THE FALSE NARRATIVE THE AUDIENCE WERE LED TO BELIEVE ABOUT AZIRAPHALE
I never said this out loud after Season 2 because, at the time, I felt like it was just me taking book canon to the extreme (and also the fact that I agreed about the cuteness of it all) but after GO3, I put everything into perspective and realises I was not being irrational about this. So here goes:
Apparently, since Season 2, there has been a tendency from the writers to take away little things that made Aziraphale special and give it to Crowley.
I personally did not like the angel Crowley scene (Before the Beginning). I will always stick to the canon of the book/Season 1. That being Aziraphale never met Crowley as an angel before.
The reason being: It shows Aziraphale treats everyone the same, regardless of affiliation. He firsr met a demon on the wall of Eden. Instead of immediately smiting or chasing him away like other angels would, he talked to Crawly. You could see some concerns in him, but since Crawly hadn't done anything bad, Aziraphale didn't harm him. He has no concrete clue that this demon was trustworthy, but he extended a wing to sheild Crawly from the rain.
Now, put the angel Crowley scene (and the War in Heaven from Go3, and "you were the best angel") into the mix, and what do you get? Oh, so Aziraphale wasn't just being kind to some demon he just met. He had been having a crush on angel Crowley all this time and recognised him in Eden. So... I guess he wasn't being brave and kind, then? Talked to Crawly cause that was his crush? Cool...
Oh, angel Crowley shielded him from space matter? So him shielding Crawly was just returning a favor? Alright...
Oh, Crowley also gave the sword back to Aziraphale in that scene at the Eternal Flame. Guess Crowley did that first too, then.
Do you see the pattern here? Aziraphale's actions turned out to have been done by Crowley already.
2. "You taught me to be brave" (not accurate quote. I don't want to rewatch.)
Aziraphale had always been brave. He gave the flaming sword away. He lied to God. He lied to Gabriel. In the book, Crowley was about to run away but he told Crowley to stay and face Satan because he didn't want to leave the humans in danger.
In Season 2, he helped Gabriel despite Crowley telling him it was dangerous. He bravely performed a deadly magic act. He also defended the bookshop....
Aziraphale never needed Crowley to teach him how to be brave. He was already courageous on his own.
But it was Crowley who showed him that, I guess. Apparently, Anthony Just-run-off-to-Alpha-Centauri-with-me Crowley was the brave one all along.
3. Problem Solving/Intelligence
Aziraphale had never been stupid or passive when it came to dealing with problems.
Season 1: Figured out where the Antichrist was, found a way to return to Earth after discoloration, almost shot a kid to stop Armageddon, the first to suggest the Metatron/Gabriel that the Great Plan wasn't the Ineffable Plan.
Season 2: Figured out Crowley's tricks with the goats, went on a mystery solving mission, tricked demons into the summoning circle...
After the crossword scene, the rest of the Finale Aziraphale was mostly passively waiting for Crowley to come up with the solution for something. Book of life? Crowley explained it. Michael threw the BoL in the fire? Let Crowley, the miracleless demon, say "take my hand" and transport them to the bookshop. Everything is gone? Let Crowley, the I-don't-read demon, figure out any book can be the BoL.
Oh, and the most important decision in their life? Let Crowley decide because he's the only real boy in the universe. Don't even discuss or argue his decision. Cause Crowley knows best.
Aziraphale became like a yes-man. Just following Crowley's leads instead of them teaming up and helping each other figure out a solution.
I have seen people saying that they love Asa/Anthony because Asa asked Anthony out first because Crowley/Anthony deserved to be pursued for once.
I did not read their relationship like this from Season 1 and 2. It was never just Crowley chasing Aziraphale. The angel himself just did his pursuing differently from Crowley.
Crowley's love language in the show was gift giving and being a dashing hero. It was more blatant and easier to see. That's why many people only saw it from his side and thought Aziraphale never chased after Crowley.
Aziraphale's way of showing love was more subtle. He let Crowley into his comfort zone. He allowed Crowley to play his hero acts. He dressed like he wanted Crowley to mess him up in the French Revolution, btw. (The equivalent of a lady dropping her handkerchief). He gave Crowley the holy water at the risk of Crowley doing something stupid with it.
He showed Crowley he trusted him with his life during the magic act. He let Crowley lean onto him in Edinburgh despite how that could look if Upstairs saw it. He was suggesting a further relationship the whole S2 (the ball, "our car", "our bookshop"...)
Aziraphale literally hinted to Crowley that he would choose "Us" in their final moments. But guess what he got in return? He had to bite his tongue, put up a smile, and agreed to Crowley’s decision.
He was willing to frickin' DIE just because Crowley asked him to! No question asked.
The point is: Just because he was being subtle about it didn't mean he never tried to return Crowley's love. The two of them danced together, not just Crowley doing all the courtship ballet.
No shade to Asanthony's cuteness. Why can't it be Aziraphale himself who gets to do that after everything in the old world turned out okay?
Why can't we have Aziraphale initiating a second kiss? Or suggesting moving together into a cottage he bought years ago? That he had been waiting for this moment to tell Crowley?
Why can't Aziraphale have that after 6000 years? Why must the only way for him to be able to do this be his death? Erasing all the 6000 years trauma and himself was the only way??? He can't live with the trauma and still end up being the one to do what Asa did?
Another thing I noticed was that many fans and the show itself treated Crowley like a good boy. He did no wrong. He was nice and kind and-
In the Book, Crowley deliberately tried to harm animals. He loves causing minor miseries. He just cannot handle seeing actual torture. He loves doing his demonic job. He would not be a good angel!
Why did I mention this? Well, apparently, to make Crowley a good boy, the writers subtracted Aziraphale's empathy level to below 0. Suddenly we have:
Aziraphale being oblivious to Joshua's disorientation and sadness when he just got resurrected. Not even an offer of food or drink? Remember how he treated Gabriel/Jim?
Aziraphale not defending Muriel when people called them dim.
Aziraphale not contacting Crowley even once. Sure maybe he couldn't. But the Finale never showed it. So all we have is: Azi really wanted to be an Archangel and stayed up there for 4 years, leaving Crowley in depression. Poor snake. Azi is so cruel.
Aziraphale not staying to help Crowley up in the alley (like what the opening credit showed us. Do you feel scammed yet?)
Aziraphale not explaining himself the whole movie, not even a proper apology. Then demanded forgiveness in the bookshop at the end. Tried to do that stupid dance with a smile???
Speaking of smiling... Aziraphale wasn't crying or feeling distraught by the erasure of the whole universe right in front of him. Remember the angel who cried over a deformed baby in Edinburgh?
Aziraphale insisting Crowley was the best angel over and over again despite knowing Crowley hated Heaven and hated the idea of becoming an angel again.
And the things from Go3 also ruined otherwise cute interaction in S1 and 2.
The "our car" thing now reads like Aziraphale being demanding, controlling over Crowley's things.
Same with Azi making Crowley to the dangerous magic act with him. Ignoring that Crowley didn't want to do it.
The way Crowley had to do an apology dance to him despite not being wrong about the danger of keeping Gabriel now feels kinda like a red flag. But that's Crowley's own decision so this is just honorable mention.
There are probably more that I forgot...
Anyway, point is, Aziraphale was villainized by the writers so that Crowley would end up being the only real boy, the only one who cared. Note: what God and Satan said to berate Aziraphale is exactly how the writers and some people in the fandom sees him. I guess Aziraphale never cared for anyone or anything then? What a selfish angel, am I right?
And don't get me started on how Crowley and everyone treated him the whole Finale, the way Crowley was completely silent about the indirect love confession in the talk with God, because then we would be here all day.
Wow this has been long. If you made it here, thanks for reading. I needed to get all of this out for my sanity. There was no script so I am sorry if things aren't organized well.
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