u/Plus-Language-9874

Well, I've tried everything: made rant posts about the finale; I've grieved and tried to put it out of my head and thought I was getting past it. Now, I think the bitter taste might always be in my mouth because, like someone else posted a day ago after the Prime account closed, I realized I'm traumatized. So, here's why, and then a silly little poem I hope might give fellow traumatized GO goblins some comfort, Lol.

* The finale changed the message (for the worse):

Season 1-- "It's not right or worth it to destroy even one person" (aka Adam); Season 3-- "We and everything in our universe is wrong, so destroying it is okay." Nope. If the price of a new universe is the physical destruction of the old one, that price is ALWAYS too high. Also, as far as A and C's choice being touted as "self-sacrifice": it's NOT "self-sacrifice" if you take everyone else out with you. That's just called genocide. Wanna damn yourself? Fine. Don't make that choice for every other living thing.

*The finale's illogic: the annihilation of a freaking universe because of one planet-- earth?! How stupidly myopic and arrogant.

*How would we feel if things were reversed? If OUR universe got erased? (BTW, it IS ours in the original story; no finale retconning can change that).

*Book/season 1&2: life and respect for everyone and the audience and their beliefs, both religious/non-religious; season 3: spits in the face of this and preaches "only one right way," , aka, ONLY our secular universe can be. And supernatural beings are now inherently worthless as themselves. Ughhh

*Season 3 expects us to set aside our morality. To forget our abhorrence of, oh, I don't know-- genocide-- and be "grateful" some cardboard cut-outs have a fanfic meet-cute when a universe has just been erased with no choice in the matter before our very eyes. They've got our emotions focused on the wrong "card in the game." Focused on a tired, tragic love story trope, aka, a creation by NG for the show, that gaslights and misdirects us away from the message of genocide/ su*cide.

* I can't help but wonder DT's thoughts, having played two genocidal characters now: the Doctor and Crowley. Only in Dr. Who, he's rightfully depicted as overcome with guilt over the immorality of what he's done. So, since when did the world of wholesome media start thinking the "g" word is okay? Also, speaking of the Doctor, no wonder DT himself said Asa and Anthony only "look a bit like A and C," but aren't them. After all, as the 10th Doctor said, "A footprint isn't a boot."

The original story did what the finale failed to do: it talked about serious things without ever taking itself too seriously.

And now a little "ditty" my spastic brain made up. May it bring comfort or at least a pity cringe. 😂

"The Way It Really Ended"

Come, my Good Omens friends!

Let's turn your tears to laughter

By telling you a truer tale

Of happ'ly ever after.

Where there's no annihilation;

No universe is gone.

There's Angels, Demons, Humans still;

Free will for everyone!

And that's the way

It's going to stay

For ages-- ages more;

All creatures that are great and small

Both humans-- supernatural-- all--

Still in the world that they adore.

The Them and our young Adam

Have set the world to right;

Apocalypse averted!

The future's big and bright.

Anathema and Newt

Are getting married soon;

They've just bought Jasmine Cottage

Last Monday afternoon.

And snuggled in their bungalow

They've nicknamed "Shangri-la,"

Shadwell and Madame Tracy

Are having their hoorah.

I know what you're all thinking;

Don't worry, we're not through!

For where would our Good Omens be

Without our favorite two?!

So here's Aziraphale

With Crowley by his side;

A cozy South Downs cottage

Is where they both reside.

The bookshop in the village

Keeps the Angel rather busy

While the flowers in their garden

Keep poor Crowley in a tizzy!

They have a castle too, of course,

With tow’rs of white and gray

Where often times they’ll host a ball

And dance the night away.

The feasts they have are famous

With neighbors far and wide.

The air is filled for miles around

With smells of food that’s baked and fried.

There's gravlax with dill sauce,

And deviled eggs piled high;

And wine, and cocoa, Angel cake,

And every kind of pie.

The townsfolk often wonder

How the castle came to be;

The "when," and "why," and "wherefore"

Remain a mystery.

But since the two newcomers

Are quirky-- true-- but kind,

The neighbors shrug

And scratch their heads,

And never seem to mind.

"We're all so bloody lucky!"

They all seem to agree,

"With constant invitations

To a castle, and for free!"

The Angel and the Demon

Can't really help but snicker

(Till they arrange the seating chart

And start to snark and bicker...).

But then, there are those lazy days

Spent by the fireside,

Just sharing in a friendship

Where they don't have to hide.

Often, though, on sunny days

It's off to London town!

To stroll the park

And feed the ducks

Until the sun goes down.

Then dinner-- always-- at the Ritz

(No reservation needed)

Then back again to cottage life

And getting gardens weeded.

"Who knew retirement'd be such fun?"

Remarks Crowley one day;

"I know, dear boy! Isn't it grand!"

Aziraphale will say.

And then they'll smirk

And toast the world,

And tease each other gently;

Then, side by side, they'll race back home

Tucked safely in the Bentley.

The rain falls soft on London;

The mist lies on the Downs.

The world will wake tomorrow

To smiles, and laughs, and frowns.

"It's really all ineffable,"

Our Angel loves to say,

"Life's big and little mysteries

In every kind of way..."

"And that's just how it should be,

And nightingales should sing,"

God whispers, kindly, hidden;

"I'll let them do their thing."

And so, Good Omens friends,

Let tears and heartache mend;

Just think about the future

With the hope Sir Terry penned.

Just think of Adam slouching

Towards Tadfield in the dawn,

With Hell and Heaven grouching:

"Humanity has won..."

-- by Mel B. (Please do not use my poem without permission) 🙂

Hi, everyone! I've been doing a lot of ruminating since the finale came out (which I detest for multiple reasons, Lol). For one thing, they stripped a gorgeous ensemble story down to a few (mostly) supernatural beings calling all the shots, which is, well, simply not Good Omens anymore to me. When I finally felt brave enough to start rewatching part of season 1 again, I suddenly realized I could'nt even really get into IT anymore, either. The irony being that it was season 1 of the show that got me into Good Omens-- in all its forms-- in the first place! 😂 Then I began to realize it's because I've read the book/listened to the audiobook so many times now and that I love the book and it's expanded world SO much more. Don't get me wrong: I ADORE the characters of Aziraphale and Crowley, both as friends in the book and (to a lesser extent) romantic interests in the show! But, for me, Good Omens is just about SO MUCH MORE than what the show turned it into: aka, turning it from a deeply philosophical but hilarious parody/satirical comedy into a tragic romance between two supernatural entities/non-fantasy/historical fiction by the end. But Good Omens was never just a story about two primary characters; it's a whole whacky world of Witchfinders and kids solving philosophical problems while playing in the woods, Lol! I guess I've just been LONGING to geek out about Anathema, and the Them, and Pigbog, and R. P. Tyler's obnoxious letters. 😆 And I was wondering if anyone would be interested in making sort of an "extra" subreddit devoted to the book itself without the drama/controversy and "Hoolywoodification" the show has brought about in the end? Of course, EVERYBODY would and should be welcome in said subreddit, both book lovers and show preferers! No snobbery in this fandom! 🤗🥰 I guess I'd just love a little corner to be able to escape back into the lore and magic of the little book that started it all. If not, no worries, lol! I'm just an old fogie book lover who's feeling a bit out of touch and lonely about it all. 😂 Much love to everyone in the fandom: show lovers, book lovers, and everyone in between. Have a great day! 🫠💙

Hello to everyone here in this gorgeous fanfom. I've been a Good Omens fan ever since 2019, not long after season 1 came out. I'd just become an atheist, and when I watched GO for the first time (as a David Tennant fan, I initially watched because of him), I was in love with it within the first five minutes. Then I read the book and ended up actually falling in love with the book even more! Both it, the show, and the fandom (in which I mainly have always lurked to a degree that would make Hastur and Ligur proud, due to being an introvert with social anxiety) helped me through some very dark days since almost everyone I'd ever known was still devoutly religious. I grew up in a high-control, cultish, fundamentalist Christian denomination, and I was so afraid of the fallout from coming out as an atheist. But with Good Omens, I had a place that felt safe. I had a story I connected with so deeply because it helped me laugh and feel safe with themes and beliefs that had terrified and traumatized me my entire life. Needless to say, Good Omens, the book, became my favorite novel, and still is; Good Omens, the show, became my ultimate comfort show.

Well, cut to a few years later (2022), and I slowly begin to realize that not only am I an atheist (and from the deep south American "Bible Belt"), but also a lesbian. 37 years old, and I'd been so repressed all my life I'd never realized my actual orientation until then! Then GO season 2 came out, and though the final 15 left me devastated, the cozy queer world the episodes painted made me feel SO seen and so accepted. I was sort of surprised and disappointed at how different the vibe was from season 1, but I thought, hey, they want A and C together romantically? I'm not gonna knock it! And I enjoyed many parts of the second season!

However, some personal context now. I've had lifelong chronic depression, anxiety, and OCD (originally caused mostly by severe religious trauma). Well, suddenly my little neurodivergent brain began its pattern of obsessive fixation on fictional things. This is normal for me, and it's usually fine, until it's not. I started dwelling more and more on the angsty season 2 cliffhanger. And the more I fixated, the more depressed I became. It got to the point that not only could I not watch season 2 anymore; I couldn't watch season 1 anymore either, which was still my main "comfort" season because I prefer the book events and characters the most. I felt SO distraught and felt silly for feeling that way. But I kept reading my beloved book and listening to the audiobook to hear David and Michael's voices as Crowley and Aziraphale. Then the allegations came out, and, of course, we were all devastated and obviously angry again at those! But then, when Amazon FINALLY greenlit season 3 later, I thought, "This is it! I'll get my onscreen version of the story back, and my comfort show will be there for me again!" Meanwhile, I guess you could say real life kept on being a bit of a crap show with a lot of things happening in quick succession.

Cut to May 13th, and a bit more brief context for the horrible headspace I found myself in when I watched the finale. Two nights before, one of my siblings had called and basically said they'd thought about cutting ties with the family. In the end, they decided not to, but I realized that my sibling sounded like a stranger to me. This sibling and I have always had a very special bond. We were the ones who just always "got" each other personality-wise. We'd also (unknown to each other for a while) both journeyed out of religion at the same time, which only made us closer. So the other night, to hear my sibling imply that because the family reminds them of their past and the trauma, they just didn't know if they wanted any of that-- or us-- in their life anymore, broke something in me. Even though they said they're not breaking ties, I can already tell it's never going to be the same. I feel the disconnect with them, with the bond we had before, already in my heart and brain. To know that for all intents and purposes, I've been replaced by their found family where they live, their new support group, has felt like such a betrayal of the love and closeness we've always had. I'm so, so happy for my sibling that they're being able to move on from the trauma, but I guess it hurts SO MUCH that they see me as one of the things "holding them back" from moving on with their life. My heart feels so broken.

So, two evenings later, and with a lot of trepidation and excitement, I sat down to watch the finale. And when it was over, I sort of just sat numb and weeping. And I feel like I've been numb and weeping ever since. Because it felt like another betrayal. Let me explain.

First, my horror of the finale is in absolutely NO WAY a reflection of my feelings for all the beautiful, brave people who fought to get us some kind of resolution after season 2! Can you imagine many other casts, crews, and others sticking with a quirky, niche show through scandal and everything that went down like all those involved in GO have? I think they all deserve freaking MEDALS, LOL! It was an amazing feat that they and the Pratchett estate were able to finagle that finale. And that's why I'm so heartbroken that I. Absolutely. Abhor. It. Please, don't be angry, beautiful GO family, and let me explain why!

First, yes, I think many of us can agree (whether we hated or loved it or in-between) that the budget cut, time crunch, allegations, and SO many other factors affected the quality and continuity of season 3. And, well, that just simply couldn't be helped, and I think everyone involved did the absolute best they could with what they had to work with. But that wasn't the reason I was heartbroken with it. Because it still had gorgeous moments that made me smile and laugh out loud! No, it was the ending that did it.

The thing is, if the finale's ending had been the end of ANY other show or story, I would've liked it.

No, scratch that: I would've LOVED it! Really, truly loved it.

I mean, what's not to love?! Muriel and Eric getting their flirt on?! Jesus being the sweetest little cutie patootie ever to hand out pizza? The Metatron as the kindly old bookshop owner Derek (I see what they did there 😉) who actually pushes our beloved ex-angel TOWARD Crowley instead of away from him again?! Asa and Anthony having one of the simplest, sweetest meet-cutes in the history of sweet clichè meet-cutes?! And in a bookshop, which would be my little bookworm heart's perfect "meet moment" if I'm ever lucky enough to find my own soulmate?! 🫠 The bar at the end where Adam and Jesus and all the happy people are sitting without a care in the world, just enjoying each other's comany?! Asa and Anthony watching the stars from their cottage on the South Downs?!

If this had been the end to any other show, I'd have butterflies in my stomach, not a pit. Because , for me, it's a GOOD ending...just-- not a Good Omens ending.

I've only read a handful of STP's Discworld books so far (just did a three-month Kindle subscription so I can read more!). But, I've already noticed a pattern with his work. No matter what dark themes his stories hold, the characters don't succeed because they keep striving without supernatural odds; they strive IN SPITE of them. In their fantasy worlds, the supernatural beings are important because they make the regular folk feel even more human to me as the reader. To quote Good Omens, "They're (dark forces) abroad all the time. They're everywhere. They always are. That's the whole point." But his books end, not with annihilation or despair for a whole previous universe. They end with hope for the one they already have, "slouching hopefully...toward Tadfield...Forever." 🥲 He was a satirist and social commentator, yes--- but also a fantasy comedy writer at the end of the day, with the darkest scenarios still able to make you laugh your head off.

On the other hand, I've also read several NG books. And the finale? It's the kind of ending he writes SO WELL--- in his solo works. The last few paragraphs of The Graveyard Book make up one of the simplest, most beautiful, most powerful endings of any book I've ever read. Regardless of NG as a person, that book will always hold a special place in my heart. It's also, like the finale of the GO show, bittersweet. And that's okay! Because TGB is supposed to be bittersweet. The story was never framed as anything but bittersweet. No failed or misframed expectations of fantasy or romance: just quiet, believable resolution.

And that's where the disparity comes in (at least for me; I COMPLETELY respect other's different perspectives!) Because Good Omens, the book, and then Good Omens season 1 have the perfect magic of NG's dark themes and Sir Terry's eternal optimism. It's fantasy comedy at its finest. And it STAYS fantasy and comedy. The humans save the day, not by eliminating the way their world works and the entities that pull the strings. They do it by simply defying them, on their own terms, come hell or high water. They don't fundamentally change their universe; they change themselves and their relationship to the supernatural beings threatening it all. And that changes-- and ultimately saves-- their world. They don't exercise free will because there's no one to punish them for it anymore; they exercise it because that's already just who they are. Because they want to. And that's what confounds the powers that be so much that they leave them alone!

Then the finale (only in my opinion, of course!) rips that narrative up and lights it on fire. No hope for their universe. No humans saving themselves against all odds. Just a desperate Angel and a Demon who, through a much-contrived plot line, are the ones who have to do the very un-human, and, I think, un-Pratchett thing, of annihilation for all. A literal 180 from the point Adam made with his own sacrifice of power bit preservation of his world in the original story.

I finally realized this is why it's hit me so wrongly. If the Good Omens book had just been a NG story, it would likely have not been a comedy to begin with, though it would definitely have had the whimsy he's often capable of. It would've been a drama, probably with a lot of horror which he writes so well. So the kind of gentle but very bittersweet ending the show finale gives human Asa, Anthony, and the rest would've made sense in that context. It would've felt earned, and right, and beautiful.

But, well, Good Omens WAS a comedy thanks to Terry Pratchett. And not a romance. Don't get me wrong: I loved the way A and C developed into that dynamic throughout the show, but in the end it gave me false expectations and finally despair, becasue without TP's direct influence on season 2 and 3, the comedy and assurance of a happy ending for the romantic show versions of the characters devolved to the point to where it just wasn't to be anymore.

I know my obsessive brain is rambling, and I'm so sorry! I know terrible, truly horrible things are going on all over our crazy world right now, and feel so selfish for being in despair over a show of all things. 🫣 But, that's the thing: it's NOT just a show for me. It's the comfort that's gotten me through some of the worst moments of my life: the small-scale, terrible, horrible things the last few years have brought personally. The last of which was, of course, feeling abandoned by my closest sibling. I feel this now as another abandonment. And I'm grieving it. Grieving it so deeply.

Please let me say that I am SO HAPPY for all the people who loved or are at peace with the finale; I think that's wonderful, and I'm sorry if some of our comments on reddit have made you feel like you can't express your joy comfortably. 😥 I appreciate you all and your diverse perspectives, because that's what makes a fandom so layered and interesting!

And I'm lucky: I love the book/audiobook even more than I do the show (which is saying a lot). Some people love the show more, and my heart breaks for them as they don't even have the original to ease their minds if they felt the same as I do about the finale!

But, I guess the thing I need help with is this: because of my OCD and other mental health triggers, I'm the kind of person whose silly brain won't let me block out or deny or headcanon enough to watch season 1 again. And I want to-- desperately! I want my comfort back after not being able to have it since the end of season 2. I need it. Especially right now. But I just can't block the finale from my mind. The OCD, depression, etc, reminds me that it ends in annihilation and an alternate human incarnation that I like but simply cannot connect with. (And don't want to; because my brain wants MY Aziraphale and Crowley).

And, usually, the book and audiobook have been enough these last few years. I still get to hear the voices of the two actors who embody these characters so perfectly! And the book has the depth and richness I crave that no adaptation can capture.

But, what about the times when it ISN'T enough? What if I want to see Crowley (unnecessarily 🫠) rescue Aziraphale from the Bastille? What if I want to laugh at Anathema and Newton both scrambling to get their glasses off while they have hilariously awkward sex in the middle of the Apocalypse? Or watch Michael Sheen's face say something as absurdly funny as "lick some serious butt!" Or see Aziraphale-as-Crowley ask hell for a rubber duck? What if I want to, not just read or listen to, but SEE our Angel and Demon toasting to the world-- their world, safe and intact, not because of them, but because of US, of humans-- while A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square plays over the credits? What if I want my other half of Good Omens back-- that is, the show-- that comforts me while my real world falls apart? How can I get it back when my own brain and mental issues aren't wired to get past the cognitive dissonance and let me?!

Im so sorry that this is such a downer! And I hope this doesn't make anyone who loves the finale feel bad, or invalidated, or weary because of all the negative comments about it right now. It really isn't you: it's me! Whatever I think about the finale, t the end of the day it's my brain, not the finale itself, that won't let me reconcile myself to it like I've been able to with various other TV shows in the past. Because, for me, Good Omens is a specific, special kind of story that had themes I feel were crushed in season 3 to the point I don't even recognize it anymore. An on-screen version that, like the book, has always felt so personal. It feels like a literal part of me, having helped me through so many events in the last several years. And now, though I can separate the book and keep it as the golden "original" canon forever in my mind, I just can't do the same thing with "show" canon, because I know that even though Sir Terry Pratchett had no direct involvement asidefrom maybe a few loose ideas (or if he did that, which I sometimes doubt because I don't know whether to trust NG on the matter, and it seems like any contribution of his has been distorted into a more "Gaiman-esque" version anyway), season 3 is still the official canon now. So, I feel like my beloved season 1 is gone for me forever. And I just don't know what to do.

And to anyone who was actually kind enough to read this demented, "woe is me" sounding ramble, please feel free to tell me how ridiculously dramatic and silly I'm being. 🫣

Thank you all for listening. Even though I haven't been active for a while, due to depression over season 2, and I usually just lurk in the background, lol, I ove this fandom. Such kind, creative people, the sort of people that I know would step up and face off with heaven and hell itself if they had to in a way that would make the "Them" themselves proud! And certainly Sir Terry Pratchett, too-- the author who, I believe, was the true heart and soul and hope of the quirky little book that started it all. 🥲 I love you all, and can't wait to keep seeing your beautiful content and insights in this fandom. 💙