Muriel's playlist hints at Ineffable Juniors?
(This is all in good fun and is just my opinion. You don't have to agree, but please stay and read.)
I know a lot of people have analyzed the living crap out of Aziraphale's and Crowley's playlists, but I really just want to ask if anyone ever wondered about why Muriel received these three songs?
The creators of the playlist knew that other feel-good, peppy songs that start their songs with the letter E and L exist, but they picked three songs that deal with love? All that does to me is make me think that Ineffable Juniors (Muriel x Eric) is in the realm of possibility and not just a crack ship.
Let me just get 'Everyday' out the way. (I'll be more in depth lyrically with the other two, but EVERYONE in this fandom has Everyday practically memorized. I'm just saving time and space.) 'Everyday' is the main song of the S2. It is the clue. It is the jumpstart of Ineffable Bureaucracy's relationship. It is THEIR song of love. It wouldn't make sense for them not to have it in their playlist, but why does Muriel have it? Of all the other characters who are in love, why does Muriel have to be the one to receive this song as well? They deal with concept of love, but they don't truly understand it (if they did why would they need to 'learn' from Aziraphale and Crowley). This wouldn't make sense unless this is more of a hint at Muriel's (possible) future storyline: befriending or falling in love with a demon (likely Eric). 'Everyday' is important because it helped blossom a very unlikely relationship between an angel (Gabriel) and a demon (Beelzebub). For Muriel to have that in their playlist in that context pushes their narrative in that direction, and it doesn't help that the other two songs are just pushing it further.
'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' (shortening to ANMHE for my typing sanity) is a classic love song sung by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It brings this idea of being invincible while traversing (or willing to traverse) through any terrain to get to the one you love. This is driven home by the first and third verses along with the repeating chorus of the song:
(First) If you need me, call me
No matter how far (don't worry, baby)
(Third verse) Oh no, darling
If you're ever in trouble
I'll be there on the double
(Chorus) Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, baby
What I think is interesting is second and last verse because you get to see the relationship of the two people in the song (the couple singing to each other). In the second verse, it's revealed that the two of them are loving/binding relationship by recounting a day that defined their relationship.
You could always count on me darling
From that day on I made a vow
I'll be there when you want me
Then the last verse brings up the fact that two are now separated but are still in love and WILL go through anything to get back to the other if they're ever needed.
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand
I'll be there on the double
I could easily say that this could allude to Muriel having a strained or forbidden relationship with a character, yet something else was brought to my attention. ANMHE tells about a pair who is separated after making a connection/promise to one another while still having romantic feelings, but if one were to be in trouble, the other would surely come to the rescue? I don't know about you guys, but that sounds a lot like our other angel/demon couple, the Ineffable Husbands. Now, we have two songs defining both of our canon angel/demon relationships in a playlist for an angel who hasn't even experienced falling/being in love yet, but this final song clenches everything for me.
Every Summertime by Niki is the song that TRULY made me believe in the idea of Ineffable Juniors. I have played it several times and every time I do, I see Muriel and Eric. Let's begin with the first verse:
Stayed out late, never made it to class,
Outer Richmond in a taxi cab
You were sweating bullets on the way to my dad's and oh
You said, "Baby, think we're moving too fast"
The very beginning gives an image of two students (underlings: 37th Scrivner and lesser demon) who are together (in a buddy/soft couple way), but incompetent (Muriel not understanding certain concepts thus proceeding to mess things up and Eric constantly questioning things while also being a punching bag and cowardly). It's only the first two lines and it already screams Ineffable Juniors. The last two lines give scenarios that could likely happen. Eric would be the one nervous from the idea of meeting Muriel's parental figures superior Aziraphale and his demon husband Crowely. Then comes the statement of "moving too fast." Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the 1967 scene in S1, "You go to fast for me, Crowley", yet in the eyes of our juniors, it would be in Eric's character (having more cowardice and less time to plan ahead) to say that if Muriel wanted to be closer. Then there's this imagery of how one would realize their feelings for someone is becoming more than platonic:
And I swear the magnolias flashed a smile
And that's when I caught me hoping you'd stay a while
I will say that second verse is more of "They're growing closer after a while" more than picturing scenarios like the previous verses.
25, man we're missing church
Laugh 'bout everyone we're hating at work
Dinner with your sister and the jokes kinda hurt
Cry the way home, and you're putting me first, oh
Yeah, we just always know what to say
We're strolling down the boulevard
And dancing under streetlights
Every year we get older, and I'm still on your side
Taking a stroll? Dancing? Being on a side with your partner? This, AGAIN, creates connections to Bureaucracy and Husbands, but the couple in the song portray these actions in a setting for younger, impressionable people, hmmmm... like the Juniors? Let's just finish off with the chorus and outro.
(Chorus) Baby, I'd give up anything to travel inside your mind
Baby, I fall in love again come every summertime
My daddy taught me to choose 'em wisely, but you don't have to try
'Cause, baby, I fall in love every summertime
(Outro) Every day is summertime
Every day is summertime with you
Questions that I think about when it comes to the Juniors are "if they fell in love or became close friends, how would Aziraphale and Crowley react? Would they be happy for them, or would they try to stop them from going any further out of fear for their safety?" With what happen at the end of the season, I'm personally think it's the later, but then that brought an additional question. "If Muriel was told to stop meeting Eric, would they?" No. The third line of the chorus reminded me how Muriel knew Aziraphale and Crowley were the enemy and yet they still gave unbiased trust and compassion towards them. A low rank angel who is supposed to take every order willingly decided that the enemy is their friend that they can ask questions to. When you start to apply the first, second and last line of the chorus, along with the outro, it draws a picture of a person so smitten with their partner that every time they're with them, they fall in love all over again, so they're willing to disregard the opinions of others just to be with their other half. Muriel seeing both angel/demon couples existing in the same room in S2E6 feeds my thoughts with the image of Muriel, who may or may not know that Eric is a demon (they never met him, and they also didn't know that Crowley was a demon), proceeding to be around him even after being told not to by Aziraphale. If it was worth it for the others, it could be worth it for me.
I could be reaching with some of my claims, so I'll just continue until I reach the moon. However, it is possible for all three songs to be thrown in the playlist for fun, I mean it does have "Get Lucky" and "Everything is Awesome". I'm just a sucker for Ineffable Juniors. I don't care if they don't end up together or anything, but they have to meet at least once as another example of an angel and demon being able to get along. Stories are always played out in threes. Why can't they be the third?
Thank you for reading if you made it to the end. Here's some sketches for your troubles:
