The Alpha Centauri and Nightingales: Why do I think that Good Omens finale works
You should know by now that the Alpha Centauri system consists of two stars, orbiting so close to eachother that it was assumed for decades it was just one star. They are orbiting, but they never touch — they are stars, after all. Stars can't be too close.
Regarding the plot
I will insist that from a dramaturgical point of view, the ending is logical, and, mainly it feels right. Major story arcs have been started — Heaven and Hell, God and humanity, the all-time duet of Aziraphale&Crowley against the antics of the universe, and the most important — God's ineffable plan. The stakes were too high. You wouldn't leave it hanging if you were a writer just for the sake of a cozy ending, would you? (Oh, I know you would, you.) It may feel a little rushed, but c'mon, 99 minutes? They were used to the fullest — and the style of storytelling in the first season was pretty much the same.
Was it all in vain?
Hell, no. Why on Earth would you say that? For Heaven's sake. Just because something has come to an end, does not lessen the meaning of it's existence. Just because there is no eternal yaoi, does not mean that all of Azicrow development was pointless. It's still them. Everything in this world comes with its allotted time, and it would be rather foolish to not acknowledge that it was there even if you don't have it anymore, otherwise, what's the point of everything?
Why couldn't they just stay together?
What makes you think that they're not? Well, it's not the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley anymore, right? Although-
First of all, a vast part of GO fandom treats A&C as human characters — which they're certainly not. A habit of a human brain, it is. You see something human shaped and it clicks — well, that thing might be human as well! My point, though, is that you should remember them as supernatural, ethereal (or occult) beings, for whom a human body is merely a funny costume to fit in. Interpreting their actions from a human's point of view will not work — the way they think, feel, what kind of affection matters to them, despite the fact that they actively sought to assimilate on Earth. But do you know what distinguishes A&C from humans the most?
Free will, ladies and gentlemen!
This is stated in the movie in plain text (by Crowley) — just humans have it. Angels and demons are known for being created with a purpose, and not that the said purpose can be ditched so easily. That's what they struggle with throughout the story — being assigned a purpose they don't want to fullfill. And they were, for the first time, given a choice — what do you want, God's creatures? Mere curiousity of Hers. And the second they were really given a choice, they chose their fate. Now they are fully left to themselves and free to do whatever. Marry, hug, kiss, and many other things they've been depicted to do in thousands of fanworks.
Besides, I don't think that God would have fulfilled just any request of theirs. It was pure gambling — all depending on if She will find it amusing enough to give it a go. Otherwise, A&C simply would've been erased to start over, just as planned. The void bookshop scene has strong Master and Margarita vibes, too. Thus, if you decide to play with an ineffable force, don't expect it to indulge.
Why didn't Azi properly kiss Crowley back?
Again, Aziraphale and Crowley are not humans. The meaning that a kiss holds to us would not mean the same to them — you have to be made of flesh for tactile romance to be a remarkable experience. They are not actually material, so no big difference how exactly they touched, it's the background each concious action has. THE kiss was more of a desperate way to get angel's atrention, hold him back somehow. That scene does not determine them as lovers — the nightingale scenes do. But if we are to analyse what Aziraphale gave in response, we're ought to keep in mind two things. Firstly, by Christian dogmas (I would determine the source as Christian, because Good Omens, obviously, consists of mostly biblical figures and events, from both Old and New Testaments), love is associated with mercy, which is usually tied to forgiving people. Basically, if you love someome, you will forgive them anything. In this context, "I forgive you" can as well be a variation of "I love you", especially for divine creatures.
Secondly, the mouth-fingers-touch kiss. It's a gesture used for blessings. Aziraphale blessed Crowley, before, as they thought, they were seeing eachother for the last time. When you bless someone, you not only wish them wellbeing, you ask God for mercy for this person. And mercy is the thing that a sinner, not quite fallen, rather descended downhill, needs the most.
I just wanted a happy ending for them
Two old married men, sitting close together, stargazing with a cup of hot cocoa each. If that you won't call a happy ending, I don't know what you will. A nice scene, really. Just the right amount of sappy. That is what they both ever wished for. The human nature, yes. Let me explain.
You may have wanted A&C to ditch everything, Heaven and Hell, God, even, and live to their satisfaction somewhere where no one would bother them. Or something similar. Oh well. This goes against all their previous efforts, all of them. For what reason did they fuss over stopping Armageddon in the book and S1? For what did Aziraphale rush back to the head office to plan the Second Coming? For what did Crowley ask God the reason She made humans the way she did? Because they love Earth and humanity, they have not spent 6000 years there for nothing. The love humans. They love you. They wished for that world for you. They're angels, doesn't matter, formerly or currently, and angels love humanity, that is in their core.
Back to Alpha Centauri metaphor — stars don't touch. Humans do. Divine creatures, made with purpose, don't have free will. Humans do. An angel and a demon can't be free from the impact of higher forces, that's what they are struggling fir through the story, you know? Humans can. No one watches over them anymore, thinking of yet another punishment. They adore being humans, I think. And it's undoubtedly them. Souls are immortal, at least in the setting where souls exist. Suggesting they did it differently means tossing all their wants and beliefs in vain, which is blatant disrespect, to be honest, to both Crowley and Aziraphale, their efforts, their relationship, and Neil Gaiman with Terry Pratchett who wrote them this way.
They are happy to live a human life. Happier than ever. Think of if as retirement — no obligations, no divine pressure, just life. I would imagine that it's what all millions years old creatures wish for.
"I have the universe and I have you. I don't need anything else."
