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May 14

Okay, I have a lot of thoughts about the Good Omens series finale so I thought I would try and write them all up in one post to not spam-post all of my thoughts. Overall, I was not a fan of it. I can understand why some people might be, but for me personally, it didn't work and I've tried to explain why not down below. Obviously, spoilers ahead, you've been warned.

We all know that a movie was a less-than-ideal format to wrap up what should have been done in a six-episode season. Some of my complaints could have been fixed by getting a full season with plenty of time to flesh out some of these ideas and character arcs, while others would have likely remained regardless. I've tried to bullet point most of my problems, though some of them do kind of bleed together.

Another Meeting For Them:

Each season we've been given a new meeting. The Beginning, Before the Beginning, and now somewhere in between, set after the War in Heaven. It's an interesting setting, the center of the universe, a recently active war site and yet… The meeting we got didn't mean a whole lot? I still love their canonical "first" meeting that happens in the novel and first season, with them meeting and talking on the wall at the Garden of Eden, but season two also gave us Before the Beginning where we see them both as angels, and that scene is also just as establishing? An angel Crowley, invested in creating and questioning, and an Aziraphale who is concerned for what that might mean for him.

The meeting in the movie could have had it all. A hurt Crowley, injured from the war. A battle confirmed Aziraphale— a general worthy of a flaming sword— helping him. Crowley's eyes were still "normal" so it might have been before he truly fallen, even if he (and us) knew that he was going to. That meeting could have been something so special, and yet… it didn't really resonate. At least for me.

I like the other versions of Crowley and Aziraphale we saw meet. Creative, wily, imaginative Crowley. Nervous, kind, and worried Aziraphale. These two that we see in the movie are still them, sure, but it didn't feel right. Maybe it would have if they had talked more in the scene or something, but it felt off.

Aziraphale As A Character:

Aziraphale has always had a bit of a "my way or the highway" personality. He believes that he is doing things for Good. That he himself is Good. It's an important, defining character trait that we've seen since The Beginning. It's something he worries about, even when other angels don't. Not just that he's on the "Good" side (like Heaven) but that he himself is Good.

He gives away his flaming sword because Adam and Eve would be defenseless otherwise. He hides the fact that he found Anathama's book and the Anti-Christ from Crowley at first because he figures he should and that with it he can convince Heaven to stop the apocalypse. He takes in Gabriel and researches his "clues," even when Crowley makes it clear that he's uncomfortable with it— because Gabriel came to him and needed help. His speeches about the virtues of suffering to the poor girls in season two, and how he flips once he realizes that the cadavers help to prevent more suffering. He wants to be good and helpful and kind, and compared to most other angels, he absolutely is.

So none of this is particularly new. It's what motivated him to go with the Metatron in the first place at the end of season two. But it sort of… over took him during the movie. Because even through all of those points before, he still usually cared for Crowley the most? Keeping the apocalypse from happening would keep Crowley (and humans of course) safe, solving whatever was happening with Gabriel would get Heaven and Hell off their backs (and maybe prevent more danger), him going with the Metatron gave him a chance to reinstate Crowley as an angel with him… Of course not everything revolved around Crowley (he is allowed to be selfish and enjoy Earth and the things on it), but he is still usually a pretty big part of why Aziraphale does what he does.

Even if/when he was hiding things from him or doing things Crowley wouldn't approve of, he still wanted Crowley around. He wanted him to accept what he was saying, to work with him. And maybe it was because of the way they left things (and the condensed season into a movie, of course), but we don't really see that here? He doesn't really ever apologize to Crowley, in fact he asks him if he wants an apology at one point. By the time he offers to do an apology dance for him, it's way too late in the run time. We've missed so much of their dynamics that should have been through out the movie that it's awkward. Not necessarily out of character, but rather that this character should have had more of an arc by now.

Everyone Shit on Aziraphale:

After season two there was a lot of jokes about how terrible Aziraphale was. As I explained up above, he's stubborn, focused on his "right way" to do things, and unwilling to apologize, which can obviously rub people the wrong way.

But damn, does everyone take a swing at him. All of the angels are tired of him. Mrs. Sandwich shits on him for being a "taker," Crowley is obviously hurt and not his biggest fan at the moment, and even fucking God and Satan tell him he's lazy and gluttonous and is kind of the worst.

Which is bullshit. Aziraphale is doing what he thinks is best, even if he's not going about it in the best way. He's trying to do the right thing. And he's right to point out that he only ever wanted to do good— that it didn't matter if he enjoyed food and books and living on Earth or spending time with Crowley.

Aziraphale might not be making the best decisions, but goddamn did he not need everyone shitting down his throat.

Crowley As A Character:

I love a wet cat of a character. Give me a man who's suffering, and I'll show you my favorite character. But God, was Crowley the wettest cat of them all. Pining after Aziraphale? Check. Losing the Bentley, his pride and joy and also his home? Check. Hanging around the bookshop trying to keep it safe because that's all he has of Aziraphale? Double check.

Getting played by a gangster who wants his car/threatens the bookstore? Also check for some reason?

This little plot line feels like it would have been…. better if we had more time. Which I know is an annoying thing to keep repeating considering we didn't have it, but they knew going in what they would have. They could have lost most if not all of this plot line. I'm not really certain what it added to the movie and it's limited time frame, but sure.

As for time for the characters, it doesn't mean much to beings like them, so I'm not really surprised Crowley was still drinking and sad about everything, despite how much time has clearly passed But also…. God does it suck to see a character who in the book is rather optimistic get fucking slapped down so hard that he… doesn't really do anything. At all. He has a chance to meet Jesus again, and he… doesn't realize it because he's too drunk? He gambles for his car and he loses, multiple times? He gets convinced by Aziraphale to help him and he goes up to Heaven for…. What? Really, nothing. Not much that Aziraphale couldn't have told him on Earth.

We also never discover his angel name or his rank. Which, we don't have to, I suppose. His name is Crowley. He picked it, that's what we should call him. And his rank is gone now. But it felt like it was getting teased in the second season, that he was higher up in creating the universe and his ability to open locked documents in Heaven and now in this movie seeing him Post-War/Pre-Fall while his eyes were still normal in the first scene only to…. not really do anything with that.

He also, canonically in season two, mentions that he didn't remember Furfur in the war, but we see that he does remember other things from that time and before. Was it part of meddling in the Book of Life from Metatron or Michael? Who knows. And now we won't really get any answers to that. This isn't even about the theories of if Crowley was an archangel or higher or just some lowly angel that happened to be sneaky about knowing things or something. It's about not getting information about a main character that has been teased for a while now.

Crowley As A Demon With No Powers:

Speaking of Crowley and his questionable-ness, he's always been a bit of a mystery. A demon with an imagination. He held his car together by simply pretending it wasn't falling apart. He stopped time when Satan was coming. He and Aziraphale completed a miracle so large it was thought only an Archangel or something higher could create it. And yet… What did that mean?

Why can he say Jesus? The other demons can't. Is it just because he's always been like this, a little different, or was it because he didn't have powers? No one seems surprised in the scene that he can say it, either, which is interesting. We know that holy stuff still hurts him (the church, Aziraphale being worried about holy water), so why can he say Jesus's name?

Is it because he was cut off from his powers? It didn't really seem like that was the reason, though I am uncertain what it was supposed to seem like. So, we end up with a very creative demon— or former demon as they keep saying, which what does that mean? Is he truly not a demon so he can say Jesus? He's still got the eyes, everything else about him seems like par for the course, except they keep insisting former demon. Maybe it's to show that he's no longer on "hell's side" so he gets to be whatever he wants to be called. Though why he sticks with "former" demon rather than something else, I don't know. Doesn't matter, I suppose.

Either way, he's cut off from his miracles. Nothing from Hell to keep him or the bookshop safe, yet he is still managing. So, when he gets his car back and starts driving, is it Aziraphale keeping them from crashing/speeding along? The Bentley itself? Who knows. How can he fly them to the center of the universe when he doesn't have powers? Still don't know.

The Bentley:

Again, likely owing to how rushed everything had to be, I feel like we didn't really get to really see Crowley react to getting it back? How long did that gangster have it for? Crowley had clearly been trying to win it back for a minute if Mrs. Sandwich was any indication, yet he just sort of hops back in like nothing. Crowley also acted like it was necessary to go to the center of the universe in it or something and yet…. why? It's a car he clearly cares for, has at it since new and it tends to have some sort of… supernatural type of thing to it (the Queen tapes, it rolling and listening to Aziraphle in season 2, etc) but… It's also a car that didn't exist the last time they were at the center of the universe. Why did he need his car?

It feels like it should have been tied to Crowley's powers or something, but it wasn't. And we didn't get an explanation about it? Was it Michael or the Metatron removing things already? Possible, but who knows? Not us. It wasn't explained. And also having a handy-dandy plot hole excuser of "Book of Life Erasing Stuff" is too easy.

The Book Of Life (and Michael):

Ah, yes. The number one plot hole excuser. Don't need to figure anything out if you have something that literally, perfectly explains how you can get rid of things without resolving them or why things have never been brought up before or ever will be again.

Now, I actually really like the Book of Life. I think it is a terrifying concept, that someone could rip your page out and everyone forget you or edit it and change the very fabric of reality. You might not be you. You might not have ever existed, and anyone who knew you might not remember you. It is one of my favorite type of tropes and it didn't matter. Not once.

Once again, run time likely biting us in the ass, but! I love the idea of this overworked, underappreciated angel doing something about it. Michael taking a look around and being like, you know what? I could do things better, let me change some things. They say it themself, the Metatron has been changing things, making sure they all worked out the way he wanted them to for forever. So it stands to reason that Michael could as well.

Except, Michael clearly went overboard. Ripping out pages and pages, of a book that Crowley literally says won't let it destroy itself. A few pages here and there, sure but not everything.

So why did Michael even play around? Why kill the angels they did, why tell Hell? Why not just kill Aziraphale right away and take over? Or edit the pages? I'm going to assume this is the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" type of thing, but… It felt wasted? We know that the things that are removed from the Book slowly fade from people's minds once it's gone, and we didn't really get to see that on screen? Like, we could have had them struggling to remember why they were panicking over this stuff, trying to figure out what went missing, but instead it was… almost just an ordinary murder? Of angels? Okay, big whoop.

Also, the Metatron has been changing things for years to make sure they "worked out," and we don't get to know what those things were? Once again, every plot hole you can imagine or question you have could likely be explained by him meddling, but we don't get to know now. Cool. That's fine.

And how exactly do Crowley and Aziraphale survive Michael tossing the book into the fire? I know Crowley grabs the page of Whickber Street (where the bookstore is located) out of the fire, but it's not like that saves their pages. Everything in the books in the shop were gone because the authors/stories were destroyed with the Book of Life so…. why not Crowley and Aziraphale? Did God just pull their pages to have them there at the end of the universe with her and Satan for fun? Who knows.

Jesus As A Plot Device (Wild Sentence):

They really had him show up and what? Play cards with a man? He wasn't even really doing much for humanity in his brief stint on Earth, which, hey, that's fine. But they really have this whole thing set up as "oh no, he's gone, we lost him" similar to the Anti-Christ in season one, and yet it was obviously overshadowed by everything else happening? When Crowley and Aziraphale find him on the street, Crowley basically tells him, "oh hey, stay down here and help people."

They could have pulled an Adam with him and do a whole book-end sort of thing. They could have taken him with them to talk with Michael at the center of the universe. He could have been with them at the end of the world, another son speaking out against a parent figure who wants to end the world, and yet…. they didn't?

And that's another thing I have a problem with? He was absolutely adorable, they could have done so much more with him and they just… shoved him to the side? Yes, I know, time limits but…. Honestly, cut him, then? He showed up on Earth, sad, scared, alone and processing the fact that everyone he knew and loved had died and he was expected to be this great person who brings about peace and shit and then… Did nothing with that, really.

Sure, they gave him a bit with the pizza and feeding the people of Whickber Street, and yet… It didn't matter? They disappeared and so did he.

The People They Know and What Happened to Whickber Street:

So many people didn't come back for this movie? Not even as a cameo, which means that a lot of the "regular faces" you would expect to see from Aziraphale's neighbors just… don't appear. And I think it truly suffers for it. I love seeing Mrs. Sandwich and a few other faces, but where are Nina and Maggie? It's mentioned that most people are having to move away/sell out because they can't afford to do business or stay there.

So what? Without an angel who doesn't really like change living on the street the whole area just… falls apart? I know Maggie was a special case (she literally was renting from Aziraphale and specifically not paying) but what about Nina? She had a busy shop. Or the other places we saw? That street was always bustling and full and now that Aziraphale's gone it's… not? It kind of sucks to see a street that was full of life turn into some "bad end," just because Aziraphale left.

And that's not really touched on much in the movie? Aziraphale is surprised, sure, that the street has changed and yet… Not enough? He has such a limited reaction to it that it almost didn't matter. Sure, he mentions loving the street, and yet…

Then, when he took Muriel from the bookshop because he needed them in Heaven, what did he think would happen to the shop? If he'd left Muriel down there, would the street have been fine?

I also have such a hard time believing that he just pulled Muriel from the shop without caring about what would happen to it. That place was his home, his (and Crowley's) literal sanctuary. And yet… he expected it to be ruined when he got back and was surprised that Crowley hadn't let it happen. That's not like the Aziraphale we've seen… The Aziraphale we've seen cares about his shop, Crowley, the people around him. So, what happened to him?

And what happened to Hell and Heaven? Hell is usually so busy, but we only see two Erics and Dagon. Where is everyone else? Where's Shax? She's in the recap but not the movie. And where is everyone in Heaven? Granted, we got most of the known angels to appear, but... Saraquel mentions knowing that it's Michael with the book of life because Muriel's too dumb, Aziraphale is too nice, and they haven't gone on a homicidal rage. Why is that the only option? Is there no one else in Heaven who could have done it? In theory, Michael shouldn't have been able to do it either, so why are we limiting ourselves?

And in the end, we see "everyone" we did get in the movie... in the pub/restaurant? It truly felt like when you're doing an AU and you need an excuse to have everyone in the same room; oops we all work at the coffeeshop now! It could still have been cute, they could have showed the two of them together and brief flashes of what everyone else was doing at the end in SoHo or wherever, but having all of them all be in the literal same room and still not know/ acknowledge each other? Bad ending.

The End Of The Universe And Questioning:

With the Book of Life destroyed, and Crowley and Aziraphale trapped in the bookshop with Satan, I sort of figured they were going to start writing their own Book of Life. Sort of like a reset like Adam did. Obviously they couldn't rewrite everything, they don't know everything and would forget it before they could likely get down what they did know, but I still thought they would try.

I figured they were going to get God in there somehow. It was the end of the world, after all. And they deserved answers. A big portion of Good Omens is about asking questions, even if it gets you in trouble. They should get to ask her anything they want.

Crowley's question was sort of expected, even if I had hoped they would ask something that might help them, you know, save the universe. But asking why she stacks the odds against humans on purpose is very in character for him, he's been asking it since season one.

And Aziraphale's question of "why give me Crowley only to take him away" is a gut punch but also… She didn't? He had Crowley for centuries, he could have had him all the way until the end of the universe. He was the one who made his choices that led to them separating. I understand God controls "everything," she stacks the odds in her favor, always— and he was probably really asking why make Crowley fall, why put us on opposing sides, why end the world now that we're maybe going to work on things.

So, it's also not… a bad question exactly. But the lack of reaction from Crowley to what equates to a confession makes it feel awkward at best and forced at worst.

The Relationship of Crowley and Aziraphale:

Everything that makes them them was gone from this movie. Usually, in a scenario like this, it's because the characters aren't together for a good portion of it, leaving their relationship feeling like it's missing something or lagging behind. In this one, it's almost worse, because they are together for most of it.

Yet Crowley is still rightfully hurt and Aziraphale isn't doing anything to fix it. Like I mentioned before, his character arc seems to have stalled somewhere and he's not willing to accept what needs to be done to fix it. Maybe it's because of all the other plot lines running through it, or maybe it's poor writing and characterization, but either way it left a lot to be desired.

And even Crowley feels unlike himself. Like I mentioned, he's really down this whole movie honestly, and maybe it's because we've never really seen a true downtroddened/sad Crowley interact with Aziraphale before, but it feels terrible. Everything about them that makes their relationship great and interesting is… gone. And it's not really brought back.

Also, there was no kiss. No hug. Not really anything. Before I go any further, I am going to say that I am somewhere on the ace spectrum, this is not about that type of relationship. If we had never seen them kiss in season two, I might not have even felt that strongly about it. But Crowley kissed Aziraphale when he thought he was going to lose him to Heaven, and here they are at the end of the world and…. not even a hug? Aziraphale doesn't kiss him back? We do get them holding hands (which I was sad they didn't do in season one) but… that's it? They don't even say I love you, I'll miss you, I'll find you in another universe somehow.

I do not think you have to kiss or hug or even hold hands to be in a relationship. I don't think you have to tell people you love them, even. Relationships and love come in all forms, but to not get that after season two makes it feel intentional. I always hate comparing queer relationships to cis-het ones, but if this were a straight couple everyone would think it was weird they didn't do those things.

Good Omens is a comedy:

Good Omens is a comedy and a parody/satire, and it really feels like they forgot that at some point? I love, love, love angst, it's like the top thing I read on ao3. But this wasn't even that? It wasn't super funny, it wasn't super sad, it was simply… uncomfortable. Their dynamics were off, the funny bits we did get with Muriel or with Aziraphale in disguise in Hell almost felt… Out of place? Like, even when I found myself smiling it wasn't funny-funny like season one or two.

So we have a comedy that's not funny, and drama and angst that's not getting answered or resolved. Perfect.

The Human Option:

This was the ending I didn't want but was willing to almost bet was coming. I just didn't expect to… hate it so much. I've read plenty of "end up as humans" fics before (and even wrote some myself under another name) but for that to be the ending is a bit underwhelming. Like, I fully support them going all in on humanity because they love humanity and want them to have free will. They are like the Patron Saints of humans, honestly, and I adore that about them. Aziraphale loves books and music and food and soft clothing and everything good about people. And Crowley loves their imagination, their tenacity, their ability to create and choose and ask questions. If anyone would be willing to lose it all for humanity, it's them.

But to know that they never existed now? That Crowley and Aziraphale don't exist, never did, at least in this universe, and that's supposed to be a… happy ending? That's some Umbrella Academy ending bullshit right there. Kill yourself/ remove yourself from existence so everyone else gets a better life without you.

Yes, God lets them exist in that universe, sure. But she'd told them before she wouldn't so the thought still applies. And they don't meet until they're older? So they lose their memories— 6,000 years of them together, and they get to spend less time together? Why not just have them already have met when they were younger and show them married now? It could have still worked, and I honestly feel like it would have been less of a kick in the teeth.

And (a petty complaint) why is Aziraphale— sorry Asa, merely working in a bookshop. Under the Metatron—sorry, Derek, what an odd wingman for Asa— of all people? He can't own the bookshop still? And Crowley being a semi-failed published professor? Mediocrity might be human, and is likely what they were going for, but it felt like an insult to them. Even the way they were styled was less them than it could have been. Sure, it might look more like book!omens, maybe, blah blah blah, but we're so far past them that it doesn't matter.

Where was the spark between them when they met? It was a cute enough meet cute and yet it… lacked personality. Or, rather, it lacked Crowley and Aziraphale's personalities. Crowley and Aziraphale are gone and Anthony and Asa are separate entities that happen to look alike. Their happy ending isn't an Ineffable Husbands happy ending in my mind, it's something else. Their ending ended when they disappeared at the end of the universe.

The South Downs Cottage:

This part was actually cute. If I could ignore everything that came before it, this would have been perfect. Them together, watching the stars, only needing the universe and each other? The ring? Teasing about the nightingales? Romantic as hell. I just hate that it came at the cost of everything else I love about Good Omens. Maybe if they had kept their memories when they became human or something, I don't know. I love the concept of "I'll find you in every universe," and so I will accept this as best I can.

Things We Didn't Get:

The previous two seasons did a great job at doing call back shots and quotes. The wing coverage, them staying on their respective side in shots, the music, etc, and I really felt like it was missing in this movie. Again, yeah, lack of time. But it suffered.

There was also a distinct lack of conversation between Crowley and Aziraphale? About their feelings, their mistakes, and even the scant bit it was brought up, they just… failed to react to it. Like Aziraphale basically said Crowley was the best angel that ever existed and he wanted to know why God would take him away from him, and Crowley brushes off that he wasn't a good angel. They don't really dig into anything else.

Crowley and Aziraphale love humanity and each other. And we sort of see one of those things in the show and a distinct, unspoken lack of the other. This isn't even about "shipping" or anything like that, this is about two beings who did everything they could to save humanity and each other not getting their happy ending together because they ceased to exist.

I'm sure I will have more thoughts at some point, but this post has already gotten so long, so… I guess I'm done. I have loved Good Omens since I was in middle school. The movie does not take away my love for the book or the first season, but this was not the ending I would have ever chosen for them.

#thank you thank you for putting everything I thought about the finale into words #it should have just ended when they faded out #I know it had to be condensed but you can really feel what parts Neil didn't write #they did Jesus and Muriel so dirty #and Hell too! You could have taken Hell out of the finale and it wouldn't have changed anything! That's insane!#they really assassinated az's character especially near the end #like he has NO right to ask Crowley for an apology #they barely even talked about their conflict and when they did az was either naive or self righteous depending on your interpretation #I like how god calls him out for being lazy gluttonous and prideful but then he doesn't even get punished for it #and yet CROWLEY STILL HAS TO APOLOGIZE? okay man #good omens s3 #good omens spoilers

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