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Good Omens: A Guide Down the Rabbit Hole
Why this show? What’s the thing that’s so magical, the thing that gripped hold and refused to let go, that means that I just keep falling in love a little more every day, discover new layers and ways to love?
It’s the poetry.
a) To quote![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
promethia_tenk talking about Moffat Who:
“I always loved poetry because you can treat a poem like a puzzle. Everything matters on all the levels: literal meaning, symbolic meaning, allusions, associations, sounds, the rhythm, the relation of each part to whole, the structure of it all, the configuration on the page... the sheer density of information you can encode in a poem is just awesome. There is NO WAY to read poetry passively.
AND THEY MADE A WHOLE TV SHOW LIKE THAT.”
Turns out they made two shows like that. :)
This post is an attempt at delving down through the different levels and highlight particularly beautiful and interesting parts. I wanted to create some sort of guide to all the different places we’ve been this past half year: the riches we uncovered, the joys and the meta and the sucker-punches and the insane attention to detail.
b) Although, before I start, I want to point out that the poetry is literal too. Never has so much fic referenced and used so much poetry; I have read more poetry in the past half year than the previous 40+ years.
This show, this fandom, reaches out and pulls in the whole world and all its stories. It draws on all of human history; every story, every song, every poem.
There is an angel and a demon. (In love.) They witnessed, they remember; a Mesopotamian lullaby, a Roman love story, a Victorian Music Hall comedy song.
(Every piece of fan art that pops up on my Tumblr with Aziraphale reading to Crowley hits that spot yet again…)
c) Also, it's a queer fairytale, and one with a happy ending. This is a magical thing in and of itself.
~
Warning: There is a lot of reading required. Hyperlinks are my particular friends. This is months' worth of reading and discussions condensed into a single post. (ETA: For fic or other things, go to my Master Post.)
Good Omens: A Guide Down the Rabbit Hole
One: The Book [The gay angel]
First of all, this book meta:
Why is Aziraphale so gay?.
It helps as a base for Aziraphale, pointing out what the character was from the beginning. My husband commented how Michael Sheen’s performance was very . . . (you could hear the ellipsis) — in response I fetched the book and read him the relevant paragraph:
Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide.
The essay delves into the topic in great detail, going over every aspect of [book] Aziraphale and how his ‘gayness’ manifests in how he presents himself, and how that ties in with the actual gay community.
(Fandom has unilaterally declared Aziraphale the patron saint/guardian angel of the LGBTQ+ community, and this meta beautifully illustrates why, and how that was always inherent in the character.)
~o~
Two: The Show [Everything is Meant]
Before we proceed with the TV show meta, please be aware that everything is meant:
There is also the fact that the moment when Aziraphale lifts up his wing and Crawly steps under it for shelter — Adam and Eve reach out and take each other’s hands, the lion vanquished.
The show is OVERFLOWING with this. Everywhere. Every scene. Every frame. (In short, this is the single most rewarding show ever.)
This is also evident in the Easter Eggs, the sets etc:
I could go on. The point is: This isn't a show where the fans are interpreting 'subtext' to their hearts content far from the intentions of the creators. No, it's all there on purpose.
~o~
Three: The Foundations [Queer Fairytale]
Next stop are these two essays byowlboy:
Mirrors in Good Omens
and
Aziraphale is a Big Gay Thot.
Which I consider The Foundational Text of how to interpret the show.
GO READ.
Then come back to me.
~
a) So, the first reason I say Owl’s reading is foundational (i.e. gets to the heart of the story) is that it is echoed elsewhere, it’s the reason it resonates so very strongly with certain viewers:
The red thread in all these is being true to yourself is what matters. Come what may.
b) The second reason I say it’s the reading is that you can tell you have the right lens when everything else lines up. Take the point about the children being the ones to save the world, how Adam and his friendships are more powerful than hell’s plans or manipulations. There is a lovely Tumblr post delving into this, about how Aziraphale and Crowley step in to be the right sort of [god]parents – affirmative, rather than prescriptive:
How Crowley & Aziraphale were not useless
If the overarching point is to accept people for who they are and not to force them to fit into your narrow ideals/goals, for people to be themselves, then Adam's story parallels Aziraphale's and Crowley's and Anathema's (she stops being ‘a Descendant’) and so on. Adam is as much seen as a tool by hell as Aziraphale is by heaven. And Adam turns around and says 'No, I'll be myself with the friends and family that I love rather than do what you tell me to be!' - something underscored by Azira & Crowley talking about his father when Mr Young pulls up:
Aziraphale: That's not really his father...
Crowley: It is. It is now. And it always was.
You owe nothing to those who hurt you - get out, choose those who truly care and who accept you for yourself.
~
Additional reading. Two further posts by Owls on the gay & abusive aspects (this overlaps with other parts, they will be linked within links):
The (gay) history of the world through Good Omens
Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship seems to progress in almost lock-step parallel to attitudes about homosexuality throughout history.
punch more Gabriels
I think people underestimate how shrewd and calculated Gabriel’s abuse of Aziraphale is, how specifically targeted towards him it is, and how much Gabriel actually knows.... he’s not actually stupid or naive at all, he’s an actively sadistic bully, who knows exactly what he’s doing.
~o~
Four: The Sugar Daddy
SO.
This is the sweetest, most wholesome, most affirmative show in existence.
But that’s not the whole story… Follow me further down:
Because here are Three Things (by your meta trio, Owls, Proton & yours truly) which punched through the bottom of the rabbit hole and revealed whole new layers.
First there was:
The D/s meta byowlboy
Which spawned:
VID: Bring it Home (Sugar Daddy) bypromethia_tenk
Which spawned:
Meta café: I Contain Multitudes: Notes on Bring It Home (Sugar Daddy) vid. byelisi
I don't feel I can add anything to these, go read/watch/read.
~
Although this fic captures the absurd juxtaposition of 'sweet & wholesome' and 'naughty & smutty' that somehow co-exist in perfect harmony:
You've Got Kudos by curtaincall
Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley both write fanfiction. As it happens, they both write Good Omens fanfiction. Of course, neither of them would ever admit this to the other. (A love story told primarily in AO3 comments)
Words: 3899
My notes: Genius.
Or shorter: The Good Omens fandom in a single Venn diagram
~o~
Five: The Demon Crowley [who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards]
Advice for Thwarting the Demon, Crawly, aka the Serpent of Eden
His sins are Sloth and Vanity. Take advantage of his long sleeps, and do not try to keep up with him when he wakes from one. He is moody, impulsive, and reckless. Don’t force a confrontation. The upper and lower mass ranges of his serpent form have not been determined. His human form is more limited in mass but can change its details, including clothing (much of which is his skin), in a heartbeat. Serpentine eyes and walk will always identify him. He is intelligent, and most dangerous when bored. Distract him. He enjoys sleeping, drinking, music, novelties, gadgets, arguments, and children. Therefore, keep an especially close eye on craftsmen, rebellious youth, and rabbis. He’ll make a game of Hell, and Heaven, too, so learn the rules of whatever game he’s playing, but don’t get sucked into it yourself.
Taken from Part 6: Senses of Akashic Records. It's part of Aziraphale's report to Heaven on his adversary on Earth. (Series hereby wholeheartedly recommended. A Through the Ages fic that does things no other fic does.)
Aziraphale's arc is clear to all, and it's his development we follow. Crowley is a lot more stable across the show, so the meat of his character is much more buried and has to be glimpsed obliquely. But that does not mean it's any less satisfying, just that a different approach is needed. So I'll do my best to highlight the different facets, for you to get an idea of the buried riches.
I shall begin and end with a vid. Both bypurplefringe. First up:
Hallelujah
summary: there's a blaze of light in every word / it doesn't matter which you heard / the holy or the broken hallelujah. On faith, and falling, and freedom.
ETA: Youtube took the video down, it has been re-uploaded here.
The vid is (technically) an Aziraphale vid, but as it happens I wrote meta that overlapped with the vid Quite A Bit (the vid is a dialogue, and Crowley's parts fitted with my thoughts perfectly), so I tied it together and the result is here. It delves into world building and metaphors and what role Crowley fills and how he fits, and the pain and rejection at the centre of him:
'It's A Cold And It's A Broken Hallelujah' - Queer lens as default: Crowley (and Heaven and hell)
Where Aziraphale’s story is about breaking free from something damaging and accepting himself, Crowley looks straight past ‘heaven’ and is dealing with the fundamental questions. The only one who speaks directly to God, even if She never replies. (Although there is another way of looking at it… Crowley yells at God, and God gives him Aziraphale.)
ETA: I literally forgot to include it, but please note: Crowley's story is not a redemption narrative. It's too easy to overlook the importance of this, but Crowley-like characters (The Bad Boy) fall into this category 99% of the time. But Crowley stays a demon, he saves the world as a demon and - delving into all the layers of 'unforgivable' aside, which is more about the labels the world has put on him - Aziraphale loves him as he is. Indeed, it's Aziraphale who has to change and leave his past behind.
What the show does with Crowley is far more interesting: He is, for most of it, the moral centre. No wonder the fundamentalists wanted Netflix to cancel the show! ;)
~
Crowley meta, generally, comes bite-size on Tumblr. First up the plant posts (they're linked in my meta above, but I thought I'd put them in here too because they're so fundamental), followed by a collection of good links:
~
Of course there is also fic. Good Omens fic is generally excellent, and fic (moreso than meta, I'd say) provides a brilliant way to dig into all of Crowley's layers and issues:
An Old Rain From New Skies by vaguely_concerned
Summary: Another conversation in the rain, 6000 years later.
Words: 3600
My note: Crowley and existential angst. And a perfect example of ‘Shouts questions at God, and Aziraphale is there for him’.
These Things Were Here by MajorEnglishEsquire
Summary: Crowley, following times of overwhelming distress, resorted to the snake form as a means of finding comfort and solitude.
Words: 13606
My note: Of staying and trauma and loss and coping. (The heavy toll of Crowley's assignments and how they affect him. And how Aziraphale tries to protect him.)
What's Done In The Dark by momebie (katilara)
Summary: The one where Crowley is drawn to Aziraphale's holy flame like a moth ready to catch fire.
Words: 35676
My note: ‘This is a fic that's about heat and light and accepting who you have become, especially if you didn't mean to become that person. It's also about love, because it's hard to find true heat, light, and acceptance without it.’ (From the author’s notes)
Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm
Summary: As soon as Aubrey Thyme, psychotherapist, had opened her office door and seen her new client, Anthony J. Crowley, sitting in her waiting area, she was observing and assessing him. At first glance, she paid attention to the following: His clothing was expensive and stylish; He wore very strange but noticeable cologne; His relationship to the seat he occupied could only, very loosely, be described as “sitting;” He looked angry; He was wearing sunglasses.
What Aubrey Thyme, a professional, thought, upon first seeing her new client was: you’re going to be a fun one, aren’t you?
Words: 99422 (Chapters: 16/16)
My note: This one’s the deepest delve into Crowley that exists. Unparalleled.
Slow Show by mia_ugly
Summary: In which temptations are accomplished, grand romantic gestures are made, and two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side (at last, at last.)
(Sure, / I sink the boat of love, but that comes / later. And yes, I swallow / glass, but that comes later. / And the part / where I push you / flush against the wall and every part of your / body rubs against the bricks, / shut up / I’m getting to it. "Litany in Which Certain Things are Crossed Out" - Richard Siken)
Words: 95505 (Chapters: 12/12)
My note: This one is (obviously) an AU. However it’s both insanely good and also a fascinating look at how the characters still work perfectly when all metaphors are stripped away, highlighting how damaging homophobia is. (Composed entirely of pain, pining, poetry, and emotion that will burn clean through you.) Plus it’s got one of the best Crowley’s I’ve read, hands down.
(For further recs just ask, or check out The stupidly big Good Omens fic rec post.)
~
And then to finish, the Crowley counterpart to Hallelujah:
Gravity
summary: I am a constant satellite / of your blazing sun. On love, and silence, and fate, and fire.
All of the above, wrapped up in 3 minutes and 47 seconds of perfect editing.
~o~
Six: Faith(s)
The show on the whole doesn't say anything specific about faith or religion. (Some people think it should, but it doesn't.) What it does do, is that it creates a world and a framework that proves a brilliant gateway to interrogating all manner of things, from all kinds of angles. It's an interesting approach, which Promethia expanded on a while back:
I think the key is that if the show was saying something specific about faith or religion or whatever, it would be less useful metaphorically. It's because it uses all the imagery to create shortcuts (rather than make a point about beliefs in and of themselves) that it can function so well as a conduit for people's personal stories.
~
However, that does not mean that one should ignore the way the show frames things, or the way they use visual shortcuts, or any of the rest. (After all, Everything is Meant). If one (for now) ignores the Cold War metaphor from the book and the abusive [metaphor] aspects of Heaven & Hell, and instead engages with everything on a more basic level [i.e. as faith-based charateristics], interesting things start to emerge. You see - it’s possible to see different faiths reflected in the different factions/characters. Handy guide here via Tumblr:
~
So, here is what we have put together. This is not definitive, but has provided a useful lens:
Hell
Hell is (by definition) protestant. The old-fashioned kind. Owls pointed out how Beez looks like an Ulster loyalist. with the dopey British crown pins and everything, and we can certainly look on the Heaven/Hell enmity as akin to The Troubles.
Heaven
Heaven is WASP-y. (Urban dictionary: WASP is used to refer to the people in American society whose ancestors came from northern Europe, especially England, and who are considered to have a lot of power and influence. WASP is an abbreviation for 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant'.)
Also see this Simpsons clip (Protestant Heaven vs. Catholic Heaven):
QED
~
Aziraphale
The most obvious take is that Aziraphale is Catholic (I'd love to hear other takes, and have seen lovely art/fic where he's Jewish). I don't mean it in a 'He goes to mass every Sunday', but in a 'That is the lens through which he makes the most sense'. Just look at his clothes (more is more. With added Fleabag gif, where The Priest is trying on vestments because he loves how beautiful they are):
Also great skit here by Dylan Moran, talking about Catholics, Protestants and biscuits:
Aziraphale likes food and nice clothes and wine and indulging and tradition and taking a few centuries to update anything at all. And then feels guilty about it. To quote Dylan Moran again (sorry, no link to the relevant performance, but also the quote stands nicely on its own):
Because it was just sort of decided in the 20th century that religion is basically a formalized panic about death. That’s all… I mean, look at the Catholic church, the campest organization on the planet with the purple robes, gold bits on the side, jewellery so big if they let it fall it would kill people…What else can it be, but this sort of ritual of panic about death?
“DEATH IS COMING! Quick, put on the gold hat!”
I’m Catholic born & bred, so I can attest to the truth of all of this and claim Aziraphale as one of ours.
~
Crowley
Crowley… Crowley, we have come to realise, is Jewish? Or rather, fits far better with the idea of a Jewish demon, than a 'Christian' one. (ETA: Please be aware, this is just me re-posting stuff. I am not Jewish and have no particular knowledge, so take it or leave it. If it is offensive, please let me know.)
~
Anyway, Promethia began to extrapolate from our throwing ideas around:
~
Re. the general Jewish origins of angels & demons, then we need look not further than the circle that Aziraphale uses for summoning the Metatron. From the book:
Aziraphale pulls back the carpet and:
There was a small circle chalked on the floorboards underneath, surrounded by suitable passages from the Cabala. The angel lit seven candles, which he placed ritually at certain points around the circle. Then he lit some incense, which was not necessary but did make the place smell nice.
So there you go - Jewish origins, with a Catholic flourish on top! :)
~
I also came across this delightful tale:
Rabbi Yisroel's Demon which follows the Good Omen's template of demons being troublemakers rather than evil, and of angels & demons becoming partners (for lack of a better word), or maybe rather complimenting each other.
(On Tumblr here.)
So although the show draws on a lot of Christian imagery, I feel there is a Jewish sensibility to our angel and our demon in how they operate.
~
These are mostly unfinished thoughts, so please talk to me if you have further insights. For now, I shall point towards fic:
Author: BuggreAllThis
She's a Christian and a theologian at Oxford who has loved Good Omens for the last 20 years, and - thanks to the TV show - has now started writing fic! And the fic is not just well-written, but also theologically astute. (An, um, rarity, shall we say.)
Fic: to carthage then i came by Lvslie
Summary: A liking for light, an attachment to it. What a wretched word. A love, then. Of the scared, misguided kind.
He’d know.
[Aziraphale and Crowley after the Apocalypse, on the brink of becoming something else than they have been, with all the doubts and apprehensions to still approach and work through.]
Words: 17161 (Chapters 3/3)
My notes: Poetry and theology and wrestling with faith and meaning and... Somehow the opposite of all the other theological fic (all the other fic, full stop) - odd and heavy and dense. It's uncomfortable, but compelling. Like how Oswin's theme is basically Clara's but in a different and lower, more dissonant key. The only fic I have come across that makes everything (Heaven, Hell, Religion, our angel and our demon) hang together. (Not that I don’t love Heaven as a metaphor for bigotry, but this Aziraphale has the theological heft and understanding of a Principality.)
Pro-tip: Read the first paragraph of Book Three of St Augustine’s Confession before delving in, just so you’re not completely lost. A working knowledge of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is also highly recommended.
In short: This fic does not fuck around. It is the least fluffy thing in existence, and will cut you up. (And how. It's absolutely incredible.)
~o~
Seven: Ineffable Husbands
Finally (for now) the heart of the show: The Ineffable Husbands.
The show (and the pairing) won Tumblr:
Good Omens was the most popular thing on Tumblr in 2019
And no wonder. Take how fandom lost its mind when:
Neil confirmed that Crowley and Aziraphale held hands on the show.
And then lost its mind again when:
David Tennant confirmed it was on the bus!
Sidebar:
Canonical facts that made me question the mental process that Aziraphale’s mind did in exactly 5 seconds from “I don’t think my side would like it” to “I will grab your hand!!!!!!Fast as fuck boiiiiii”
^ So sweet and accurate. (Fanart/little comic).
I think this is one of the keys. The fact that this is such a soft, gentle show. That the main characters holding hands causes the happiest of meltdowns. It’s sweet, and innocent, and they get a Happy Ending.
And that - maybe more than anything - highlights the importance of this show; not just what it does, but how. It is most beautifully explained in this short post by Owls. In short:
'Two queer/non-conforming characters living through all of human history but having to hide their relationship - who then break free from their abusive families/communities and get to live Just Like People.'
It's one hell of a powerful story. It's the Queer Fairytale we need. Which is why fic like this is not just sweet, but aches in all the best ways, because this happens so very very very rarely: Little Birds by Owls.
(By lonicera-caprifolium)
It’s the poetry.
a) To quote
promethia_tenk talking about Moffat Who:“I always loved poetry because you can treat a poem like a puzzle. Everything matters on all the levels: literal meaning, symbolic meaning, allusions, associations, sounds, the rhythm, the relation of each part to whole, the structure of it all, the configuration on the page... the sheer density of information you can encode in a poem is just awesome. There is NO WAY to read poetry passively.
AND THEY MADE A WHOLE TV SHOW LIKE THAT.”
Turns out they made two shows like that. :)
This post is an attempt at delving down through the different levels and highlight particularly beautiful and interesting parts. I wanted to create some sort of guide to all the different places we’ve been this past half year: the riches we uncovered, the joys and the meta and the sucker-punches and the insane attention to detail.
b) Although, before I start, I want to point out that the poetry is literal too. Never has so much fic referenced and used so much poetry; I have read more poetry in the past half year than the previous 40+ years.
This show, this fandom, reaches out and pulls in the whole world and all its stories. It draws on all of human history; every story, every song, every poem.
There is an angel and a demon. (In love.) They witnessed, they remember; a Mesopotamian lullaby, a Roman love story, a Victorian Music Hall comedy song.
(Every piece of fan art that pops up on my Tumblr with Aziraphale reading to Crowley hits that spot yet again…)
c) Also, it's a queer fairytale, and one with a happy ending. This is a magical thing in and of itself.
~
Warning: There is a lot of reading required. Hyperlinks are my particular friends. This is months' worth of reading and discussions condensed into a single post. (ETA: For fic or other things, go to my Master Post.)
First of all, this book meta:
Why is Aziraphale so gay?.
It helps as a base for Aziraphale, pointing out what the character was from the beginning. My husband commented how Michael Sheen’s performance was very . . . (you could hear the ellipsis) — in response I fetched the book and read him the relevant paragraph:
Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide.
The essay delves into the topic in great detail, going over every aspect of [book] Aziraphale and how his ‘gayness’ manifests in how he presents himself, and how that ties in with the actual gay community.
(Fandom has unilaterally declared Aziraphale the patron saint/guardian angel of the LGBTQ+ community, and this meta beautifully illustrates why, and how that was always inherent in the character.)
Before we proceed with the TV show meta, please be aware that everything is meant:
From the DVD commentary:
[The Garden of Eden scene, the wing scene is coming up]
Douglas Mackinnon: And we’re heading towards what, I think, is actually my favourite shot in the entire series, which is the shot where it starts to rain and a wing comes up to cover the other angel.
Neil Gaiman: And it also covers Adam and Eve.
Douglas Mackinnon: Yeah.
Neil Gaiman: I love the fact that they’re covered by it too.
People have pointed out that the piano lid in the very very very last shot of the last episode reflects that wing and I’ve always meant to ask you if that was intentional or just gloriously accidental.
Douglas Mackinnon: It was gloriously intentional.
(x)
There is also the fact that the moment when Aziraphale lifts up his wing and Crawly steps under it for shelter — Adam and Eve reach out and take each other’s hands, the lion vanquished.
The show is OVERFLOWING with this. Everywhere. Every scene. Every frame. (In short, this is the single most rewarding show ever.)
This is also evident in the Easter Eggs, the sets etc:
Good Omens’ Production Designer Reveals a Hidden Message He Built Into the Set
Michael Ralph says he left plenty of Easter eggs throughout the apocalyptic miniseries
The Good Omens title designer on the sequence’s hidden details
How a ‘mishmash of all animation styles’ came together for a quirky opening
Back Into The Closet: David Tennant and Michael Sheen’s costumes packed with subtle angel and demon symbolism, all the wardrobe secrets from Good Omens
Some of the coolest Good Omens Easter eggs, according to Neil Gaiman, David Tennant and crew
The statue in Crowley’s flat
Neil, Douglas, David and Michael devised a gesture system for miracles - Aziraphale pulls power downwards, Crowley pulls power upwards.
There’s a book on a bookstand to the right-hand side of Aziraphale’s desk...
A whole ton of stuff about the clothing on the show.
Aziraphale was deliberately pinned against a cross of light.
The lights in Aziraphale's eyes.
I could go on. The point is: This isn't a show where the fans are interpreting 'subtext' to their hearts content far from the intentions of the creators. No, it's all there on purpose.
Next stop are these two essays by
owlboy:Mirrors in Good Omens
and
Aziraphale is a Big Gay Thot.
Which I consider The Foundational Text of how to interpret the show.
GO READ.
Then come back to me.
~
a) So, the first reason I say Owl’s reading is foundational (i.e. gets to the heart of the story) is that it is echoed elsewhere, it’s the reason it resonates so very strongly with certain viewers:
This twitter thread (focussing on Aziraphale’s face in a specific scene rather than the whole arc):
I want to talk about this scene in #GoodOmens
This article (which is by someone with autism, rather than someone queer, but it’s the same recognition – ‘I was part of something restrictive/abusive that wouldn’t let me be myself, and the solution was to leave it behind’):
Good Omens Finally Made Me Feel Represented as an Autistic Person Who Grew up Under Anti-Vaccine Ideology
And another take, but someone who came to see that they hadn’t embraced their true self, and Good Omens showed them the way forwards:
So – since it’s #NationalComingOutDay, I’d like to share my rather long, and quite personal, Good Omens story.
The red thread in all these is being true to yourself is what matters. Come what may.
b) The second reason I say it’s the reading is that you can tell you have the right lens when everything else lines up. Take the point about the children being the ones to save the world, how Adam and his friendships are more powerful than hell’s plans or manipulations. There is a lovely Tumblr post delving into this, about how Aziraphale and Crowley step in to be the right sort of [god]parents – affirmative, rather than prescriptive:
How Crowley & Aziraphale were not useless
If the overarching point is to accept people for who they are and not to force them to fit into your narrow ideals/goals, for people to be themselves, then Adam's story parallels Aziraphale's and Crowley's and Anathema's (she stops being ‘a Descendant’) and so on. Adam is as much seen as a tool by hell as Aziraphale is by heaven. And Adam turns around and says 'No, I'll be myself with the friends and family that I love rather than do what you tell me to be!' - something underscored by Azira & Crowley talking about his father when Mr Young pulls up:
Aziraphale: That's not really his father...
Crowley: It is. It is now. And it always was.
You owe nothing to those who hurt you - get out, choose those who truly care and who accept you for yourself.
~
Additional reading. Two further posts by Owls on the gay & abusive aspects (this overlaps with other parts, they will be linked within links):
The (gay) history of the world through Good Omens
Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship seems to progress in almost lock-step parallel to attitudes about homosexuality throughout history.
punch more Gabriels
I think people underestimate how shrewd and calculated Gabriel’s abuse of Aziraphale is, how specifically targeted towards him it is, and how much Gabriel actually knows.... he’s not actually stupid or naive at all, he’s an actively sadistic bully, who knows exactly what he’s doing.
SO.
This is the sweetest, most wholesome, most affirmative show in existence.
But that’s not the whole story… Follow me further down:
Because here are Three Things (by your meta trio, Owls, Proton & yours truly) which punched through the bottom of the rabbit hole and revealed whole new layers.
First there was:
The D/s meta by
owlboyWhich spawned:
VID: Bring it Home (Sugar Daddy) by
promethia_tenkWhich spawned:
Meta café: I Contain Multitudes: Notes on Bring It Home (Sugar Daddy) vid. by
elisiI don't feel I can add anything to these, go read/watch/read.
~
Although this fic captures the absurd juxtaposition of 'sweet & wholesome' and 'naughty & smutty' that somehow co-exist in perfect harmony:
You've Got Kudos by curtaincall
Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley both write fanfiction. As it happens, they both write Good Omens fanfiction. Of course, neither of them would ever admit this to the other. (A love story told primarily in AO3 comments)
Words: 3899
My notes: Genius.
Or shorter: The Good Omens fandom in a single Venn diagram
Advice for Thwarting the Demon, Crawly, aka the Serpent of Eden
His sins are Sloth and Vanity. Take advantage of his long sleeps, and do not try to keep up with him when he wakes from one. He is moody, impulsive, and reckless. Don’t force a confrontation. The upper and lower mass ranges of his serpent form have not been determined. His human form is more limited in mass but can change its details, including clothing (much of which is his skin), in a heartbeat. Serpentine eyes and walk will always identify him. He is intelligent, and most dangerous when bored. Distract him. He enjoys sleeping, drinking, music, novelties, gadgets, arguments, and children. Therefore, keep an especially close eye on craftsmen, rebellious youth, and rabbis. He’ll make a game of Hell, and Heaven, too, so learn the rules of whatever game he’s playing, but don’t get sucked into it yourself.
Taken from Part 6: Senses of Akashic Records. It's part of Aziraphale's report to Heaven on his adversary on Earth. (Series hereby wholeheartedly recommended. A Through the Ages fic that does things no other fic does.)
Aziraphale's arc is clear to all, and it's his development we follow. Crowley is a lot more stable across the show, so the meat of his character is much more buried and has to be glimpsed obliquely. But that does not mean it's any less satisfying, just that a different approach is needed. So I'll do my best to highlight the different facets, for you to get an idea of the buried riches.
I shall begin and end with a vid. Both by
purplefringe. First up:Hallelujah
summary: there's a blaze of light in every word / it doesn't matter which you heard / the holy or the broken hallelujah. On faith, and falling, and freedom.
ETA: Youtube took the video down, it has been re-uploaded here.
The vid is (technically) an Aziraphale vid, but as it happens I wrote meta that overlapped with the vid Quite A Bit (the vid is a dialogue, and Crowley's parts fitted with my thoughts perfectly), so I tied it together and the result is here. It delves into world building and metaphors and what role Crowley fills and how he fits, and the pain and rejection at the centre of him:
'It's A Cold And It's A Broken Hallelujah' - Queer lens as default: Crowley (and Heaven and hell)
Where Aziraphale’s story is about breaking free from something damaging and accepting himself, Crowley looks straight past ‘heaven’ and is dealing with the fundamental questions. The only one who speaks directly to God, even if She never replies. (Although there is another way of looking at it… Crowley yells at God, and God gives him Aziraphale.)
ETA: I literally forgot to include it, but please note: Crowley's story is not a redemption narrative. It's too easy to overlook the importance of this, but Crowley-like characters (The Bad Boy) fall into this category 99% of the time. But Crowley stays a demon, he saves the world as a demon and - delving into all the layers of 'unforgivable' aside, which is more about the labels the world has put on him - Aziraphale loves him as he is. Indeed, it's Aziraphale who has to change and leave his past behind.
What the show does with Crowley is far more interesting: He is, for most of it, the moral centre. No wonder the fundamentalists wanted Netflix to cancel the show! ;)
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Crowley meta, generally, comes bite-size on Tumblr. First up the plant posts (they're linked in my meta above, but I thought I'd put them in here too because they're so fundamental), followed by a collection of good links:
Thoughts on Crowley, Eden, human history and plants (by dollsome)
the goddamn plant scene (like many things in Good Omens it’s a well-executed joke covering up something much deeper) (by fuckyeahisawthat)
the goddamn plant scene [follow-up. MY HEART] (by ariaste)
LONG Tumblr thread/discussion on Crowley, how good he is at his job, what motivates him, etc.
On Crowley and his glasses (by theladyzephyr)
An analysis of the 'fraternizing' scene done by cranking the exposure all the way up to see Crowley's eyes (by thegoodomensdumpster)
I think I’ve finally figured out what gets me in the gut about TV!Crowley repeatedly rehashing his Fall (by vaguely-concerned)
Hell’s physical effect on Crowley (and thoughts carried on from that) (long thread by multiple authors)
Thoughts on what Crowley means when he calls himself ‘unforgivable’ (by vaguely-concerned)
The fundamental difference between book!Crowley and show!Crowley (by vaguely-concerned)
On Crowley being able to sense love (by quorktrees)
On Crowley and 'Our Own Side' and how the definition of that changes, and on sensing love (by ileolai)
On how the bookshop & the flat are extensions of the characters (by ileolai)
~
Of course there is also fic. Good Omens fic is generally excellent, and fic (moreso than meta, I'd say) provides a brilliant way to dig into all of Crowley's layers and issues:
An Old Rain From New Skies by vaguely_concerned
Summary: Another conversation in the rain, 6000 years later.
Words: 3600
My note: Crowley and existential angst. And a perfect example of ‘Shouts questions at God, and Aziraphale is there for him’.
These Things Were Here by MajorEnglishEsquire
Summary: Crowley, following times of overwhelming distress, resorted to the snake form as a means of finding comfort and solitude.
Words: 13606
My note: Of staying and trauma and loss and coping. (The heavy toll of Crowley's assignments and how they affect him. And how Aziraphale tries to protect him.)
What's Done In The Dark by momebie (katilara)
Summary: The one where Crowley is drawn to Aziraphale's holy flame like a moth ready to catch fire.
Words: 35676
My note: ‘This is a fic that's about heat and light and accepting who you have become, especially if you didn't mean to become that person. It's also about love, because it's hard to find true heat, light, and acceptance without it.’ (From the author’s notes)
Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm
Summary: As soon as Aubrey Thyme, psychotherapist, had opened her office door and seen her new client, Anthony J. Crowley, sitting in her waiting area, she was observing and assessing him. At first glance, she paid attention to the following: His clothing was expensive and stylish; He wore very strange but noticeable cologne; His relationship to the seat he occupied could only, very loosely, be described as “sitting;” He looked angry; He was wearing sunglasses.
What Aubrey Thyme, a professional, thought, upon first seeing her new client was: you’re going to be a fun one, aren’t you?
Words: 99422 (Chapters: 16/16)
My note: This one’s the deepest delve into Crowley that exists. Unparalleled.
Slow Show by mia_ugly
Summary: In which temptations are accomplished, grand romantic gestures are made, and two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side (at last, at last.)
(Sure, / I sink the boat of love, but that comes / later. And yes, I swallow / glass, but that comes later. / And the part / where I push you / flush against the wall and every part of your / body rubs against the bricks, / shut up / I’m getting to it. "Litany in Which Certain Things are Crossed Out" - Richard Siken)
Words: 95505 (Chapters: 12/12)
My note: This one is (obviously) an AU. However it’s both insanely good and also a fascinating look at how the characters still work perfectly when all metaphors are stripped away, highlighting how damaging homophobia is. (Composed entirely of pain, pining, poetry, and emotion that will burn clean through you.) Plus it’s got one of the best Crowley’s I’ve read, hands down.
(For further recs just ask, or check out The stupidly big Good Omens fic rec post.)
~
And then to finish, the Crowley counterpart to Hallelujah:
Gravity
summary: I am a constant satellite / of your blazing sun. On love, and silence, and fate, and fire.
All of the above, wrapped up in 3 minutes and 47 seconds of perfect editing.
The show on the whole doesn't say anything specific about faith or religion. (Some people think it should, but it doesn't.) What it does do, is that it creates a world and a framework that proves a brilliant gateway to interrogating all manner of things, from all kinds of angles. It's an interesting approach, which Promethia expanded on a while back:
There is a . . . placating, agnostic, everything-is-fixed-with-love reading of this show which certainly I have enjoyed wallowing in endlessly. But. There is a part of me that is annoyed with this level, in the way that I am annoyed by agnosticism in general: just . . . drop the waffling compromises and figure out what you think. Not that I think this show is out to provide any answers on a religious front--it is deep, deep in the weeds of ambivalence there. But I am far more interested in a show that wants to allow the possibility of divine grace to sit next to 'You're not my Mom!' and exist in tension with each other than I am in a show that's gonna suggest caring either way was misguided in the first place and best not to think about it too hard.
I think the key is that if the show was saying something specific about faith or religion or whatever, it would be less useful metaphorically. It's because it uses all the imagery to create shortcuts (rather than make a point about beliefs in and of themselves) that it can function so well as a conduit for people's personal stories.
~
However, that does not mean that one should ignore the way the show frames things, or the way they use visual shortcuts, or any of the rest. (After all, Everything is Meant). If one (for now) ignores the Cold War metaphor from the book and the abusive [metaphor] aspects of Heaven & Hell, and instead engages with everything on a more basic level [i.e. as faith-based charateristics], interesting things start to emerge. You see - it’s possible to see different faiths reflected in the different factions/characters. Handy guide here via Tumblr:
mothermayhem:
protestants: god is not an absent father! talk to god like a friend! god is always with you! bring your problems to god, no matter how small! it’s not at all weird to call god “daddy!”
catholics: god is far too important to give a fuck about your lost keys or your algebra exam. please address your petty concerns to one of god’s ten thousand holy secretaries. if it’s really important, consider asking his mom.
2-face:
jews: god is such an absent father that we have a whole holiday where we just wail about whether or not hes listening to us and hope that the door to god-land is open today. we dont call him daddy though. we call him King Dad, much more respectful. unless you’re egalitarian in which case consider Queen Mom or possibly Redemptive Rock. maybe 25% of us even believe King Dad exists but we’re still ready to scream!
(x)
~
So, here is what we have put together. This is not definitive, but has provided a useful lens:
Hell
Hell is (by definition) protestant. The old-fashioned kind. Owls pointed out how Beez looks like an Ulster loyalist. with the dopey British crown pins and everything, and we can certainly look on the Heaven/Hell enmity as akin to The Troubles.
Heaven
Heaven is WASP-y. (Urban dictionary: WASP is used to refer to the people in American society whose ancestors came from northern Europe, especially England, and who are considered to have a lot of power and influence. WASP is an abbreviation for 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant'.)
Also see this Simpsons clip (Protestant Heaven vs. Catholic Heaven):
QED
~
Aziraphale
The most obvious take is that Aziraphale is Catholic (I'd love to hear other takes, and have seen lovely art/fic where he's Jewish). I don't mean it in a 'He goes to mass every Sunday', but in a 'That is the lens through which he makes the most sense'. Just look at his clothes (more is more. With added Fleabag gif, where The Priest is trying on vestments because he loves how beautiful they are):
Also great skit here by Dylan Moran, talking about Catholics, Protestants and biscuits:
Aziraphale likes food and nice clothes and wine and indulging and tradition and taking a few centuries to update anything at all. And then feels guilty about it. To quote Dylan Moran again (sorry, no link to the relevant performance, but also the quote stands nicely on its own):
Because it was just sort of decided in the 20th century that religion is basically a formalized panic about death. That’s all… I mean, look at the Catholic church, the campest organization on the planet with the purple robes, gold bits on the side, jewellery so big if they let it fall it would kill people…What else can it be, but this sort of ritual of panic about death?
“DEATH IS COMING! Quick, put on the gold hat!”
I’m Catholic born & bred, so I can attest to the truth of all of this and claim Aziraphale as one of ours.
~
Crowley
Crowley… Crowley, we have come to realise, is Jewish? Or rather, fits far better with the idea of a Jewish demon, than a 'Christian' one. (ETA: Please be aware, this is just me re-posting stuff. I am not Jewish and have no particular knowledge, so take it or leave it. If it is offensive, please let me know.)
Final comment in this Tumblr thread:
The above touches on “non-christian aspects” of demons but I think fails to recognize that Neil Gaiman is Jewish so a throwaway line doesn’t do justice to *how much* the non-christian concept of demons may have influenced this story. Jews pick up story concepts from the common/normalized culture (aka christian culture) just like everyone else, but we have our own stories and myths that impact how we see angels and demons that can’t be lumped in with Christianity. Our stories are more closely related to what is mentioned above as “non-abrahamic” religious traditions - because Christianity and Judaism view things VERY DIFFERENTLY from one another.
In Judaism, demons that simply “do evil” are incredibly, extremely rare, and actually pretty modern. Collections of historic Jewish folktales (Elijah’s Violin and Other Jewish Fairytales is a great starting place) mostly show demons exactly like trickster gods. They’re more powerful than humans but sometimes they act just like humans - but with the ability to get their comeuppance if someone wrongs them (see The Demon Princess) - and sometimes they act like trickster gods who teach you lessons about yourself (see King Solomon and Asmodeus).
Judaism doesn’t have a Satan. The angel (yes, angel) who is called “the satan” in Jewish literature is often labeled The Prosecuter, as in, the lawyer during a trial.
And these roles are ones that we see Crowley filling perfectly.
~
Anyway, Promethia began to extrapolate from our throwing ideas around:
Theory
So, back when Crowley Fell everything is a lot more Jewish. God is all Old Testament-y (as the show covers extensively) but also Hell/Satan aren't so bad. Everything's a little more gray. Maybe you could, in fact, saunter vaguely downwards, in the way Crowley claims he did. (I really like fic that has Aziraphale and Crowley being rather Jewish, because for 2/3 of their lives that was the religion.) Then Jesus comes along. Policy changes. God is all New Testament-y now. Humans can be saved. Heaven concludes they must be Good. But this means that all of the badness has to be foisted off somewhere. So in the re-org Heaven and Hell become a lot more adversarial in their views on each other. Crowley, however, has pretty well severed ties with both sides by this point, so he stays roughly Jewish.
(The one flaw in this theory is that Aziraphale and Crowley do both seem very clear on the party lines in the scenes in early history, but Crowley does seem easier, somehow, with being a demon back in the old days. "They just said go up there and make some trouble." "Be funny if you did the bad thing and I did the good thing." Etc. I could see him finding being a demon easier under the old order and the angst really setting in as the definition of what it was to be a demon started changing. This would fit with the scene in Rome, too. Aziraphale is suddenly a lot more perky because the Resurrection means everything can be shiny and nice! Meanwhile Crowley is just getting more and more bitter as he feels himself getting shoved down while Heaven/God seem like bigger hypocrites than ever.)
So Heaven and Hell are now Catholic, and Aziraphale goes along with them. By the time of the next major policy change, however, he's started to drift away. The Arrangement begins sometime between 500 AD and Shakespeare, as does the Protestant Reformation. Heaven and Hell move on. They become even more entrenched in their sides, but this time it's Aziraphale who's left behind and stays in the Catholic mould (Catholicism doesn't go in much for Revelations . . . it's really certain Protestant denominations who get all hot and bothered about Armageddon.)
And thus you get a story about . . . a Jewish demon and a Catholic angel and some humans telling a bunch of fire-and-brimstone Protestants to stop trying to ruin everything?
~
Re. the general Jewish origins of angels & demons, then we need look not further than the circle that Aziraphale uses for summoning the Metatron. From the book:
Aziraphale pulls back the carpet and:
There was a small circle chalked on the floorboards underneath, surrounded by suitable passages from the Cabala. The angel lit seven candles, which he placed ritually at certain points around the circle. Then he lit some incense, which was not necessary but did make the place smell nice.
So there you go - Jewish origins, with a Catholic flourish on top! :)
~
I also came across this delightful tale:
Rabbi Yisroel's Demon which follows the Good Omen's template of demons being troublemakers rather than evil, and of angels & demons becoming partners (for lack of a better word), or maybe rather complimenting each other.
(On Tumblr here.)
So although the show draws on a lot of Christian imagery, I feel there is a Jewish sensibility to our angel and our demon in how they operate.
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These are mostly unfinished thoughts, so please talk to me if you have further insights. For now, I shall point towards fic:
Author: BuggreAllThis
She's a Christian and a theologian at Oxford who has loved Good Omens for the last 20 years, and - thanks to the TV show - has now started writing fic! And the fic is not just well-written, but also theologically astute. (An, um, rarity, shall we say.)
Fic: to carthage then i came by Lvslie
Summary: A liking for light, an attachment to it. What a wretched word. A love, then. Of the scared, misguided kind.
He’d know.
[Aziraphale and Crowley after the Apocalypse, on the brink of becoming something else than they have been, with all the doubts and apprehensions to still approach and work through.]
Words: 17161 (Chapters 3/3)
My notes: Poetry and theology and wrestling with faith and meaning and... Somehow the opposite of all the other theological fic (all the other fic, full stop) - odd and heavy and dense. It's uncomfortable, but compelling. Like how Oswin's theme is basically Clara's but in a different and lower, more dissonant key. The only fic I have come across that makes everything (Heaven, Hell, Religion, our angel and our demon) hang together. (Not that I don’t love Heaven as a metaphor for bigotry, but this Aziraphale has the theological heft and understanding of a Principality.)
Pro-tip: Read the first paragraph of Book Three of St Augustine’s Confession before delving in, just so you’re not completely lost. A working knowledge of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is also highly recommended.
In short: This fic does not fuck around. It is the least fluffy thing in existence, and will cut you up. (And how. It's absolutely incredible.)
Finally (for now) the heart of the show: The Ineffable Husbands.
The show (and the pairing) won Tumblr:
Good Omens was the most popular thing on Tumblr in 2019
And no wonder. Take how fandom lost its mind when:
Neil confirmed that Crowley and Aziraphale held hands on the show.
And then lost its mind again when:
David Tennant confirmed it was on the bus!
Sidebar:
Canonical facts that made me question the mental process that Aziraphale’s mind did in exactly 5 seconds from “I don’t think my side would like it” to “I will grab your hand!!!!!!Fast as fuck boiiiiii”
^ So sweet and accurate. (Fanart/little comic).
I think this is one of the keys. The fact that this is such a soft, gentle show. That the main characters holding hands causes the happiest of meltdowns. It’s sweet, and innocent, and they get a Happy Ending.
And that - maybe more than anything - highlights the importance of this show; not just what it does, but how. It is most beautifully explained in this short post by Owls. In short:
'Two queer/non-conforming characters living through all of human history but having to hide their relationship - who then break free from their abusive families/communities and get to live Just Like People.'
It's one hell of a powerful story. It's the Queer Fairytale we need. Which is why fic like this is not just sweet, but aches in all the best ways, because this happens so very very very rarely: Little Birds by Owls.
(By lonicera-caprifolium)