#good omens broke me

[phoen1xr0se]

So... it's been three months, guys, gals and non binary pals.

How we doing out there?

(This gif summing it up for me)...

[blugerine]

I’m just now realizing the geniusness of the dance scene in season 2 and how taking a “comedy” show seriously reveals so many new things about it.

NOTE: I have no idea if Neil Gaiman wrote this scene with the intention of it being interpreted in this way, but I really think it sheds so much light on why Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship seems like it went nowhere but downhill ever since season 1.

I feel like because New Omens is marketed as a “comedy show”, viewers usually go in with the intention not to take things too seriously (except for the more emotional beats that are signaled by somber music and intense acting *cough cough*), but as a result of that, we (or at least, I did) missed out on seeing some scenes differently because we originally wrote it off as “just a silly bit”. I definitely did that during the scene where Crowley performs the “apology dance” in front of Aziraphale because he left him alone to take care of Gabriel. I kept thinking about that scene over and over again in my head because it always seemed much more intentionally childish to me than any other goofy scene we see the husbands get up to in season 2 and even in season 1, and I just realized now a reason why that might be the case.

When Crowley comes back to the shop and has to apologize to Aziraphale, the first words that come out of his mouth are “I’m back”, and both him and Aziraphale know those words aren’t enough for Aziraphale to take him back, so what’s the next best thing? The apology dance! When Crowley initially resists the idea of performing the apology dance, Aziraphale reminds him that he’s done the apology dance numerous times in the past, listing all the specific years over the centuries to really get his point across until Crowley relents. After Crowley begrudgingly finishes the silly dance, the audience share a good laugh, Aziraphale is content enough to accept him back, and the fight they just had all seems so “stupid” now in comparison to the bigger fish they have to fry.

Now, what’s the problem in this scene? Or rather, why is this scene such a big deal in regards to why they broke up at the end of season 2? That’s because it’s, again, another example of how they always DANCE (quite literally) around the actual problems in their relationship that result in them constantly breaking up. And this has been happening for CENTURIES, time and time again, they always default to pushing their problems under the rug, letting bygones be bygones. They believe they’re forgiving and forgetting, but as Aziraphale keeps recounting all the years he’s done the apology dance, it’s very clear that they’ve actually never forgotten any of those previous instances of frustration and words of venom they’ve hurled at each other. Instead, they’ve opted to pretend they’re over it, onto “bigger and better” things to do as a distraction. The only time they start conveniently bringing up past wounds is when they have YET ANOTHER breakup scene.

The dance is performed so childishly because of the childish way they deal with the problems that arise in their relationship. Despite knowing very intricately about the infinite vastness of the universe, of mankind’s greatest strengths and weaknesses, they were not made to view themselves as having human emotions, and they were not trained to make compromises that did not threaten their very existence. Crowley and Aziraphale both started as angels, and Crowley wanted God to compromise with him about keeping the universe around for more years than She had planned. But God doesn’t take suggestions, so Crowley’s angelic status was quite literally burned from him as he was sent down to Hell, which traumatized him greatly, and made Aziraphale exist in fear of the divine punishment that came to those who disobeyed God.

As such, Aziraphale and Crowley have so little understanding of how to compromise in a healthy manner, because the first time one of them tried to do it, it ended terribly for both of them, and they subconsciously vowed never to do it again. That’s why, when one of them wants to apologize, it’s almost like a child’s idea of what one is. There’s no addressing of why Crowley’s so desperate to abandon everything and run away, or why Aziraphale is so adamant on staying, even when it clearly hurts him to do so. There’s NO reasoning or compromise. There’s NO talk other than “I was wrong, you were right”. It’s either your side or my side, or we never see each other again.

Aziracrow represents a very realistic on-and-off relationship, where two broken and codependent individuals cannot compromise for fear of divine punishment or even just fear of losing the one that means the most to them. And their little dance? It’s just one of the many times they’ve tried to ignore their very real and important relationship (and character) issues, and it just continues to rot away their relationship time and time again. It’s like putting a bandaid over an infection, but they’re both immortal and everything’s working against them to actually work on healing that infection from the inside out.

So yeah, the dance scene is fucking brilliant because no one saw that coming until you actually finish season 2 and think back on it. Again, maybe I’m just being delusional reading into a scene that wasn’t a big deal, but if Neil did write it with this intention, then I think the way he disguises meaningful insights into broken relationships, tortured characters, and religious trauma through the use of comedy to be really. fucking genius.

And really sad.

I think I might cry a bit after this actually.

(Also, hello, I still have no idea how to use tumblr 💀)

Edit: Just made a couple clarifications here and there! Also, thank you so much for all the positive reception 😭!!! Reading all your reblogged tags gives me so much serotonin agsjdgs it feels so nice being in this fandom so far ❤️

[itsscottiesstark]

It's been 175 days. 175 days and one moment (out of many) I haven't been able to get off my head ever since the very first time I watched it was this look.

His eyes looking at Crowley leave and then darting off to stare into the void while he quickly processes everything

The hand going up to his lips shaking

The deep breath

The look of utter despair

I am not okay and quite frankly I don't think I'll ever be okay again

[coolittleguy]

The difference of pre season 2 and post is wild dude

[grantstrainers]

THIS is how you do gentle and romantic Neil gaiman.

[goodomens-girlie]

here’s a list of all the things Good Omens has ruined for me:

1. Bird songs - a nightingale didn’t sing in Berkeley square on July 28th 2023

2. History - what were Crowley and Aziraphale doing during this historical event?

3. Say Yes To Heaven by Lana Del Ray- if you’re on Good Omens TikTok you know

4. Queen - DONT TRY SUICIDE NOBODYS WORTH IT

5. The Bible

6. Hozier (even Eat Your Young and Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene)

[nastasya--filippovna]

But it's not real And you don't exist And I can't recall the last time I was kissed It hits me in the car And it feels like the end of a movie I've seen before Before Ceilings----------------------Lizzy McAlpine

At this point every song is about them.......

[vg715]

Welcome to my Good Omens brainrot corner!

This is where I post my Good Omens comics and art.

FYI: None of my stuff is ever graphically explicit (because I am pretty much Damsel Aziraphale). But some jokes are a bit mature or there's implied mature stuff going on. I'm not sure about the level here on Tumblr yet, so sometimes I mark the posts as Mature even though it mostly relates to the actual text.

This is what I do (all of it GO related):

Silly comics based on my life:

The accidental text 1-2: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708791039787008/the-accidental-text-part-1?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738983974855213056/the-accidental-text-part-2?source=share

The accidental call 1-2: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/740048044499877888/the-accidental-call-part-1?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/740415852633063424/the-accidental-call-part-2?source=share

Aziraphale's gift: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708379680292864/celebrating-terrible-gifts-everywhere?source=share

The first (and last?) Simtation: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/741694816056967168/the-first-and-last-simtation?source=share

Aziraphale’s Valentine’s Card(s):

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/742321231847620608/aziraphales-valentines-cards?source=share

Crowley’s date 1-2:

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/745571538563203072/crowleys-date-part-1?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/745935627496964096/crowleys-date-part-2?source=share

Movie remakes (also silly):

Dirty Dancing: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738707926868443136/nobody-puts-angel-in-a-corner?source=share

Atonement: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738707805037608960/atonement?source=share

Fluff (yes, silly):

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708237379092480/have-some-fluff?source=share

Christmas fluff (and it's silly):

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/739704143267168256/please-lets-pretend-its-still-christmas?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/739497905085448192/merry-belated-christmas?source=share

Easter fluff (and it's silly):

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/746384002759409664/fluffy-easter?source=share

Romantic comics:

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/742853465795166208/on-seconds-and-firsts-part-1?source=share

Song collages (here be angst and drama):

R.E.M.: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/740950412425838592/losing-my-religion?source=share Bruno Mars: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708113997398016/anyone-up-for-some-wallowing?source=share The Cure: https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708021347270656/doing-my-part?source=share

Absolutely no research Roman AU (parts 1-2 currently, but ongoing! The tone is trope:y, cheesy and dramatic):

1 https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708522192207872/happy-roman-holidays?source=share 2 https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/738708677500993536/more-cheesy-roman-au?source=share

3 https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/741220959229460480/roman-cheese-part-3?source=share

Other:

https://www.tumblr.com/vg715/742296936687796224/happy-valentines-day?source=share

[vitiass]

Earth Angel, Earth Angel

Will you be mine?

[consulting-supernatural]

You know what I would like to see in the S3 flashbacks? Azi doing some kind of temptation or something that Crowley was supposed to do. As far as Crowley and miracle is just another walk in the park, I can't grasp my head around Azi doing temptation. Not that, I think he doesn't have the guts. He does. I bet he's pretty amazing at this actually, but how he manages to do it, quoting Crowley: "looking like that?" He's like an epitome of an angel, when it comes to his look. Does he change how he looks? Puts on a wing or just changes his clothes? I need to know, because it drives me insane. Though, if anyone can mange something like that with this face it's Azirphale.

[phoen1xr0se]

The rest of social media to the Good Omens fandom since S2 dropped...

[blugerine]

good omens fans see something we already knew and be like "oh my god, that's crazy" and it never gets old for us.

like "oh my god, they shelter each other under their wings" and we'll have a fucking day every single time.

[bookbound9]

can’t decide which one I like better- posted these on Twitter first but ofc tumblr had to see her as well

[coffee-n-art-jess]

Listening to romantic songs & Just thinking about them 😭😭😭

#goodomensbrokeme

[goodomens-girlie]

this is your sign to get over your Good Omens phase, it’s time to let go

…if you need me I’ll be reciting the whole show word for word in my room

[nastasya--filippovna]

WHO IS CROWLEY AFTER THE FALL (PART2)

Here it is finally.

So what is the Leviathan.

In mythology and theology the Leviathan is a sea-serpent and is mentioned in several books of the Hebrew Bible such as the Book of Job and Book Isaiah and Book of Enoch. The Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr.

Once again we see the pattern of Biblical creatures being “inspired” from pagan ones.

Thomas Aquinas described Leviathan as the demon of envy, first in punishing the corresponding sinners. Peter Binsfeld likewise classified Leviathan as the demon of envy, as one of the seven Princes of Hell corresponding to the seven deadly sins. Leviathan became associated with, and may originally have been referred to by, the visual motif of the Hellmouth, a monstrous animal into whose mouth the damned disappear at the Last Judgment, found in Anglo-Saxon art from about 800, and later all over Europe.

In the Book of Enoch, The Leviathan is a female giant chaos serpent that lives deep in the ocean, while her mate, Behemoth, is a male giant chaos beast (based off of a hippopotamus or water-ox) who lives in the mythical desert of Duidain, East of Eden.

Ring any bells. Chaos mongering (fomenting), ox, eastern gate of eden…. 

The Hebrew word that translates to Leviathan (Livyatan) appears six times in the Old Testament. One of them is in Job 41. The word is derived from the root Iwy or ‘ twist, coil’ and means ‘the sinuous one.’ So I think we can establish that this creature is at least indicated to be snake-like. Scholars trace the etymology of whale and crocodile 

In the Book of Isaiah it is mentioned that the beast will rise from the water and will be defeated by God on the Last Day. However, quite interestingly nowhere in the Old Testament is the Leviathan written as evil. Only later scholars have equated it with the devil so that the battle between God and Chaos can be interpreted as the battle between God and the Devil.

Now let’s make this more interesting: The Gnostic sect venerate the biblical serpent of the Garden of Eden as a symbol of wisdom, which the malevolent Demiurge tried to hide from Adam and Eve. They identify the Leviathan as the serpent of Eden and in this belief system the Leviathan appears as an Ouroboros, separating the divine realm from humanity by enveloping or permeating the material world.

I mean I don’t even need to say anything further.  

And he does show up in GO Season 2. The matchbox.

Here 

When did this happen, I wonder……hmmmmmm

Oh YES!

Crowley wearing Aziraphale’s face

     

Here’s the rest of the passage from Job

1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

13 Who can discover the face of his garment? (penetrate his coat of armor)  or who can come to him with his double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

The Leviathan is a magnificent creature. And the very fact that God goes to so much trouble to describe the magnanimity of this creature is to show what God has created and hence Her magnanimity must be even greater in comparison for the Creator is always superior to the Creation. And if God can so easily abuse and humiliate this beautiful monster, then God must be worshipped and feared.

Though to the unsuspecting eye these passages may ring no familiar bells, a closer look makes you realize how Crowley-coded they are. And to think that in a story where Neil has never witten or shown anything that wasn’t woven in finely with the characters, I alwsy wondered why he chose the Book of Job for the minisode when he could have included any other one.  

But it reminded me that Crowleys character is truly unrelenting. He’s a nether millstone. He won’t give up that easily. He absolutely won’t submit to anyone, and he’s shown time and time again that his vociferous litanies about running away disappear as soon as someone or something he cares about is in danger (i.e. Aziraphale). And the second coming will also threaten his creation (the universe). His refusal to submit to authority, the refusal to be subjugated is the reason he fell in the first place. And quite interestingly he doesn’t own Hell either. He resists that too. For him it’s not Heaven or Hell that matters but the resistance to Power.  

I also think it’s also fitting that the Leviathan is perceived to be a monster that must be slain or enslaved but in reality is another of God’s creations just like the sun and the stars and the rivers and the mountains.  

And it makes me think of how Crowley has always been labeled as evil because he fell. I think of how, at heart, he is truly gentle and kind, he’s a starmaker. But his fall, his appearance, his desire to be autonomous and his grey moral campus make him feared and a target. And that has made him the embodiment of chaos. His refusal to submit himself to the uniformity of both worlds, to the rules and guidelines that create this illusion of order sets him apart from them. He embraces the chaos that grayness offers, that being ‘human’ brings. And hence the final battle will be between God and chaos with God justifies as being the battle between good and evil because, well, he’s a demon.    

The Leviathan being historically associated with the sin of envy is again I think written into the plot very carefully. He is envious of humanity’s ability to question God, to have choices to not be doomed to heaven or hell for all eternity. He is envious of what Maggie and Nina have. He’s envious of what Beelz and Gabe have.

“I mean if Gabriel and Beelzebub can go off together…..”

And then him rejecting Azirapahle’s offer— he has spent his life (a long, long life) rejecting power and authority. In his relationship with Aziraphale he found his sanctuary, a relation clean of power dynamics. Up till now they were both equal. But this new offer jeopardizes that.

And I love how his ego and pride come to play here. He would never accept being “second in command to anyone”. And his envy of how God’s mercy is free for some but wholly denied to him.