I have so, so very many thoughts about Aziraphale at this point. But it’s a lot, and also very spoilery so this is your warning for my long character analysis/rant.
My friend and I spent so much of our time after episode six specifically discussing aziraphale and who he is and how we got to this point. because we kind of needed to get to this point, more or less, for him to be able to move forward at all. And that is where my hope for the future comes from. But. As it stands, Aziraphale is so extremely flawed (and don’t get me wrong so is Crowley but that’s not the conversation right now) and I love him for it.
Aziraphale, while I don’t believe it’s intentional, takes Crowley very very for granted. And this whole season only enforced that idea for me. The thing that specifically tipped my friend and I off, before everything went horribly wrong, is the seemingly innocent and sweet line of “but rescuing me makes him [Crowley] so happy”. And we both had to pause there for a moment. Because, does it? Maybe in some circumstances yes, such as 1793, in the ones that aren’t these awful life or death scenarios, the casual ones. Easy fixes. But Aziraphale is truly the one that always benefits. He enjoys being rescued and he enjoys the excuse it gives him to spend time with Crowley (at least in the early stages of their relationship). It’s never on him to fix these things. Though I very much think Crowley prefers the aftermath and the conversations that follow these situations, rather than the situations themselves.
I don’t know. I think a good show of it was the 1941 minisode of episode 4. Because between the shaky camera and Crowley’s shaking finger as he holds it over the trigger— he doesn’t enjoy any of it— he is quite definitely panicked. I don’t know if this constitutes as Crowley “saving him” but it was a similar moment of trust that relied entirely on Crowley to fix it. While immediately after he turns it into a quip about “no paperwork” there is that visible in the moment fear that is never addressed.
I don’t know if this exactly makes sense. But I do hope I am getting my point across, I am very much attempting to.
It all does really factor back into the fact that they don’t just fucking communicate. Which they really, really, need to work on. Could of all gone just a little better if Nina and Maggie cornered Aziraphale too and gave him the talking to as well. Of the two of them. I’d argue he was the one who needed it more in the end.
For one, Aziraphale certainly doesn’t grasp what Heaven actually means for Crowley. Or how he views it, or how he views his fall. It is true that Crowley doesn’t talk negatively about the fall around Aziraphale, not that we can see, just the “sauntered vaguely downwards” comment which is very tame. And also we know that Crowley doesn’t view his angelic self as the same person that he is today. As in a functionally entirely different person. While aziraphale sees them as one is the same, which again, while sweet in concept, it just isn’t the reality of who Crowley is anymore. Because he doesn’t want to be that. He’s just his demonic self, on his own side, on their side. Heaven and Hell are both awful, he’s known this for so very very many years, and he saw the trial— which aziraphale has no idea about! And it is such a mess.
Aziraphale cannot just give up Heaven as something he’s been apart of for over 6,000 years. Especially not if he thinks he can be the best of it, and in doing so protect everything he cares about. He can make it better. It is misguided, but man his intentions are good and I get it and it’s just… sad. Because he doesn’t get it and that’s the point. Because heaven has never been good but you can’t exactly just. Accept that. Or he can’t anyway.
There is also the fact that Aziraphale just wants any sort of approval. He needs it. It’s said so at the start. That that’s one of the things he calls Crowley about in the first place. He likes to tell people about the good he’s done, and be told that what he’s done is actually good.
Aziraphale never truly gave up on Heaven. He is far too much of an optimistic idealist for that. So when he’s seemingly given the opportunity to make everything better and he is essentially being told that he— the angel who has always worried about whether or not he was a “good” angel— is the PERFECT angel. The angel capable of taking the highest position he could get. This is the highest form of approval, something he’s always wanted to hear, from the place who never gave it to him. And it just completely blinds him to the fact he already has that approval and that’s all he really needs. Because it is so hard to give Heaven up. It is ingrained in him to want that.
Going back to my point early, Crowley does genuinely love helping Aziraphale, that much I believe, but Aziraphale puts far too much faith in him to the point it becomes detrimental. Because Crowley will always go along with what Aziraphale asks of him— or well— as far as he can I suppose. The whole business with Gabriel was almost his limit, but he stayed, because he doesn’t want to see Aziraphale hurt. So he puts them both at risk. Because he knows Aziraphale is too kind to not help, even knowing the possible consequences.
Crowley always helps Aziraphale, he will always be there for Aziraphale, whether he’s wanted or not. Because he will try. And while I know Aziraphale functionally feels the same he cannot express that in the same manner. Again. He takes him so for granted. Even at the end. Crowley makes it clear he needs to talk, and he needs Aziraphale to let him talk. And I know Aziraphale is excited and overwhelmed by the offer, but he completely disregards Crowleys request and speaks over him anyway. And Crowley let’s him, because of course he does. And their faith in each other is just so… it kills me when they read each other completely wrong. Because again, they don’t talk, so much of what they do is assuming they’re both on the same page and it just doesn’t work.
But no, back to what I was saying, the limit comes when Aziraphale disregards everything they’ve been through for this deal. Even if he doesn’t see it that way, even if Aziraphale sees this as the best possible outcome for them, even if he sees this as a perfect solution. It can’t be, not just for the reasons that there is no way Metatron has any good intentions here and the institute of heaven is fucked and Aziraphale won’t be able to fix it. But because this deal disregards Crowley for who he is.
So much of this season, flashback wise, was Aziraphale unlearning the things that Heaven idealizes. The things that get put into perspective to him by both Crowley and humanity. And he still does know and understands these things, but Aziraphale IS selfish. He’s always been selfish. He says so himself. He’s trying to have everything he wants all at once. And that’s just not possible.
They need to work on themselves without the other present, or at least Aziraphale does. Because as it was said, they did not have anyone else. Their relationship was one of necessity, and in the end, then it became all they had. Then there was no one else. All they had was each other.
Crowley has already long since chosen Aziraphale, their side, their lives together. Aziraphale still hasn’t. And he needs to be able to make that choice for himself. As much as it physically pains me this separation will likely lead to Aziraphale truly realizing that this is what he actually wants. He needs to make that choice for himself.
I feel like I have so much more to say. But this is already so, so very long. So maybe that’s for another time.
I really truly did enjoy this season so much. And I love them all so much. Even if it did crush my heart more than just a little. I am getting a kick out of all the character analyzing though, had to give it a go myself.
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