#now I can go back to sobbing and writing the aziraphale meta

[most-normal-eccles-cake-ignorer]

The products of trying to recreate what was going on outside the frame during the kiss. (for ENTIRELY SCIENTIFIC purposes)

@actual-changeling altered my whole outlook on life with this post about Aziraphale's left hand (I'd only been looking at his right hand) and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I painted the rest of the fucking owl (and his bf).

so normal about this

[actual-changeling]

if god did not want me to over-analyse a two second video clip she would not have given me video editing software, so welcome back to alex's unhinged meta corner with me, alex, as your host.

we're going off the deep end with this one.

let's have a look at a. well, you cannot really call it a scene at this point. more of a collection of frames - aziraphale's face right after crowley leaves but before the bell above the door rings. this has been on my list of metas to write anyway, but someone kindly pointed it out which gave me incentive to make this post.

now, my leading theory is that much like his mouth movement before saying "i forgive you", which looked and sounded a lot like the beginning of "i love you", aziraphale is mouthing a silent "don't". presumably, the complete sentence would have been "don't leave".

first things first, why do i think he would say it? well, if you look back at their breakup in the park in season one, aziraphale calls him back when he says he will leave.

"you can't leave, crowley, there isn't anywhere to go".

then, after the fucking mess that is "nothing lasts forever", aziraphale also calls out. "come back". it is also perfectly in line with his previous behaviour to try and keep crowley from leaving again. especially because he almost tells the metatron he will stay just a few minutes later.

some other important things to keep in mind: aziraphale is shaking and about to cry, and also probably still in shock. so his face is doing a number of things and any words he may or may not mouth are slightly skewed due to that.

the first few frames are him taking a breath, so far so good.

this is the part where it looks like he is about to say something and silently begins to mouth don't. if you pay very close attention to his lips, you can see that they get pushed forward just a little bit as one does when saying "do".

you can try it yourself to confirm, i certainly did several times while rewatching the same two seconds like an absolutely sane person.

the last few frames are him closing his mouth again and breaking off whatever he was going to say, but in my opinion, you can still see the ending of that "don't".

alex, you might ask, how do you know that's what he was trying to say? i don't, although i hope once the strike ends someone will ask michael sheen some much needed questions. however, i wouldn't be a scientist if i didn't have evidence to present nevertheless.

i compared two of the frames from above, one from the "do" part and one from the "nt" part with another instance of michael/aziraphale saying "don't" - "i don't think you understand what i'm offering you".

the mouth shape and the movement of his facial muscles looks very similar even taking the whole sobbing and crying business into account.

interestingly enough, once the bell does ring, signaling that crowley has left the store, he not only closes his mouth but also physically steps back even more. he almost says "don't leave", restrains himself by physically pulling back, and then inches even farther from the door.

that is also when his face shifts from completely openly heartbroken to angry/spiteful and heartbroken.

the camera angle changes a little bit but not enough to explain the discrepancy, so yes, he steps backward before turning away and touching his lips. that pillar is honestly a very helpful point of reference. also completely unrelated but the face he makes at the end cracks me up it is LITERALLY >:(

to summarize: someone get michael sheen on the fucking phone before i lose my mind. also you can pry this meta from my dead, cold hands, he almost said "don't leave" and i will die on this hill.

lastly, said two second clip at half speed if you want to have a look for yourself.

[theravenmuse]

Tagged by @kotias

How many works do you have in AO3? 55! A few of which are art or meta, but the majority are fics.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 329,403 words.

What fandoms do you write for? Almost exclusively Good Omens.

Top five fics by Kudos:

1. I Could Be Yours (E) - 614 Kudos

The version of Good Omens where Aziraphale and Crowley are a pair of horny immortals who enjoy engaging in very long, very elaborate, VERY INTENSE role plays.

This fic is currently part of a hostage situation and will not be updated unless/until that is resolved. I do have a handful of chapters written and ready to go though.

2. I’ll Cum Quietly (E) - 613 Kudos (for a one chapter fic? We were all a little horny after that ending, I suppose. 😆)

Aziraphale has a REACTION to Crowley saying that line. Spoiler alert: Crowley does not come quietly. XD

3. The Nightingales Were Just Sleeping In (T) - 518 Kudos

The one where Crowley falls to the bookshop floor, a sobbing mess, and these two idiots finally figure out they’re just on opposite sides of the same page.

4. Oh, Simple Thing, Where Have You Gone (M/E I keep changing my mind) - 490 Kudos

Let’s make it worse! And then eventually fix it, I promise.

Immediately post season 2, we’re going to find out just how sinister the Metatron’s plan is.

Still a WIP. I’m coming back to this one as soon as I catch up on my event things.

5. Show Me You Love Me? (E) - 406 Kudos

After dealing with a few unruly demons, Aziraphale has been crowned the local demon expert. This mostly means informing the local priests that they have in fact trapped yet another normal human and setting the poor fellows loose. That is until today.

Alternatively: Crowley gets caught by some enthusiastic humans and was likely well on his way to discorporation before Aziraphale steps in. Aziraphale tenderly cares for Crowley, and then there are love confessions, and then Aziraphale takes care of Crowley in a different way.

Do you respond to comments? When I have the spoons I respond to every comment, even the basic “I loved this” ones. But spoons have been in short supply lately so I’ve only been responding to comments that I have meaningful responses to.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Oh my. Isn’t that a question. And surprisingly, it does have a definitive answer. This was only the fifth fic I ever published. It’s the first dark fic I ever wrote. It altered the way I think about using horror elements in storytelling. It has very few hits and kudos. It remains to this day one of my favourite works, despite the fact that I’ve grown so much in my prose and story structuring since then.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (E) Mind the tags. I did not do in depth CWs the way I do them now. All of the warnings are in the tags only.

A Christmas horror story in which Crowley accidentally releases the demon of Yule, Krampus. Intense horror elements throughout, especially at the end. There is no bright side at the end of this. There is no safety. There is no peace.

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? This one is actually harder. I know I’m more known for dark fic, but I’ve written more than one piece where they’re just completely happy at the end. Nothing could be better. Because of that, I’m going to go with the one with the happy ending that means the most to me. That would be this one:

There were Angels Dining at the Ritz (G)

Seasons 1, 2, and 3 (I hope) from the perspective of a waitress at the Ritz.

Do you get hate on fics? Not really. I’ve gotten two hate comments over 30+ dark and/or intense kink fics. One of those accounts is perma-banned, the other got off with a warning. Try it, I dare you.

Do you write smut? Yes indeed. The kinkier the better. You didn’t ask, but this is my favourite soft smut:

Just Another Day in the Rest of Their Lives (E)

It's a soft sort of spice, being woken by your lover's kisses in the cottage you share in the South Downs. How long can they linger here, letting eternity pass them by?

And this is my favourite kink:

Submission (E)

Crowley is in one of his "bratty bottom" moods and needs some help calming down.

And finally, my favourite dark smut fics:

Belle Mort (E) - lovingly nicknamed “Necro”

Heaven is on to the Arrangement. Fortunately, Aziraphale has a plan to throw them off the scent. Surely hereditary enemies couldn't be fraternizing if one of them discorporates the other? Crowley would never agree to such a plan, of course, but they can talk about it after.

No Escape For the Wicked (E) - lovingly nicknamed “eggs”

Crowley has been Lucifer's brood bitch from the dawn of the Earth, a duty he can't escape after his treachery. When he is forced to return to the depths of Hell for his task following his betrayal, he finds a vengefully jealous master.

Craziest Crossover? I don’t know about craziest, but this Good Omens X The Sandman is quite a bit of kinky fun.

Desire (E)

Crowley has spent the last several thousand years keeping Desire at bay. He's had to. But after a certain night in 1941, when Crowley's defenses are shot and Desire comes in the shape of his angel, the demon at last gives in to a temptation of his own making.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I’m aware of. I do occasionally scour for stolen works through general Google search, but that isn’t a guarantee.

Have you ever had a fic translated? The first chapter of I Could Be Yours has a Russian translation. I’m unsure if the translator intends to do more. The lovely @nosferatini has also made a podfic of Platypi and Other Insignificant Topics of Discussion.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Not that has been published yet. I have written fics based on other works and have had a few write fics based on mine. There’s a lovely comic up on Gleafer’s Patreon based on one of my own Patreon Exclusive fics. The Great Flood (available now to free and paid members on my Patreon).

All time favourite ship? Aziraphale/Crowley. Honorable mention to the crack ship I’ll go down with: The Bookshop/The Bentley.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Still unnamed. Serial art thief Anthony Crowley/FBI agent Ezra Fell. Slow burn. And I mean slooooow burn. Currently sitting at 150k words. It will be well over 400k when completed, I think.

What are your writing strengths? Intense emotion. Intense psychological elements. Putting just the right amount of feeling into a whump fic that the pain hits that much harder.

What are your writing weaknesses? I’m still a fairly young writer. I’ve only been publishing fic for four years. I’ve only really been writing for about fifteen. Because of that, I’m still evolving very rapidly. I see it the most in my prose. I’m still learning how grammar works among other things.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? It’s fine. It can help with the story immersion. I don’t speak any other language well enough to use more than the occasional short phrase. I do have an upcoming Rennaisance Era Pirate/Witch Crowley who says quite a few Irish Gaelic expletives.

First fandom you wrote in? Warrior cats. Never published but I do still have it somewhere around here. Written in pencil so it’s fading fast. 😆

Favourite fic you’ve ever written? YOU WOULD HAVE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN MY CHILDREN?!

Okay, I really did try. I scrolled through several times but I can’t choose. So instead, have the crack fic that I nearly got a heart attack over when someone sent an ask about it to Neil Gaiman’s inbox. 😳

Hey Sexy, Wanna Oil My Exhaust Pipe? (E)

The Bentley doesn't appreciate being left out in the cold while her demon gets it on with his angel. Fortunately, the bookshop is all too willing to engage in some fun times of their own.

Tagging: @nosferatini @theonewiththeshippinggoogles @naromoreau @startledplatypus @depressedpenguin2

[tonydaddingham]

Longwinded Anon (LWA)✨ gets their own special hotlink and dedicated masterpost✨mainly because im fed up of searching through my whole entire blog when i need to refer back to their asks:

oldest ones first:

ahhh, the first ever LWA ask, a golden post. i remember it fondly. my response as you can probably tell was just sheer incredulity that was sent to me, instant brain crush. anyway, talks about the influence of politico-moral dynamics on GO and how this extends to how we perceive crowley. i promise my responses get more intelligent after this.

more on crowley in terms of his arguably unreliable narrative and questioning the choices he makes as a result. in this i actually answer the first one as well as this.

see now im not 100% on this one but it sure does feel like it was LWA, maybe not... either way, full response/meta on who the second coming might be is linked within, as i elaborated on it more in a different ask.

this one gave me a cardiac arrest because LWA decided to spam me with everything they could possibly think of, it was so fun! so this time they talk about aziraphale and his own flaws as concerns his superiority complex and the damsel in distress nonsense, a bit about s3, the pre-fall scene and how this sets up the boys' dynamic, discussion on how long the boys have liked let alone loved each other, lucifer theory (sob), and who indeed the wider question on the angel that crowley was (AWCW) might have been. i responded with talk about aziraphale's insecurity, crowley's saviour complex, their love languages, aziraphale pre-fall, and (wails) lucifer theory.

talking about the apology dance and forgiveness between the two of them in general, and i added in a sprinkle of talking about manipulation.

here we discussed the whole business of crowley's temptation to get aziraphale to kill the antichrist (still a bugbear that crops up again later on in the LWA timeline), and more on crowley's tendency to push his protectiveness on aziraphale (and aziraphale laps it up). also talking about aziraphale's superiority complex again, and the nuclear miracle.

a little bit on the emerging topic of how GO looks at religiously allegorical literature, and a ✨challenge✨ to find where bits of the book may have been transposed or conceptualised into s2.

LWA kindly gave me their thoughts of where, if it does, the lockdown audio clip fits into the canon, and then more on the antichrist/aziraphale manipulation business and how the boys keep secrets from each other, as well as how it impacts on their individual morals. there's also, fair warning, a little bit of gentle but intelligent criticism on how this sometimes get mistranslated in fanfiction.

so here gets a little critical of the magic trick theory, but also similarly looks at some of the technical and narrative weaknesses of s2, as well as looking again at how lopsided the love-story element gets when we look at the boys' journey through history.

this looks at how GO is not a carbon copy of any one biblical text or piece of literature but is inspired by, and reimagines, a bit of everything.

a wee rant on the 'god ships it' trope and its moral implications. im sorry but it rubs me up the wrong way (but no shade at all meant to anyone who writes or likes it!), and i tried my best to explain why it does.

so this was following the startling (see: i was absolutely blindsided at 4am by this) confirmation that aziraphale did not in fact know about crowley living in his car. discussed why that might be, but also again a bit more on the antichrist shitstorm from s1 and its effect on the trust between them.

shorter one, once again examining the wider thought that the boys have loved each other since eden, and whether or not this actually has any validity when considering the narrative objectively as it's been given to us.

talking about the theme of rescuing, how crowley somewhat forces this on aziraphale and aziraphale plays into it, even though he can save himself - and what this might spell for their future

further ruminations on the holy water argument and what this spells for in 1941 and 1967

after a small absence, LWA came back!!! with analysis on aziraphale's willingness/disdain for forming human relationships, and a bit on the ethics of miracles too!

the one about 1650/aziraphale's stint as a bishop, about (as always) the boys' fumble with morality, and then about what will/should happen to heaven

LWA's ability to draw parallels absolutely everywhere is mind-boggling and im essentially that spiderverse meme pretending that i know what im talking about. this one was about aziraphale and his depiction with halos/aureola

this one was really difficult! talking about aziraphale and crowley's respective approaches to problem solving throughout the whole story, and how they both view the narrative of their relationship (such as it is) throughout history

they keep getting more challenging to respond to intelligently. getting into the nitty-gritty of how aziraphale and crowley operate in the grey, and what they ask from each other

it never ceases to amaze me that LWA actually reads any of my idiotic ramblings but here we are: some really fun (for me anyway) talk about shax and demon/angel abilities in general

talk about actions and consequences - and aziraphale and crowley's difficulty with understanding and accepting them - and subsequently the occasional fandom-blindness to this very thing ("Dead Whale Theory") (genius)

actually think this is my favourite one so far? talking about the extent to which crowley is content existing in the system, and how much he benefits from it, to the point that he doesn't model any resistant behaviour to aziraphale beyond malicious compliance and exploiting loopholes. lots more than that, and honestly i could have talked about this for a fortnight

LWA lurking in my walls again and choosing to haunt me by talking about, if there is trauma to be interpreted from crowley's fall, why would they have even talked about it? so goes into whether they were even friends for the majority of their association, plus some speculation on how crowley chooses to look back on their time together as having been in love for any great length of time.

wise words of comfort re: s3

okay so here is where LWA look closer at nina and maggie mirroring the boys, where their respective interactions are inappropriate (ie. nina's questioning of crowley and aziraphale's personal lives), how free will gets tampered with in their plotline, and where crowley in typical fashion ends up listening to the wrong part of the ep6 advice that they give him :(

AND THEY'RE BACK BABY✨ a long (lol like a month. calm yourself, rhi) awaited return, where LWA chooses to whack me over the head with questioning the power imbalance between heaven and hell, whether there is anything to say that heaven takes human souls in the first place, and why therefore aziraphale might even be told to do the things he does by heaven

and then on a lighter note; where and when would aziraphale have been a garden designer, as per furfur's little book? and if crowley actually indeed has a green thumb (open for debate)

LWA back to discuss a really good post that explored book vs tv canon, how far this extends into the book/tv characterisations, and then how s3 could resolve when the show has largely lost a lot of the political overtones

this one was really difficult but such a great point - compared to the book, aziraphale and crowley's 'issues' are divided up between them, and what results is that they do not understand or recognise how the other sees themselves, nor are they (imo) able to truly completely empathise with the other's position and beliefs (LWA tag was missing but they came back to confirm it was them!)

right i think ive captured all of them (sods law if i haven't, tough shit territory really), and this will be updated as they come in providing that LWA continues to haunt me. feel free to like or ignore, ill be linking this in my main masterpost anyway!!!✨

a spicy one that made me pace my living room a good few times - but an important one in that it goes further again into actions and consequences. love it love it love it

just a little one about how crowley - for all our thoughts on how he's got a finger on the pulse of fashion - might not really know how to dress himself properly

[ineffable-bookworm]

Good Omens Fic Recs: Pre-TV Classics Masterlist

The Good Omens fandom has been around for 30 years. While it was quite small, many of the fanfics it generated were of remarkably high quality. With all the new fics being written since the show came out, I thought I’d take a moment to write about my favourite pre-tv show fics, because I’ve been waiting for chance to do this, and I think theses fics and their authors deserve some more recognition

Ordinary People by Daegaer

Human AU. Lonely, repressed Ezra hires Tony to repaint his bookshop.

I love this one SO MUCH!!! This fic is always the first one I think of when asked for a favourite (followed by The Walls, the Wainscot and the Mouse).

I read this fic every couple of years, and I relate to Ezra more than I care to admit. His defensive, procrasctinating, and self-sabotaging thought processes, and the fact that he’s already thinking of ways to say no to a shot at happiness because he can’t stand the thought of being rejected, all of this just hit a nerve with me because I’ve done the exact same thing. So many times. Ezra is so like me it’s painful.

Fave quote: “Take a chance, Ezra. It might make you happy” (This line gives me life! I swear, I fall in love with Tony every time I read this bit)

This is a human AU fic, so if you’re not into that, may I recommend that you read ...

Anything but Ordinary (Ordinary People Remix) by Cimorene

This Ordinary People but without the human AU

Written from Crowley’s POV. After the Armageddidn’t, Crowley is spending so much time in Aziraphale’s bookshop, people mistake for being one of the owners. Annoyed, Crowley thinks that if people are going to think this, then the bookshop needs a new paint job to suit his style.

A Better Place and The Walls, Wainscot and the Mouse by @irisbleufic

Domestic fluff fics about Crowley and Aziraphale new life sharing a cottage on the South Downs (I will be eternally grateful to irisbleufic for asking this question and to Neil Gaiman for giving this answer)

Now part of the massive 200,000+ word Crown of Thorns ‘verse, I read these two fics when they were still stand-alone stories and absolutely love the domestic fluff. I read these fics whenever I want to slow down and feel warm and fuzzy. I’ve also read a bit of the CoT verse, which is a bit darker than the two chapters i just recced (I’ll always prefer fluff over angst). However, all of irisbleufic’s other works are beautifully written and extremely thoughtful, so I’m definitely going back for a second attempt!

Other fics by the same author that I highly recommend are Regulars (how other people see Crowley and Az) and Creature Comforts (from the CoT ‘verse, contains my absolute favourite headcanon, beachcomber!crowley)

Be Ye Therefore Merciful by AmberDiceless

Crowley saves Aziraphale from being shot in the Middle East. However, the bullets are laced with Holy Water, so Aziraphale faces down Death himself so keep him from taking Crowley

Written all the way back in 2005, it’s kind of hilarious that it predicted tv!crowley’s tendency to save tv!aziraphale. Can be read as platonic or pre-relationship

I love this fic for Aziraphale’s characterisation. book!Az is as polite as tv!Az, but he is by no means a fool and can be quietly stubborn, and downright rebellious when he needs to be. This fic really shows off this side of his character nicely

A Precise and Accurate History of Monday, 11 years Later by Giddy Geek

A straight-up sequel to the book that mimics Pratchett/Gaiman’s style very well. Az and Crowley move to America to take a break after the Apocalypse, and slowly let themselves fall in love. When they return to Lower Tadfield to visit their godson 11 years later, they learn what free will is all about

I think I have a thing for pining and unresolved romantic tension tropes. Again it’s the last act of the fic that I love the most. The tension between Az and Crowley, as well as Az’s uncertainty about their relationship after certain revelations are made is heartbreaking and beautifully written

Manchester Lost by moczo (aka Aisene on ao3)

This fic is funny! Basically a sequel to the book, with Hell deciding to have another go at the Apocalypse

Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael are main characters, with Raphael being Aziraphale’s adoptive father. It’s because of this fic that I’m not that into the Raphael!crowley headcanons that have popped up of late. It’s a great theory and really fun to read the meta about, but Aziraphale and Raphael’s relationship in this fic is so cute that I’m rather attached to it

Bear in mind that this fic was written in 2009, when Glee was huge and Don’t Stop Believing was making a comeback. I’m currently re-reading this fic, and while it’s still funny, the pop-cultural references are a bit out-of-date. Gabriel, Michael and Uriel are also completely different characters to what they are on the show

All in all, it’s a funny, light little fic that doesn’t take itself seriously and is a great antidote to anyone who has decided to read The Sacred and the Profane (trigger warning on TSatP, it is a dark!fic and there is no happy ending. It’s basically Good Omens’ equivalent of Grave of Fireflies)

Falling Rain by aria

Aziraphale and Crowley survive the Great Flood by hiding out on Noah’s Ark. Pre-Arrangement, this fic is written more from Crowley’s POV and explores his confusion as to why this silly little angel hasn’t killed him yet

One of the first fics I ever read, when the Noah’s Ark scene popped up in the the tv show, I yelled out “I’ve read that fic!”

Everything That Rises Must Converge by aja

Cute little fic (it’s only 1389 words) about Az and Crowley trying to sit on fences and meeting in the middle

To be honest, the only reason I’m reccing this fic is for the absolutely inspired joke about the rabbi in the footnotes

Traditions by UseTheForceEm (NSFW)

SMUT WARNING (but boy is it good smut)

Crowley gets drunk after Hell gives him a birthday as reward for the Spanish Inquisition. One thing leads to another and he and Aziraphale have sex. They then decide to make this a yearly birthday tradition.

How is it possible for two characters to have so much sexual tension while actually having sex? Is there such a thing as URT (Unresolved Romantic Tension)? This fic answers those questions.

Why do I love this fic? Because it’s hot 😂 While most of the smut is in the first chapter, it’s the epilogue in the 2nd chapter that I re-read the most. The tension between the two is almost painful, and it’s fascinating to watch them dance around each other.

The Internal Rhyme Series by Quantum_Witch and Vulgarweed, art by Quantum_ Witch (NSFW)

This series follows Az and Crowley throughout history. UST and smut ensues

Amid the Sacred Wreck is set during 794 AD. Crowley is masquerading as a Viking who raids a monastery where Aziraphale is monk (NSFW)

Breathless Mouths May Summon is set during the Crusades. Insanely hot smut happens in the second chapter. Contains the, frankly, amazing line “Ride me as if all the spirits of the Underworld were behind you,” (obviously NSFW)

The Phoenix and the Turtle (A Metaphysical Romance) is set during Elizabethan times. I actually can’t remember what happens in this part but thought I’d add it for the sake of completion

Living Arrangements by Afrai (who also wrote The Sacred and the Profane)

Heaven turns Aziraphale into a human as punishment for preventing Armegeddon. It isn’t until the end that Crowley realises that he was punished as well

This fic is one of Afrai’s lesser known works. Personally, I prefer this one to TSatP. It had me sobbing at the end in a way TSatP never did

[elizabethrobertajones]

What are some of your favorite episode titles from the show?

Hiii :D

Just skimming through the list…

What Is And What Should Never Be, just because it’s so dang poignant of the entire concept and the pain Dean goes through in the episode… 

Lazarus Rising, because of the story in the title, and obviously you see the title card before you ever know it was angels, and so when you have it without the context it’s so painful, wondering if Dean really has a clean miraculous resurrection… and then by the end it seems so… except you KNOW the angels’ terms and conditions for it are coming down the road.

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester - titles in first person kill me and this one is so painful. Most of the episode deals with all the ghosts, but the philosophy as Dean debates with Sam and Bobby through the episode are the core discussions which tell us everything about Dean’s faith and what the angels are to him, and his problem with God which is such a wonderful part of his characterisation as he takes it into his own hands to fix what God won’t.

On The Head Of A Pin… Honestly this one just because Terry Pratchett got to me first and it makes me laugh to imagine Cas and Anna and Uriel prancing around together :P

In the satirical novel Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the angel Aziraphale is said to be the only angel who could dance on the head of a pin, as he learned the gavotte in the 19th century. Also, in Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett, Granny Weatherwax says the answer is 16 if it’s an ordinary house pin.How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_many_angels_can_dance_on_the_head_of_a_pin%3F

The combination of Two And A Half Men, The Third Man, The Man Who Would Be King and The Man Who Knew Too Much in season six. It’s a total disaster of a season (I’m watching it right now, up to 6x11 right now :D) but there’s structural things that even if they’re later hacks to make it look like the story always matched up, helped sell it to me, a casual viewer, on my first watch through, and I loved that collection and the story contained behind it, using the joke title of the first to add Cas in as the “third man” in the next one, and then the parallel of Cas and Sam in the titles as they go through their struggles in the end of the season, both wrestling internally with themselves, metaphorically and literally. 

Live Free Or Twihard - okay, I’m a sucker for some of the joke titles, and I was on the internet as a teenage girl at the time Twilight was massively popular, and therefore had to maintain vicious intellectual snobbery about it… I moved past it, but I still absolutely crack up about the Kristen and Robert characters in the cold open of that episode. 

Appointment in Samarra - I already knew the story before I saw the episode, so I took one look at the title and had a huge nerdgasm about it, and as Death and Dean and Tessa interactions are all some of my favourite things in the show, I’ve always loved this to bits, and the way Death was always going to give Sam back his soul and was just testing Dean to show him a lesson, and the way he begins to take an unintentionally fatherly role to Dean because he’s so freakin desperate for a father figure and radiates it, every older dude in the universe ends up filling the role one way or another :P 

How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters… Look, I’d half expect that to be a real book on Dick Roman’s shelves as he goes around giving business lunch speeches to all the monsters and leviathan. It’s quintessential season 7 nonsense and I love this storyline and no one can stop me… it appeals to my mistrust of CEOs and the sense that capitalism wants to dumb us all down and consume us, and it appeals to my basic political compass as like the trash entertainment for people like me :P 

Plucky Pennywhistle’s Magical Menagerie: you just KNOW something horrible is behind that title, and my instinctive reaction to it, as someone who had to skip town whenever my uni home town had “clown week”… well, it’s my favourite episode and I am Sam. 

We Need To Talk About Kevin, and A Little Slice of Kevin… LEAVE MY GUY ALONE

Do You Believe In Miracles? NOT ANY MORE

Red Meat: Isn’t it just viscerally horrible in a way that somehow even in this show manages to promise that it’s more viscerally horrible than the normal viscerally horrible fare, that the show isn’t exactly stingy with handing out? Within like 10 seconds you realise that Sam is that slab of red meat and it gets worse from there :P

Don’t Call Me Shurley… literally fuck off Robbie Thompson. Anyway my parents made me watch Airplane like a hundred times as a kid so that one was a wonderful thing to see and obviously has all the promise of what it actually is - Metatron bullying Chuck into dropping the whiny hiding writer act and busting out some of the old testament God he still has buried in his personality, so there’s some deep meta about personalities and names in there, all hidden in a terrible pun re-punned as the title >.> 

Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets - it feels like a complete poem I could just hold in my hands in that form and not need to do anything else with. Most of Yockey’s titles do but I’m picking on this one as it’s especially haunting :D

Stuck In The Middle (With You): See also: the “fuck off” about “little slice of Kevin”

Lost And Found oh god, my smol nougat child being dressed from the lost and found. Cas being lost. Jack being found. New lil family together and losing the old family. HOLD ME. I can’t write more or I’ll cry :P

Wayward Sisters - not going to lie, I sobbed the first time I saw that title appear on the screen, just for seeing those words emblazoned on the show permanently. We can debate the wayward daughters thing and how good of a title it actually is, but it’s where we collectively ended up and it’s more about what it means than what it says. 

Various And Sundry Villains - watching Yockey vagueblog Buckleming through artful writing choices right down to the title was a petty delight of mine this season so I’m giving it its own paragraph. Like, look at all these people. It’s not even all the villains, Asmodeus popped to the shops and missed all the fun. What the fuck is going on this season. 

Let The Good Times Roll. This season was built on dramatic irony, and this episode was shaped perfectly around its own title and it was magnificent in terms of teasing us with this promise of the “good times” and then snatching them away. And, of course, in literary analysis terms, this season HAD to end on the “ironic” note which is the one between happy ending and tragedy, the one where there’s a clear and excellent victory or three and at the beginning of the episode a fascinating exploration of what good times and happy ending might be and assembling a new family and wider community around them, but still, the worst happens as a result, and that was Dean finally giving in to his so-called destiny and saying Yes to some version of Michael, but in order to complete the whole killing the devil nonsense he’s been tasked with forever. So of course, the dumb freeze frame ends on Michael having his good times roll.