#what was he apologizing for in 1793 and 1941

[wotwotleigh-prime]

Good Omens S2 ep. 1, 2023

[bluberryfields]

"I want a proper apology."

The dramatic “apology dance”

In the entirety of Season 2, I think the “apology dance” scene is pretty close to my favorite.

The way Crowley walks in like he’s entering a stage in a packed theater.

The way Azi clearly sees him coming and fusses himself up to look extra focused on his work and not at all excited about Crowley’s return.

Crowley, noticing that Azi has yet to look at him, ramps up the drama by:

Whipping off his glasses (taking off his armor)

Response from Azi? Clears his throat and focuses harder on his work.

Time for Level 2 Drama, it seems.

Stalking over to the table (no sauntering here)

Tossing the glasses down (looks casual but absolutely isn’t)

Ringing that little bell (like a ceremonial gong signaling “this is fucking happening”)

Walking back into the rotunda where he has maximum visibility (also maximum vulnerability)

Azi now has no choice but to react, which he does by slowly looking up and over at Crowley, who looks like the human-shaped embodiment of dread.

Finally announcing “I’m back” like the bitchy customer who just yesterday had declared they were never shopping here again

I mean, wow. Amazing. Glorious.

Not to be outcunted, Azi just casually turns back to his work and practically hums, “Yes. I can see that.”

Damn, Aziraphale, did you take lessons in passive aggression from my mother?

Now Crowley groans in a way that I felt to my core and asks, “Do you want a big, ‘I think I said the wrong thing,’ sort of an apology, or can we take that as said?”

He averts his eyes until the last second because this probably feels more demeaning than begging Azi not to do his magic act at Warlock’s birthday part.

Still turned away, Azi replies in a tone that is a mix of hurt and guilt that makes me think this has been coming for awhile. "I'd like the apology actually." I bet you would, Angel.

Back to Crowley, he pauses to assess his options, takes a deep breath, and says the magic words: “You were right.” Also looks like he almost says something else but either doesn’t know what to say or doesn’t want to say it.

Oh wow, so convincing. Bravo.

Finally, Azi puts down his glasses and his work and turns to address Crowley. He is not happy.

“Not good enough. I want a proper apology.” Also, side note, but Michael Sheen’s voice here is just…yum.

Before Azi can finish, Crowley is so quick to reject this idea. “No.” with a shake of the head.

You're not winning this battle, Crowley, and you know it.

“With the little dance.” Azi’s voice perks up and his eyes brighten at the hope this will happen. Seize that opportunity!

Again, Crowley barely let’s the word “dance” come out before he tries to shut it down. “I don’t do the dance.” Nope, no sir, not this demon.

Oh no, now Azi’s anger joins the hurt and guilt for a vicious trifecta. “I did the ‘I was wrong’ dance in 1650, 1793, 1941…” each date being spat out with increasing amounts of venom.

Oh Crowley, you brought this on yourself, girl.

This non-apology combined with his “I'm sorry. I apologize. Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it. Work with me, I’m apologizing here. Yes? Good. Get in the car.” and I can see why Azi reacts to this the way he does.

Crowley knows he’s beaten and concedes with a “Fine!” that feels the very opposite of the word.

Okay so before the “proper apology” can begin, Azi gets up from his chair, straightens his waistcoat, and stands with his hands grasped in front of him like a proper gentleman. A properly petty gentleman.

Then the main attraction! Crowley, looking completely stone-faced, does “the little dance.”

It’s wonderful. He looks so silly and childish and graceful and mature. And god, that deep knee bend at the end? Amazing.

Also amazing is Crowley’s face when he says "Kay?” while bobbing his head and eyebrows back like a sassy rooster? *chef’s kiss*

For Azi’s part, god it is just a delicious mix of polite poker face and barely concealed thirst. I see your eyes scanning Crowley, drinking in that thin, dark Duke. That little dance will live in his head forever.

And that’s the signal to go back to normal! Crowley regains control and Azi falls back into the supporting role.

Long-term relationships are hard, yo.

[exacutor-nb]

Wait a minute-

One of the cut flashbacks/minisode was supposed to be Aziraphale and Crowley in the Golden Age of Piracy right? Well if you recall from season 2 episode 1 Aziraphale says “I did the I was wrong dance in: 1650, 1793, and 1941.”

Guess what took place in the 1650’s

That’s right- folks, Aziraphale did something dumb during the Golden Age of Piracy which was why he had to the apology dance. :3

[vidavalor]

Falling (in Love)

Apologies if I'm the last to see this but I've noticed that something falls in every one of the Crowley and Aziraphale joint flashbacks in both seasons to date...

Before the Beginning: the first celestial shower; Aziraphale drops the scroll after they start the engine to the universe

Eden: Fall of Man; the lion falls; the first rain falls; God's light falls away from spotlighting Aziraphale

The Flood: the rain begins to fall as the scene ends

Job: Crowley, Aziraphale, the kids, the food, & Jemimah's pot fall to the cellar when Crowley brings them there; the kids fall to the floor when Crowley turns them into geckos; the house burns down

Golgotha: the hammer falls on Jesus' hand; the sun falls in the sky at the end of the scene; Crowley's old name falls away; in its place is one with history between him and Aziraphale, reflecting that he's fallen in love

Rome: scene begins with Aziraphale miming his game piece falling from a height of close to his shoulder down to the board before being distracted by hearing Crowley's voice. Tail end of the movement:

Wessex: the visor on Crowley's helmet, once up, keeps slipping; Crowley makes it fall at the end of the scene

1601: the coin falls in the toss

1793: the handcuffs fall to the floor

1827: Crowley dragged down to Hell as a result of over-miracling and sending the grave guards there, whom we see fall long past the point of a deep hole; also: Crowley falling to the floor as Tiny Crowley while on laudanum

1862: the holy water note falls into the pond; before that, so do the peas that Aziraphale is feeding the ducks

1941, Part 1: the bombs fall on the church

1941, Part 2: the photo falls to the floor in the bookshop; wine falling into Crowley's glass as Aziraphale flirts and pours

1967: money falling to the table as Crowley dolls it out, in an effort to get the holy water he feels would make him and Aziraphale safer

1970s/1980: M-25 initial plans fall to the floor; replaced by Crowley's Aziraphale-oriented plans for its construction

2008: Crowley's glasses fall to the couch as they come off for the first time in the minisode, showing us that he feels safe in the bookshop and with Aziraphale

What's mah point? Dolphins. Also, just that one kind of falling is falling in love and that it is the good kind of continuous, downward motion. 💘

[greenthena]

Why we won't have an Apology Dance in S3--or, why I'm choosing to start WW3

Much as I love the Apology Dance, I have a hunch that neither Crowley nor Aziraphale will perform it in S3. It's such a weird (affectionate) little mating ritual, and I cannot see it without thinking of David Attenborough's "Birds of Paradise" clip from Our Planet. (The little fuckers really get going around the 2:30 mark, if you're interested.)

S2 demonstrates so many of these bizarre little mating rituals. Specifically, I'm thinking about the "Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions" moment...

...I mean, Goddamn. Someone damn it. Aziraphale is about to climb that demon like a tree.

And the exchange about borrowing the Bentley...

...which is a battle lost before it's even begun because Aziraphale flashes those pretty eyes and Crowley's too smitten to really put up a fight.

Mah point is (dolphins). My point is that every aspect of their interaction, particularly in S2, is a dance, a courting practice, a mating ritual to which only these two weird (affectionate) little birds know the steps.

And the Apology Dance is one of the key steps in this ritual. We know how important it is because Aziraphale has memorized each year when he performed it for Crowley. 1650, 1793, 1941... And Crowley has now reciprocated. But for all the importance of the Apology Dance, we never hear an actual apology. The words, "I'm sorry" are never exchanged between the Ineffables.

Of course, Aziraphale has forgiven Crowley on multiple occasions (have a tissue), but the absolution is never in response to an apology.

Why does this matter, you ask? Because Crowley has never asked to be forgiven. It's one of his self-identifying traits.

And every time Aziraphale offers him forgiveness, it calls into question Crowley's whole identity. I think this is why Crowley initially refuses to do the dance. He doesn't "do the dance," because he doesn't apologize. Because what's the point? If you believe yourself to be beyond forgiveness, why even bother with an apology.

But that's not what's most interesting to me. See, outside of mending his relationship with Aziraphale, I don't think the demon could give a single fuck about forgiveness. On the cosmic level, it's just another carrot dangled by Heaven. The whole concept of forgiveness of sins demonstrates a pretty fucked up power differential. I mean, who gets to decide whether God has forgiven you when She's not even talking?

I think it's fascinating that despite their squabble, Crowley removes his glasses the moment he steps back into the bookshop, performing the Apology Dance in his "naked" face. It suggests that he knows before he even starts that everything is going to be okay. He can approach the situation in a state of vulnerability because he deeply trusts his angel. But the dance, the mating ritual, still has to be completed. It's similar to how Aziraphale knew Crowley would let him drive the Bentley, but they still had to negotiate their way through the motions.

We've called it the Apology Dance, despite the fact that no apology is offered and no forgiveness given. Remember, Aziraphale's response to Crowley's successful completion of the ritual is, "Very nice."

So here's the crux. All these rituals that they perform, the Ineffable dances, if you will, rely on one crucial element. The result of the ritual has to be established before the ritual has begun. They each have to enter the ritual in a state of vulnerability, knowing the outcome will be safe and satisfying. And I think that's why Aziraphale doesn't say, "I forgive you" after Crowley's elegant spin and bow.

Because forgiveness is something Aziraphale only offers the demon when he feels cornered, frightened and unsafe. Think about the two times he's said it. In both cases, the forgiveness was weaponized.

(Apology Dance incoming for this next gif.)

In a very real way, when Aziraphale forgives Crowley, he invalidates his best friend's lived experience. Crowley doesn't want to be forgiven. He wants to be accepted. Loved. Seen.

So as much fun as it is to speculate about who might dance for whom in S3, I truly hope neither angel nor demon apologize to the other. For me, the most meaningful conclusion would be for them to complete their mating ritual not with some dogmatic, pedantic, fucked up power differential where one forgives the other for perceived iniquities. Nah. Fuck that. I want them to accept and love and deeply see one another and fully embrace whatever that means.

Here. Have some tissues.

[yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout]

Okay so, I'm getting increasingly confused over the timeline of when Aziraphale and Crowley have met over the ages.

Since I'm writing a S3 fic with lots of flashbacks, I figured that I needed to have a concrete and canon timeline so I don't end up accidentally writing a meeting when there shouldn't be one (ie when Crowley was asleep in the 14th century), and I cannot for the life of me find one that has S2 in it so I present to you:

The Nice and Accurate (hopefully) Timeline of Aziraphale & Crowley and their many meetings throughout the ages.

By Yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout.

Pls let me know if I've missed anything.

Before time was invented - God created the universe.

Before the Beginning - Our dynamic duo meet for the first time, as Crowley creates a Nebula with Aziraphale's help.

After The Beginning (the bible never gave dates for this kinda thing) - Crowley saunters vaguely downwards towards hell with the others who are cast out.

4004 B.C. - Eve is tempted by the Demon Crowley (in snake form) to eat the forbidden fruit. This is the first time we see Crowley in his demon form and the first time he (as a demon) meets Aziraphale, well - that we know of anyway.

3004 B.C, Mesopotamia - OI SHEM! Aziraphale and Crowley meet and watch as Noah gathers the animals two by two onto the ark.

2500 B.C, Uz - Aziraphale and Crowley work together to save Job's children from being killed. Aziraphale lies to heaven and fears he will be taken to hell. Bildad the Shuite is a babe.

33 A.D., Golgotha - Aziraphale and Crowley witness the crucifixion of Jesus. Crowley remarks that he 'showed Jesus the kingdoms of Earth'.

41 A.D., Rome - Aziraphale tempts Crowley to Oysters.

537 A.D., the Kingdom of West Essex - Knight of the table round, Sir Aziraphale encounters Crowley as the Black Knight. This is where the 'deal' is first raised.

1301 A.D - 1400 A.D - Crowley sleeps through the 14th century.

1601 A.D The Globe Theatre, London - Aziraphale and Crowley meet at a production of Hamlet. They have been participating in the 'deal' for some time now.

1650 A.D - Aziraphale does the apology dance for the first time.

1793 A.D, Paris, France - Aziraphale is about to be beheaded, but Crowley intervenes and saves him.

1800 A.D Soho, London - Aziraphale opens his bookshop and Crowley successfully prevents him from returning to heaven at Gabriel's orders, by fooling him with some mannequins.

1827 A.D Edinburgh - Crowley and Aziraphale meet Elspeth, a body snatcher, and are caught up in her endeavours.

Aziraphale then does not see Crowley until...

1862 A.D London's St. James Park - Crowley asks Aziraphale for Holy Water, as a 'just in case'. Appalled, Aziraphale leaves.

1941 A.D London - Aziraphale is caught up in a bait and switch with some Nazis. He is rescued by Crowley. One thing leads to another and Aziraphale is a magician in a show, the Nazi's become Zombies and to cut a long story short, it ends with the pair dining together.

1967 A.D Soho, London - Crowley meets Lance Corporal Shadwell and plans to steal Holy Water from a church. Hearing of this, Aziraphale appears to him in his Bentley and delivers a flask of it to him.

2008 A.D Soho, London - Crowley and Aziraphale meet to discuss the Antichrist and plan to become his godparents to raise him as a 'normal' child, neither influenced by heaven or hell.

2008 A.D - 2019 A.D - Crowley disguises himself as Nanny Ashtoreth and Aziraphale, as the Gardener Brother Francis, and the two try to influence Warlock.

2019 A.D - The events of the first season of Good Omens happens, our pair prevent Armageddon and live happily ever... wait what, a second season?

2020 A.D - 2022 A.D - Lockdown happens. This is where the 'Lockdown' video takes place.

2023 A.D - Pain, otherwise known as Season 2, happens.

I really hope this helps some of you with fic planning and stuff. I was getting really confused over when they met and when certain things started happening, that I needed a record for myself - then thought I should share it!

Edited to add: Thank you for the comments, pointing out some things I've missed! I've added lots of them in now. I've only really included events where the two have met (either in show or in book), and have not added in the bits that Neil Gaiman has added (such as the Wild West scenes etc). If there is a script book for S2 and they are in there - I will come back and add them in.

For a timeline that goes over other significant events in their history, please check out the amended version by @graviitron - they've added some cool bits in there, so thank you! 🥰

[mandiffe]

can we please acknowledge the fact that aziraphale did an apology dance in 1793 and 1941?? what did he apologize for?? for going to France during the revolution and for falling into Nazi's trap? for eating crêpes and almost making crowley shoot him? for being too good-looking?? too gullible?? what was it??

[humbledragon669]

S1E3 – Hard Times Write Up P2 – The Globe Theatre London (1601) and the Burbage Meta

This part of the write up for episode 3 is going to take on a slightly different format, in that it will only be covering a very short (approx. 4 minutes) section of the episode. It will also contain the details of a meta-theory I have based on the short conversation that takes place in this scene, and I’ll be analysing the comings and goings of the scene in greater detail to try and demonstrate how the theory came to fruition. I’m not going to lie – this theory is likely to be HUGELY unpopular. I am not a fan of it myself but it’s where my head canon is at, and if it were true might explain one other unknown piece of canon. So, with all that said, let’s get started.

Before we get into the weeds, I’d just like to take a moment to appreciate the soundtrack for this scene. I’ve spoken before about David Arnold’s ability to compose incidental music of all manner of styles to assist with scene setting and the piece playing in the background here is no exception. The use of period instruments, simple orchestration and playful melody do an excellent job in establishing our place in the timeline. Chapeau, sir.

Alright, let’s get the ball rolling with some familiar ground, specifically the obvious joy on Aziraphale’s face when Crowley arrives.

Look at that happy little face! It looks like pure reflex too, he just can’t help himself. Did you appreciate that little suggestion that this is a happy couple on a pre-arranged date? Well hold on to it, because things are about to get rocky.

I’m going to skip ahead a little bit, but I will be coming back to look at some of the other interactions that take place here later on. I’ll mention (briefly) that this scene is the first we learn of the “Arrangement” actually being in place and that they have invoked it “dozens of times” (the book confirms it was originally enacted in 1020). It took me a little while to twig, but the fact that they do work on behalf of the other doesn’t just mean that Crowley is capable of blessing things and using his miracles for good (the latter isn’t so dubious – they both seem to use their miracles more like magic tricks anyway), but that Aziraphale is capable of tempting people into (bad) things. Food for thought.

When I first started looking at this episode with a mind to doing a write up for it, there was one of Aziraphale’s lines that stood out to me:

The reason it stood it is because it feels almost… lustful. And it shouldn’t because he’s not talking about Crowley here, but the actor on the stage – Richard Burbage. I dismissed it because I did not care for what that might mean for our precious darlings. That’s ridiculous, right? Aziraphale desiring someone other than the tall dark prince. Absolutely.

Time for a tangent.

After I finished writing Dangerous Liaisons (a 5+1 fix-it fic I wrote based on the theory that the entire Final 15 is all just an act), I found myself wanting to fill in some of the gaps that I had touched upon in the fic. There is mention of certain events, and of declarations of love on both sides, at particular points in their history, and my brain was already whirring about if I was to write them (spoiler alert: I am 100% going to write them), what the details were. One of those events takes place in 1941, which got me thinking about Aziraphale spitting out that he did the “I Was Wrong” dance that year. Which in turn got me wondering about what that dance would have been for. Which in turn got me thinking about what the other instances of the “I Was Wrong” dance in 1650 and 1793 could have been for, and eventually I was at the point where I wasn’t just planning to write more fics about the events mentioned in Dangerous Liaisons, but my versions of how those apology dances came about as well.

At the time, I had a notion that perhaps the 1941 dance had been done as an apology for Aziraphale’s outburst in 1862 about the holy water. Similarly, I had an idea that the 1793 dance could potentially have been about the fact that Aziraphale had (very stupidly) gone to France during a war against aristocracy, dressed in finery, for nothing more than crèpes. But the 1650 dance? I had no clue.

Until I went back to this scene.

What if. What if that lustful undertone I thought I had detected when Aziraphale speaks about Richard Burbage wasn’t nothing at all? Honestly, when my brain offered me that idea, it felt like fireworks had gone off in my head. Did I like it? FUCK NO. Did it make a weird sort of sense? Urgh, so help me, it kind of did. So hold on people, I’m going to say it quickly, because I am not enjoying writing it about as much as you aren’t going to enjoy reading it.

I think Aziraphale had an emotional affair with Richard Burbage.

I think not only did Crowley know about it, but that initially he gave it his blessing. I think Crowley changed his mind when he realised how much he was hurting as a result of it. I think Crowley tried to talk Aziraphale out of it under the pretence of not wanting him to feel the pain of heartbreak when Burbage inevitably died. I think they had a huge row about it. And I think the 1650 “I Was Wrong” dance was Aziraphale apologising for it all.

Hate me now? It’s OK if you do, I kinda hate myself for thinking it in the first place to be honest.

I know you’re probably thinking “well, what on earth were the 1793 and 1941 apology dances for then? If the original dance was for something as awful as an “affair”, what could he possibly have done in later years that would have been bad enough that the dance needed to be repeated?”. I know you’re thinking it because it’s exactly what I thought when my brain force fed me this theory in the first place. So here’s the thing.

I don’t think the dances in 1793 and 1941 were for anything different.

I think all three of the instances of the apology dances were for the same thing – Aziraphale’s emotional affair with Richard Burbage. Because it’s the one thing Crowley can secretly never forgive him for, even though he gave him permission to do it in the first place.

I suppose I had better start talking to explain myself here, shouldn’t I? Well, alright then, I will, but only about my reasoning for the theory – the playing out of the dances I will be writing about in my fics.

Let’s start with the little glance at Burbage we see from Aziraphale when Crowley says he hates the ”gloomy” Shakespeare plays:

I’ve slowed it down so that you can see it, but Aziraphale’s primary concern about Crowley’s criticism is whether or not Burbage has heard it – that’s where his gaze initially goes to before being distracted by an approaching Shakespeare.

OK, OK, a single glance and a single line of script. That’s hardly a confession, is it? Well, I’m not done yet. Let’s have a look at Aziraphale falling over himself to reassure Burbage of his talents.

This sort of gushing simper is something you might usually see from a teenage girl trying to bolster the older boy she has a desperate (and inappropriate) crush on, often when responding to an attempt by him to fish for compliments or show the younger girl up. It makes me a little sick at just how desperately Aziraphale offers his support here to be honest. My feelings aside, his babbling flattery wins him Burbage’s attention, which clearly delights the angel.

I’m sure most people would be happy to believe that the reason Aziraphale denies his friendship with Crowley is because that is the standard for them both, but I think there’s more to it than that. I’m of the mind that Burbage and Aziraphale already know each other at this point, and that they’ve already begun to develop feelings for one another. Burbage asking Aziraphale about his “friend” isn’t just a general question - it’s tinged with jealousy. He wants to know who this man is, not in an attempt to garner more compliments, but because he’s feeling threatened by his presence. As well he should. Let’s also take a look at Aziraphale’s face after Crowley’s presence has been pointed out:

Does it look familiar to you? It does to me. It’s the face he pulls when he’s in trouble for doing something he knows he should be in trouble for. Just like when Nina drops him in the shit with Crowley for having a naked man in his shop:

We can also see Crowley starting to cotton on to things in this little exchange. He sees Aziraphale’s desperation and flustering, sees the human’s jealousy and possessiveness. So what does he do? He does what any self-respecting mischief-loving demon would do. He decides to join the pissing contest. You can see his decision in his expression here:

If that expression wasn’t enough to let you know that he’s entering the ring at this point, his dismissive response to Burbage’s challenge should be enough to tell you he now considers this man fair game.

I think you should get on with the play.

Ouch. Saucer of milk, Crowley? Or maybe just turn your disdain to the person you’re actually upset with? Ah, he’s got that covered, showering Aziraphale with sass when he heckles Burbage. You can see a little train of emotions going through his expression here – amusement morphs into shock and disbelief, finally indicating his incredulity with a head shake so subtle you can only just catch it in the movement of his hair.

Quick side note: in the script, Burbage gives Aziraphale a “grateful thumbs up” at the heckle. Very friendly, don’t you think?

And so we come to the hateful fateful line that got us into this mess in the first place.

He’s very good, isn’t he?

And now it takes on a whole different level of meaning, doesn’t it? This is him asserting his pride at Burbage’s talents, justifying his feelings in a thinly veiled confession, and subtextually seeking approval from the one person in the world that he would ever want it from.

Let me be clear: I do not believe that Aziraphale is sexually attracted to Burbage, or that he’s in love with him. I think he feels a deep emotional attraction to him and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Burbage’s talent is what’s really driving it. It’s worth remembering that Richard Burbage was a real historical person, who was the resident actor at the Globe Theatre. He played virtually every major role in the company, and it is generally thought that the role of Hamlet was written for and based on him. He was possibly considered the greatest actor of his time.

Crowley’s response, which comes after a tiny pause, seems oddly out of character.

Age does not wither nor custom stale his infinite variety.

For those who don’t know, this line is an almost direct quote from Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” (written after 1601, hence why Shakespeare makes a note of it when Crowley speaks). It’s spoken by Enobarbus, Antony’s best friend, who acts as a reasoned counsellor to Antony, offering advice unbiased by an all-consuming infatuation with Cleopatra. The pronouns have been changed in Crowley’s rendition (the resulting line in the play is about Cleopatra, so “his” becomes “her”). I have no doubt that Crowley’s subtext is pretty thickly layered here, so I’m going to try and break it down a bit:

We have a reference to age not having an effect on appearance. This is pretty obviously a characteristic of both himself and Aziraphale, immortal beings as they are.

The second half of the line he delivers is a reference to the subject having a range of moods that are unpredictable in their application.

The line as a whole takes these two ideas and wraps them in the suggestion that the subject is overwhelmingly attractive to many.

So taking all of that into consideration, I believe that the subject of Crowley’s line here is Aziraphale. He’s the one who doesn’t age, who is unpredictable and has fickle moods. It’s a reminder to himself of the things he finds attractive in Aziraphale and why others might also be drawn to him. It’s his admission that in this situation, he must be Enobarbus, the advisor, but that one day he can resume his role as Antony to Aziraphale’s Cleopatra. I mean, where else do we think he gets his 20th century first name from anyway?

That was a lot of analysis for a tiny handful of words. Aziraphale is less impressed with them, presumably because his little crush’s talent has not been recognised and he didn’t get the approval he was looking for.

The conversation that follows lets us know that Crowley has called this meeting. What’s interesting though is that according to Crowley’s opening line of the scene, it would appear that the location choice was Aziraphale’s.

I thought you said we’d be inconspicuous here.

This would suggest that Aziraphale knew that Burbage was going to be displaying his talents and that it would give him ample opportunity to show him off. Poor Crowley has been completely ambushed.

The majority of the conversation after this point is largely business-related, but it doesn’t stop Aziraphale from returning his eyes to Burbage at every opportunity, who is relentlessly charging through his lines in the background. Interestingly, the only line we focus on him for is this “the pangs of despised love”, which refers to the heartache caused by love that ends badly. And what other way is there for the affair between him and Aziraphale to end but badly? He’s human. He’s going to die. Leaving Aziraphale heartbroken. The frame just before these words are delivered would suggest that Aziraphale isn’t actually paying attention to him when he says them (shocking), so he’s probably missed that particular point entirely.

It's touching to see that Aziraphale does still care for Crowley, despite whatever else might be going on in his brain – his main concern, at least on the surface, is that it could put Crowley in danger if they invoke the Arrangement. In truth, I think he’s also considering the possibility that he might get to stay in London to spend more time with Burbage if he doesn’t have to go to Edinburgh; it’s written all over the lingering gaze he shoots the actor’s way when he’s offered the change to “toss for Edinburgh” (*smirk*)

And just look how disappointed he is when he loses:

And as if Aziraphale had not asked enough of his demon already, he overhears a conversation between Shakespeare and the oyster vendor (named Juliet, wonder if old Bill stole her name for anything he’d written previously…), prompting him to ask Crowley for a favour. I don’t think this could be interpreted as anything other than a secret gift from Aziraphale to Burbage. He obviously thinks it’s a marvellous idea and has set his heart on having it – just look at his silent ask of Crowley:

If that little eyebrow raise looks familiar, it’s because exactly the same micro-expression we see when he silently asks Crowley to clean his jacket in episode 2:

Let’s just for a moment say that my theory about all of this is complete guff. Why would Aziraphale be so desperate for Hamlet to succeed? Why this particular play? I’m prepared to settle and say the reason he doesn’t do the miracle himself is because he’s just lost the toss and is about to go and do Crowley’s job for him, but I can’t work out why he would be so keen for this play to succeed if there wasn’t some sort of emotional attachment involved with its lead actor and inspiration. So, I’m sticking to my guns on this one. Note: I’m not going into any metafiction stuff about both David and Michael having played Hamlet to high acclaim – everything here stays strictly within the GO universe.

And, like the lovesick little puppy that Crowley is, he gives his heart’s desire what it desires, even though it isn’t him. He even calls it a “treat”, and it earns him a pretty sweet smile of gratitude.

I don’t believe that Crowley’s gesture here is without subtext. I think this is him giving Aziraphale the approval he was fishing for earlier. And Aziraphale knows it – his secondary response (after that big soppy grim) is one of delighted relief. I have no doubt that Crowley is smarting a little by this point, and that’s borne out by the fact that he now leaves the theatre alone. If we look at the ends of each of the historical scenes, there are three where one of our hero couple leaves without the other (I’m not counting the departure in 537 AD where they both leave simultaneously). One is in 1862 (where Aziraphale refuses to supply Crowley with holy water) and another in 1967 (which I obviously haven’t covered yet) where Aziraphale leaves after delivering his soul-destroying “you go too fast” revelation. The other is this one. It’s seems very fitting that the only scenes where we see one of them leaving without the other are scenes where there is emotional tension between them. More importantly for this scene though is not so much that Crowley leaves, but that Aziraphale stays, his gaze instantly returning to Burbage on the stage. Not only is his face still fixed with a soppy smile, but he resumes eating – something we will see him using as a flirting device with Crowley in future years.

There’s one last thing I want to talk about from the beginning of this scene that I think bears mentioning:

Setting aside the fact that he miracles a coin out of thin air right in front of a human’s face here, there’s something else that draws my attention. The vendor in this micro-scene gives a customer two choices: oysters or oranges. Aziraphale chooses a third option, that we as the audience are not aware is available: grapes. Is it too extreme to consider this to be foreshadowing the choice that Aziraphale will make in this scene? As an entity, we have seen him try to choose between Heaven and Crowley for centuries, but here he will instead choose a third, previously unknown, option – Richard Burbage.

So there we have it. If you’ve stuck with me this far, I really do congratulate you. And I’m sorry. I’m not exaggerating when I say that writing this all down was actually really hard to do. I don’t want any of what I’ve theorised here to be true as much as most of the GO fandom, but once the idea planted its seed I could see how much sense it made.

If you’re still reading, and don’t hate me too much, I’ve written the prologue and first chapter of the fic that goes with this meta (you can find it here). I’ll be writing the second and third chapters covering the other “I Was Wrong” dances once I’ve completed the analysis for their relevant scenes, though that does mean the 1941 chapter will be a little while in the making.

Not sure I really want to include my usual sign off here, but… questions, comments, discussion always welcome. (Please don’t throw too much abuse at me!)

[on-till-morning]

Checkov’s 1941 Apology Dance

We were very noticeably told, by a noticeably irate Azirapahle, that he did an apology dance in 1941. And then we were very noticeably not shown that apology dance throughout the Nazi Zombi minisode. I’ve seen some theories that something happens AFTER their drinks at the end of that night and I 1000% agree (as I’ll get to down below) but I also think that something happened BEFORE they meet at the church, and maybe it was the apology dance itself. I’ll now conjecture wildly:��

Theory #1: Dance happened PRIOR to Nazi Church Explosion

I think something has happened between when we last saw the ineffable duo in 1862 and when we see them again in 1941. 1941 is all about is trust and intimacy and 1862 shows the opposite of that.

Crowley asks for holy water; Aziraphale accuses him of wanting to kill himself; Crowley says that’s not what he wants it for and Aziraphale does not believe him and says “do you know what kind of trouble I’d be in if (heaven) knew I was fraternizing—“ which gets a reaction from Crowley. We’ve seen him angry but rarely at Aziraphale - the other time being when the word “nice” was used. Here we see him react with what seems like genuine anger to the word ‘fraternizing.’ He throws it back at Aziraphale “I have plenty of other people to fraternize with angel.” And adds “I don’t need you.” Which is a pretty heavy sentiment from someone who will later refer to Aziraphale many times as both his best and only friend. Aziraphale tells him the feeling is mutual and storms off. Crowley scoffs after him and continues to seem upset.

(And I don’t blame him. It’s implied that hell has been punishing him for his good deed in Edinburgh for some amount of time over the past 30 odd years. Aziraphale also knows that Crowley did “a good deed” by stopping a girl from suicide, watches him disappear into a pit before his eyes, does not see him for many years after that, and yet when they do meet and Crowley asks him for holy water Aziraphale jumps to the conclusion that Crowley wants to use it on himself, which seems like a strange leap to make for someone we’re told is very smart (but obviously he is an idiot when it comes to Crowley))

That’s where things end in 1862 - distrust, disbelief, misunderstandings and genuine anger between the two of them.

Compare that parting to their behavior the night of 1941 after the church bombing - an evening brimming with mutual trust and a surprising level of competence from both our ineffable idiots as a result. Perhaps it all turned around for Aziraphale solely because Crowley saved his books (and I guess Aziraphale’s corporation too, although the angel presumably could have miracled himself out of an actual life or death situation both here and at the French guillotine, so how much is Crowley truly saving and how much is it “but rescuing me makes him so happy.”), but what would inspire Crowley to suddenly trust Aziraphale again? Later, at the end of the night when Aziraphale thanks him for coming through on stage, Crowley says “Well you said trust me.” As though it’s obvious that Crowley trusts Aziraphale. But the last we saw them there is no evidence of this kind of trust from either side.

And Aziraphale now trusts Crowley so much that he not only to initially ask him to be his confidante in the magic act but chooses to keep going without miracles and with disincorporation on the line.

I also think it’s noticeable that there’s no reference to their 1862 fight at any point as the evening unfolds. We’ve seen that they keep track of these things (“don’t I owe you lunch from…” “Paris. 1793,” And “Whatever I did I’m sorry. Work with me here, I’m apologizing.” “I did the apology dance in…”) Did the apology dance come before these events and somehow inspire this renewed friendship and deeper level of trust than we’ve yet been shown in their chronology?

Theory #2: Apology Dance happens POST magic show

Other people have speculated before me that something else happens that evening or afterwards and I agree. There’s a very noticeable change from how things end between them on this night and where they pick up in 1967 and then 2008.

In the Nazi Zombi minisode we see a new side of Aziraphale. He calls Crowley his friend not once but multiple times. Not only that, but he gives space and credibility to Crowley’s world view, for possibility the first and only time apart from the end of not-armageddan. At the end of the evening as they’re sharing wine, Aziraphale trots out the usual tired old argument of ‘you must be at least a little good’ by saying “You could have walked away if you were truly as evil as you like to paint yourself,” and Crowley corrects him, as he always does, by saying “Nah. That’s the trouble with you lot. You tend to see things in black and white. Sometimes you just gotta blur the edges.” But then something remarkable happens. Aziraphale actually acknowledges Crowley’s words and even raises a glass to them - “maybe there is something to be said for shades of gray.” - which is a HUGE departure from nearly every other time we see them interact and a major step forward in their relationship.

How do we get from there to “you go too fast for me Crowley.” How do we get from there to “We (heaven) will win (armageddon). Heaven will finally triumph over hell. It’s all going to be rather lovely.” To not wanting to help Crowley initially with the antichrist. To “I’m an angel, you’re a demon. We’re hereditary enemies.” To “We’re not friends…. I don’t even like you… There is no our side.”

If I had a word to describe how Aziraphale is when he recounts his apology dances and demands a proper apology from Crowley in s2e1 that word would be ‘bitter.’ What was he wrong about, and what did Crowley do about it? Perhaps Crowley took him being right and Aziraphale being wrong about something too far which broke down the trust and openness we see Az developing over the course of this evening. I do think something happens after this evening that we’re going to be shown in season 3, and it being the missing apology dance makes a lot of sense, but I also think something significant happened off screen between 1862 and 1941 as well, so perhaps both centuries will be revisited in season 3…

Thoughts?

[sparksearcher]

Watching s2e1 again and now I want to talk about the Apology Dance. Aziraphale says he did the dance in -1650 -1793 -1941 We know that 1793 was the whole 'going to France during a revolution and almost getting beheaded' thing and 1941 was the 'failed to double-cross Nazis and then Crowley had to walk on consecrated ground to rescue him' thing. So two questions: 1) What the hell did Aziraphale do wrong in 1650? (seriously, a ton of things went down that year and I'm hoping we might see it in season 3) 2) Did Crowley invent the 'I was wrong' dance after having to rescue Aziraphale too many times?

[localinternetstranger]

I was just in a conversation about flashbacks for season 3 and decided to share my thoughts and what I'd like to see for flashbacks

(If you can't tell I like Crowley, mb)

First off 1827, I love 1827 flashback with all my heart, and honestly wouldn't be against seeing more of it, But I really want to know what happened to crowley after he was taken to hell, and what was so bad to make him feel the need to ask aziraphale for holy water, and if aziraphale was correct at the time what he would use it for, if crowley really was that far down, or if even then he just wanted it for reassurance.

on the topic of holy water

1941, I feel like 1941 ended off well, I wouldn't complain if we got more (I mean.. It seems like an important year for them) but I don't see the need for it, besides maybe seeing aziraphale do the apology dance. however it would be interesting to see what happened between 1941 and when he plans the heist for holy water again, because compared to how we saw him in 1941, I'm curious why he would be looking for it again. What trouble he may have gotten into between that time. Maybe he was still punished for collaborating with an angel even if there was no proof?

1793 is repeatedly mentioned in the series, though besides seeing aziraphale do the apology dance, and what may have caused them to miss their lunch date after aziraphale was saved in 1793 for Crowley to owe him one in 2008.

1650 was the only year aziraphale mentioned he did the apology dance that we didn't already have a flashback for, and I hope we get to see what exactly they were doing to have aziraphale do the dance, and, assuming this is the first time it was ever done, where it came from.

Crowley's fall. I really want to see the fall and the full reason why it happened because "crowley isn't a reliable narrator for his fall". I really do feel like there was more to it, whether it was Crowley's fault or not. Also want to know more about if aziraphale and crowley had a relationship of any sorts while he was still in heaven, they obviously met when Crowley made the nebula, but we don't really know how much longer Crowley was in heaven after that, or if him and Aziraphale interacted more.

Also would like to see more of Aziraphale's diary entries like with 1827, and maybe some flashbacks of what Crowley and Aziraphale were doing in between their random meetings throughout the years, considering they're currently separated yet again.

[elysiumsfields]

When Aziraphale makes Crowley do the apology dance he lists off the years in which they had to do it for Crowley.

1650 - The Anglo-Scottish civil war

1793 - The French revolution/execution of Marie Antoinette

1941 - US declares war on Japan during WWII

These are all years with important events. So I'm just wondering if they happened to run into each other on these years because of "formenting" and had spats or if Aziraphale had some influence on these major events that they had to apologize for.

We do see both of them during the French revolution when Crowley saves Aziraphale from being discorperated. And during WWII when Crowley saves the books from the Nazis.

TLDR: what could she be apologizing to them for?

[doomedlemur]

Good Omens Fanfic Recs

I decided to write up and sort my fanfic recommendations and thoughts, mostly for my own benefit, as an organized list of my favorites for reference. But also, here it is in case anyone's interested.

Heads up, no post-season 2 fix-it fics on this list if that's what you're looking for. I've got mostly historical canon-compliance and AUs. A few post-season 1 canon-divergent.

Also, I'm a sucker for pining, but also headcanon these guys (gn) as demisexual virgins, so nearly all are ace-friendly except the long AUs.

Canon Compliant - short

In general I favor canon compliance and keeping in character. Part of what got me hooked on Good Omens fanfic was the immense breadth of history available to explore with these characters. Let's list in approximate chronological order!

Little Monkey in a Waistcoat (<1k) - Did you catch that line? Crowley spent much of the Battle for Heaven in monkey form!

A Letter from “Crawly” to Azirapil (<1k) - Fanfic in Cuneiform. Amazing.

see, how the most dangerous thing is to love (6.8k) - 1185 BC. Crawly and Aziraphale meet during the Trojan War as Achilles mourns Patroclus. Super well-researched and thought out with the Iliad! I'll be looking for more from this writer.

Cat's Charm & Serpent's Sorrow (<1k) - 942 BC. They come upon each other in a temple in Egypt.

Day 7: Alexandria (<1k) - Just a little saving of people and scrolls in the fire.

Ex Maria virgine (1.6k) - Gabriel at the annunciation! Pregnancy, how does that work??

that old common arbitrator, time (1.1k) - 1602. An epilogue of sorts for the Trojan War one, Crowley and Aziraphale critique Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. Lots of fun references.

the stars are the same as ever (4.4k) - Vignettes about Crowley hanging out with astronomers in the 17th century.

Mean It (2k) - The origin of the Apology Dance. 1650, 1793, and 1941 all featured. Short and sweet, very believable. Just as flirty as I imagined.

Good Old-Fashioned Coffee Shop Date (1k) - 1750. Crowley goes to a coffeehouse to start an argument and guess who's also there!

well-versed in etiquette, extraordinarily nice (3k) - Jane Austen, mastermind of the 1810 Clerkenwell Diamond Robbery, brandy-smuggler, master spy, and wrote books too. Well-researched, with Austen-esque prose, and perfectly fills in the background for how Crowley remembers her.

Crossing Paths (3k) - Edinburgh, 1827. Showing how Crowley and Aziraphale crossed paths there, and dropping us off where the Resurrectionists minisode begins. Delightful.

Temporary Tattoo (9.8k) - Okay, this one's arguable on the canon compliance, it's kinda a crack-fic (and feels way more 19th century than 11th so I'm putting it here in the chronology) but I loved it. Crowley's snake tattoo wanders, and he can feel what it feels. (The sequel is also really sweet, though definitely canon divergent.)

I stretch out the time (and now I know why) (6k) - 1960's ineffable wives and what happened to make Aziraphale say Crowley goes too fast.

Visibilium omnium et invisibilium (5.8k) - 1969. Crowley's planning another heist! Really silly. Excellent.

Orchids and Tea (3k) - A shameless plug for my own fic. Meet the old lady downstairs who Crowley gives his "bad" plants to.

What You've Lost But Never Had (3k) - A sweet outsider POV with Maggie's closeted grandfather.

So You Need To Get Into A.Z. Fell & Co.; Now What? (A Guide For Unfortunate Bookworms) (1.8k) - Handy guide for interpreting the store hours, etc.

All of This is Completely Normal Here (6.8k) - Some pre-armageddon fun with Crowley and Aziraphale being interviewed at a police station. Crowley is a regular and they have bingo cards.

The Disposables (7.5k) - Arguably canon divergent. Surprisingly heartwarming. Eric the Disposable Demon is buds with the Usher.

When You're Through With Life and All Hope is Lost (Friends Will Be Friends) (<1k) - COVID-era ficlet post-Lockdown minisode.

The Last Four Years (11.7k) - Perfectly fills in the gap between the seasons with all the feelings and poor communication that brought us here, from the Ritz to Aziraphale's phone call.

Pointless (1.5k) - An exploration of Crowley as he is at the beginning of season 2, anxious and depressed about the pointlessness of it all.

Been Together Long? (1.2k) - It's so common for fics to depict Crowley as knowingly in love but hiding his feelings for 6000 years. But I don't think he's self-aware enough for that, and I really do believe that was an Oh moment with Nina on the street. This fic is an excellent insight into what he was thinking there.

The Afternoon Lecture (<1k) - A cute little outsider POV fic, set sometime in the Happily Ever After probably.

The Slings and Arrows of Angelic Archery (<1k) - Guess which historical/legendary figure Crowley was! Sadly just a little modern-day conversation about it rather than the actual thing. (I'm writing it though, stay tuned! 👀)

A Narrow Escape to the Country (10.7k) - This one is so fun! Crowley and Aziraphale are guests on a house-hunting TV show. (Established relationship with innuendo, but all sexy times are off-camera.)

My Roommate from Hell (5.7k) - Warlock ends up college roommates with Adam, and yeah, Warlock's upbringing made him kinda weird.

But the greatest of these is love (2.1k) - Lovely/sweet/silly garden fluff for the happily ever after.

Canon Divergent - long

Divergent in that these were written before season 2 came out, so branch off from after season 1.

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach (99k) - This one is recommended a lot I know, but deservedly so. This was the first GO fanfic I read, as I idly looked to see what had the most kudos. And then I couldn't put it down.

Instructions Not Included (68k) - Plot heavy but excellent. I loved the writing style of this one; it's so evocative with its metaphors, but without being flowery. Sadly left a few unanswered questions since the sequel was abandoned, but it's still well worth reading. Very realistic progression of feelings between Crowley and Aziraphale (intimacy without sexuality).

The Sandford Flower Show (E) (46k) - This was a bit of a painful read with flashbacks to ancient Egypt, but it's very good. Many feels. (Higher sex-drive than I generally prefer for canonverse, so note that E rating.)

Canon Divergent - short

Slow (9.3k) - Adam assumed Crowley and Aziraphale were married and restored the bookshop with a marriage certificate on the wall. Miscommunication and sweetness ensues.

Human AUs - long (modern day)

It took me a while to warm up to the idea of reading AUs, since the immortal natures and powers of Crowley and Aziraphale are so integral to their characters (also I personally don't seek out fanfics for the smut and the highly rec'd ones are nearly always Explicit). But after seeing Slow Show in particular recommended so often, I finally gave it a go. Yes, the human versions of the characters are always different in varying ways, but I've found it really fascinating to see the different ways characters, scenes, and lines get reinterpreted in AUs and have now read way more of them than I expected to.

Slow Show (E) (95k) - I have never in my life read anything (fanfic or otherwise) as emotionally intense as Slow Show. This fic is all lust and angst and I physically felt the agony of it for days while I read. While other fics are also explicit, this is the most mature and "adult" feeling with its themes. Yes this fic is recommended a lot, but its reputation is well earned. However, that said, I wouldn't say it's my favorite.

Old Vines (E) (189k) - Excellent slow burn. This one really captures the aspect of them both being anxious/frustrated under contractual obligations, wishing they could be freer to do their own thing. Truly gratuitous descriptions of all aspects of wine, from growth, production, tasting, and quantity consumed. I learned a lot. Was also actually really inspired by Aziraphale's journey in this.

Or Be Nice (E) (151k) - I wasn't sure I'd like this one at first, but I'm glad I went for it. It's more a character study than a drama. Well done progression from enemies to lovers, and some of the very best conversational dynamics (if a bit of ngk overuse). This one highlights the petty/mischievous sides of Crowley and Aziraphale that are rarely found in fanfics, and the execution is delightful. Loved Anathema in this also.

stalwart sun, wily moon (370k) - (What, a non-explicit long AU??) This fic is amazing. Yes, long, it could use some editing to cut back a tad tbh, but still, amazing. Heist AU with an intriguing plot and life or death stakes. Characters and side characters all really well done, incorporates everything from the botched baby swap to the Great Plan and more. Amazing. Really. Only fic I've bought a physical printing of.

Talk about the weather (81k) - (Technically not explicit but yeah no they have sex.) Weatherman/stormchaser AU. They have an Arrangement. The premise of this one was weird for me because I headcanon Crowley as disliking the rain, but it's good. Not the typical characterizations you see in fics, which was really refreshing. Finally! Someone who remembers Aziraphale is kind of a bastard who doesn't say what he means, and someone who lets Crowley be happy and confident instead of a nervous wreck!

on the same page (E) (117k) - They're both writers. A very good execution of your classic fake marriage. Some lush metaphorical prose. Excellent characterizations on our pair, and the setup preceded by 6 years of intense yearning was just perfect. I do wish the side characters had gotten more fleshed out.

Married at First Sight (146k) - This premise is so silly (though then again the TV show does really exist), but it's actually really well done. The feels nearly made me cry.

And so beguile thy sorrow (48k) - Aziraphale is a librarian and Crowley is "that patron." The premise may not sound very unique, but it's excellent. Really clever. Nice slow burn. This fic remembers they are not well adjusted, and leaves a lot unsaid, which I kinda like. Highly recommended, particularly if you like fics that mirror season 1 story beats.

Find the Light (E) (97k) - Headmaster/Rock star AU. This one has a dynamic that I have been dying to see: that they know they are loved by the other, but can't speak or act on it for Reasons, while at the same time being unable to stay away from each other. Pining without uncertainty or loneliness. Love it. Really, they're too sweet and communicative to truly be in character, but it's a beautiful fic. (Written post s2 so we get Muriel and Nina, and Metatron is the villain instead of Gabriel.)

Human AUs - long (historical)

On Espionage and Prophecy (E) (133k) - Take the first season 1941 flashback and make it a novel-length human AU. Aziraphale's a bookseller and Crowley's a spy working with him to double-cross the double-crossing Nazis. I will say the plot contrivance sometimes requires a bit of suspension of disbelief, but that's okay, it's fun and has some great pining.

Half Agony, Half Hope (E) (31k) - Regency era AU, but it's not all Jane Austen fantasy-land. We've got some real history lessons here, highlighting the political struggles of the time. This one's on the short side, but doesn't really feel like it; time passes behind the scenes, so the relationship doesn't feel rushed. Overall it's excellent and really deserves more love.

Human AUs - short

On the Ethics of Asking Your Professor on a Date (7.4k) - I kinda wish this one was a bit better with the showing vs. telling in places, but I still found it really charming.

Postcards From Paris (12k) - Crowley starts receiving postcards from an A.Z.F. meant for the previous tenant, and after awhile gets a chance to write back. Very sweet.

Oh, Lord, Heal This Love (7.3k) - "Looking for someone to take to couples therapy and see how long it takes the therapist to notice we don't know each other." Very funny and also really sweet.

Miscellaneous AUs - short

air conditioned, love unconditional (8.8k) - AU where Aziraphale is a ceiling fan and Crowley is an air conditioning unit. Look, it's adorable, okay? (though the ending is kinda silly)

Speaking in Code (8.9k) - Cute queer Outsider POV. Aziraphale and Crowley become college professors in their retirement. Arguably canon compliant, but I'm calling it an AU since I don't really see it happening. A+ for the accurate gender treatment on Aziraphale.

Lit (12.7k) - Technically canon-divergent from the book? Crowley takes a university course on literature and surprise! The book they’re discussing is Good Omens. Crack treated seriously. It works really well actually!

Like a spiral sea unending (1.1k) - Crowley is a black hole, Aziraphale is a giant star. They're drawn to each other like gravity (pun intended).

[vidavalor]

Hi @vidavalor I just finished reading Crepes. You've convinced me. My only question is why did Aziraphale have to do the apology dance in 1793 if they had such a good time then?

Thank you for reading! Glad you liked it. There are sugar cookies tonight. *sets you up a plate* TWs: SA, PTSD

Aziraphale unintentionally triggered Crowley's trauma in that scene. Crowley and Aziraphale are both supernatural beings who were not in danger in the 1793 scene but what they didn't factor in when planning this little game is that Jean-Claude the Executioner was an independent variable. Crowley came into the room to see a scene suggesting that Jean-Claude was trying to sexually assault Aziraphale and, while Aziraphale being magical meant that he was not in danger of being overpowered, Aziraphale's response was also pretty fitting with anybody in that position, which is to say that he was more shocked than anything else. It shows how sometimes it doesn't matter how much objective power you might seem to have in a situation, the shock and horror of it can make you feel powerless. Crowley froze Jean-Claude the moment he came into the room but he also came into Aziraphale saying "no" and being touched against his will by this creep of a guy, which wasn't fun for Aziraphale but it wasn't great for Crowley, either, as he's a survivor of this kind of thing.

While Crowley plays along, what happened is present underneath the scene and then resurfaces more directly near the end when Crowley puts Jean-Claude into Aziraphale's clothes and renders him unable to fully speak, just to make sounds of protest, before letting the other guards drag him to the guillotine. Jean-Claude is the only human in the series that we've ever seen Crowley just send straight to Hell, basically. Murdering, rapey bastard who touched Aziraphale? Satan can have him and right now, before he hurts anyone else. Crowley even gave The Nazis the chance to run in the church in 1941, showing just how much he tries not to harm anyone, but he was so (understandably) bothered by Jean-Claude that he actively made sure he got some karmic payback.

The apology dance that Aziraphale did in 1793 was a verbal apology afterwards. I'm sure the apology dance is mostly verbal. Crowley giving it a literal dance while doing a verbal dance in S2 was a joke on their language of literal things and symbolic meaning beneath it. What Aziraphale had really asked for was the little verbal dance they do when they apologize to one another and Crowley added the literal dance to it. Crowley shows in the same moment as he sends Jean-Claude to his death that he doesn't want to dwell on it if they can help it, as he moves onto "what's for lunch?", but Aziraphale apologized and got him to talk about it afterwards, which is what is alluded to in it being one of the times Aziraphale lists having done the "'I was wrong' dance."

You could also make an argument that it's why Aziraphale chose Paris, 1793 in 2008 in the first place. It's a given that they've had plenty of delicious crepes since the days of The French Revolution, yes? But it's doubtful they've found themselves in a situation like one that happened with Jean-Claude since. In 2008, they haven't been able yet to speak really freely when they agree to go to lunch but Aziraphale knows what happened the previous night, in terms of Crowley having been tasked with delivering the antichrist, etc.. He knows Satan made an appearance. He chose Paris, 1793 as a way of referring to a time when Crowley had been badly triggered but he and Aziraphale talked about it and they were okay as a way of expressing in 2008 that it's important to him that they communicate like they did in Paris.

[diamond-dusk-gay]

// G.O. S2 minor spoilers

I am very concerned as to why Aziraphale had to do the I was wrong/apology dance so many times. He listed off 1650, 1793, 1941, and I'm pretty sure he was about to continue listing off dates.

WHAT DID HE DO??????

[tonydaddingham]

Longwinded anon, having done more of the writing I need to be doing, back again in response to your post about the apology & the apology dance vs. forgiveness. Pratchett narratives in particular are not usually about forgiveness and redemption arcs; they're about choosing differently. At the airfield, Novel!Aziraphale doesn't ask Novel!Crowley to undergo some long penance and redemption, but just to acknowledge that they bear responsibility for having done their sides' work ("messing about," as Adam says) and now they need to stand up for the humans they've harmed. And that's it! In the series, Aziraphale's forgiveness comes in two brands: either it's cheap (he doesn't need Maggie's money, so what does it matter if she pays rent or not?) or, as you point out, it's a riposte to what he feels is an act of cruelty on Crowley's part. It's a performance of benevolence, not the thing itself! But he sincerely /apologizes/. He really does admit it when he understands that he has got something wrong, not necessarily by saying "sorry," but by naming and owning up to the mistake. We hear him do so three times in S1eps 5 and 6, and we find out in S2ep1 that he has admitted getting things wrong in 1650, 1793, and 1941 (and since Crowley cuts him off there, probably later as well).

The thing is, the silly apology dance is explicitly an act that Crowley expects Aziraphale to do. "I don't do the dance," he growls, when Aziraphale tells him it's his turn. And what's wrong here is that Crowley never apologizes for anything. He fauxpologizes when he tries to get Aziraphale to come with him after the bandstand argument (folks, "whatever I said I didn't mean it" is not an apology), and then he's doing it /again/ here (because he doesn't think Aziraphale is right! in fact, he's withholding crucial information that Aziraphale has a right to know!). Aziraphale uses forgiveness on Crowley as a means of displacing his own anger, while Crowley so far uses apologies on Aziraphale instrumentally, as a means of persuading him to do something Crowley's way. The implications of Crowley making Aziraphale perform a ridiculous and, quite frankly, somewhat humiliating dance whenever he admits he's in the wrong maybe need some more investigation?

LWA✨ alert!!! brings me such joy, i cannot tell you! congrats on achieving Jobs, far more than the GO brainrot has allowed me to do today

for anyone else - previous ask talking about I Forgive You.

thank you for highlighting aziraphale's concept of forgiveness in the example of forgiving the overdue rent, i had completely forgotten about that!!! i can see where it could be considered cheap, but i do think that whilst there is definitely an ulterior motive to it (by god does this angel love his shostakovich, and he's wealthy enough to boot), he does completely acknowledge that he did so out of purely selfish action (to crowley as they head back to the shop from the Naked Man Friend conversation).

the fact that it was a kind thing to do for maggie? yes, thats a byproduct, but i think aziraphale is so relatively kind by true nature that he doesn't even realise he's doing it, and the equal measure of kindness served alongside his self-interest is just a part of his personality... he doesn't seem to derive any self-important pride or conceit from being kind, it almost seems like it doesn't even register in the moment - so my conclusion from that is that his kindness isn't performative, it's largely sincere and natural.

so yes, this absolutely solidifies for me that aziraphale definitely knows and deliberately accentuates the difference between forgiveness, and I Forgive You. i thank you for your comment on my interpretation of I Forgive You (i truly crave validation) because as with anything analysis-wise, i wasn't entirely sure i had interpreted it well enough to have a valid conclusion on why aziraphale said this. imo, it is absolutely just benevolence; it's not kindness, not an offer of redemption, nor true forgiveness, but the only way that aziraphale can wound and hit back without sacrificing his perception of himself as an angel, or as a good person. it's easily deniable that he was hurting crowley, and only crowley knows what aziraphale was truly saying with those three words (in my eyes, putting it simply and bluntly, "fuck you, that hurt").

i talked a little in this post about how aziraphale seems to be able to learn from mistakes (granted, the post talks pretty exclusively about aziraphale learning from misplaced faith, but the principle remains). he essentially apologised to adam in crowley's time-hold (alternate plane? not sure) for assuming that adam would be inherently good or evil, rather than perhaps just human, and i think we can reliably interpret from this 'apology' (aziraphale doesn't say sorry, but instead acknowledges his short-sightedness which is just as valid, if not more) that aziraphale realises that he cannot go on seeing things in black and white; morality is not wholly binary.

whilst we haven't seen aziraphale do the apology dance, i think the delivery of his frustration and irritation when recounting how many times he did it for crowley really demonstrates how readily, without much question or hesitation, aziraphale must have performed it in the past when he felt he was in the wrong. by extension, it possibly calls into question how many times aziraphale may have done it when he wasn't in the wrong, but either did it to make crowley happy, or in order to keep the peace and ensure that they didn't fall out because of crowley's stubbornness to admit his faults.

obviously we don't know for sure that the 1793 and 1941 dances were in response to the events shown to us re; the Bastille or the Church scene/magician minisode respectively, but if they were, i can't quite see any instance where aziraphale would need to do the apology dance, and certainly don't see where crowley would be entirely blameless and merit receiving the dance himself. again, there may be other flashbacks from these years that we haven't seen, but i feel like the years were chosen specifically - and specifically to highlight that aziraphale may have done the dance but not actually been wholly at fault for anything.

which brings me to crowley. the concept of the apology dance and aziraphale (at least as far as known) being the only one to have done it indicates that the motif of crowley falling and him making various excuses for it carries all the way through to his inability to admit wrong. i realise thats fairly obvious, but stick with me because i think it goes hand in hand with crowley's ability to trust, and specifically trust aziraphale.

i think apologising for anything would indicate a vulnerability in crowley that he doesn't trust with anyone, and possibly doesn't even acknowledge himself. he breezes through his existence as if he is untouchable and unbothered, complete with matching swagger and barbed wire tongue, refusing to admit any kind of weakness. to be forgiven is to have apologised in the first place, and to have apologised is to admit wrong, and to admit wrong is to realise he may not be infallible. so his apologies, such as they are (which are mocking, perfunctory and sit precariously on the fence of being gaslighting), are shallow and skin-deep.

despite what others might like to believe about crowley, i firmly hold him as a master of manipulation, and getting the beholder to see whatever he wants them to see in order to satisfy his ulterior motive (however well-meaning that motive might be - ie. protecting aziraphale). the worst bit is that he is not even outright nasty and malicious about it by the point in the story that we see the dance; it's just simply ingrained in him that this is the best way to get aziraphale to do what he needs or wants... instead of, you know, communicating that aziraphale has been threatened and that is more important than crowley's hangup on gabriel... but of course that would be admitting that crowley may not be able to keep aziraphale from harm, and would actually allow aziraphale to have his own agency.

in terms of why crowley would force aziraphale into doing the dance is relatively unknown given that we haven't seen any context as to why aziraphale would 'need' to apologise in the first place (tone read: aziraphale probably doesn't at times). educated guess, however? i would hazard that there is an element of projection and resentment at work.

aziraphale, who is an angel with a bastard streak (that i think crowley does truly love, but also begrudges in equal measure), is able to be a bit of a bastard and largely get away with it without punishment, whereas crowley is a demon with 'a heart of gold' but is made to suffer for it pretty consistently. it would stand to reason that he'd force aziraphale to apologise needlessly, and in a humiliating manner, because ultimately it makes crowley feel good. there's also the element of superiority that crowley projects against aziraphale; to have him in subjugation and be vulnerable in admitting fault probably also feels to crowley like he still has status and worth.

the above makes it sound like i think crowley is a cruel piece of work, but i don't think that at all. he certainly has the ability and inclination to be cruel at times, but i don't think him an outright Bad person. but as ive remarked before, crowley has a very special ability to be brutal and vicious out of his own pain, and that's very, very understandable. unfortunately though, by nature of proximity, it seems that the main collateral damage always has to be, or at least linked to, aziraphale.

edit because further thought, especially in defence of crowley because balance: if we work with the emerging theory (putting 'theory' conservatively) that metatron is manipulating aziraphale, and also look at the fact that the archangels were manipulating aziraphale in s1 regarding the antichrist, we (see: me) actually need to let go of the notion that manipulation is an entirely hellish trait. it isn't - it's inherently neutral, but the motive for which you use it could taint it as good or evil.

crowley isn't, by large, manipulating out of maliciousness or twisted pleasure; we mostly see him do it in order to better protect aziraphale. that doesn't make the manipulation good per se, but it has good intentions (however much he may be tilting the scales by removing aziraphale's agency and keeping important information from him) and therefore is understandable.

it does however really highlight when he manipulates out of an almost - but not quite - sadistic pleasure or for no justifiable agenda at all. crowley is very much an end justifies the means kinda person, and doesn't care what he has to do, just that the job is done (a rhetoric that again is shared by both heaven and hell, and is more indicative of the import they both confer on having power than on efficiency).

but it would go some way to explaining why crowley does what he does re: manipulation; if the end result is what everyone wants and means everyone is safe, what does it matter if there is indeed collateral damage? that's pragmatism, and not the idealism of everything being perfect and happy and trauma-free every step of the way. and if we take into context crowley's experiences through the fall and what he has suffered by both the hands of heaven and hell, it's possible to empathise with why he will run full tilt towards a happy ending, no matter what destruction is left in his wake.