#go 2 speculation

I swear, I started this as a wholesome innocent comment on how when Crowley has to think of a prize, after 6000+ years, his sweet head still goes to stars as the ultimate symbol of something beautiful and cherished.

But then I was struck by something: sarcasm.

Both times, when he tells someone to "have a gold star," he doesn't say it with a tone of affectionate irony, like the cool-but-sweet uncle with a rough personality but a soft heart. He says it with a tone of bitter sarcasm, of painful disenchantment.

Because it's not a prize that he is offering; it's a sop, a cruel joke-gift, something that will get you excited at first just because you have a stupid, naive, innocent soul, and you will later realize that it means nothing to the one who assigned it to you, and that they are ready to take it away whenever they want, while the rest of the world laughs at your ridiculous gullibility.

Because this is what stars were for him.

They were his beloved, exciting creation. The star-factory nebula was his cherished task, assigned to him by God, and he believed that it was meant to be a thing of beauty and splendor, and hold value in the grand scheme of the universe... only to discover, immediately after he created it, that it was never intended to have any value at all. It meant nothing to God. It wasn't even planned to last enough to fullfill its purpose. It was a joke, a cruel prank. 

The stars were God's bad pun of giving angel!Crowley something to do, and love, and have hope and expectations for, and then taking it away. Revealing that it was just a shiny piece of gold cardstock that only a simpleton could consider valuable. Of course he can only say "have a gold star" as a dry snarky sarcastic comment on someone who thinks they have achieved something meaningful when it's actually nothing. Be it the Them defeating the Four Horsemen. Be it Muriel being noticed by the Metatron.

Great, sure, have a gold star, be all excited and squealing with happiness, it will turn into ashes before you even know it.

I am not sure that Crowley's snake eyes were ever intended to signal that he cannot see the stars because snakes have bad vision (even ignoring the zoological fact that they are sensitive to UV light though, so they should still see astronomical objects, in the book it says that demons must be able to see at night, and that's why Crowley doesn't need to turn on the lights on the Bentley), but for sure the Fall and Heaven's cruelty has ruined the stars for him, in a way.

Now, in his mind, they are the ultimate symbol of delusion, of naivety, of foolishly investing your love and passion and hopes in something, of stupidly ignoring that the things you cherish will be ruined or taken away from you or leave you on their own accord.

That's also why Aziraphale's "nothing lasts forever" cuts him so deep. That's why his "no... no, I dont' suppose it does" sounds so much like a truth that he is remembering instead of one that he has jsut discovered.

Here you go, you did it again, you thought you had something significant and instead it was just like your stars, you should have known that whenever you find something beautiful it's just a matter of time before you lose it, you shouldn't get too attached.

I found it odd that this season had SO MANY official posters. Hours and hours of work and real dollars from Amazon went into the production of these things. This one won a freakin Clio award. I know Neil confirmed he didn't have a lot of control of what went into these 21 (Or 22 depending on whether or not you count the umbrella piece that was made before season 2 shooting began. Personally I don't!) pieces, but I will leave no stone unturned, so here we go. I combed through every single season 2 poster I could find so you don't have to. Here's everything I've found so far:

1. The allegiances poster

After having watched season 2, knowing what we know now, this poster seems very much to me like a Game of Thrones style family at war image. We have a perfect mirror down the center, with Aziraphale/Angels/Nina&Maggie on Aziraphale's traditional left side, and Crowley with Beelzebub & Jim as reflections of Maggie/Nina, and Shax and Michael(?) as reflections of the three angels on the other side of the mirror. It seems unbalanced, unless you count the floating white head (conveniently watching in the background) as The Metatron...

I actually don't think he understands throughout Crowley's confession - he never fully responds or acknowledges anything Crowley says.

Crowley was prepped for this conversation, Aziraphale wasn't. He isn't picking up the signs.

I think about how Crowley really didn't see where Nina and Maggie were trying to take the conversation. Crowley honestly had no idea where they were going.

I think THIS is when it hits Aziraphale there is more happening here..

It's the first time his expression matches Crowley's.

And when Crowley says we could have been "us" Aziraphale turns away as he starts to get overwhelmed. It's all happening very fast, and it's just too much.

He's suddenly in a conversation he didn't see coming.

I don't know that Aziraphale has ever looked away from Crowley like this before?

I'm theorizing it's because he's overwhelmed. He's hurt. He's confused, and maybe scared?

His mask is completely gone. He's completely vulnerable.

He's covering with anger already.

But he's not allowed to retreat. Crowley isn't going to let him get off that easily.

In the same instant that it's beginning, it's somehow ending.

The kiss completely breaks him.

There's no misunderstanding at this point.

But it's too much.

It's Too Fast.

You go too fast for me, Crowley

Crowley always could pivot faster than Aziraphale. Add on the pressure of some prat (Metatron) watching through the window, and this being the FIRST time they've had such a real moment - I can see where it was just too much.

He has two choices.

Break. Or redirect his emotions to anger.

He chooses to steel himself up against a rising wave of sorrow.

I think that Saraqael is one to watch. She recognized the purple energy burst, she could at least sense Goob/Jim when he fanned the Terry Pratchett book in her face. And wasn't a jerk boss to Muriel like the other Archangels.

But. Very importantly. She recognized Crowley in Heaven in his (atrocious) angel disguise, wasn't accusatory, and USED HIS CHOSEN NAME. Didn't deadname him, remembering their work on the Horsehead Nebula (pictured). And she, and Muriel, have elements of PURPLE in their clothing. I think she could be an ally to Aziraphale and/or see him if Metatron tries to conceal him (theoretically, obviously me speculating).