#good omens apples

[melbatron5000]

The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil

When Gabriel first arrives to Whickber street, a truckful of tomatoes dumps its load at his feet, he even squishes one and almost trips.

@scottishmushroom asked what this means in this post here, and I have some thoughts.

Every scene in this show is doing double duty, every image has symbolism attached to it. The symbolism needs to either be funny, or serve the narrative somehow (often both). And this season is lousy with Clues.

What twigged me to my thought was the further note that there seem to be baskets of tomatoes in the Job minisode. They seem to be a throwaway prop, except that they are placed exactly between Aziraphale and Crowley in the shot they appear in. The placement of objects matters, as it tells the audience what's important, whose POV we're seeing through, etc.

(Oh, hey! I just noticed that the plants in the shot with the pomegranates appear to be dracaena trifasciata -- common names include mother-in-law's tongue, SNAKE plant, and DEVIL'S TONGUE. Native to Nigeria, so not out of place here. I have a six-foot one of those in my sunroom! Hm!)

Back to the tomatoes.

Tomatoes in the Middle East during Bibical times? @docdust pointed out that those aren't tomatoes, they're pomegranates.

Aha.

Tomatoes used to be called "love apples" back in the day, and the Greeks referred to pomegranates as "grainy apples."

Apples, Bible, something something Eve ate something . . .

Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, then offered the fruit to Adam who also ate it. Then both were cast out of Eden, because God was worried they would also eat of the tree of eternal life and elevate themselves to Her own status. (That part of the story gets left out a lot, I wonder why . . . )

There's actually no Biblical reference that we know of to any particular fruit. Some translator at some point labelled it an apple, and it's been thought of that way ever since. But apples weren't found in the Middle East during Biblical times, either, so it's unlikely it was actually an apple Eve ate. Pick a fruit to stand in, any fruit.

(In the TV series Lucifer, Eve jokes that it was always a metaphor, there never was a "fruit" of any kind. Unless maybe a banana? (She grins at Lucifer.) But I digress.)

So pick a fruit to stand in for apples. Maybe a tomato (love apple)? Or a pomegranate (grainy apple)?

In both scenes where these fruits appear, important characters are having a big crisis of faith. In both cases, their first crisis of faith. They are learning that Heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be. Gabriel has eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and has been cast out of Eden (Heaven). (Though we don't know that yet when he first shows up -- the tomatoes are A Clue!)

Aziraphale has eaten of the tree of knowledge and been cast out of Eden -- though in his case, Eden is simply naivete, his ability to go along with Heaven unquestioningly. ("What am I?")

Aziraphale's crisis of faith seems more clear -- even my bestie, while watching the show with me, got kind of upset at the Job minisode because of her own religious trauma. Job is touchy story for a lot of people. It's an appropriate place for Aziraphale to lose his confidence that Heaven is light and truth and good. It's a story that a lot of people lose faith over.

And Crowley, in this instance, is Eve. The one who's already tasted the fruit, and is offering it their partner. "Let me show you what you don't even know."

And so we have "apples" present at the moment of both characters gaining knowledge of good and evil. Or at least, gaining knowledge that Heaven isn't Good, and going against Heaven isn't Evil.

That's my take on it, anyway, and how I would interpret the symbolism of those two fruits present at that those two points in the narrative. Your mileage may vary.

[huang-er-jiejie]

i. i just realised something about the kiss.

the way when aziraphale puts both of his hands on crowley's back, you can see them kinda shift so aziraphale isn't leaning. he held onto crowley for stability, and leaned in. pushed closer to him. he leaned forward. anyone ever says he didn't want the kiss im going to hunt you down because HE HELD CLOSE!!! HE KISSED BACK!!!!

EDIT: also im like WELL aware he kissed back i was even when i first watched it like its not a big revelation, its just that SOME people☠️ on TIKTOK☠️ KEEP SAYING HE WAS DISGUSTED BY THE KISS???? like i swear some people are watching a different show entirely

[gleafer]

I made them ladies!😍❤️

Who speak their minds! Yes, a right prick, indeed!

[aro-ace-axolotl]

[colleendoran]

Original pen and ink line art from GOOD OMENS, which I will have for you to see at WONDERCON. I am unable to make any original art from Good Omens for sale at this time.

I will have other books and art available to see and buy in Artist Alley B-2. I will be on multiple panels, have two signings, and do please check out my exhibit at the San Diego Comic Con Museum curated by Kim Munson

Please be aware I am a cancer patient and must prioritize my health. I will be masked and taking every precaution. If I need a break, I will take a break. Thank you for understanding.

[jealizmuch]

hello good omens fandom long time no see

[dragonmouth]

Crowley’s first failed attempt at tempting Aziraphale in the Garden of Eden….

A very lovely follower on Twitter gave me the idea and reminded me that sugar apples exist. I wish I could try a sugar apple. They look so tasty.

[thesherrinfordfacility]

no im SORRY but these are the expressions of a man who has been told by the barista that he and his in-fact-not boyfriend make a cute couple and promptly experiences ✨complete gay panic✨

bonus in-fact-not boyfriend in question:

[itsmissdoll]

"Apple, Angel? Fresh off my tree."

It's Aziraphale's turn to blush.

[illuteridae]

and eve said yeah why the hell not i’ve been starving for as long as i can remember

[fcheez]

the first act of disobedience

[fearandhatred]

wow so remember the project i started all the way back in JANUARY 😐 the anniversary finally gave me the motivation to pick this back up again lmao this is uhhh panel 6 of panel 2. i think

panels 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9 of panel 2

[irissweatersbearthoughts]

💕 Azi sketches, but he's more of a bastard 💕

[colleendoran]

Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman coming to San Diego Comic Con Museum October 4.

[and-his-hands-were-24-crows]

-Star Crown-

Listen, I couldn't let Aziraphale be alone.

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[stregamogana]

Temptation

Apple, Angel?