feelingsinitiate

[feelingsinitiate]

I could hardly believe it, so I went and rewatched the scene, and it's true! It's very obvious if you put two screenshots side by side.

The one on the right is just a few seconds before the dilated pupils shot on the left. They were from the same angle and under the same lighting, so the difference in pupil size is really something ...

I saw someone mention this on Twitter and absolutely felt the need to write a post about it, because...dear god.

This moment is from episode 3 of GO season 2, where Crowley is demonically fibbing to Muriel about humans and how best to ascertain whether they have fallen in love. In this gif, David as Crowley is saying "Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any other questions about love, Inspector Constable" and Michael as Aziraphale is...doing that.

The that in question isn't just shamelessly looking David up and down, or the breathy exhale that follows--both of which would be more than worth talking about as deliciously delightful acting choices on Michael's part. What really caught my attention here is that in this moment, Michael's pupils are noticeably dilated.

"Why is this important?" You may be wondering. Well, it's important for two reasons: 1) That dilated pupils signal a change in emotion, most notably arousal and attraction to someone; and 2) That it is an involuntary response to stimuli:

Actors can do many amazing things. They can convey a myriad of emotions with vocal tone, gestures, and even the tiniest of microexpressions. But one thing you categorically cannot act is unprompted arousal. Michael is a brilliant actor, but there is no possible way for him to have summoned an involuntary biological response on command. In short: This is not Aziraphale reacting to Crowley. This is Michael reacting to David.

The same thing occurs in the aftermath of The Kiss in episode 6, where we again see that Michael's pupils are absolutely enormous:

Obviously, this is a very emotional scene, so it would make sense for Michael to react to it on a deep level. But the fact that his pupils are this big right as he's touching his lips and thinking of David kissing him is too powerful to ignore.

As I have said before, I will never tell anyone that they have to ship Michael and David. I do ship them myself, and have for the last four years now--despite the pushback/occasional hate Anons I have received--because I have noticed so many little things like this over and over again. But what I would say to folks who are anti-RPF or folks who have noticed similar things but are afraid to say so out loud is: Isn't it time to maybe consider acknowledging what Michael has been telling us (both in words and very clearly with his body/expressions) about his feelings for David? To put aside the rationalizing and the qualifying just for a moment to look at what is actually in front of us? There are a lot of terrible things in this world, but someone falling in love with his Scottish best friend--even if he is married, even if it is complicated, or messy, or inconvenient--shouldn't be one of them.

Michael has said that so much of what is on screen in GO season 2 is the result of his relationship with David off-screen, and everything that has happened between them since season 1. Nowhere is that more evident than in the two moments above, as well as countless other little moments (even wordless) between Aziraphale and Crowley. I'm just so grateful that Michael and David have shared that love with us, in whatever form it may take...

[feelingsinitiate]

Oh my god. Is it written by Simon or impromptu? Because Michael once had to fake orgasim on a show, and he did some dog thing ... https://youtu.be/geKktqrtVc8?t=182 (NSFW) I actually hope it's just coincidence

Cut footage of Michael and David flirt-growling (yes, really) from “The Dirty Mochyns,” episode 3 of season 2 of Staged.

[feelingsinitiate]

I don't understand how people can be so calm about it

@ingravinoveritas

Hi, I started reading your blog recently and really enjoy it. I don't know if you have written about this part of this interview. (I can't find any, but I might have missed it.) I don't understand how people can be so calm about it:

I love watching what David does with Crawley, around the idea of someone who, underneath everything on the surface, there is a kind of decency and a love there. And being able to see how he expresses that through a kind of a mask of Crowley, I find that endlessly enjoyable and fascinating to watch. And I think — that's me Michael, but as Aziraphale, I think that's also what pushes Aziraphale as well. So in scenes that are very emotional — I think you're right, I think in season two, we get to some incredibly emotional places. And **seeing what David's doing, and what Crawley is doing, definitely pushes me and Aziraphale into places** that you wouldn't necessarily think that that character would go to.

We all know Michael has been constantly blurring the line between character and actor, like when he uses "I/me" we can't be sure if he's talking about himself or Aziraphale. But here he is unusually clear about who he is talking about. He clearly states that both himself as Michael and Aziraphale are pushed to the same emotional state by David and Crowley. And we all know Aziraphale is in love with Crowley. I feel this is as open a love declaration as it gets without him actually coming out.