One of the reasons I struggle to believe this was exactly the ending Terry had in mind is what the original book seemed to set up. It tells us that the next big conflict would be "all of us versus all of them.” Humanity versus Heaven and Hell. But that's not what happened, is it? Humanity was wiped out. Erased. Then two immortal beings made a choice on humanity's behalf, and I honestly can't think of a *less* humanist ending than that.
Both the book and Season 1 emphasize that, while Aziraphale and Crowley can influence events, humans ultimately retain the power to choose. Adam works precisely because he was raised by humans. He isn't the embodiment of Heaven or Hell; he's the embodiment of humanity.
Season 3 abandons that idea. First, by declaring that free will was an illusion all along, an interesting (read: bad) creative decision, and by framing humanity as though it never had a meaningful chance to begin with. If GO3 wanted to stay true to the themes it had already established, it could have had Jesus (part human) confront his mother. It could have given humanity, collectively, more agency or at least a choice in whether they wanted to live in a new, godless universe. Perhaps people should be asked if they're cool with the idea of no Heaven, no Hell, no afterlife. What about the people who were, I dunno, hoping to see grandma again someday? Shouldn't they get a say?
Instead, we're asked to accept that the "humanist" ending is one where humanity is erased, never had any real agency, and two non-human entities make a world-altering decision without consulting a single human. Right.
I've read plenty of arguments both for and against the idea that a human AziraCrow ending was what Terry intended. I can't say with certainty what he envisioned, and personally I wasn't a fan of that direction regardless. But if that *was* the destination, I believe strongly that the journey should have involved humans solving their own problems and fighting for the world they loved. Not this nihilistic you-never-stood-a-chance nonsense that we got.
The absence of Jesus or Adam or actually literally any human at all from the bookshop is what seals the deal for me.
If this is Terry’s ending I can’t imagine in a million years he would have planned to have Aziracrow make this choice on behalf of humanity without a single human in the room!
There were 8 (eight!) at the airbase! You’re telling me theres not even 1 in the bookshop??
I thought maybe that was a change when they cut down the script—I’ve heard Adam & Jesus go on adventures in New York—so mating they were originally going to be in the bookshop. This would make it a little easier for me to buy it as Terry’s ending
But then i think about how they literally ran into Jesus on the way to the eternal flame and easily could have told him to hop in the car.
So he could have been at the eternal flame and then the bookshop so easily—it would have required 0 logistical writing effort to get him there
And then I saw the concept art from the original 6 episodes and there’s
Adam’s New York appartment
two chairs under the apple tree
The wingback chairs in the south downs garden
Once again in the same collection of concept art is 1/Adam’s apartment (which was cut from the 90 mines) and then 2/two chairs under the apple tree.
Not 4 chairs under the apple tree
Or even 3 chairs under the apple tree
I saw that and I thought “well that implies to me that in the 6 episodes Adam & Jesus adventure around NYC but are not in the final bookshop”
If in the 6 episodes, when their were 8 humans at the airbase, there would be 0 humans to help make literally the most important decision ever
Then I’m sorry but No
(To the point where Im honestly not sure i trust anyone to properly execute the original themes — who doesn’t recognize that having at least 1 human present in the bookshop is a nonnegotiable requirement. Humans choose for humans; immortals do not choose for humans.)
