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humbledragon669 · 6 months ago

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S1E1 – In The Beginning Write Up P2

– Eleven Years Ago

Once the credits have finished rolling, the audience are catapulted in to a close-to-present-day time space. Eleven years prior to “present day” to be exact – the helpful on-screen signpost tells us we are seeing events “eleven years ago”. I rather like it when TV shows and movies are so reluctant to set a specific time period as a backdrop – it helps future audiences feel like the content is still relevant if and when they discover it. This neutrality is maintained in a number of ways throughout both series of GO and despite the fact that we will see scenes that have incredibly specific dates that they take place in, all the “present day” material has a subtle avoidance of date specification. Whether considering Crowley’s timeless outfit against Aziraphale’s decidedly dated ensemble, Crowley’s use of a vintage car, the setting of an antiquarian book shop contrasted with a modern-day coffee shop complete with almond milk lattes, or the repeated used of the couple’s favourite place to eat (opened in 1906 and largely unchanged since then), an audience would be hard-pressed to say exactly when the show is set, other than it feels modern-day. The closest we come to being able to specify a year is in knowing how long Crowley has owned the Bentley (ninety years, from new) and the year it was made (1927, according to the book), but even those two pieces of information feel rather hazy.

If snippets of writing are a constant source of Easter eggs in this series, the music is the parallel supplier of subtextual plot enforcement. I do not believe it is a coincidence that the Bentley’s choice of music on the approach to the graveyard gives us an early indication that Crowley is about to get more than he bargained for out of the meeting – Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, a rock ballad about a condemned man awaiting his fate - and which line more appropriate than what is playing exactly as he pulls up and turns off the engine:

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me

Side note: this is a graveyard attached to a church, which means the land would likely be consecrated, meaning the three demons should not be able to walk on its grounds, let alone emerge from it as Hastur and Ligur do. I think this is likely an oversight; after all, where is creepier for three dark figures to lurk than a graveyard at night?

What we see of Crowley in this first scene is that he has a thinly veiled nonchalance towards his employer that only seems to go amiss by his colleagues because none of them appear to be able to appreciate the subtle nuances of human characteristics that he delivers so well, even if they do think he’s “gone native”. He shrugs off the “Hail Satan” greeting expected of him and is clearly bored by such minor trivial “deeds” as tempting a priest, appearing to revel more in the pure mischief and ingenuity of his achievements rather than the actual results that Hell would be interested in (almost like he’d done something clever and needed to tell someone about it before he popped…) – just look at his smug little face:

Oh, and he clearly wants no part in the delivery of the Antichrist.

Like it or not (most definitely NOT), Crowley has no choice but to take the Antichrist. He receives his instructions from a delightfully camp sounding but unnamed character through his stereo which, according to the script, belongs to none other than Satan himself (and, according to the book, should sound exactly like Freddie Mercury). If this is indeed meant to be Satan, I feel it’s a shame we aren’t explicitly told this – the knowledge that Satan himself has issued the instructions for the delivery of his only son would really hammer home the message of how much shit is hitting the fan at this point in time.

The scenes that follow are mostly narrative in nature, but there are still nuggets of information to be had from them. This is where we are introduced to Aziraphale’s love of food, and the notion that this is most certainly not expected behaviour for an angel.

We learn of Gabriel’s appreciation for the clothes available on Earth (which is not viewed with the same disdain as Aziraphale’s eating fixation). Most importantly we discover that Heaven appears to be completely unaware of the fact that Crowley and Aziraphale are not only aware of each other, but have been meeting on pretty friendly terms for quite some time.

The fast pacing of the baby switching scene at the nunnery is expertly put together – it conveys just enough of a sense of chaos whilst making sure that the audience are keeping up with the plot twists. It is interesting that the playing card used to represent the Antichrist (before it is magically converted into an image of the Beast) is the King of Hearts, which is perhaps a nod to what will become his true nature (all the more noticeable in the book). We can assume that Crowley is known to the nuns (they refer to him as “Master Crowley”) prior to his arrival, but we are not given any information about how this has come to be. Considering that Crowley’s involvement in the delivery of the Antichrist came as something as a surprise to Crowley himself, I find this interesting, though this may simply be a case of his reputation preceding him, as we see in later episodes. Baby B’s unfortunately undecided fate feels terribly dark, even for a series that has, in the first half of its first episode, introduced Satanic nuns and the Antichrist. Interestingly, the book offers a more optimistic outlook for this innocent babe, even if it is for him to grow up to become the village bully nicknamed “Greasy”. I suspect this may have been omitted from the finished script due to time and budget constraints (one less child actor and chaperone to pay…).

Back in the Bentley, we’re treated to what I believe is another subtextual Clue about Crowley’s true feelings – Queen’s “It’s a Hard Life” croons out of the stereo as he tries to call Aziraphale. Great song as this is, I cannot believe that these particular lyrics have not been chosen for a very specific purpose for this exact point in the story:

You win, you lose It's a chance you have to take with love Oh yeah, I fell in love

The song itself is actually the same as the one playing on Crowley’s earlier arrival at the hospital, but the lyrics are, interestingly, from a point in the song after all the instances of the lyrics we hear during the attempted call to Aziraphale, meaning the song must be on repeat during this period of time. Examining the lyrics of the song as a whole, it actually feels like a particularly appropriate song to use against the backdrop for establishing the present-day nature of Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship – it really strikes a chord with me. Is it dusty in here or is my hay fever playing up? (I don’t even get hay fever…)

An undescribed period of time passes (we’re suddenly in broad daylight, so it’s at least one night). The next conversation between the pair reveals quite a bit about the level of familiarity that Crowley has for Aziraphale. He clearly finds his optimism delightful – just look at this smitten kitten face:

And Crowley knows exactly what buttons to press to try to get Aziraphale on side, pointing out that he’s about to lose all his favourite things – classical music, food, and finally (just for full impact) his own book shop. Even when Aziraphale won’t bend to the demon’s temptations, it’s clear that (despite the fact that Armageddon has just been set on its slow and wandering way) Crowley just wants to spend more time with Aziraphale, offering to pay for lunch, which is clearly the best way to get the angel to engage fully. Interestingly, Crowley knows that he owes a lunch but can’t remember when for, whereas Aziraphale knows exactly when, where, and what they had – I would hazard a guess that he would probably be able to recite those facts for every instance of a meal they have ever eaten together.

Side note: I am not remiss of the fact that the year given by Aziraphale here ties up with the scene from episode 3, or that those events also coincide with an “I Was Wrong” dance performance. I have some ideas about those apology dances, which I will be covering in a (much) later post, with (I hope) a couple of fanfic chapters.

And so we are introduced to the Ritz, a place I’m sure everyone knows will come to be important to this pair, with this tableau:

I know there has been a LOT said about this tiny snippet of a scene. I am one of the people who find it pretty interesting that we never see Crowley eat (yes, I know we see him with food in front of him, but we never actually see him put anything in his mouth or chewing). I’m not saying that he doesn’t – the book and several script references make it clear that he does – but I do think he derives much more pleasure from watching Aziraphale eat than from eating himself (see the Lockdown episode for a good indicator of this). And let’s be really honest for a minute – that shot of him watching Aziraphale finish off whatever he’s eating in the Ritz is almost pornographic. Do we really think that the sound at the start of the scene of a champagne cork popping in the background as Crowley is staring at him is a coincidence? I certainly don’t. In my honest opinion, this is as close to the demon being actually aroused as we ever see him.

I also find Aziraphale’s choice of words to conclude their meal at the Ritz interesting:

So, what are you in the mood for now?

There’s something… knowing about this. Like Aziraphale knows exactly what Crowley has been thinking whilst he’s watched him eat. It’s almost flirty but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It does not escape my attention that, if Aziraphale is aware of Crowley’s thought process, he hasn’t exactly been demure whilst he’s eating – his expression as he finishes that final bite is positively post-coital. Not to mention the little teasing smirk and the once over he gives the demon after he’s offered Crowley carte blanche of activity choice. One wonders whether “alcohol” was really what he had in mind here…

Side note: we have no idea of what has happened during this meal. We could assume that the talk has been about the Antichrist and Armageddon but given that’s the topic of conversation when they get back to the book shop, and that Aziraphale put a very clear stop to that discussion when they left St James Park, I find that unlikely. I have my own idea of what took place, which you might already know if you’ve read Dangerous Liaisons. I’m not going to go into it much further here but am hoping to explore it further in another fanfic. Let’s just say I think there might have been some discussion around true feelings and potential plans to act on them at this point.

As we see the couple strolling down the Soho street up to Aziraphale’s shop, we are witness to, I think, two physical touches between them. They’re small – Aziraphale’s hand on Crowley’s leg and then an arm brush – and they could be accidental owing to the momentum of bodies and limbs caused by walking but I’m not so sure, especially not after the subtextual display we’re treated to at the Ritz. If I’m right about the topic of conversation at the Ritz, this would make a lot of sense too. It would also explain why Aziraphale offers the very nice wine he’s been saving for “special occasions” – who considers the dawning of Armageddon a special occasion?!

Let’s talk about the entry into the book shop for a moment. More specifically, Aziraphale’s comments preceding their entry into the book shop and Crowley’s reaction to them.

First off, we have the (futile) reminder that they’re supposed to be “hereditary enemies”. I feel like Aziraphale says this to attempt to remind Crowley of what they’re relationship is supposed to be, and I find Crowley’s reaction to it pretty delightful – we only get a glimpse of his expression before the camera switches back to Aziraphale’s face, but we can see the demon mocking him on the side of the screen. He’s clearly not interested in playing along with their cover story here – he reminds me of a child being told off for something minor and unimportant.

This charming little interaction is concluded with Aziraphale’s assertions that Crowley get behind him, only to invite him to lead the way. I’m sure there are some that would attribute this to comedic writing combined with the further establishment of Aziraphale having impeccable manners. However, I have a filthy mind and adore this couple, so I cannot help but see this as a hint towards the establishment of sexual positions. There we go, it’s out, I said it. I will not unsay it. Sue me. Besides, adding that bit of subtext to the scene makes it smuttier funnier. Not to mention that Crowley seems a bit taken aback by Aziraphale’s first suggestion (“get thee behind me”), but nods his agreement after the second (“after you”) – I interpret this as him being on the same page, at least at this point in time anyway.

As we enter into the book shop, we are shown one of the compass points marked on the mezzanine level. It won’t come to make much sense at this point, not until we’ve seen at least one more of them but it’s my understanding that this is deliberate, and that Aziraphale’s desk sits to the east, which is a nod towards his position of Angel of the Eastern Gate. The music played here is another stroke of genius – it’s highly uncomfortable but purveys perfectly just how wasted this pair are.

NEWS FLASH! Crowley takes his glasses off now that he’s suitably hammered and inside the book shop. We will come to see that when he removes those glasses, it’s a sign that he’s comfortable, feels that he’s in a safe space, and that he can speak freely. This is a really important aspect of Crowley for us to understand and we’ll see it used as a device throughout both series. What’s similarly important to observe is that Aziraphale doesn’t react to it at all – he’s clearly very accustomed to seeing Crowley without his glasses and takes the underlying meaning for granted. For some less subtle display of intimacy between them in this scene, let’s examine that slightly odd and awkward pouting that both of them engage in when discussing fish/marine mammals:

There is a look here, from Crowley, that I cannot decipher. Look? Stare, perhaps. Most certainly not a gaze. It’s paired with a little repositioning of his body. To me it looks like he’s steeling himself to do or say something that he might consider brave.

This is immediately followed by Aziraphale’s announcement that he’s about to sober up, which Crowley follows suit on. I can’t help but wonder what exactly was going through their minds here that makes them believe that being drunk is such a bad thing? We’re led to believe that the heavy nature of the Armageddon conversation is the trigger. I like to think there might be something more sexual at play here…

Side note: I particularly love the idea of being able to be suddenly not drunk at will, and that the alcohol goes nice and neatly back into its bottles when you do so. Imagine how much fun you could have without spending a fortune if you could do that!!

When considering the fate of the Satanic nuns, I find it rather interesting that Hastur has such fun burning the nunnery down to the ground. When we were introduced to his character in the cemetery it had appeared that his motivations were driven by Hell’s goal of acquiring souls for Satan, and that he was interested in little outside of that scope. Here we see him laughing maniacally at the destruction of an institution that has only served his master. It indicates that mischief is something he enjoys, which is something he shares with Crowley despite his disdain at our demon’s personality.

I’m finishing up this part of the write up with a brief look at the interaction between Crowley and Aziraphale around being godfathers to the Antichrist.

There’s no denying that the pair of them are really delighted with this idea – being able to work together to a common goal. Not to mention it’s likely to mean that they will be seeing more of each other, albeit in disguise. Again, if my suspicions about the conversation at the Ritz are correct, their joy here is easy to explain. We finish this scene with a cheeky little exchange between them about being damned and it not being so bad “once you get used to it”. It’s pretty easy to interpret this as a bit of friendly mischief on Crowley’s part. I choose to believe there’s more to it than that – if the two of them really had finally confronted their feelings and decided to act on them over lunch, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that Heaven would indeed consider Aziraphale damned. Crowley’s closing wink says that’s something he’s aware of, that he knows he would be the cause, that he doesn’t care, and that he wants the angel to know he’ll help him work through whatever that means. Even if my suppositions are incorrect, that wink still says all of those things, and ensures that we as an audience have been well established into the comfortable nature of the relationship between them both.