#the magic trick theory

[mxstixdraws]

So I read @ariaste 's fantastic Magic Trick Theory about Good Omens 2 and now I'm fully down the theory rabbit hole. I've been doing a rewatch and I wanted to share a few things I noticed that seem to relate to the theory.

Re: Maggie being a character inserted by the Metatron

In Episode 2, one of the texts Nina gets from Lindsay says: "I AM A REAL PERSON. I MATTER. WHY DON'T YOU CARE?" The "real person" is emphasized with a double underline and it is one of the texts we see next to Maggie. It also strikes me as a very weird thing for Lindsay to say.

Re: The Job Flashback looking fake

In the opening bit where Crowley is about to zap the goats, it seems like the clouds in the scene remain static for the whole scene, like a matte painting backdrop. Here are a couple full screenshots, one from the beginning of the scene were Crowley is alone with the goats and another where Aziraphale and Crowley are both there and Crowley is throwing the fireballs at the goats.

Zooming in:

The camera position and/or field of view has changed a bit, so the second image has a bit more of squashed look and the lighting is different (presumably due to the giant fireball), but the cloud shapes don't appear to have changed.

We don't return to this sky backdrop, so I can't say for sure that it's not just an extremely still scene or that Aziraphale and Crowley's conversation is too short for the clouds to move.

On an unrelated note, you can see some of the goats-turned-crows flying away behind Crowley after they get fireball-blasted. Nice touch.

[this-cult-of-dionysus]

I’ve just read The Magic Trick You Didn’t See (Good Omens theory—highly suggest a read, it’s incredible)

Holy hell. A million thanks to @ariaste for that gorgeous discourse. It made me emotional! An *essay* made me *emotional* — I’m still in awe.

Anyway, it inspired me to do a (slightly conspiratorial) rewatch. I’ve hit pause so many times already, and I’m not even past the episode one intro 💀

However I happened to notice something in the intro that made me even more sure that The Magic Trick really is onto something. The whole idea is that Neil’s been 1) pulling a “disappearing trick” throughout season two—leading us away from the truth and ultimate “payoff” via distraction and 2) hiding things in plain sight. You know what that sounds like? A red herring. And what do I find in the intro? A whole bucket of ‘em. Quite literally.

I truly believe that everything in this show—especially the intro, as beautiful as it is—is done for a reason. The attention to detail thus far has been insane (much like myself, at present), and I don’t see why that wouldn’t continue into season two. If the Magic Trick—or a similar theory—turns out to be true, you’d best believe the crew’s left clues all over the place. And I’d call this a Clue with a capital C.

[pipariperho]

So how comes Maggie's shop is not getting any buyers?

[heretherebegaydragons]

One of the best parts of Bildad the Shuhite in the Magic Trick You Didn't See theory is that Metatron just had to make Crowley less hot. Like, Aziraphale is not gonna stop thirsting if all his memories of his husband look Like That, so let's just give him a silly beard

[codeword-art]

So as I'm jumping back and forth between two fandoms right now, I wanna sort of put this out here before I explode. This is a reference to the Good Omens "Essay Theory" by Ariaste (I'm not directly linking them, as I dont want to bother them. They've discussed wanting to take a break from theorizing.) However, here is the link to said theory: https://docs.google.com/document/d/193IXS11XN46lziHRb6eUpM17yK0BQkRqke1Wh64A_e0/edit?usp=drivesdk

Now, we just recently got the released behind the scenes footage and images of season 2. One of them immediately caught my eye.

This is a sort of collaged concept photo for Aziraphale's halo, which reminded me of something.

This scene in the Job episode. At first I thought this oval shaped thing was a portal that Aziraphale was stepping out of, but it's clearly not. He does just randomly manifest on the cliff, but as he recognizes Crowley, this spikey aura fades off, then returns when he goes back to avaunting Crowley. It wouldnt return if it was just a portal up to the cliffside. It looks like a simplified version of the concept halo. You can even see where some of the spikes make an arch around Aziraphale's head in particular, then another layer trails down the silhouette of his body.

The concept is entirely different then what we see in episode 6.

Which is a much simpler and stereotypical angels halo, that seeimgly comes out of nowhere. Its not previously referenced at all, as the theory suggests. Also why would Aziraphale effortlessly be able to summon this golden spiked aura but not be able to pull his halo out without a struggle? Its a bomb isnt it? You'd think an angel would need to quickly get ahold of such a weapon in a battle scenario.

So its either a matter of the spikey aura being its own thing, which in that scene is the only time we see at all. If it is, what is it then? Just some sort angelic light meant to ward off demons or look intimidating? Why didn't he use it against Shax if thats the case? I think its Aziraphale's real halo, and the one we see in the finale episode is some made up version that someone wants us to believe is Aziraphale's halo.

My only hesitance with this thought is, wouldn't Metatron know what an angels halo looks like? Unless he is something different than an angel, so he may not be aware of even his own people's characteristics (which let's be honest wouldn't be surprising).

Either way, if you believe in this theory or not, the images are still quite interesting regardless, and I think are worth discussing. At least a little bit.

[rijl]

I wrote a lil response to the Good Omens "Magic Trick Theory." If you're interested in that theory and the answers to some of the questions it poses, or you just enjoy learning more about the religious references in Good Omens like I do, check it out.

[right-across-the-moonlit-hall]

Rewatching 2nd season of Good Omens in light of a certain Theory.

Still can't get over the fact that one of the zombies gets a ring from the magic shop that's similar to the one Furfur gave him, puts it on his other hand, and the ring proceeds to be of no significance whatsoever.

I was fully expecting to see a mixup/fake-out involving the two rings, and i get an enormous dopamine crash from the fact it hasn't happened like that in the story.

But what... But what if it actually did 🤔 if a certain someone was indeed manipulating Zira's recollections 🤔 now, i don't have the brain power to figure out the alternative/true version of events. Or why the fake-out would be at all necessary to the story.

Just my wishful thinking 😔 so unsatisfying to me, the setup-no-payoff thing

[abastardworthknowing]

Hey guys

What if whoever is editing the book of life (the metatron or not) had convinced everyone it was Aziraphale and Crowley's magic that did it...

When they were actually pooling from Gabriel's power as an archangel..? This is probably not a new discovery, but I personally just put two and two together

Although I'd love for it to be because of the Power Of Love but to add to the drama it would be funny/interesting

[thesefuckinggaypirates]

So, I've had a little time to process Good Omens S2 and I'm so grateful for the lovely dissertation by @ariaste because it helped me organize my thoughts a little better. Much of my own document of ramblings matched up perfectly with theirs, though I am not as skilled a magician ;) So it was indeed just unconnected thoughts and stray question marks.

When I watched S2, I was horribly ill and I wasn't sure if I was reading things wrong. Every time something unusual or horrible happened, I just turned to my partner and said "I trust Neil". But honestly, so very little of the entire season felt like truth to me. Even Ineffable bureaucracy becoming canon so quickly doesn't feel real. Is it possible that Metatron was practicing/doing research for his big Ineffable husbands fanfic? I'm going to have a re-watch when I feel better and perhaps organize my own pin board with red string.

Also, Has Neil addressed the casting change for beelzebub? Because if Crowley's memory hasn't been tampered with as much, him noticing the new face and then everyone reassuring that they've had that face for a while...

[azfellandco]

The real reason I like that Magic Trick Theory so much is because in the four years since s1 I read Homestuck for the first time.

[mxstixdraws]

I was rewatching Episode 4 and I realized that there IS a tiny payoff for the joke ring that looks like Furfur's summoning ring. The zombies outside pantomime to the in-shop zombie to summon Furfur. But when he twists the ring, he twists the wrong ring and gets ink splattered in his face. This happens about 24 minutes in, I included a couple of screenshots below.

So, the ring setup is paid off in the same scene. It feels kind of meh compared to if the payoff was later during the bullet catch trick on stage.

[pipariperho]

Did you notice when Aziraphale goes to invite the shopkeepers to the ball he has a list of them all in an alphabetical order, and he visits them in that order. Now speaking as a lazy person that it's not how I would be going on with it and I am willing to bet most people wouldn't do it either. The French restaurant is right by Arnold's but Aziraphale goes there after inviting like 5 other shopkeepers first. He has a list and he marks everyone off of it when he has invited them, so there's no need to go jumping from place to place like that. Also why even use a list, just walk down the street one side and up the other and visit the places in that order.

[beebopboom]

yknow just watching the title sequence as you do and i might be a little late on this but…

that is not the magic trick we see

it has similar elements of trust and high stakes as the bullet catch but this wheel of death trick is performed by three people

(how the trick is performed here)

now why would they would they show an act performed by three people in a show about our iconic duo

i mean especially when one person is hidden away from everybody but also has to be in perfect sync with the knife thrower - while that person is performing a slight of hand

i just wanted to point this out (if it hasn’t already been) and the rest of this is just a few of the immediate ideas i had and might come back to expand on so take it with a grain of salt

so one it be a nod to what happens in the back room with Furfur - Aziraphale performing the slight of hand with the photograph, Furfur in the middle of them (on the target), Crowley in the back

or it could be a hint at a future magic trick they will have to perform with Aziraphale in Heaven and Crowley wherever he is - not able to see each other but perfectly in sync

edit: this has sparked a full on meta post here

[ineffable-aurelia]

I am convinced this is further proof of the Magic Trick Theory. (Summary: None of these flashbacks are real, or are twisted versions from the Metatron already messing with the Book of Life.) 

Things wrong with this:

- Why is there a well-lit theater in the middle of a bombing night? Blackouts were city wide, it didn’t matter where in the city you were. All outside lights, all windows, EVERYTHING was blacked out so planes wouldn’t know where to drop the bombs in the dark

- This is a show-girl theater for GI’s. Why the hell are there nuns backstage? Why the hell are there, specifically, Tadfield Satanic Nuns backstage? Why are they playing table tennis backstage at a show-girl theater? 

It literally DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE. And we know Neil is an insanely good and detailed storyteller. So, the only explanation is that it doesn’t make sense ON PURPOSE.  

I've just noticed a nun playing table tennis in the background, as Aziraphale and Crowley enter the theatre. It must be a Tuesday then !

[procrastiel]

All I’m saying is this:

Neil created s2 to set up everything that needs to happen in s3.

He literally orchestrated an event for us (much like the ball) to see in the next season. So yes, I do believe there are Clues hidden in s2.

[abastardworthknowing]

I just realised the amount of stress Aziraphale is under i'm starting to understand how gabriel turned out to be such an arse.

Alsooooo - Aziraphale... you know that noone is truly good or truly evil so why do you still believe Crowley is art of "the bad guys"..? 🤔 hrmm

even if it's religious trauma - like same Azi - but you can't fix a broken system. unfortunately no amount of god's voice or the metatron's voice stops the inherent cruelty of there being one person telling everyone else how they should live

because everyone interprets things differently. I'm actually rather lucky that my family turned out to be loving towards LGBTQIA+ ppl otherwise coming out would never have happened and I'd be completely different. I'd be less positive. I'd be more depressed and anxious.

Sometimes I think maybe the Catholicism still has it's claws deep in my heart, because I still get antsy when others mock god or say truthful things about how horrific they are.

ayway i'm just. thinking. i wonder if this is how aziraphale thinks and struggles with his faith...