History Recap / GoodOmensEpisode3HardTimes

-->'''Aziraphale''': Probably best not.

OOCIsSeriousBusiness: During the Victorian era, Crowley asks Aziraphale to obtain holy water for him as "insurance" in the event that things go wrong for him, which is permanently deadly to demonkind. Aziraphale flatly refuses to so, believing that a) Crowley intends to use it for suicide (Crowley insists it is not for that purpose), and b) the trouble he would himself be in if he was found out to have been "fraternizing" with a demon. A century later, in 1960s Soho, Crowley is planning a heist to steal some holy water from a church, which Aziraphale learns of and confronts him about. Seeing that Crowley is determined to obtain it regardless and whilst admitting his feelings on the matter are unchanged, Aziraphale states that he cannot in good conscience allow him to take the risk, and so reluctantly gifts Crowley with a thermos flask's worth of holy water; Crowley, unsurprisingly, is taken aback by this.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Anathema tells Adam the various ills that plague the world (global warming, animal poaching, artificial food, etc).

* ActorAllusion: Crowley himself is a casual observer in Shakespeare's works, preferring "the funny ones" and begrudgingly makes ''Hamlet'' popular as a favor to Aziraphale. Not only has Creator/DavidTennant played the titular character in the 2009 television adaptation of the play, but he has also met with William Shakespeare as the Doctor in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]", where he and [[Creator/FreemaAgyeman Martha Jones]] indirectly inspired Shakespeare in a manner that eventually leads to the creation of (among other things) ''Hamlet''.

* ActorAllusion: Crowley himself is a casual observer in Shakespeare's works, preferring "the funny ones" and begrudgingly makes ''Hamlet'' popular as a favor to Aziraphale. Not only has Crowley's actor Creator/DavidTennant played the titular character in the 2009 television adaptation of the play, but he has also met with William Shakespeare as the Doctor in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]", him and his then-companion Martha indirectly inspiring Shakespeare in a manner that eventually leads to the creation of (among other things) ''Hamlet''.

* PrefersTheIllusion: Crowley argues that he and Aziraphale could get away with not actually producing results if they just ''look'' busy.

* MythologyGag: Crowley himself is a casual observer in Shakespeare's works, preferring "the funny ones" and begrudgingly makes ''Hamlet'' popular as a favor to Aziraphale. Not only has Crowley's actor Creator/DavidTennant played the titular character in the 2009 television adaptation of the play, but he has also met with William Shakespeare as the Doctor in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode The Shakespeare Code]]", him and his then-companion Martha indirectly inspiring Shakespeare in a manner that eventually leads to the creation of (among other things) ''Hamlet''.

* DecompositeCharacter: Not only was Crowley the snake that tempted Eve, but it was ''him'' that showed Jesus all of the Kingdoms of the world and not {{Satan}}. [[PetTheDog Apparently, he just wanted to show Jesus a bit more of the world before he died]].

* CallBack: The episode ends with God Herself asking Aziraphale where his FlamingSword is. Apparently She never brings it up to him again.

* HiddenInPlainSight: Anathema can't see Adam's aura because it's ''larger than England.''

* SupernaturalRepellent: Dog is reluctant to enter the Nutter cottage because it had a horseshoe hanging over the doorframe.

* CallBack: The episode ends with God herself asking Aziraphale where his FlamingSword is. Apparently she never brings it up to him again.

* DecompositeCharacter: Not only was Crowley the snake that tempted Eve, but it was ''him'' that showed Jesus all of the Kingdoms of the world and not {{Satan}}. [[PetTheDog Apparently he just wanted to show Jesus a bit more of the world before he died]].
* DivineIntervention: ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' only became popular because of Crowley as a part of the Arrangement.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Crowley seems mildly disgusted that the Heavenly side will be drowning innocent children in TheGreatFlood. After he and Aziraphale have the witchfinders investigate him, Crowley admits that he would rather not be the one to kill Adam, personally not "up for killing kids."

* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Aziraphale remarks that Jesus is being crucified because he preached "be kind to each other."

* {{Ghostapo}}: During World War II, a group of Nazi spies hires Aziraphale to bring them all of his books of prophesy (with the exception of Agnes Nutter, this being the only one he does not have). They also briefly mention [[PublicDomainArtifact the Holy Grail and the Spear of Destiny]] on the Gestapo's priority list.
* TheGreatFlood: Aziraphale specifies that God is not wiping out the ''entire'' human race, just the locals in the Middle-East. The Chinese, Native Americans or the Australians are explicitly spared.
* HiddenInPlainSight: Anathema can't see Adam's aura because it's larger than the UK.

* ShoutOut: One of the non-existent witchfinders Shadwell promises to send to investigate Tadfield is [[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand Sgt. Pepper]].

* MyGrandsonMyself: Crowley gets away with not having aged a day to Shadwell because Shadwell thinks he is his own son, having met Shadwell in TheSeventies when he was younger.

* HolyBurnsEvil: Downplayed. While Crowley walks into a church to save Crowley during the Blitz, he is hopping on his heels like he was barefoot on a hot sidewalk.

* FailedASpotCheck: Crowley doesn't notice that most of the Witch Finders are obviously fake because he doesn't care. Aziraphale is just gullible.

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