Parvathy S
Based on Neil Gaiman’s famous novel, Good Omens is an Amazon Prime show that kept the viewers on their toes with the uncertainty of the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale. Aziraphale is an angel tasked with protecting the garden of Eden, and Crowley is a demon who came to Eden to give Eve the apple and tempt her. They meet each other there and get acquainted over some small talk about right and wrong in this world. Crowley asks why God would put the tree with the forbidden fruit right in the middle of Eden if he didn’t want Eve or Adam to touch it, and Aziraphale seems to consider the logic behind it. Aziraphale had also given away the flaming sword to Adam to protect a now pregnant Eve in the world, despite that being the weapon he was tasked with to save Eden. Crowley jokingly asks what if the angel did the wrong thing and the demon did the right thing, and something seems to stir inside Aziraphale. We can see Aziraphale gently covering Crowley using his wing as a shield against the thunderstorm. Thus began the story of an angel from heaven and a demon from hell.
During the entire season, both the angel and demon can be seen getting close throughout the long instances spent with each other. They both contemplate God’s ineffable plans and what their roles are in this universe. These meaningful conversations connected them throughout the centuries. They were present when Noah built his ark, and at the time Jesus Christ was crucified. After all the considerations about good and evil, the protagonists decide to do each other’s work to prevent the wastage of time and energy. Even though the central plotline is about the Antichrist coming to earth and starting the apocalypse, the series perfectly encapsulates the relationship between a savage and classy demon and a mellow and kind angel. They came to earth, saw humanity and decided to chart their own destinies in this world rather than stick to the stereotypes of demons being evil and angels being good.
Even though the show does not explicitly confirm any form of relationship between the two, the way the characters interact gives a lot of aromantic and asexual vibes. They don’t kiss or hold hands or engage in any form of sexual activity or skinship, but their chemistry is off the charts. Neil Gaiman has confirmed that Aziraphale and Crowley are in love. He has also mentioned that they do not possess any gender, which would also make their portrayal agender representation. But he also says that he doesn’t want to put any labels like gay, pan, bi, etc., on them. Vagueness has always been the crux of queerbaiting in the media, and this is no different either. The interpretation being open to the viewer had split the general audience mostly between Crowley and Aziraphale being aroace representation and gay representation. While there is no problem in both those interpretations existing simultaneously, if I were to look at it from a personal angle, I would root for the aroace representation. They are just two beings on earth wanting to prevent the apocalypse from destroying the one place they have found sanctuary in, as the oldest friends in the universe.
As much as the show portrays that they are friends or partners in crime, some moments with soft gazes pump the viewers’ hope. For instance, when Crowley slams Aziraphale against the wall with barely an inch between their faces can also be really misleading. In one of the incidents from the 1940s, Aziraphale gets trapped in an English church with Nazi agents trying to save some books with prophecies in them, and Crowley valiantly comes in to save his angel. The church floors burn him, and yet he prances on the floor, trying to keep Aziraphale out of trouble. A bomb destroys the church, and just as Aziraphale thinks he lost his prized possession - the books - Crowley hands them to him, calling it a little demonic miracle of his own. As they realize the earth can’t be saved, Crowley chases Aziraphale down and asks him to elope with him to Alpha Centauri, another cluster of stars. Aziraphale refuses as he still wants to save the earth, but all Crowley wants is to live with his best friend.
After Aziraphale’s bookstore burns down and he is transported back to heaven by accident, Crowley loses his wits. He thinks Aziraphale is dead and screams into the fire, “Somebody killed my best friend!”. But the clever angel returns without a body and asks an overjoyed Crowley if he ever left for Alpha Centauri. An emotional Crowley says he changed his plans since he thought he had lost his best friend. Towards the end of the story, Crowley and Aziraphale stand facing Satan himself. Aziraphale tells Crowley to do something, or he’ll never talk to him again. Crowley being more terrified of Aziraphale not talking to him than he is of dying just screams QPP (Queer Platonic Partners).
Now, if we were to look at it from another point of view, even the actor Michael Sheen himself has said that he played Aziraphale being in love with Crowley. But the author has yet to explicitly mention what the relationship might be between the angel and demon. Even though that hasn’t stopped fans from shipping the ineffable husbands, it could have been more excellent if it was a bit more explicit. While labels aren’t always necessary to exist, some people find comfort in them. And for those people, sometimes, these subtle hints might be confusing or concerning. It might have some vague representation worth criticizing. Still, the story can be celebrated for all its good elements too, which upholds the meaning of friendship and free will. All that being said, the ineffable husbands still continue to receive the same support as when the series first aired, and fans are eagerly waiting for season 2.
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