Sendarya, this is a wonderful and so insightful treat. I think Aziraphale learnt that poverty is not a wonderful chance to be good, but something horrible. He definitly helps Maggie, when she cannot afford the rent and is desperate. He says to Crowley, that he was doing it for selfish reasons, but I think underneath it all he likes Crowley to know, that he has learned to be generous.
You are quite right, by the modern era he does seem to have learned the lesson about poverty and generosity. I do love to see where it continues in season 3, as well! And thank you for the lovely compliment.
I recently realized that Eslbeth's life without Morag isn't worse just because she lost her friend and partner - she's not going to physically survive. She's sleeping outside in October in Scotland. She's going to freeze to death without a "partner" in the winter. I would probably cancel myself too in her situation without an angel sponsor. I have brought up in other groups Why do you think Aziraphale is carrying enough cash to buy a farm? It seems weird. That's a lot of money to carry around. People disagreed about whether Aziraphale is naive or so streetwise no one can rob him - but I really can't think of a time that carrying enough money that you could buy land - wouldn't be strange. I do believe that Elsbeth's story has a happy ending due to the ineffable couple. I believe she buys a farm and a falling down farm house and realizes she can't run a farm by herself so she goes to the old neighborhood and starts inviting other people from the streets to come and stay for a season or two and help out - they help build a fence or raise a heard of goats and then when they're ready to move on they take the goats to market or goat milk or whatever and leave with enough money in their pocket to get a room in a boarding house. That's my head canon.
I wonder if Maggie might be a descendent of Elsbeth. No proof, no real idea what to do with it, but it feels . . . right? That tales of an angel or angel-like demon helping people have passed down generations (maybe millennia) to eventually rescue said angel and demon when they need it the most. Maybe the JC character, as they seem to be going down that route, would be born among them. Or JC has to be born of someone *not* affected by Aziraphale and Crowley (within a certain number of generations? Adam and Eve + flaming sword would kinda eliminate all possibility otherwise), and Metatron conned Aziraphale away to cut down their mucking-about a little bit . . . . Sorry for stealing away your comment. I'm a little late to the party.
@@linshanhsiang That's why I think she turns it into like a halfway house program. But initially that first winter it's probably her and some people from the neighborhood. Just trying to stay warm and barter for enough to eat for the winter. But maybe they've got their own kitchen for the first time and enough things can't come with the farmhouse that they can make bread, And soup and they're better off than they were on the streets.
A random, completely unrelated note, but I thought you were much younger, so I was shocked to hear that not only are you married, but have a daughter who also helps you with your content! It's nice and refreshing that older fans can just be as passionate as those who are younger. I myself just turned 35 and compared to much younger fans, it keeps a bit old, which it isn't, of course, but it's how people percieve as such in fandom spaces. So, here's me just saying thank you for what you do.
That's actually really nice to hear, thank you so much. This fandom has such a wide spread of ages, it's really wonderful. Indeed, I am older than I sound, but not ancient yet! :) Oh, and happy holidays to you as well!
oooh what a fantastic parallel! I don't know that I have anything to add to what you've said about ACC, but for some reason watching this made me realize that studying cadavers (and having to rob graves in order to do so) is a sort of parallel to eating the apple in Eden. Aziraphale takes it as a given that buying and selling cadavers must be bad (I can hear it in his voice from s1e1 haha), but Crowley knows that knowledge is progress, and that sometimes the only way to gain knowledge is by bending the rules a bit. Even aside from the wealth inequality issue, Aziraphale is still learning about the compromises needed to survive as a human/mortal species. And now for some reason my mind is drifting down the line of Crowley being a Socrates to Aziraphale's Plato in the way that he educates him, and I think it's time for me to go do something else 😅 Thank you so much for your wonderful videos! They keep my brain buzzing in the best way.
Oh, the Socrates and Plato idea is very interesting. I hope you explore that further! I agree, Crowley is always this bearer of knowledge for progress.
Gaiman was (as far as I can tell) deeply affected by the genius of Terry Pratchett. Terry definitely made reference to Dickens in his work, including the book Dodger, in which Dickens appears as a character. So it’s not a stretch to say that Dickens references would probably appear in something written by Gaiman. (Side note, I highly recommend the book Dodger, followed by the original Oliver Twist)
Wonderful reading recommendation, thank you. You are quite right, Neil's writing is influenced by his dear friend, and he includes as much as he can from Terry in Good Omens, especially. This entire minisode is the only one this season that draws directly from the book, where Crowley goes off for some years to ponder the problem of poverty posed by Aziraphale, and returns to tell him he thinks his notions are lunacy, which I suspect was a Terry line!
@@Sendarya It's hard to tell who wrote what, part of the reason they became such good friends is because their minds worked very similarly. I doubt they agreed on EVERYTHING but It seems like they were on the same wavelength most of the time. Also apparently they swore never to reveal who wrote what except for the few examples they have already given. 😁
@@mayaenglish5424 having read quite a few of Pratchett's books in my time, in this specific case, the meditation on the virtues of poverty hit too close to Commander Vimes' one not to have come from Terry!
@@Allegro11Maestoso I've read more Gaiman, and it also sounds like something he'd come up with, which is sort of my point lol. I really do need to read some Pratchett books, They're on the list!
What strikes me again and again is the fact that Aziraphale does whatever he does because he thinks he's one the side of truth... of light... of good. How much misery has been brought upon the world because someone thought they were on the side of light and truth, and weren't really? It needs self-reflection and distance from what you think “good” is in order to do “properly good”. It’s probably been said a thousand times, but I expect, or at least, I hope that Aziraphale will come this self-reflection and distance from toxic heaven in S3. For storytelling reasons, I think this would be wonderful and a great lesson, too. Btw I do love the character of Aziraphale and I think it’s set out that he does things for good reasons, even the ending of S2. Anyway, I think there’s a point in questioning what “good” really is. Btw 2) I really appreciate your videos, and can’t wait for the next one ❤
Thank you for your kind words! And you make excellent points. Certainly, right from the start, the question of people doing harm when they think they are doing good (particularly in Aziraphale's case) is set up as a "big question". Was giving Adam the flaming sword the right thing? It introduced war and death. Was giving knowledge the wrong thing? I also really hope we see Aziraphale get there on his own, and not just because Crowley or someone else points it out to him. I's a really compelling possibly character arc!
@@SendaryaThanks for your reply! I guess this is one of the reasons why this show is so incredibly compelling: it asks a lot of big questions, and it doesn’t give simply answers. Let’s keep hoping Aziraphale will get there! On his own would be even more rewarding - I think the groundwork is being laid :) Thanks again for continuing to point things out and for giving us something to think about ❤
This was delightful!! 🥰 I have always loved the Dickens’ story (I will openly admit that for the longest time, my favorite TV version was Mr Magoo as Scrooge), but there was a very special version for me back when I was 9 years old. We were living in London, I was attending a school run by a convent, which was hilarious because my family is so very not religious, and my 3rd form class was putting on A Christmas Carol that December. As an “obnoxious Yank” I was cast as an all-around understudy so no one would have to listen to my voice, but the joke was on them when on the day of the performance, the kid playing Scrooge came down all “poorly” and the teacher knew I was the only person who knew all the lines. So, yes, I ended up being the star of the show 😂 It was awesome, lol! I would LOVE to see Michael Sheen as Scrooge and David Tennant as all 3 spirits in a special Masterpiece (or Amazon) production of A Christmas Carol - it would be unbelievable, I have no doubt.
It is apparent that Aziraphale has learned his lesson... he forgives a great debt in Episode 1. My favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" is the Muppet version. It not only has Muppets, but it also retains some of Dickens' beautiful language, as spoken by Gonzo the Magnificent. What more could one ask for?
Excellent review and comparison! All your points are right on. Thank you for including the Albert Finney's version as it is one of my top favorites. The idea that poverty is a virtue was an idea promulgated by the Christian church (years after Jesus, of course) with the purpose of keeping the poor in their place and basically making sure they got a goodly portion of the little money they had. It's easy to see how Good Omens' Heaven compares with these sort of institutions. Aziraphale, coming straight from that doctrine would have the same mentality. I also think the very smug Mr. Dalrymple has something to teach us about these complicated issues. He proclaims he's doing so much good work but won't sully his own hands in digging up corpses. He doesn't pay Elsbeth as much as he could and relieve her poverty even though he obviously has enough money. He also insults her by asking her if she's going to buy gin with it. Although Aziraphale is misguided, in my view Mr. Dalrymple is probably the best example of Scrooge...arrogant, penny pinching, holier-than-thou and more. Thank you so much for all these wonderful videos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Yours!
I feel mentioning the preface of A Christmas Carol about the last point makes much sense it simply goes "I ENDEAVOUR in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it!" In general terms of what I learnt while studying this text is that the story was never meant to be read as a one-time quick read that children had read before bed, rather it was meant as a way for Dickens to tell a more deep and meaningful story involving lots of interlocking factors. But most importantly it was to make readers think and keep looking at the text- decoding the meaning so Neil Gaiman's parallels to this specific text not only draw on just how powerful Good Omens as a series is but also give some sort of reason to all of our over analysis of each scene. Much like A Christmas Carol, Good Omens has no one set meaning- Neil often lets us make our ideas up but the levels of details he leaves tend to offer its self to duel interpretations it wouldn't be far off saying that Good Omens and A Christmas Carol share these qualities. Sorry, this is long my brain ran off with this little point towards the Preface.
Aww, this was so great! I love Christmas Carol, my favorite version is Mickey's Christmas Carol, simply because that's how I first got to know the story before I knew it was based on a book. Actually, I have been thinking for months, how much I would love to have some scene from season 3 set at Christmas. The ultimate best option would be a separate Christmas special, but I guess that is not an option due to episode count and budget, but if we had at least some flashback, maybe to biblical times or to Victorian Britain at Christmas? I even though about writing Neil on Tumblr, but I guess he already has everything planned out so it's probably futile. Random trivia: Charles Dickens included the motive of resurrectionists in his book in A Tale of Two Cities. One of the secondary characters earns some money on the side this way, keeping it a secret of course. Merry Christmas to all GO fans. 💖🎁 🥳🎄
I grew up on Mickey's Christmas Carol. The only reason I didn't include any visual references in this video is because I'm scared of the House of Mouse, lol. I would LOVE a Christmas special of Good Omens, between now and season 3, set in something like Victorian times would be really fun. That's a great tie in to Charles Dickens and the Resurrections as well! And a Tale of Two Cities is one of the Books Jim is alphabetizing (and that Neil said were all relevant).
Crowley’s 1941 ensemble aside, these could be the most opulent costumes, from the fabrics to Crowley’s jewelry to the layers of coats, the duo wore, showcasing the wealth disparity between them and the young women. And since I don’t think it’s been mentioned, here’s a shoutout to the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. Best wishes.
Thanks so much for this! I really enjoyed it. Just letting you know, that my child and I are also heading on a new adventure - starting a podcast (in preparation - HUGE learning curve), but we will be referencing your channel in the second episode. I'll let you know when it is ready. Hopefully by mid January. And - to answer the question - The classic Christmas Carol - 1938 black and white. I used to watch it every Christmas Eve day when I was a wee thing in the 1970's. P.S. according to the Internet of things, there are 135 movie versions of A Christmas Carol. Have a wonderful holiday!!!!
@@Sendarya So far we've got one on Good Omens that I'm editing...and two on the Dr. Who 60th Anniversary special - that I'm also editing. LOL...lots of fun though. 😇
Brilliant video 👏❤ I agree with the interesting parallels between the resurrectionist and Christmas carol - I hadn't connected them before but I see it now!! 🤓💝
This is such a great video! I honestly I don't think I would have seen the paralles on my own. This is another reason I enjoy watching your videos, and what the comunity as to say
Wow... yeah, that is a LOT of parallels. Neil definitely got some inspiration from it. And as you said, I do want to see if there'a any sort of conclusion or result of this episode in the future.
This was a lovely comparison that I never thought of, especially with Aziraphale sort of in the role of the Scrooge character. Its interesting the parallels between this episode and a Christmas carol! My favourite version has always been the muppet version. Since I was a child until now as a 30 yo adult haha, I've always loved it. I think it has the right amount of depth, comedy, and moral lessons with some great music thrown in. I adore the final "Thankful Heart" sequence.
It always amaze me all the parallelisms your able to find, dear Sendarya! Such a lovely themed video. Have nice holidays, send a lot of love for you and your loved ones. Thanks for such great work, you keep me obssesed. ❤
Sendarya, I enjoy your views and your videos just as much as I enjoy our beloved Good Omens itself. Thank you for all the effort you put into the storytelling aspect of this masterpiece and trying to figure out Neil's jigsaw puzzle
It's so interesting how many of the themes in A Christmas Carol and The Resurrectionist align! This was a really nice deep-dive. I've seen a few versions of the story, but I'm partial to my childhood favorite, A Muppet Christmas Carol. I still watch it every year around the holidays.
The Muppets manage to make the story more accessible to a younger audience while loosing not a Dibble ounce of seriousness or shaving the story down even a whit. It's a treasure!
You know what's funny - my earliest childhood version is Mickey's Christmas Carol which we watched all the time when I was younger than 10 with no context at all - no idea what the heck the story was - until I saw other versions when I was older! Muppets Christmas Carol forever.
I was just listening to waiting for godot and had an eye-opening moment… what if estragon is Crowley and Vladimir is Aziraphale? Muriel is lucky, Gabriel is pozzo, Nina and Maggie are the boy… they met previously as satanic nuns, after all… 🤔 If I were any good at video editing I’d explore this!
this was wonderful! since i watched the second season, it's been in the back of my mind that the contents of Resurrectionists minisode wasn't relevant to the present day plot the way the other two were, which led me to believe it was more relevant in the way of its themes (currently, at least - who knows what'll be brought back up in the third season, haha). thank you for this comparison and analysis, it gives me much more to chew on when i think about this episode!
Very interesting analysis! I don't think you are stretching it too far, it all aligns pretty nicely. Did Neil have this in mind when writting? We may never know. Because the ways of subconcious mind are quite complicated, he might not have even realised it! (Which still wouldn't make this any worse. But I doubt that he never saw the similarities/inspiration with Christmas Carol.) I saw quite an interesting theory on tumblr: If Elspeth commited suicide, she would have gone to Hell. But from what we know, Wee Morag probably ended in Heaven. Crowley knows this and gives Elspeth a chance to become a rightous person, so she may join Wee Morag. And I would like to add: when he drank the laudanum, not only did he save Elspeth, but also had a bit of an excuse for Hell for doing good deeds. He even says it: "Sorry, not thinking clearly, on laudanum." He knew what was about to come, and wanted at least a bit of an excuse. (Even if it's being drunk.) Happy Christmas to everybody! (Or just happy days or happy holidays, just be happy whatever you're celebrating)
The idea that the parallels are subconscious is a really good one. This story is one ingrained in our collection subconscious, and even if it isn't Neils favorite Christmas story, Terry and he were great admirers of Dickens. The idea that saving Elspeth also have her a chance to be with Wee Morag in heaven is beautiful, then you for that. Happy holidays to you too, Willowmaid!
Aziraphale and Crowley Please forgive in advance my spelling… I may be super dense but I had to share that my favorite part of this miniside: the Resurrectionist.. because this is maybe one of my favorite sequences during all of season 2 .. and not even the entire minisode.. just the end. I totally see and agree with 99% of all your interpretations.. But you seemed to say that the one part which I felt was incredibly meaningful - especially for Crowley and Aziraphale relationship forming and growth. Or maybe you thought it didn’t compare to Dickinson ‘“The Christmas Carol”..? My take on this last part of Resurrectionist is really different. But I really do not want to be contrary. Since I’m sure you are absolutely right about your analogy. Why I think the ending of the minisode is the most powerful? I feel 1st Elspeth stole the lauded to kill herself because she is heart broken having lost her main and really only reason for all things.. especially living and that is the death of her Wee Morag. 2nd I believe when we see Crowley grab and drink down the lauded.. (lauded ?) All eyes above the heaven turn on him.. and if there were music that would not give away the power of this act? It would sound like booming thunder and screeching owls.. ok maybe tinkling bells too - Anyway This choice is not demonic. Crowley has not made a decision a demon would ever make and a decision most people (angel or human) wouldn’t have the foresight to see let alone choose. Although true - it won’t kill him. But this is self sacrifice. It may start off as a sacrifice to save Elspeth but he’s really aiming his sacrifice to Aziraphale. (Who he knows will be torchured by the suicide of Elspeth on top of feeling so terrible and responsible for the Wee Morag’s death.) Again, I think the bigger card-playing hands are really watching and paying attention now. 3rd - I also believe Aziraphale’s wealth at that moment is about his generosity for Elspeth is that he just didn’t know he could give his money or anything until until giant Crowley - now super-high out of his brain - tells him to give it to her. Not that he’s miserly himself but that he had no idea (like he had no idea being poor is not what he thinks) it was ok for him to give something .. anything really (other than the flaming sword he did get in trouble for) to humans. (The coins I think also tie into another cottage m-farm down the future-road because these were “angelic coins). I’m not sure about that one with the time frame but I like the idea.. Anyway … This is where (sacrifice) we see the depth of Crowey’s love of Aziraphale and if not that then his love for humanity .. and I think both. And my 3rd take which fits back into. “A Christmas Carol” comparison; is how caring, dear and nonjudgmental Aziraphale is toward Crowley for drinking the Lauren and behaving soo strangely .. in Dickon’s Christmas Carol tiny Timothy, Bob Cratchet and the other children are also forgiving and nonjudgmental of Scrooge. This is highlighted early by how angrily the protective Mrs Cratchet speaks about Scrooge on behalf of her husband. And then there is Scrooge’s nephew and new wife who give him complete forgiveness and open themselves up to be their uncle and to live a happy family life ever after. This forgiveness, tolerance, nonjudgmentalness is very important in the Christmas Carol. It shows and teaches us no matter how far down the path of selfishness and greed and bad nasty deeds in our lives there is redemption. We can still come home and be loved. As Aziraphale does this whilst Crowley is behaving wildly under the influence and by especially holding him as they walk and talk right before Crowley is sucked down to agony and more torture. My extra backup - for me about the depth of both their growth through this choice is where we see later how much Crowley wants the holy water to end his very lonely existence. Rather than the “of course he’s punished for this good deed...” I think the lesson here is about our own individual personal truths. Our core values. Compassion and sacrifice we are willing to give eachother even when no one is looking. True generosity. And Sacrifice; comparing this to Scrooge who now will happily give of his “money” and more. I do not believe it’s too late And honestly although Crowley is beaten down by this? I think on his heart he knows it’s never too late 😉 Cuz the story is not over yet. … were there 2 voices in this narration? Perhaps? Or just a sound difference
It's never contrary to hold you own opinions. I'm no authority figure, lol. You make good points. Crowley does show a willingness to sacrifice for Aziraphale, and for humanity in general. Both are still more aspects of personal growth than relationship growth, imo, but that's good, they do need to grow as individuals as well as a couple. I made this video before the season 3 news broke, and had to edit a few things in it this week, hence a few audible changes where those edits are. Happy holidays!
Such fun, and as always interesting things to think about - the most valued part of your videos. Thanks! I look forward to our collectively moving on from parsing every scintilla of our favorite couple's dynamics and instead focusing on S3: the 2nd Coming. What IS the 2nd coming in the GO world? (a bit of background on it in general would be appreciated if you were so inclined). Will it be thwarted? Suborned? Will character arcs bend in unexpected ways? We've certainly got plenty of time to think about it ...
I watched "Scrooge" on netflix just a couple of days ago and it was really good! I expected nothing and ended up with another christmas favorite. Thanks for your analisis! Happy holidays for you!
I haven't seen Scrooged but it's an interesting cultural comment that when he wakes up in the street he's at the base of Trump tower. I knew they were saying something with that.
I really appreciate your videos!! They are so fun to watch ^^ Tho the season 2 is not quite a my cup of tee :c The minisode with cementary is probably my least favourite. And that's not because the story behind the pub's name, "The Resurrectionist", proves to be irrelevant to the plot (as the whole Aziraphale's investigation), but because Aziraphale suddenly needs to be shown by Crowley what actual goodness looks like. Like, the first interaction between Aziraphale and a human beeing is when he gives Adam his Flaming Sword, as he is worried weather Adam and Eve are going to survive. This was sugessted by neither Crowley, nor Heaven (they are not thrilled), he figured it out himself. So seeing how Aziraphale acts makes me sick. Even with this debt thing, he didin't want to make Maggie genuinely happier, just wanted to have his record. I have read quite a lot of Geilman's books and I can see that Aziraphale is not a sort of character he normally writes But still Look how they massacred my boy
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoy them! Aziraphale is a very flawed character, for sure. He's even worse in the book. That scene from episode 3 is straight from an event in the book.
Something I noticed in S2E6 was Maggie's outfit changing from a more red based one to a blue one once she enters the bookshop on the night of the ball. What are your thoughts on that?
Another insightful analysis! I like the George C. Scott version of the story best, because... George C. Scott is a magnificent actor! Wonder what Michael Sheen would do as Scrooge??
I think, the more important point is that knowledge is good. It goes from their first meeting (Crowley just wants to ask a few questions, what's the harm of that) to their second ("What's so bad about knowing the difference between good and bad?" (something along this..)) to this (the doctor needs these corpses to do good!). All is a struggle to gain knowledge. So i think, this is THE point of this show in a whole, that knowledge is good, but "religion" does not want to give it to keep its power over evrything. (And then again, Horkheimer/Adorno had the theory that religion as we know it is the first modern movement to bring knowledge instead of myths, so..) (But i see the moral implications about poverty too. ^^° Maybe both?)
The only disagreement I have with the whole video is that I don't think Aziraphale learned the lesson. I think he acknowledge a singular (or at least a small) loophole but he hasn't really lost the shine (and I don't think he really will until season 3). It may be more of the idiom 'two steps forward one step back'. Aziraphale actually has not had much character growth. He makes exceptions but overall toes the line. And every time he makes exceptions it hurts him. You can see that with Job, with giving the holy water to Crowley, here in a companion of owls several times, the scene in the bandstand when Crowley asks him to go away, and there are others but those are the ones my head came up with off the top.
@@Sendarya The book has the discussion about people having more chances to do good the worse they start off, but it doesn’t have the setting, the plot or the characters (aside from Crowley & Aziraphale, of course).
The muppet christmas carol is the best. Nothing beats gonzo as charles dickens. Plus it feels like christmas is such a good song
I agree so much
HONESTLY FR
Even as an adult, it is my second favorite. Who doesn't love it, it has everything!
100% agree! I watch it every Christmas!
It's the BEST
Sendarya, this is a wonderful and so insightful treat. I think Aziraphale learnt that poverty is not a wonderful chance to be good, but something horrible. He definitly helps Maggie, when she cannot afford the rent and is desperate. He says to Crowley, that he was doing it for selfish reasons, but I think underneath it all he likes Crowley to know, that he has learned to be generous.
You are quite right, by the modern era he does seem to have learned the lesson about poverty and generosity. I do love to see where it continues in season 3, as well! And thank you for the lovely compliment.
This is so funny cause I just finished watching the 2005 Doctor Who 3rd episode where they meet Charles Dickens and it's all about dead people 😂
That's funny, I watched that episode not too long ago (back in October?) and I completely forgot that, but you're right!
I recently realized that Eslbeth's life without Morag isn't worse just because she lost her friend and partner - she's not going to physically survive. She's sleeping outside in October in Scotland. She's going to freeze to death without a "partner" in the winter. I would probably cancel myself too in her situation without an angel sponsor. I have brought up in other groups Why do you think Aziraphale is carrying enough cash to buy a farm? It seems weird. That's a lot of money to carry around. People disagreed about whether Aziraphale is naive or so streetwise no one can rob him - but I really can't think of a time that carrying enough money that you could buy land - wouldn't be strange. I do believe that Elsbeth's story has a happy ending due to the ineffable couple. I believe she buys a farm and a falling down farm house and realizes she can't run a farm by herself so she goes to the old neighborhood and starts inviting other people from the streets to come and stay for a season or two and help out - they help build a fence or raise a heard of goats and then when they're ready to move on they take the goats to market or goat milk or whatever and leave with enough money in their pocket to get a room in a boarding house. That's my head canon.
Headcanon accepted! That's really lovely. I hope it's true!
I wonder if Maggie might be a descendent of Elsbeth. No proof, no real idea what to do with it, but it feels . . . right? That tales of an angel or angel-like demon helping people have passed down generations (maybe millennia) to eventually rescue said angel and demon when they need it the most. Maybe the JC character, as they seem to be going down that route, would be born among them. Or JC has to be born of someone *not* affected by Aziraphale and Crowley (within a certain number of generations? Adam and Eve + flaming sword would kinda eliminate all possibility otherwise), and Metatron conned Aziraphale away to cut down their mucking-about a little bit . . . .
Sorry for stealing away your comment. I'm a little late to the party.
I have thought about the likelihood of her chances of success as a farmer, and feeling that it was, sadly, very slim.
@@linshanhsiang That's why I think she turns it into like a halfway house program. But initially that first winter it's probably her and some people from the neighborhood. Just trying to stay warm and barter for enough to eat for the winter. But maybe they've got their own kitchen for the first time and enough things can't come with the farmhouse that they can make bread, And soup and they're better off than they were on the streets.
A random, completely unrelated note, but I thought you were much younger, so I was shocked to hear that not only are you married, but have a daughter who also helps you with your content! It's nice and refreshing that older fans can just be as passionate as those who are younger. I myself just turned 35 and compared to much younger fans, it keeps a bit old, which it isn't, of course, but it's how people percieve as such in fandom spaces. So, here's me just saying thank you for what you do.
That's actually really nice to hear, thank you so much. This fandom has such a wide spread of ages, it's really wonderful. Indeed, I am older than I sound, but not ancient yet! :) Oh, and happy holidays to you as well!
Thank you both! I've been feeling like with 43 I'm everyone's grandma on the Internet! :)) It's absolutely refreshing to see I'm not alone in this!
oooh what a fantastic parallel! I don't know that I have anything to add to what you've said about ACC, but for some reason watching this made me realize that studying cadavers (and having to rob graves in order to do so) is a sort of parallel to eating the apple in Eden. Aziraphale takes it as a given that buying and selling cadavers must be bad (I can hear it in his voice from s1e1 haha), but Crowley knows that knowledge is progress, and that sometimes the only way to gain knowledge is by bending the rules a bit. Even aside from the wealth inequality issue, Aziraphale is still learning about the compromises needed to survive as a human/mortal species.
And now for some reason my mind is drifting down the line of Crowley being a Socrates to Aziraphale's Plato in the way that he educates him, and I think it's time for me to go do something else 😅 Thank you so much for your wonderful videos! They keep my brain buzzing in the best way.
Oh, the Socrates and Plato idea is very interesting. I hope you explore that further!
I agree, Crowley is always this bearer of knowledge for progress.
Gaiman was (as far as I can tell) deeply affected by the genius of Terry Pratchett.
Terry definitely made reference to Dickens in his work, including the book Dodger, in which Dickens appears as a character.
So it’s not a stretch to say that Dickens references would probably appear in something written by Gaiman.
(Side note, I highly recommend the book Dodger, followed by the original Oliver Twist)
Wonderful reading recommendation, thank you. You are quite right, Neil's writing is influenced by his dear friend, and he includes as much as he can from Terry in Good Omens, especially. This entire minisode is the only one this season that draws directly from the book, where Crowley goes off for some years to ponder the problem of poverty posed by Aziraphale, and returns to tell him he thinks his notions are lunacy, which I suspect was a Terry line!
@@Sendarya It's hard to tell who wrote what, part of the reason they became such good friends is because their minds worked very similarly. I doubt they agreed on EVERYTHING but It seems like they were on the same wavelength most of the time. Also apparently they swore never to reveal who wrote what except for the few examples they have already given. 😁
@@mayaenglish5424 having read quite a few of Pratchett's books in my time, in this specific case, the meditation on the virtues of poverty hit too close to Commander Vimes' one not to have come from Terry!
@@Allegro11Maestoso I've read more Gaiman, and it also sounds like something he'd come up with, which is sort of my point lol. I really do need to read some Pratchett books, They're on the list!
@@mayaenglish5424 wow this shows I have to catch up
What strikes me again and again is the fact that Aziraphale does whatever he does because he thinks he's one the side of truth... of light... of good. How much misery has been brought upon the world because someone thought they were on the side of light and truth, and weren't really? It needs self-reflection and distance from what you think “good” is in order to do “properly good”.
It’s probably been said a thousand times, but I expect, or at least, I hope that Aziraphale will come this self-reflection and distance from toxic heaven in S3. For storytelling reasons, I think this would be wonderful and a great lesson, too.
Btw I do love the character of Aziraphale and I think it’s set out that he does things for good reasons, even the ending of S2. Anyway, I think there’s a point in questioning what “good” really is.
Btw 2) I really appreciate your videos, and can’t wait for the next one ❤
Thank you for your kind words! And you make excellent points. Certainly, right from the start, the question of people doing harm when they think they are doing good (particularly in Aziraphale's case) is set up as a "big question". Was giving Adam the flaming sword the right thing? It introduced war and death. Was giving knowledge the wrong thing?
I also really hope we see Aziraphale get there on his own, and not just because Crowley or someone else points it out to him. I's a really compelling possibly character arc!
@@SendaryaThanks for your reply! I guess this is one of the reasons why this show is so incredibly compelling: it asks a lot of big questions, and it doesn’t give simply answers.
Let’s keep hoping Aziraphale will get there! On his own would be even more rewarding - I think the groundwork is being laid :)
Thanks again for continuing to point things out and for giving us something to think about ❤
This was delightful!! 🥰
I have always loved the Dickens’ story (I will openly admit that for the longest time, my favorite TV version was Mr Magoo as Scrooge), but there was a very special version for me back when I was 9 years old. We were living in London, I was attending a school run by a convent, which was hilarious because my family is so very not religious, and my 3rd form class was putting on A Christmas Carol that December. As an “obnoxious Yank” I was cast as an all-around understudy so no one would have to listen to my voice, but the joke was on them when on the day of the performance, the kid playing Scrooge came down all “poorly” and the teacher knew I was the only person who knew all the lines. So, yes, I ended up being the star of the show 😂 It was awesome, lol!
I would LOVE to see Michael Sheen as Scrooge and David Tennant as all 3 spirits in a special Masterpiece (or Amazon) production of A Christmas Carol - it would be unbelievable, I have no doubt.
What a great story! That's hilarious. I bet you really put on a show. :D And also, thank you!
“When you’re alone, alone in the world…”
Loved Mr. MaGoo’s Christmas Carol!
It is apparent that Aziraphale has learned his lesson... he forgives a great debt in Episode 1.
My favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" is the Muppet version. It not only has Muppets, but it also retains some of Dickens' beautiful language, as spoken by Gonzo the Magnificent. What more could one ask for?
This was an interesting video. Also, I saw Neil Gaiman perform A Christmas Carol last week and it was a great experience. :)
Wow, that must have been a great experience! He's quite an orator.
Excellent review and comparison! All your points are right on. Thank you for including the Albert Finney's version as it is one of my top favorites. The idea that poverty is a virtue was an idea promulgated by the Christian church (years after Jesus, of course) with the purpose of keeping the poor in their place and basically making sure they got a goodly portion of the little money they had. It's easy to see how Good Omens' Heaven compares with these sort of institutions. Aziraphale, coming straight from that doctrine would have the same mentality. I also think the very smug Mr. Dalrymple has something to teach us about these complicated issues. He proclaims he's doing so much good work but won't sully his own hands in digging up corpses. He doesn't pay Elsbeth as much as he could and relieve her poverty even though he obviously has enough money. He also insults her by asking her if she's going to buy gin with it. Although Aziraphale is misguided, in my view Mr. Dalrymple is probably the best example of Scrooge...arrogant, penny pinching, holier-than-thou and more. Thank you so much for all these wonderful videos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Yours!
Excellent points about Dalrymple! Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, and thank you!
I feel mentioning the preface of A Christmas Carol about the last point makes much sense it simply goes "I ENDEAVOUR in this Ghostly little book, to
raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put
my readers out of humour with themselves, with
each other, with the season, or with me. May it
haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to
lay it!" In general terms of what I learnt while studying this text is that the story was never meant to be read as a one-time quick read that children had read before bed, rather it was meant as a way for Dickens to tell a more deep and meaningful story involving lots of interlocking factors. But most importantly it was to make readers think and keep looking at the text- decoding the meaning so Neil Gaiman's parallels to this specific text not only draw on just how powerful Good Omens as a series is but also give some sort of reason to all of our over analysis of each scene. Much like A Christmas Carol, Good Omens has no one set meaning- Neil often lets us make our ideas up but the levels of details he leaves tend to offer its self to duel interpretations it wouldn't be far off saying that Good Omens and A Christmas Carol share these qualities.
Sorry, this is long my brain ran off with this little point towards the Preface.
Beautiful, thank you! That's very insightful, they do have that in common. Deeper meaning that rewards revisiting both stories.
Aww, this was so great! I love Christmas Carol, my favorite version is Mickey's Christmas Carol, simply because that's how I first got to know the story before I knew it was based on a book.
Actually, I have been thinking for months, how much I would love to have some scene from season 3 set at Christmas. The ultimate best option would be a separate Christmas special, but I guess that is not an option due to episode count and budget, but if we had at least some flashback, maybe to biblical times or to Victorian Britain at Christmas? I even though about writing Neil on Tumblr, but I guess he already has everything planned out so it's probably futile.
Random trivia: Charles Dickens included the motive of resurrectionists in his book in A Tale of Two Cities. One of the secondary characters earns some money on the side this way, keeping it a secret of course.
Merry Christmas to all GO fans.
💖🎁 🥳🎄
I grew up on Mickey's Christmas Carol. The only reason I didn't include any visual references in this video is because I'm scared of the House of Mouse, lol.
I would LOVE a Christmas special of Good Omens, between now and season 3, set in something like Victorian times would be really fun.
That's a great tie in to Charles Dickens and the Resurrections as well! And a Tale of Two Cities is one of the Books Jim is alphabetizing (and that Neil said were all relevant).
The Muppets Christmas Carol is my favourite. It's become a tradition to watch it as a family every year when my sister comes home.
That's a lovely family tradition!
Crowley’s 1941 ensemble aside, these could be the most opulent costumes, from the fabrics to Crowley’s jewelry to the layers of coats, the duo wore, showcasing the wealth disparity between them and the young women. And since I don’t think it’s been mentioned, here’s a shoutout to the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. Best wishes.
Alastair Sims version is the gold standard by which all other Scrooge's must be measured. These are extremely opulent cotumes for both of them!
Thanks so much for this! I really enjoyed it.
Just letting you know, that my child and I are also heading on a new adventure - starting a podcast (in preparation - HUGE learning curve), but we will be referencing your channel in the second episode. I'll let you know when it is ready. Hopefully by mid January.
And - to answer the question - The classic Christmas Carol - 1938 black and white. I used to watch it every Christmas Eve day when I was a wee thing in the 1970's.
P.S. according to the Internet of things, there are 135 movie versions of A Christmas Carol.
Have a wonderful holiday!!!!
How exciting! I would love to hear the podcast (not just the one mentioning this channel), feel free to share a link!
@@Sendarya So far we've got one on Good Omens that I'm editing...and two on the Dr. Who 60th Anniversary special - that I'm also editing. LOL...lots of fun though. 😇
Brilliant video 👏❤ I agree with the interesting parallels between the resurrectionist and Christmas carol - I hadn't connected them before but I see it now!! 🤓💝
This is such a great video! I honestly I don't think I would have seen the paralles on my own. This is another reason I enjoy watching your videos, and what the comunity as to say
Thank you so much!!
@@Sendarya You're welcome!
Wow... yeah, that is a LOT of parallels. Neil definitely got some inspiration from it.
And as you said, I do want to see if there'a any sort of conclusion or result of this episode in the future.
This was a lovely comparison that I never thought of, especially with Aziraphale sort of in the role of the Scrooge character. Its interesting the parallels between this episode and a Christmas carol!
My favourite version has always been the muppet version. Since I was a child until now as a 30 yo adult haha, I've always loved it. I think it has the right amount of depth, comedy, and moral lessons with some great music thrown in. I adore the final "Thankful Heart" sequence.
Brilliant to draw that connection. How does one thing of that? The rabbit holes gets deeper and deeper! Damn!🤯😲🤩
It always amaze me all the parallelisms your able to find, dear Sendarya! Such a lovely themed video. Have nice holidays, send a lot of love for you and your loved ones. Thanks for such great work, you keep me obssesed. ❤
Thank you so much for the holiday wishes. I return them to you and yours, happy holidays!
Spirited - even though it is musical. It just gives a different take on the original. And who doesn’t like a movie with Ryan Reynolds. 😂
That is a great choice! And what a duo. Sweet and funny.
Sendarya, I enjoy your views and your videos just as much as I enjoy our beloved Good Omens itself. Thank you for all the effort you put into the storytelling aspect of this masterpiece and trying to figure out Neil's jigsaw puzzle
Thank you so much, 💓 and happy holidays and a wonderful new year to you and yours as well!
It's so interesting how many of the themes in A Christmas Carol and The Resurrectionist align! This was a really nice deep-dive.
I've seen a few versions of the story, but I'm partial to my childhood favorite, A Muppet Christmas Carol. I still watch it every year around the holidays.
The Muppets manage to make the story more accessible to a younger audience while loosing not a Dibble ounce of seriousness or shaving the story down even a whit. It's a treasure!
You know what's funny - my earliest childhood version is Mickey's Christmas Carol which we watched all the time when I was younger than 10 with no context at all - no idea what the heck the story was - until I saw other versions when I was older! Muppets Christmas Carol forever.
I was just listening to waiting for godot and had an eye-opening moment… what if estragon is Crowley and Vladimir is Aziraphale? Muriel is lucky, Gabriel is pozzo, Nina and Maggie are the boy… they met previously as satanic nuns, after all… 🤔
If I were any good at video editing I’d explore this!
Extremely interesting comparison! I love finding shared themes. I hope you explore that further!
this was wonderful! since i watched the second season, it's been in the back of my mind that the contents of Resurrectionists minisode wasn't relevant to the present day plot the way the other two were, which led me to believe it was more relevant in the way of its themes (currently, at least - who knows what'll be brought back up in the third season, haha). thank you for this comparison and analysis, it gives me much more to chew on when i think about this episode!
Happy Days! Patrick Stewart is one of my favs, was a huge Picard fan. This was a great video, thanks for sharing this. ❤
Patrick Stewart is one of my favorite actors of all time. TNG was my comfort tv for years and years. Great choice!
@@Sendarya Voyager was my Star Trek comfort series.
Oh my god, you're right. It fucking is. It's "A Fucking Christmas Carol."
Well I'll be damned.
😄
Very interesting analysis! I don't think you are stretching it too far, it all aligns pretty nicely. Did Neil have this in mind when writting? We may never know. Because the ways of subconcious mind are quite complicated, he might not have even realised it! (Which still wouldn't make this any worse. But I doubt that he never saw the similarities/inspiration with Christmas Carol.)
I saw quite an interesting theory on tumblr: If Elspeth commited suicide, she would have gone to Hell. But from what we know, Wee Morag probably ended in Heaven. Crowley knows this and gives Elspeth a chance to become a rightous person, so she may join Wee Morag. And I would like to add: when he drank the laudanum, not only did he save Elspeth, but also had a bit of an excuse for Hell for doing good deeds. He even says it: "Sorry, not thinking clearly, on laudanum." He knew what was about to come, and wanted at least a bit of an excuse. (Even if it's being drunk.)
Happy Christmas to everybody! (Or just happy days or happy holidays, just be happy whatever you're celebrating)
The idea that the parallels are subconscious is a really good one. This story is one ingrained in our collection subconscious, and even if it isn't Neils favorite Christmas story, Terry and he were great admirers of Dickens.
The idea that saving Elspeth also have her a chance to be with Wee Morag in heaven is beautiful, then you for that. Happy holidays to you too, Willowmaid!
Always a pleasure watching your videos! ❤️
Aziraphale and Crowley
Please forgive in advance my spelling…
I may be super dense but I had to share that my favorite part of this miniside: the Resurrectionist.. because this is maybe one of my favorite sequences during all of season 2 .. and not even the entire minisode.. just the end.
I totally see and agree with 99% of all your interpretations..
But you seemed to say that the one part which I felt was incredibly meaningful - especially for Crowley and Aziraphale relationship forming and growth. Or maybe you thought it didn’t compare to Dickinson ‘“The Christmas Carol”..?
My take on this last part of Resurrectionist is really different. But I really do not want to be contrary. Since I’m sure you are absolutely right about your analogy.
Why I think the ending of the minisode is the most powerful?
I feel 1st Elspeth stole the lauded to kill herself because she is heart broken having lost her main and really only reason for all things.. especially living and that is the death of her Wee Morag.
2nd I believe when we see Crowley grab and drink down the lauded.. (lauded ?) All eyes above the heaven turn on him.. and if there were music that would not give away the power of this act? It would sound like booming thunder and screeching owls.. ok maybe tinkling bells too -
Anyway
This choice is not demonic. Crowley has not made a decision a demon would ever make and a decision most people (angel or human) wouldn’t have the foresight to see let alone choose. Although true - it won’t kill him.
But this is self sacrifice.
It may start off as a sacrifice to save Elspeth but he’s really aiming his sacrifice to Aziraphale. (Who he knows will be torchured by the suicide of Elspeth on top of feeling so terrible and responsible for the Wee Morag’s death.)
Again, I think the bigger card-playing hands are really watching and paying attention now.
3rd - I also believe Aziraphale’s wealth at that moment is about his generosity for Elspeth is that he just didn’t know he could give his money or anything until until giant Crowley - now super-high out of his brain - tells him to give it to her. Not that he’s miserly himself but that he had no idea (like he had no idea being poor is not what he thinks) it was ok for him to give something .. anything really (other than the flaming sword he did get in trouble for) to humans.
(The coins I think also tie into another cottage m-farm down the future-road because these were “angelic coins). I’m not sure about that one with the time frame but I like the idea..
Anyway …
This is where (sacrifice) we see the depth of Crowey’s love of Aziraphale and if not that then his love for humanity ..
and I think both.
And my 3rd take which fits back into. “A Christmas Carol” comparison; is how caring, dear and nonjudgmental Aziraphale is toward Crowley for drinking the Lauren and behaving soo strangely ..
in Dickon’s Christmas Carol tiny Timothy, Bob Cratchet and the other children are also forgiving and nonjudgmental of Scrooge. This is highlighted early by how angrily the protective Mrs Cratchet speaks about Scrooge on behalf of her husband.
And then there is Scrooge’s nephew and new wife who give him complete forgiveness and open themselves up to be their uncle and to live a happy family life ever after.
This forgiveness, tolerance, nonjudgmentalness is very important in the Christmas Carol. It shows and teaches us no matter how far down the path of selfishness and greed and bad nasty deeds in our lives there is redemption. We can still come home and be loved.
As Aziraphale does this whilst Crowley is behaving wildly under the influence and by especially holding him as they walk and talk right before Crowley is sucked down to agony and more torture.
My extra backup - for me about the depth of both their growth through this choice is where we see later how much Crowley wants the holy water to end his very lonely existence.
Rather than the “of course he’s punished for this good deed...” I think the lesson here is about our own individual personal truths. Our core values. Compassion and sacrifice we are willing to give eachother even when no one is looking. True generosity.
And
Sacrifice; comparing this to Scrooge who now will happily give of his “money” and more.
I do not believe it’s too late
And honestly although Crowley is beaten down by this? I think on his heart he knows it’s never too late 😉
Cuz the story is not over yet.
… were there 2 voices in this narration? Perhaps? Or just a sound difference
It's never contrary to hold you own opinions. I'm no authority figure, lol. You make good points. Crowley does show a willingness to sacrifice for Aziraphale, and for humanity in general. Both are still more aspects of personal growth than relationship growth, imo, but that's good, they do need to grow as individuals as well as a couple.
I made this video before the season 3 news broke, and had to edit a few things in it this week, hence a few audible changes where those edits are.
Happy holidays!
Such fun, and as always interesting things to think about - the most valued part of your videos. Thanks!
I look forward to our collectively moving on from parsing every scintilla of our favorite couple's dynamics and instead focusing on S3: the 2nd Coming. What IS the 2nd coming in the GO world? (a bit of background on it in general would be appreciated if you were so inclined). Will it be thwarted? Suborned? Will character arcs bend in unexpected ways? We've certainly got plenty of time to think about it ...
Season 3 speculation is certain to abound in the coming year(s)! Including here on my channel.
I watched "Scrooge" on netflix just a couple of days ago and it was really good! I expected nothing and ended up with another christmas favorite. Thanks for your analisis! Happy holidays for you!
It's possibly the best modern adaptation. I'm glad you found it and enjoyed it so much. Happy holidays to you as well!
I haven't seen Scrooged but it's an interesting cultural comment that when he wakes up in the street he's at the base of Trump tower. I knew they were saying something with that.
If people can watch staged 3 episode 6, Sheen and Tennant perform a version of Christmas Carol, hilariously.
Hilariously, yes, and also not. Lol
I really appreciate your videos!! They are so fun to watch ^^
Tho the season 2 is not quite a my cup of tee :c The minisode with cementary is probably my least favourite. And that's not because the story behind the pub's name, "The Resurrectionist", proves to be irrelevant to the plot (as the whole Aziraphale's investigation), but because Aziraphale suddenly needs to be shown by Crowley what actual goodness looks like.
Like, the first interaction between Aziraphale and a human beeing is when he gives Adam his Flaming Sword, as he is worried weather Adam and Eve are going to survive. This was sugessted by neither Crowley, nor Heaven (they are not thrilled), he figured it out himself.
So seeing how Aziraphale acts makes me sick. Even with this debt thing, he didin't want to make Maggie genuinely happier, just wanted to have his record.
I have read quite a lot of Geilman's books and I can see that Aziraphale is not a sort of character he normally writes
But still
Look how they massacred my boy
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoy them! Aziraphale is a very flawed character, for sure. He's even worse in the book. That scene from episode 3 is straight from an event in the book.
This is so genius, that almost insane…
I'm very flattered!
OMG!! WE ARE PERFORMING THE SAME!!!!!!
Wonderful! Which part are you playing?
@@Sendarya We are playing a shortened version! I’m gonna be the Christmas spirit!😁
Merry christmas!🎄🎁
Muppet Christmas Carol. The best!!!
💓
As wonderful and insightful as always. Write a book, already.
Something I noticed in S2E6 was Maggie's outfit changing from a more red based one to a blue one once she enters the bookshop on the night of the ball. What are your thoughts on that?
Maggie's colors change throughout the season, from teal to mustard to royal blue. I'd have to think on it!
Took me a moment but I realized so many people's outfits change once they enter the ball.
Another insightful analysis! I like the George C. Scott version of the story best, because... George C. Scott is a magnificent actor! Wonder what Michael Sheen would do as Scrooge??
That is a magnificent version. He brought a real weight to the performance. Isn't it amazing how many great versions there are?
Happy Holidays 💙
Happy Holidays to you as well!
Amazing!!
I think, the more important point is that knowledge is good. It goes from their first meeting (Crowley just wants to ask a few questions, what's the harm of that) to their second ("What's so bad about knowing the difference between good and bad?" (something along this..)) to this (the doctor needs these corpses to do good!). All is a struggle to gain knowledge. So i think, this is THE point of this show in a whole, that knowledge is good, but "religion" does not want to give it to keep its power over evrything. (And then again, Horkheimer/Adorno had the theory that religion as we know it is the first modern movement to bring knowledge instead of myths, so..) (But i see the moral implications about poverty too. ^^° Maybe both?)
nggh oke it's a close call But I give it to the muppets
The only disagreement I have with the whole video is that I don't think Aziraphale learned the lesson. I think he acknowledge a singular (or at least a small) loophole but he hasn't really lost the shine (and I don't think he really will until season 3). It may be more of the idiom 'two steps forward one step back'. Aziraphale actually has not had much character growth. He makes exceptions but overall toes the line. And every time he makes exceptions it hurts him. You can see that with Job, with giving the holy water to Crowley, here in a companion of owls several times, the scene in the bandstand when Crowley asks him to go away, and there are others but those are the ones my head came up with off the top.
♥️✨🥰🫶🏻♥️
Gaiman didn’t write “The Resurrectionist.” Cat Clarke did.
Correct, and it is based entirely on a bit of story directly from the book! :)
@@Sendarya The book has the discussion about people having more chances to do good the worse they start off, but it doesn’t have the setting, the plot or the characters (aside from Crowley & Aziraphale, of course).
thank you for fir this video!!! always amazed by your attention to details and the analysis 🤍🤍🤍