Season 2, Episode 1
The Arrival
Some time after averting Armageddon, Aziraphale and Crowley are now living on Earth, both persona non grata to the respective's head office. However, this all changes when an amnesiac Gabriel walks in nude carrying a box to Aziraphale's bookshop. He mentions a terrible thing to come, but can't remember what it is. Meanwhile, Heaven and Hell are in a mad pursuit of the missing archangel.
Tropes That Appear In This Episode:
- Call-Forward: At the end of the Cold Open, the still-angelic Crowley uses his wing to cover Aziraphale during a meteor shower, the same way Aziraphale would use his wing to cover Crowley from rain on the walls of Eden.
- Caused the Big Bang: The episode starts with the Big Bang — or at least a portion of it — being activated by a pre-Fallen Crawley (with Aziraphale's assistance). He admits that while he wasn't the "original concept designer," he was still very much involved with the project.
- Credits Gag: This episode showcases the first in a recurring theme where the end credits play with a different version of the show's theme song. In this case, it's done in full-choir A Cappella.
- Earth Is the Center of the Universe: In the Cold Open, Aziraphale reveals that out of the trillions of celestial bodies, Earth is the only significant one in God's design. Crowley isn't happy that his hard work will just be "wallpaper" that will be destroyed in only 6,000 years.
- It also turns out that Earth, despite its great importance to the Almighty, isn't actually at the physical centre of the universe, which just adds to Crowley's consternation, figuring they'd at least get a better view if it were in the middle of the universe.
- Forced from Their Home: Hell has seized Crowley's flat and reassigned it to Shax. As a result, he and his plants are living in the Bentley.
- Good Wings, Evil Wings: The opening flashback where Crowley is still an angel shows him with white wings, like Aziraphale's, instead of the black ones he has after his fall. His eyes are also normal human ones instead of the snake eyes he later acquires.
- Humiliating Wager: At some point, Crowley and Aziraphale made an "I Was Wrong Dance" that they have to do whenever one admits to being wrong about something. Aziraphale had to do it in 1650, 1793 and 1941, while Crowley had to do it now when he comes back after their argument.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Gabriel has apparently been subjected to this as he has no memory of who he is or why he's at the bookshop.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When summoned to Hell, Crowley remarks to Beelzebub that ze looks different, an acknowledgment of the change in actors. Beelzebub then snaps that ze has had this face for "ages."
- Line-of-Sight Name: Aziraphale makes the alias "Jim" for Gabriel based on the spine of a book he has.
- Naked People Are Funny: Gabriel arrives on Earth walking to Aziraphale's bookshop butt-naked, to the amusement of the humans and awkwardness of Aziraphale. The box he's carrying and some careful camera angles block all but his buttocks.
- Noodle Incident: Aziraphale mentions that he had to do the "apology dance" in 1650, 1793, and 1941. Why he had to do these dances isn't revealed. It may have something to do with the fact that Crowley had to save Aziraphale's life in the latter two, as shown in flashbacks in S1E3.
- Spy Speak: A spy mistakes Crowley for his contact and tells him "The clarinet can make beautiful music." Crowley replies that he has the wrong bench and points the man to the person he's actually looking for.
- Squee: Crowley squeals with utter delight when he witnesses the Big Bang; it's easily his cutest moment in the entire series.
- Star Power: The episode opens with Crowley ("Crawley" at the time) activating what he calls a "star factory," this having been his job at the dawn of time. He's understandably miffed when he finds out that the stars are being created purely to be gawked at by "people."Crawley: That's idiocy! It's the universe, not just some fancy wallpaper! Millions of galaxies, trillions of stars, oodles of... everything. IT'S NOT JUST PUT HERE TO TWINKLE!
- Tempting Fate:
- During the Big Bang, Crowley dismisses Aziraphale's concern that it would be unwise to question the Almighty's plan with "How much trouble can I get into just for asking a few questions?" Well, Crowley is cast out of Heaven and becomes a Fallen Angel for doing this.
- After Crowley and Aziraphale each perform a half-miracle to conceal Gabriel, the former states that it was so small, Heaven won't have noticed. Cut to Heaven, where alarms are ringing.
- Unperson: Beelzebub states that Heaven's punishment for anybody involved in Gabriel's disappearance is "extreme sanctions"; their names will be erased from the Book of Life so they would never have existed in the first place. Crowley expresses surprise that the punishment exists, having thought it was just a story they made up to "frighten the cherubs."
