The ineffable brainrotting

Why is he still wearing tartan, why didn't he immediately help Crowley up in the alley, why didn't he want to eat, why did he ultimately say yes to Heaven, why did he insist the car is theirs, why is he forgiving Crowley when he calls him an idiot, why is he trying to turn insults of god into praise of who Crowley has always been. Why is not everything he does perfect and perfectly curated to please Crowley? Yes, the writing is terrible and the treatment of Aziraphale in S2 and especially in S3 even worse. Yes, they are both written ooc. We know them better. At least I hope we do. Crowley is mean and cruel and doesn't seem to love Aziraphale at all in S3. And it starts in S2. He threatens and promises and then does nothing about either. Waves Aziraphale off to talk to Metatron who he just watched wanting to remove Gabe's memories.

But when it's discussed, there's always the undertone of - 'it's understandable' to it. Crowley was heartbroken. Aziraphale is not enough. He's not trying hard enough. He's not understanding enough. Ah, poor demon.

Crowley's actions are always excused, always reasonable. He drinks, he gambles, he yells at Aziraphale, he's sarcastic with him, he mocks him for the magic tricks (that saved his skin). That's all fine. He's a demon. And he has a lot to deal with and then he has this angel full of faults who's just not good enough. He can't be good enough or they would already be happy together. Right? Whatever Aziraphale does is always dubious. Is he doing this because he still believes in Heaven? Because he's scared of not being 'good'? Does he need more lessons to learn? More explanations? Maybe more pain to endure? Surely he couldn't like tartan jusst because he wants to set his own family away from Heaven. It's not possible he strongly hints at the car being theirs to establish they are an 'us', a group of the two of them. Like with the bookshop that Crowley was always free to enter. Surely it's not possible Aziraphale does things and says things out of caution rather than a strong need to belong to Heaven he can't shake off (which we see him despise and be scared of). He just can't let go of the cult he's in. Right?

Crowley's flaws are often treated as states of being, while Aziraphale's flaws are treated as moral or intellectual failures.

Crowley drinks because he's hurting, runs because he's scared, gets angry because he's frustrated, lashes out because he's heartbroken, withdraws because he's traumatised. It's all internal. It's about him.

Aziraphale wants to fix things, holds on to hope, seeks safety, hesitates, compromises, finds technicalities. Puts on breaks. The explanation is always - he still hasn't learned. His flaws are things to be fixed from outside. Preferably by Crowley. Who knows everything.

Crowley is described with compassion - why is he acting like this? While Aziraphale is looked at with judgment - why hasn't he figured this out yet? this ends up in people trying to understand Crowley. And correct or fix Aziraphale.

Aziraphale and Crowley go thorugh misunderstandings. Yes. And the fault is always laid on Aziraphale. Why didn't he communicate better? Why didn't he understand what Crowley wanted? Why didn't he fix it? Why didn't he just do what Crowley wanted? What is wrong with him?

Meanwhile the angry rebel gets all the grace. His flaws mean he's true to himself. His anger proves he cares. His recklessness proves he's passionate. His refusal to compromise proves he's principled. His descent to despair proves how much he loves. Right?

Aziraphale never gets the same luxury. He's not happy? He just didn't try hard enough. It's his fault.

Crowley says - let's leave. And everyone thinks, yeah, finally, be free! But Aziraphale always asks - and then what? And everyone goes - booo, you are hurting your demon, finally leave your side silly angel!

I don't know if that's because those fans relate to Crowley more, or because they (more quickly than I did!) figured out that the narrative was positioning Crowley as the hero, or if it has something to do with DT being one of fandom's favorite actors.

For instance, I hate "you really are terrible at magic." I thought that comment was uncalled for, at that moment when Aziraphale has just saved Crowley's bacon with his sleight-of-hand. To his credit, DT delivers this line in as gentle a manner as possible. But, to me, it reads as patronizing and joy-squashing.

I don't like when Crowley calls Aziraphale an idiot, either, and -- if I remember correctly, I watched it 1.5 times and plan to never watch it again -- the patronizing tone gets worse in S3.

In go3 the difference in the way Crowley treats Aziraphale is quite obvious, compared to s2 and even more s1. I think this started in s2 and that patronizing behaviour from Crowley towards Aziraphale in the end translates to the public (the fandom) being judgemental towards him too.

the paperwork:

I was already aware of this fact, but it really struck me today. They set up a story, introduced all the characters and the stakes and the themes, then pressed the reset button in the final few minutes and introduced us to entirely new characters and showed us how their, entirely unrelated story had a "happy" ending.

And just to drive the point home, they made sure to have our main characters reject the offer to have their world reset as it was and then underlined in bold that they were agreeing to a world where they must cease to exist. Like part of the point was to kill as much hope as possible and force an acceptance that no other options are valid.

Storytellers ask us to care as they lay out the pieces. For some unfathomable reason, Good Omens stopped right before the finish line, took everything it asked us to care about, and literally snapped it out of existence. And then it asked us to dump that same care into new, pale echos of what it destroyed while making sure we can't forget that they are very much not the originals.

Just a cute family portrait. With kids (baby goats).

Yes, I was today years old when I learned that baby goats are called “kids”😅

I have drawn quite a few pics for my ko~fi supporters in the last month ❤️

Hello dear Good Omens fans! There are still 6 days left to film or audio record your reaction to season 3 and share it for our Ineffable Con Vid Show submission. And we need YOU! ALL views are welcome and will be shown with love and respect.

If you want your voice to be heard, or you have a viewpoint or feeling about the Finale that you would like to share, please consider submitting to this fan project. Ideas: Tell a joke or share a short skit or a piece of art you made in response to the Finale. Or, just speak from your heart.

Although things are rough right now, we are all still here because we ultimately love Good Omens!

Check the link to submit your recording. <3

heya!

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Crowley asks Aziraphale to help him. Stop them. Begs him. Says he needs him. 

But Aziraphale says there’s no point. Heaven and Hell can’t change. It’s the divine plan. And walks away from him. Then turns back from the door and grabs Crowley by the lapels and kisses him. Expecting Crowley to change his mind. Leaves.

But Crowley decides to go, determined to try and avoid the next disaster. And he does. He works hard in the disgusting place he despises to avoid another war while Aziraphale back on Earth spirals, loses the shop to mafia, sleeps next to Crowley’s car that’s gathering dust. 

3 years laters Crowley shows up, looking for lost Eric or somebody and comes across Aziraphale. Dirty and drunk, asleep in alley. Oh but first Mrs Sandwich stops and gives Crowley shit about the whole street falling apart because of him. 

Anyway. The point I was trying make then as now is that Crowley’s behaviour is always seen as normal, expected. And Aziraphale’s as something to fix. He’s the one who doesn’t understand. Who has to learn. Change. Who behaves in ways that metas and fics and art have to ‘correct’.

But if Aziraphale behaved in the exact same way as Crowley, would people feel the same way about him as they do about Crowley? As if he was always right and Crowley wrong?

Here’s the thing.

I read a lot of scripts.  A lot.  From professionals to aspiring writers to complete newbies.  Features and pilots.  Specs and treatments.

And 8 times out of 10 the fan fic that I’ve read over the last, oh, 15 years is leagues better than this stuff.  It’s more inspired.  It’s more compelling.  It’s genre bending and creative and heartfelt.  It’s well-paced and intense and funny and sexy and meaningful.  It’s smart and thoughtful and good.  It’s novel-quality.  Better than, sometimes.

Rare is the script I don’t want to put down, but how often have we stayed up until 3am to get to the last chapter of a 100k fic? And it’s not even a fan fic author’s day job.  This is what they do on the side.  In their spare time.  For free.

So my point is, fan fic authors, you’re good.  You’re good writers and great storytellers.  I know it doesn’t always feel like it, especially if you’re one of the authors who’s not a BNF and doesn’t get the notes/hits that a few do.  And  because some people still view fic as “not real writing.” You guys know the shit that gets made into movies.  You’re better than that.  So be better than that.  If writing is what you think want to do, then just know you’re already doing it.   You’ve already started.

Anyways, this is coming from someone who isn't a massive, longterm GO fan. I did not wait years for this finale. I am not heavily bound to these characters (though I have developed my usual maternal feelings towards Crowley pretty quickly, so there's that). I didn't go through the emotional upheaval surrounding the news that the writer is a vile sexual predator. Essentially: I don't go here. I'm not an appreciable part of this fandom.

So I feel like it means something kind of negative when the finale had even me - all but an outsider - kind of grimacing at her screen.

Climbing up David Tennant - Part Seven Alternate title:  Scaling a tall, skinny Scot