If so, then please join me on this wild ride! Here are some highlights:

Top photos: Season 1, episode 6, after Adam reboots reality; S2e2, before Aziraphale's e3 road trip. The Bentley is a gray and black 2-tone car with 2 doors (only 1 handle is visible on each side).

And on the bottom is s2e5, while Crowley is driving, it's a solid black car with 4 doors and smaller silver hubcaps.

(edit: For those of you thinking about the different Bentley models used in s1 vs s2 (discussed in detail below), or the difference between the full car and half car set, just those three full car pictures above demonstrate that the new s2 Bentley model is NOT the reason for this mid-season shift. For more details about the half car set plus other ways to tell the Bentleys apart - without talking about color - see my newer post with handy diagrams, here.)

And the s2 interior?

Here's e1, after Crowley talks to Shax, and e3, as Aziraphale arrives in Edinburgh (which is also when the Bentley debuts as a 4-door). And look at this blocking - how both characters are posed so similarly with their backs to us in these shots!! It's so deliberate! :

And look at the seats! In e2, Crowley is talking to Shax again, and in e5, Crowley just parked the Bentley before the ball:

When Crowley, who is so tuned in that he senses the car is yellow and driving too slow even from a distance, sees the "new" Bentley in e4, he doesn't act as though anything has changed, he just happily and purposefully walks up and opens the back door that was never there to put his plants inside.

THE BACK DOOR THAT WAS NEVER THERE

For that matter, Crowley and Aziraphale both seem to be unaware of the changes! This feels like both a metaphor and a functional plot device for season 3. There's more discussion at the end of this post!

Thanks to comments and observations awhile back from @bbbitchvibbbez , I did some careful searching for s2 scenes featuring the Bentley, and this post is the labor of love and irrational obsession result!

If you want to see lots more Bentley screencaps and discussion, including Crowley nonchalantly using the new back door, and possibly also leaving the Bentley window open during the ball and everything that followed, please keep reading:

Some background and context:

Ok, so there was a different Bentley "actor" for s2. The s1 actor was a 2-door, the s2 actor is a 4-door. If you look carefully, you'll see that in s1 the backseat side windows are smaller than the front side windows. In s2, they're the same size. I talk more about the windows - with handy diagrams! - in my newer Bentley post, here.

There's also been some controversy about the interior color of the s2 Bentley, black vs brown, and how that could relate to the s2 body swap theory; here are details about that from @lonicera-caprifolium and @picturesque-about-it. I don't think my findings support (or disprove) that theory, but take a look at what I found and see what you think!

(*Please don't ask Neil about any of this, he's already given us the answers he wants to give, and he's not going to spoil the surprises in s3 now by telling us what's really going on!*)

Here's the episode/scene breakdown:

S2e1 on the street with Shax - gray, two toned, two doors (one visible door handle on a side), brown interior - both the seats and the inside panel of the door. Notice how the door is hinged at the back, and opens opposite the way most modern cars do (this is called a suicide door):

More s2e1 photos, the Bentley is in a lot of scenes this episode and as far as I can tell it stays the same gray 2-door for the whole episode, but it's frequently in dark lighting to make it harder to tell it isn't actually black (I've brightened most of these shots). It also has larger silver hubcaps, and I notice consistent brown seats (these interior pics are from three different scenes):

In s2e2, the Bentley is only in two scenes, and it's the same as s2e1. Now, you can see in the larger photo below that it's obviously not the SAME as s1 - the backseat side windows are too long - but the production team DID try to make the new Bentley "actor" look the same as in season 1. It's a gray 2-tone car with 2 doors (1 handle visible on each side) with larger silver hubcaps. As an aside, what's with the red lights on the car in this shot?? I mean, yes, it's a reflection of another car's brake lights, but why put that onscreen?

Also, in case it's relevant, Crowley is wearing his turtleneck throughout this episode, and still has the silver-sided glasses from e1:

Ok, now we have s2e3, and as Crowley meets Muriel and gives Aziraphale his car keys, we see he's no longer wearing the turtleneck, AND this is when his glasses change to black-sided ones:

Outside, we see the Bentley looks the same as the rest of s2 thus far, as Aziraphale sets off for Edinburgh. Gray 2-tone, brown interior (with window bullet hole decals very visible), with larger silver hubcaps. There's only one handle visible, so it's still meant to look like a 2-door:

Ok, here's where things start to change! Azi is driving and the Bentley is yellow. The seats might (?) be black, there's still only one door handle on the side, the silver hubcaps are still larger. But when he "changes it back", NOW it's black:

And by the time he pulls into Edinburgh, Transformation Complete. (Did Something Else Happen?? Or is this an effect of Aziraphale finally being welcome to take care of this extension of Crowley? More speculation at the end!) It's a black 4-door, two handles clearly visible on the side, with smaller silver hubcaps:

And the interior? The door panel, at least, is black now - and it has a texture that wasn't there when it was brown. Here's e1 next to e3 (and appreciate, again, this very intentional parallel blocking of the two actors!):

In s2e4, we see the Bentley in two scenes; at the beginning when Aziraphale meets Shax-as-hitchhiker, where we see the bullet holes and the black door lining, and at the end when the Bentley is reunited with Crowley:

When Aziraphale parks the Bentley back at the bookshop, we see the bullet hole decals and that it's still a black 4-door:

So he goes to meet Crowley, they come back with the plants. We can see that the camera is to the rear of the car, and the front of the car is to their left. They're standing on the left side of the car. If Crowley opens the door, we won't see the interior door panel, right? Because the Bentley doors are hinged on the back, instead of the front, so the door will open towards us:

WELL. Mx "I can feel when you drive below the speed limit" and "change it back!" Crowley very eagerly walks up to the BLACK car, greets it with some sweet baby talk, and then opens the suddenly-existing BACK door with a hinge on the front (so it opens away from us) as if this is All Perfectly Normal, and we can (barely) see the door lining and it's BLACK and textured:

A few more shots of Crowley, standing at the brand-new back door of the Bentley, still wearing those black-sided glasses:

And in case you're wondering, in s1e2 when Anathema gets a ride in the Bentley, she climbs into the backseat from the front driver door, and she climbs out through the front passenger door. There wasn't a back door on either side. Here she climbs into the Bentley, and you can see Crowley fold down the front seat, and there's clearly only one door on that side, and it's hinged at the back. (When she gets out on the passenger side, it's harder to see, but you can tell that door is also hinged at the back.) :

In s2e5, Crowley drives the Bentley to the bookshop, and then we only catch a few small glimpses of it while Aziraphale is recruiting shopkeepers to the meeting/ball. Here's Crowley driving the black 4-door Bentley with small silver hubcaps, and here he is getting out of the car with black seats. The front door is still hinged at the back, as it always has been. The window is open - his hand is reaching through to open the door - so we can't see the bullet hole decals:

The next time we see more than a hint of the Bentley, it's the end of s2e6 and Crowley is standing next to it, watching Azi leave with the Metatron. It's still black, with 4 doors and black seats and smaller hubcaps. We don't see the bullet hole decals, but perhaps the window is still open from when he parked it in e5? (And WHY would he leave the window open? Was someone supposed to come by after he parked it to deliver something to the Bentley, or take something out?) Emotional photos ahead:

I over exposed that last picture, to make the colors really easy to pick out. The seats are absolutely, definitely black.

So... what does it mean? Why did it happen, and why didn't Crowley notice or react?

I love the metaphor that Aziraphale subconsciously created a back door for - or into - Crowley, especially with all those references to the "back channels" of communication between heaven and hell. I'm thinking it could represent - or actually be - another way for them to communicate, or like another entrance to his heart; it's something that Aziraphale doesn't realize he changed or added and that Crowley hasn't noticed yet either, even if he's making use of those changes on some level. I'm sure other metaphors could also fit!

And I'm reminded of something @theeminentlyimpractical said, "Crowley, despite his whining, fully accepts the idea of "our car," which fundamentally transforms the Bentley". That post was liked by Neil, so there could definitely be something to this "our car" transformation line of thinking.

So, was the transformation a subconscious effect of Aziraphale finally being welcome by Crowley to drive the Bentley, and caring for and taking responsibility for this part of Crowley? Or did Aziraphale consciously do this, or did Crowley? Or maybe the Bentley is sentient, and it chose to be bigger/different now, to accommodate both of them. Or did the change happen in response to Something Else We Didn't See?

Is Crowley's (and Aziraphale's) apparent non-reaction another example of an unreliable narrator or some memory tampering? Is manipulation of the Book of Life involved? Are there multiple timelines? Is someone time traveling? Or is it just that Aziraphale and Crowley already discussed the changes off screen, before Aziraphale left Edinburgh?

If Crowley noticed the changes, I would have expected a comment about them. Either, "change it back!" or a reluctant, "those are changes I can live with", or... Something. But instead, the production team went to some trouble to make sure the hints are there, but hard to spot (you can review the similar, careful s1 hints about the appearance swap here, from @fuckyeahgoodomens); as opposed to, for one example, the way they very clearly pointed out Maggie's mysterious spelling mistake, both on screen and in the dialogue. So I feel reasonably certain the Bentley's transformation is a careful, subtle hint about a Secret Something Important That Will Be Revealed In Season 3. I think it's both a metaphor and a plot device*.

What are some of your favorite metaphors? Your most reasonable theories? What about some of your biggest, wildest, most improbable theories?

*And if you enjoy Good Omens metas, theories, clues, etc, I have a big pinned collection of those from the fandom, here!

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Let's bust a popular myth!

David Tennant was NOT filming the upcoming Dr Who specials while also filming GO season 2!

Good Omens s2 filmed from Nov 2 2021 - Mar 1 2022; the Doctor Who specials filmed May 3 - July 25 2022.

So... what's with Crowley's s2 shifting sideburns and tattoo? Everything is meant. (And if you're not sure about the crew's over-the-top attention to detail, please read this post about the antique sink recreation.)

(pics above, all from s2: "oh no, it's not like that", the love confession, and planning to do a half miracle each)

It seems like Dr Who could be an easy excuse to mask s3 hints hidden within s2...

Here's the first theory/analysis I've seen, by @f0ul-f13nd. What do YOU think??

Have some more pics to study:

(pics above: before the beginning, s1 wall slam with subtext, s2 watching the awning of a new era)

(pics above: lots of angles and both sides of his face during the s2 love confession and kiss)

(pics above, from s2: learning about Azi's French lessons, threatening Jim!Gabriel)

And don't get me started on his multiple wigs and headbands during Job, or his trimmed mausoleum mutton chops. (Details with links are filed under "inconsistencies" in my pinned collection of Clues and metas, if you want them!) There's at least one unreliable narrator at play here, but the question is WHY? WHO? WHAT does it MEAN??!

Someone should ask Neil, PROPERLY! (I'm teasing, with the utmost admiration, please don't actually ask him! No magician is going to reveal their trick in the middle of their act.)

Interested in diving further into all the Good Omens mysteries? I have lots more of my own posts plus Clues and metas from all over the fandom, here.

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Hunting for Clues-with-a-capital-C, a meta of Good Omens metas, and GO fun!

*I'm adding to this list as I find new and interesting Clues and theories!

*This post version is dated 19 Jul 2024; the current version is pinned to my profile.

* I maxed out Tumblr's link limit! Here's the Google doc with many of the Clues, links, discontinuities, and metas I've collected from all over the fandom. There's a new section at the top called "Discontinuities and Reports from the Ineffable Detective Agency"! (Inspired by this post from @kimberleyjean!)

Below, you'll find a list of my original posts, most of which are filled with fact-finding, Clue-hunting screenshots that will probably leave you with more questions than answers! Several of these posts are also presented in partnership with the Ineffable Detective Agency:

The Appearing Sign:

The Honolulu Roast sign appears in the middle of a scene?! AND the lamp moves?!

The Bentley:

How to tell the "three" Good Omens Bentleys apart, without talking about color

Ineffable discontinuity and the Bentley's roadtrip transformation: new back doors and other changes (after it was yellow)

The open Bentley window at the end of season 2

Clocks and Time:

The Ineffable Detective Agency Presents: The Main Bookshop Clock's Hands are BACKWARDS and Other Revelations!

The ineffable discontinuity of time in ALL of Good Omens season 2?

Crowley's watch doesn't always have hands

Good Omens season 2 ending and Crowley's (probable) Time Stop

Crowley's sideburns:

Crowley’s sideburns

Crowley's sideburns aren't even consistent in the promo photos.

Extras Behaving Strangely:

Hawaiian Shirt/Pub Table Guy

Marking the Columns

The Demon in an Orange Hoodie

Gabriel's Memory Returns:

The Ineffable Detective Agency presents: Gabriel's memory

Plus, hidden audio in the memory tunnels?

More Assorted Discontinuities:

Edinburgh and the Briefcase, presented by the Ineffable Detective Agency

The disappearing textiles storefront (and Maggie's second sign)

When does Mr Arnold's shop arrive? After season 1, except Neil says it was in the 1970s

Season 1: First Wombat in Space (also, Bentley bullet hole decals)

Set Furnishings:

The circular bookshop rug CHANGES?!

The Good Omens bookshop furniture changes between s1 and s2 (but NOT after Adam reboots reality!)

The s2 Bookshop / s1 Hospital Sink

Other Speculation and Questions:

On Neil's Tumblr asks, Staying Skeptical, and Gravity Falls

Finding hope for s3 and perspective for s2 in Neil's s1 podcast with David Tennant

The BTS parking ticket translation

The S2 Opening Title Sequence: analysis

The Ineffable Detective Agency presents: the origins of the white bust in the bookshop (a really lovely theory, you should read it!)

Parallels with Nightmare in Silver (Doctor Who written by Neil) - multiple Crowleys?

Has Aziraphale been meeting with Floating Head Metatron throughout s2?

Would even vulnerable, heartbroken Crowley try to protect Aziraphale at all costs? A possible hidden transfer in the kiss.

I have questions about Nina and ESPECIALLY about Maggie...

Don't pay the guy with the blue glasses, he doesn't work here!

If you enjoyed my research, stay tuned for future posts, and take a look at my Google doc for even more Clues and metas from all over the fandom!

Some closing bits of encouragement:

A: "You just said it was the only way to prevent something terrible happening!"

G: "Really? What?!"

A: "I don't know!"

G: "Well then, I expect it will be fine. Most things are fine in the end."

Neil: "Tell him that it will all be all right in the end, and that we are not yet at the end."

Plus, for fun:

Good Omens ✨Clues and Detectives✨:

Celebrating lots of milestones, including my 1500th follower! See all the posts here!

Good Omens Day of ✨Dance✨:

Learn all about my GO "Day of Dance" and get a link to all the fandom art I shared, here!

My Fanfiction:

From the GOMM holiday exchange: Cocoa and Fairy Lights, How to Fight Your Chemistry and Lose

GOMM 2024: Orbiting a Memory, featuring a gorgeous illustration of Saraqael by @altonthebard

Fan Fiction Friday: The Universe Might Answer: Broken Moonlight

From the GO Song & Poetry Exchange: The Ineffable Dance

GOMM reverse bang 2024: Silver Screen Solace, featuring a playful book omens theater drawing by @ufofrommarss

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Sharing this gem as part of my 🎉Clues and Detectives Milestone Celebration🎉

There are two types of people in GO fandom waiting for S3: 

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The ineffable discontinuity of time in ALL of Good Omens season 2?

There's Something Strange About Time, and it's not ONLY the end of the last episode, where the clocks are mysteriously jumping ahead faster than what's playing out onscreen... Look at this scene from season 2, episode 1:

The time is visible on Crowley's phone AND watch, as he stands in a very similar way as he did at the end of the season. We've seen parallel blocking like this used in other scenes to highlight common themes, Clues, etc.

Let's look closer at the times, and enjoy the way Shax's contact icon blinks at Crowley:

My technology could be fancier, but I adjusted the exposure and sharpened the pic of his watch to make it easier to read. If someone can get a better shot, that would be great! I'm pretty sure, though, that the watch says 11:35; the phone says 10:35. Why are they out of sync??! Are there time discrepancies woven throughout the entire season? WHAT DOES IT MEAN??!

The season 2 bookshop clock - which is not the same as the season 1 clock - is frowning for a reason...

And here's what I mean about the parallel blocking, or the way Crowley is positioned and filmed in a very similar way in both scenes. It seems meaningful that the season started and ended like this, with the time on his watch (barely) visible in each scene and offering evidence of Something Strange About Time:

Is Crowley manipulating time somehow? Something is definitely UP.

Want more Clues and metas? I have a huge collection!

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The circular bookshop rug CHANGES?!

(Edit: this is the rug that rests on top of the portal, under the chandelier. I think(?) there's only one of those!)

I saw someone mention this in a comment, but haven't seen any pics or discussion about it yet, so I checked. It's another inexplicable (ineffable?) "continuity" error:

S2e1, prepping to do the half miracles to hide Jim!Gabriel:

S2e5, as Nina enters the ball:

(More pics, including the season ONE rug, which was used for an s2 promo photo, and some discussion, below)

S2e5, prepping to defend the bookshop from the demons after Crowley walks most of the humans out:

S2e6, Crowley tidying the bookshop while Azi has a chinwag:

And sure, Aziraphale could have enchanted it to look more "Jane Austen-esque" for the ball, but then why did it change back in e6? It looks like Nina and Maggie's clothes for the ball stayed throughout e6, so it's not like the ball enchantments expired, Cinderella-style, or something...

Like the two different wigs for Crowley in Job, it seems superfluous to have two different rugs for the bookshop. And yet ...

It seems like it must be a Clue about something! Unreliable Narrator(s)? Another magic trick we didn't see? What do you think?

Edit 2: @rebeccasteventaylor had a good question about the rug in s1. I checked, and you'll perhaps be unsurprised to learn that the rug in s1e4, when Azi talks to Floating Head Metatron, is similar to s2e1 when they do the half miracle, but definitely not the same. The chairs also look similar but not exact:

And here's a wider view of s1e4:

And a wider view of s2e1:

I understand they Actually Burned the bookshop and everything inside during s1, and then had to recreate it for s2 (there's a really wild post about recreating a hand painted antique tiled sink that talks more about that), so I don't know if the similar-but-not-exact chairs, big red rug, and round rug are more casualties of that, or are meant to look different...

Edit 3: EXCEPT. They USED the season 1 rug in season 2 promo photos!

So... they didn't burn it? Or they did burn it and then they recreated it and didn't actually use it for s2??

I can't think or even breathe, this is SO WEIRD.

Interested in diving further into all the Good Omens mysteries? I have lots more of my own posts plus Clues and metas from all over the fandom, here.

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🎉Good Omens: Clues and Detectives Milestone Celebration🎉

It's almost the GO season 2 anniversary! One year since I reactivated my Tumblr blog, one year of Clue hunting, one year of shaking my head in complete bafflement with the Ineffable Detective Agency. A year of admiring gorgeous fanart, compelling fanfic, and hilarious incorrect omens. A year of appreciating the cast and crew and their unhinged dedication to detail. A whole year hanging out in one of the nicest corners on the internet! And I reached 1500 followers today!

To celebrate all these milestones with our lovely fandom, I'll be resharing some of my favorite clues and detectives-related posts this weekend! Discontinuities and other Clues, metas and analyses, fanart and fanfiction, gifsets, bonkers theories, incorrect quotes... I can't wait to see what we can turn up!

If you'd like for me to share some of your favorites, please send them my way! After all, we're all detectives in this fandom!

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Sharing this excellent gif collection of Crowley-as-a-spy-in-heaven as part of my 🎉Clues and Detectives Milestone Celebration🎉 (maybe I should have called it Clues, Detectives, Inspectors and Spies! 🤣 )

Detail:

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Crowley's sideburns aren't even consistent in the promo photos

I already posted about how the Dr Who specials started filming several months after GO season 2 filming wrapped, and shared tons of screencaps of how Crowley's sideburns are all over the place in s2. Details here.

But now I just need everyone to know that Crowley's sideburns aren't even consistent in the promo photos, which I've been told might have been produced before s2 even filmed? (Although I don't know how that would work!)

Anyway, here they are at three different lengths (also note differences in his hair and sunglasses):

This seems very deliberate. Like a Clue...

Interested in diving further into all the Good Omens mysteries? I have lots more of my own posts plus Clues and metas from all over the fandom, here.

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The open Bentley window at the end of season 2

I mentioned this in my huge post about how the Bentley permanently changes* when Aziraphale drives it to Scotland, but I want to highlight this observation in it's own post.

Crowley parks the Bentley outside the bookshop at the start of episode 5, before the ball. Look at his hand:

The window is OPEN. Does he leave it open? Why? Is he expecting a delivery, or is someone supposed to come take something out of the Bentley? Is it still open at the end of the season? Is that why we can't see the bullet hole decals after the kiss?

I think so; look at the way the back side window has a light reflection but the front side window has a perfectly clear view of the black seats* inside.

I don't know what it means, but I'm certain it's another Clue.

(Footnotes having to do with other GO Clues are below:)

*In season one and the first few episodes of season two, the Bentley is a gray and black 2-door with a brown interior. After it's briefly yellow, it changes to a fully black 4-door with smaller hubcaps and a textured black interior, no matter who's driving it. Yes, I know the model/actor for the Bentley changed between seasons. Yes, I know there's a full car and a cab-only set. Yes, I know they were being careful with their budget. No, those facts don't explain away** the clear visible changes in the Bentley during/after the Edinburgh road trip, halfway through season 2. They added - and started using - back doors! Take a look at all the screencaps I collected.

**David Tennant wasn't filming Dr Who and Good Omens at the same time. Like good magicians, Neil Gaiman & co are just trying to misdirect us away from the Clues*** - and there are a LOT of them.

***I have SO MANY more Clues and metas collected here!

[cloudinal]

CAT Birthday (1)!

Textless version for all of your textless needs

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Sharing this awesome detective crossover for my weekend 🎉Clues and Detectives Milestone Celebration🎉

12. Clue

Where else in London are you supposed to get a 2000 year old cursed book?

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Would even vulnerable, heartbroken Crowley try to protect Aziraphale at all costs? I think so. And maybe the Job verse on the matchbox is a Clue!

In light of several metas I read yesterday about how there could be more to the kiss at the end - some hidden message, or transfer of object or power, or maybe Crowley pauses time and they have a whole conversation - it seems like the quote could be referencing their kiss?

Job 41:19, "Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out."

Perhaps Aziraphale is getting insurance from Crowley (in the form of demonic fire), just as he once provided the insurance (in the form of holy water).

Also interesting, and it could possibly be another reason to link the matchbox quote to Aziracrow:

The verses leading up to Job 41:19 are hard to ignore because it sounds as if they're describing the romance between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant). Job 41:16 – 18 reads, "One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, [and] they cannot be sundered. By his [sneezing] a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning." In the larger context of Job, these verses are part of a prolonged speech delivered to Job by God, in which the latter is admonishing the former for being upset" [about God destroying his life for that bet with Satan]

This would be SO LIKE Crowley, to want to protect Aziraphale even when his heart is breaking.

I have lots of metas from all over the fandom, here!

[beansprean]

WHAT WE CLUE IN THE SHADOWS: A FINALE CONSPIRACY BOARD

So. WWDITS may have the actual balls to do this to us. and I for one am INCREDIBLY excited for the possibility. If you're a WWDITS fan and haven't seen Clue (1985), I highly recommend taking 95 minutes to do so before the finale. Just in case.

Clue is my favorite movie, I have probably seen it upwards of 100 times for real, and I can recite it from memory with 90% accuracy. I also have the pleasure of owning and playing the WWDITS-themed Clue game, which is centered around finding out who stole the witch's skin hat and where in the house they hid it. I don't know if that will play into the finale at all, but it's something to think about.

The thing about Clue (the film), if you aren't aware, is that there are three different endings. On the vhs/dvd, you see all three in a row between 'that's how it could have happened, but what about this?' title cards. In theaters, there were three versions of the movie (labeled A, B, and C) that were dispersed to different theaters, so depending on where and when you went to see it you would see one of 3 endings. (It's kinda unclear which letter corresponded to which originally, so my labels will be assuming a 1:1 comparison between the order of the home version of Clue and the airing order of the WWDITS episodes.) The Clue endings are not all made equal, and on the home version, the final ending is announced as 'what really happened.'

So allow me to take a moment to talk about how the different endings work in context to each other and the film, and how that could translate to three different endings for WWDITS.

CLUE SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT (for real, go watch it)

(last chance to watch Clue go)

Ending#1: "Communism is just a red herring"

In this ending, the first one that plays in the home version, Miss Scarlet is revealed to be the murderer. She is a snarky, sarcastic madam who runs a "hotel and telephone service to provide men with the company of a young lady for a short while" and has policemen on her payroll. This is what I would consider the expected ending, the one that makes sense for most viewers. It's not shocking, but it's funny and well acted and it makes the most sense. Miss Scarlet has the right personality for murder, was in the most convenient area of the house to commit them, and had Yvette (the maid, formerly one of Miss Scarlet's call girls) committing some of the murders at her direction, so she had enough alibis to not make her too obvious. Many people watching this movie for the first time will have her high on their suspect list.

This ending also dismisses the idea of 'dangerous communism' that had been a thread throughout the film (as it is set in 1953 during the second Red Scare) as a misdirection. Miss Scarlet isn't stealing government secrets to betray the US; she's doing it to make money. The real danger all along was capitalism, something that s6 of WWDITS has said repeatedly.

So, to recap, this is the Standard Ending. The Second Best ending. Version B.

Ending #2: "Mrs. Peacock did it all."

This one, played second in the home version, is in my opinion the weakest ending. It reveals Mrs. Peacock, the neurotic, hysterical, and allegedly politically corrupt wife of a senator, as the murderer. She's hilarious and fantastic to watch throughout the whole film and I love her, but this charm drops after the reveal and she becomes cold and drab as she threatens her way to safety. She committed all the murders herself, which would be very difficult to achieve with the tight timing and her position in the basement during the search.

She ends up being caught outside the house by a police inspector, who had earlier shown up disguised as an evangelist telling her to "repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Interestingly, they originally filmed him immediately shooting her dead without provocation, but they thought that was too dark and edited it into an arrest instead (which is why there is such a quick cut after he pulls his gun, and we only hear her rather than see her after that). This is the 'repent for your sins' ending. You do bad things, bad things happen to you.

The obligatory "it's always who you least expect" ending. The Still-Good-But-Not-The-Best Ending. Version C.

Ending #3: "You're Mr. Boddy!"

This is "how it really happened" - the twist ending! The hero was the villain, the villain was just a pawn, and everyone committed a murder in the house to cover their own asses. Prof Plum killed the fake Mr. Boddy, Miss Scarlet killed the cop, Mrs. Peacock killed Mrs. Ho (the cook), Mrs. White killed Yvette, Colonel Mustard killed the motorist, and Wadsworth/Mr. Boddy killed the singing telegram girl.

Mr. Green, who reveals he works for the FBI, kills Wadsworth/Mr. Boddy and arrests the rest of the cast. Understandably the best and most exciting ending (though not without some plot holes) that everyone loves. We get a surprising reveal from two of our main characters that not only changes the context with how you view them, but informs aspects of their character that have been there throughout the film! Now we understand why Wadsworth retained control of the house and the timeline of events, why he was so familiar with the house, and why this entire thing was orchestrated in the first place. We also understand why the cowardly and clumsy Mr. Green was consistently the first to jump to help and defend the other characters, even when it meant putting himself if physical danger. Unfortunately this ending also suggests that he was only pretending to be gay (wouldn't that be a twist for Guillermo lol), but he could also just be in a lavender marriage which is what I choose to believe.

This ending also has the iconic 'flames on the side of my face' scene and repeats 'communism is a red herring', this time in the context of Mr. Boddy's intention to continue blackmailing them all now that they have taken care of anyone who could have pointed the finger at him.

This is the True Ending. The twist you didn't expect but are delighted to find. The 'nothing was as it seemed' endng. The ending that is the most intentional and complete, where everyone gets to shine. Version A.

So what will we be doing in those shadows?

We can assume that e11 will not revolve around finding a murderer, but it does, from what we've seen in the trailer, revolve around making a wife for the monster. Do we get three different wives? Three different actors to play her? Three different superhero identities for Nandor and Guillermo? Three different levels of nandermo: one with a handshake, one with a hug, one with a kiss? Three different explanations for the origin and/or purpose of the documentary? (this is my personal favorite) Or is each ending entirely divorced from the other? Only time will tell.

What I'm leaning toward is that each episode will come up to the same turning point - a decision, a reveal, etc. The first two versions will have reasonable possibilities, the first less surprising but more enjoyable than the second, and the third... The third will be what really happened, and pull a twist no one saw coming. Perhaps even a character will reveal a hidden identity. Maybe, just maybe...we get Simon the Devious.

I only hope the order of the episodes doesn't change between channels or time zones because that will make things very confusing when liveblogging it in the group chat lmao.