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no listen LISTEN hear me out - what if the 1941 kiss didn't happen at the bookshop. what if it happened in the bit between the zombies leaving and the bookshop. still listening? cool, well picture this - crowley throws down his hat as we see in s2, aziraphale gathers himself and says its all going to be fine - and before he can get a word in crowley's bursting up onto his feet, pacing and ranting, clutching at his hair about how it's "too late, always too late", aziraphale in a fluster trying to calm him down so he can tell him that he's safe it's all okay and then crowley just whirls around grabs aziraphale and snogs the living daylights out of him?? aziraphale is shocked and before he can even start to return it crowley pulls away, "fuck, shit, im sorry... but i just... needed to do that before- well, before." and then he grabs his hat, "c'mon angel, let's get you home", and then boom back at the bookshop where crowley's blatantly Not Talking About It, especially after aziraphale manages to eventually reveal that he saved crowley and all is, in fact, okay. and this tender-boneless-chicken look???:

that - That - is screaming "do it again. please, do it again."

#good omens #s2 meta #flashback meta #1941 spec

How the minisodes/flashbacks serve to inform Aziraphale and Crowley's frames of mind, and their decisions in 2x06: a meta

part 1: victorian minisode [tag]

I'm sure other people have talked about this a lot, and I did touch on this in my meta here, but all the same, I'd like to sit down and actually get all my thoughts on the matter out somewhat coherently.

I think some people have had some difficulty accepting Aziraphale's decision at the end of 2x06, so it's really a good thing that these flashbacks - which appear to be all from aziraphale's point of view - were including, as they provide a lot of context to aziraphale and crowley's relationship, and why they chose what they did.

The minisode begins right after the intro; before the intro, we have Muriel visiting Aziraphale (and Crowley) to spy on them.

(Please excuse Muriel's blink here, kmplayer was being a nightmare)

It's already been pointed out by many people how this is basically the same as police spying on / targeting queer people, which is again reinforced in the 1941 minisode.

But it brings to the forefront of Aziraphale's mind Heaven and Hell's surveillance of them, which is quite explicit in the Victorian minisode.

Beginning with Aziraphale's bookshop and shots of his diary establishes it is his flashback.

Crowley and Aziraphale are meeting up for a date casual meeting. There's no pretence of business, not even the Arrangement. They're beginning to feel safe(r) in their relationship - it's been almost 6 000 years, and they haven't been caught.

(more under the cut)

#good omens #good omens meta #meta #good omens 2 #ineffable husbands #good omens minisode #late.meta #flashback meta #victorian minisode #elspeth #morag #go meta #good omens analysis #aziracrow #aziraphale #crowley

took me a while to sound out why the final fifteen felt so isolated from all the other arguments that they've had before, but "they aren't talking" might have led me to arrive at why that is. because whilst we have the "so did i" and bandstand arguments to compare it to, the closest that the final fifteen mirrors, for me, is their very first one that we see on screen; the holy water incident (and I'm 100% sure others have observed this but im slow)

the incident where crowley has experienced something that he's playing down to aziraphale, asks aziraphale for something to help him that only aziraphale can give to him, it turns out to be too much to ask of aziraphale, so he refuses, and they split apart. turn all of this around on its head, and you have the final fifteen. (and im going to put the caveat here: no, i do not think aziraphale has been threatened by the metatron and is communicating this in code to crowley, but yes i do think he feels threatened by the metatron; i think he's genuinely eager to take this opportunity, but equally he's not stupid).

so then they go through 79 years of silence, of not talking, and come to 1941, where aziraphale lands himself in a spot of bother, and crowley breaks their silence by coming to the rescue. they get through the church fiasco, and aziraphale enlists crowley's help in the bullet catch ("trust me"), without ever discussing the holy water - all the while, their affection and love for each other is broiling just beneath the surface. perhaps it stands to reason that the same will happen in s3; that crowley will find himself in a Situation, aziraphale turns up to get him out of it - using it as an Excuse - and they end up on the subject of the second coming etc., and crowley reluctantly agrees to help resolve it, but only with the unspoken provision that they, absolutely, do not discuss what happened in the bookshop.

but what about the missing scene of 1941? well, there have been hundreds of different speculations of what could have happened; they actually do discuss the holy water, or there's otherwise a bit of a vulnerable heart-to-heart, there's a kiss, there's an almost-kiss, there's a fight involving the zombies, the derringer comes out to play, crowley gets yanked back to hell again, or gets discorporated... but whatever happens evidently informs on the atmosphere attributable in 1967 - because it's not until 1967 that aziraphale considers his hand forced, cares so much for crowley that he'll do the very thing that he's previously refused to do - gives crowley the holy water - but then puts distance between them again. perhaps the same kinda of thing happens somewhere around ep3/4 of s3; that they finally get to a point where what happened - the kiss, the offer, the mutual rejection - can't be ignored any longer, and a full-bore-full-roar argument erupts at perhaps the most inopportune time, to the point it's just comical, leading them to the point where they finally both understand where they stand with each other, what the other meant, and wanted.

so look, im not saying that crowley is suddenly going to change his mind about going to heaven, in order to track with aziraphale's 180° on the holy water; that doesn't make much sense. and it similarly doesn't make much sense for them to create distance between them like they seem to have done in 1967. if anything, this time it's the impetus they need to get everything out and laid bare, nothing bitten back, nothing squashed down and restrained. "you go too fast for me" suddenly becomes "we're finally on the same page."

#i doubt this is a revelation to anyone else but me #good omens #feral domestic/final fifteen meta #flashback meta #1941 spec #s3 narrative spec

it goes something like this: this is a demon that isn't a very good demon and has survived this far by not allowing anyone to see other than himself that he's not a very good demon. after all, he's been in this position before, hasn't he? he's shown Someone who he truly is, what is in his mind and heart so to speak, and was ruined because of it. but he still can't shake off the feeling of doing the right thing, regardless of whether it goes against heaven or hell.

and then appears this angel that has already told him on that wall that it would be awful if he, the angel, were to do the wrong thing and he, the demon, to do the right thing. it's meant to be the other way around, simply by the will of someone they haven't heard a voice from in centuries, millennia, let alone be able to even understand. this angel who the demon knows is going to be set on doing the divine thing, wrong thing, so he can't trust him to know that he's doing the right thing. he has to keep his cover, make this angel fear him, so he doesn't get close enough to see beyond the facade. because to thwart him as a demon is the good thing, but he can't trust the angel to see that he's doing the right thing.

but this angel accosts him, tells him that he doesn't think this is right, that it can't be what god intended; well, close, but no cigar. the angel beseeches to the demon to do the right thing this time, that the goats were one thing, but please, please, don't harm the children. and it's a close call, but how could he trust this angel? trust the angel to have some sliver of faith in him? trust him to re-examine his prejudice and see him as more than a demon, and all its preconceptions? but the angel does work it out, does see, and it perhaps births the hope that this angel won't stop him from doing the right thing.

it goes something like this: this angel is now a smug but tentative temporary ally. he's seen through him, and he hasn't been thwarted yet, so maybe he has the room to continue with his plan, his agenda, to do the right thing. but he doesn't have the full measure of this angel yet; how mercurial is he? will he change his mind? he seemed hesitant at the flood, but he doesn't get consulted on policy decisions; will actually saving the children be a step too far for the angel? will the angel baulk, and run back to the comfort of just following orders?

he sets the house on fire, and the angel initially doesn't seem to realise that it's a mirage, a magic trick. the demon's just setting the stage. the angel is shocked, momentarily panicking that his faith in this demon was misplaced. but the angel doesn't understand that it's a test, that the demon is scrutinising where his allegiance lies, that he won't thwart this trick, believing it a genuine attempt to harm the children. he offers deniable plausibility; offers the version that he is naturally a bad person because he's a demon - but fear me, stay away, you can't beat me; if you have changed your mind, don't try to stop me because i won't let you win.

but the angel shows again where his moral compass lies, and resolves that he does know this demon, and knows that he won't do what he's threatening to do. that he will do the right thing, and push him to follow it through. so he picks up the gauntlet. he knows that the demon lied before, and he would stake his faith on the fact that he's lying now. that he's not reneging on the true him that was revealed to the angel, that that was the important bit that wasn't a lie.

it goes something like this: now it's the angel's turn. this demon, this good person who does the right thing, is staring him down. setting up the challenge, and silently pleading that he does the right thing too. but the demon knows the stakes are higher for this angel; the demon operates alone, has had the freedom to somewhat pave his own way, and do whatever he wants, and only truly cares about answering to himself. this angel is literally surrounded, backed into the corner. the demon wants to know what he'll choose; will he choose the good thing - telling the truth, and bring down the fledgling trust they've just set up between them? or will he choose the right thing - to lie and ensure that this family, that has done nothing to warrant any of these horrors, can continue to exist in peace?

not only does the angel lie, but he stakes it on everything that he is. he stakes it on being an angel. a direct wager that if the other angels see through the lie, that is the price the angel will need to pay. the demon is suitably impressed, he applauds the performance and the sacrifice, and possibly even feels some degree of sympathy. because whilst this demon's existence isn't easy, he doesn't have much else to lose. he's already lost it, and still feeling the waves crashing on the shore, but it doesn't knock anything down. for this angel, this is everything he embodies and believes himself to be. he still has everything to lose. the demon has been there before, facing the risk of, and survived, losing that, and knows that conflict and pain. but is the price worth it? is it worth doing the right thing?

it goes something like this: the demon goes to the angel. they're not friends, not even really allies, but they've shared the same experience. the demon is surprised that the angel thought he'd fall, but he understands that fear. he recognises and respects that vulnerability, to show the shards of yourself to someone else knowing that they could either help to put them back together, or further trample them into dust. so he comforts the angel with not an assurance that they are still good, because that would be a lie. instead he offers the truth - that he did the right thing, and whilst its a lonely and thankless path to walk, a dangerous moral ground to tread, he won't be alone in walking it.

he lets the angel in on a little secret: that he too is vulnerable. that he is lonely. he has a weakness that at any given moment this angel could exploit if he were so minded. that this angel could experience is a one-off, and he could revert to seeing the demon as someone incapable of doing the right thing by nature of what he is. but he trusts that he won't. the demon recognises and acknowledges what the angel risked for a greater purpose, for helping him achieve that purpose, and for seeing who this demon actually is. he is showing the angel behind the curtain screen, the murky and unknowable that lies ahead when stepping out of the light. showing that they can be, and are, more than the labels they are assigned, and that doing the right thing is the only thing that truly matters.

it goes something like this: the demon trusts the angel enough to admit, unequivocally, out loud, that he lied.

#good omens #good omens meta #this one ran away from me and got a bit poetic please excuse me #you find rhi on this lazy sunday in a fanciful mood #flashback meta #crowley meta #aziraphale meta #s2 meta

take me up / cast me away

so this is going to be a veritable word vomit but this is actually so exciting to me; we obviously affiliate aziraphale with the flaming sword and both its biblical and GO narrative implications, but the catch that @frog-person made on this particular shot has got every synapse firing.

(and therefore this is a meta for @frog-person and them only, mwah✨💕)

not only is the sword going through their hands, but it's one sword of many in a particularly fiendish magic trick (or at least an earlier version of one made popular by the morettis in the 70s), and the box itself with all of its swords is relatively prominent in most of the scene, as background props go (more on this later).

now, i don't know enough about magic tricks or illusions to understand the significance that this aspect may have, if any - possibly the element of trust, sure, but also the sheer ability to hoodwink the audience into accepting that there is no way that whatever is inside could possibly survive such a trick. however, i simply want to just talk about the sword in general.

let's start with connotations and symbolism behind the image of the sword. first of all, it's a phallic symbol and is largely used in the context of knighthood, chivalry, and sovereignty. it symbolises justice, and truth, and righteous and merciful power. to hold the meter of life and death in your hands, and to be trusted to use it in conscience and clemency.

in alchemy, the sword was shown as a symbol of purification, between life and death. similar connotations in other histories, literature, and customs read the sword as being the key to balance between truth and enlightenment. later into history, especially in the middle ages, swords of discernible quality were understandably resource-intensive to make and therefore came to symbolise wealth, but moreso in the context of strength and glory, and further then a symbol of protection and shelter. traditionally, oaths and pledges would be made to the sword (literally, sworn-sword), and in turn swords were - and continue to be - used to elevate you to a higher station (eg. use of a knighting sword).

the imagery of the sword in the box is evocative of the sword excalibur, probably one of the most famous swords in literature and legend. cliff notes: excalibur was the believed magical sword of king arthur, and was written in some accounts (specifically in this case in the poem Merlin by robert de boron) to have lodged in an anvil, sat atop a stone, and that whoever could pull it from the anvil would be proof of rightful lineage of uther pendragon - and therefore, by divine right, king of the britons. obviously, arthur was said to have pulled the sword from the stone.

excalibur's symbolism can be interpreted somewhat as being as i said above; tennyson wrote that the words inscribed on excalibur as being (paraphrased): "take me up" / "cast me away"; to indicate that the sword is a weapon that should be used sparingly, only when necessary, and never without mercy or fair judgement. it is a power that can destroy, and should be safeguarded from turning that power to insidiousness. a call-to-arms when taken up, and a grace and peace when cast away.

(im a whore for arthurian legend ok, im from southwest uk) (and have a tattoo on my arm of those words, im a basic cornish legend bitch)

now, i realise that excalibur is not literally a part of the GO story (that we know of, notwithstanding the flashback in s1), and the sword we know in GO has a rather different narrative importance (or does it?). so, we know that in genesis the flaming sword was given to the cherubim in eden to guard adam and eve, and this is pretty much transposed to GO right up until aziraphale does the Cool Thing and gives it away, meant as a means of protection.

however, given that it ends up in the hands of humanity's personification of war, it bears a rather vivid mirror to the intention of excalibur; that in casting it away, aziraphale inadvertently introduces the concept of destruction to humanity.

but im now going to move away from the symbolism of the sword itself (i promise im trying to organise this meta into some semblance of order), and instead look at it in terms of when aziraphale actually holds it. we start with him giving it to adam and eve:

and then when he takes it up at the airfield:

and in the time bubble with adam and crowley:

now this is really obvious, i realise, but it does have some bearing for me on the image we see in the 40s minisode. sword up: ready to fight. sword down: ready to rest. it's a reasonably common occurrence to see in heraldry (by extension in logos/emblems and even on gravestones) two crossed swords pointing up or pointing down. usually, for the former, that the prospective wielder is ready to battle, is prepared and willing, and is or always has been braced for the onslaught.

the latter however indicates that either the fighting is done, or that no threat is meant - and that this can be in death, in surrender or defeat, or out of conscientious choice. that the wielder may have chosen mercy, and to act with peace and without conflict. one step further - sheathed sword goes on to symbolise that a fight is not anticipated; not necessarily in the sense that the wielder is unprepared, but instead that they are not turning to violence as an option.

this is where i think the presence of the sword in the shots from the minisode, with all of the connotations of it from eden (and its similar, in my eyes, likeness to excalibur) come into play. as i said before, the sword/s are notable visually in the whole magic shop scene. its in primary focus along with the desk as they enter, its the first display aziraphale goes towards, and it oscillates in the background from to aziraphale's right, to between him and crowley, and latterly back again:

summarised thoughts on this, because it will otherwise be a truly garbled mess:

the sheer presence of it reminds the audience that a fight may be imminent, even if the scene/story is currently at peace

that whilst the narrative is not currently in full combat, it pays heed to not only the events of ep4 being somewhat of a fight, but the events that precipitate in ep5 and ep6, and leading into s3

that where it is currently cast in the figurative stone, it may be called upon to take up arms, and confer suggestions of sovereignty, divine power, and strength

that victory (however that may conclude) may only be possible with the right person in power; aziraphale as the new supreme archangel and prince of heaven

it also confers the necessity of protection, of justice, and of mercy, being elevated to a position where you have the power to make that judgement

all things which aziraphale intended by giving away his own sword, and is what he indicates in ep6 that he intends to deliver to heaven once he ascends

that this fight, whenever it may come, may literally divide him and crowley in the story that lies ahead

...you don't need me to explain this bit contextually, right?

the last thing that stumped me, however, is that there ought to have been something in ep6 that almost bookended all of this imagery (at least temporarily, until we have a s3), or at least indicated whether or not aziraphale chooses to take up the sword again like he does at the end of s1. that shows him prepared for a fight, to defend the weak, and uphold judgement in mercy... and then it hit me:

of course there bloody is.

#this is relatively unimportant and unneeded but this my shit #like do i believe that ive cracked a code and this was what neil intended to convey? no not necessarily #but do igaf and instead just like going full year 9 english teacher on this shit? absolutely #not proof read yet - pretend you do not Perceive The Errors #good omens #s2 meta #s1 meta #flashback meta #aziraphale meta #s3 narrative spec

i know loads of other people have written and theorised about this, and there was an amazing post about how someone knew the actual owner of the bentley and how things had to get swapped around*, but for the sake of my own bloody sanity i needed to go through all the bentley snippets we see re: seat colours, interior door panel colours, and the bond transfers because otherwise it was going to drive me loopy-

*if anyone has a link for this post, please wing it over to me and i will link, it was really interesting!!!

#good omens #sanctuary/bentley theory #aziraphale meta #crowley meta #s1 meta #s2 meta #flashback meta #exactly 0 people asked for this but fuck it this is my house

woah hang on a second, pause one moment. we are all fairly agreed, right, that the pre-fall scene and the minisodes are all slightly off, that they don't quite ring true, and certainly indicate the work of an unreliable narrator... but why are we assuming that it's aziraphale?

the openings

opening title cards read like movie epics, compared to the neat little white placards in s1, and also all open with crowley as the first character in screen, with the exception of the resurrectionists - which has neither*.

now god knows that my film knowledge is probably rather limited, but if nothing else, i definitely got space odyssey-type glee from the pre-fall scene opening, and maltese falcon definitely sprang to mind for 1941 (and godzilla, weirdly). this... seems like the little bit of pizaz that crowley would employ in telling his own flashbacks.

this, to me, is even more apparent when compared with the white placards in s1, which feel more like aziraphale - orderly, and neatly filed. now, arguably you could say it's god's narration, and that certainly may be true, but the kicker for me is that the majority of the hard times flashbacks, and the eden scene, begin with aziraphale on screen.

in fact, iirc i think only 1862 and 1967 open on crowley, but with 1862, aziraphale is walking towards him in the opening shot anyway, and 1967... well, it doesnt surprise me that we don't get a shot of aziraphale before crowley is in the donkey. these are pivotal scenes for the both of them, but in some respects more so for crowley. it makes sense that the perspective would shift slightly here.

hero role

but back to s2; we then have the fact that crowley is portrayed, arguably, as the hero in each of these minisodes. he does have a tendency, i think it's fair to say, to assume the role of the hero especially in response to aziraphale placing himself, thinking that it's what makes crowley happy, into the part of the damsel-in-distress. but it goes beyond this; it's his scheme that saves the children/job's plight, he prevents elspeth from suicide, and then, yeah, he overcomes the miracle blocker and manages in a feat of well-timed skill to miss shooting aziraphale in the face.

he then is also the one to teach aziraphale certain lessons, especially around the nuance of faith and morality, and whilst it makes sense for this to be told from aziraphale's perspective, it's equally viable from crowley's; that he is the mentor in these minisodes, helping aziraphale to develop his own sense of right and wrong - particularly in the job and resurrectionist minisodes.

the 1941 minisode is different, because it feels more personal; crowley starts trying to teach aziraphale conviction in himself. but it all goes awry when he withholds the truth about having shot a gun, and when he is unable to save himself in the dressing room. crowley has a tendency to monkey-paw himself, and this is never more evident that in this minisode. his hero narrative unravels, aziraphale saves the day, and crowley plays it off smoothly and suavely back at the bookshop, without a word of thanks (if anything, he doubles down on insulting aziraphale - a contrast to his attitude at the beginning of the minisode - and the very trick that saved his hide).

but why does all this suddenly read to me like crowley's perspective? tbh, i can't quite put my finger on it; it's not like crowley doesn't deserve a positive light in the story, because he absolutely does, and in many ways is an incredibly good influence on aziraphale, but these minisodes... feel like crowley is trying to prove something. to himself, aziraphale, the audience, all three - idk.

this is compounded for me, however, in the pre-fall scene. no doubt, aziraphale did in fact develop an instant crush on this genius and brilliant angel, and again this would ring true if this scene is in fact being told from aziraphale's perspective. but in a way, to me, i think it is more sensical from crowley's; he's a bright and likeable angel, building stars, has another angel fawning over his brilliance, and - the kicker - it's of course set up to suggest to the audience that he fell 'just for asking a few questions", when we're equally led to believe from s1 that this is, perhaps, not the whole truth.

dramatics

this is another where i can't quite put my finger on it exactly, but - the minisodes feel... different. there was a brilliant meta on the job minisode, that i will find and link back, where the op remarked on the stark costume difference between the relatively simple costuming for crowley in mesopotamia and golgotha, and even that for aziraphale, compared to the biblical glitz and glamour of uz.

and if we look at the job minisode especially with his perspective in mind, he even takes stabs at gabriel (the lord farquaad haircut and arguably dumber-than-usual that i don't-quite-believe-he-was-this-dumb demeanour), that he doesn't seem to extend to michael - to the point that it feels like a vendetta against him... which tracks, given his less than favourable disposition towards gabriel/jim throughout s2.

in the resurrectionist episode, he doesn't have such an outlet or target, but some of his lines feel almost needlessly funny/over-exerted - "might have slightly overdone it on the hole" is one that springs to mind. im not even going to go into the specifics of the whole laudanum-induced state of ridiculousness, that ultimately feels way more amped-up than it maybe ought to have been, but in a way, it almost feels like crowley has started telling this bit of the story to a child. the immediately sober way in which he remarks on the "stunning view", contrasted to him growling down at elspeth and aziraphale, feels like this was a catch-moment of 'present-crowley' remembering on just how nice it actually was.

1941 again feels different, mainly because it doesn't quite follow the same narrative tone and pattern of the other minisodes, but his interactions with aziraphale in the car and bookshop, the fear at firing the rifle, and his not remembering furfur all feel that he's remembering this flashback a little more deeply - that not only is their fondness because of what the events of that night meant for him and aziraphale personally, but also it reminds him that his memory is still not wholly complete*.

memory-wipe theory*

this is relatively short and sweet, but... i think we can all agree that crowley has some issues with what he remembers of heaven and/or his fall. this feels so obvious when you - again, if we assume this perspective hypothesis is true - look at the way he portrays heaven; it feels very deliberate. god does not appear to be present in heaven, this is even somewhat confirmed within the god-job scene itself, but the Lighting Is Everything.

is this what crowley remembers of heaven of old, before he went up there on reconnaissance? did the change come as a surprise to him in 2023? the golden glow, the white and gold spangley robes? and muriel - why does aziraphale not seem to recognise muriel in 2023, if his memory is still intact and, by all accounts, accurate? does crowley actually remember muriel, and that's how he knew their rank? or did crowley just fill in the blanks, give muriel a starring role when retelling this flashback (given he was, obviously, not there)? is he telling it to muriel themself, in the context of s3? are these the clues that muriel is patching together, like the crow road?

the diary*

when we look at the following lines for the opening and closing of the resurrectionists minisode, and read it like it's aziraphale's retelling, the wording seems... odd. it implies that a month - a month - is a long time for aziraphale and crowley not to see each other.

"Dear diary,

Last month, Crowley and I both happened to be in Edinburgh. And he insisted I visit a local graveyard... at midnight. He had come upon something, he said, that 'might amuse me'..."

"...and that was the last I was to see of Crowley... for quite some time..."

of course, we can take this as aziraphale being dramatic, and goodness knows that he leans into his own brand of flair in s2... but is it completely in character? to assign a month as being a long time?

and does it really fit with the tone of the canon? because, we see at the end of 1827 that he gets sucked down into hell. and then in 1862, he's shaken and nervous and paranoid, and asking aziraphale for holy water. this seems too much like cause-and-effect. it could well be that crowley returns from hell after a month, meets aziraphale, shrugs it off etc., but then... keeps getting sucked back into hell? tortured? enough that he breaks in 1862, and asks for a weapon?

it reads to me more that, if this is from crowley's perspective, that he is essentially taking the piss out of aziraphale in the opening, painting a picture of him practically lying on his belly on his bed, legs kicking, writing his diary with a pink glittery gel pen. and aziraphale's lines at the end of 1827, about crowley getting into trouble, are delivered so... fondly, and adoringly. now, that's not to say it's impossible for aziraphale to have delivered it like that, couldn't have been seeing/feeling for crowley like that, and god knows aziraphale is mercurial, but... on reflection, i can't say that it doesn't seem like an exaggerated version of himself.

the self that (yes, theres a lot of context missing between 1827 and the below moment that would account for aziraphale 'regressing' in character, i realise that) reacted like this to getting shot, compared to crowley's reaction:

so let's read those lines back again - is it possible that the opening lines are crowley speaking with aziraphale's voice, imitating and making a caricature of him, leaning emphasis on the spooky, dramatic words (similar to how aziraphale actually does when he's a 'newspaperman') and then the 'quite some time' trailing off is, in fact, quite some time?

#good omens #s2 meta #flashback meta #crowley meta #memory wipe theory #s3 narrative spec

still not a forensic lip-reader but-

previously looked at what aziraphale was mouthing in the final fifteen, and whilst im not 100% certain on it, it gave me the hubris to look at the mouthing in 1941. because don't get me wrong, i know that crowley refers to "trust me" later on in the minisode, despite it not being voiced earlier on, and neil confirmed that that is indeed what aziraphale mouthed, but i... do not buy it.

full disclaimer, once again: not an expert in phonetics by any stretch, but was really into it when i was younger, and i have used it occasionally in my job. actual phonetics experts' input is most welcome!!!

#good omens #1941 spec #flashback meta #this is probably the most unhinged meta/spec ive written to date. and thats saying A Lot #aziraphale meta