"Enzos,7pm,I pick you up.. "

I am reading Tim Curry’s 2025 memoir, Vagabond

and in it, he not only devotes a chapter to Muppet Treasure Island, but also references this very post

so, to recap

no, Tim Curry is absolutely NOT a Muppet; however

"don't worry, i've no interest in your hairy arse!" he lied, like a liar

Aziraphale held out his hand. “Nice knowing you,” he said.

Crowley took it.

“Here’s to the next time,” he said.

It's the end of the world. Aziraphale and Crowley have spent the whole book trying to stop it and have just realized they were completely ancillary to the plot and the world is going to end or be saved no matter what they do. Sounds like it should be time for some sort of love confession, right?

But instead, Aziraphale tells Crowley there was goodness in him. Crowley takes his hand, and says THAT.

Now this bit has always bugged me. What next time? Is this just a flippant joke? Does it hint to something more time loopy? A secret, third option?

Well, since the season 3 finale, it's absolutely number three.

Here's to the next time, Crowley says, as if they've done this before, a million times, across infinite numbers of universes, and he knows it, or has little glimpses of infinity. Here's to the next time, because in some universes they make it and in some they don't. Here's to the next time, because sometimes Aziraphale tells him he loves him and other times he falls for heaven's games again. Here's to the next time, because like Hadestown says, "maybe it will turn out this time."

an angel, whose purpose is to serve and devote themselves to god, who can’t love anything more than them. an angel saying that he feels complete not only by another being (which is already huge) but by a demon !!!

i can’t imagine a greater love confession, not from aziraphale, who always tried—even forced himself—to have faith in god’s plan and intentions, to serve her blindly and to be on her side and her side only.

aziraphale, who barely dared to speak to her when asked, now standing his ground at the boundaries of a universe that already ceased to exist, with nothing left to lose, and nothing left to fight for. speaking up for himself, blaming god for his own misery, for creating someone so perfect for him but never letting him live that love openly and freely. they spent 6000 years dancing around each other, pretending they weren’t an us, because he couldn’t go against the ineffable plan, against his purpose as an angel, against god. meanwhile, god didn’t care at all.

and now here they are, god, satan, aziraphale and his other half, one step away from eternal nothingness, from complete and cruel erasure. and here he is, this angel who in his lord’s face confesses his love and devotion to the one who actually inspired him, who showed him what pure kindness and selfless, unconditional and stubborn love really look like. not the almighty herself, but crowley. the best of god’s angels according to aziraphale, and probably the one who was hurt by her the most.