co-written by Sam H. and Aero S.
After watching season 2, plenty of Good Omens fans flocked to social media to threaten Neil Gaiman for writing such a heartbreaking finale and curse out Aziraphale for choosing to leave Crowley behind to become the Supreme Archangel of Heaven. Of course, we might be biased in defending Aziraphale because we love him dearly, but there’s a core logical reason why his decision makes sense, even if it is a frustrating one. It’s no use trying to make excuses for his actions or even coming up with alternatives as to what actually happened in the show, as the motivation for what he did is understandable and something many people can relate to.
At its core, Good Omens is a show about morality and choice, and this only becomes more obvious during season 2. With the show’s thesis in mind, we can analyze how the entire season 2 has been constructed around these themes, and an additional theme of guilt, to cumulate into Aziraphale’s decision in the finale and how the finale of season 2 makes sense narratively and characteristically.
While this article is meant to defend Aziraphale and thoroughly explain his motivations, it’s also important to remember that this is our interpretation of Aziraphale as a character and Good Omens as a whole. Some people online may have different interpretations, and those can be valid too. Art like Good Omens, which explores a multitude of topics that are easily relatable to people, can be put into different contexts and, therefore, interpreted differently from person to person. The explanation we’re providing is our interpretation of the show from our perspective – we do this not to force people to agree but to offer our two cents into the discussion. We are not here to put down anyone’s theories or opinions (as much as we would love to) but to add more context to the show and engage in the conversation surrounding the finale.
Morality
“Even the children?” is a question that has been asked about Heaven’s decisions in both season 1 and season 2 during pivotal moments that reveal how Heaven may not be as entirely “good” as they claim they are. In the Job minisode, “A Companion to Owls,” the theme of morality is explored thoroughly by investigating the story of Job. The minisode illustrates how Heaven’s perceived benevolence actually brings great grief upon those they believe they are saving, highlighted specifically during the scene where the angels convince Job and his wife that replacing their three existing children with seven new ones is something to praise God for, and not something to mourn. Additionally, God, the all-mighty being who seems to have infallible logic that Heaven must unquestionably comply with, places a bet on Job that requires him to go through ruinous trials to prove that he will forever believe in God, even in the hardest times. This forces the viewers to question the saliency of intention, result, and values on the side that claims they are unequivocally good.
However, the main question of morality addressed in the minisode is told through Crowley and Aziraphale’s actions. Crowley tries to appear tough and ruthless by wrecking Job’s life by destroying everything he has and loves, including his goats and children. However, Aziraphale believes that Crowley isn’t as heartless as he seems. His suspicions are confirmed when Crowley reveals that he didn’t actually kill the goats and children and even goes so far as to ensure that the children return to Job safely. This softer side of Crowley reveals that just because he’s a demon, that doesn’t mean he’s inherently bad and that being evil looks a lot harder when there’s the presence of empathy. It’s up for interpretation whether Aziraphale believes this because of the fact that Crowley had once been an angel, too, or if he simply believes the best in everyone, even if he ostensibly claims that all demons are bad and all angels are good. Either way, this illustrated that the choices people make are not always based on who people think they should be but rather who they actually are, even if it is in defiance of their community’s expectations. The bottom line of Crowley’s character is also said in this minisode. When Aziraphale confronts him about saving the goats and children and asks if he was truly on Hell’s side, Crowley admits that he’s on his own side and goes along with Hell as far as he can. Unlike Aziraphale, Crowley is sure of the extent of his morality and feels liberated by his free will. He has been at peace with the fact that he doesn’t really belong in Hell, which has been established in the show’s first season when he says he Fell for asking questions and hanging with the wrong crowd. While he still insists on upholding his demonic reputation, he still wholeheartedly does good deeds, not because Hell or Heaven told him to, but because he knows it’s right.
The tables turn when Aziraphale is forced to confront whether he’s really as good as he claims he is, especially after he gives into Crowley’s temptation and eats food for the first time and then lies to Heaven about Job’s children, swearing on his angelic status that the three children are not his original children. Then, when Crowley finds him again, Aziraphale believes he’s going to Fall for lying, but Crowley tells him he won’t because he won’t tell anyone it ever happened. Still distraught, Aziraphale asks about what he truly is if he isn’t a pure angel anymore. Crowley echoes what he said about being on his own side, which is a much more isolating and lonely experience than he had made it out to be. Morality has become such a focal point for Aziraphale and Crowley’s existences to the point where they feel a loss of identity due to the uncertainty of whether their actions are morally right if it protects peace, a debate for humanity as old as time but a nonstarter for everyone else in Heaven and Hell. On the rock, facing the sea, Crowley repeats a line he had said the night before, but about Aziraphale: he’s just an angel who goes along with Heaven as far as he can. The loneliness that comes with their position has effectively alienated them from their respective head offices but also becomes one of the reasons why their existences are so intertwined with each other from this point forward.
The theme of morality is continued in the storyline of Maggie and Nina. The question of whether it is right for Crowley and Aziraphale to mess about in their lives even though Maggie loves Nina and Nina needs her gentle love after dealing with a toxic relationship is even explicitly addressed in the finale. Is it right to do something with good intentions and get the end results you wanted but not without putting those involved at stake? That large question remains unaddressed and hanging in the air for season 3 to attempt to answer.
Morality is often presented as black or white, good or bad, when in reality, it is much more like “shades of grey,” in the words of Crowley and Aziraphale in episode 4. They grapple with this during the body snatching minisode, going in circles about whether it’s right to dig up bodies if it's for survival or scientific advancement and what actions are justifiable as punishable. The punishment part is rather relevant because punishing someone is an inherently evil act; yet, if the intentions are good or protective, there is room for justification that it is morally correct. But the fault here is presenting the idea that being morally correct is the same as being objectively correct because perspective matters.
Ultimately, throughout all the flashback scenes and reflections presented in season 2, the show puts forth its thesis that the option of being either good or bad is a false dichotomy that systemically allows the justification of actions without considering the nuances and removing empathy and understanding from the equation. In this series, Hell and Heaven, especially, are the perpetrators of this false dichotomy, while Aziraphale and Crowley are attempting to grapple with the consequences of this polarity and trying to unlearn what they’ve believed all their lives.
Unfortunately, they aren’t quite at the same stages of the unlearning and healing process yet. From an external perspective, Aziraphale’s decision to become Supreme Archangel is harmful because he’s leaving behind the being he loves and possibly contributing to the destruction of the world. But from his perspective, it’s good because it gives him the opportunity to change Heaven’s faulty system and gives Crowley a chance to fully embrace his “good” side without being conflicted about appearing evil. His failure to recognize that this false dichotomy of good and bad is imperfect is the show’s way of proving–with the subtlety of hitting viewers on the head with a brick–that morality is not as simple as it seems.
(And it would be great if fans realized this too and stopped dogpiling on Aziraphale!)
Choice
When we refer to Aziraphale’s decision to return to Heaven, the keyword we need to consider is “decision.” Many fans have already started theorizing that the coffee that Metatron offered Aziraphale was spiked and that Aziraphale was coerced to say yes to his offer because he was essentially drugged. While there’s no saying whether this theory is right, if Aziraphale was truly drugged, it would make his decision to leave less emotionally powerful. What is the most painful part of the whole ordeal is that Aziraphale chose to leave Crowley out of his own will
However, it’s important to discuss how he was still manipulated into his decision. The Metatron knew that Aziraphale wouldn’t say yes to his offer if he didn’t bring Crowley into the equation (Aziraphale even says, “I don’t want to go back to Heaven” before the Metatron mentions Crowley). The glare the Metatron shoots Crowley as he walked out of the bookshop indicates that he knows that Crowley doesn’t want to go back to Heaven either, even if it's with Aziraphale. He essentially sweet talks Aziraphale into accepting his offer by acting as though he and Aziraphale are one of the “good ones” out of the batch of rotten apples when really, Aziraphale has never really been part of that batch at all, and the Metatron is perhaps the most rotten one out of all of them.
People must understand that the Metatron’s five-minute conversation wasn’t the sole reason Aziraphale had been convinced to rejoin Heaven but rather the cumulation of all the manipulation he has experienced for thousands of years; the factor of obligation to a harmful community is something that’s also heavily at play. The term “cycles of abuse” is often applied in a familial context, but it’s not addressed enough in a community context, even if it is just as common. For people to understand Aziraphale’s decision to return to Heaven even though they treated him like shit, they need to first understand what it’s like to live in a toxic community while also loving that community.
Aziraphale fiercely loved being an angel because he felt that was a large part of his identity, and therefore, the community in Heaven was a constant force in his life. Even if they treated him horribly, he always believed that they always did it out of love and goodness. That shouldn’t discount the fact that they always made him feel small or treated him horribly, but in Aziraphale’s mind, he could excuse their behavior if it meant he could belong.
Upon escaping from that community, Aziraphale struggled with finding his identity and what it means for him to no longer belong to where he had always been told he should be. So, of course, if there’s a chance for him to rejoin that community and hold enough power for them to love him without hurting him, he’ll take it because, with cycles of abuse, it’s impossible to fully ever abandon the community that has deeply hurt you without hoping that maybe they’ll change one day to love you and accept as you are. And since Aziraphale has sacrificed so much to appease the angels, it only makes sense to make one last insurmountable sacrifice to finally belong in the place he has always felt alienated from, even though he knows he’ll probably end up getting hurt again.
Additionally, Aziraphale conflates forgiveness with love because he’s great at forgiveness but not so experienced with love. When he allows Gabriel to stay in the bookshop even though Gabriel had mistreated him for centuries, Gabriel tells him, “I love you.” Obviously, Gabriel doesn’t mean it in a romantic context (and he may not have even understood what that phrase truly means in the amnesiac state he was in), but it’s likely that Aziraphale interpreted that phrase as “I forgive you,” and that because Gabriel no longer held a grudge against him for stopping the end of the world, he felt like he could be safe in Aziraphale’s presence. Again, this ties in with the idea of obligation to one’s community because even though Aziraphale could’ve easily cast out Gabriel and left him to fend for himself as Crowley suggested, he doesn’t because he has forgiven Gabriel and also feels like he’s finally appreciated by somebody who he desperately wanted appreciation from but only received harm from.
The tragedy of choice in this context isn’t that there isn’t a choice to love but rather that Aziraphale chooses the wrong kind of love believing that it’s the one that’ll alleviate all his past suffering.
Aziraphale also made the choice thinking that Crowley would come back to Heaven with him because he misunderstood what Crowley wants. In contrast to choosing to hold onto an idea of community and hope that there’s a chance of belonging, Crowley completely rejected the notion of choosing sides and chose Aziraphale. He doesn’t face the same disillusionment as Aziraphale because, unlike Aziraphale, he doesn’t have hope in the capacity of either community loving him without hurting him because he’s been a part of both and never belonged to either, no matter how hard he tried. It’s easier for Aziraphale, who’s only known one community all his life, to believe there’s still a chance for him to belong. It’s harder for Crowley to understand that Aziraphale wouldn’t be so quick to abandon his loyalty to “his side,” Therefore, the choices that Aziraphale and Crowley make are understandable in consideration of their pasts, beliefs, and desires because, for them, none of these aspects can align without sacrifice.
The debate of choice is inextricably linked with the discussion of Aziraphale and Crowley’s identity as an angel and demon because when it comes to humans, choice seems like an option for few as the universe appears to be largely determined by Heaven and Hell’s interferences. In season 1, Adam proves to reject the notion of a preconceived fate (though to be fair, he’s not exactly human); thus, in season 2, we conversely see Aziraphale fall into the trap of believing that because of his identity as an angel (as discussed earlier), he must follow through with his angelic duties.
Guilt
Finally, Aziraphale’s decision in the final scenes of the show can be attributed to guilt, not unlike what can be found in those who have strayed away from their faith. In many ways, Aziraphale’s journey back to Heaven and his relationship with it is an allegory for religious indoctrination and the subsequent guilt that comes with refusing one’s duty as a follower of God. Aziraphale’s dilemma and complicated relationship with Heaven can be equated to the all too common struggle people who no longer subscribe to the belief system they were raised on have, especially those who were raised Christian or Catholic.
They, like Aziraphale, were told that they were created in God’s image and brought to Earth to spread goodwill and love, and people who are in high-ranking positions in these churches are told that they have to lead their followers and spread God’s word. Aziraphale is told exactly this when the Metatron says “You’re a leader, you’re honest, [and] you don’t just tell people what they want to hear.” Those who have stayed connected to their religion usually also strive to have importance in their communities in order to serve their God as much as they can. The Metatron realizes this and weaponizes it to get into Aziraphale’s good graces. When he tells Aziraphale’s honesty is what brought Gabriel to him in the first place despite his memory loss, he is really saying that Aziraphale is as close to God or Heaven as anyone can be.
As someone who is reluctant to go back to Heaven, yet still sees its inherent value and importance, being told this meant a lot to Aziraphale. He was cast out of his community for loving and living the way he wants to, and now he’s being told by the leader of said community that not only is he the best out of everyone, but he also is being given the opportunity to improve his community from the inside. While this may seem like blatant manipulation tactics to many, some people who were heavily indoctrinated and later exiled from their communities would also fall for the Metatron’s words. The thing that needs to be remembered is that as much as people who have left their faiths want to forget about that part of their lives forever, a part of them, however small it may be, still longs for the sense of purpose that religion offers them.
The obligation Aziraphale feels as an angel also would fuel the guilt he feels, which ultimately led him to go back to Heaven. Being just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing comes at the cost of not fulfilling his duties as an angel, which must have put a burden on his shoulders over the years. The Arrangement he and Crowley had over the millennia had him not just doing good deeds but also carrying out Crowley’s evil bidding whenever necessary. As an angel who has always been told to be perfectly good at all times, he knows what he’s been doing is wrong. When the Metatron comes to him with the offer, he knows he can’t refuse it. To accept the offer is to right every ‘wrong’ he has done in the past 6000 years and finally feel like he belongs in a community that he hasn’t belonged in for millennia, yet still feels strongly for.
There is also a responsibility that comes with Aziraphale’s guilt towards Heaven, and it shows in the way he tries to get Crowley to come back to Heaven to be reinstated as an angel. Aziraphale feels the need to justify his own relationship with the demon to Heaven, and he thinks the promotion and opportunity to have Crowley back as an angel is the way to do it. In his mind, his responsibility turn Crowley away from the ‘evil side’, even though he’s known since 2500 BC that Crowley was on his own side. He’s even said that Crowley is good deep down, but he was blinded by the glowing praises he’s been given on a silver platter, by a person who he was created to serve.
This is a type of guilt and obligation that only people who have been indoctrinated or frequently told that their worth is contingent on their faith in the Almighty can feel. This is no more obvious than when Adam and Aziraphale’s characters are compared. Adam Young, son of Satan, faced no difficulties in refusing to fulfill his destiny as the catalyst of Armageddon, while Aziraphale lost his internal battle and decided to turn his back on his partner of 6000 years to do a job he didn’t, and still doesn’t, really want.
The contrast between them boils down to the amount of free will they have been given and the guilt they may or may not have when they exercise it. In Adam’s case, because he was (erroneously) raised without Heavenly or Hellish influences, he feels no connection to either side of the holy war and subsequently does not feel obligated to follow Satan’s orders. On the other hand, Aziraphale was created as a fully formed angel, militantly reminded of what his duties were and what happens if he doesn’t fulfill them. He’s even had a constant reminder of the consequences of disobeying God’s wishes, and it has stood beside him for over 6000 years. To Aziraphale, Heaven is still the side of “truth, light, [and] good” because the people he was destined to serve and follow told him so, not because he necessarily still believes it.
This same exact contrast can even be seen in Aziraphale and Crowley. They may have had their own side, but Crowley had strayed from Hell’s ways long before Aziraphale even started questioning Heaven. As a demon, it’s easy to chalk up Crowley’s tendency to rebel as something inherently demonic. However, the first scene of season 2 confirms that Crowley really did only ask questions, and his curiosity is what brought him to Hell, a place he never belonged in. The betrayal from Heaven and Hell’s disrespect for his work drove Crowley to carve out his own place in the world, so he has far less guilt abandoning the notion of sides.
The ending of season 2 of Good Omens forces viewers to grapple with the ideas of morality, choice, and guilt without offering any answers for us at all. Though if the series has proven anything, the right answer isn’t as simple as it seems.
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