Good Omens is Ineffably Queer

Everyday, it's a-gettin' closer...until today. Because it's finally here: my Good Omens video!
In 1990, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett introduced the world to the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, and fans have seen their relationship as one of romantic love. 33 years later, that romance has been realized. Good Omens is undeniably queer.
Join me as I gush about this book, series, and relationship! And fight with my microphone stand.
To help with the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, visit entertainmentcommunity.org/ to donate.
Shoutout to my KZbin friends ​⁠​⁠‪@Sara_TheFatCultureCritic‬ , ​⁠​⁠‪@MainelyMandy‬ , ​⁠​⁠‪@YouCallYourselfAFilmCritic‬ , ​⁠​⁠‪@silversam‬ , and ​⁠​⁠‪@ZyllasAthenaeum‬ for lending their voices to this video!
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0:00 - Intro
2:59 - Aziraphale & Crowley are Non-Binary
9:22 - Aziraphale & Crowley are Asexual (maybe)
14:28 - Horny Montage
15:27 - Aziraphale & Crowley are In Love
20:59 - Terry Pratchett on Hope
21:48 - Housekeeping
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as
criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
#goodomens #ineffablehusbands #neilgaiman

[@nijinoshita3301]

Gaiman confirmed that he will finish the story, if we don't get a season 3, he is writing a book, but I still want the Season of course!

[@karualicekilian9733]

He did???

[@cookiestones]

⁠@@karualicekilian9733 He said as much on tumblr. I don’t remember his exactly wording but someone had asked if he would tell the story in another medium if we didn’t get a s3. He basically said the story would be finished no matter what, so if no s3, then yes he would write it via book form. Although it is highly likely, in my opinion anyway and not to jinx if, that we will get a s3.

[@F5ss]

Im Not Sure If I prefer a season

[@EterPuralis]

​@@F5ssMichael Sheen and David Tennant and you're not sure? 😅

[@F5ss]

@@EterPuralis Well, I Like books, but yeah, when you Put it Like that...

[@greenghoul157]

Thank you for calling out all the entitled and insensitive people in this fandom that act like they're owed their interpretation when they aren't owed anything from Neil Gaiman except a happy ending, I wish fans of this show would be happy about what they got because you don't see that many shows with a queer ship acknowledged by the fans actually be taken seriously by the creator that actually feels comfortable running with it that doesn't come at the very end instead doing an angsty midway love confession and breakup after they built up to this moment with their constant misunderstandings and growing attraction, you can literally count the number of shows that do this on one hand

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Yes! Good Omens is so special! Why must people ruin it?????

[@poisoned_rock]

EXACTLY there has never been and I doubt there ever will be anything like good omens again. we owe Neil so much, and the way some fans act all entitled and crazy makes me honestly a little ill. I'm glad that Neil never seems to let the weird fans get to him. Hope he stays strong.

[@kellifranklin9872]

I couldn’t agree more!

[@Sentientmatter8]

I don't even think he owes us a happy ending, just an ending. (Though he has told us there will be a happy ending, in the South Downs Cottage.)

[@greenghoul157]

@@Sentientmatter8 He at least has an obligation to stick to his word

[@leoalexander8510]

“Gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide” is the term I will be using from now on to describe my sexuality xD

[@dianneschuman6328]

If Amazon does not pick up season 3 I'm going to cancel my Prime membership.

[@kellifranklin9872]

Thank you for your commentary. As a 56 year old asexual person this is the first show I’ve ever seen that made me feel valid and represented. Your whole conversation was enlightening and so well thought out. I will definitely be back to your channel. Thank you for your very interesting observations and your funny sense of humor as well! I really enjoyed this.

[@elliart7432]

Shout out to Gaiman and Pratchett for accidently turning the phrase "he made an effort" into a known euphemism in some parts of the internet, lmao

[@chrisleneil]

As a generally Queer person of a certain age (50s, I just like say ‘of a certain age’ because it sounds so melodramatic), I have always loved Neil, & ‘Good Omens’ is what captured me. I worked in a comic book shop when it was released, & was already a fan of both Terry & Neil*, but GO had something to it that was special: Aziraphale & Crowley. (*Neil due to being a Duran Duran fan. I did not have a copy of his legendary first book, but a friend of mine did, & I remember reading it. She spent an ungodly amount to get a copy in an import section of a punk/new wave record shop in the ‘80s) Over the years, his work has always felt very Queer-inclusive for its time. I definitely saw the Queer love story between Aziraphale/Crowley, no matter how it was read: Gay, Ace, Demi, Queer, etc. In fact I believe I read it with all of those interpretations at various times. Because he tended to write about softer gothic outsiders, I connected much of his work to Queer allegories. Was it because I was part of a Goth, Queer subculture? Yeah, but also it wasn’t a stretch. And his allyship never seemed forced. He honestly doesn’t get why an artist wouldn’t explore all sides of the human experience. Nor did I ever worry about being queerbaited by him. He’s not perfect, but he is understanding as to why historically marginalised communities are wary. Whether their (Aziraphale & Crowley, specifically) relationship was going to be explicitly sexual was never the point. They could be Ace & still be just as Queer as if they were fucking on the tables of the Ritz. The only part of the alphabet umbrella I never saw them falling under was Aromantic. And bless Michael Sheen & David Tennant’s casting, because the romance was always there. Yes, it was in the writing & direction, but with those two as our characters, can I get a ‘Wahoo’! And I just adore the fact that he believes in diving headfirst into the Queer love in season 2! Ineffably Queer indeed. All of that rambling to say, thank you so much for this! Beautifully reasoned & presented! I do believe that with Good Omens, Our Flag Means Death, What We Do in the Shadows, & the upcoming RTD 2 era of Doctor Who (because his statements recently have been amazing), we are truly in the anti-SuperWhoLock era. Truly an amazing time to be in fiction, because reality is a dystopia! 💜🌈😈😇

[@ezgivarol5782]

I love that you include Terry Pratchett’s quote about hope, which sums up the whole point of Good Omens. It is a love story about hope. And since hope is a very human thing, it is a story about humanity, in each and every way.

[@AuthorEstherMitchell]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! As both an author of and avid reader of slow burn romance, as well as identifying as Ace, I am 1. In love with the Aziraphale/Crowley romance and 2. Saw at least part of the end of Season 2 coming, because... well.... Act 2 of 3, time for a Romantic Black Moment. And that kiss was a SPECTACULAR example of that. Had it be a sweet, romantic type of kiss, or an overtly sexualized kiss, it would have ruined the entire point of what it represented. And as for the way people have been acting toward Neil Gaiman... Those people should be ashamed of themselves. As an author, let me cue said people in on a little something: The ONLY person/people entitled to deciding what happens to or gets done with characters in the end is the AUTHOR. Threatening an author, calling them names, etc just because you didn't understand why they made a particular choice with a character before that character's story has even finished being told does NOT get you what you want. It may, in fact, blow up in your face, because you may either A. make the author so mad at the fan base that they deliberately sabotage that character's happy ending they were originally planning, just to prove a point or B. all those attacks can take a real psychological toll and the writer burns out and can't complete the work at all (Interesting writer fact: most of us spend more time doubting ourselves and our ability to write than we spend actually writing, so when readers/viewers start screaming at us that we effed something up, it makes that voice of doubt soooo much louder). Maybe, rather than screaming at the man and dissing him everywhere, the fandom as a whole should be helping support his mental health, thank him for his efforts (he didn't HAVE to even write a Season 2, after all), and let him know how much we're looking forward to Season 3. Just a thought. Oh, and support the strike. There needs to be language in contracts about residuals from streaming services.

[@Vc-ot1bt]

I love your commentary!! Gaiman said that C&A were originally one entity but Pratchett made them two (and I can't imagine one without the other) so perhaps they yearn for that completion of each other. He and Pratchet grew up in my era where slow burns were the gold standard and it didn't always have to be about sex. Also, humans appear to forget that C&A are angels slowly picking up human traits as they live among them and grow fond of them. Yes its been 6000 human years, but that has no equivalent in angelic time. Perhaps we should be questioning the human desire to drag celestial beings down to our level rather than trying to raise ourselves up to theirs. Earth could be a better place for it. Keep up the great conversations. ❤

[@OneRandomLeo]

couldn't have said it better myself

[@Agaettis]

As an ace who is romantic i love these two SO MUCH

[@jennifertiemann2104]

This is a great essay. I'm a 54 y/o married cis/straight woman, so I learned a lot about how this show is perceived by LGBTQ+ persons. (I had to go look up "queerbaiting" to make sure I understood it correctly.) I love this show more than I can say. So does my hub, so does my son and his fiancee...It's a show about love, first, foremost, and throughout. All you need in order to enjoy it is the ability to appreciate love wherever it exists. I guess some people can't do that. I'd almost feel sorry for them if it weren't for the fact that they're always trying to make the rest of us just as stunted as they are. Regarding the 'slow burn' - I think when LGBTQ+ people start consistently getting slow burns that PAY OFF, and aren't a bait-and-switch job, and those romances are given the same consideration as the straight ones, it'll be easier to relax into the delicious wait for the conclusion. Regarding Neil, I do think he's doing everything he can to show respect to Terry, his fans, the show's fans, and the LGBTQ+ community. It's extremely difficult to please everyone, especially if you're not having the same experience they are. (My 2c, YMMV)

[@Miroslava_Ivanova]

I never needed the kiss to confirm to me that they're in love, but sadly I kind of needed it so people can stop saying we're making things up and we're insane for reading into it like that or for those who looked upon the s1 finale of Zira and Crowley at the Ritz and exclaimed that they're such good friends. And of course Neil didn't owe that to us, but boy am I glad that he gave us s2 (even if it broke me 😅). I'd love to get more proper slow burn stories like this, but sadly when shows are now made there's very little chance of them getting the chance to build a relationship like that when streaming platforms aren't letting them cultivate a following over time. So even when a show starts out with that intention there's no guarantee they'd actually get there and that is frustrating to no end. I remember being wracked with anxiety while waiting for ofmd to be picked up for a second season and that was terrible. So I sadly need a bit more reassurance that a show will actually deliver, cause we've been played too many times. On a cheerier note, at least Neil has confirmed that now that the wga strike ended favorably for the writers, he's back to working on good omens 😊

[@silversam]

(enter Dean & Castiel) "THIS is somehow BOTH" gave me a laugh😅 Still can't decide how I feel about the way that kiss scene was done, but I do love the messiness and the way Crowley was so crestfallen when Aziraphale told him he was going back to Heaven. It's like finding out your best friend & graff partner just signed up for police academy because they're offering a cash bonus for signing up 😫

[@ericamacs3875]

I love this. I hadn't even thought about the parallel between Mr Darcy and that scene, but wow it's definitely there and I wonder if deliberate. Completely agree Gaiman is so patient with the fandom who are outrageous at times with him. Also the book is so clear, there's explicit moments showing how much they care about each other and early in the book it says Crowley feels alone when Aziraphale leaves the car at one point. Love your compilation of Michael Sheen, it's so very obvious. One thing I think is that non fandom people, and honestly I've only looked at the fandom since S2, I had never looked at it previously.. , .non fandom people will mostly see these as two men in love, and certainly British people will recognise the Soho queer community. My friends who've seen this just caught it on the BBC and don't really think of it more deeply than that. Which is fine, it's still amazing for representation.

[@Natala00]

Thank you! Your video was incredible informative and funny. The issue I have with a lot of "hot take" videos and posts is that they written from a source of emotion than logic. People watch season s2e6, and they have a lot of FEELINGS. And before they have had a chance to calm down, they scream an outcry about how this is Queerbaiting, burying your gays, there is a secret 7th episode in the making, the god damn Coffee theory, or body swap. Episode 6 episode kiss as perfectly (beautiful, sad) logical if you take your emotions out of it and simply enjoy the story. This is the second act, couple breakup scene. Azi choosing going to heaven in an attempt to protect humanity over his own happiness (as slim of a chance that is), and feeling hurt that Crowley wont come with him, makes more sense than Azi going: "fuck earth and humanity, I am going to join Crowley in the car, and we are going to make out and then fly off to Alafa Century if Earth gets destroyed." I also find it sad how everyone wants to project themselves onto the characters and gets offended when someone contredict their opinion. If someone wants to call it gay, or see Crowley as a lesbian, they don't need twenty posts of people going "Uhm actually it's queer." (which is right. But this community is so unkind sometime.) If someone wants to see it as Ace, that is fine, and if the characters kiss or even have sex, that does not take away the ace status, because... they've spent 6000 years not dating, kissing or having sex as far as we can tell, so that sounds pretty Ace to me even if they do decided to do so with each other. I am ranting. I love this. Make more videos, I am subscribing, and upload at higher HD if possible.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Yes, I HATE Coffee Theory. Aziraphale’s number one priority has always been loving and helping humanity. He thinks getting to run heaven is his best chance to do that, AND with the added bonus that he and Crowley can be together at last without heaven or hell attacking them. It’s ENTIRELY in character. Metatron didn’t need to drug him to make him want to come back, he MANIPULATED him by giving him everything he could ever want. Coffee Theory just diminishes Aziraphale’s choices as a character.

[@Natala00]

Exactly!@@RenTheBarbarian Azi and Crowley has built a life for themselves on earth. If Azi can make earth safe, he is as an extension, also protecting this little life he has made with his demon. Firstly I don't think Azi could ever be happy if he chose Crowley over the Matraton and then earth was destroyed, he'll always wonder "what if" and "could I have done something." We know as viewers that Michael is likely to conspire against him, and that the Matraton will try and manipulate him, but Azi still have to try. People get angry with Azi for not going with Crowley, but Azi does ask Crowley to come with him. It isn't what Crowley wants, and that is fine, but they are equally selfish and flawed. I loved that kiss, but only because I know we will get more of the story.

[@Natala00]

Also noticed that a lot of the time when people post about their thoughts on episode 6 it reads as: "This show made me feel a strong feeling. I am feeling sad and I don't like it. I blame the show, and I want it to fix it."@@RenTheBarbarian It is almost a bit entitled. The show runner has come out and promised a happy ending for the two characters in some format, but he doesn't owe his fans anything. The story is his and peoples investment does not give them right to demand the show to take the form they want. It's a story, it is allowed to be flawed, sad, broken, and tragical.

[@sophiagrace1067]

Thank you so much for this. You put all of my thoughts into words, and it's nice to see someone who cares for the fandom (as toxic as they can be, which I'm so glad you touched on) and the creator (Neil Gaiman is fucking amazing).

[@hothotheat3000]

I figured he kissed Az because earlier, he’d insinuated that two people having a big kiss solves everything. I guessed that Crowley figured that the kiss would fix the problem of Az leaving, that everything would work out like it does in every movie he’s ever seen. And it didn’t work.

[@letolethe3344]

I interpreted "really want to make an effort" as meaning they can manifest several different aspects of sexuality and gender if they really want to from a libido to genitalia to the gender they present (as in male- or female-presenting) which could consist of hair, clothing, body and face shape.

[@NankitaBR]

Ever since this season came out I've been putting it to play while I fall asleep almost every single day to give it more watches and plan to keep doing it until we get a confirmation of a season 3.

[@TerraSapien]

Great video! I wanted to respond to your comment about a lot of fans’ impatience w/ “slow burns,” as well as concerns about “queer baiting.” For me, it mostly comes down to the fact that to this day, massively popular characters, for instance from a franchise, are still never really allowed to be queer/gay, UNLESS they are side characters or the movie/show has explicitly made it clear the show is about/includes gay romance. There are so many older fandoms that couldn’t explore gay themes in their time, and no one ever has the courage to make the heroes or main characters explicitly gay now that we ostensibly have at least SOME room for gay love in film/tv. Kirk/Spock, for instance. Newer Star Trek now has overtly gay characters, but they don’t seem to have the courage to touch well-loved, historical characters, to make them anything but straight as an arrow. Heroes and leading men in particular. So for me, it’s hard to enjoy a slow burn when I am seeing chemistry POURING off of two men and I’m becoming more invested in the story, but ALL of history tells me at the last minute one of them is gonna have a heterosexual relationship shoehorned in at the end, or just be unwilling to upset the masses by letting them just be frickin gay. lol This isn’t in disagreement with anything you said, just where I am coming from with this. In RETROSPECT (on 2nd and subsequent watches) Good Omens was SO much more enjoyable to watch knowing the love that we saw wasn’t dodged by cowardice and instead was confirmed in canon. I’m actually kind of electrified by it, bc as I said, it basically NEVER HAPPENS lol. But to your point, it sucks that I have a harder time chilling out and letting slow burns develop in this way, bc my expectation is that we’ll get more of what we’ve always gotten. For the record, I’m heterosexual, but I’m a “follow the chemistry/story” kind of person, and when two characters have as much connection as Aziraphale/Crowley, Kirk/Spock, Garak/Bashir, it’s maddening and a HUGE bummer to see it go unexplored, unaddressed, lay fallow, ya know? So yeah, praying we get a 3rd season bc the end of the 2nd season might just have been kind of a first! And it was so meaningful to me to experience and now get to watch again from that perspective, honoring all the wonderful seeds that Sheen and Tennant planted in their portrayals. ❤

[@neon2870]

This video is so effing PERFECT! The commentary, the transitions, the vibe! I haven’t seen your channel before but I very much plan on sticking around! Thank you for sharing this

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Thank you!!!!! I try my best 😎

[@sofiapalma5038]

10:52 You have just kill me, connect the secret of brokeback mountain and good omens, I mean *start to SOBBING, SCREAMING so badly* but anyway thanks so much for this video

[@katpiercemusic]

Thank you. Fandom can be so angry and toxic these days. It’s sad. I’ll admit that in the final scene I was screaming expletives at my tv, but then I calmed down and processed and certainly didn’t think Gaiman had committed some sort of sin against me or the fans or Pratchett or the book. As for the nature of Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship… I love that a wide range of people can find representation in them. I think that’s beautiful and wouldn’t happen if they were labeled seven ways to Sunday. I do think that the line about angels and demons being sexless meant they had no genitals, for 3 reasons. First, at about the time I read the book I had come to the conclusion that god was neither male nor female (or maybe both) and had no genitals because god didn’t need to procreate (I was a teen with opinions). The idea was already in my head. Second, Terry Pratchett especially liked playing with language and sort of subverting meaning. The phrase “make an effort” clearly means try hard, so I think Pratchett had something else in mind when he used it. Third, the idea that angels might have no genitals has been around forever. There’s no consensus, but I think Gaiman and Pratchett would have been familiar with the idea, and found it as amusing as Kevin Smith did 9 years later. It doesn’t matter either way though. I love your analysis and the grace and humor you use to express your opinions.

[@AlmightyRawks]

Great video!!! Agreed with all your points. I'm so glad you described the kiss as not necessarily being part of their romantic story. I mean, it was a way to make explicit what was implicit. It was a desperate way to manifest the 'us-potential', it was what Crowley couldn't say in words, and it was a 'don't leave me', plus probably a whole bunch of other things rolled up into one. But imHo (and I mean the capital H quite sincerely) this season was quite a lot about their own discoveries as former-entities of their respective lot. Crowley got to do & be better and better. Aziraphale got to do & be worse and worse. And in the final episode they were supposed to meet in the middle, but they both need to figure out waaaaay more about what 'us' is, what shades of grey they're comfortable with. And that's super interesting slow-burn writing. I think the pain fans are experiencing is: A) it took a long time for S2 and might take as long for S3, B) uncertainty if there will be a S3 while C) we remain in love with their love. And that hurts. Naturally everyone should remain respectul to the people who worked incredibly hard to bring us all of this! I mean imagine living in an age where an inferred queer romantic connection becomes canon on screen. And not just a flat story to quickly please people, but ACTUAL story, where the characters MUST develop to fully embrace love. That is THE story. So my suggestion is for fans to heal with whatever (perfectly tailored to them) fanworks exist for now to heal from the immediate pain, but let's acknowledge that all of this is pretty marvelous and could be infinitely worse, with more denials and breakdowns of our queer expectations. Sending love cause we all need some of it!

[@KanaHyoshi]

As an Ace, I'm happy to see the two of them still be able to have intimacy. I am married and my partner is never shy about asking to be intimate. I am happy to participate. But most ace characters in media are also aro and are often sex repulsed. I love this show and I only found it a week ago.

[@poisoned_rock]

Thank you for this video ! Ive been a fan of good omens since late 2019, and as much as i love the fandom, they can be a bit much sometimes. Literally had to delete twitter recently because yikes, but i wont go into that. The only person who gets to decide how the story goes is Neil Gaiman! In his own words, no matter in what way, "it's a love story". I've seen a few people call the ending of season 2 "queerbait" and I have no idea where they're getting that from. i saw that ending of season 1 all those years ago. Come on, how can you watch "to the world" and not think of that as confirmation that they love each other? It was a wonderful way of confirming their connection and care for each other while honouring the original work and Terry's creative choices. The ending of season 2 needed to happen the way it did. As much as the two of them love each other, they both have a lot of issues they need to address. Crowley needs to learn how to be their own person outside of Aziraphale, and Aziraphale needs to break the chains of their abusive relationship with heaven. The whole of season 2 was setting this up the more you look at it. They love each other, but to be in a happy relationship they need to love and work on themselves first. That's why the kiss was never going to end well. It's painful to watch, but also beautiful from a character standpoint. Aziraphale and Crowley are the perfect ace-spec and nb-spec representation, and I say that as a romance and sex repulsed aroace nb trans masc person. Their relationship isn't like anything else seen before, and the way some fans try to push them into a box is infuriating. Let Gaiman write his and Terry's characters in the way he wants ! Whatever happens, we already have a beautiful story between 2 of the most interesting characters ever put to book and/or screen. I know that I'll be waiting for season 3 for as long as i need to, to get the concluding act to this amazing story. Also, thank you to Neil Gaiman for confirming that if season 3 doesn't get made, he'll write it as a book at least. Plus, seeing how good the Kickstarter for the graphic novel went, I honestly think we could get it crowdfunded and made ourselves if we need to. This was an amazing video !

[@RenTheBarbarian]

I swear to God some people think “queerbait” means “this story isn’t going exactly the way I want it to.”

[@EagleflightAnimations]

WE MAKING IT OUTTA HEAVEN AND HELL WITH THIS ONE BOYS (I haven’t seen Good Omens but my Tumblr has exploded with this so I support them)

[@RenTheBarbarian]

YOU NEED TO WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!

[@LudiosAnimations]

I second this!

[@EagleflightAnimations]

@@RenTheBarbarian I will once the brain lets go of the TF2 brainrot

[@PatriseHenkel]

Loved this, excellent perceptions. Oh, god, season 4 Sherlock was AWFUL. They threw us crumbs! I saw an interesting analysis about S1 that pointed out the ending where our heroes dine happily at the ritz, obviously adoring each other, broke the nasty tropes of queer suffering at the end of a story.

[@jessicafutrell3204]

Cishet women here. Long time fan of Tennant and Sheen and Gaiman and Austen. Watch both seasons 3 times now. Once with my children. I agree with so much you say here. And im old enough to remember when Tara died on Buffy.

[@catfancier270]

These characters with this relationship, played by these actors, really is special.

[@eli1098]

YOU. YOU GET IT. laughed my ASS off at the compilation of Michael sheen's acting choices. that man is unhinged and knows it. glad you mentioned and berated toxic gomens fans, been seeing wayyy too many get too comfortable making assumptions and accusations at gaiman (the guy has more patience than ANY of us godbless). you basically put all my thoughts into words! and fun editing choices lol

[@girlwiththegreenhair]

i absolutely lost it at you showing the confession scene and being like "This is somehow BOTH" great video as always!

[@OneRandomLeo]

I LOVE that you made the reference to Brokeback Mountain because that is EXACTLY the feel I got as well and nobody else mentioned it yet. AND that you picked up on the "I'm not gonna go there" because JAYSUS was I flustered when I heard that. GO is the most beautiful slow burn I've seen so far. Fantastic video, and thanks for highlighting the strike as well. GO is about understanding that who you can depend on are the people you love and love you, not institutions. Subbed!

[@nandam3779]

A very late response to your video but … the soundtrack of S1 explicitly says that Crowley and Aziraphale love each other, though I think you might have to be of a certain age to get the reference. Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” isn’t about friendship at all. It’s a love song, written by one of the band members about his wife, and in my opinion the most romantic song Queen ever performed. It’s used when Crowley finds the bookshop burning, and then as he leaves the bookshop, we hear “Find Me Somebody to Love,” which in this case isn’t about wanting to fall in love, it’s about losing the person you love. I’m one of those people who’s shipped them since the 1990s, and this song in S1 was the only confirmation that I needed that Gaiman was going in that direction. But it’s subtle enough that a lot of people miss it.

[@AmyAnnetteHenion]

The goofy-ass music underneath all of Michael Sheen's horny acting choices had me rollinggggg

[@Camrela]

I see you reading slow burn fanfiction.... I about choked on my water.😂

[@RenTheBarbarian]

I know everythingggggg 😂

[@Starshadow]

This is such a lovely commentary! I will be 73 at the end of November and I am obsessed with Good Omens and with all Neil Gaiman has done for us. (I got to tell him how grateful I was on Bluesky, and I know he read it because he answered me.) I am autistic and both Crowley and Aziraphale are also coded autistic. As well as all the other things. (I am also queer, and non-binary). I adore all the stories- all the characters. I hope I’m around to see series 3. And while the writer’s strike is over, Sag-Aftra’s goes on. Thanks for drawing attention to that. I know many members of that illustrious guild and all of them deserve fair treatment and wages. I subbed to your channel. Can’t afford Patreon, on a very low income, but hope it gives a boost. Thank you, for a lovely and insightful commentary.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Thank you so much, friend, and welcome to the channel! ❤️

[@RainbowSprnklz]

the only way im involved in the fandom is via youtube so you pointing out the DARCY PROPOSAL PARALLEL IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR VID revolutionary to me i am aghast and dying in the most positive way

[@letswilhelm]

I love how you said everything I think about how part of the fandom is full of bullshit. I am Ace and even if we are now getting some representation in the media, these characters are the ones that made me feel most represented in my life (because they are romantic, but not in an obvious and cliché way... other very good representations I've got were aro/ace and demisexual, which were great but speak to me a little less since I am total ace with romantic feelings). They are the queerest characters ever because you could use literally any label you want for them because, in reality, they are ethereal things fit into a human-resembling-body. That's literally what Neil and Terry were thinking and describing. And it makes me so angry seeing people with zero ability to read what a book/show is saing complaining that it is/was queerbaiting (or the people I have seen saying they think the romance was a "forced thing")!! Like, my dudes, it is SO ON YOUR FACE SINCE THE 90s!!!! anyway, I love them, I love Neil and what he's doing and I need their happy ending as a fan, an ace and a writer (gotta study good three act arcs, am I right?)!!!

[@LudiosAnimations]

10:46 I love this so I’m putting this time stamp here

[@RenTheBarbarian]

“I wish I knew how to quit you, angel”

[@mollymawkery]

Destiel: This is somehow both! - Legit made me choke on my water. Love the video! Good Omens has always been queer and if anyone wants to disagree I will just point them here.

[@kaydee9783]

great analysis! It put a lump in my throat from time to time

[@elimgarak7090]

When I kept thinking about it honestly, I was hit so hard that Crowley showed up out of nowhere, unasked, to do nothing more but to aid Aziraphale or "keep him out of trouble," in a CHURCH, that burned his feet, around holy water with no guards! I mean aarrrrrgggghhhh.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

He would drink that angel’s bath water is2g

[@delfinal7560]

I really love your Good Omens content

[@lilithreusch2614]

Thank you for saying literally everything I've been trying to put into words for the last several months. I love literally everything about this video, definitely going to check out some of your other videos :)

[@happyascheese]

I had a rough day substitute teaching. This was needed to decompress. I just discovered your channel last night.

[@silverfeather7638]

Amazing vid! I also love the fact that season 2 was leading to season 3. And that, whatever is coming, gaiman and pratchett talked about for a spinoff long ago. So even if they didnt write is, the ideas are from both ❤

[@silverfeather7638]

Well I meant two not to😂

[@korgaupisc129]

I heavily resent the fact that you put a clip from The Final Fifteen in there. I'm in so much pain now. Also thanks for shouting out LADY GOLGOTHA, THE MOTHER OF ALL MOTHERS.

[@chronicallyonline945]

Oh my gosh I'm such an idiot 😂 I watched some of your livestream and left a long comment, but then watched more of it and saw that you addressed everything I'd brought up and so deleted my comment, and then I saw a notification that you'd replied to my comment before I deleted it 😭 Thank you SO MUCH for your reply to my comment and for this amazing video!

[@HuntingViolets]

Really enjoyed this video!

[@katlinath]

great video! it was lovely

[@mimidesenha8717]

Thank you for the video! ❤

[@carinameyer4156]

Omg you put my Sherlock trauma so eloquently into words. That's why the end of season 2 Of GO sent me into shock. So much that no shock blanket could help. For days I couldn't actually believe it and part of me still fears a retcon. But after having read Neil's FAQ I now have more faith in him than I ever had in JKR.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Moffat and Gatiss really traumatized an entire generation of gay kids huh

[@meander112]

Ineffableness for the ineffable god! Queer for the queer throne!

[@lvmusictherapy]

This was such a well organized and presented analysis! I really appreciate it. As a straight, cis female, this show (which I love) and the fandom commentary has really helped me understand the queer community more. And your comment about Star Trek at the end (which I also love) - definitely means I’ll be checking out more of your channel!! Thanks for being awesome!

[@sharonfieldstone]

Wonderful, thank you!

[@elisabethvictoria5324]

ok, this is beautifully well-written. you have earned a subscriber my friend.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Yay! Welcome to the club.

[@rafaela00002]

Lovely video!

[@ghastlygrapefruit]

Great video ❤️

[@letolethe3344]

Great analysis! I agree with all your points.

[@AniMoted]

Great video!!

[@emeraldmoth3977]

The woman was too stunned to speak

[@freowyn6415]

beautiful video! you got yourself a new subscriber :D

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Many thanks!!!

[@sexyschnidden9702]

Thr barbie clip took me out xD

[@Temptation666]

Thank you

[@thatguyblu23]

I fucking love your banter and thoughts on them its so freaking entertaining XD

[@Sara_TheFatCultureCritic]

great work hon

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Thank you for the read ❤️

[@Angie-Way]

not to ignore the whole point of the video and focus on one joke but as someone from Victoria, Australia we don't claim Emily Cooper

[@briannacherie]

16:47 i feel so called out by that

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Don’t worry, it’s a self callout too 😂

[@GracieBN]

People really have to stop over-using the term “queer-baiting.” It’s like people don’t understand what it really means anymore

[@amelythemoon2462]

yes I also legit can't get over them I'm in so deep

[@RabbidTribble]

Sexless: angels don’t have bodies. They aren’t normally material beings, they’re pure spirit. Sex, whether you’re talking about being male/female or intercourse is very much a bodily thing. The way Gaiman wrote about them being “sexless,” I would argue, was referring to male/female. So, it doesn’t matter what body they’ve been issued- the body is not part of their nature the way it is for humans. It’s more like they are donning native garb to interact with locals. Just like wearing a skirt or pants doesn’t actually change a person’s biological sex, the physical body an angel has no more real expression of who they are than they choose. Whether Aziraphale and Crowley present as male or female doesn’t mean their entirely spiritual selves somehow have a sex or gender identity. It seems to be entirely based on on how useful the presentation is to the situation. That’s why “gay” doesn’t really…apply. They aren’t two men in love. They are two totally non-physical beings, for whom sex and gender have no meaning, who share a deep bond, which in human terms, might best be compared to romantic love. But…it’s not the SAME as human romantic love. Because they are not the same kind of beings! It’s just the closest we can come to understanding them based on our own experience as human beings. They could be considered non-binary if you’re defining that as not adhering to a gender, but since gender is simply not applicable to angels to begin with, it doesn’t quite mean the same thing as when that term is applied to humans. It’s sort of like trying to say that black holes and rainbow trout can be categorized together because neither have legs. Which…sure, that’s technically true, but it would be very easy to misconstrue the kind of things they are if that’s all you’re focusing on. Anyway, I always grit my teeth when fans insist on arguing over whether Gaiman is not being an ally for not being willing to define Aziraphale and Crowley as gay, because as he has repeatedly tried to explain, the question just really doesn’t apply to their situation.

[@YouCallYourselfAFilmCritic]

A1 Gaiman impersonation even if they seem like a massive loser Your distinction between "slow burn" and "queerbait" was a rallying cry for every Catradora stan ever-people LEGITIMATELY accuse She-Ra of queerbaiting and if you've watched the show it's baffling and stupid

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Well I happen to know that impersonator, and they are in fact very cool 😉

[@Inspirit-gp4dp]

the ox scene being horny explains why I was so uncomfortable when watching it lol It felt too intimate

[@catfancier270]

I really appreciate how innocent their love is. I’ve seen so much graphic nudity and violence on popular tv in the past twenty years that I’m sick of it. My personal head canon is they might enjoy hugging or taking a nap together eventually, but they don’t want to smash really. That being said, if the characters felt sexual desire, it would certainly be for each other, and no one else.

[@elliart7432]

I'm sorry, this video is so fucking funny, I'm trying so hard not to wake my fiancé laughing after that description of the ox rib scene 😂

[@simsblood1611]

If you haven’t watched NBC’s Hannibal, you should.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

I have, it’s one of my favorite shows!

[@lucky8551]

I agree!

[@elliart7432]

1:09, NOOOO, they DIDN'T 😭😭😂😂

[@akuloart]

1:33 I mean... they can both be asexual and kiss each other on the mouth. One doesn't have to exclude the other?????????

[@RenTheBarbarian]

I didn’t say they couldn’t be asexual and kiss. It was just a pleasant surprise for me that they were allowed to kiss at all. As much as I believed Aziraphale and Crowley were in love with each other, I didn’t really believe they would be allowed to express it like that onscreen.

[@cantantenoel]

As a queer person who grew up extremely religious and repressed and even *voluntarily* did the ex-gay thing for awhile trying to pray my forbidden feelings away, I feel profoundly represented by these characters and their relationship, tbh. And I have never seen that particular experience-which is a deeply formative one for a lot of queer people-depicted in fiction in a way that *wasn't* either trauma porn or way-too-on-the-nose satire. (But I'm a Cheerleader is great, at 38 I can appreciate what it was doing, but when I first watched it at 19 it made me feel ill. I could not understand what was so fucking funny or why anyone would EVER pick "teens at an ex-gay camp" to make a satirical comedy about.) So yeah, this show is INCREDIBLY special and I am constantly telling that to anyone who will listen.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

I was lucky to be raised by a Christian woman who loved and accepted me for who I was, but as a queer Christian person I can 100% relate to both Aziraphale’s desperate desire to be accepted and Crowley’s disenfranchisement with the whole system. It’s a touching story that hits close to home to say the least.

[@doobat708]

Ah, hope. It's like a new spoon, I hear... ;)

[@andreachavez8088]

what does crowley says at 14:25 ? i am not a native english speaker so i can't really understand it very well

[@RenTheBarbarian]

He says, “Oh, I’m not gonna go there.” Implying that his mind went to a dirty place when Aziraphale mentioned finding “a receptive body.”

[@andreachavez8088]

ohhh thanks for the answer :D

[@Rat_Queen86]

Hear me out I've said it on other videos Can 2 entities that can shapeshift and take any form really be thought of in the realm of human relationships? IMO, an angel and a demon can't be gay/straight or whatever because they are entities that aren't bound by the limits of humans. I don't have a word for what their relationship would be but all of the angels and demons take that FORM, can't reproduce and live forever. It just seems off to put this label.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

The word you’re looking for is love. They love each other. No label required.

[@ericamacs3875]

They are male presenting, most of the time as I guess you can say Crowley wasn't when he was the nanny. But that's still important in terms of representation and how their relationship is to the people in their lives.

[@HelenWheelsUtah]

And as of the writing of this comment, the writers strike may be over very soon! There has been an agreement reached and all that is left is to write it all up and sign it! We may get get our season 3 if only sag-aftra gets a similar contract.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Fingers crossed!!!!!!

[@annadachowska24]

1. For my deeply ace person ass most things you call slow burn are normal burns 😂 2. I don't know if Crowley sees injustice and says no, unless it's "no fu*k it in running away"

[@maizie9454]

as non humans az and crowley are experiencing earthly love on a secondhand basis. an ethereal view on human love and or sex isn't going to be the same as a humans view. period. on another front, I dont think calling the kiss violent is accurate either. it was how crowley thought a passionate kiss would be. on still another hand, im kind of mad that people are so upset about men kissing. men have been kissing each other since forever. kissing really used to be okay for men. as a civilization were doomed if people now can't show affection? kindness? this is where we are now-making men keep their affections and kindness non existent. non public and worse non existence in private either. only hate prevails in this world. people are such cold hearted b*stards... and loved your statements. and yes to the strike ending ( on good terms for the workers of course)!!!!!!

[@fairywingsonroses]

I think the kiss was violent and selfish, BUT so have been many other major bonding experiences the characters have had. In the Job episode, Crowley offers Aziraphale the ox meat in the basement of a burning building after turning 3 children into lizards. That scene really is a mixed bag of emotions in that Crowley is being manipulative and selfish in his offer of food to Aziraphale, and his timing is horrendously inappropriate (burning building and lizard children and all), but I also think he is coming from a genuine place of wanting to reach out honestly to someone and make a connection. Aziraphale's reaction to the meat is much the same as it was to the kiss. You see this pattern over and over again in their relationship, even going back to season 1, and both characters are guilty of it. The bullet magic trick was also violent and inappropriate for the circumstances, and Crowley was really uncomfortable with doing the trick to begin with, but he agreed to do it. Why exactly he agreed, I don't know, but it was a good bonding experience for the characters. The kiss was inappropriate and tragic. It was a bit manipulative and selfish on Crowley's part because he's essentially tempting Aziraphale and asking him to abandon all of his core values all at once, but it also comes from a place of deep, desperate love for him, and you just can't help but feel so bad for them both in that moment. And the kiss wasn't entirely rejected. You can tell that Aziraphale is genuinely thinking about it in the few fleeting moments he has before the Metatron takes him away. I think there is a lot to process there because, angels and demons are sexless beings who don't think of gender or love in human terms, and Aziraphale's notion of love is based on Jane Austen novels, which don't have a lot of kissing in them (which differs immensely from Crowley's vision of "one fabulous kiss and everything's sorted"). That kiss was violent, but it was also so many other things, which is why I absolutely love that scene. And yes, people do need to get over LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media. I would much rather watch Crowley violently kiss Aziraphale out of true desperate love than watch the same old heterosexual tropes that are often also violent and emotionally hollow.

[@SeriousGooseAKApeagod]

yeppers

[@giuliazini7670]

I find it hard to use pronouns or terms like "gender fluid" or "non-binary", beacuse I feel that every definition would be incorrect, since we use this terminology for humans, and Aziraphale and Crowley are not. I agree with Gaiman saing that even calling them gay would be incorrect. For the same reason I wouldn't call the show "queer" either, since geneder identity and sexuar orientation are not relevant for angels and demons. They are just two creatures that happened to spend a lot of time together and then fell in love. Of couse I understand the debate around the pronous, because we need at least a pronoun to refer to them, but I think that we shouldn't give that much importance to it. To me, Good Omens is a love story and not a queer love story. In my opinion, what we can "learn" form such a serie is that we shouldn't always try to categorise identity into boxes and definitions, but just call "love" what is nothing but love. PS. Thank you for this video. I really appreciated what you said at the end!

[@Kyubone]

I think it's important for queer people to be able to call it a queer love story bc we're so seldom represented this way. Representation is also important, even in media. Also Gaiman himself has accepted the use of the term "genderfluid". Yeah they're non-human, but they're also *fictional characters* and I feel like that gives you the freedom to see them however you like, and put whatever label you like on them. I'm non-binary and ace, and I see that in them as well. The characters might not have any such labels for themselves (even though Gaiman has accepted it), but we as viewers, especially queers feeling represented, might.

[@giuliazini7670]

​ @SlaveOfLunacy Ok, I totally understand what you mean. Of course they are fictional characters and you can refer to them however you want and call Good Omens a queer love story. I didn't mean that you shouldn't, I just said that I personally wouldn't. I just think it would be a better world if we were able to talk about love, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, and I find Good Omens the perfect show to do that, and, I think, that indeed does that. In general, in my opinion, humanity will have reached the next level when we won't need to use restrictive labels to define identities (which, to me, are indefinable -or ineffable, shall I say-), but rather, we’ll just have acknowledged and embraced diversities... but that's my fantasy I suppose. Apart from what I said, I totally understand that representation is very important. I genuinely believe that there has to be “labeling” products in the media for representation of queer people, I just feel that Good Omens has taken a different direction and serves a different purpose.

[@giuliazini7670]

There is an italian idiomatic expression that goes: "Discutere il sesso degli angeli", literally "Discussing the sex of angels" (which according to biblic mithology are sexless), which means wasting time discussing about something trivial, futile or unimportant, or that doesn't have any answer. It's so funny if compared to this whole debate around Aziraphale and Crowley's queerness 😂 (which I'm happily taking part in)

[@Kyubone]

@giuliazini7670 I get where you're coming from but that's why a show like Good Omens is so important to queer people; because there's precisely no restrictiveness to it. It's breaking the norms in terms of sexuality and gender, not only for Aziraphale and Crowley, but other characters in the show as well. We need more shows breaking the norms like that, having that openness about it. Even in a wishful world where queer people can feel totally safe and represented, labels might still be important to queer people, bc it's part of an identity. Some don't want to label themselves, some would like to but don't know where they fit yet, and that's all okay, and some find a label right away and feel identified with that. If you see queer labels as restrictive in general, then you've not listened to queer people. The debate about the queerness of Good Omens is an important one, even in 2023, bc of what I mentioned above. Good Omens go way beyond the norms of sexuality and gender and that's certainly not something trivial or unimportant, or something that's a waste of time talking about. A minority is feeling represented in it, and it's so important that we get to have that when we often don't. Neil Gaiman has been most gracious and accepting about it and I feel like his acceptance weighs heavily in this.

[@giuliazini7670]

@@Kyubone I totally agree that breaking the “norms” of sexuality and representation of non-conforming sexual orientations and gender identities on TV shows is very important. Labels can indeed help individuals name what they are feeling, but they are also restrictive for definition. Everyone perceives their sexuality in a different way. What means something to me, may mean something else to other people. I totally understand, for example, what “non-binary” means, and why non-binary people must be adressed as “they”/”them”, but I feel like, in some other cases, we’ve gone a little too far with pronouns. On the internet, I’ve found pronouns like zey/zem, per/pers and if you google it you can find a list with even ten different pronouns. You could tell me that it’s not up to me to understand what the people that use these pronouns are feeling like, but the point is that it’s all about personal perception and that it’s just immaterial and indefinable. If we considered everyone’s perception of their own sexuality, then we’d have something like 8 billion different gender identities, sexual orientation and the relative pronouns… I do think that there are 8 billion different manifestations of sexuality, I just don’t think it makes sense trying to categorise them, because any categorization would be approximate. This is what I was talking about regarding the kind of labelling I personally don’t think is necessary or helpful. There is nothing so “bad” or “wrong” in assuming and labelling a show’s characters’ sexuality (as you said, Neil Gaiman is ok with that), I just don’t understand why… or according to what… Good Omens definitely has a queer-friendly environment, why would somebody necessarily need to identify in the same identity as a character’s, by just making it up? Why would it make them feel better about themselves? I’ve seen people referring to Crowley with the pronoun “she”, I mean wtf?? If it makes you feel better, ok, but there’s no hint in the show of that, that’s just a personal reinterpretation. + I need to clarify something, because I think that with “that's certainly not something trivial or unimportant, or something that's a waste of time talking about” you misunderstood what I meant. I just wanted to share the irony of the comparison of that idiomatic expression to this discussion around Aziraphale and Crowley’s queerness. I did not mean that I personally find those topics trivial or unimportant, or something that's a waste of time talking about. If I did, I wouldn’t be writing about it. Actually that message was not even directed to you or to what we were saying specifically, I should have written it in a new comment. Sorry, I might have been blathering too much in a too generic or “social” way, rather than GO-related, but I think we should be talking more about this topic in these terms.

[@erinhollow773]

In people's defense, the idea of "sexless" as "no genitals" and therefore peoples interpretation of "making an Effort" doesn't come from nowhere. Angels and demons don't have genitals in the Sandman comics, which are also by Neil Gaiman.

[@High-Viscosity-fluid.]

...erhh Abusive,?😂. Well, technically correct, which is of course, the highest form of correct. But we like to call it , Deeply engaged with the matter of the question. Then again none binary/ gender fluid Fits. The whole thing just fine as far as i'm concerned .

[@karenlawler7846]

I just liked this video and then realised there had been 666 likes and I have ruined it.

[@RenTheBarbarian]

Oh nooooooo 😂

[@ingridsantana706]

Thank you for this video! Like everyone from this fandom I'm in search of any crumbs available and consuming edits endlessly to cope with my heartbreak. Also not having friends in the Fandom or active online is sad and that's what's left to me 🥲