Good Omens || Life AFTER Coffee || Theme Breakdown
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- čas přidán 3. 07. 2024
- Nina's coffee shop, Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death, has some very specific symbolism. The name of the shop, The Statue of Liberty, and the sign: Life Begins AFTER Coffee. Let's explore what they mean for all of the characters, and possible plots in Season 3!
00:00 - Life begins AFTER Coffee
01:20 - Liberty, the History
05:12 - Liberty, the Theme
10:04 - Liberty, the Philosophy
14:32 - Liberty, the Goal
17:16 - Random Thought
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I knew being an Aziraphale apologist would pay off.
Aziraphale is clever, despite his illusions for what heaven truly is, I feel he still made the right decision in which will be resolved during season 3
We die with Aziraphale.
I wish I had the faith of Aziraphale apologists. Lol I’m not quite there just yet. I love Aziraphale and his religious trauma is real and very frustrating. I think he’s in for a harsh lesson in Heaven and maybe in that lesson he will finally break free from their toxic behavior and actions.
My original Discord name was Aziraphale Apologist Trainee. It probably shows in these videos. 😅 But yes, I think it will pay off big for us in s3!!
@@Sendarya I can't wait to see the pay off for it
Half the fandom building up hate for Aziraphale only to see said hate dissipate once he performs the apology dance
@@aAureliusSsSS I will never forgive az. none of it will dissipate. I'm sure crowley will forgive hin=m though
Me, every time you promise you won't drag us too far into the weeds: PLEASE DRAG ME VERY FAR INTO THE WEEDS
If coffee is liberty, it is very to the point that Crowley’s order is six shots of espresso in a large cup, while Aziraphale (who would not find that much liberty ”calming”) takes the eccles cakes that are associated with something that is more like a release valve than a revolution.
Yes, Crowley is more than ready for his 6 shots of Liberty!
The symbolism of Eccles cakes is pretty interesting too, especially in this context. Eccles means Church. The cakes are associated with St Mary's Feast Days where the town of Eccles would have what was known as an Eccles Wake.
So Aziraphale rejected coffee (liberty) in favour of a cake associated with religion and the Church.
But, what's also interesting, is over the centuries Eccles Wakes went from a religious ceremony to a thoroughly debauched, basically secular, drunken and hedonistic celebration, which suits Aziraphale to a tee (who absolutely ate that entire plate of cakes in one go).
@@mothturtle7897 Weren't eccles cakes banned by the church, though? I think it's an interesting connection to the church, but it's not exactly one that is symbolically clean and pure, but rather one that is associated with chaos and control. Eccles cakes aren't any more calming than coffee iis, and they do represent a crude sense of liberty in their own right as anyone who ate eccles cakes back in the day would have been going against the church. It's not as overt in its symbolism of liberty as coffee is, but the sentiment is there.
@fairywingsonroses so my understanding is things like Eccles cakes and mince pies weren't strictly banned under Cromwell but the associated celebrations and feasting on Saint days was. All these bans were lifted after the Restoration. That being said, it's a common myth, so could definitely lend to the symbolism.
These kind of videos are becoming my therapy lol thanks for all your work! Talking about Sartre on a simple way is not an easy task.
Thank you so much for recognizing that! I rather enjoy philosophy, but I think most people would be shocked to learn how many hours I spent reading, writing, comparing notes, and rewriting to make these concepts as simple but still accurate as possible. All just to get these couple of bits of info into this video. I really appreciate that someone else appreciates that!
And at the same time, it is my pleasure. No other TV show has inspired so many trips to the library. :)
I agree, her voice is very soothing. Happily listen to all of them.
I wasn’t sure if Aziraphale made the wrong choice and hopefully he would make it up to Crowley. I am not sure if Crowley will forgive him for what he did but that we will have to see if Aziraphale or Crowley show up in the 3rd one. I was sad that Aziraphale and Crowley did split up.
I think this is one reason the show has struck such a chord. As a queer person who grew up in a small, southern (USA) town, I was never free to be myself. I was "an abomination". I was a sin for merely existing. I could not go through the normal dating rituals or learning by making mistakes in relationships. I'm nearly 42 now and finally feel like I can be myself, however loudly I wish. Until I go home to visit family.
Good Omens is in my blood and I'm grateful for the community I've found in it.
Excellent video as always, Sendarya.
I'm so sorry you had to endure that. Good Omens is really special for this reason. I'm glad you feel free to be yourself, now. At least most of the time.
OMG yes! I’m I bit late, but I also wanted to say that running away could also mean the end of nightingales, in a sense that if Crowley and Aziraphale run away and let heaven destroy earth they will literally lose one of the things that they love the most, the world. Also, if the system doesn’t change, nothing guarantees their safety even if they are faraway. Aziraphale made the right decision for everyone, well, that’s what I think! ;D
I totally agree!
I definitely feel 100% that it will have been so crucial that Aziraphale went to Heaven in season 3. That was obvious to me from the start, as Neil stated that season 2 was to get them where they needed to be for season 3. It won't just be for his benefit, but for everyone's. Aziraphale is being, fundamentally, Aziraphale: wanting to help everyone, even if it seems a little naive. He wants to give the other angels the same opportunity he was given, which they never were: to be made to see why humans and Earth are worth saving. Why a demon can be good. He'd just hoped that Crowley would see why that was so important and come with him. While he was a little blinded by this to see how upset Crowley was obviously going to be, this still definitely needed to happen. The alternative was they run off together and Heaven and Hell fight again, destroying everything. Azira didn't want that: couldn't bear the thought, especially when he was being offered the chance to thwart it. He's thinking he has to save Heaven from its stupid self. To save the Earth from Heaven. To save everyone. I honestly think he's a little hurt that Crowley just wanted to abandon all that and just let everyone burn. I am honestly too. Though a part of me irrationally just wanted them to be happy and run off together even _if_ it meant our destruction. I'm sure everyone here feels the same. But not Azi: he cares so much about the world. He's _come_ to care about it, _because_ of Crolwey. Which was why I was surprised that Crowley wasn't the one wanting to stick around and defend it. It was Azi with the level head, saying we need to fix this and not abandon it, while Crowley wanted to run, just like he did in season 1 when things got bad. Crowley may have had to work to convince Aziraphale that the Apocalypse was bad, but once Aziraphale decided he was right, he wasn't going to abandon us. Crowley gets scared and tries to preserve his relationship to Aziraphale when things get tough, and is totally ready to leave us all to our fates. He _likes_ the world, but Aziraphale cares more deeply about it. Crowley cares about Aziraphale. Maybe because he doesn't want to be alone.
Yes to everything you said! Exactly. He's trying to fix the system from inside the system, which may or may not turn out to work, but his goal is noble. I wish more people could see how hurt and rejected they both feel. It wasn't a one sided proposal!
Thank you for the excellent comment!!
Thank you, Professor Sendarya, for another fascinating video! It's like I'm back in college going to my Thursday afternoon class, Good Omens 201. Existentialism! This goes a long way to explaining why this series wormed it's way under my skin so deeply. We definitely hit the despair, so now I'm looking forward to the Liberty in season 3!
Professor Sendarya 😂. I am honestly so glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes I worry that I wander a bit off on my own, but it's heartening to see other people find these weeds as interesting as I do!
Sendarya you are a godsend to this fandom, all of your essays give me something new to mentally chew on, It shocks me every time how much effort and research goes into these videos and I appreciate it so much.
Thank you so much. I'm at a loss for words 💗
Wow just Wow! As soon as you connected the dots to Jean Paul Sartre’s line I was in shock! The sign now reading Life begins after liberty has me on the edge of my seat for what’s to come in S3!! 😱 10:23 Fantastic job as always!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you! It is funny, because for every video where I share a moment of enlightenment about something, I also had a similar moment. It's fun, and such a great feeling, when the pieces click into place!
In every new video you open my eyes to new details you spot in the show (or the book) and than you open my eyes to meaning - that I did not expect, but I follow your voice, your thoughts, the images, the examples, the history, the philosophy and now I see it too. The next few days, when I drink my coffee, I will think about liberty. Not independance, not freedom, Liberty. Maybe read a little Sartre on the side. Thank you, Sendarya. You are a miracle.
Language is such a beautiful thing, and the slight differences in meaning in words is really fascinating. Enjoy your morning coffee, and I do recommend Sartre. It can be a bit thick to read at times, but also really interesting. Existentialism and Humanism is very relevant to modern ideas.
Thank you so much for the very, VERY, lovely compliment. ❤️
i haven't finished the video so i don't know if you mention this, but i think it's quite fitting that season 3 is rumoured to (partially) take place in america, since neil has said that he and terry planned the sequel of the book to have jesus arriving in america for the second coming! (if i recall correctly)
That's interesting! I will have to hunt this down and see if I can find the original tumblr or interview. It would make sense...
That fits with the book, so sounds likely. Get ready for Buddy Christ memes and introducing the young ones to Dogma
they paid for that set in Scotland... do they have the money for new sets? I'm against it. america has no gothic vibe
I'd love to see that spoiler from Neil himself....remember, he's the "wait and see" guy and there are so many "spoilers" out there that I would take anything with a grain of salt....
Yes! Since watching the first season, I've been feeling a lot of recalls to my former philosophy and English literature studies about Existentialism, Surrealism, and "pricing the veil" of binaries (good & evil, inclusion & exclusion, us & them).
What Crowley strives for is something outside the system of Heaven & Hell, but that in itself is impossible so long as the system exists, because to be "out" of the system mandates the existence of something to be "out" of.
The whole story is a paradox, and the great literatures that have explored these themes (Parsifal, Faust, The Magic Mountain, Joseph Campbell's Hero of a Thousand Faces) typically end in the protagonist's literal, metaphorical, or symbolic death.
I know Neil is well-read, but I hope against hope that he has some way of flipping this...
Edit: I posted too soon! Should've finished the last random thoughts before I rushed to comment. The binarism of values and philosophy is very much a Western concept. So, the antidote to that is very much is the essence of Eastern philosophies like Yin & Yang, which accept that dualist natures are actually all one. So it's very exciting and encouraging to see that Neil may already be well ahead of my worries!
There seems to be quite a lot of eastern philosophy and principles underlying the story as well, so yes, I also hope he finds a way to flip it. Great Examples. I wanted to use some Music from Faust but couldn't find a suitable recording.
I have zero idea how Neil will handle the problem of binaries. I mean, in universe it's recognized as a problem, so perhaps some sort of union will be the answer!
Good to meet another philosophy nerd. Campbell has been done to death. I hope Neil will go a little more outside the box than that.
Bit speechless. Just when I think there aren’t further depths to GO to find another layer emerges. This whole thing makes so much sense - existentialism/pursuit of liberty/revolution fits perfectly. Neil is a genius, and so is this video.
Aziraphale: "𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓸 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷; 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓘 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓮?"
This, from the guy who DOESN'T DRINK COFFEE. He's an avowed tea drinker.
Yet, coffee suddenly became the anchor keeping Aziraphale on Earth. Strange.
Is Aziraphale socially lying to flatter the Metatron? That would be both unnecessary (Aziraphale already accepted the proffered coffee back in the bookshop) and risky-- the Metatron might know.
Or is "...𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓘 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓮?" a subtle-- even unconscious-- nod to coffee as 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙮-- the liberty Aziraphale wants, here with Crowley, on Earth.
Yes!! Well spotted, that could well be the meaning of that line! It makes no sense if taken literally, as you rightly point out. Well spotted!
You're the catalyst, dear @Sendarya! I file away strange, little 𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕺𝖒𝖊𝖓 oddities into an antique filing cabinet with 100 wooden drawers. There it sits quietly, peacefully, until... *🅱🅰🅼!!* here's Sendarya with a deep dive into said oddity! ❤your videos, my dear; esp. the historical ones. They are well researched and educational!
Neil Gaiman may not have answered where "Life begins *AFTER* coffee" comes from - because Neil may not have come up with the idea for the sign. Neil has already stated that he has been amazed at how creative the production team have been at elaborating his ideas and bringing more to the table than he could have imagined. Therefore he might not be quite sure what the inspiration was other than he had directed the coffee shop be called "Give me coffee or give me death".
Excellent point!
Well, whoever came up with it, it fits the rest of the theme really well!
Sartre's tone always sounds grim in his writing, but when you really think about what hes saying, it's more positive. For example, he said we are never complete until death, as there is always another choice. I always took it as if you didnt like how you acted in one instance, there will always be another opportunity to choose differently. We are never defined by one choice.
I agree! A great deal of philosophy is perspective.
@@Sendarya also, I could be wrong since it's been 20 years since my philosophy class, but I believe it was kierkegard (if not kierkegard then heidegger I read them at the same time and therefore link the two always now) who wrote about faith and hope, despair and resignation in his example about Abraham. That's the writing I thought you were going to instead of satre. But then again I haven't read everything sartre wrote
Yes and no. I don't like Sartre and don't read him this way, but it does make sense. In the end, his characters always ended making the wrong choices. They could have made the right choices, yes, but that remains theoretical.
@@Donnagata1409 oh, I don't believe for one second that Satre was writing that in an optimistic way and any optimistic interpretation of it is only unintentionally implied. I'm not big fan of his writing either.
Im not analitical like you are, and I'm probably being over simplified. To me, the statue represented Nina getting out of an abusive relationship. She may not have realized she was in an abusive relationship, but something in her longed for liberty, and the statue was the physical representation of that yearning.
Indeed, Nina is one of the many characters seeking Liberty! Excellent point :)
So interesting theory. Everything Neil Gaiman writers has a reason.
Yes, it all seems very intentional!
something I only just realised recently about the coffee shop has really been bugging me, I'm sure it has to mean something. There are two doors. One under each part of the sign. One for "Give me coffee" and another for "Give me death". I'm not sure if the 'death door' gets used at all during season 2 but I'm sure it's not there by mistake!
Excellent observation! I also noticed that various characters are under either side OR seen through windows with the reflection of the words. That's something to look into!
I was going to pause the video to mention Anathema burning the second book in order to choose her own way. Glad I waited!
This is a very thorough examination of the theme(s)
Thank you. I am sure I didn't list every instance of it, since it is soooo prevalent, but that one does really stand out!
Every video is just so good. Such interesting and well-argued ideas, clear and concise script that is easy to follow, relevant visuals that support each point (to name just a few). It's some academic level stuff right here and I absolutely love it! Sendarya puts so much effort into these and it shows.
Wow, thank you for the lovely compliments! I'm just learning to make these helpful graphics, and I love being able to continue to grow as a novice video editor. I appreciate the recognition of the work, very much! ❤️
Very interesting take on the themes - I had missed all the statue of liberty references in the coffee shop. The more I learn about the set and shot design of this show, the more in awe I am of the team that created it
Same!
Your videos are unlike anything else, well researched and entertaining, and you can drag me into the weeds anytime. 😇
This is such an fantastic explanation of history and linking it to the time periods of Good Omens. The concept of Liberty and it being a freedom not only to do as you wish, but be free of an oppressive entity, is incredibly well explained.
But I think something very key in the story-telling was missed.
We first see Nina's coffee shop through the window of Maggie's - specifically we see Aziraphale framed within the doorway of Maggie's shop, and "Give Me Death" through the window. (It's also the scene in which Aziraphale is maintaining the Status Quo of Whickber Street to be maintained through 'Forgiveness' - the parallels)
After which we see Crowley, knowingly informing a spy where the person he's looking for is because he has insight on the system, followed by him asking Shax what the point of Heaven and Hell is, and declaring it pointless.
We first see Crowley and the coffeeshop together in a shot with the 'Life begins after Coffee' sign clearly visible - and he goes in to order and extremely strong cup of coffee. or Liberty, in this metaphor. Aziraphale is Not a coffee drinker - in fact instead of ordering something for himself, he responds to Crowley's questions about how he wants to tell someone about the good he's done 'now that [he's] not reporting to Heaven' before the order is made, and then orders 'something to calm you down')
Later Metatron arrives at the shop with a coffee from that coffeeshop - the physical embodiment of Liberty, artificially sweetened with something associated with poison, and Biblically with God watching and fulfilling their promises of a reckoning, and gives it to Aziraphale. Aziraphale drinks from that poisoned cup, and he leaves that conversation with the Metatron without the coffee and having been convinced to give up his Liberty - "I don't want to go to Heaven, where would I get my coffee" (what about my Liberty) - Death isn't erasure, or at least not only, returning to Heaven is a kind of Death because it's an end to his life with Crowley.
And catching on how you noticed the shot of Aziraphale and Lady Liberty, and how she has become associated with war... and that Aziraphale's Supreme Archangel role is meant to facilitate Heaven starting the next War - as revealed to him After he accepted the job. I'd have never thought about the statue, but something that's meant to represent Liberty being twisted - isn't that just what Metatron did to the coffee he gave Aziraphale?
The last time Aziraphale looks at Crowley, that sign is there again, that 'Life begins after Coffee' - Crowley is the one who in refusing to return to Heaven has chosen Liberty, and per the sign Life.
Which parallels so neatly with Aziraphale having been framed in a doorway with "Give Me Death" back in episode one, as he's shown about to walk into the Heavenly elevator doors.
Crowley is the coffee drinker between them, and he's the one who remained free.
I personally feel that Aziraphale was tricked and manipulated - "People are so predictable" - that he believed he really could restore Crowley to being an angel again, that they could be happy and safe, and truly make Heaven a truly good place - I almost feel like it was confirmed by Neil saying that he wrote Before the Beginning after writing the ending to the season, it was the perfect thing to make us understand what Aziraphale thought he could give back to Crowley "like the old times, only even nicer" and being an Angel and Unfallen has been so deeply important to Aziraphale for so long, how could he bring himself to believe it could be a bad thing? - and because Aziraphale was not aware of the Second Coming or what Heaven had planned for Gabriel.
But no matter how you interpret Aziraphale's motivations, the visual story telling is that coffee represents Liberty, Metatron presented Aziraphale with that symbolic coffee and Aziraphale left that conversation without it.
That's certainly a valid interpretation! Of course there was no way to take it in either case. Aziraphale, as you say, doesn't drink coffee. Yet.
I like to think that although the metatron did manipulate him, clearly, he's got a plan to do that right back. To take the liberty offered. Or more accurately, fight for it. That's all hinted at with the magic trick and the smile.
But, I appreciate your take on the scene!
I don't think he knew he needed to fight the Metatron at that point. He didn't know about the second coming or the Heaven planned to mindwipe Gabriel.
He just knew he was being offered a very high position - which was not enough to entice him - and then the chance to give Crowley, who hated Hell and is cagey about Falling, back his Angelic status and Heaven, the heavens. And we got to see what creating stars meant to Crowley.
Aziraphale's plan was to show Heaven just how wonderful Earth is. That things could be in shades of grey.
And he had a swift realisation that what he planned and what Metatron planned were not the same at the elevator, and now how could he back out and not try for Earth and Crowley.
Do you thinks the Emma Lzarus poem at the base of the Statue comes into the reach for freedom?
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
You know, I meant to look into that and got very side tracked, but yes!! That seems extremely fitting. I need an addendum to the video, now 🤗
"- It's all af us, against all of them. - Heaven and Hell against Humanity?" I guess, everyone that wants to keep the status quo static and quo-ey against everyone that wants to redefine themselfs away from their given identity, wich is part of the human condition. I totally agree with everything you say! The oppressors against the oppressed.
Such wonderful video as always. You never miss a detail. Thanks for such wonderful analysis and dedicated work, dear Sendarya. ❤❤❤
Wonderful! Thank you so much for this detailed disclosure. It’s such a shame that Neil doesn’t watch fan videos. This one would definitely put a smile on the face of the mystery mastermind 😉
Thank you so much. ❤️ Maybe after season 3 is done filming, he will stumble over here 😅 Maybe never, though. I suspect he doesn't look even after all is said and done.
@@Sendarya And maybe he is looking, but will never admit 😉
In this context Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: And a Song of Liberty" is worth reading 😀
Oh! I'm not familiar with that. I've name a note to check it out, thank you!
@@Sendarya Not an easy read, since Blake pretty much created his own mythology. Or with his own words: "I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's".
A lot of his insights can much later been found in Carl Jungs ideas too. Interestingly, both have also a lot to say about the story of Job...
This was soo interesting, I sat with my mouth open the first minutes and eventually had to go reheat my food 😂
I'm soo bad at paying attention to all these little details, even though I've watched the show soooo many times!
Don't feel bad about that. For one thing, the characters and dialog are so good, it's hard to pay attention to anything else. And I still catch new things on every re-watch. There's just that much going on!
Thank you so much. I hope you eventually got to enjoy your meal 😊
Hope it wasn't too dry at the end. Anyway, it must have been worth it!
I've been saying that it seemed like Metatron giving Aziraphale the coffee was a veiled threat. As in, if he didn't take the coffee, he'd get the death. And obvs offering to bring Crowley wasn't a real risk for Heaven because they knew he'd refuse, but it worked a treat to manipulate Aziraphale.
Exactly!
Your beautifully reasoned and insightful videos always slay me. I've never had so much fun, and learned so many amazing things, in any other fandom.🤓 You are truly a treasure, and we're all lucky to have you here in Good Omens Crazy Land.😵💫Thanks for making this.🙏
Thank you so much, I'm blushing 😊
Let's goooooo ❤❤❤❤
Thank you for this video. Well done for managing to explain Sartre's philosophy in just a few lines. ^^The theme of revolution is everywhere in this second season! I hadn't seen the reference to American Independence: that was really interesting. I also think that the war will turn into a revolution. I wonder if the absence of God as narrator isn't also a sign of this change. Perhaps the Metraton (who is an authoritarian tyrant) has taken power in Paradise, and if God "no longer exists", perhaps this will lead angels (led by Aziraphale?) to join this revolution alongside the humans. 🤔
There are so many ways we can get to a revolution, I like that idea! It might be that God is, essentially, out of the picture. I think Aziraphale must have some positive influence in his position, as that will make his sacrifice, leaving earth and Crowley, have meaning.
Another really interesting vue on the details of the show. Thank you for broadening my understanding of the story. So much fun!
Thanks for the video!!
My only worry is that Aziraphales breaking point may end up being something happening to Crowley 😢 BECAUSE possibly of some end result of a future Aziraphale action/choice.
I hope I'm wrong on that, but Aziraphale already seemed ready to give up his earthly loves(including his Bookshop) AS LONG AS he had Crowley by his side.
I feel his only tipping point may be Crowley in peril or possibly rumored to be. However if something did happen to Crowley I think Aziraphale would double down and do everything to win, "for heavens sake". An all or nothing bid, since he had already lost or Thought he lost Crowley.
I wouldn't put it past the metatron to do something or set something in motion to cause it. The way he glared at Crowley when leaving the Bookshop was proof enough he loathed him for me.
And again, your video doesn't fail to surprise me. Thank you for sharing your perspective and for your researches!!
Loved this!!! Existentialism and revolution are some of the most interesting themes in GO (imo). I have been sensing that we are headed for a revolution since 2019. It is EXACTLY the story we as a society needs rn. Our politicians are corrupt, our broadcasters liars, our employers take advantage of us. I hope s3 will inspire us to stand together and take our liberty back! 🕊
The one thing, re your random thought, that I notice throughout Neil and Sir Terry's work is an emphasis on balance and perspective.
I really rnjo all your theories ot makes my "wait and see" shorter
Also I started learning how to play song The book of love on guitar it such a beautiful song for both of angel and demon
Oh, guitar is such a lovely instrument. I hope you can share it with us, love to hear when you learn it!
These videos are literally giving me life, I swear!! Another amazing analysis!!
My sincere pleasure, and thank you!
I love your videos and analyses, they add so much perspective and joy to the show when I rewatch the episodes.
Glad you enjoy it!
As at least one other noted here, I too, took a Phil course on Existentialism in college (that was oh so many years ago though) - so maybe that is yet another reason I fell I love with this series. Anyway - again I am in awe of your insight and astute observations as well as your ability to pull so much information together and present it in a’tuneful way’. Thank you! I feel pleased at myself at catching the yin/yang symbolism on my second watching - and of course the give me liberty or give me death line was easy enough, as an American, to see - but all the underlying meanings ….well you are amazing! Every week I await your posting to see what new insights you will be sharing ❤
Thank you so much! And greetings fellow philosophy nerd :)
I feel like theres definitely a third metaphor hidden in the coffee that the metatron gave to aziraphale. I think on some level, it represents aziraphales final choice. He took the coffee, although it was practically forced on him, he had to step forward and make that choice. He chose heaven, he chose to drink the coffee. I hope his frustration and opposition to heaven is strengthened in season 3, where he could have some sort of breakdown, where he finally stands up for himself, not letting anyone else chose *for* him. Because hes never gotten that choice, his life has been controlled and mainly monitored, usually not how he likes.
In following this theme, he chose liberty in choosing the coffee. Choosing the coffee, choosing going to heaven is another sip, another action toward his liberation. It just doesn't seem like that choice now.
The poet David Whyte once said "we do good things thinking we are doing bad things and bad things thinking we are doing good things." Hindsight aids in the seeing. There is nuance, complexity and unintended consequences hidden beneath the brush strokes of our lives. Often we aren't accomplishing what we think we are with our actions.
Yayayay!! Another video ❤. Love your videos!!
Citing “good omens analysis video” in my history essay
It's legit. Do it!
I just watched this again, as I have several others. And a few early ones I missed before I discovered your videos. Your ability to delve into Good Omens and dissect various scenes to find deeper meanings makes your videos exceptional. If these were a series of lectures in a book, I could read, underline and ponder your insights and theories. I’m not an auditory learner and never remember much that I hear. So rewatching some of them brings to mind new thoughts, new questions and more appreciation for the time and research you have done.
Thank you so much. I understand what you mean about not being an auditory learner. I appreciate the rewatches!
17:14 Literally tearing up at the " I am Free" TwT
This show has so many little details, it makes me want to make the happy angel Crowley noises 😂 I learn so much with your videos, thank you so much!
My pleasure! We will all make happy angel Crowley noises together :)
This was a good one, longing for the next! Honestly, your analysis of GO almost gives me more than watching GO. Neil Gaiman should be paying you.
That's so nice of you to say, I'm blushing! 🥰
Another layer of symbolism to consider (not saying I necessarily disagree with your take): coffee, as a real-world product, represents real-world exploitation to many farmers and their communities, rather than liberty or liberation. It is one of the most valuable and sought-after commodities in the world, yet its actual growers are often left destitute by huge corporations paying such low prices for it, and its growth in gigantic factory farms frequently devastates the local environments, including rainforests we rely on for our very air.
Excellent point. My take was very much a western-centric one. Coffee (and cocoa and palm oil and a few other things like it) are truly devastating to locals, and we almost always put it all out of our minds. Thank you for bringing that up! I don't know if it's anything to do with GO's themes (it may though!), but it's certainly important in the real world!!
Hello sensei. I was in shock when you talk about Sartre. Such a good job. But do you know that, in France, the most famous quote of Sartre is : "l'enfer c'est l'autre". In english, "Hell is the other one ". One of the reasons is because with someone else, you have to define a submission/domination relation.
Thanks for all your vidéos. Kiss from France.
I did not know that about Sartre, thank you for that information. Hello there in France!
i’ve been waiting for this one!! excited to watch it!!
For my money, Heaven will hurt Crowley and then Aziraphale will take things apart. He has never fought for himself but he will fight for Crowley
Let's hope so. Azi has a lot to make up for.
Love it, thank you. I always learn some things and have fun watching your videos.
Amazing video! I learned a lot ♡
I love how you're working in all these historical and philosophical themes! Makes me learn something new
Excellent as always, I love it, just perfect video ❤❤❤❤
I love your videos and this one is especially interesting
you’re very good at this!!!!
I think the pursuit of liberty has really been a very strong theme throughout the show and book. Also I never mind a history lesson!
Huh. I think I might be an existentialist. Thanks for the philosophy education!
20:20 *points* Hey! That's me! (insert the excited angel Crowley emoji here)
Wahoo! You did really nail that trivia, and there were some tough questions!
marvelous!!
Thank you so much ! I really enjoy your videos !
It is my pleasure, and thank you 😊
Thanks for sharing the yin yang imagery (that was me 🧘) and thanks for another insightful video, can't wait for the revolution in season 3!
Ahhh! Thank you for posting. I'll mention you in the next video! ❤️
@@Sendarya Oh no need to mention! Just glad to share in the appreciation of those tiny thoughtful details that make the GO world building so layered and lovely 💕
Amazing job as usual!!! We all appreciate you SO much! Thank you! ☺️🙂💕
You are so welcome! And thank you 🥰
This was amazing! Thank you for the thought and care you put into these conversations. This is one of my favorite vids that you’ve done so far!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
🥰
These videos are always a huge delight to my week! Thank you so much for sharing your insights!!
It's always my pleasure ❤️
Absolutely excellent analysis and, I believe, spot on. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you kindly! ❤️
Thanks!
Wow, thanks so much!! 🥰
Another BRILLIANT video. Thanks!
Thank you so much! ❤️
You never disappoint! Such a great video.....
Thank you Bentley! 🥰
Simply brilliant. These videos are gold.
Thank you so much! 💓
YOU ARE BRILLIANT! I appreciate the opportunity to view this series with a rational perspective. It provokes my mind to think rather than just react and stimulate brain cells.
I cant belive just HOW MUCH youve been able to sqeeze out of just this 2nd season, truly remarkable
You and me, both!
Thank you for everything you do! Your videos are honestly so wonderful, and I'm convinced you've changed the fandom, as well as everyone's lives in some small way, by making them more thoughtful, for the better.
That's so kind of you to say, thank you!
The Metatron is so King George 3rd. The musical numbers from Hamilton come I to mind, lol. "I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love." It hits, doesn't it? I'm very much on the team of Aziraphale going to heaven to save Crowley instead of abandoning him. I think that smirk of his before the end credits could be him being excited to save Crowley. Because if there's one thing Crowley does to his angel, it's makes him smile in a variety of ways. Great video, asalways. I have daily fun with fellow fans in discord. Highly recommend joining if you haven't already.
What an insightful and educational video, at the same time as being darn enjoyable entertainment on our favourite show! Thanks for reminding me of Sartre, perhaps I will brush up my French with some of his writings.
The GoGot event will be a wonderful testament to the wholesome influence Good Omens has over the fandom. ❤❤
I certainly hope so, regarding GOGoT!
If you could read Sartre in his native language, that must be a real treat! So much nuance is probably lost in translation.
So insightful! The last time the sign was mentioned by you in another video (think it was you... sure it was), while a bit more simplified I think, my thoughts on "life begins after coffee" is that Aziraphale is given coffee, and that after this (long after, I'm talking season 3), life begins for them, i.e their South Downs cottage. ^_^
Boy oh boy, do I have things to say about Liberty! So, some time around Halloween I shared a little theory with @sendarya about the music composition Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns (played in s2ep3.) That composition is based on a poem by Henry Cazalis, who writes: "Long live death and equality!" The poem is called, of course, Danse Macabre, but I found that it is also called Égalité - Fraternité (when reading stuff about it in French). This is a reference to the French revolution motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood), but Liberty is missing. Is there then no Liberty in death and we are all doomed to obey someone's will, The Ineffable plan? (That was pasted from the theory, now we gonna conect that back to the video.)
So now, I agree with all the Coffee=Liberty stuff. And it's either Death or Liberty, even in the poem Liberty isn't part of the Death! So, you have to choose between that.
If you take the sign "Life begins after coffee" quite literally, you get that life begins after the final 15. And it does! We got confirmed from Neil himself that s3 will not be gentle and romantic, (and I add) it will be action packed. This is also the time when charaters will go through their character arcs fully and develop. Yes, life only begins after that.
And I really think when Aziraphale left for Heaven, it was the same Crowley did the night before. Crowley went to resolve a problem but had no time to tell Aziraphale. I think the same happened with Metatron.
A very lovely vid to sew a cosplay to!
On the note about fic writing group, when did we become organised😂? Like yes, some lovely mods pin the messages and everything, but we just do our own things throughout the week and then flood the chat with fanfics on friday and notes on other's fanfics on the weekend LOL😂
I didn't know about the connections of that piece of music to Liberty, thank you for sharing that @willowmaid !
That's a great find.
About the fics, you are right, I guess I should have said, very active instead of organized! lol
Why do most of your videos have to have me pacing around my room, jaw dropped 😭 Neil is a devious little genius. Anyway, have a great day y’all!
Have a great day, as well! And thank you :)
Preciate you, girl
I love the dedication in every video here! although I know is all just for fun this one made me think that a last straw moment for az would be cool to see and wander what it would be that would made him finally turn his back on heaven. I cant settle if it would be something cute and sweet (like just missing crowley so much he cant function) or something really dark and painful (like they hurting/torturing crowley or he finding out they did something like that in the past).
It is fun to speculate! He is very much a guardian angel, and although he's not close to any specific humans, he's been been willing to break the rules to save them in the past. It might be for Crowley, or it might be for humanity, or maybe something else that hasn't even crossed our collective minds. Only Neil knows at this point.
Thank you!
I miss them
Me too, already. How can we wait so long?
These videos are always fabulous but you outdid yourself with the research on this one. When I first watched season 2 ep 6, I was upset at Aziraphale. After rewatching it a million times now (lol) I realized that the Metatron wasn’t really asking Aziraphale to go to Heaven, he was telling him he had to go or else. I hope Crowley realizes this too, but he was so hurt it may take a while for him to be able to step back and see the big picture.
Exactly! And also, thank you so much :)
yes.
I couldn't help noticing you used a piece of music called "The 1812 Overture", composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880, with the US Revolutionary War in the background.
Thanks Sendarya for more well=considered themes and thoughts to feed our heads!
(just a note: Newt's question to Anathema ... do you want to be a descendant, not ancestor)
Ahaha, that's a hilarious mistake. I watched the scene and wrote the opposite word, lol. Thank you for the correction ☺️
Adding Sartre...sweet. Honestly, I think you are onto Neil and Terry. Enjoyed your hard work once again. P.S. The Good Omens podcast you inspired will be live on the 16th...really nervous - new adventure. I'll send you the link when it opens up. It will be one of 3 to start. 🙂
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing your podcast!
Feel free to email me if you'd like a guest someday 😊
@@Sendarya That is a great idea!
The Ying Yang symbolism is dascinating.
Let's keep in mind that even those who espouse liberty and fight for it can still suffer from their own internal bindings and prisons, and cause others to suffer servitude as well: Patrick Henry was a life-long, unrepentant slaveholder.
Absolutely true. Liberty for me, but not for thee. It's impossible to reference history without these sorts of moral conflicts arising.
Bit late to the game, but I love these analysis vids
Thank you very much. You aren't late. Lots of people are just finding Good Omens. All are welcome!
Oof so many layers, because Neil writes in 4D. I appreciate the dive into the existentialists here!
Give me Coffee (liberty) or Give me Death.
The liberty to escape or death by a thousand paper cuts of Nina by her emotionally abusive partner.
The liberty from or death/oppression by heaven and hell on their denizens.
The liberty to love or death-of-love-by-celestial-lies between Aziraphale and Crowley.
And then... what happens AFTER you get what you want/thought you wanted?
What is liberty now, what happens after the coffee?
Aziraphale has got to have something up his sleeve even more than a lucky farthing that made the trick. It's the only reason I can see him having said the things he said to Crowley at the end and then scarpering off up the big lift.
Great examples, yes!
And I fully agree, his biggest magic trick is yet to come.
Give me coffee or give me death - Aziraphale was about to be written out of the Book of Life ( just before he's offered the coffee) - not just killed, but never to have existed! Heaven has that power and don't doubt the Metatron would resort to threats if the bribe didn't work. A has no choice, for himself, Crowley or 'the "world'
1812 ouverture ❤
I recently said something along this thought in a comment on Discord (didn't tag you, though) but Sendarya, as quickly as you're decoding all of the S1 and S2 easter eggs, Neil is going to have to make you sign an NDA (for our foreign friends who may not know American acronyms, NDA stands for "non-disclosure agreement," or basically, saying "no spoilers!") because you're going to figure out the plot of S3 as quickly as he's writing it! 🤫 🎉
These videos always have SO much to process, and I find myself watching them multiple times, sometimes looping them the day of release for as long as needed, in hopes of absorbing it all. I love an earlier comment where someone called you Professor Sendarya, because I do really feel I've been schooled in the GO universe after watching these. I just hope it all pays off for me during the final exam after S3 is released! 😅 Thank you times infinity for making these for us and fueling our need for as much GO content as possible! 🫂❤️💐
I'm blushing, thank you!
Honestly, I suspect Neil is going to do some unexpected things, and just wow us all. I wish I could explain how this show has dragged me into reading, watching and researching such a wide variety of things. And it's always so much fun to learn! I'm thrilled other people are on this same crazy journey with me. 🥰
Hiya great video as always, I only found your vids recently but I've watched them all now lol.
Just wanted to ask you what you think Aziraphale's reaction meant when Shax says that he doesn't seem Crowley's type at all? I can't quite figure it out. Thanks
Hi there, and thank you!
Well first, it's so cute and funny, the eyebrow. But if I had to guess, I'd say he is thinking something along the lines of, I'm exactly his type! Lol
Then again, perhaps it only made him start to wonder more. Both of them were getting a lot of external nudges that they were a couple. This might be Aziraphale’s equivalent to Crowley’s moment with Nina.
Then again, again, lol...Aziraphale seems to be more aware that he loves Crowley, and I mean, he would use that word, for a while now. So it does seem more of a snarky, proves what you know, kind of reaction.
Crowley knows Aziraphale means everything to him, not sure he realized what that meant exactly or would use the word love, until more recently.
But it's all interpretation. What do you think??
I thought probably the same the first couple of times but then the brief delay in the eyebrow raise made it seem like maybe it was sarcastic or put on somehow for possibly Shax's benefit and maybe not his immediate true feeling?
After considering that I just couldn't make my mind up lol.
It also made me wonder if Aziraphale was more aware of how Crowley really felt about him than Crowley was....?
So full of info! I love it. The themes of British colonialism and rebellion, as well as the reference to the relationship between America and Britain, remind me of the court scene in Stairway to Heaven / A Matter of Life and Death.
Just one small correction - it isn't the Metatron who asks about the shop name, it's Crowley. He asks it at a rather odd time in the show - just before he gets Nina into the ball. I haven't figured out why it's said at that point yet.
Edit: Thanks to Ryle for helping on the video 😊
Ah, you are correct, thank you!
I have a Powell and Pressburger video in the works. That film is THE most relevant, but the others all have something to contribute as well.
Yes, that stairway scene! I will say no more for now, but well spotted. 😉
Unrelated to the video, but I was rewatching GO2 and in the last episode when Crowley is coming down from heaven in the elevator, where did Michael and Uriel come from? They weren't in the previous scene. It was just Crowley, Saraquel, and Muriel. Just a weird thing. Not sure it means anything at all.
Good question, looks like a little scene was cut here where then join the party heading down, is my guess.