#there is no bigger good omens fan than Neil Gaiman

[thistaletasty]

👀👀

NEIL

😂🤣😂🤣😂

Hello Neil, how do you feel about being 4th in the tumblr review 2023?

I suspect there are worse places to be than sandwiched between David Tennant and Michael Sheen.

[angelsandfelines]

Lovely article from Radio Times. Seen on X

[twilightcitysky]

Whooooo okay, so. Thoughts.

You can get a lot done in 90 mins. Many books are made into 90 minute movies.

(Season 2 was 6 episodes... but maybe 90 minutes of it total was actually *necessary*.)

Think about what we've learned. Neil wasn't the person we thought he was, and it showed in his treatment of a story we all love. He said himself that he gave fans what they wanted (in terms of the kiss), but we "wouldn't like it." His ego thrived on manipulating, ridiculing and generally stirring up the fan base. The more upset and vulnerable we were, the more satisfied he felt. What do you think, then, was in store for us in his Season 3? Do you think his scripts would have left us feeling satisfied, even if we got the cottage ending?

The new producer doesn't know GO, but the cast and crew love this world and love the story. I'm going to choose to trust that a group of people that overall has been so united and wonderful, so very much on the same page in terms of this love story, will see things through. And I'm excited for an ending that truly is for us... because let's face it, we almost didn't get an ending at all. A TV show that gets rocked in this fashion generally does one of two things: cuts ties and continues if there's enough financial incentive to do so (think House of Cards, Rick and Morty-- both of which are/were MUCH bigger and more profitable than GO), or cancels. Considering how long it took to greenlight S3 and Mickey's "We did the impossible" post on X, I'm sure Amazon was on the verge of pulling the plug. (I'm not going to talk about my opinion on the ethics of these decisions. I'm just saying it's reality. Corporations care about their bottom line and their optics.)

It'll be okay. Let's be optimistic. Neil is gone, the story will continue, and they're doing it for us.

(Last thought: remember that-- in a different reality where Neil Gaiman actually is the person we thought he was-- we might not have gotten anything more satisfying in terms of the A/C love story. Neil doesn't think "settled relationships" are good television. He wouldn't let them lay a finger on each other until the very last episode, I guarantee it.)

(Also, this is the guy who decided that "Crowley lives in his car and Aziraphale doesn't know or doesn't care" made any kind of fucking sense; no, I'm not over it yet.)

[crowleysgirl56]

Louise Griffin, if you’re here in some other persona, thank you this write up.

[handyowlet]

“From its very conception, Good Omens has always been bigger than one person and this final chapter will be a lasting reminder of that. The show has, does and always will belong to its fans and, after this finale episode, it’ll be in their hands.”

[leoreadss]

This article is really a hug.

Good Omens is ours

Be kind to one another please.

[mubum]

GOOD OMENS S3 THOUGHTS

and a drawing of crowley, because you deserve it

first of all,

neil gaiman, the (alleged) sexual assaulter and rapist, is GONE. that is a GOOD thing. I don't care what he brought to the table, he doesn't deserve to be connected to good omens.

it's important to remember that even in the original scripts, the chances of crowley and aziraphale being together for longer than maybe half an hour at the end of the series was low. neil gaiman didn't like aziraphale and crowley being together, it was never the original plan, and he used to take the piss out of fans for shipping it. aziraphale and crowley wouldn't have been on screen together much because, well, they each have their own shit to do to end the end of the world. a shorter film means that they'll priorities the bits that crowley and aziraphale are on screen together, because they don't want fans to hate it- because believe it or not that's not good for business.

a lot can be done in 90 minutes. out all of the extra plot points everyone wants wrapping up (i personally don't believe there are many big ones), we'll get a couple. it'll be a bit of a squeeze, but we should atleast get one. probable either Crowley's fall or 1941. I'm not sure if Crowley's fall would have ever been shown regardless. it probably would've involved showing the war in heaven, which would've been SO EXPENSIVE to film. so you'll most likely get the 3rd and final 1941 minisode. it won't be what it was, but it also means they probably won't bring out more nazi zombies!

we were SO CLOSE to getting nothing. it's a massive shock that good omens wasn't cancelled. people fought for this, the production team care about this, david and michael care about this. they'll do their best with what they get. we have gotten so lucky with a cast and crew that give a shit, and love this as much as we do. show them that it was worth the fight.

we'll get it sooner. they're still filming early next year, and with only 90 minutes to sort in post production, we could have it in a year.

if its REALLY, REALLY that bad- the fandom will disregard it as canon. so many fandoms do this with films, and it will simply mean you'll get more fanfics, more fanart, more conversation. hatred brings the fandom alive, we'll thrive no matter what!!

and please, remember many bigger things are going on right now. a bit of perspective can help settle you're disappointment. you are in a position where a tv show gets to be the thing that ruins your week- so many people would kill for that right now.

anyway, we'll be fine! if You're thinking of all of the things the series could've been, let that inspire you to make something. the fandom could definitely do with a new fandom classic right now, you could be the person to give everyone a bit of comfort.

[alargehunkofdebris]

S3 Won't Be Like S2, and That's Not a Bad Thing

So after the absolute cheese and crackers of this second season (plus that whollup of angst at the end) many Good Omens fans will be waiting for that next level of fluff and angst come S3. Don’t blame you at all.

However.

I think, should we be fortunate and get a new season at all, we must all be prepared for the reality that S3 is not going to be like S2, and remember too that this is not a bad thing.

Middle seasons/movies/books are notoriously tough to get right. Though they function as their own story, they’re also the middle part of an overarching plot. They are, in the plotting world (if you use Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat plotting structure terminology) the “fun and games” part of the plot. You get neither the interesting introduction of all character/plot/main conflicts, nor the highest stakes/climax/resolution of the end. So it’s really hard to keep that level of interest in a season that has no solid beginning or solid end of the main plot.

However, in this particular instance, Neil Gaiman and Co. have the absolutely wonderful benefit of having two main characters that most fans are content to watch paint dry with. The characters and their dynamics are the jewels of this story. So, this second season had another function. It was a “treat” season, in a way, because it slowed everything down and really let us indulge in the little, joyful things – aka, the developing relationship of Crowley and Aziraphale. Season One gave us a lot of that, too – but a great deal of that development was added for the show. With just the book as reference, it was a very plottish story. That’s why it required a season to pull off and not just a movie. On the other hand, if you took the events of S2 and converted it to a book of the same style (aka, focused mostly on the plot and the overall cast of characters, not as much on the main two) it would be significantly shorter.

Now, back to the subject of S3. This future season will be going back to the roots of Good Omens, because a big chunk of that plotting was done back when the original book was created. The major beats have been in place since 1990. So, it would probably be a fair bet to say that there will be a lot more plot-heavy beats, with less laser-focus on the relationship. Where S1 had several plots with one major one involving Adam as the antichrist, S2 was literally a romance story with a mystery element. S3, on the other hand, will likely be a return to form, and this isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. Many will be happy about this, because while it would be lovely to have an infinite amount of time just seeing the domestic side of an angel/demon relationship, we absolutely need some gritty, high-stakes plot points to round off this massively ambitious story.

It doesn’t mean we won’t get a lot of relationship things. We need it too, considering the build up we got S2. It is the heart of the whole story. I just think that S3 will be a perfect balance of what we liked of both S1 and S2. Where some would find S2 a little lacking in speed and stakes, S3 will be faster paced with bigger conflict. Where some find S1 to spend too much time away from the main relationship, S3 will absolutely focus on this as one of the two major plots of the story (S1/the book, on the other hand, had at least 4 plotlines that we switched between somewhat equally.)  

So, when we think of S3 and theorize on its plot, we must think of it more in the context of S1/book rather than S2. We have to imagine that the major beats were figured out in the 90s, and focus on those unresolved setups we got in S2. So, we have the Book of Life, the Memory Wiping, and the Second Coming. I may also suggest the 25 Lazareth Miracle Concept, though I’d probably guess that it’s a modern Gaiman addition/enhancement with its focus on Crowley and Aziraphale’s “stronger together” theme (this theme enhancement was mostly a Gaiman addition in S1, remember, with the Ep 3 cold open and The Switch at the end). I’m still not positive whether this is going to end up being that an angel and demon working together makes the most powerful miracle (which would probably be more in-line with the original 90s plot) or if it’s specifically Crowley and Aziraphale; there would be very different plot possibilities with either. With the first, we could potentially have a return of Beelzebub and Gabrial as an Act 3 saving grace, and with the second they could literally have a “true loves kiss that saves the world” kind of thing, which I don’t think will happen (but Lord, can you imagine?)

All I know is that when a large chunk of S3’s original plot was conceived, the authors had no idea just how popular the angel and demon duo would be. It was written without that influence in mind. And I think this is a Good Thing. Because as much as we all want infinite content of Crowley and Aziraphale, there is always that danger of “too much of a good thing.” In getting only what we want, we would lose all those other parts that makes this story beloved.

Neil Gaiman said it himself, so many times. S2 is the “gentle and romantic” season. It is, in other words, the one that focussed on Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship. He said also that he can’t guarantee the fans will even like season 3, and I don’t think that is because he’s going to do anything awful to our beloved characters. I think he’s simply being wary of fans who might take for granted that S3 will have that same level of fluff (affectionate) as S2, and this just won’t be the case. And I very much guarantee that even if we have a perfect level of relationship focus in S3, the sheer glut of it in S2 will create some disappointment and bitterness indeed.  

In short: we are absolutely, without a doubt, NOT going to get that same level of sweet, domestic relationship stuff in Season 3 as we did in S2, and we all should try to avoid throwing undue expectation (and potential bitterness) at Neil Gaiman if there’s that distinct change of pace/tone. Because it doesn’t mean we won’t get a huge amount of relationship stuff in general (we could even get more); it just means it won’t be the sole focus, and it won’t be “gentle and romantic.” There won’t be plots about trying to put on a Jane Austin ball, or trying to play matchmaker for a local couple. There are going to be much higher stakes, with a lot more stuff happening. And this isn’t a bad thing. It’s what’s needed to make a well-rounded trifecta of seasons. So be prepared, set expectations, gird your loins, have a ton of fun in the meantime, and—most importantly—pray that S3 will be renewed at all.

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

Dinner today was canned tuna in bread wraps with lemon juice, lettuce, tomato and avocado and sesame oil... No added salt :(

Also I changed my mind and cut out even more dairy. Idk if I will have cream in my tea. I've been drinking plain green tea for today, and tbh I am already peeing more often than before when I was drinking green tea just as much but with cream in it or alongside steak or cola. A good sign?

Now I have to figure out how to eat cranberries without adding sugar to them and without adding them to oatmeal which is on the nope list.

So I think I'll be having cranberries, lemon juice and turmeric in my green tea, and having it plain until I can get more honey.

The other struggle is a lot of fresh veggies upset my stomach now. And having lower blood sugar is not going to help the headache even if it helps the infection on my neck. So I have to keep myself fed on fresh veggies and grain mostly, but my body wants me eating mostly meat, and I will be in pain for eating too many vegetables or wheat is the problem... Too much fruit runs into the too much sugar problem again... Like I have to eat something, but lettuce keeps giving me a tummy ache T~T

Emotionally, I'm only vaguely annoyed and cranky about it all, the bigger problem is having untreatable adhd that's bad enough to mimic depression and also be suffering autistic burnout that mimics depression, and thus needing to be entertained by something new and shiny to feel normal but not even having the emotional energy to get invested in something new and shiny. And then being in pain all day. And then the stress of how difficult it is to clean and stuff right now. I'd be less anxious with my apartment spotless and getting emptier.

But I am trying. I am thinking comic books again. Even though I don't have a problem of putting celebrities on pedestals, all the stuff with Neil Gaiman has complicated my relationship with Good Omens. But my thinking is that comic books are such a collaborative thing at this point that even the whole industry having problems doesn't really detract on the whole from people who put care and love into the comics. There are bad and good parts and things I would change but it's not like one writer's run of a character is going to ruin the whole universe for me for the foreseeable future. I can hate that run of the character and still love the character and that's just being into comics.

Also like, since I was 14 and last really into marvel comics, I am assuming there is a LOT of new content, and a lot of new fan content. Especially with the movies.

[taurus-spacecraft]

Okokokokok sooooo she's in the art department of a bunch of shows and she worked oN DOCTOR WHO (that bitch (affectionate)) she made the spinning fireplace if you know what im talking about. Anyway. One day (when she was working on doctor who) she was sitting down for lunch and DAVID FUCKING TENNANT asked if he could sit at her table because he was sick of sitting with the actors, so they had lunch together and she didn't even know who he was and she told me this story last year I think and she mentioned it SO casually like "oh yeah he was super nice. Very tall. His nose is bigger than it looks on tv. OH i just remembered do you know neil gaiman?" And I was hyperventilating at this point and I tried not to freak out cos he's my favorite author and I said "oh yeah i read a couple of his books-" -you know, like a liar. I read all of them. Multiple times.- "what about him?" And she said "well im pretty sure i worked on something of his too-" -please don't say good omens please don't say good omens please don't say good omens- "i think it was anansi boys?" -oh thank god i can be a tiny bit less obsessed about this one- "but i can't remember what we talked about" and I went "YOU TALKED TO HIM???" and she said "yeah it was probably about bricks or something" and I, flabbergasted, asked "bricks? You encounter sir neil himself and you talk about bricks?" And she was a bit offended and said "well i had to know what vibe the bricks were supposed to be don't you think?" And at that point the conversation ended and I haven't stopped being jealous of my cousin having lunch with David tennant and talking about bricks with neil. She also worked on BBC sherlock. Kill me now.

Anyway yeah that's the story sorry it's so long I just can't help telling this to every new good omens fan I meet.

i mever watches doctor who so dont know BUT OMG SHE WAS SO LUCKY AND SHE DIDNT FREAK OUT????? AND JUST ATE WITH HIM???? I THINK WE WOULD DIE THERE

AMAZING STORY I DONT MIND ITS LONG

[carinavi5]

I've just finished rewatching Good Omens s2 but with my parents this time. I was expecting a bigger reaction, or maybe a few negative ones spread around the episodes. But that was not the case, and it somehow makes me feel more crushed.

I was expecting my dad to complain, at least slightly, while watching the show. He doesn't typically like quiet, gentle and romantic shows but I was expecting for him to at least pay attention to this one since he truly liked season 1. But no. After the first episode, to which he did pay a bit more attention to, he has been with his phone all the time. I've even had to ask him to lower the volume at times. When I ask him what he thinks about the show or anything regarding it, he simply answers with something similar to "Well..." or some kind of mumble or sigh.

My mom, who is more open than my dad about this topics, has been paying attention and everything. She's also not a big fan of romance but when in other shows there's something as big and beautiful as this ending or something unexpected, she does comment on it. This time, she hasn't really said anything.

They are both usually vocally homophobic/transphobic, and it somehow hurts me that this wasn't even big enough to deserve their complaints.

I read someone talking about how devastated his mom was after the ending and how the show may have "cured" his mom's homophobia. (Neil Gaiman answered him, you may have read it too) It made me a bit hopeful.

I was silly to expect anything at all from my parents. I wanted them to at least care about the main characters about whom I've heard them talk so fondly about. I just wanted to see them care about queer individuals. I just wanted them to feel a bit invested in the emotional lives of the characters I know they liked.

Negativity shows at least a bit of worry and attachment. I was expecting negative reactions towards the "background" characters but hoping for investment and worry and sadness about the main ones, especially from my mother's side. But they haven't.

I should feel grateful they aren't showing specially big negative emotions about this lovely couple, right?

I hope this doesn't sound silly. Complaining because they didn't give a negative reaction... I'm kind of crying right now. I hope others feel my desperation and sadness, I don't want to seem childish. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe it's good that they don't care. Even if it was an obviously devastating and emotionally charged ending with two characters they previously seemed to care about as the spotlight of it.

I am queer, but I could still bring a masculine, straight, cis man home as a partner. I could end up never having to introduce any partner to my parents, regardless of the reason. Maybe I'm exaggerating. They wouldn't react negatively, they'd simply not care. It's good... Right?

[digitalcockroach]

i think a lot of tumblr has weirdly strong feelings and opinions on Neil Gaiman and Good Omens like it's popular and popular to hate and victim to Tumblr Discourse, there's a loud subset of (usually young but not always uhg) fans that are obnoxious uwu soft bean terminally online types, and there's a a kind of reactionary hatred and criticism for Neil and Gomens itself (and laugh at me if you must but there is some of that coming from a homophobic, transphobic, abliest place. it is not coincidence that these reactionary hate for fandoms is worst when a fandom is predominantly queer and neurodivergent like i get it whatever we all need someone to bully not the point here) and there are PLENTY of things to not like about the man, the show, and the fandom but like

one sentiment i see going around in the wake of s2 is that Neil Gaiman is just a Bad Writer which like. objectively doesn't really add up. in terms of technical skill and success of his work? he's very skilled and respected as a writer, he's considered a master of his craft, he's won awards, yknow? whether the stories he tells are compelling or interesting or important is subjective, hate em all you want, but he is TECHNICALLY a good writer which leads me to my main question

WTF happened to s2 of Gomens????? like i liked s1 enough to watch it 3 or 4 times, i loved the book in high school, i was excited for new content despite my misgivings about extending a completed story! and this is what we get? the major worldbuild hook, an arch-angel thrown out of heaven without his memories now in the care of the angel and demon who saved the world from said arch-angel essentially, is a fucking C plot after fanservice azi/crow flashbacks and a weird uncomfortable not-romance between two random new characters (and this isn't even mentioning the major spoilers for way stupider plot decisions). none of the humans from s1 are there. there's 0 tension (except for in the final cliffhanger scene) bc they just. basically say "nah no you wont" and fix all their problems. literal deus ex machina resolution. the writing is bad, the ACTING is bad in the case of the weird ass Beelzebub recast (WHY would you draw attention to it by mentioning they look different TWICE) who moves like a tiktok teenager and can't lipsynch and oh yeah has a completely different personality. i get that some things were on purpose, i see the hints and foreshadowing for a s3, i get that some ooc-ness of characters is likely to be revealed as part of a bigger plot eventually but y'all. i sat through this Bad season of TV hoping the few interesting and genuinely cute moments would pay off, and they did not. why would i wait for another season of this shit to actually resolve anything?

I'm just fuckin disappointed in it yknow it was a total fanfiction of itself and i have literally read better gomens fic than what s2 did

[random-conspiracy]

In response to @ariaste. A conspiracy theorist I truly adore ashahsha. (I want to study your brain).

I want to put my head inside a microwave and press "popcorn" because I really, REALLY want to believe that there is something going on behind the curtains of the teather. That Neil himself, the writer, the magician! left clues for us to follow like breadcrumbs into the sweetness of the witch's house. I REALLY WANT TO BELIEVE and is painful how a lot of "clues" are so suspicious that they must be part of a bigger picture.

But...

I feel like we're doomed to repeat our history. Do you remember

THE JOHNLOCK CONSPIRACY?

"There must be something going on!", "The show can't be bad, the bad writting must be intentional", "It's a detective show for godsake, there must be a mystery!".

Yeah, do you remember that? All the theories, the paranoia, the disappointment. Time over and over and over again fans were obsessing about infinitesimal details, connecting dots, finding meaning in the chaotic mess of dead ends and plot-holes. "This cannot be the end" they swear, they cryed, they theorized. And then... nothing. Behind the curtains there was no magician, no trap door under the stage, no secret codes or clues. Just the simple and sad answer of the empty teather: There is nothing here.

And I'm seeing the same patter here. A loved and very closed series has a new season. The season is well received, a lot of fanfics a lot of love and the main focus in a specific ship. This couple goes and comes and goes and comes like a telenovela/fanfic leaving us with an "incredible" cliffhanger.

But some fans are more perceptive than others and soon they realize that 2+2 is not 5. Something fishy is going on under layer and layer of fanservice and good camera work. Things are not adding up.

("Moriarty died! What is he doing here?".)

You have spent nights and days dedicated to this series/books. You have created tons of fanarts and seen tons of fanfics. Your heart, your mind, your attention was placed in this story. Hours and hours and hours of non sleeping because you cannot stop thinking about these characters, their dynamics, the whole narrative! All of this must worth something, RIGHT??? All the dedication and the attention, all of that has to mean something

RIGHT???

<<It's perfectly clear!>> says the fandom. <<The writers know what they are doing. This series, this series cannot be bad! There must be something going on!>>. But because bad writting cannot be unwritten the answer is more and more "obvious". <<All of that must be intentional!>>

Call me crazy but I have the terrible feeling that we're following the same exact track of our ancestors right into the abism ashahsah.

I really want to beileve that there is a mystery under the mystery and that Neil Gaiman is in fact the magician in the stage, ready to reveal his magestic plot-twist from under the shadows. But we cannot be so blind to the ockham's razor: Sometimes, a bad show is just bad.

And it's hard to swallow because I'd love to free myself into the labyrinths of theory and possibilities but this is by no meanings a "never seen" outcome. Sequels are often bad to acceptable and the studios have no particular reason to make them a masterpice. The first season was well received, we can low our standars! :D :D :D. And nothing to say when we are in the 4° season, I'm still mad of how they butchered my beloved Doom Patrol ( :( ). And to be fair, the Good Omen's book was a masterpiece. It's difficult to make something as great when your co-autor is not here anymore and the original work was so complete.

The new season of Good Omens is full of things that lead nowhere and you perfectly resumed a lot of them in your essay:

1. "The zombies—where are they? 2. The whole long sequence of buying the bullet-catch trick and putting on the show—why did we need to see all that? 3. The statue of Gabriel—what’s going on with it? It keeps coming up as a Thing but why? 4. The Coffeeshop AU—we’re supposed to believe it is so important, one of the main plot arcs of the season, but it... comes to nothing? 4. The miracle that Gabriel did—we didn’t find out what that was, did we? 6. Aziraphale can draw, apparently, but why is it so important for us to know that? He could have taken a polaroid of Jim!Gabriel, no? Aziraphale knows how photographs work. 7. Why was Crowley wearing sunglasses in the Job scene (2500BC) when he wasn’t wearing them in the two scenes bracketing it in the S1E3 cold open (the Flood and the Crucifixion)? 8. Why is the carpet salesman holding a weird newspaper so we can so clearly see the headline? is that important or just a funny background thing? 9. Shax and Furfur establishing a little alliance—that seemed like a Thing, but the only small payoff we get from them is that little fistbump at the end? Did I miss something? 10. Apparently Aziraphale keeps a Derringer in a hollowed-out book in the shop—is this a literal Chekov’s gun??? Why do we need to know the gun is there unless he is going to fire it at some point? 11. The photograph Furfur took for evidence against Crowley, which Aziraphale stole from him—what happened to it? 12. Aziraphale not taking anything with him from the bookshop when he leaves, not even his journals—after all that discussion in S1 about The Things You Can’t Get In Heaven that he would miss so much he’s willing to sabotage the apocalypse? 13. Muriel reading the book and very obviously showing the title—was this important?"

I'd add more, like the constant focus in the BOX, the insistance of the SONG, etc. All of this questions can be part of a secret agenda planned by Neil but as fandom I think is important to remeber that bad shows exist and not always are part of a intrincate conspiracy. THis points can perfectly be explained by a pressur of the Study in order to keep the fandom giving them money.

Easy tricks like romantic sub-plots, an absurd amount of fanservice with 0 care of the rest of the story, promises that end nowhere. Along all season 1 we're haunted by the ominous knowledge of the End of the Days like a clockwork bomb. Here, we have glimpses of a terrible future with terrible consequences, a book with incredible power and a bloody war and then...

Nothing.

Nothing really matters or is addressed. The relationship of Belcebú and Michael? Skipped and resumed in 4 minutes flashbacks. The terrible consequences? Ignored. All easy to digest, to not think about it too much (absolute sin for a fucking series based in GOOD OMENS's book) and all the romance you can eat.

Keep your eyes open. There are probably more hands touching the story than we can see with way more different agendas than just "a good story".

Honestly, the ending to me is just a lazy tactic to keep the fandom watching. It's not based in the INCREDIBLE story that the book started or any mystery at all. Because let's be real for a second. Who, WHO actually cared this season about the damn story beyonf the Ineffable Husband?? Oh yeah! (sarcasm) I bet the "war" between Heaven and Hell was suuuuuuuuper complex and interesting. And how to forget about all the layers and "sub-plots" and deep comentaries on the table! Surely that's what people is thirsting about. Oh boy! I bet all of the fandom is dying of curiosity about the Second Coming!

No one cares about that stuff anymore. All what the fandom wanted was Ineffable Husbands, Ineffable Husbands, Ineffable Husbands and for gods sake that's what we received! And of course, that's the bait we're about to die for. The fisrt season was an interesting story with a romantic relationship impplied. Here, all we have is fanservice with some breacrumbs of story just to keep things "spicy". It's just Destiel 2!

BUT!

I think you're into something hashahsa. It's just so damn suspicious that FUCKING NEIL GAIMAN is into this bad writting specifically in THIS story that I can't stop thinking about it.

Erasing something of the Book of Life creates a new reality where that something never existed in the first place in a retroactive reaction So, if someone was deleted, we have no way to know it. Or we have?

A missing puzzle piece cannot can be known by the empy space that it leaves. I really believe that most of the loose ends are straight up bad writting but the emphasis in Chejov Guns is just to obvious that they are possibly the pieces arounf our missing "something".

Something is missing and we don't know what is but we can see the shape that was left behind based in all the stuff that is incomplete.

The meta aweraness of fanfic tropes and narrative mechanism is everywhere. As you say: Neil is a magician and we see multiple times magic tricks motifs in the season. Metatron as a story-teller is also coherent with this view. Come on! The Barista x Record seller ship is so cliché that is laughable.

Now, what is missing?

The first option could be "someone". Also, Metatron says that the Book of Life can only delete or it can rewritte? I don't remember and I think that's important. If someone is messing with the Book of Life, they has a bad fanfic understanding of how to write a story. So all the retroactive changes develope in cliché plots and bad writting. So I'm not particulary a believer of Metatron actually being the magician.

Who is benefited of such a bland story? Crowley? Aziraphale? God? (That's an interesting path right there too. God is known for being cryptic and chaotic and we have first hand demonstration of the dialogue with Job: A lot of nonsense that seems to mean nothing but there must be something behind. And whale. God loves their whales. If you want answers you must first ask questions.)

The Status Quo is another anchor here. Heaven and Hell are trying to be the winners of this war BUT at the same time, they don't really have any need to go on to this armaggedon chess of light and darkness. Angels and Demons are basically cops in charge of keeping the status quo of both sides. If nothing changes, there is no winner and no loser. And they can keep their local power for all eternity.

Aziraphale and Crowlet are the annomaly. They have the power to STOP the war or to START it. Someone pulling the strings from the start, manipulating them into treason and partnership would grant this mysterious writer a powerful ace under the sleeve. And they are a perfect mirror of Lucifer. The fallen angel that flyies to close to heaven and the pure angel corrupted by earthly delights.

I don't think the alcohol or the glasses are importat clues here. They are just to light to have a real weight (for me) and can be easely explained as contrasts of "past Aziraphale" and "modern Aziraphale" being more and more comfortable with human things (that is one of his character traits from the beggining).

Metatron seems just too informed of humanity to be so naive respecting historic details and narrative tropes. If someone is editing the book has a very superficial knowledge of both this things and they most be someone relatively close to Heaven (not really, we saw the elevators and the "stairs". Anyone can go UP).

I'm juggling this options:

Option A: Muriel!

✓ Superficial knowledge of how humanity works

✓ As an angel has direct interactions in Heaven

✓ Initial passion and curiosity for literature = Superficial understanding of tropes

✓ EASY TO MANIPULATE

Option B: Bastian Baltasar Bux form the Neverending Story.

I'm not talking about literally Bastian but we already saw a kid with the power to bend reality (Adam). Someone with a superficial and exaggerated knowledge of both historic details and tropes (with a particular interesting in romance settings) could be a teen in possesion of the Book of Life. Like a meta reference to the fandom itself inside the story.

And of course, we need to address the SECOND COMING

I'm not particulary expert in catholic shenanigans since I was 8 but I remember that there are the trumpets, some prophetic stuff going on, the rapture and the judgement raised by the second coming of Jesus Christ. We already saw this guy early but it was more of a casual mention than a mind-blowing scene.

Back to life... the second coming... the resurrectionists... zombies... Lazarus...

You're absolutely right. Something fishy is going on with this motif. Something is ABSOLUTELY about to come back to life.

And I agree with you in the analysis that Nina and Maggie act like souless characters and honestly I don't think that Neil himself will be ever so naive to write such a bland and irrelevant pair. This tastes suspicious too but that's in hopes of the "alternative" not being true.

I disagree about Metatron (or someone else) manipulating all Aziraphale and Crowley's actions (along everyone else) because that means we actually have no idea who are Ari and Crowley and all we saw was a lie. So, that's probably a veeeeeeeeeeery out of ligue possibility. However, the multiple COINCIDENCES, meetings and memories are more easy to track an make sense. They found each other suddendly in the moment they need to be and all memories work strangely great.

(OH GOD THE FUCKING HALO DEUS-EX-MACHINA. THERE MUST BE A DAMN SECRET STORY GOING ON OR I'LL GO APESHIT ABOUT THIS BULLSHIT)

And talking about deus-ex-machinas. Another point against Metatron being the one behind the retcons is the power behind the Book of Life. What would be the point of ALL THIS EFFORT when he could easy just make whatever he wanted with some words. For someone rational and effortless as we see these actions makes no sense. It would be more coherent if someone was editing the Book without knowing about its powers. Then the weird plots and complicate (not really) shenanigans are more obvious and along the characterization of a "naive writer".

And again: Job.

What if all of this is just a game or a bet started by God? Maybe this is a proxis war, where Hell and Heaven are not in combat with their armies and weapons but is played by just to pieces of chess representing both sides.

God (Neil) sent Job (the fandom) terrible disgraces and curses to test his faith. And Job had faith and everyting was right. God said chaotic nonsense to Job and Job was patient.

Maybe Aziraphale and Crowley are avatars of Heaven and Hell and their relationship is the ultimate test. If they finally decide to be together beyond every temptation and disgrace (like Metatron) or they decide to destroy each other. Same as Job test, keep having faith.

Another possibility: Someone made something so terrible, so horrible that its presence was erased from the book. What if this terrible action as MESSING with the book in the first place? Starting a paradox where they never changes the book > Never is erased > Messes with the book > Is erased > Ad infinitum.

 “Prentice becomes obsessed with papers his uncle left behind and sets out to solve the mystery. […] Prentice's efforts to make sense of Uncle Rory's fragmentary notes and the minimal clues surrounding his disappearance mirror his efforts to understand the world and his place in it. The narrative is nonlinear, leaping back and forth with little or no warning, requiring the reader to piece things together.”

Ok, that's straight up stupid hashshasa. There are clues, then hints and then THIS FUCKING KICK IN THE FACE OF OBVIOUSNESS.

Conclusion:

I think we need to be clear about all of this. The mystery is just so bubbling to ignore it but we cannot fall with the same rock the Sherlock fandom did. Be careful! Open your eyes! Don't descend into rabbit-holes without a way to get out. Beware of the random conspiracies and don't trust the Study.

The Magic Trick You Didn’t See: Being An Analysis of Good Omens Season 2

(or: Neil Gaiman, Your Brain is Gorgeous But I Have Cracked Your Sneaky Little Code And Have You Dead To Rights*) (*Maybe)

***

Soooooo I just spent the last 48 hours having a BREATHTAKING GALAXY BRAIN EPIPHANY about Good Omens Season 2 and feverishly writing a fuckin16,000 word essay about the incredible magic trick that @neil-gaiman pulled off. 

Yes, it’s long, but I PROMISE your brains will explode. Do you want to know how magic works? Do you want to know what Metatron’s deal is (I’m like 99% sure of this and it’s EXTREMELY FUCKING GOOD)? Do you want to know about the Mystery of the Vanishing Eccles Cakes and the big fat beautiful clue I found in the opening credits? Do you go through the whole inventory of Chekov’s Firearm & Heavy Artillery Discount Warehouse? 

Here is the essay, go read it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/193IXS11XN46lziHRb6eUpM17yK0BQkRqke1Wh64A_e0/ When ur done u can tell me I’m an insane crackpot, and u know what, i won’t even be offended

In case you don’t know whether you want to bother reading the whole enormous thing on google docs, I’ve put the first couple sections of it under the cut. JUST TRUST ME OKAY, HEAR ME OUT, THIS IS VERY EXTREMELY COOL, NEIL IS GOOD AT HIS JOB–

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