Gabriel as a Shoulder Angel: S2 Study
Part 2: Ep.3 I Know Where I'm Going and Ep.5 The Ball
So far in this series we've covered S1 and the Job minisode in S2E2, where the classic Supreme Archangel Gabriel stands on the left-hand side of the archangels as their collective shoulder-demon. As he arrived at the bookshop at the beginning of S2 we see that we are getting a parallel to the opening of S1, with Gabriel becoming a mirror and a foil to Crowley.
Episode 3: I Know Where I'm Going
We open with a content and safe ex-archangel clad in archangel tartan (with Aziraphale's teal underneath,) observing the world below as it wakes up.
Once he's dressed and downstairs at work, we get a centralized look at his hands holding a significant book. It's from the movie "A Matter of Life or Death," but you see it in the opening credit under it's US title release "Stairway to Heaven." The best meta I've seen describing the movie is here by @simonezitrone79
Crowley is looking after Jim in the bookshop while Aziraphale has gone to Edinburgh at this point. He stays on the demonic left, and Jim on the angelic right while they have a discussion about gravity, and things staying where you put them - or not. The book and it's movie connection is relevant to this discussion. It alludes to returning an item to its rightful place. But how do you decide where that rightful place should be? Is it natural for angels to go upwards, and demons downwards? Do only flies have the ability to defy the laws of the universe set unchallenged since the beginning of time? They all have wings...
Jim is still a puzzled and doubtful angel as Crowley describes his "Operation Lovebirds" plan. It sounds like there is some demonic mischief afoot!
After the failure of the rainstorm to get Maggie and Nina together, Crowley turns to find Jim sitting in a chair - back on the left.
Crowley's comment about a tempest triggers another possession of Jim, and an ominous prophetic warning of storms to come.
Just as Jim snaps out of this, Crowley must rush outside to confront Shax. He decides he won't play her games, and retreats back inside the bookshop, where Shax can't follow. He suggests she might spot an archangel, and the camera focus slides from Crowley on the left to Jim on his angelic right, suggesting to us they are one and the same.
But once Shax is gone, the real demon emerges to the suggested trouble-making demon, and threatens Jim with something awful if anything happens to Aziraphale.
We don't see Jim during Episode 4, so on to the next one!
Episode 5: The Ball
At Aziraphale's suggestion, Crowley comes to talk to Gabriel, and finds him playing with a lamp light switch upstairs in the bookshop.
Crowley enters the room blocked on the angelic right side at the start of the conversation, while Jim is demonized on the left.
Crowley has often doubted that Gabriel has really lost him memory, and is just pretending to be vague and naive, so confronts him with his crimes against Aziraphale in Crowley's eyes. Jim is on the left-side while this occurs.
But as he watches Jim begin to climb out the window, Crowley becomes the demon again. This is partly due the Temptation that is occurring here - the Second Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, leading up to his entry into Jerusalem, as Gabriel and Crowley also share the roles of Jesus in the underlying story line of the The Passion that is playing out throughout S2.
Crowley stops him from falling, again, and Jim returns to the angel-side for the moment, while Crowley questions him further.
"Where is your memory, then?" he asks? "Everywhere."
Crowley eventually gives up, but seems to understand somewhat, and offers Jim a hot chocolate. Jim is now back in the center of the camera, in a neutral position.
Its worth speaking a bit more about the hot chocolate at this point, as Jim is the only one who really drinks it during S2. And both Aziraphale and Crowley offering it is significant, especially in light of the coffee shop name. I've talked about it a couple of times, and when I look back on what I've said it is usually tinged with what ever was the topic being discussed at the time. But the guts of what I said remain the same. Crowley is essentially making an apology here to Jim for what he just did, but on another level the hot chocolate represents a choice that the others in S2 don't get.
Most of us get the two options, coffee, or death.
But Jim has been given a third option, and he has grabbed it enthusiastically with both hands. Aziraphale has handed it to him in spades, even! That much will take a long time to get through, wouldn't it. It's a big generous gift, that Aziraphale understands well. Gabriel came to Aziraphale because he instinctively knew Aziraphale understood what he needed.
Mr 'six-shots-of-espresso' loves his freedom, or liberty, and his life here on Earth. The humans who line up for their dose of Heaven every day do, too.
Death is the option-that-is-not-an-option. It's duty [and obligation.] It's the tax we all have to pay for living.
So the Metatron turns up and offers Aziraphale a coffee to one who doesn't drink coffee. Essentially the Metatrash offers a choice that isn't a choice. Aziraphale's only choice is to do his duty at this point, or else...well, we aren't shown it, but it seems the 'else' was too terrible to contemplate. (Or, as some people alternatively see it, the Metatron kept pushing until he was offered a carrot he couldn't refuse.)
But Jim, he's been given the option that Aziraphale and Crowley really want, but can't quite have at this point. Freedom to love as they want, and openly in front of all Heaven, Hell and Humanity. They understand. They don't judge Jimbriel for this, they actually encourage it - they both make it happen right under [Heaven and Hell's] noses in the end! The irony of it! They give their arch-enemy the gift that they dream of.
...the sweet hot chocolate is Gabriel's special option, facilitated by Aziraphale and Crowley. He doesn't have to drink what the plebs drink, the bitter devotional duty to Heaven [or Hell.]
Not long after, the Eldritch Ball starts, and we see Jim in his Gabriel-blue Liberace suit. In religious iconography Gabriel is associated with the right-hand side of Jesus, and when he's positioned there he wears blue. So it was only appropriate that Aziraphale dress him in that colour (plus it reflects the divine status of Heaven that he knows Gabriel to originate from.) Jim starts on the left-side...
but soon finds himself center-stage again! Oh, dear, what an attention seeker. You're supposed to be in hiding, you silly angel!
Look at the joy on his face! He's all right-hand side angel there.
Then Shax and her Legion of the Damned break up the party. He offers to go outside and give himself up to save everyone. Wow - doesn't he do it in style, taking center stage yet again.
This is actually a deliberate pose, made to reference Jesus as he preaches to the masses, even though it looks like he's saying "here I am, come get me." Arms outstretched, his two lower fingers are also curled in on each side, much like Jesus is often pictured as well.
Hey, Shax, it's me you want! Jim, short for James, but also Gabriel.
Oh, you don't know the mistake you are making, Shax...
So he returns inside, still taking center stage - in between Aziraphale on the demonic left, and Crowley on the angelic right, to report what happened outside.
Gabriel exits, angelic stage right, defeated, while Crowley confronts Shax.
The last we see of Jim in Ep.5 is in the background, over Aziraphale's left shoulder, so he's returned back to being a sinister-sided angel again, in his assistant book seller garb.
But the night isn't finished yet, there is still much more to come!
This meta is part of a series on Gabriel
Gabriel as a Shoulder Angel: S1 Study
S2 Study Part 1: Ep.1 The Arrival and Ep. 2 The Clue
S2 Study Part 3: Ep.6 Every Day
First Order Archangels Part 1: Maybe You'll See An Archangel
First Order Archangels Part 2: Foils of War
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My Hero Academia AU where every time he has to make an important moral decision, he has All Might for a shoulder angel and Bakugo for a shoulder devil.
-when Todoroki refuses to use his fire-
All Might: Young Midoriya! You must help Todorki live up to his full potential!
Izuku: My shoulder angel.
Bakugo: Don't listen to that extra! He's trying to lead you down the "path of righteousness". I'm gonna lead you down the path that rocks! IcyHot wants to wuss out, kick his ass!
All Might: Ah, come off it!
Bakugo: You come off it!
All Might: You!
Bakugo: You!
All Might: You!
Bakugo: [smirking] You infinity. Listen up, Deku, I got three good reasons why you should just walk away. Number one: [points at All Might] Look at that guy! He's got bunny ears!
All Might: We've been through this. It's hair, and you know it.
Bakugo: All right. So, that's bunny ears... and he’s coughing up blood!
All Might: [reverting back to Small Might form]: It’s a health condition!
Bakugo: Reason number two: [sets off a barrage of explosions] Look what I can do! Ha, ha! Ha!
Izuku: But, uh, what does that have to do with anything?
All Might: No, no, he's got a point.
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