Aziraphale's Defence Attorney

Recently there are many posts that say - yeah S3 sucked, look at what they did to Aziraphale. And yes by the way, I'd be happy to agree, some stuff they made him say was literally ridiculous. The writing was absolutely 100% atrocious.

But then the same posts (and others) go on and on about how S2 and S3 Aziraphale is this awful character who lost all he's learned (aw poor Crowley who can do no wrong, trying so hard to impart his wisdom only to have such a mule for a student, right?).

So pick one. Either the writing is bad or you think the character is an asshole. Don't mix them up.

S3 Crowley in my opinion is written as an absolute cockwomble. He does not seem to love Aziraphale or understand him, is acting like a moron who lost all his intellectual capacity, is cruel and unreasonable and plays the victim in the most nauseating way. (Why was he given depression and had a personality replacement?)

And yet I don't go on writing these long metas about how Crowley is fucking twat and how he broke all his promises ("I won't leave you on your own"), how all his words are just performative bullshit ("if something happens to Aziraphale..."). He acts like a wanker because that's how he was unfortunately written and I do give huge kudos to David for trying to rescue him where he could.

And yes, I too could argue that it all started in S2 when he begun with - what's the point of everything. And not seeing how hard Aziraphale tried to keep them afloat in uncertainty of their situation, not knowing what was going to happen next. How he went on with the frankly ridiculous 'confession' where he says nothing and does not notice how freaked out Aziraphale is, how much his angel is panicking. How Crowley regresses back to wanting to run away when he knows Heaven wants to go ahead with Second Coming, having just seen hours before that the Universe and Time will cease to exist. Where would they run to? For how long? How long would it take to efficient Supreme Archangel Michael to destroy it all after Gabriel's very short sighted 'nah'?

It's not hard to see Aziraphale. See how hard he tries to keep their safety, how hard he tries to keep their little world protected as much as he can.

No, Aziraphale could not have done more, be more open or get closer to Crowley. And Crowley, (the real Crowley not the fanon Crowley who is baffled by Aziraphale and is perpetually waiting for Aziraphale to 'learn' and 'understand' that all he needs is to choose "them") knows that this all they have. That trying anything more can easily result in disaster (like it almost happened with Furfur).

Their relationship is so perfect and interesting to watch because they are different and they want the same thing. Each other. Yes, Crowley is angry because the system is shit and he keeps pushing (with the Arrangement, with stopping Armageddon) to see how far they can take their side.

And Aziraphale is the break who says - you go too fast, who questions how safe would it be to try, who sets boundaries, who finds loopholes, technicalities, plausible deniability (everything from eating sushi because he lives among humans to 'I don't even like you!" in case they are found out, heard, intercepted, questioned. Trees have ears after all.)

Just because they survived 6000 years does not mean they were always going to. That's not how it all works. Just because I still have money for rent for next month doesn't mean I could have given up working 10 years ago.

So no. Just because Aziraphale does something you don't like or he doesn't throw himself at Crowley at every opportunity saying - Darling, let's elope together! Does not mean he is stupid.

He leaves for Heaven in S2 because he knows staying would bring nothing. Because punishment for hiding Gabriel will still hang over him because he knows there's something big behind Gabriel's own punishment. Because he knows 'the big one' is still to come. And if he has even a sliver of a chance to make a difference, he takes it. Because that's who he is.

And Aziraphale asked Crowley to help him. Yes, it would have to be as 'an angel' (and I don't think Crowley was objecting to that, he was objecting to the whole silly idea of trying to change Heaven which is like saying Aziraphale wanted to move the mountain a bit to the left with his foot) but it was the only option Aziraphale saw on how to be together.

You can disagree with that and think that Crowley was right and few days or weeks together on Earth or Alpha Centauri was the better choice but that does not mean that Aziraphale is stupid or is regressing.

He has a point. That trying is worth it. What's more, AZIRAPHALE SUCCEEDS. He delays Second Coming for years. It does not happen in the end. Humans are not judged about their eternal fate. Crowley and other demons are not thrown into a burning lake for eternity to suffer.

I think the ending of S3 sucked but whatever you feel, the Second Coming would have been worse.

Because it all WAS bigger than them.

In F15, however much of the fandom pushed the Aziraphale left Crowley button over and over, I still see it as Crowley leaving Aziraphale more. Aziraphale asked for help in something he was going to do and which he did. Crowley wanted to run when there was no time or place for them to run to. He was the one who walked away from Aziraphale two times and who kissed him like that too. The only kiss we have for them. BUT rather than leaving each other, I think they were torn apart from each other by circumstances more. And by who they are and how they react to disastrous things. The decisions were in character for them both but the story around it was painted and the audience manipulated to blame and hate Aziraphale and it succeeded so well I'd give standing ovation to the monstrosity if I wasn't so disgusted. And just a note on 'you were the best of us' (you can also check this post here I agree with)- because I am TIRED of people taking that one thing out and making at all about how Aziraphale just wanted Crowley to be an angel, he didn't understand anything, didn't learn anything in 6000 years on how it was pointless to choose sides.

Look. Aziraphale met angel Crowley just that once. And that angel basically ignored him. Why the everlasting whatever would he be dreaming of wanting that guy instead of the demon he spent 6000 years getting to know and adore. WHY. Give me a reason. Why would Aziraphale dream of them being angels together when he always hated Heaven and all the angels were constantly awful to him and we never see him admire a single one of them or want anything to do with them if he doesn't have to. And as for - but Heaven is the light and truth. Please. He was lying through his teeth. He looks on the verge of nervous breakdown. Yes, now we won't ever know if he was lying because he was scared Metatron will listen (a perfectly reasonable fear of the second highest being in the universe) or because he wanted to alert Crowley to the fact that he was lying and scared and didn't really want to leave.

If Aziraphale thought Heaven was good he wouldn't have spent years trying to stop Second Coming, he would have returned the missing Archangel who ended up on his doorstep, he wouldn't have deserted the war, he wouldn't have decided to kill Adam, he wouldn't have hang around with a demon and risk his existence for him. Or anyone. He would have been a good little angel like all of them.

You are probably thinking I am exaggerating or taking this too personally.

Yeah, I am. Aziraphale is my comfort character. I adore him. I think his understated strength, his delight in things, his hope and this incredible resolve he has to just keep going and find a way and hold himself up and keep trying even when he knows how bad everything is, how hopeless. He does not give in and I don't want to either you know? Yes, I could just say, everything is shit and pointless, give in to cynicism and despair. But isn't there enough of this in the world? Isn't that what the worst people in the world feed on? Build all their lies on? All their hate? Look everything is hopeless and going downhill they say, everything is meaningless and when people nod and feel hopeless, they say - and it's all THEIR fault! Look at them! The immigrants, the refugees, the gays, those there with different skin colour and religion and culture. They are to blame. Let's destroy them.

I am in no way discounting depression, here—I suffer from it myself—but Crowley’s decline in S3 seems alien to me. If he had a sliver of book-Crowley’s chutzpah he wouldn’t be passed out in an alley. And you’re telling me Crowley lost the Bentley to protect the bookshop? That doesn’t ring true to me.

I admit I chuckled at the closed miracle account, but how convenient that Crowley has lost his powers now, years after he openly challenged Hell’s authority? Too convenient. Just bad writing. I could have forgiven a few isolated incidents of whimsical convenience in a funny story, but the way it fetched up on the shores of tragedy sours the silly parts.

Unpopular opinion: people are very down on the way Aziraphale speaks to Crowley at their turbid reunion in S3; but, speaking as a person who has been in a very similar situation, I might have reacted to an ex I found in the gutter rather similarly. It’s shocking. It’s upsetting. You have t had time to adjust; you want to shock them out of it, get them on your page.

Crowley refused Aziraphale help when he begged, and now Aziraphale is supposed to fall to his knees to cuddle him and soothe his tortured brow? Immediately upon seeing him in ruin? Some might, sure—I don’t think I would. It wouldn’t mean I didn’t care. It would mean I was slow to react emotionally, a trait I share with Aziraphale.

But neither of them are in character anyway, so it’s a moot point. Does it seem rational that Aziraphale wouldn’t check up on Crowley for years if he was free to come and go? Not to me.

Apparently, despite all the care taken to show us the Nazis lip-reading through the bookshop window; that Metatron was watching closely; that both Crowley and Aziraphale were glancing at that window; that Nina and Maggie showed up at a convenient moment to distract Crowley from monitoring the conversation Aziraphale is having with the Met, to have a trite and pointless talk about the relationship of two supernatural beings whom they barely know, leaving a coffee shop unattended at a peak hour—I’m sorry about this inane sentence, but it’s how the F15 looks now—apparently none of it meant anything.

The problem isn’t Aziraphale (or Crowley, though Crowley gets called out a lot less for the times he treats Aziraphale badly), it’s shit writing.

I can understand people liking the ending for various reasons—but I can’t understand people liking or even forgiving the terrible writing, the pointless plot-ends, and the lionization of a character who should never be put on the spot by to choose the fate of the universe.

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