Good Omens was such a slam dunk of a best love story of all time.
I think it might be rooted in the fact that it wasn't originally written as an obvious love story, but it slotted easily (some might even say perfectly) into that genre when it was nudged in that direction.
It should have been enemies to lovers, except Crowley and Aziraphale were so compatible they just immediately dropped the enemies part in every way except for keeping up appearances. And it was the slowest of slow burns because they both knew that was the only way they could be together on Earth as themselves.
But the story! More than 6000 years of just... existing as close to each other as they possibly could while also staying safe. All of human history while they pined and made dangerous personal choices to keep each other from danger. And then they saved the world together, even though they weren't very good at it overall, they tried very hard the whole time and they did what needed to be done in the end. And they each went in the place of the other to what should have been their deaths and they came out the other side finally free to explore what it could mean for them to really be together.
Not only is it a glorious setup, it can also be read in so many different ways. Ace? Yes. Gay? Yes. Something else that can't be defined? Yes. Platonic? Yes. Boiling over with barely restrained sexual tension? Yes. Good Omens was one of the most representative friendly depictions of love in modern media. The type of thing that's incredibly difficult to set out to do on purpose from the very beginning because usually the hand of the author makes it all feel too contrived.
But some gritty realist didn't see the love between Crowley and Aziraphale for the gift that it was. He thought it would be a more interesting option to have them fall out of love over the course of a single conversation. I'll be the first to admit there were cracks in their relationship prior to the final 15 (lord knows I've written fanfic about it), but I'll never believe that those cracks, most of which were necessitated by their inability to express their feelings freely until after season 1 because of the threat of being found out, could ever outbalance everything else that they had together, everything they felt for one another for so, so long. In the moment that it was happening would it be enough to form a rift? Yes. Permanently? No! Of course not!
But we're supposed to believe that neither of them ever had enough of a moment of regret or doubt or loneliness that they were willing to suck it up and reach out for any reason? Not even to check in? Not even to say, 'hey, I think we might have misunderstood each other fundamentally and in the heat of the moment, I hurt you in ways I never wanted to see you hurt and it's brought me nothing but pain every moment since...'?
We're supposed to buy that they both agreed to willingly walk into the very depths of Heaven/Hell for each other on the assumption that they correctly predicted how their sides would try to kill them, but if they had been wrong, they would have been forced to endure whatever alternate punishment had been devise, but talk through their issues? Oof, no thanks.
So, instead of exploring how they could still find a way back to each other and repair that damage in season 3, the answer is cease to exist. With the honest-from-god promise they would not be made new in any way, shape, or form on the new, godless Earth they requested but had no way to confirm was actually made. And never once did they stop to think that both of their lives were better when they existed with the understanding that nearby each other might be the best they'd ever get?
It could have been something incredible. It should have been a shining beacon of comfort and hope. It would have stood the test of time and been talked about for the rare, positive depiction it was. But I guess happy endings and true love stories just aren't worth writing for some people.
Apparently, I'm still more than just a little bit miffed about all of this.
Here’s what I don’t get. What kind of reaction to that ending was the predator expecting?
Did he want it to hurt? It seems that would cut against his pathological need to be worshipped.
Did he think we’d all be agog at the “brilliant” twist, and fall at his feet in gratitude for the Art? That would seem to require him to be very, very dumb.
I just really struggle to understand the goal here.
''what if my writing isn't good eno--'' what if it's a reflection of your of your soul. what if it has a place in this world. what if you write it anyway
"Oh you have to netowork to get better opportunities in life" fuck off I don't want to insert myself into a group LinkedIn in human form for God's sake even if it kills me.
19 and under: 8.7% vs 21.3% vs 60.0%
20–29: 21.4% vs 18.5% vs 60.1%
30–39: 17.8% vs 13.0% vs 69.2%
40–49: 19.2% vs 12.8% vs 68.0%
50–59: 24.4% vs 17.8% vs 57.8%
60+: 20.7% vs 24.1% vs 55.2%
Surprising that the under 19s in the survey are much more negative than in the tumblr poll. I wonder if the teenagers who hated it were much more likely to click on the survey than those who clicked 'like' on Tumblr poll?
The most interesting finding:
Character identification (no of responses) Positive vs Negative opinion on GO3
Aziraphale (209) 23.0% vs 61.7%
Both equally (173) 20.8% vs 60.7%
Crowley (151) 15.2% vs 68.2%
Those who identify with Crowley more, have hated the finale just that bit more.
Ending
504 fans (85.0%) wanted Aziraphale and Crowley together on Earth as they were. 51 fans (8.6%) were happy with the ending they got.
Conclusion (mine) - I don't think age plays much real difference.
Opinion (also mine) - Like the polls from May you can find here and here and here for example, the 'divide' is about 1/3 vs 2/3rds of people who liked the finale/ending vs who did not.
Mistakes - (definitely mine)
P.S. I shared these polls across platforms and both from about 200 votes were pretty stable. So after the people who follow me (and are more likely to dislike the finale/love Aziraphale), when the polls got wider audience, the numbers stabilised and didn't change more by more than a few percent points (3 at most I think).
Ok, I don't know how to say it without sounding deranged, but I need to get it off my chest...
The ending of S3, among all the other sins and attrocities commited, feels like a really nasty appropriation of fan culture to me. I don't know how else to phrase it.
You see, I am a massive human AU enjoyer. I love it with all my being. I read it and I write it and I dream it.
But the fact that we now have a CANONIC HUMAN AU... it just feels so wrong! It makes me sick and it makes me angry!
I can't even say if it's a decent human AU or not, because I haven't actually seen S3. Perhaps it could be fine on its own. But I just can't look at those characters!
The mere fact that this human AU exists as something attached to the end of the show just doubles the feeling that I am looking at some monstrosity wearing a corpse of my loved ones... Because it's both the corpses of beautiful original characters, and the concept of human AU that I love so much...
I fear go3 has ruined my ability to enjoy good omens fanfiction. I start reading one, but in the back of my mind there's always this thought that it should've actually happened in reality. Why did it have to end like this?
How is Good Omens a story about an angel and demon stationed on Earth who become friends and protect one another and fall in love and long for one another, save the world from war and when the universe gets deleted because someone got the hold of the manual or something and they get asked if they want to bring it back they say nah. Delete us too and make a new one.
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