Good Omens 2 – A Fan’s Dream Come True
Those of you who read my newsletter will already be aware of my slight, very slight affection for the tv show Good Omens. The show is based off a book written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett waaaaay back in 1990, and it was meant to be a humorous take about the end of the world brought on by the Antichrist. I personally prefer the tv show simply because it adjusts the book for more modern sensibilities and involves some lovely gender queer rep and more diverse castings. Neil Gaiman truly has a gift of transforming the written page into a visual medium, and nowhere can that be seen better than Good Omens.
Good Omens 2 is a kind of bridge between the first book and the second which was planned before Terry Pratchett’s death. As such, it was able to incorporate more “fluff” and fandom-ing than would normally have been possible. It is my favorite mostly because it focuses much more religiously on the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley from the first book. My fangirling aside, Good Omens 2 also speaks to me on a personal level. One of the show’s themes is deconstructing religious dichotomy and rigidity. As someone who grew up in a religious sect that flirted with cultdom, it is unspeakably powerful to see an angel and demon discussing the toxicity of heaven and hell’s dichotomy.
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead. Put this blog down and go watch both seasons. It’s only 12 episodes total. You can do it!*
*Trigger Warning – mentions of suicidal fictitious characters*
Likes:
Acting/Casting – Of course, I cannot speak of Good Omens without fanning incredibly loudly over the casting of Michael Sheen for Aziraphale & David Tennant for Crowley, our key angel and demon respectively. Sheen has thrown himself flamboyantly into portraying Aziraphale’s affection for Crowley, and the comradery he and Tennant share offscreen has only brought more ease to their duo act. I also can’t get enough of Crowley’s facial expressions. And Aziraphale’s. Honestly, these two lovable idiots make the show.
The Bentley – Fiends, it was their car. Crowley’s Bently which he loves so dearly and is representative of him is now their Bently. Just…my feels, okay? AND CROWLEY COULD FEEL AZIRAPHALE INSIDE THE CAR. I’m sure that little piece of info has inspired a thousand steamy fanfics at least. And then the moment Aziraphale turned the car yellow! (It looked beautiful no matter what Crowley says.) Why does Aziraphale think yellow is a pretty color, you might ask? BECAUSE IT’S THE SHADE OF CROWLEY’S EYES AND I SHALL DIE ON THIS HILL. Ahem. I also loved the way the Bentley followed Aziraphale once he got out. Like a puppy that didn’t want to be left behind. 10/10. Would (and have) watch again.
The Casual Physical Interactions – The way Crowley sits on the arm of Aziraphale’s chair when they’re meeting Muriel. The oft screenshot moment of Aziraphale’s hand on Crowley’s chest in the crowded pub. This is all beautifully contrasted with the physical distance we are shown during their first real confrontation and resolution at the house of Job. The slowest of slow burns as they begin to see there is more than just two sides. There is a third side somewhere in the middle. Their Side.
Apology Dance – Aziraphale and Crowley have a dance. A dance they do to apologize when they royally fuck up. That is such relationship goals, fiends. So cute and sassy.
Muriel – Our new favorite angel! Muriel is adorable and arouses every protective instinct within queers and nonqueers alike! They deserve the world, and I hope they enjoy puttering around the bookshop!
Musical Cues – Part of what perfects the humor of this series is the extremely well-timed background accompaniment. From the twinkle sound of angelic dusting to the creaking of a matchbox being opened, the sound department delivers again and again! Kudos to them all!
Fucking Jane Austen – Aziraphale hosted a ball. And everyone spoke in dialect. I was roaring with laughter and excited feels. Literally the dream of any fan’s heart to watch their OTP doing such adorable and ridiculous things together. My only wish is that Crowley and Aziraphale’s dance had lasted a little longer.
Crowley’s Softness – Our favorite demon is so incredibly soft in season 2. The way he saves everything from goats to children to adults locked in coffee shops. His effervescent love of stars. Even the way he saves a suicidal human speaks to a degree of actually giving a shit that we haven’t seen up to this point.
Return of Mascara Demon – He always dies and yet continually (and comically) returns like a phoenix. Or a bad penny. Rock on, kiddo.
Shared Spaces – The way Crowley and Aziraphale now interact in each other’s spaces is amazing. Aziraphale even outright says ‘our car’ and ‘our bookshop’. This goes hand-in-hand with their increased physical proximity and interaction with one another. A bond is there, and it’s clear to see to everyone around them. Perhaps, one might say, clearer to everyone around them than to each other.
Slow Revelations – Watching Aziraphale’s slow realization that everything isn’t always black and white once again brought me back to my own upbringing. My realization that authority isn’t meant to have our blind, unthinking faith. Aziraphale slowly sees what Crowley has seen for a long time. “People are just as dead if heaven or hell smites them.” To me ,Crowley is all about teaching nuance, especially to Aziraphale, while Aziraphale accepts and praises Crowley’s ‘undemonly’ desire to help and support those in need (angel and human alike).
Interaction with Humanity – Season 1 of Good Omens focused mainly on humans interacting with humans and miraculous interacting with the miraculous. Season 2 takes a different spin and shows how the miraculous interact with humanity on a personal level. As actual individuals and not just some ‘higher being to a lower one.’ Both Aziraphale and Crowley learn from humanity in this manner. And it’s only as Aziraphale gets to know individual people—Eve in the garden, the children of Job, Elspeth of Edinburgh—that he begins to see that “good” may be a lot different than he’d been told.
Star Crowley – We see Crowley’s angelic form for the first time! He looks adorable, and his excitement for space kills me every time I watch this show. Is Crowley secretly an INFP? The plot thickens, fiends...
Dislikes:
Um, is there anything to dislike? – As you may have noticed, I am head over heels with Good Omens 2. Season 1 was amazing, of course. But it needed to follow the plot of the original book. Therefore, there was only so much CrowleyxAziraphale forthcoming. But Season 2...Season 2 upended an ocean of loud, proud shipping over our collective heads.
The only thing I could say I disliked was the ending. Not because it didn’t fit the flow of the story, but because it ripped out my silly little heart and stomped all over it. Both Aziraphale and Crowley are an absolute mess at that point, but I have faith (oh, the irony) that they will come back together in the end.
Ending Comments:
Season 3 has officially been sanctioned as of this post in 2024! Very excited, concerned, and ready to be amazed as this wonderful series wraps up. Good luck to all involved in the production!