u/hp_pjo_anime

I don't think I have quite come out this satisfied with a DW book so much as I have with MAA. While my favorite still remains to be Reaper Man, holy cannoli, WHAT IN THE NAME WAS THIS BOOK? I do not know where to even start!

The plot was amazing. It was funny and cinematic.

But what I loved the most were the characters. I remembered quite adoring Vimes and Vetinari since GG but all characters become something quite else and are fleshed to an even greater degree in MAA. From Carrot's power of believing that everyone is quite decent underneath to the beaten-down, worn cynical-styled sense of duty Vimes displays at the end of day, to the way dynamics are written is amazing.

There are a few things I quite liked a lot which probably were small, in grand scheme of things:

Pratchett taking time to display that trolls can be quite smart, very very smart in fact, provided they put work or, more effectively, are freezing to death.

That Dwarfs and Trolls and Undead, and you can dislike them, as Vimes does, and you can still believe that none of them deserve of their person to be stripped away from them. And how, at the end, Watch is much more diverse.

Carrot not-so-subtly rejecting position of power or titles or just that Important Position In People's Mind everytime, despite knowing the effect he has.

And these aren't even the MAJOR things I like- the themes, the conversation on power, the effect of people on people.

What a delight! 9/10.

I am not sure if this belongs here and if this subreddit's people will find this post to resonate but here we go anyway.

I will preface this by saying I actually quite liked the finale. It didn't leave me that heartbroken, angry or betrayed as it did to some fans. It kind of even scratched the itch I have for stories sometimes.

Anyway, while I thought it to be a perfect ending at first, I have spent some time thinking things over. [To be exact, one night. But I need to let it out somewhere.]

So here are my problems, opinions and nitpicks with the entirety of Good Omens Show-- and the fact that the problem starts in the garden of eden itself, i.e the season 1.

Core

The GO book is not a romance. It is a witty, funny and charming story about humanity. Aziraphale and Crowley are unlikely best friends, in the face of disagreement with their respective higher ups, with shared love for humanity and humane interests. Their dynamic is easily open to a romantic interpretation but I highly doubt Pratchett intended for them to be this explicitly romantic. That's not very Pratchett-- to focus on romance so much. He sprinkles it sometimes. It happens but it is never the point. You know who does love doing that though.. Gaiman.

The first major change which show does is make GO extremely centered around Aziracrow's romance. It isn't that obvious in s1 but s2 takes extreme measures to show that to be the case. I don't mind that. It gives me another version of characters I absolutely love; but it is indeed a different version.

Same goes for the indvidual characters. I will use two instances to show how Gaiman had entirely shifted the core of some Pratchett characterstics and influences.

During the scene in s1 when Aziraphale has discorporated, Crowley goes to the bar, gets drunk and has just given up.

That isn't very Crowley. Not book Crowley atleast, who is an optimist and believes the universe would take care of things at the end anyway. Book Crowley doesn't get wasted or completely lose hope. Show Crowley does. Because of course it makes for an endearing scene, an angsty moment.

Second instance is that book Aziraphale often says that, "Yes, I don't like what is happening any more than you do. I just can't disobey." vs Show Aziraphale who is a whole lot more "Heaven is The Good Side." Book Aziraphale is still 'your lot vs my lot' but not really THAT much.

Now, I don't hate any of these changes! I love the show. A lot. I do. But its important for the point I want to eventually make that I point this out.

The point being...

S1 was where Pratchett's vision ended, really. The book was the Pratchett's vision and the only reason the book had such a tidy conclusion is because STP is amazing at tidy conclusions (see: the entirety of Discworld). NG? Not so much (See: any of the shows he has run). And from S2, while themes of love for humanity, good vs evil, the inherent goodness of world (very Pratchettisque) carry on; the vision is Gaiman's. Even if they planned s3's script out together (which I doubt. I think NG kinda loves exaggerating his friendship with STP), the execution isn't his.

And that brings me to how I have started looking at this situation. The Good Omens book is an entirely different thing from Show Good Omens.

The show is the story of not humanity, but Ineffable Husbands and becomes more and more so as it keeps going on. It tries to be bigger than that in finale, but due to lack of screentime, fails at fleshing out that aspect. S1 was still about humanity but the themes take a backseat in s2 and s3 to the romance of our two beloved characters.

Which is why I say I like the finale.

Because the finale is a terrible, terrible conclusion to the original story, yes. It negates the entire point of book, of season 1. It kind of just brings down the final decision to a supernatural entity which.. is not very true to the original themes, is it? It kind of just negates it all. Again, Pratchett would not end it this way. No, sir. He wouldn't make the story have such a dark turn- wouldn't imply, 'free will never existed in this story btw'. That's a bit too dark and lacks the hope Pratchett's narratives have. That is the darkness Gaiman has a knack for, though.

But the finale IS a good conclusion to the SHOW'S core and stays true to SHOW version of Crowley and Aziraphale.

The show Crowley loves universe. Stars. Space. Existence. He had love for it like an artist has for their art, and if we had a full season, I think that would have become clearer. But either way, show doesn't forget that. Show Crowley chooses universe over himself at the end of the day (or universe : P).

The show Aziraphale is always trying to do the right thing, often his relationship with Crowley taking a backseat due to that, and in the end- he leaves the right thing to be done by Crowley. He gives the frontseat to him and Crowley. Quite poetic. Me like.

Show Crowley *looked* like he just wanted Aziraphale and himself to sod off and spend rest of eternity in some corner, at the cost of 'universe'. Show Aziraphale *looked* like he just wanted to fix it all, even at the cost of their 'us'. The finale takes good care to drive it home that that had never been the case. Crowley has always cared all too much about the universe, so much so that he was wiling to sacrifice the 'us'. Show AZ has always cared all too much about Crowley, that by the end, it had become about the 'best angel' and the 'artist' and his wish, than what AZ wanted.

And then, at the end, they both get to be human. They find each other in a different universe anyway. How romantic.

So. Nice little ending to your character centric love story you have got there! But jesus.. did you just delete the entire old universe...?

Yep.

The themes take a backseat.

Humanity takes a backseat.

The final decision comes down to a supernatural entity.

The finale is entirely fucking Gaiman. It's not Pratchett's story. The reason book ever had a perfect conclusion is solely Pratchett. Originally what was Gaiman's idea only became what it is due to Pratchett's influence. The book implies it all being a test run and blah blah but goddamit that's not where STP would have gone with it even if he showed it to be so! he wouldn't say 'oh the humanity never had fuckin free will lol'. THAT'S ABSURD. I AM SORRY JUST, ITS NOT GOOD OMENS! ITS NOT COMEDY! ITS NOT HOPEFUL! ITS ALL TOO DARK, PLOT TWISTY AND 'HUMANS NEVER HAD POWER' TO BE GOOD OMENS! IT FORGETS TO ESSENCE AND SIMPLICITY WHICH WAS THE CORE OF STORY.

It forgets about the hope Pratchett brings to his narratives. I am sorry if I reiteriate it too much but once you start thinking about the respective writers, how they write, their track record- it all becomes way too obvious that this ending was never something Pratchett co-wrote, as Gaiman loved to imply. (But he is a fuckin liar and much worse, so are we even surprised?)

And when you take his influence away, this is what you get. An adaptation which forgot the identity of the book. Which forgot the comedy and became entirely all too dark. An ending which negates all events and the point season 1 was trying too make, by taking the 'hey what if it really is all just a solitaire game lol' too literally.

And that is why, for my sanity, I seperate the two as different narratives, stories and versions. I seperate the romance show gives me from the themes s1/book had. I let the two endings exist side by side. S3 is the conclusion to a romance (it tries to be a conclusion to themes but fails). S1 is the conclusion to the themes.

Good day.