Spoiler for the ending GO
It took me five days to get my thoughts together, stop crying, and finally process everything that happened in the ending. And then I saw what was happening in the fandom... So here are my thoughts on the film and the ending.
The first thing that needs to be noted is the performances of David Tennant and Michael Sheen. They're stunning. You literally look at their faces and don't need any additional lines or actions; everything the character is feeling is visible in the actor's face. I really hope to see them work together again in the future.
The plot moves very quickly. While we have examples of films where events unfold very quickly, here everything moved so quickly that you barely had time to catch your eye on the scene; the action changed literally at the snap of a finger. I found the scene transitions to be too fluid.
I especially feel very sorry for Jesus. When they first revealed his casting, I was a little skeptical because I always imagined him a bit older. But after watching it, I changed my mind because he's a stunning actor. He's like a kitten, both in his charisma and the way he literally radiated love in every scene—that's what won me over. And I'm very sorry that he was given so few scenes in the film, even though it initially seemed like Jesus would be a central figure. But his impact on the plot was minimal. He starts the film, but he has absolutely no impact on the ending.
The antagonist problem. Before the film, it was thought that Metatron would be the main villain, like the one who scammed Azicrow, but no. Michael took the role. And her motivation is quite clear, despite many saying otherwise. But due to the limited runtime, it was shown very little. According to the plot, Michael begins to go crazy and destroy everything. And the motivation is understandable. In Season 1, Michael was shown as Gabriel's right hand and a connection to Hell; in Season 2, Michael tried to become the Supreme Archangel, but he failed. Aziraphale becomes the Supreme Archangel, and the discontent about this is understandable. Michael worked hard, and the position you fought for is now occupied by someone who has been breaking all the rules all this time. And then you learn that the higher-ups twist reality as they please. But due to the lack of direct context, many likely didn't understand why Michael is like this.
Even though this ending hurts me terribly, I suspect it couldn't have happened any other way.
After meeting God, Aziraphale asks Crowley what he wants, because he already knows what he wants. And in that moment, they finally accept each other's sides. For two seasons before, Crowley had constantly suggested running away and leaving everyone and everything behind. And Aziraphale had constantly pushed back, staying to save people. And in the end, it's clear the angel is ready. If Crowley had offered to leave again, Aziraphale would have agreed. Thanks to Michael Sheen for this delightful display of emotion from our favorite angel. But Crowley takes a different path. He sides with Aziraphale, which essentially reverses their positions, parallel to the Season 2 finale. The demon says that because angels and demons, including themselves, constantly influenced humanity, people haven't had the opportunity to fully develop their own destinies. A different universe is needed, one where they would have that opportunity and where everything would happen only because people did it and wanted it themselves, not because they were influenced. And from Aziraphale's face, it's clear this wasn't what he expected. He expected Crowley to choose the selfish path again. And the angel supports his decision because he knows it's the right thing to do.
Looking back at previous seasons, their choices seem right. In Season 1, Adam was able to overcome himself and his father precisely because he was human. And precisely because he was unaffected by either Heaven or Hell, he grew up normal—which is what saved the world. In Season 2, Aziraphale and Crowley tried various ways to influence Maggie and Nina's relationship, trying to make them fall in love, but in the end, they tell the demon that they must figure things out for themselves, without anyone's help or influence. They must reach these feelings and relationships on their own, of their own free will. We are shown twice that things must happen their way. And God himself, at the beginning of Season 1, Episode 1, says that most things happen not because people are good or evil, but because they are human.
Many people ask: why couldn't Aziraphale and Crowley simply remove Heaven and Hell? Because that would be hypocritical. If they want to create free will for humanity, then Azicrow shouldn't exist in the form of an angel and a demon. Otherwise, people won't have complete freedom anyway, because Azicrow and Crowley will still be able to influence things. Their powers will remain. And leaving them with memories of their past lives, in my opinion, would be even more of a punishment. Because for beings who live for millions of years, if we count from when Azicrow and Crowley were both angels, 20 years together would be insignificant. They would realize how short their time is. And wouldn't all these memories be too much for the human mind?
Some say it's not them. But it's not. It's them, and it's noticeable in every detail. One such moment is how Anthony drawls a sound similar to the beginning of the word "angel" toward Asa. And considering that this scene took an entire day to film, it's doubtful they would have simply left it like that. And Asa continues to wear the ring.
In their universe, Crowley and Aziraphale were responsible for humanity. They always put people above each other, they constantly lived side by side with people. That's why Gabriel and Beelzebub were able to leave so easily. Because they didn't live with people; they didn't care about them. But Azicrow isn't. And in a world where they feel responsible for it, they wouldn't have complete peace. Because they would always worry about people. And that's precisely why, in another universe, where Azicrow couldn't influence people at all, where they themselves were people, they were finally able to choose each other. Because everything that happens will be the responsibility of people alone and no one else.
Would I have liked Azicrow to have had the opportunity to choose a different outcome without sacrificing himself? Yes. That ending would have been simpler and more easily accepted. But it wouldn't have fully aligned with the characters' ideologies. Ours ended up with a more complex ending, requiring a rethinking of everything we've seen before.
The ending is painful. The ending is bittersweet. Bitter for our Azicrows, sweet for Anthony and Asa. But the characters didn't die in the traditional sense. Their souls are reborn and find each other in every universe, in every life. Eternal love.
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