They love humanity precisely because humans have free will, the ability to choose who and what they want to be. Humans had the very thing Aziraphale and Crowley believed they themselves lacked — free will. But they had it all along. Otherwise, Aziraphale would never have lied to God, never given away his sword, never interfered with the divine plan by saving Job’s children, never made the Arrangement with Crowley, never chosen Crowley over and over again, never agreed to stop Armageddon in the end. Crowley would never have asked questions, never helped Aziraphale save Job’s children, never talked Elspeth out of suicide (which, ironically, he himself ended up committing in the finale), never saved his angel time and time again, never kept choosing Aziraphale, never done good deeds when he was explicitly told to do evil instead, never stood side by side with his angel to stop Armageddon. Free will always existed, absolutely. For angels and demons alike.
And free will doesn’t belong only to them. All angels and demons have it — it’s just that, unlike Aziraphale and Crowley, none of them spent enough time on Earth to become more human and fully realize that free will, enough to stand against the system that kept telling them they didn’t have any in the first place.
To me, Good Omens also reflected our own reality — how many people in positions of power use God and the “divine plan” as a shield for their terrible actions. I always saw God in Good Omens as something like a bored but merciful being who genuinely loves Her creations — and that’s exactly why She gave them free will. That was her original plan all along, otherwise, as Crowley himself said at the beginning of season 1, She would’ve put the Tree of Knowledge on the Moon, on a mountaintop, or simply never created it at all if She didn’t want humans to have free will. That is Her Ineffable Plan — to give humanity free will. When Aziraphale says in the finale that they want a universe where there is “nothing ineffable,” he is literally saying “no free will.” It feels like the people behind the finale heard the phrase “Ineffable Plan” but never actually understood what it meant.
And when She made the wager with Satan during the Job story, She already knew Crowley wouldn’t destroy the goats or kill the children. She knew Aziraphale wouldn’t allow it to happen either. She knew he would lie in order to do the right thing. Precisely because he has free will. She is omniscient — She knew everything from the very beginning. She knows what was, what is, and what will be. She is not cruel — the cruel ones are those who speak in Her name. The Great Plan does not belong to Her; only the Ineffable one does. The “Great Plan” was invented by those claiming to speak for Her.
The original theme, free will as part of the ineffable plan, felt lost and replaced with cheap drama. What began as a comedic story with religious motifs that satirized the idea of total self-sacrifice for a “better” world instead of actually trying to fix things, ultimately ended with exactly that kind of sacrifice, along with a strange, inconsistent drama that doesn’t align with established characterizations.
The finale erased all of that, threw it away, and forgot about it.
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One take I see popping up, among people who thought that Good Omens Season 3 had a righteous ending, is along the lines of "everything had to be annihilated and made over because God's game was rigged, they were never going to save the world as it existed, so their sacrifice was necessary to create a just and fair world in which humanity could have free will."
The logical flaws aside -- why assume the God we're shown in s3 would keep her bargain? How was humanity any freer to choose than in the 6000 year old Good Omens universe, given that choices still have consequences in our world, whether or not a capricious God imposes them? -- I could go on -- none of this Byronic defiance of/bargaining with God fits the narrative we fell in love with.
One of the conspicuous things about Good Omens, the book, and the screenplay thereof, is the absence of God in the proceedings. Her presence as an omniscient narrator obfuscates this, but God's voice-overs actually stand in for a neutral narrator voice in the book (mostly Terry's, from the tone of those passages). After the Flood, when Aziraphale states the Almighty is a bit "tetchy," God doesn't take any direct action. In fact, it's a critical element of the plot that Aziraphale is certain God will listen to reason if only he can speak to Her, but his attempt to reach Her is blocked by the Metatron; we get no assurance that God is even paying attention at this point. Heaven and Hell, certainly, are gung-ho for their cosmic footie match, winner take all. And Heaven seems to have lost its grip on any concept of what "good" actually stands for. That is one of the things the book was satirizing -- the definition of goodness as blind compliance with received authority, with rigid, arbitrary rules and black/white concepts of virtue. Aziraphale and Crowley, the observers who've been embedded with Humans for centuries, have learned that existence is more complex.
Aziraphale brings that home with his rules-lawyering at the airfield. Yes, the War is the Great Plan, but is it the Ineffable plan? The one that is apparently only known to God? Neither Heaven's nor Hell's representative can answer. The whole operation comes to a screeching halt, Gabriel (or the Metatron) and Beelzebub retreat, Adam stands firm when his father appears to thunder at him. Armageddon aborted, it would seem -- and still God, in the phrase of Porphyria's Lover, has not said a word.
Is God even bothered at this point? Has S/He buggered off somewhere to be Ineffable, leaving everything to representatives who may have drifted further and further off course? Does the Metatron even talk to Her as billed, or has he usurped God's authority, Wormtongue-style? (That would fit with putative manipulations of the Book Of Life.) Is God still set on that six thousand year drop-dead date? Or does She even remember where She put her toys? I think it would be a very Pratchetty thing to find -- perhaps after another Aziraphalean throat-clearing, or perhaps Crowley taking point this time -- that God got distracted, or learned from Her creation, and was receptive to skipping the whole seas turning to blood, last judgment business.
Something like that would harmonize so, so much more with the book that's been loved for thirty-five years and the screenplay made from it. And there would still be Free Will, a sneaker kicking a pebble, a couple in a cottage in the Downs (with full memories of what made them a couple), and humans thrashing it all out, as we've always done.
aziraphale as Supreme Archangel demanding to see the ineffable plan and being shown a glowing gold safe with a really elaborate piece of parchment and a fancy seal with scales on it and he breaks the seal and it just says:
Get Principality Aziraphale to fall in love with the Starmaker Crawley
Edit: Get the Serpent of Eden A.J. Crowley to fall in love with the Guardian Aziraphale of the Eastern Gate and Make Sure Aziraphale loves him back
Edit's Edit: And do it before March 2040 because I have a bet with Satan
So, it’s time that we discuss GO2 ending and why I think Metatron has ASSURED the success of the INEFFABLE PLAN a.k.a, the second coming. (Or has he?)
So first things first: the obvious.
After 6.000 years together on earth, we have established, with any trace of doubt that Crowley and Aziraphale LOVE EACH OTHER.Â
We’ve also learned that Demons have morals (by Crowley refusing to destroy everything Job holds dear). And that Angels can be TEMPTED (by Aziraphale accepting the food and lying not only to the archangels but to the SUPREME archangel, that those were Job’s new kids).Â
So, that brings us to the declaration.Â
Crowley it’s trying so hard to make Aziraphale see that he loves him, completely and unapologetically. That they are more than Heaven and Hell, they are an US.
During that speech, we see Aziraphale very conflicted. He jumps from happy to confused, to sad and angry. He even forcefully pleads Crowley to accept going to heaven with him, using every word that he knows works, in hopes to change his mind (He was desperate when he blared that “I NEED YOU”).Â
But Crowley doesn't yield, he's still trying to make Aziraphale realize he's wrong for choosing Heaven over them. Which brings me to this dialogue:Â
C: “Listen, do you hear that”Â
A: “I don't hear anything”Â
C: “That's the point, no nightingales”. “You idiot, we could have been US”
At that exact moment, Aziraphale looks away from temptation, because let's be clear, Crowley IS TEMPTING HIM. But when Crowley sees that words won't reach him, he launches into a desperate kiss, pouring all his heart.Â
When they brake apart, Aziraphale looks distressed, almost on the brink of tears. He is fighting too many emotions within himself and you can see a split moment when he almost says yes to Crowley, but instead, he resisted temptation by saying “I forgive you”
But why you ask? Why is Aziraphale trying so hard to resist Crowley's temptation? Simple: Metatron.Â
Metatron used his celestial powers of conviction on Aziraphale by using the coffee as a ploy for his manipulations, but not by spiking it. Metatron went to earth with one simple plan in mind: Make Aziraphale convince Crowley to convert into an Angel or break them apart. Â
When Metatron arrived, Aziraphale was clearly uncomfortable with his presence and made quite clear that he had no intention of hearing him out, “I don’t believe there’s anything left to be said. I’ve made my position quite clear.” but then, everything changed with this conversation:
A: “You brought me a coffee?”
M: ”Are you going to take it?”
A: ”Shal I…?”
M: “Drink it? Of course. I’ve ingested things in my time, you know.“
A: “It’s …Oh, it’s very nice”.Â
M: “Yes, I should jolly well hope so”
This for me, it’s the utmost form of manipulation from Metatron. The coffee represents an olive branch, offered as a ruse for Aziraphale to completely trust him and let his guard down, by implying that he is not so righteous himself and also enjoys the guilty pleasures that humankind has to offer (let's remember that Angels do not require eating for sustenance, so when Aziraphale does it, it's simply for the pleasure of it. Something viewed as a lack of strong morals for an Angel). Metatron even reinforced this by smiling at him, knowingly.
But he is clearly FAKING THIS, because the second Aziraphale can't see him, he looks at Crowley with utmost disgust. (I firmly believe that was Metatron who Crowley spoke to, about his suggestions on God's plan for the universe. Marking him a person non grata, and by default a Fallen Angel).(Also golden star to Metatron for not just getting Aziraphale out of his safe space (the bookshop), but also for getting him away from the person that could smell his bullshit speech from miles away: Crowley)
The next bit of the conversation is filled with pleasantries towards Aziraphale, saying that he is the only Angel fitted for the position.“ You are a leader, you are honest and don’t just tell people what they what to hear” And while you might think that those are good things, they are actually the qualities that Metatron HATES about Aziraphale.Â
Metatron played Aziraphale expertly, making him VERY EXITED for the prospect of going back. Because If he can change how things are done in Heaven, that means that Heaven was not the problem but the people running it (and by default, making him a good Angel by lying just to save Job’s children). He could even make space for someone like Crowley, who is neither good nor bad. In other words, Aziraphale intends to PAINT HEAVEN IN DIFFERENT SHADES OF GREY, so he and Crowley could be TOGETHER on the “right side”. Â
That’s why you can see how pained Aziraphale looked after Crowley left the bookshop and almost backtracked his decision. He didn't because his desire to fix things and create a just and truly good system is greater than Crowley's temptation.
(Aziraphale is saying: The system is unfair and I can change it. FOR YOU, FOR US. Whereas Crowley: The system works as intended. This is not a Bug, but a Feature. We should stay out of it, in OUR SIDE, TOGETHER).
But why would Metatron, a supreme celestial being care about any of this? Because he FEARS THEM.
It was very early established that Demons and Angels are enemies and should not, under any circumstance dwell or interact with each other, because they are hereditary enemies. But what if that's not the real reason? What if Angels and Demons should not work together because they would become extremely powerful?Â
Through the ages, Crowley has been making miracles for Aziraphale and vice versa, but the first time that they perform a miracle TOGETHER, the Lazarus scale went bananas, saying that that magnitude of power could only be compared to a supreme archangel. And all that happened while they were trying to perform the tiniest of miracles. Imagine what they can achieve by truly joining forces.
TOGETHER as HEAVEN AND HELL, they have the power to tip the balance and frustrate what Metatron think is the ineffable plan.Â
So, with the second coming afoot, it’s only logical to eliminate that threat. Whether by transforming Crowley into an angel and getting reed off his Hell powers, or by removing Aziraphale from earth and by default, Crowley.
Metatron made a gamble and he thought he won, but he lost.
If we know anything about these characters it's that they could always rely on each other “I can always rely on you and you could always rely on me” The love and care that they share for each other it’s a crack on Metatron’s manipulations, that will grow and shatter his plan. (At first, Aziraphale will truly believe that he is making a difference and that he can change Heaven like Metatron implied, but soon he will learn the truth: Heaven and Hell won't change unless forced to).Â
These two ARE THE INEFFABLE PLAN that God designed:Â
Bringing BALANCE INTO THE UNIVERSE by destroying Heaven and Hell, not their residents, but the institutions themselves. No more Heaven, no more Hell, just celestial beings going as far as they can with what they think is right.Â
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In ep 6, right after Aziraphale asks if the Great Plan is also the Ineffable Plan, Crowley seems to realize something and says “You don’t know.” Maybe I’m missing something obvious, but…wtf does this mean?? I’ve watched the show twice through and I still don’t know lmao. Thanks!! :)
Hiya! :) Crowley realizes that they don't actually know what God's plan is, so they can with Aziraphale bullshit them to go away :D (like... oh you thought that the Great Plan about War is the thing? oh no, actually the Ineffable Plan is and it means something different...), in the book there is:
"Excuse me," said the angel.
The trio looked at him.
"This Great Plan," he said, "this would be the ineffable Plan, would it?"
There was a moment's silence.
"It's the Great Plan," said the Metatron flatly. "You are well aware. There shall be a world lasting six thousand years and it will conclude with—"
"Yes, yes, that's the Great Plan all right," said Aziraphale. He spoke politely and respectfully, but with the air of one who has just asked an unwelcome question at a political meeting and won't go away until he gets an answer. "I was just asking if it's ineffable as well. I just want to be clear on this point."
"It doesn't matter!" snapped the Metatron. "It's the same thing, surely!"
Surely? thought Crowley. They don't actually know. He started to grin like an idiot.
"So you're not one hundred percent clear on this?" said Aziraphale.
"It's not given to us to understand the ineffable Plan," said the Metatron, "but of course the Great Plan—"
"But the Great Plan can only be a tiny part of the overall ineffability," said Crowley. "You can't be certain that what's happening right now isn't exactly right, from an ineffable point of view."
"It izz written!" bellowed Beelzebub.
"But it might be written differently somewhere else," said Crowley.
"Where you can't read it."
"In bigger letters," said Aziraphale.
"Underlined," Crowley added.
"Twice," suggested Aziraphale.
"Perhaps this isn't just a test of the world," said Crowley. "It might be a test of you people, too. Hmm?"
"God does not play games with His loyal servants," said the Metatron, but in a worried tone of voice.
"Whoop-eee," said Crowley. "Where have you been?"
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
He and Crowley went all the way. It had taken six thousand years, one of the worst fights in history, and two things neither of them understood about the other, plus a great deal of alcohol, but they had made it. And it had been so good. So right . He looked again at Crowley, who in the meantime had not stopped staring at him.
“So we ... we got it ...”
“Done. Yes, we did it and it was magnificent. You were magnificent,” Crowley said with an irresistible smile.
“You too,” Aziraphale said in return with his usual smile. He had never made it a secret that he was head over heels in love with Crowley, the only person he kept denying it to was himself. But his looks could not lie: Aziraphale had worshipped Crowley since the dawn of time.
Gabriel and Beelzebub are the ones who told the armies to stand down. Then they go off together
Is it part of the Ineffable plan that there will always be one Angel and one Demon that will prevent the final battle, whose fates are inextricably linked?