#the metatron theory

[xserpx]

Just finished reading @ariaste 's Metatron Theory and it definitely is convincing! I'd also add the way Gabriel reorganises the books as evidence of order & records being messed with, and possibly might be one of the ways in which they foil Metatron's plans: e.g. if Gabriel rearranged Aziraphale's journals or other canon text. I think this also converges nicely with Season 1 and all the Agnes Nutter stuff.

Now I'm also wonder if there's any ties between Metatron and Jane Austen. On one hand, you could argue that Jane is about balls & love at first sight, but on the other hand so much of her stories are about misunderstandings and communication. Only someone who's never read her will think so shallowly of her insights. Perhaps S3 will have a Real Jane Austen solution to a Hack Romance Writer problem?

[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

[downthepub]

What was the apology dance that Aziraphale did in 1941 about? If the Metatron Rewrite Theory holds water, was something *changed* so he never ended up apologizing? (Something about the magic trick going awry?) Or are we just supposed to take it as read that, at some point in that year, he did a little apology dance and this was memorable enough to discuss later but never to show?

[ivorygrace]

aha i read ariaste's good omens theory and it just makes a lot of sense when you think about it. what is the strongest thing that crowley and aziraphale have, that's been emphasized time and time again throughout both seasons? it's their history, and thereby their memories and attachments (with each other and with earth).

so naturally this would be where the metatron would strike, first in distancing aziraphale from earthly attachments (the whole drinking thing Really stuck out when i was watching) and then from crowley.

it's just a really good, circular payoff overall. set up two characters who have a lot of history and then have the antagonist use that against them.

[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.

[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 !

[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

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

MORE SPOILER PHOTOS + A THEORY

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BE WARNED THE SPOILER IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

So, if you've seen the yesterday's photos, Michael's hair looked a bit dark? But it was inside and from the distance so there were doubts. :)

But now there are closer pics...

obligatory gif :D:

THEORY:

This theory was cooked up by czech good omens fans :D. Might be completely wrong :).

So,

we have:

Aziraphale with darker hair, working in a bookshop but not a Soho one, his clothes are a bit Aziraphalish but not exactly.

Crowley with ginger hair, his clothes while darkish is not quite traditional Crowley, he has jeans, grey shirt - buttoned up, a waitstcoat. He doesn't seem to have Crowley's eyes (tho they might have been added while filming) and a tattoo on his face is on the other side.

Their hair though... they look a bit weird, right? Like wigs? Do you remember a fan whose auntie saw a blonde Michael? And another fan showed us a photo with David with S2 red hair. Yep, it looks like these are just wigs.

So why would there be a storyline with such Aziraphale and Crowley? ... Do you remember Rob Wilkins Christmas sweather, where there was a slightly taller ginger haired angel and a smaller dark haired demon?

What is there is some kind of plot line with Fallen Aziraphale and Not-Fallen Crowley? David's tattoo is on the wrong side and it doesn't even have to be a snek, it can be one of those angel decorations we saw.

But why and how? Is this some kind of Metatron's doing? A sacrifice of them to prevent second coming? Someone getting to the Book of Life? Hmmmmm. But yeah, those might be just wigs they will remove to shoot other things as our Azi and Crowley.

Another thing is that apparently Crowley speedily left the bookshop holding something - a book? Did Aziraphale sell a book?!

So whatever happened there also might be involved an amnesia. And Angel Crowley remembers since he was a high level angel, dons dark clothes, tries to go to Aziraphale but he doesn't... *enter dramatic music*

But what is Metatron doing there? Has he Fallen? Does he have amnesia and works in the bookshop? Or is he there as a part of his plan?

Perhaps we got some of it right, perhaps all wrong. :)

But I trust that there will be a happy ending in a cottage for our cuties :) ❤.

[idreamofsleeping]

GOOD OMENS SPOILERS.

So I've been thinking a lot about Muriel. About how they're sweet and naive and sort of dumb, and they're a 37th class angel.

In fact, Muriel’s level of naivety is nearly the same as Jim-level naivety/dumbness. And Jim was supposed to be a 38th class angel, after being demoted from Supreme Archangel and having his memories removed.

And when this was revealed Muriel says 'I didn't know there was a class below me', what if Muriel is just a demoted angel? What if Heaven just keeps demoting any angel who goes against God’s (the Metatron’s) Plan and making a new, lower class for them? Instead of making them fall, they just keep taking memories and demoting angels so that there wont be a perceived ‘institutional problem’. Which there isn’t. Right?

[armageddidnt]

Good Omens dropping hints that Crowley has apparently Forgotten at least some of his former high-and-mighty angelic status in heaven.

[nonightingalesinberkelysquare]

☆☆Some Crowley textposts I made!! ☆☆

Aziraphale version coming soon

[vidavalor]

You all want me to believe that this The Metatron guy-- who could only get close to Armageddon the first time around by trying to trick the humans into destroying themselves via nuclear war-- is capable of erasing a being into a state of non-existence?

Why didn't he just use The Book of Life back at the end of S1 when Heaven and Hell had captured Crowley and Aziraphale?

Because it's not a thing. Crowley's memory was correct; it is an old wives' tale/ghost story that he and Beez made up when they were angels to reflect their frustrations with Heaven. It's anxiety.

The Metatron has allowed the rumor to continue to spread because it helps the angels and demons alike be more afraid of him than they should be. That fascist floating head cannot even talk to God, let alone erase anyone.

The threat of The Book of Life is not in the villain or the idea of the book itself but in what can happen when someone (a book) lets their fear and anxiety run unchecked and starts down a path to doing all the destroying (of their life) all on their own.

[alivedean]

good omens crack → 8/?

[melbatron5000]

It's a 2-man Con

Listen, I think I know a thing.

When Aziraphale comes back from talking to the Metatron and is telling Crowley about being an angel, we've all heard the theory that he's speaking code, trying to ask for help. The more I look at that scene, the more that theory tracks.

Maybe less well-known is the theory that Crowley didn't miss a damn thing, he's answering in his own code. And again, the more I look at that scene, the more this also tracks.

(When my husband, annoyingly observant beloved partner that he is, saw the second season for the first time, he said, "That whole thing was a show for the Metatron. They have a plan. Crowley slipped something to Aziraphale when he kissed him." And I said, "Nah." But now I think he's right, and damn if he isn't smug.)

I'm gonna try to break down what I think they're saying here, because it takes just a hot minute to piece it together. I've been thinking this over for a couple of months now. I think I have most of it. I just don't know when Crowley puts whatever he's handing to Aziraphale in his own mouth. I need more eagle-y eyes, it seems.

First, Aziraphale comes back from his talk. He's pensive as he crosses the road, and anxious when he starts talking, and mouths "I need help!" as he's talking. He's acting like he does when he lies to the other angels, and once it's seen "I need help!" is pretty clear.

He does the whole thing about telling Crowley he could appoint him as an angel, like old times, but even nicer. It's all very uptight and not positive at all. My interpretation? "The Metatron is here, I think he knows we're up to something, we have to go to Heaven right now and put things right before he really does something awful to one or both of us. The time to spring the plan is NOW."

Crowley stares at him. At first it seems like he's staring in disbelief, but if you really look at his face, he's listening, hard, and interpreting as fast as he can:

He asks Aziraphale if he told the Metatron where he could stick it, then. My interpretation? "The plan has changed. I can't go with you to Heaven. You'll have to go alone."

Then Crowley starts his confession -- "We've spent our existence pretending we aren't."

Aziraphale looks at him -- not with shock, or surprise, or love, or hope, but with a "Why are you doing this now?" face. Not "Why did you wait til now to tell me, you love me, oh, I love you too!" But "Why are you telling me SOMETHING I ALREADY KNOW while our ENEMY IS LISTENING??" :

He's confused, but also listening and interpreting. What I'm hearing/seeing: I don't think this is a love confession from our demon. I think they are both well aware they love one another. They can't say it in so many words, and it's a secret from Heaven and Hell, but it's not a secret between them. I'm hearing Crowley set the scene. "The Metatron either wants us together in Heaven under control, or separated. I have things I have to do here or the plan won't work, so we'll have to separate. We need to make it look good. I do love you."

I don't think Aziraphale likes this change of plan. And Crowley can't detail why the plan has changed, not with the Metatron listening. So Aziraphale insists, come with me. The plan we had will work. Do it my way. Crowley says, "You can't leave this book shop." It's easy to interpret that as "You can't leave me," but I don't think it's that. He's saying something about the book shop being safe, or even that he can't leave without whatever they've hidden in the book shop. (I THINK THEY HID SOMETHING IN THE BOOK SHOP!) Aziraphale says, "Nothing lasts forever." I hear him saying the book shop is no longer safe, and they have to move/take whatever they've hidden and they can't speak freely there anymore.

Crowley replies, "No I suppose it doesn't. Good luck." He's gotten that much, but he is still set on his "We need to fake a break up because I can't go with you."

Aziraphale still doesn't like that. "Come back! I need you!" He's scared. Whatever he has to do in Heaven is big, and scary, and he needs and wants Crowley with him. He does not want to go into the mouth of danger alone.

This is when we get, "No nightingales." What I'm hearing? ESPECIALLY since if you listen, you can hear a LARK sing as Crowley goes out the door? It's the line from Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, whose plays they both enjoy, though Crowley prefers the funny ones. "It's too late, that's a lark singing the dawn, not a nightingale singing to the night, we have to part. Our happy ending isn't yet."

Then the kiss. I do not believe this is their first kiss. I don't believe they've allowed themselves many, maybe not even more than one, but I do think they've kissed before. I'm not sure when, but I suspect 1941. (Season 3, come ON!!)

And when they part, Aziraphale stops himself from saying "I love you," and instead says, "I forgive you." I'm hearing so many things in that "I forgive you." I forgive you for leaving me on my own, I forgive you for hurting my feelings like this, I forgive you for changing the plan without telling me, I forgive you because you are forgivable whatever anyone else says, I forgive you because that's what I said when we split up at the bandstand and everything was okay in the end and I hope hope hope that everything will be okay in the end this time too.

Crowley says, "Don't bother." I'm hearing, "yeah, I hope it's all okay, too. Wish me fuckin luck. My part will be hard, too."

And as Crowley leaves, Aziraphale mouths, "No." And we hear a lark sing. A lark, singing to the dawn, and so fair Romeo must away.

Just because the break up is a ruse, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt and isn't hard. It has to look real, and so it's going to feel real, too. Ouch. :'(

And then Aziraphale touches his lips. Not once, but twice. My bad, he only touches his lips once. The first long second is pure emotion. "Why now, I hate this, I want that so badly and I can't have it."

After that, though --

After he pulls himself together a bit, he has a bulge in his cheek. He shifts his jaw to move whatever he has in his mouth to his lips, and then his first two fingers go stiff for a moment as he palms something right before he takes his hand away.

And then, this.

Edit to add: someone on Facebook asked me why a kiss to pass whatever Crowley gave to Aziraphale, why not palm it or drop it in his pocket?

My answers: 1. The kiss is a message. "We're still good, I still love you, I still want this." 2. The item is too important to be dropped in a pocket and hopefully found later. 3. The Metatron is paying WAY too close attention, and will definitely see them touch hands. Seeing a kiss and the angel rejecting the demon, though? Well, the demon forced that kiss on him, the angel didn't want it. Clearly the demon thinks this relationship is different than it is. It's a bigger gesture that sells the ruse. 4. Houdini's wife used to pass him the keys to his cuffs with a kiss before the show. This is a message that magic-loving Aziraphale WILL understand: here are the keys to your cuffs, sneaked to you by your beloved in plain sight.

That's it. That's what I got so far. I still have questions.

What did Crowley pass to Aziraphale? What's the plan? Why did it change? What does Crowley need to do that he can't go to Heaven again?

[siriusjacket]

Listen what if the metatron erases Aziraphale and Crowley's memories and makes them human. And in this scene they don't remember each other but they meet and fall in love as humans.