#good omens season 2 episode 2

[onceuponathyme]

The clock's 66 is in episode 2

There's a Season 2 poster that shows the sad clock with both hands pointing straight down at VI, and a crisp shadow making the hands look doubled. (I'd first thought the minute hands were absent, but if you really magnify the poster you can see the minute and hour hands are just perfectly overlapped.) It's not just something symbolic from the poster; the same doubled 66 appears on the clock in episode 2.

It's shown in clear focus throughout the scene in which Aziraphale emerges from remembering lying about Job's children and calls for Crowley in a darkly tense way, Jim comes in saying Crowley went away while Aziraphale was thinking, and Aziraphale tells Jim, "You know, you really used to be awful..." Then Aziraphale steps forward and picks up the Everyday record and takes a long look at the address taped to it. It says,

The Resurrectionist

66, Goat Gate

Edinburgh

I still have no idea how to decipher the clock, but this 66 time seems notable because it is immediately followed by the 66 address. It's also the first time we get a long, in-focus look at the clock this season as opposed to short, less-focused glimpses, so it seems likely that this is where we might be expected to notice that something is up with the clock. (We all started noticing the clock because of milking the kiss scene for details.) It's showing a time that obviously can't naturally occur on a working clock, it's got an interesting double-effect shadow, and we'd already been shown this time as a clue of sorts in the promo poster, so this is a moment that is significant. Why is the 66 time shown at this particular moment towards the end of episode 2, and what does it tell us about the clock? I hope we can sleuth it out!

I'm including the Season 2 poster below for reference.

[theforgottengreatpoem]

Aziraphale + Discovering Earthly Pleasures

[comrade-bucket]

good omens s2e2 thoughts

I want to scream about every episode of good omens as I watch it slowly, I wish I had a community around it but I don’t wanna poke around tumblr or anywhere for fear of spoilers and I like to savor shit (“you go too fast for me binge watchers!!”).

So hear ol void buddy take my screaming!!

Idk if I’ve ever made so many noises at a screen! I have a lot invested into this world to the point where everything is imbued with Benefit Of The Doubt Goodness, like it’s my child. I guess that’s what being a fan is like but also being a fan can mean being extremely disappointed so there’s that

I’m not disappointed I’m screaming! Okay episode 2. I love the buddy holly song and the gasp I made when Gabriel sings it. I loooove the little gay dorky conductor motion Aziraphale makes before singing it to people, I am obsessed with it, I’m chewing the walls.

Job!!!! I just read a fanfic that partially takes place during the book of Job, I haven’t dived HARD into the world of GO fanfic but I’ve read enough that take place in biblical times that make me go “huh wow the bible is this real thing full of very old and pervasive myths, oooo there were real people wandering the desert back in the day,” sense-of-awe type vibes. And then the show is doing that!!!!

I love a show that wrestles with this very big question that feels like it is playing out for me on some ancestral level, as a person (like many of us) descended from people who believed in God: “HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU EXIST AND BE SO CRUEL, HOW COULD I BELIEVE, FUCK YOU GOD FUCK YOU!!” lol maybe that’s not entirely a question. Hard not to giggle at it a little but it’s also like a pretty big thing to wrestle with?? (I’ll die on this hill but see: thor love and thunder - dumb little box office stories that actually are wrestling with that if you choose to go there)

Bible fanfic!!! It makes something in me itch in a good, I think, way

What else. Brain all over. There’s Jim ordering the books by the first letter of the first word, which is like the damn Spotify playlists that spelled out those words. GOD DAMMIT!!! Brain tickles!!! What does it meeaaaannn?? Should I start looking for acrostics everywhere, like in that weird headline about the ducks held by that rando in the pub who is going to be important prob?? What does it mean when you open your life to the unhingedness and magic of little synchronicities like that, of things vibrating with hidden meaning???

The angels not recognizing Gabriel is sooo good - me expecting a more typical “ha ha he tries to hide Gabriel, shenanigans ensue” - nope, he just answers the door, the angels don’t know him, Aziraphale (like us) is like “….okay what the fuck???” [unless it’s the miracle that’s hiding him, that’s possible]

There is something with identity and who are you if your appearance changes but you stay the same (the goats, Job’s children); who are you if your appearance stays the same but you are fundamentally different inside and/or nobody recognizes you and/or you have to pretend to be someone else (Gabriel/Jim, Job’s kids when they come back) (and then there’s Maggie and Nina actually being entirely new characters with the same face!) (and! on the opposite side, Beelzebub having a new face and the story is like “eh, new face, same guy”) - what is identity, what is a self??

And then identity is a theme for Aziraphale too right!! At the end of ep. 2 he’s like “what am I???”, it’s a whole existential crisis, (you feel for him so hard, because these actors are so fucking good??). He’s like I can’t possibly be an angel because I did these non-angelic, demonic things… and Crowley is like “🤷 you can still be an angel, more or less”…….. if you appear to be an angel then nobody has to know…… and what, really, is the difference

(“if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck”... and Crowley’s thing with ducks!)

Holy shit and that flows into undertones of things being a metaphor for being closeted?? Would love to untangle it more but that scene where Aziraphale eats the meat - 1) was SOOOOO fanficky (in the best way!!), I mean I’m puking, (Book of Job fanfic! Just an intimate encounter in the space between scenes); 2) was very easily some kind of stand in for, you know, temptations of the flesh, gay sex type thing. (I mean… did he have to eat the meat like that… did Crowley have to watch him like that... I mean… come on. Amazing.) (incidentally I think Michael sheen is playing Aziraphale even gayer this season mannerisms-wise and I just love it a lot!!) - so anyway, Aziraphale and Crowley’s whole thing being “we love each other, we know we love each other, but NO ONE CAN KNOW how much we love each other”… even to the point of hiding it from ourselves, lying to ourselves (cough Aziraphale)… that theme just feels so present!

Being closeted… you have this experience that is so pleasurable and full of love and can’t possibly be wrong (eating meat, befriending a demon)... and yet the highest powers are telling you it’s wrong, god says it’s wrong, that’s your entire identity, so who are you?? You just have to pretend… oh man it’s so sad pals!!!

I’m obsessed with this identity thing. I wonder if it’ll be important to the plot. Back to episode 1, Az & Jim: “I know someone who looks like you” “that’s probably me then! I think that’s one of the ways you can tell” - ha ha funny joke cute line, except wait, it is thematically resonating throughout everything, oops!!

ALSO getting caught in the rain and taking refuge under an awning and falling in love = it raining outside the garden of eden and Crowley shelters under Aziraphale’s wing…. GOD FUCKING DAMN IT

Okay those are some of my long chaotic thoughts, thanks for listening void!!!

[thingsisayinmyhead]

Thoughts on Good Omens 2 Episode 2

I'm finding in harder and harder to avoid spoilers. If I had 2 brain cells to rub together, I'd probably stay off the internet altogether until I've watch the whole thing. But I guess I don't. Anyway, spoilers under the cut.

That whole Book of Job storyline was one of the funniest things I've ever watched. Everything about it - the archangels not knowing how human reproduction actually works, Aziraphale discovering food for the first time, Crowley's line about "shoemaking and obstetrics", and the little girls asking "Can I be a blue one?" (When I was little, I went through a phase where I thought being turned into a lizard would be pretty cool, too.)

I noticed Aziraphale is actually pretty good at the slight of hand- managed to plant those ox-ribs on Job without the other angels noticing.

I like Crowley's beard. I realize I may the minority here - but I don't care. It looks like he's trying to put on a human disguise and doesn't quite get it right. Come to think of it, he always kind of looks like that. There's always something in his outfit or hair that is just slightly off - he still looks cool, but like he's trying to be fashionable but just doesn't quite fully understand. Aziraphale on the other hand seems to find a look that works for him and sticks with it - even if it's decades (or centuries) out of fashion. (I love these idiots so much).

What was really heart-wrenching about the whole Job sequence is that Aziraphale was FULLY EXPECTING TO FALL when he lied about Job's children - and he DID IT ANWYWAY! Just putting that out there.

Michael seems to be the most intelligent of the archangels - that might make trouble. Fortunately, Aziraphale is smarter than all the angels put together. He convinces them all that the miracle they sensed was making Maggie and Nina fall in love. The archangels buy it-- even though, as Aziraphale later tells Crowley, "Miracle's don't work like that."

I had to pause after Crowley's surprise that Jane Austen wrote books because we were laughing so hard. It was THAT funny.

Now about the "our car" bit--What I liked about that was that Aziraphale was in full on bastard mode there. He could have just asked Crowley for a lift to Edinburg but instead he does this, "I thought I'd take the car" bit until Crowley agrees. I noticed that he's sweet as peaches with everyone else, but around Crowley he feels comfortable just being his authentic self.

I thought that Buddy Holly's "Everyday" was just a bit for the trailer - I didn't realize it was going to be a key part of the plot.

Can't wait to watch episode 3.

[antares-8]

Post 5: The next day in the Job flashback

So Gabriel did not deliver God’s speech in the last few chapters of Job.

Job appears shellshocked.

Are whales the Leviathan?

And there’s Gabriel.

Sitis, I think her name is.

They conspired!!! 

It’s a good thing that the angels are so ignorant about... everything human. Also that Job and Sitis were willing to play along with all the bonkers-ness around them.

“You have my word as an angel.” That must have been so terrifying for Aziraphale. Poor guy probably half-expected to Fall immediately.

[stinkyeggbow]

I love you,I love you,I love you

[books-and-omens]

inspector constable, I would like to report a murder

the way Crowley keeps tilting his head up during the confession

the way he tilts it up even more just before putting on his glasses

he is crying by then, and he doesn’t want the tears to roll down

[elly-sweetheartcrowley]

Episode 5 is called "The Ball" so we have two possibilities:

[inafever]

Oh my god I've been so stupid

GIVE ME COFFEE OR GIVE ME DEATH

It was an outright goddamn death threat

You either take the coffee, or take the death

Metatron you nasty little piece of shit

[sapphiccanadian]

no ᴅʏɪɴɢ enough 𝔻𝕐𝕀ℕ𝔾 🇳‌🇴‌! 🇲‌🇴‌🇷‌🇪‌! 🇩‌🇾‌🇮‌🇳‌'! No more 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧'! 𝔻𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 is just it's just ɪᴛ's ᴊᴜsᴛ ωяσиg nahhhhh ɴᴇɢʜʜʜʜ i sound like a gσαт 𝙽𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝙷 𝔒 𝔉𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔠𝔬𝔱𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔚𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔴𝔢 𝔰𝔢𝔢 𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢𝔰 𝔞𝔤𝔞𝔦𝔫

[indigovigilance]

“Season 2 episode 6 ruined me.”

“Oh yeah which show?”

“The gay one.”

“Can you be more specific?”

“With the middle aged men.”

“I’m gonna need you to help me out here.”

“One is the classic good guy and has white hair, the other is the dark brooding one with a secret soft side.”

“This isn’t narrowing it down.”

“There are major paranormal themes, yet the main couple exhibit extremely human character flaws?”

“…”

“There’s a lapel grab.”

“You’re fucking kidding me with this right?”

Edit:

Omg hello 3000+ notes, I write GO meta

Edit edit: "You know, the one with the middle aged men who are friends in real life playing a couple on-screen" - @asphodel124 in the reblogs doing the Lord's work <3

[writtenin-blood]

I was thinking about how Crowley's idea of people falling in love is them standing together in the rain and I just kept thinking about these

But also I remembered the first gos2 poster we got was

THIS

Just a couple standing in the rain looking up at the stars- which they witnessed the birth of together

I hate it here

[cristinadrawss]

WE’RE CLOSED

[halemerry]

So there's a lot to unpack here but I want to start by talking about the ending and specifically about the Metatron and the calculating moves made at the end of episode 6.

Every single piece of what happened there was a manipulation technique being employed against Aziraphale to an almost brilliant degree and I'm honestly a little obsessed with what this says about the Metatron in particular.

Let's go in order.

First of all. We see him order coffee. In a human body. Something sweet and sugary. He talks to Nina and asks her about her shop name. Does anyone ever ask for death? And when she tells him no they don't his response is to say "so predictable". Our introduction to him here even when everything about him reads like a sweet old man is presented to show us someone who reads the world in terms of being predictable to him.

He then shows up in the middle of Aziraphale's existence being threatened. He immediately cuts down the threat's authority (using outdated language like Az himself would favor) and reemphasizes his own connection to Heaven. When Michael doesn't recognize him and he puts her down and then directly engages Crowley. Crowley who, to Aziraphale, has for centuries at a minimum been someone he thinks is smarter, better, more Good than these other archangels. The Metatron validates these beliefs. Crowley is more Heavenly than these archangels who couldn't even recognize the voice of God when he was standing right in front of them.

The Metatron draws attention to the fact he's in a human body. The kind of body Aziraphale has been in and loved for nearly 6000 years. He then banishes the archangels, implying their morality is in a gray space, and validates Muriel someone we have seen Aziraphale react positively to and someone outside the current power structure. Look at me, he's saying. I see and validate the little guy.

He then tries to talk to Aziraphale. Aziraphale says "I've made my position quite clear." And then the Metatron offers Aziraphale the coffee. This bartering chip, consuming sustenance, is a thing that Aziraphale and Crowley have used as their connective tissue for centuries. It's an olive branch for them. It's giving Aziraphale bodily pleasure and the Metatron implies that he himself has partaken also - a thing we know that Aziraphale has struggled historically with moralizing. He is seen by the closest thing he has left to his parent and he is having old fears validated as safe and old habits being played upon to make him feel secure

He then REMOVES Aziraphale from his home turf. Not only does he remove Crowley from the equation but he takes Aziraphale from the place that has stood as a place of sanctuary throughout the entirety of the season. The shop is Safe and Aziraphale is leaving it and he is leaving the one person who might be able to smell the bullshit coming from the Metatron. The music notably turns absolutely dire here.

The next time we see them the Metatron tells Aziraphale that he doesn't need to answer instantly. He can take his time, if he likes. All the time he needs. And then tells him to go tell Crowley. Once again bringing Crowley in as a valid part of this while manufacturing a scenario where he can't possibly be.

Az ends up in a place where he's overwhelmed and confused and he wants so badly to believe what he's being told. It's an appealing thing from his perspective! He feels off kilter like he's made a mistake in judging the Metatron. He can't even fully articulate what happened to Crowley at first and he's had absolutely no real time to actually think it through. He's running on sheer reactive energy.

The Metatron starts their conversation by asking Aziraphale's opinion. Who should rule Heaven? This is once again playing into making Az feel validated and like he's a part of this decision making process. The Metatron corrects him, complimenting Aziraphale and making him feel capable and in control. He reassures Aziraphale's bafflement. And draws attention to some traits that, while true of Aziraphale around Crowley, are not his defining traits in the eyes of Heaven. You don't just tell people what they want to hear I find particularly notable in this regard given Aziraphale spent most of his time on earth actively lying to Heaven and doing just that. But it fits into the narrative Aziraphale has built around himself, especially post Apocalypse. The Metatron then says I need you (a phrase Az will use much more painfully here in a minute).

And even after all this Aziraphale says no. He says flat out he doesn't want to go back to Heaven. He says this!!! And then the Metatron sweetens the pot. He swaps tactics. Not once has this come up until Aziraphale pushes back against the idea. If the Metatron could've gotten him without using it I have no doubt he wouldn't have bothered with it. Come to Heaven and we can save Crowley. Aziraphale loves Crowley. Aziraphale thinks Crowley is better than any of the angels he's interacted with. Crowley is Good and Nice and Kind and always saving him and now he's being presented with a way to return that. He can Forgive Crowley - a thing Crowley has always presented to Aziraphale as something he struggles with. All of these things Aziraphale has watched Crowley react to in a way that belittles himself or distances them from one another. Of course he wouldn't consider that maybe what he was actually saying is "I'm unforgivable and I don't want that forgiveness."

The Metatron offers Aziraphale a Dream Offer for the pre Armageddon Aziraphale. You can keep your Crowley. You can heal him like you have always thought he deserved. You can have power and control the people who for your whole existence has beaten you down. It can go back to how it was but BETTER.

When Aziraphale leaves he still hasn't answered. He goes and has the conversation they have. It's intense and emotional and the Metatron comes in after the Moment all casual and asks how it goes, knowing fully well the shitstorm he had just set up to get created. And then he turns around and says "always did want to go his own way" which is not only true of Crowley but framed as a bad thing despite the fact that he has just spent twenty minutes or so telling Aziraphale that he's done his own thing and that is Good. He is playing both sides of this perspective as it suits him. And then he cuts down Crowley asking questions, pressuring Aziraphale to avoid doing the same. He then proceeds to ask Aziraphale not if he's made up his mind but if he's ready to get started. He is one by one closing off exit routes to this thing as Aziraphale starts to look more and more panicked and indecisive. He makes sure the bookshop is in good hands and asks Aziraphale if there's anything he needs to take with him. Letting Aziraphale have the illusion of choice while cutting down "I don't want to" as an option altogether.

And Az, as soon as the Metatron is out of shot, tries to express this. And then he falls back right on old coping methods. The Metatron pats him on the head. Reassures that he's the right one for this. That he is Good. That his particular skillset is needed here.

It is a masterstroke of manipulation. A very dark twist on what we see Crowley do time and time again with Aziraphale throughout the millennia. Familiar in a way that makes Aziraphale feel safe. Except this time this is being used to put him back in line. It's brilliant and painful and it fucking hurt and I need a season 3 to see the Metatron get what's coming to him stat.

[antares-8]

Post 4: Going to the pub through second Job flashback

Street association guy is just weird.

SO CROWLEY’S FIRST THOUGHT ABOUT FALLING IN LOVE IS A SUDDEN RAINSTORM AND THEY END UP UNDER A CANOPY TOGETHER?!?!? GEE I WONDER WHERE HE GOT THAT IDEA.

“Don’t pronounce the capital letter.”

Ok, the eyes are definitely relevant.

Paused it to write, Jon Hamm is “Jim” again.

The thing that Gabriel said about morning stars singing together is also from--you guessed it--the Book of Job. Specifically, it’s from Chapter 38.

So nice of the characters to confirm that the quote was connected to Job. I remembered that before Crowley mentioned it, but it’s nice that they know too. Also, I guess that Gabriel was the one who delivered God’s speech to Job that formed most of the last few chapters? Cool. The more you know.

Bildad is one of Job’s 3 friends who show up and argue with him. Are all 3 of Job’s friends just Crowley messing with Job and his wife’s heads?

Demon mode Crowley is a little bit terrifying.

Did not expect the goatbirds!

I like the youngest kid, whose name I have already forgotten.

Drinking human wine? Gasp! I’m certain that Aziraphale would never do such a thing.

No surprise that this is how Aziraphale’s love affair with food started.

No our side yet. 

[taurielofmirkwood77777]

Just a thought. When Crowley prevented Elspeth from comitting suicide, we as a fandom assumed that it was because he didn't want the girl to end up in Hell. But what if it was more than that? We have confirmation from Neil himself that Elspeth and Wee Morag were intended to be a couple. And seeing how Wee Morag saw grave robbing as a morally wrong thing, and she only agreed to do it to help Elspeth, I think it's fair to say that when she died, she ended up in Heaven. As such, if Elspeth would've comitted suicide, the two of them would have ended up in differite afterlives. And maybe Crowley knew that. And maybe the reason he persuaded Elspeth to live a good life was that so she could be reunited with Wee Morag in the afterlife. And if he did do that, what a romantic gesture.