The Good Omens sleuthing collaborations of @embracing-the-ineffable and other like-minded Ineffable Detectives, especially @noneOrOther, @kimberleyJean, @theAstrophysicistNextDoor, @maufungi, @somehow-a-human, @lookingAtACupOfTea, @komorezuki, @haveMyHeartAziraphale, @dunkTheBiscuit, and @251-dmr
The Good Omens Prime account posted a new poster today, and Peter Anderson Studio decided to give us a ring.
Of course we had to answer the call... Would be rude not to.
Translation and explanation for the poster is below the cut.
So first off for those that are curious, this is nowhere near the Angelic trial script found in season 2. On closer inspection, the symbols seemed to be some sort of repeating flourish font. So we had to find the font.
I spent 3 whole US dollars on this terrible decorative filigree.
Now all that's left is to type out every single letter by hand one by one, and presto change-o
So what mysteeeeeerious secrets have we revealed?
"dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..."
If that quote looks familiar to you, you're probably a graphic designer. This text is a mixture of standard placeholder Latin, corrupted fragments, and keyboard-mashing, a literal translation is impossible. However, we can translate the source phrases from which these rings were built.
In professional typesetting, Lorem Ipsum text is meant to simulate the "look" of a document without the "distraction" of meaning. If we translate the intended meaning of the recognizable Latin roots, the inscription reads like a fragmented philosophical treatise on pain and duty.
Most of these rings are derived from the same sentence:
"Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit…"
"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain…"
Ring 1 (outside)
elit sed do adipiscin do eius modg elit exe adipiscing elit adipiscing elit rcit- tion ind of orem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing
Ring 2
orem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod ugimt sit vo(vd)luptatem nda dbc iueq sunt in culpa qui dolor incia
These rings focus on dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod.
"…pursuing excellence, but also through the work and pain of the moment. [Corrupted gibberish: dugimt, dbc] …they are in fault who [fail in their] duty through a weakness of mind."
Ring 3
ipsum mnnv dnmvn dfgnkda iem io sum dolor sit amet consecti dolor ea mc vemo cillu volu m dolor eenia i voluus m “Heart broken World Broken What’s the point of anything?” di
This ring contains the most corruption
Recognizable Roots: veniam, illum, voluptas.
"…[Gibberish]… pain itself… [Gibberish]… that piece of pleasure… [Gibberish]… Heart broken World Broken What’s the point of anything?"
Ring 4
Amet consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eius ____lee dolor in reprmin i fmm ve n iekjd eo ore voluptate sum dolor sit
Ring 5
adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod tempor cu quip ex ea comms ltmn jrew t r t e f nb ai nima veniam esi ea commor
These rings use fragments of the section discussing "the effort required to achieve results."
reprehenderit, voluptate, eiusmod tempor, ex ea commodo.
"…to find fault in [reprehenderit] pleasure… [Gibberish]… through the effort of work… [Gibberish]… unless they result in some convenience or advantage."
Ring 6
corporis suscipit laeorios am ev a dkd wr scing elit sed mque laudante totam rem aper iam ullam
This ring pulls from the "laborious" section of the text.
corporis suscipit laboriosam, laudantium, rem aperiam, ullam.
"…undertakes laborious physical exercise… [Gibberish]… praising… I will open the whole matter… [Gibberish]… no one."
Ring 7 (left side) Ring 7 (right side)
um dolor sit ame i consese __ur adipiscing orem ipsum dolor sit
Ring 8 (left side) Ring 8 (right side)
eiusmoddbc iue qwkl Orem ipsum dolor sit
Ring 9 (left side) Ring 9 (right side)
mec at sua dolor i dolor ee mn neu
These outer/inner fragments are repetitions of the same opening phrases.
"Pain itself… consectetur… eiusmod… their own pain."
Conclusion:
Peter Anderson studios are giant trolls and deserve
to be put in a corner to think about what they’ve done.
On behalf of everyone in the @ineffable-detective-agency who worked on this rush job:
You can also check out our instagram where we posted it first. You can ping Peter Anderson while you're at it and tell them to try harder next time.
The Prayer Plant (Calathea) – A Living Symbol of Devotion
When the rainforest canopy darkens, the leaves of a Calathea fold upward as if bowing in reverence. This nightly movement, called nyctinasty, is driven by tiny, water‑filled joints called pulvini at the base of each leaf. As the cells in the pulvini lose turgor at night, the leaf lifts; at sunrise the cells re‑pressurize and the leaf unfurls to capture the morning light.
Because the motion looks like clasped hands, the plant earned the common name “Prayer Plant.” Its daily ritual offers a visual mantra that can be read in three ways:
1) Daily reverence – The upward‑folded leaves look like hands clasped in prayer, reminding us to pause, breathe, and offer gratitude each day.
2) Mindful presence – The predictable rise‑and‑fall mirrors a meditative breathing cycle: inhale as the leaves unfurl at sunrise, exhale as they fold at night.
3) Spiritual connection – The upward‑facing foliage serves as a gentle, living invitation to commune with whatever you consider sacred—be it a deity, the universe, or your inner self.
Other Symbolic Meanings of Calathea are also interesting for Good Omens:
New beginnings / "turning a new leaf" – Fresh foliage each growth cycle echoes the idiom of starting over.
Peace & calm – Soothing, intricate patterns create a tranquil visual backdrop that encourages reflection.
Interconnectedness – Complex leaf designs suggest the web of life and deeper harmony in nature.
Resilience & perseverance – Thrives only under specific humidity, light, and moisture conditions, teaching adaptability.
Living awareness – Visible, rhythmic leaf movement makes the plant a literal "living plant", symbolizing responsiveness to its environment.
Balance & harmony – Contrasting light‑dark stripes illustrate the yin‑yang principle of opposite forces working together.
But it really looks unhealthy 😭
"GROW BETTER!"
@ineffable-detective-agency @somehow-a-human I love the discussions and fun with all of you!
I think it's really interesting that Sandalphon has a pattern on his clothes that's reminiscent of Aziraphale's classic tartan, AND he's matching Aziraphale's usual colors:
His vest coordinates with Azi'a bowtie. His jacket matches Azi's vest. His ribbon tie echoes Azi's jacket color.
I suppose it either symbolizes an alignment between them, or an opposition 😅 Or maybe there's a metaphor in here about playing rock-paper-scissors.
You're welcome, I'm glad we had this talk and narrowed the choices 😂
We talked a lot in the first two seasons of Good Omens about character relationships being mirrors to one another. Nina and Maggie, Jim and Beelzebub, Aziraphale and Crowley. Anathema and Newt, Madame Tracey and Shadwell.
There's been a LOT of mirrored writing and other mirrored visuals on screen. The Ineffable Detective Agency regularly talks about mirrors, both literal and metaphorical. There are actual mirrors everywhere, in both seasons, with sneaky effects, reflections, and symbolism. (If you have a post about any of that, please reblog this and add your link!)
But with Season 3, the Good Omens team is REALLY trying to tell us something about mirrors:
No, his tattoo isn't missing! He's been mirrored in the second image! (Look at his hair flip at the front, and the column he's leaning against! And careful image enhancements show the buttons on his shirt are reversed.) Another look at the scene where he's mirrored is here. But why? Could it be a mistake? Surely it was a random, one-time fluke...
Maybe not. (Although @idonthaveany points out that the buttons on his vest aren't mirrored here, so... now I'm undecided on this one.)
Can I find more? Yes!
It's a lot harder to tell if Aziraphale is mirrored; his clothes and hair are usually very symmetrical, which makes his asymmetrical heaven outfit feel very out of place But perhaps that will help us pin down other moments of mirroring? Seriously, the asymmetry and the way his pocket watch side is reversed is driving me crazy:
But back to the mirrored scene, here you can see - in the same scene where Crowley is mirrored, so is Aziraphale! First the desk and window are on the left side of the image, just off screen, and then they're on the right:
Want a few more small ones? This isn't technically a mirror, but I think it still counts, and it's been with us from The Beginning:
And here's something I spotted in the Peter Anderson credits in the s3 trailer - it's a storefront with signs that, once mirrored, say 2.0-A and AVISO:
In case you want to look it up for yourself, that moment came from this scene featuring the "Wings For Victory" bus, here:
What's 2.0-A ? Why are mirrors so important? Will we have multiple, mirrored timelines? Will they be labeled something like 2.0-A? Please share your ideas 😍
PS - if you enjoy Good Omens metas, theories, clues, etc, I have a pinned list of my posts plus a collection of posts from the fandom, here!
PPS - thanks to the @ineffable-detective-agency for being so much fun to share observations and theories with!
Good Omens Season 3: Discontinuity and The Bentley! (Again!)
And now, I'd like to share something I'm especially intrigued and excited to have noticed in the good omens season 3 poster and trailer!
Please meet... New for Season 3... the THIRD Bentley actor!
And now I hear you wondering, WHERE did I find such a gorgeous photo of the new season 3 Bentley?
Some of you may remember my detailed....nay, obsessive... posts about the season 2 Bentley and its mid-season transformations 😂 ( How to tell the "three" Good Omens Bentleys apart, without talking about color and Ineffable discontinuity and the Bentley's roadtrip transformation: new back doors and other changes )
Beyond having a new Bentley actor for season 2 that goes through a clear but hushed-up transformation midway through, something I never really posted about publicly was that there were also a few OTHER Bentleys in the mix, showing up at premieres and behind the scenes set tours. Like this one, from the LA premier (notice it has 4 headlights):
Plus, Rob has at least one more Bentley at his home, and he used that one for the reference photos he sent to Colleen Doran for the Good Omens graphic novel.
I didn't really expect to be posting about the season 3 Bentley - but then the trailer was released and I made some time to dig into high-res versions of all the s3 promo materials so far. I did a double take, and then a triple take, and then after all the mental fizzing cleared away, my thoughts sounded something like "wait a minute!!! That's not the season 2 Bentley! It's not the season 1 Bentley! But it IS.... *checks notes* the season 2 promo Bentley?!
That's right. The s3 poster AND the s3 trailer feature a different Bentley than we've seen on screen in seasons 1 OR 2!
How do I know? How can I be sure? Ready to learn the key to telling all the Bentleys apart? It's in the reflectors! Like these jaunty silver funnels from the season 1 Bentley. (Sometimes it also helps to notice the sideview mirrors, or the hubcaps):
So, let's put my hyperfixation and my enormous collection of Bentley images to good use once again! 😂🤩
Season 1
A quick recap: Good Omens rented a Bentley, “Mary”, for season 1. Isn't she lovely? Her funnel-shaped reflectors are especially playful!
Top: S1, Before Adam reboots reality
Bottom: S1, after Adam reboots reality. Notice the two-tone gray and black exterior, the two doors (one door handle on each side), the wide hubcaps, the small round sideview mirrors mounted above the front wheels, and the silver funnel-shaped reflectors above the license plate/below the headlights.
And there was a cab-only set for filming interior scenes. Notice how the colors, body shape, windows, and door handles all match Mary. No reflectors, hubcaps, OR sideview mirrors, though:
Season 2
For season 2, they didn't rent the season 1 Bentley; they bought a Bentley that's really a 4-door with a black interior (Bentley enthusiasts call it "blue"). For the first half of the season, they dressed it like Mary - with a gray two-tone exterior, a brown ("orange") interior, wide hubcaps, and the look of two doors (although the other two doors were still there, carefully camouflaged, and the changed windows from s1's Mary are very apparent). Everything they could reasonably change or disguise was done - except the front reflectors are flat and black instead of a silver funnel shape:
All: S2, before it turned yellow. Although this car "actor" technically has 4 doors, notice the mostly-similar exterior features to Mary.
Next, it turned yellow on the way to Edinburgh:
Left: S2, while the Bentley is yellow. Right: transforming afterwards. The yellow Bentley transformations were done with CG.
And after it was yellow, it transformed into "our car", an all-black 4-door with a black interior and smaller hubcaps.
Top left: S2 door interiors, before and after the yellow Bentley. Top right: Aziraphale parks in Edinburgh.
Bottom: S2, Crowley parks outside the bookshop after Edinburgh. Notice the smaller hubcaps and four door handles (two on each side). The front reflectors are still flat and black, and the sideview mirrors are still small round discs mounted above the front wheels.
It's like having the same actor wear a new costume!
Top: After the Bentley was yellow, you can see "our car" with front AND rear door handles, smaller hubcaps, and a solid black exterior:
Bottom: Before the Bentley was yellow, we see it dressed as "Mary" with front door handles only, larger hubcaps, and a two-tone gray and black exterior.
They still had a cab-only set and a CG model, of course. Here are two moments from the S2 Bentley CG animation they released. They don't change the hubcaps or door handles here, but the color change is clear enough:
Season 3
And now, here's the Bentley from the s3 poster and trailer! Notice the curved bright silver reflectors above the license plate, and the rectangular sideview mirrors mounted to the front doors:
We even got a look at the CG model for season 3! It has the same sideview mirrors and silver reflectors, plus small hubcaps just like the S2 on-screen and promo Bentleys:
RECAP / TL;DR 😅😂
But "Wait!" I hear you asking. "Didn't the Bentley have reflectors and sideview mirrors in seasons 1 and 2?!" Yes, but remember:
Top row: S1 "Mary"; Second row: S2 "Our car". Third row: S3 poster and trailer, with clearly different reflectors and side view mirrors than EITHER S1 or S2; Bottom row: the S2 promo car, for comparison with the S3 model on the row above it.
And again, with the differences in the mirrors (red) and reflectors (aqua) highlighted:
So all this to say.... there's more here than meets the eye, and now I'm so excited to see all the S3 Bentley looks! And hopefully, finally, we'll all get a better explanation for WHY the Good Omens team went to so much trouble to keep changing the Bentley.
I'm partial to multiple timelines theories, but maybe there are other explanations that you like! What do you think?
Just ✨24✨ days until we find out!
Oh, I almost forgot! The S3 Bentley interior is black! (So far!) And are those bullet holes on the top sides of the windshield? Sorry, I just can't stop looking at the details 😂🤩
PS - if you enjoy Good Omens metas, theories, clues, etc, I have a pinned list of my posts, including lots of season 1+2 Bentley analysis, plus a collection of posts from the fandom, here!
PPS - thanks to the @ineffable-detective-agency for being so much fun to share observations and theories with!
All the clues you missed in the first S3 photo drop
Hello there and fair warning, spoilers abound! If you don't want to see the image, scroll on.
But for your viewing pleasure, I have assembled all 3 season's worth of shots taken at the same angle for easy comparing. Behold:
At first glance it seems like it's the same old Whickber street we know and love, but is it?
1. Bilton & Scagg's is no more?
From what we can see on this S3 image on the right, the biggest spoiler is that the blue Bilton & Scaggs hat shop (formerly publishers) that has resided next to the bookshop for 2 seasons has either been flipped with a new magic shop or some sort of games shop, and is now red and yellow. Note the playing cards in the front and red dice above the window.
2. The chinese lanterns are in the "wrong" spot
In season's 1 & 2, the iconic red lanterns appeared only on Wardour Street in front of the trio of Chinese shops. We can still see the reflection of the Chinese buffet string lights in the window, so assuming those shops are still at the end of the street, the lanterns now start directly in the alley alongside the bookshop.
3. The double posters have been covered with a banner, and the place is a mess
To our left, we have the mysterious double comic book panel posters from season's 1&2 now overlayed with some sort of orange banner, and they've lost their double top and bottom signs. The bike rack and topiaries from s2 have be replaced with a general air of dirt and grime; graffitied walls, green wheelie bin, dead plants and leaves everywhere, oh my.
4. Aziraphale is still wearing his pinkie ring.
I've enhanced the image here for better viewing but a good spot by @theastrophysicistnextdoor and @somehow-a-human shows it's there on his right hand as usual!
Conclusion
I will note here that they've attempted to crop out almost everything that we can use for actual comparative speculation (road lines, signs, people, double name for the record shop sign, lantern above the door, street sign for Whickber, position of statues inside the bookshop, entryway door sculptures, mailbox, candy dispenser, newspaper pile, etc.) so a serious golf clap to the GO team on such a clever image.
Thanks to the gang @ineffable-detective-agency as usual for the s3 image and sounding board.
Have you ever wondered what an PrimeVideo X-Ray for the opening credits of season 2 might look like? Wonder no more. The @ineffable-detective-agency gang has helped me compile every hidden secret and reference in our favourite little puppet show & showcase it all in one place. (Recommended full screen watching and pausing for the full experience)
Some notes
This is the version of the opening credits from episode 1. As per members of our group, we've noticed that the opening sequence isn't exactly the same number of frames in each episode. Episodes 2, 3, and 4 end after 1:28:08, then episodes 1 and 6 end after 1:28:14 (six extra frames of the title card), and episode 5 goes a hair past 1:29 (11 more frames). Episode 6 also contains an extra electric guitar riff that the other opening title sequences do not, that is not heard in the version above.
All of the positions of the hidden Jimbriel angel were pointed out at the last TIC conference by producers of the show, so thanks to them for the help!
I've been sitting on this post for over a year, figuring it was too late and no one would find this information useful. Special thanks to @theastrophysicistnextdoor for helping me get it out the door.
As always a massive thank you to the folx @ineffable-detective-agency for their contributions and good cheer. @embracing-the-ineffable @kimberleyjean, @lookingatacupoftea, @komorezuki, @maufungi, @havemyheartaziraphale, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @dunkthebiscuit, @ghstptats, @251-dmr, @commonmexicanname, @eybefioro, @beebopboom
I've finally put together this huge piece of meta that I have been working on for a very long time. I haven't written or posted much about GO since the allegations dropped. I don't think I need to explain anything to all of you about that. It has been hard to find my motivation again, but I'm finally feeling motivated to write, what with season 3 (I will not call it 'the finale' you can't make me) beginning filming very soon and all. <3
In this post I will try to put together the filming timeline of season 2, in order to hopefully give us more context and decipher the reasons behind season 2's blatant discontinuity problems.
I used any and all information I could find. From actors/writers/artists social media accounts, news articles, BTS information, filming slates, and more. We will follow a chronological timeline to establish what order the scenes of Good Omens 2 were filmed in. At the end we'll discuss what the findings might mean for the discontinuities of S2.
Are Crowley's sideburns changing lengths for a reason? Or are you just seeing them consistently grow throughout filming? However, why they might let them grow out instead of just trimming them is a different question all together...
Okay let's jump in!
Before the Beginning...
June 29th 2021 - NG posts on Instagram - Announcing GO series 2, and the BBC also releases an article announcing filming will take place in Scotland.
September 23rd 2021 - Prime XRay Trivia - Episode 3, timestamp 13:04 -
"The background plates for this car scene was the first footage shot for Good Omens Season 2 on September 23rd, 2021 at Forrestburn Hillclimb, weeks before the main shoot began."
This is the background scenery for Aziraphale's drive to Edinburgh, and was likely captured while crew were scouting locations.
October 13th 2021 - Michael posts on Twitter - His hair has been bleached for filming.
October 18th 2021 - NG posts on Instagram - First day of filming on the set in Bathgate, Scotland.
October 18th 2021 - Based on the scene number, this is likely a St. James park scene from early in episode 1 (not necessarily filmed at St. James mind you).
October 19th 2021 - Georgia posts on Instagram - David's hair has been dyed for filming.
October 26th 2021 - Aziraphale receives Maggie's note.
October 18th - 31st 2021 - Prime XRay Trivia - Episode 5, Timestamp 3:53 -
“This was the first scene Michael and David filmed together for season 2"
The scene being referenced is the modern day magic shop scene where Aziraphale invites Mutt to the ball. The ball invite scenes were some of the first scenes filmed. (Excluding the invite to Arnolds as the music shop interior was not actually located on set with the rest of Whickber Street, it must have been filmed later.)
November 2nd 2021 - NG posts on Instagram - A photo of Michael and David on set together. This looks to be one of the outdoor whickber street scenes, my best guess is this would also be the scenes where Aziraphale invites the Whickber Street shopkeepers to the ball.
November 2nd 2021 - NG posts on Instagram - a zoomed in photo of the "cupperty" scene. Only Crowley and Aziraphale's faces are visible. Quelin Sepulveda as Muriel was likely available from the start of filming, so some scenes featuring Muriel were able to be filmed at least prior to November 2nd.
November 6th 2021 - Georgia Posts on Instagram - David and Georgia attend "An Audience with Adele" at the London Palladium, so he must have gone home and spend some time with family <3
November 8th - 12th 2021 - Filming at Stirling Castle Graveyard, Stirling Scotland. This would include the episode 3 bodysnatchers minisode scenes in the graveyard, and Aziraphale's present day visit to the graveyard.
November 15 - 19th 2021 - Filming in Dumbarton and Queensferry. This would include the Edinburgh street scenes from the bodysnatchers minisode and scenes with Dalrymple at Hopetoun House. NG also says "Next week we're back in Bathgate".
November 22nd 2021 - Hell scene - Shax asks Beelzebub if she can attack the bookshop.
November 22nd 2021 - Anna posts on Instagram - The caption is: "It's Scotte-land, daddy!" Based on the previous filming slate, if they were filming scenes in Hell, Michael had some free time to spend with Lyra and Anna <3
November 25th 2021 - Ennon's house/courtyard scene is filmed.
November 26th - December 5th 2021 - News Article - Filming crews and the Bentley are seen at circus lane in Edinburgh, this would be to film any of the scenes when Crowley is in the alley.
December 16th 2021 - Georgia posts on Instagram - David facetimes her from set, holding a Good Omens 2 mug and sporting some styled Crowley hair.
December 18th 2021 - Glasgow donut shop Tantrum Doughnuts posts on Instagram about providing Christmas donuts to the Good Omens crew.
December 25th - January 1st - Georgia posts on Instagram - David is home for the holidays and Anna posts on Instagram Michael is home for the holidays.
This is the point at which Jon Hamm joined the production! He was only available halfway through filming so any scenes with Gabriel/Jim in them were filmed after this point.
January 11th 2022 - Aziraphale's arrival to the Edinburgh pub is filmed, multiple sources post about seeing the production take place.
Jon Hamm is also seen arriving on set in Edinburgh to film his and Beelzebub's Pub scenes.
January 13th 2022 - The ball begins & the demons invade Whickber Street. Scene 19 gives us the dichotomy of the warm jubilance inside of the ball contrasted with the scary scene taking shape outside as Nina and Maggie arrive.
January 14th 2022 - "You are out of order!"
January 17th - 19th 2022 - Scenes 21 - 27 are all the goings on inside the ball: the seamstress conversation, Maggie and Nina dancing, Crowley and Aziraphale dancing, etc.
January 23rd 2022 - Instagram user marty.kelly (also the Supervising Art Director of GO2) posts a photo of a stunt banana peel. Could this be the peel that Maggie tosses from her shoulder during the bookshop invasion?
January 26th 2022 - Filming Slate - "Leave now and nobody will be hurt"
February 12th 2022 - Georgia posts on Instagram - David is home.
February 14th & 15th 2022 - Filming at Bo'ness Hippodrome takes place. These are the whiskey delivery and subsequent magic show scenes from the 1941 minisode.
February 16th 2022 - The hitchhiker scenes from episode 4 with Shax were filmed at Forrestburn Hillclimb. A local car club posted about the filming crews visit.
February 18th 2022 - Shax rousing the troops.
February 22nd 2022 - Douglas posts a photo of himself in front of the blue screen set for the Before the Beginning scenes.
February 24th 2022 - Instagram user kaedesmith7, who worked on the set of GO2 posts a photo of a pen of goats with the caption "Just a normal day at work" - We can guess then that some of the Companion to Owls minisode scenes were filmed on or around this date. If I had to guess, these would be the scenes where the large blue screen set was needed.
February 26th 2022 - Georgia posts on Instagram - David and Georgia go out for a date. Sidenote: cute <3
March 1st 2022 - The last scene is filmed on the last day of shooting. Douglas posted the slate on Instagram and Michael posted on Twitter about "hanging up his angels coat"
Conclusions:
SO! What can we learn from all of this brain rot I've compiled? First, let's list the scenes of GO2 in filming order. I'm going to include some scenes I don't have explicit proof of, but were likely filmed at the same time as others.
Crowley and Shax meet at St. James Park
Azi gets Maggie's note, and additional record shop scenes
Crowley and Aziraphale invite the whickber street shopkeepers to the ball
Coffee shop scenes, Maggie & Nina scenes, and bookshop scenes without Jim were likely filmed around this time
Muriel's arrival and cupperty scenes
Bodysnatchers minisode & Aziraphale's present day visit to the graveyard
Shax asks Beelzebub if she can attack the bookshop, more Hell scenes were likely filmed as a batch during this time.
A Companion to Owls minisode courtyard and cellar scenes
Scenes with Crowley in the alley way: Shax tells him Gabriel is involved, Crowley is summoned to Hell by Beelzebub, Shax tells Crowley she thinks Aziraphale is involved
Aziraphale arrives at The Resurrectionist
Gabriel and Beelzebub's meetings through the years
The Ball and demon invasion
The first weeks of february are likely when they filmed most of Gabriels whickber street and bookshop scenes
1941 minisode scenes at the theater
Shax tricks Aziraphale into picking her up as a hitchhiker
Shax rouses the troops prior to the bookshop invasion
Blue screen scenes were likely filmed around this time including Before the Beginning, the opening and closing scenes for A Companion to Owls
The last scenes were filmed on the final day of shooting.
I couldn't find much to indicate when the Heaven scenes were filmed so if anybody has anything, this is very much a working document so feel free to share!
What does this tell us about a 53 year old man's sideburns? Well, to me it seems like they simply grew out during filming. Does this explain Bildad having two completely different wigs?! NO. Does this explain why they didn't just trim them to a consistent length during filming? NO. When his snake tattoo was being applied nearly under his jawline, there must have been conversation about it's placement, but they chose to leave it for a reason. Why? Well hopefully we'll understand some day.
I can also tell you that the progressive wear on Aziraphale's beloved waistcoat is consistent with the filming timeline. I won't bore you with the entire document filled with screenshots, so you'll have to believe me, but it appears to be that his waistcoat simply aged as filming went on.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts and as we approach S3 filming, happy sleuthing and happy holidays!
As always a massive thank you to the folx @ineffable-detective-agency for their contributions! @embracing-the-ineffable, @noneorother, @kimberleyjean, @lookingatacupoftea, @komorezuki, @maufungi, @havemyheartaziraphale, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @dunkthebiscuit, @ghstptats, @251-dmr, @commonmexicanname, @eybefioro, @beebopboom
I hope you're all doing well. It's now September and in a few days it'll be a year since I watched the Final 15. I found a BlueSky post I made in the immediate aftermath, which I'll share next week on the 1 year anniversary of the day GO broke my heart, causing me to seek out fellow fans to cope 💜
Thanks to @sakascal for helping me find the text for no. 3 from @dalliancekay's post!
Oh look, it's the @ineffable-detective-agency and the rest of the good omens fandom:
"Flirt with you? Well, you see, I'm actually going to study you like a work of classic literature. Unpick your verbiage. Disrobe your multitudes of meanings. Maybe even annotate you."
To follow up on my recent reblog about the baby swap, I'm going to take a closer look at Adam where we leave him at the end of S1. Because, by the end of S1, Adam had changed quite a few things... and I'm going to use both the TV show and the book to provide evidence.
To become the Young's real son, I don't think Adam really needed to change all that much. He just says the words to Satan, Satan disappears, and that should be it, right? But no, because Adam goes much further, and I think he does it because he can.
Because Adam has opinions, you see. Opinions on how the world should be and what he wants to happen. Except, unlike Agnes, who needs to write a prophecy and then wait 300 years for her descendant to enact it, Adam can just make it so.
The Other Two Babies
I originally thought about putting all the things Adam changes into a single post, but instead I'm going to make this a short series of posts, because he changes a fair bit. Let's start with where we left off with the baby swap, crack open a copy of the book and discuss the changes for Warlock and Greasy first.
Warlock
Here's some excerpts of Warlock flying home from Megiddo to America (my bolds for emphasis):
It was Sunday afternoon.
High over England a 747 droned westwards. In the first-class cabin a boy called Warlock put down his comic and stared out of the window.
...
And now he was going back to the States. There had been some sort of problem with tickets or flights or airport destination-boards or something. It was weird; he was pretty sure his father had meant to go back to England. Warlock liked England. It was a nice country to be an American in.
...
And Warlock flew on to America. He deserved something (after all, you never forget the first friends you ever had, even if you were all a few hours old at the time) and the power that was controlling the fate of all mankind at that precise time was thinking: Well, he's going to America, isn't he? Don't see how you could have anythin' better than going to America.
They've got thirty-nine flavors of ice cream there. Maybe even more.
So it's Adam who has sent Warlock back to America, despite Warlock wanting (even, expecting) to be on his way to England. And he's controlling the fate of all mankind.
Greasy
Likewise, he has changes for Greasy Johnson too (the discarded baby who grows up to win prizes for his tropical fish).
The plane was at that point passing right above the Lower Tadfield bedroom of Greasy Johnson, who was aimlessly leafing through a photography magazine that he'd bought merely because it had a rather good picture of a tropical fish on the cover.
A few pages below Greasy's listless finger was a spread on American football, and how it was really catching on in Europe. Which was odd… because when the magazine had been printed, those pages had been about photography in desert conditions.
It was about to change his life.
Adam is deciding here how to alter Warlock and Greasy's paths. Warlock wants to be back in the UK, but Adam thinks America is better, while Greasy's magazine is changed to American football, which I guess is implying he's going to become an American footballer.
Now, not everyone may be aware, but these parts weren't in the first release of the novel. It only came about later, in the American edition. Apparently the changes were in response to prompting from the American editor, but they got "carried away" making those changes (source).
Season 3 (warning: speculation)
So, do you think this could be relevant for S3? For me personally, the fact that these bits were added later makes me wonder if this was helping to set up for a potential sequel. It's certainly poetic - just like the baby swap that originally involved all three, we are now implying a potential adolescent swap of Greasy, who is interested in American football, and Warlock, who is interested to return to the U.K.
If you've read at all about the hypothetical plot of the proposed written sequel, you'll know that it involved a trip to America, ostensibly to look for a lost Jesus. So, if the next book was originally meant to be about going and finding someone (Jesus?) in America, then Greasy or Warlock could make sense. It would be a switcheroo all over again if Warlock had left for the UK and Greasy for America.
Another alternative is that all three could end up converging in America, since Warlock already lives there and both Adam and Greasy have interests in going there. But if that's the intention, why mention that Warlock wants to be back "home" in the U.K.?
So, those are my possible takes on how this passage can be interpreted. I know there are some theories that either Greasy or Warlock may be the Second Coming. I've also seen a theory now that Adam himself could be a contender (both spawn of Satan and spawn of God - it'd certainly be interesting!). I'm not placing bets on any of these outcomes just yet.
In addition to this passage in the book, we also see some interesting changes made by Adam which are featured more prominently in the show - one's that have implications for the ineffable husbands.
Part 2 coming soon!
Thanks as always to everyone at the @ineffable-detective-agency (including @noneorother, @embracing-the-ineffable, @lookingatacupoftea, @251-dmr, @somehow-a-human, @maufungi, @havemyheartaziraphale, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @dunkthebiscuit, @komorezuki, & @ghstptats).
I'm back from the dead with a little side project!
Friends over at @ineffable-detective-agency and I have compiled a handy dandy list with all the important Book Omens and Show Omens related dates.
What makes this timeline nice and accurate? It has linked annotations! That's right, all blog posts and answers to asks ripe for the referencing. As well as little icons to demarcate Book timeline info from Show Timeline info.
So if you've ever wondered what year the arrangement started in, or when Give me coffee or give me death took over Jon coffee, here's your answer!
Good Omens Timeline
The case for (at least) two stories in GO season 2: Bildad
This chapter will be more enjoyable if you read the first post "The Kiss"!
Another blatant instance of inconsistency and topic of much debate has been Bildad's wig(s). His hair seems to change all the time, and the headband is never quite the same. What if I told you that if you stop focusing on the hair, and count the stripes on his headbands, a clear picture emerges? Sounds insane right?
Here's the entirety of episode 2, arranged by number of headband stripes Crowley has in each scene.
I'll put screenshots in case you don't want to rewatch those two sillies again for 4 minutes. But be real... who doesn't?
A pretty clear pattern emerges when you arrange the scenes like this : more stripes = more intimacy and trust between Crowley & Aziraphale.
For stripe 1, we only get the opening scene where Crowley "destroys Job's goats".
This scene could live on it's own in the story, theoretically. Aziraphale never interferes with Crowley as he destroys the children, because it's all hunky dory up in heaven.
The very next scene we see Crowley questioning Job and Sitis, starting to doubt his job, and he's got two headbands and two stripes for most of the rest of his hijinks with Aziraphale.
Until the very end of the episode, where we are back two one headband, but two stripes. The hair is short again, and the headband is neat, and this stumped me for a long while. If you only count the number of headbands and hair length, this scene clearly belongs with the first, and story-wise, would make little sense. But taken with the other two-striped scenes, it paints the complete picture of the saving of Job's children together as a team.
I've taken the three headband/stripe scenes out of order from the show and put them at the end. The only time Crowley has three headbands is when something deeply intimate is happening between Azirpahale and Crowley.
The first instance is quite early on, for the whole of the reveal of Crowley's crows to goats pipeline.
Interestingly this is also where we get the cryptic line "I am not the angel you knew".
Next is a little interlude inside of Crowley's "destruction" of Job's children, where Crowley admits to Aziraphale for the first time that they are "Temporarily not on different sides". It's also this part of the scene where we find out, surprisingly, that Job's children are unrepentant little shits, and Jemimah realizes that Crowley is actually, technically, a demon.
And now, after a brief break of two striped shenanigans, we return to three stripes Bildad in the basement, where he manages to tempt Aziraphale into admitting that heaven's morals are a little wacky, and into tasting food for the first time.
But this scene starts with Satan's great wind (LOL wow, a fart joke in between all the morality? Good Omens would never...), where Crowley curiously remarks "Hmm, they've started early".
All of the cryptic & meta commentary dialogue is clearly happening inside of the scenes where Crowley is wearing three headbands.
Given that the three headbands portions of the story make little sense on their own, we could conclude that Job is a story retold three times, each consecutive time adding layers of context to the story, and quite literally onto Bildad's head.
part 1 of this nonsense : The Kiss
next part : Heaven’s files.
This is going to have to be a multi-part series, but hey, almost no one is posting season 2 metas anymore so the people have to get their crack from somewhere. With thanks to everyone over in our @ineffable-detective-agency as usual.
Bildad and his hair(band) is one of the more obvious examples of discontinuity in GO2, along with the Bentley. And as I pointed out in another post in this series - it must be deliberate.
Any wardrobe team worth their salt will be able to style and fit wigs to look identical enough to eliminate continuity errors, even assuming more than one wig is needed at all, and there are multiple people on set behind the scenes making minute adjustments between takes to undo any wear and tear, and to touch up make-up and hair. They are always checking for discontinuity.
The only other thing I will say is Crowley's line is actually "The angel you knew is not me", which might mean the same thing as "I am not the angel you knew", but it's not how a person would normally shape the sentence. It feels clumsy in the mouth. And anything like that is worth taking a note of.
Three headbands. Three babies. Three card trick, three shell game, three opposing groups (Heaven, Hell and Humanity), three seasons of equal length (planned). Three takes.
Three three three (no longer looks like a word). It is indeed downright silly. Or is it..?
Three realities. Three loops in time. Three spins of the wheel. Three chances to get it right. Three takes.
The case for (at least) two stories in GO season 2: The Kiss
I've been sitting on this for a while, but I think the time has come to share it: there are three versions of the FF kiss.... *crickets*. I know I know, we've known it since Douglas and Rob both confirmed in weird ways last year that it was filmed three times. But I think I can prove that they put two/three different kisses into that one scene that broke all our hearts.
The secret, like so many in Good Omens, is hidden in the costumes. Take a close look at Aziraphale's lapels during the whole scene. I've created a handy guide to point out what is changing and put it on-screen, bottom left.
During the kiss, we're very deliberately shown Crowley pulling Aziraphale by his Bottom Lapels only. There are three shots to really hammer the concept home, and after he lets go, we see those lapels curled under as Crowley leaves.
But what happens as soon as Crowley has left? We get this closeup shot:
Where they clearly wanted his Top Lapels tucked under. I say this with a lot of confidence because throughout the two seasons, Sheen's jacket lapels are steamed between takes so they lay flat. So they want us to pick up on the small differences here (just like Crowley's tartan collar in S1) as a hint that something is wonky.
And it isn't just that David might have grabbed his collar wrong in another take. As soon as the Metatron enters the bookshop, now:
For (most of) the rest of the scene he's got one of each!
The change happens when Aziraphale turns away and either fixes his collar, or we maybe have changed perspective? I can't tell if Aziraphale is doing it intentionally in that moment or not, because for the other two times it happens (after Crowley leaves, and when Aziraphale looks out the window) it seems to just happen on it's own.
It's a powerful moment, because lapels are the primary markers of allegiances in the universe of the show; Aziraphale is quite literally picking sides and his heart is showing on his sleeve lapel in this moment. You can read more about what that means here
The reason I suspect that clothing is trying to show us multiple versions or even just perspectives of the same thing happening in-universe: it's actually happen at multiple points throughout this season, not just in the kiss.
Next up : Bildad's wardrobe shenanigans.
This is going to have to be a multi-part series, but hey, almost no one is posting season 2 metas anymore so the people have to get their crack from somewhere. With thanks to everyone over in our @ineffable-detective-agency as usual.
I love to ponder what it all might mean with all of you! When a scene seems to be the exact same scene with these very subtle changes, it definitely makes me think of multiple timelines, like the three different endings of Clue, or Groundhog Day-style repetitions. I'm so grateful we'll get to find out in season 3 🥰
This ^ is the Ineffable Detective Agency's mood board for Good Omens Season 3 theories 🤣
The Ineffable Detective Agency Presents: What do you mean there are TWO Edens??
Do you remember how we were shown those two different shots of the Eden walls in S1? One is the zoom in, the other a zoom out and they bookend the scene. Here they are back to back...
I've not seen anyone mention it before but these are DIFFERENT WALLS. Yes, you heard me correctly. We have been shown two totally different Edens. Let's talk about it shall we?
The devil's in the detail...
Try to think back and remember - how many spikes jut out from the walls of Eden? I’ll make it easy - is it 7 or 10?
Did you guess 7? Well, congratulations, you’re half correct!
Did you guess 10? Well, congratulations, you’re also half correct!
That’s right - we see TWO versions of Eden in that sequence.
Here’s the Eden we’re shown first, as the camera sweeps in over the vast sands, and God narrates over the top. Look carefully at the design of the walls here, particularly those spikes. There are supports which have three spikes coming out of them. Take a look at the portions in between...
10 spikes!
And then at the end of this sequence, here are Crowley and Azriaphale, standing on the wall, looking out over the departing Adam, Eve and Flaming Sword.
So, now we have 7 spikes! It’s not the only change, either. Take a look at the shape, size, colour and weathering of these walls.
So, what’s happened here? The only conclusion I have is that the Good Omens team have purposefully used two different digital assets when creating the VFX for Eden. The reason it flew under everyone’s radar is because these two shots are separated by roughly 4 minutes in total!
But you know what? I think the Good Omens team have been trying to drop hints all along. Check out this post from a fan who attended an event and was told about multiple Edens by Michael Ralph. What else have they been dropping hints about? Lots, I suspect.
With thanks to all the detectives @embracing-the-ineffable, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @noneorother, @somehow-a-human, @komorezuki, @maufungi, @lookingatacupoftea, @havemyheartaziraphale, @251-dmr, @dunkthebiscuit, and @ghstptats <3
How has no one called the yellow feather duster out yet?
How in the Freddy Mercury has no one yet pointed out that the yellow feather duster moment is a huge shoutout to one of the most Good Omens coded Queen songs of all time: I Want To Break Free.
I can't unsee it. This is now Gabriel's fight song. He's fallen in love for the first time and needs to break free. Just check out these lyrics if you've never heard it...
I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You're so self-satisfied, I don't need you
I've got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free
I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time
And this time, I know it for real
I've fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love
It's strange but it's true, yeah
I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh, how I want to be free, baby
Oh, how I want to be free
Oh, how I want to break free
But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own
So baby can't you see
I've got to break free
I've got to break free
I want to break free, yeah
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free
With love,
Your Ineffable Detective Agency
Special thanks to @lookingatacupoftea who's roof troubles directly led to this.
Our other members include: @embracing-the-ineffable, @kimberleyjean, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @maufungi, @somehow-a-human, @ghstptats, @havemyheartaziraphale, @dunkthebiscuit, and @251-dmr
The Ineffable Detective Agency Presents: Street Seating - A Disappearing Act!
As @noneorother mentioned the other day, we’re going through the archives over @ineffable-detective-agency and trying to post discontinuities and clues that haven’t been shared yet!
Have you ever noticed the outdoor seating on Whickber street? Just in front of the Deli?
Don't see it? Look closer, this one, here!
You can also see it up close when Maggie and Nina have their “Awning of a New Age” moment nearby.
These tables and their surrounding hedges are present consistently throughout episodes 1-3 but when we get to episode 4, take a look at Whickber street when Aziraphale returns from his Edinburgh trip…
Um, where did it go? The outdoor seating has mysteriously disappeared, and we know it is a physical prop, so the crew had to go about removing it all together, they couldn’t just use VFX. Why remove it for this scene? Did they really just need the Bentley to drive that close to the curb or is there something off about this version of Whickber street?
By the time Crowley returns again the next morning in Episode 5, the seating area is back, you can see it just behind Aziraphale.
It’s present throughout the rest of the season, and visible even in the final scene.
So, what is special about the morning Aziraphale returns from Edinburgh? Douglas MacKinnon mentioned that there was an important clue in that scene, could this have been what he was referring to? Let's hear your theories and thoughts! And as always, be kind to each other <3
Special thanks to @kimberleyjean for her lovely screenshotting skills, and the rest of the detectives @theastrophysicistnextdoor, @noneorother, @komorezuki, @maufungi, @lookingatacupoftea, @havemyheartaziraphale, @251-dmr, @dunkthebiscuit, @ghstptats <3
