#episode 1 analysis

[snowyh2o]

Ok, so I think I’m finally sufficiently bored enough and have enough time on my hands to do this.

First post of the planned six ??? I have in mind dedicated to analyzing (every frame he’s in) Alastor and whatever his deal is in each of the episodes he shows up in!

Part 1 of Episode 1!

So let’s start right away with Episode 1! (I am skipping the pilot for now, because the characterization of his character has changed some. Particularly how he presents himself to Charlie and how he acts around Vaggie.)

First time we hear about Alastor is Vaggie mentioning he had something he wanted to show Charlie and Vaggie. This implies that while the two may have asked him to make the TV ad, he does seem eager to show off his work. And that they probably haven’t asked how much of the ad he’s finished.

First time we see Alastor is during his little TV ad!

He’s actually walking around Hell holding a camera and recording the ongoings of the sinners there, most likely what’s literally happening down the street from the hotel.

Notably, none of the demons start running away in fear, instead they all just look. Really confused.

More of them do pop out of the rubble when he starts speaking.

All of them do appear to be listening. Even the guy who was getting beat up.

Looks like he interrupted a turf war of some kind, or was recording in a place that hadn’t recovered from the extermination. Or a combination of both, this was likely recorded within 5 days of the last extermination.

When his hand appears in front of the camera the video glitches slightly.

There’s a messy static filled cut when he pans over to the hotel, so probably recorded the hotel’s image separately. Or while panning he caught himself in the camera by accident and couldn't be bothered to fix/redo it.

All the other shots of the hotel members are very clearly candid ones. So Alastor waking around the hotel recording everyone is canon, btw (someone make a comic or fic about the hotel members asking why he’s walking around recording them).

When he’s recording Charlie, Angel Dust pops up to give her 4 bunny ears and Alastor shifts the camera just slightly more to the left to recenter Charlie and push Angel a bit further out of the frame lol

He says “founded by Lucifer’s delusional daughter 5 days ago!” Which means he, at the very least, did the voice over 5 days after the hotel’s opening/extermination day, and 2 days before he shows Charlie and Vaggie the finished product. Probably spent all that time editing the whole thing lol.

Next shot of Charlie seems to have been a clip of her failed attempt at advertising the hotel’s opening from the pilot.

The next clip is actually very well edited together. It’s a still image of the hotel in the background while photos of Charlie are placed over top of it. So we know he either edited those photos to slide onscreen and added the little fwhip noise of photos being placed, or he green-screened that scene on a table and cleaned it up that you couldn’t tell it was green screened.

Also how did he get those photos? Were they just lying around?? Did he photoshop them???

By this point it’s clear he’s doing a voice over for his ad, so we don’t know if what he said at the beginning to all those sinners are what we hear in the ad, or if he was spouting off nonsense to grab their attention lol

The remaining shots of the hotel and the residents are longer clips, but also just so happen to capture the worst state the hotel is in (Husk collapsing onto the bar counter, a rafter? Beam falling and crashing onto the parlor table, Angel Dust being so done with Alastor’s bullshit he’s giving the camera a middle finger.) this implies that Alastor was either waiting around for the perfect shot, orchestrated those events himself, or by complete coincidence filmed it once and it was just Like That.

These shots are also interspersed with bold full cap messages that follow the narration he’s doing. Definitely edited in, and very reminiscent of those old informercial ads. Also the little spins and borders and sound effects and WOW.

And the fun little background music playing the entire ad.

Never caught this on the first watch through, but all the shots where Alastor’s actually recording with a camera are always slightly unsteady, like he’s doing it with a handheld recorder. Which means the shots where it’s not wobbling slightly weren’t recorded by him. Which means he actually did edit in those photos and that sound effect.

He keeps the sound of the camera zooming in and out. Actually, he didn’t edit out any of the original sound from the videos. You can hear Nifty very quietly go “Staby stab!” And the sound of the wood beam crashing into the table.

The clip of his drawing was recorded. He’s holding a camera up to the drawing instead of just taking a picture of it. You can tell because the camera slides around a little.

Lots of fun things on the drawing!

Looks like he drew the hotel on some clean, new paper, then cut it out to tape it onto something older and with a Danger: Authorized Personnel Only sign on it. Which was then stained with blood. Somehow. Or he cut out someone else’s drawing of the hotel.

There’s a lot of detail in the drawing, it looks surprisingly good, but the coloring is very low effort.

Actually, I think he stole someone else’s drawing. The handwriting for the sign on the hotel is slightly different to the one that’s scribbled everywhere else. The drawing is also done with a much finer pen than Alastor’s notes. He might’ve colored it tho, and added the little red lights to the radio tower lol

He stuck smiley face stickers all over the paper, and then drew bigger sharper smiles on them.

Sale, 50% off, $1

Ship! I guess

The sticky note with “No tacky circus decor! I promise”

“Neat”

“HOTEL!!!”

“Haha I named it!”

“Best part!” Points to the radio tower that definitely looks like he just slapped it onto the side of the building.

All his notes are written in capital letters, the handwriting isn’t bad, but it is uneven. Hard to tell if he did it on purpose or if that’s just his handwriting. They are also, for the most part, written slanted instead of straight, which is an interesting detail.

The final shot of the ad is a pan-up of the hotel. This time the camera remains steady the whole way up and even as it stops to focus on the hotel’s sign. Which we know is still a recording because the lights are flickering. This means the guy finally pulled out a camera stand or something and used it for the final shot.

Call now! Or don’t! We still don’t have a working phone!

The voice he does for the TV ad is slightly different to his normal speaking voice. I can’t tell if it’s because the filter is stronger in the ad, or if it’s because he’s actively putting on an advertisement voice, but something about the intonation or inflection sounds distinctly different when we cut back to reality and Alastor speaks normally.

Best thing about all this is how the low effortness of the ad is 100% on purpose. He could summon up an entire recording studio cast complete with all the necessary equipment. He's choosing to make it look unprofessional (and then did an absurd amount of editing for it all anyways).

Holy shit how did that get so long. What have I gotten myself into

Anyways! Alastor worked very hard on his ad, despite how low effort it seems at first. It took him like, a week to finish. And he did it all by hand/himself.

Like, guys. This is Alastor. Self proclaimed hater of all things technological after the 1930s. Made a fully edited— with music, visuals and sound effects— video advertisement for the hotel because Charlie and Vaggie “insisted” he make (a TV ad) one.

It’s well made too. 100% captured the tone he was going for. I have no idea why they didn’t like it lol

.....so I had less time than I thought I did. Gonna have to post the rest of the episode 1 analysis later.

[biceratops7]

Dang it guys

we only ever talked about HALF of why these scenes were a big deal, like I just realized this today and my heart is going insane.

It’s not just that Crowley’s pissed at Gabriel for treating who he thinks as Aziraphale this way, the last thing he says to the people about to kill him is a benign and peaceful wish to see them again.

And like- this is Crowley trying to replicate Aziraphale to a T. So he legitimately just sees him as this endless well of compassion, someone who is always warm and accepting. It’s not just their friendship throughout the years, he remembers Aziraphale’s kindness on the Eastern Gate. When the angel had absolutely no reason to trust this random demon who just slithered up next to him. Crowley knows that he’s loved. Maybe not like that quite yet (although he’d be very wrong), but he knows that around his friend he’s always welcome and safe.

And Aziraphale?

Well he just thinks Crowley’s the coolest fucker alive, like he is laying it in THICK and enjoying every second. Listen to that charisma, look at that smirk. These are traits that are typically only appreciated in the context of how good it makes Crowley at tempting, a job he hates. But Aziraphale doesn’t see someone manipulative or regard this persona as signs of his “demonic nature”, he just sees Crowley. Someone charming, fun loving, and cute.

This is when we get to know precisely why they love each other, what exactly they see in the other.

edit: this is now my most popular post, good work team, lol

[most-normal-eccles-cake-ignorer]

while I was looking for gabriels in the intro, I noticed this redheaded person w dark clothing and lighthaired person w light clothing that appear to kiss in the theatre:

i'm making this about the 1941 kiss theory

---

edit oct 7: a few kind people have mentioned that they remember a post from the official good omens account (possibly on twitter) that said the two people kissing are War & Pollution, and the shadow beside them is Famine. (If you have the link please send it this way! I have done a fair bit of searching but with no luck and it's haunting me bc it must be real but i can't find it)

@0owhatsamsays also pointed out that in the X-Ray bonus video "Title Sequence Easter Eggs" Peter Anderson says there are specific characters from season 1 in the highlighted boxes, and as you can see, the kissing booth (top level, far right) is one with a little trail of stars coming off of it.

[gayofthefae]

I just realized something so sweet and personal about Will's painting.

Their DnD characters don't look like that. We saw him draw them plenty in season 1. Will the Wise has a long beard and Mike's character I think has straight blond hair.

Will didn't just draw their characters per usual, he drew them as their characters. He's drawn Mike's knight character a hundred times. But he's never drawn Mike as a knight. He was understanding that Mike's character is a projection of who he aims to be, like all of them, so he drew MIke as the knight this time. For the first time.

That's what this smile is. Mike has played a hero for years. But he's never been one. He saw a dragon and probably expected his character, overjoyed with more of Will's familiar art, but instead, he was met with a glorious knight in shining armor with black, wavy hair. He was the hero this time. *(you can even see his facial expression change from happy excitement to this broad smile)

In season 1, Mike initiates the search party because of Will's heroics in DnD meaning that he would do it for them. He acknowledges that Will's actions in character are still his own. This is the same. This is Will saying "To play a hero, you have to be one yourself. And you are. I see through your character disguise. I see you. This is just the hero you've always been without the mask."

THAT is why it's different. THAT is why it's so much more personal than all the others, not just the heart, MIKE. THAT is why it hurts so bad (Will too but I'm referring to me/us).

I've said in a previous post that it wasn't about the heart, the heart was kind of for us, it was more-so about the heroism. And that's exactly what I standby. The heart isn't the only new thing about this painting. The hero has never actually been Mike before. And Will responded "Yes it has been. It always has been."

[greenqueenhightower]

Favorite Subtle Alicole Moment From S2 E1:

During the small council meeting, Aegon wants to heed a full-on attack on Lord Tully with his dragons. Alicent tries to dissuade him, imploring him to "proceed cautiously." After all her efforts have failed, she looks at Criston meaningfully seeking his aid. Criston acknowledges her gaze, intervenes and deters Aegon by emphasizing the needlessness of putting himself in danger.

I love how Alicent and Criston have developed this embedded telepathy that allows them to communicate and look out for one another. It truly shows that Alicent has very few allies, even amongst her own family, and even fewer people take her advice seriously. She needs Criston to make sure her voice is heard.

Which is sad if you think about it since she needs a man to be validated as a politician and strategist but it is still romantic to recognize that she has found the one man who will not dismiss but rather support her ideas.

[skrunksthatwunk]

thinking about how eiji's a pole vaulter and how ash talks about eiji "flying" and how eiji's associated with bird imagery and how eiji's free (unlike ash) and how eiji comes in on a plane and leaves on a plane and how ash cannot fly, ash cannot be free, how nyc is ash's prison, and how ash is the leopard who dies climbing the mountain, unable to live at such elevation, how he was trying to reach the sky and be free but was always stuck to the earth, how he chose to die instead of climbing back down, how he chose to die where he could see the sky and hope and freedom almost like a bird with eiji's letter right in front of him rather than letting everything go wrong and ruin it once again, how eiji's a failed pole vaulter anyway, how a bad fall ruined his career and grounded him (physically and emotionally), how it took flying to america and meeting ash and needing to save him and skip for him to try flying again, how he landed hard and harsh and still the thought of that escape compelled ash to protect eiji at all costs because if he could fly that means something to him, even if he doesn't think he can fly, how eiji is the manifestation of his hope and how when he breaks and asks eiji to stay with him a while he folds himself over his legs and weighs him down and traps him and grounds him, how ash fights like hell to keep eiji alive not because he thinks he can be like him (hopeful, flying, innocent), but because he makes him forget the gravity of his situation, and so he can see eiji fly again. how he wants to see him escape. how eiji is a bird and ash is a wildcat and how ash never once saw eiji as prey. how eiji never saw ash as a predator. how it is eiji's naivete that first endears ash to him, how it is his freedom and flight and removal from darkness and his ability to leave that darkness that really roots eiji in ash's blood as something essential to him keeping on living in this hell of nyc. how it is that distance from the violence and that hope for the future that ash chooses to surround himself in as he dies. how ash dies in a dream because he feels more than anything that he can't fly like eiji, that he can never leave. how his violence is a part of him and will be forever, how it weighs him down. how he wants to enjoy the view from the mountainside rather than looking up from the ground below. as if they can both fly. as if he is with him up there and not grounded. eye-to-eye with what he can't have, seeing eiji's homeland: the sky. how he dies trying to reach the top because he couldn't take retreating and trying again. how ash, tired and tired and tired and convinced it will go on forever if he crawls back down the mountain, chooses to close his life deluged in eiji, in eiji's insistence that they can fly together, in eiji's hope for him and for them, in eiji's beautiful dream. how ash dies without trying to realize that dream. how ash, in dying, destroys it.

[crimsondinnerparty]

Gideon in *Antipasto* is an absolute force, and it’s such a delicious irony that he, the man with no limbs and nowhere to run, has Hannibal completely on edge. Gideon’s presence is the ultimate power move. Every word, every utensil tap is a challenge, a reminder to Hannibal that he’s no longer the puppeteer pulling all the strings.

Hannibal’s reaction when Gideon refuses to be cowed—his fumbling “you still have to eat”—is not just desperate; it’s telling. Hannibal, who thrives on control, is visibly rattled by a man who’s supposed to be powerless. And when Gideon taps those utensils, it’s like a slap in the face, a reminder that Hannibal’s carefully crafted world is slipping through his fingers. Gideon’s sharp “Why do you think I’m allowing this?” slices deeper than any knife, and Hannibal’s empty response shows just how lost he is—because Gideon’s not just sitting there; he’s indulging Hannibal’s pathetic need for an audience, for companionship, in the most twisted way possible.

Hannibal’s arrogance has always been his defining trait, but this scene strips him down. Compare it to *Aperitif*, where Hannibal is reveling in his solitude, dining on his secretary’s offals, radiating superiority. It’s all gone now. After Will Graham shattered his defenses, exposed his weaknesses, and took a sledgehammer to his heart, Hannibal’s left grappling with a stark new reality. He’s reduced to this shadow of himself, sharing joyless, empty meals with a man who’s more interested in psychological warfare than in the food. Gideon hurls truths at him like weapons: that Hannibal’s dining games are nothing but a sad parody, a hollow echo of his former grandeur.

Gideon’s relentless needling cuts through Hannibal’s pretense, exposing a rawness we rarely see in the cannibal. Gideon knows he’s living on borrowed time, and he uses every second to tear into Hannibal’s ego. He’s not just some victim; he’s a mirror to Hannibal’s own emptiness. And let’s not forget the meta-layer here—Gideon’s awareness of Hannibal’s desperate need for an audience mirrors the way Hannibal manipulates others but can’t handle it when the tables are turned.

[maefansblog]

Thanks to @girllookingoutwindow for inspiring me to write this.

What Dance do you think is most Essential for Polin?

This was so hard, because each are essential. I said, "You are Special" because I think this is where they are still formal in their dance, but you can see Colin starting to be confused about how he feels for Pen. He doesn't understand it, she's his friend, he just protected her, and she is so dear to him. I think this is the first time he might have truly noticed Pen's heart eyes, but doesn't know that they are heart eyes. This dance leads Colin to be protesting what might be starting between them. "He protests a little too much." And Pen is feeling so much love that when she hears Colin speak those words, she knocks him off his pedestal. It was necessary for Penelope to truly see Colin for who he is rather than the crush that she built up in her head.

This dance is my favorite because both of them know their love for each other.

This dance shows that Colin was willing to do anything for Penelope. Steal her, marry her, and take all of her dances. He knows of his feelings entirely, so he finally has so much courage to confess his feelings. This dance is critical because right afterward, Colin runs after her and proposes!!

I love this dance because it is full of joy and innocence. It feels like Colin isn't ashamed and enjoys spending time with Pen. He has also protected her from her biggest bully. Look at how proud of her he is and how much fun they are having!

This dance is important because of this moment:

He needed to realize that he could lose Penelope if he didn't confess. He needed to feel the jealousy. Colin needed to have a moment to have big feelings like longing and angst to wake him up.

So much love and angst here. Colin and Penelope finally see each fully for who they are. Of course, our rule breaking couple want to celebrate being together. Colin is giddy to dance with his wife and break more societal rules. I feel like Colin would break all the rules when it comes to Penelope!

This dance is VERY important! Just because it's low does NOT mean that it isn't essential! To have a dance with complete love, resolution, and a moment where Colin and Penelope are truly seeing each other for who they are is soooo important! They are so happy! Honestly, without this dance, we would be missing a big part of their happily ever after.

This lovely engagement dance! Where the ton has no doubt that Penelope and Colin love each other. They are having a lot of fun at the beginning of the dance, even adding twirls and flourishes to common dance. They have a few misteps because they don't truly see each other fully. Penelope is struggling with giving up her writing to make Colin happy, to give up her dreams to support Colin's. She is truly trying to, even offering to edit Colin's journals. Colin shows his insecurities about his writing and wanting to be worthy of Penelope. Their misteps are a great metaphor because when Colin turns down Penelope's offer, it hurts Penelope. They are both not able to communicate their insecurities and are not able to dance smoothly.

This is still my ranking of Favorite Dances as I put in another post:

What dance do you think is most essential?

What dance is your favorite?

[yeastussy]

i think it’s interesting how in the book, percy killing ms. dobbs is described as “the only thing that comes naturally” that being percy swinging the sword and turning her to dust, and him killing the minotaur is almost accidental, he snaps the horn off by ACCIDENT and happens to come up with it positioned to kill the beast and how that contributes to his feelings of inadequacy, whereas in the show so far, him killing ms. dobbs was a complete and total accident, and you can actually see some of the thought process in the show of him ripping the horn from the minotaurs skull and driving it through his brain. idk once you get down to it, it shows a very stark difference between this is something that is happening to me to this is something i am doing, my mother told me monsters are real and now one took her from me and what i can do is take it in return and i do think it’s also exemplifying this tonal shift that the show has taken by not having percy’s inner monologue to explain his thought process as events unfold, and also their stronger focus on relationships and building up camp life to an extent

[humbledragon669]

S2E1 - The Arrival Write Up P1 - Before the Beginning

Wow, it’s been a little while since I did one of these. So much of a while in fact, that I feel like I’ve forgotten how I like to do them. I went back and read over the previous ones I’ve done to try and get back into the swing of things, but I feel like I’m having a bit of an imposter syndrome going on (after all, who am I to tell people what they can so clearly see for themselves?), so please bear with me if this all feels a bit stilted to begin with. So, with that self-serving plea out of the way, let’s point out the obvious and immediate parallel between the opening of season two and its prequel:

There isn’t a banner for the first season to compare this with, but we all know that the storyline for the very first episode started “in the beginning”. The episode title was even named for the time period, although I think there was probably a bit more sub-text to that than just an indicator of a time frame. There’s another parallel to be had here too – this would appear to be the first time that Crowley (or whatever his angelic name was – I shall simply continue to call him Crowley for this section) and Aziraphale actually meet, mirroring the conversation on the wall of the Garden of Eden nicely, it being the first time they meet with Crawly in his demon form. Quick side note: the time period parallel makes me wonder if there will be something similar going on for season 3 – “after the beginning” perhaps? Or in a twist, maybe something about Crowley’s fall? Either would fit nicely with the running theme.

This will be the only time (notwithstanding whatever is to come in season 3) that we see Crowley in his existence prior to his fall, and therefore prior to his becoming a demon. The engine crank handle is a nice touch; it’s a lovely link to Crowley’s (much) later attachment to the Bentley, and to the use of the crank handle to restart time as we saw in the final episode of season 1. And it’s a nice thought – that the star factory is rather like an engine that needs a kickstart, even if that engine crank handle has no place in this time period, millions of years before cars ever became a thing. Quick side note on the engine crank handle thing: given that Aziraphale holds the diagram up in front of his chest, could it be that this is a subtle hint that Crowley doesn’t just kick the motor of the star factory into life, but Aziraphale’s heart too? It’s immediately after he does it that Aziraphale tries to introduce himself…

Can we just take a moment to appreciate this moment for what it is? A single moment, in millions of years, that Crowley needed a hand, happened to have another being passing by, recognised that there was someone around who could help, and had to yell to be heard because that being is nearly out of earshot. That single moment is the start of a slow burn that rivals all other slow burns. And they nearly missed it. It does make this beautifully innocent response from Aziraphale unbelievably sweet though:

Oh Aziraphale, you look so hopeful and inquisitive. You have NO IDEA of what’s to come, do you? And there’s such a lovely awkwardness between them in the conversation that follows – the cautious engagement from Aziraphale as he tries to work out what’s expected of him against Crowley’s almost blasé confidence that he knows exactly what he’s about. There’s something so childlike about them both – Aziraphale in his innocence and Crowley in his excitement – you really do feel that this is the start of something, that the potential is there for something bigger, just as it is with Crowley’s star factory.

Well, Aziraphale doesn’t waste any time trying to engage flirt mode, does he? This micro exchange makes me laugh so much, and it never gets any less funny. It’s such an obvious businesslike reply from Crowley to Aziraphale’s quite open and vulnerable introduction. And Crowley doesn’t even offer his own introduction back, though perhaps this is to do with maintaining the strange levels of secrecy surrounding Crowley’s angelic name. Look at how disappointed Aziraphale is when his curiosity and interest isn’t reciprocated though, it’s truly adorable.

His disappointment doesn’t stop him from given his new-found friend another once over though. Honestly, this is one very smitten angel from a very early point in their timeline together.

I had hoped that there might be the first suggestion of an Easter egg with the book that Crowley consults, but I’ve struggled to find one. I’ve deciphered the title of the book to be “Nebula 231, 080”, but I couldn’t find anything glaring in Strong’s concordance with the combination of numbers there, and the contents of the book itself flick through too quickly to make out anything other than indecipherable scribblings and some diagrams.

Despite the fact that Aziraphale’s first tentative advances were shut down so unceremoniously, his face gives away how he continues to feel about his new friend:

He looks almost proud, doesn’t he? As if he’s really proud of Crowley’s achievements, even though a) they’ve only just met and b) Crowley hasn’t actually got anything to show for his efforts just yet. Not until he says the magic words anyway:

I know I’m not the first one to pick up on this, but isn’t this line a little above Crowley’s pay grade? As I have mentioned before, my Christian knowledge is scant, but I’m fairly sure that’s God’s line. And what makes this particular line interesting is Aziraphale’s response to the creation of the nebula:

AZIRAPHALE: Ah. Good lord.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard Crowley referred to in this way either:

I know, any excuse to replicate that look from Aziraphale in 1792. Sue me. It’s pretty notable though, isn’t it, the repeated use of that particular exclamation in response to Crowley’s presence? I really want to think there’s something in this, after all we know that the words used in this show are never coincidental. I just can’t put the pieces together to come out with something believable because those three little snippets of information, when put together, would make it seem like Crowley is really God in disguise, which is nothing short of impossible. And before I forget and move on from the very obvious miracle Crowley performs (bringing his hand down instead of up as he does in his demon form), let’s just appreciate the return of the miracle noise we heard in the first season – this particular instance sounds like sleigh bells following that odd “full” noise I can only really describe as something we would usually associate with something really epic happening.

Aside from Crowley’s obvious physical and costume differences from his demon form, and the fact that his QE accent is more pronounced, we get to see Crowley genuinely excited in this scene.

Again with the adorable. And the childlike. Did I mention it’s adorable? And he’s so incredibly proud of what he’s achieved. Which will make it all the more heartbreaking when we see his upset that it’s all going to be destroyed in about 6000 years. But I’m getting ahead of myself (a tiny bit). Because we cannot move on without talking about the second bout of disappointment that Aziraphale has rendered to him in less than 2 minutes.

And what’s prompted this? Ah, that’s right, he thought Crowley was calling him “gorgeous”, only to realise that his new friend was actually referring to the nebula in front of them. You’d think the brush off from earlier would be enough to have reigned in his hopes a bit where this particular being is concerned, but it looks like he just can’t help himself (not that anyone would blame him). And here we see another interesting difference between angel-Crowley and demon-Crowley – he is uncomfortable about accepting credit for things that he hasn’t been fully responsible for. This is not the Reign of Terror or the Spanish Inquisition that he took full credit for despite not having anything to do with either – he barely takes the credit for work he has actually done, which Aziraphale is determined to give.

I feel like it’s a pretty obvious statement to make when I say that Aziraphale is actually making two, entirely separate, statements here. Because the first of them (“It’s very pretty”) isn’t actually directed at Crowley’s creation, is it? The second is, but it’s much more about Crowley’s involvement rather than the end product. For all we know, this is likely to be one of the only times in his existence that Crowley is actually given some heartfelt and deserved feedback for a job well done. No wonder he’s always on the hunt for more by claiming credit for stuff he hasn’t done. No, the first of those statements is about Crowley himself (gotta give him credit for his persistence), and that’s as plain as day to us the audience because actually Aziraphale doesn’t seem that bothered about the incredible light show unfolding right in front of his eyes. That gorgeous being floating alongside him on the other hand, he just can’t get enough of looking at him. It’s obvious he really enjoys Crowley’s enthusiastic energy, because he really doesn’t want to detract from it.

This. Delivery. My life, it gets me every single time. I feel like it’s a line I’ve delivered myself (along with those facial and hand gestures that help me feign interest) to my husband every time he tries to talk to me about a car engine. When I say it, the rough translation is “I really don’t care about what you’re saying because it’s totally pointless, but you enjoy it and I love you so I’ll humour you”. That about cover all the angles here? Poor Crowley is so excited about his project, he doesn’t even notice. His upset at being told that everything is going to be closed down in 6000 years though, that can’t be ignored.

This particular moment in the scene is an absolutely brilliant example of the way that the soundscape is used to underscore the acting in this show too – we had some very pretty celestial harmonies setting the tone for Crowley’s speech about baking stars, only to hear the music literally winding down as his excitement is so rudely deflated.

Once Crowley has acknowledged this pretty devastating piece of news, he’s quick to try and reason with Aziraphale as to why that particular plan shouldn’t go ahead. I have to say, he sounds quite reasonable to me, and he makes his point in very clearly. The important thing about his reasoning is that he’s starting to ask questions, to challenge God’s plan, which we all know is what got him into trouble in the first place. And I do so love the fact that Crowley has never heard of Earth before this conversation with Aziraphale, seeing as it’s a planet he will come to spend so much time on. Not that he’s that keen to admit his lack of knowledge to Aziraphale.

It’s the little nod before he, hesitatingly, admits he’s not heard of the blue/green planet that gives him away. But then Aziraphale seems so confident that it’s something that he should have heard of, I can understand why he’s uncomfortable admitting he hasn’t. It sounds as if Aziraphale has had a hand creating both Earth and “people”, which he’s almost as excited about as Crowley was of his nebula, so it’s probably a good job that the latter employs some tact here. The difference, when it comes to Crowley offering his feedback for the work that Aziraphale is involved in, is that the planet and the people appear to completely devalue all his hard work. His disbelief is obvious before Aziraphale has even finished giving his speech:

In typical Aziracrow fashion, we have one of them not listening to the other, and this time it’s Aziraphale that fails to pick up on the communication cues – look how delighted he is at the fact he just told Crowley that the beautiful nebula he’s created is nothing more than a pretty picture:

I suppose it’s nice to see, in a round about way, that their inability to truly hear one another isn’t something resulting from thousands of years in each other’s company, this being their first meeting. Unfortunately his delight only stokes Crowley’s indignation, causing him not only to ask more questions of the plan for creation but to openly refute God’s plans as being anything other than “idiocy”. Now, I agree with him (to my mind, it is genuinely ludicrous that an entire universe would be created for any other purpose than for beings to look at), but Aziraphale is very quick to set out his stall for the future from the very beginning – he is a company man after all.

AZIRAPHALE: I don’t think it’s our place to start suggesting that there should be a suggestion box.

It’s not long before Aziraphale starts to become really very uncomfortable with this conversation.

He is VERY worried about being overheard here, isn’t he? As well he should be I suppose. But what’s this little mini breakdown?

It looks an awful lot like a bit of a crisis of faith to me. In fairness, Crowley has made some pretty good points. What I’d give to know what’s going through Aziraphale’s mind at this point, and what I find very telling about the way he tries to resolve this situation is that the very last thing he does before trying to break the silence is to glance over at Crowley. It’s not difficult to see how depressed he is about this latest development, and Aziraphale, in a really sweet gesture, tries to pull him out of by giving him another (rather futile) compliment about the nebula. What’s interesting about this (to me anyway) is that this makes him the rescuer in this situation, with him trying to save Crowley, which is not the way it’s supposed to be, is it? What’s even more interesting is that he fails – fails to cheer Crowley up and fails to stop Crowley from getting into trouble. Maybe that’s the real reason why Crowley takes point on that moving into the current day…

You can see how pained Aziraphale is about Crowley’s general attitude, despite the fact they’ve only just met. He REALLY doesn’t want his new friend getting into trouble with the powers-that-be. But now it’s Crowley’s turn to miss his cue, and if Aziraphale’s anxiety wasn’t enough to tell you that he’s being far too blasé about his mood, the portentous bell that rings out in the soundtrack when he ask’s how much trouble he can get into for asking questions should tell you how right Aziraphale is to be concerned.

Alright we’ve got our final parallel for the scene – you all know what it is. It’s the wing shelter!

But before I go off into that, I just wanted to take a minute to appreciate Aziraphale’s look as the meteor shower (I have assumed that’s what it is) actually starts:

It’s really lovely – like he’s showing appreciation for one more beautiful thing created by his new friend. Right, moving on, I just want to take a quick look at what I said about the mirrored wing shelter in the first season:

Alright, now I have all the various bits of information brought together, let’s consider a few bits – not much, I know this has all been gone over with a fine-tooth comb before by other people. Firstly I want to point out that there is a difference between the two shelter scenes, which is that Crawly actually moves towards Aziraphale as it starts to rain on the wall. We do not see the same movement from Aziraphale with them both in Heaven. I find those couple of steps from Crawly potentially really interesting – it’s like he’s doing something that they have already been doing for a long time, with the unspoken knowledge that he’ll get what he needs without having to ask. What I also find interesting about both wing shelters is that, in the sheltering they leave themselves exposed to the thing they’re sheltering the other from. That doesn’t seem like too big of a deal when it comes to a bit of rain, but when it’s flaming rocks? I know they’re both full-blown angels at this point, presumably without human bodies, but that’s still gotta hurt surely? Which would mean that Crowley leaves himself exposed to damage in order to protect Aziraphale, despite the fact that the latter being didn’t ask for the shelter, and doesn’t even appear to notice it’s been given. So there’s another similarity between the two shelters – they weren’t actually asked for, but given, and without dissent. I don’t know if there’s a storyline reason for Crowley offering the wing shelter in season 2 – there has been some talk I’ve seen about it providing a link to the end of season 1 (because we see Aziraphale protecting Crawly/Crowley from water at the beginning and end of the season, and Crowley protecting Aziraphale from fire) and I do like that. Part of me wonders if there are much more basic reasons for the respective shelters – the script states that Crawly’s wings look rather worse for wear in the Garden of Eden, so they weren’t going to act as a very effective shelter. Similarly, Aziraphale doesn’t seem to appreciate that there’s any danger when the meteor shower takes place, probably because of his lack of knowledge about the whole environment, so Crowley could have done his own shelter out of pity. Ultimately I think there’s one thing we can definitely all agree on – the second wing shelter makes the first a lot more interesting.

Well, for someone who said they felt a bit rusty writing write ups, I really wittered on for that single scene, didn’t I? In fairness, I knew I would have a lot to say about it, it being the first scene for the season. Not sure I expected to go for 3K+ words though… That said, the end of this scene and the arrival of present day seems like a good place to wrap this part up (plus it will give me a nice little placard image to head the next part up with, you know how I love those!), so for now… Questions, comments, discussion: always welcome! Hope to see in the next one 😊

[thatgirl4815]

My take on the MorkDay dynamic in Ep1 is that Day liked Mork right away, even when he acted all huffy at him. It's not because he felt any sort of special connection to him, but because everyone is basically groveling at his feet for this caretaking job. The guy who started bawling is a perfect example; it's performative. They don't see Day as a whole person. But while immediately challenging the guy you are seeking employment from is not the wisest decision, it's immediate proof that Mork is not intimidated or swayed by Day's condition. Day acts like he only wants to accept Mork as his caretaker because he won't last long in the position, but he's drawn to Mork because Mork doesn't baby him.

Additionally, this scene^ is so touching and proves exactly what Aof has said about Sea being someone who can convey a lot with his eyes, even when playing a blind character. Day can't literally see Mork, but in this moment he's gotten a glimpse of who he really is. And the most compelling part of it for me isn't even The Little Prince bit (though that's definitely a poignant part of the narrative). It's here, just after Mork says he should come and get his library card himself:

It's such a look of contentment from someone being asked to go fetch something for themselves. Mork is challenging Day yet again in a way nobody else does. What to others might look like arrogance or disrespect is actually something so meaningful for Day, who seems to have prided himself so much on his own capability. Being able to see and move freely was once taken for granted, but I think we will see everyone slowly coming to terms with the fact not just verbally but internally that Day is not lesser-than because of his condition.

[biceratops7]

*bracing myself on my knees and trying to breath, nursing a cramp*

I got here as fast as I can. I just wanted to point out that THIS…

Is one of the gayest fucking lines of television I’ve heard in my life.

Even if the presence of the song itself somehow wasn’t a flashing spotlight enough, the literal voice of God directly draws attention to it. Telling us that in universe, a nightingale really is in fact singing in Barkley square, and to know its music is sweet regardless of if we can hear it. Just like there are really in fact angels (one fallen but we’ll let it slide) dining at the ritz, and they’ve been falling in love regardless of if they’ve been allowed to openly pursue that feeling.

And hell, maybe it’s BECAUSE of the traffic that the nightingale finally sings. Perhaps it wasn’t ready until it was sure no one else could listen.

[pagannatural]

1.22

Devil’s Trap

-Dean walks away from Meg and Sam is like “are you okay?” It’s just so cute how Sam shows his care for Dean by paying close attention to him like this

-Dean says he always wanted to be a fireman when he grew up and Sam goes “you never told me that!” in this cute little brother way like he can’t believe Dean would keep something like that from him.

I feel like we as a society (by which I mean the wincest posts that show up on my dash) moved on too quickly from fireman Dean. Dean would be a fantastic fucking fireman. He could put “rescued my perfect sweet-eyed baby brother from three burning buildings” on his resume. He really sees no value in anything that he can’t relate back to Sam, does he?

-The first time Dean knowingly kills someone it’s to save Sam. A love that corrupts etc

Images that feel both illegal and religious

The way Sam melts into Dean completely, mouth open, eyes shut.

Sam says softly “you saved my life back there” which is inherently romantic. Dean tells Sam “For you or dad the things I’m willing to do or kill…it scares me sometimes.” His love for Sam scares him sometimes. Dean also saved Sam in spite of his dad’s disapproval of him using the Colt.

-Dean to possessed John: “He wouldn’t be proud of me… you’re not my dad.” Yikes, condolences. Poor Dean

-Sam walks into the room to find Dean aiming the colt at John and goes “Dean!” right as Dean tells him to stay back. I have a feeling if it had been John aiming a gun at Dean, Sam still would’ve gone “Dean!” and Dean would’ve told him to stay back, and if it were either of them aiming a gun at Sam, Sam still would’ve gone “Dean!” and Dean would’ve told him to stay back. If something’s not right Sam’s gonna yell “Dean!” and Dean’s gonna tell Sam to stay back.

Dean tells Sam John is possessed.

Sam asks how do you know, because Sam likes to be informed, and Dean just says “he’s different.”

That’s enough for Sam. He GETS BEHIND DEAN. This is the underrated samdean moment of all time for me. He doesn’t even hesitate. He tested John with holy water himself, but he knows that Dean knows John well, and he trusts Dean. He said last episode that Dean is the one person he can always count on. And he doesn’t just go to his side, he stands close behind him so that Dean can protect him.

-The demon taunts Dean by saying his family doesn’t need him

and the camera cuts to Sam who’s like. He doesn’t think I need him? 🥺

-Sam shoots their possessed dad in the thigh and immediately runs to kneel by Dean and worry over him. Dean asks Sam to go check on John, and Sam makes a face like What the fuck? I’m busy checking on you

Sam complies and stands over John to check on him. It’s just so different from his concern for Dean. Like, that’s his dad that he just maimed, lying on the floor not moving, and 110% of Sam’s concern is directed at Dean. It’s not a competition, but if it were, Dean would win.

-John tells Sam “shoot me” but Dean tells him not to, so of course he listens to Dean.

John is disappointed in Sam because “killing this demon comes first. Before me, before everything.” Sam looks at Dean in the rearview mirror and says “no sir, not before everything.” John is the one that Sam chose not to kill when he had the chance to kill the demon, and yet it’s Dean he’s thinking about when John says this. Nothing comes before Dean. A big part of Sam’s choice not to shoot when his dad was possessed was not being able to hurt Dean like that, knowing that Dean would rather have John alive than the demon dead. I honestly think he would’ve pulled the trigger if Dean told him to.

It’s a beautiful resolution to their fight last episode when Dean told Sam that he is more important to him than killing the demon. They’re explicitly each other’s top priorities by this last scene.

[guardianspirits13]

Ok now for a list of things that I'm kind of iffy about or wish they had kept from the books. It's worth noting that I can't think of a single show exclusive scene they added that I did not like, and most of the changes were integrated flawlessly.

Starting out, the pacing. I'm hoping this gets better with time, especially given that the second episode has much more time to breathe. The whole first episode felt a little cramped, and some of the exposition felt a bit... exposition-y. I don' t think there is much they could have done to get around this though so I'm not gonna dwell on it.

As a fan of the series, I love how they introduced the structure and function of the PJO world with the intro, but I think the jump from "Percy sees things" to "everything is all real" felt a bit abrupt. I am curious what first time fans think about this, and again the first episode covers a lot more ground page-wise than ep 2.

Manchild Gabe... I am not sure how I feel about this. In the books he seemed downright threatening and even with Percy's 12yo bravado, he was still an intimidating figure. His bickering with Sally seemed more like your typical dysfunctional relationship than a power imbalance... both can be harmful in their own way, but I'm still undecided on how much giving Sally a bit more agency in her relationship with him effects the larger story. The whole "not all monsters look like monsters" thing works well in the books with Gabe, but I guess they were redirecting it to foreshadow Luke's betrayal? I'm not sure.

...which brings me to Sally. I was unsure about the casting, but she has earned her stay to me. I always imagined her as a bit more subdued, especially with the more intense iterations of Gabe. She's kind and gentle and has a rebellious streak, but as worried as she might be for Percy she hides it inside of herself. I think her being a bit more expressive as a character works in this setting though, especially since we aren't seeing her through Percy's kid colored lenses. She feels a bit less like the perfect, kind, and understanding mother Percy sees, and a bit more like a real-life single mother trying to keep some of that childhood wonder alive despite everything. She does seem younger than I would have expected, but that's a nitpick on my end. I think she is one character that I will always have a separate book/show counterpart for in my mind.

Ok. Now for Clarisse. Out of all the characters I was skeptic about, I think she's the only one who didn't win me over. This is a writing issue, nothing at all to do with the actress. She was characterized more as a 'queen bee' type mean girl than a bully who picks fights just to feel worthy of her father's approval. She would be better fit for a vindictive daughter of Aphrodite than a daughter of Ares. My mind might be changed in the future but we got most of her scenes in these first two episodes so I'm doubtful. The one moment that had potential was when Percy broke her spear, but the Clarisse I know would not back off just because there is an audience.

There was no hellhound... I was kinda looking forward to it, and it does emphasize that even camp isn't really safe for Percy and is a catalyst for both his quest and the idea that there is a traitor. I can kind of see why the cut it for thematic purposes so Percy feels safe for once in his life, but that's only if I squint.

The scene cuts. I know, I know they're supposed to mimic book chapters. I get it. But it just doesn't work for me, it feels like there's a lack of establishing shots and the black screen is long enough you think the tv is buffering. It's an interesting idea in concept, but the execution falls flat.

OH also as far as things that were missing- the 3 fates. I know this is in the show since it was in the trailers, but I'm curious as to where they're gonna put it now.

Anyways minor nitpicks aside these two episodes were an emotional roller coaster and absolute masterpieces of television cinema.

[cleabellanov]

Jet-Skiing through Identity: a deep dive into Mobius M. Mobius (part 1) 🚤

The story started when you said hello.

Our first interaction with this character dates back almost three years now, on the 9th of June 2021. That was when the first episode of the Loki series was released.

So it goes: we see Mobius at the guiding side character, someone to follow in this vast new space the main character is suddenly thrown in. He is a calm, steady figure. However, his serious status as an analyst not cancelling a friendly character. The first ever shot in the series introduces Mobius under the sunlight. The following scenes show him speaking French to a little girl, proving a soothing behavior despite the tight situation they were in.

For someone who works at the TVA, he shows to be quite open minded. He, of course, has a very analytical mind - while still considerating he could think outside the box, whereas other of his colleagues wouldn't accept that a box exists. Even having studied variants, having a focus point is Loki, and knowing the danger it would bring to have to trust one, he still gives this variant a chance. More than that, he takes full responsability for it: when Ravonna says: "If anything goes sideways, it's on you" he responds with a relaxed "Okay".

The first impression Mobius leaves is, therefore, one of a relaxed, almost joyful one.

Although meant to be playful, his response to Loki's threat to "burn this place to the ground" with a flippant "I'll show you my office, you can start there" hints at a potential underlying dissatisfaction with his own situation within the TVA.

But that's not all, and when the easygoing dialogue doesn't work to get under Loki's skin (which couldn't have happened so easily anyway) we get to see where studying variants brought Mobius: to knowing how to manipulate through emotions, using the information at his hands. The only way to get Loki talking was to shatter the illusion he was maintaining, and Mobius knew that. Being able to see this variant for what they truly are proves his smartness, but "lack" of empathy. However, it is more of a block than a lack- for the sake of efficiency- as a consequence of not only working, but living your entire life in the TVA. As a consequence to this, great strenght is also required to keep your true nature instead of just letting it be erased by time and the utter dedication to the time keepers- the only beings allowed to tell right from wrong. Mobius proves that strenght too.

Then, in the second episode of the series, the frame narrows down: from the big scheme to a lower one. Now, a more comfortable theme seems to be growing in the atmosphere between these two characters. We can see Loki sitting with his feet on a desk, magazine in hand, having a small quarrel with Miss Minutes. This is when we find out that Mobius still has more to introduce about himself. There is something that gets him closer to the viewers: having a personal interest with no specific corrrelation with the rest of the story: jet skis.

Going on the first mission of finding the rogue Loki variant (Sylvie, as she is later called) Mobius doesn't let himself be fooled away by Loki's silver tongue, even if in attempt to give him the chance he brought him in for, he almost gets into his play. "You almost had me for a second. My ears are sharp too" Therefore, this character with a first impression of a calm guide and a comic relief isn't to be underestimated. Just because he believes in his cause (collaborating with Loki to fin his variant) it doesn't make him a fool. -> If you have to courage to believe in something impossible, you also have the strength to make it possible.

There is also a soft jelaousy in his character; and seen not only in his attitude towards Loki finding an ally in Sylvie. It's there when talking to Ravonna Renslayer about "other analysts", and the traces left by them in her office.

This might appear as a personal pride, when for Mobius, it is more like a fear: he's afraid of being abandoned or replaced. (Remember the "Who's gonna miss an old analyst with a heart of gold" from season 2?) This internalized feeling therefore translates to the jelaousy we see on screen (or the blocking of emotions once again, but we'll get to that later).

Ravonna's "I know you have a soft spot for broken things" reveales how this character always cared, maybe more than he should have. This desire to help Loki get better (spoiler: he succeeds) is rooted in his own heart, in need of the same care he is giving away. -> Look at you comforting others with the words you wish to hear.

It also grows quickly into something more, that strictly has to do with this variant, a sympathy that is not put into words, but is seen in actions.

He once again proves to be gentle with Loki, despite the latest mission not going the way he was supposed to. He's stubborn, still wanting to go his way even when there are so many others: safer, and that conform to the TVA. He wants to give Loki his daggers back (LOVE IS A DAGGER WHO?!?), clear proof that he is confident in what he is doing. While the potential consequences outweigh his previous actions , Mobius's determination stays the same.

The one unforeseen factor that disrupts his meticulously ordered plan is Loki's escape through the time door after Sylvie bombed the sacred timeline. For the first time, we see Mobius's cool crack, his frantic calls of "Loki!" echoing in vain.

[greenqueenhightower]

Do you know what's beyond hilarious? Aegon and Aemond dressed in their TG green colors while Jacaerys and Lucerys are wearing TB black and red (I see what you did there, S1 costume department. Nice foreshadowing).

And even more hilarious is Viserys watching them, completely oblivious to the fact that his at the time ONE family has already split into two factions.

AND EVEN MORE HILARIOUS is that Viserys gets blinded by divine providence before he dies. This man proved how blind he already was during this training scene of his sons and grandsons.