British television history is replete with great comedy duos. Fry and Laurie, Brydon and Coogan, Pegg and Frost. No matter what they’re involved in, their ease with one another, and natural comic timing, always makes for an enjoyable and entertaining watch. Five years ago, we got a new addition to the club in the form of David Tennant and Michael Sheen. Besides being the perfect Aziraphale and Crowley in Prime Video’s Good Omens, their lockdown series Staged further proved that they were the new comedic duo that we were waiting for.
Now they’re back. Their bristling banter and effortless energy is once again front and center in the new season of Good Omens. But what’s even more apparent this time is the love that they clearly have for one another. Which makes for an incredibly fun, yet utterly heart wrenching six episodes.
Please Sir, I Want Some More
For any fan of the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the television adaptation was everything they could have asked for. The whimsy and tone of the book was beautifully translated to the screen, bringing the characters in our heads to life in ways we never thought possible. It was a near perfect series that came to a very lovely end.
So when word came that Gaiman was working on a second season, there was indeed an air of trepidation. There was no second book to base it on. There was no longer a Terry Pratchett even. It almost seemed blasphemous. But in Gaiman we should have trusted as he has managed to deliver an amazing companion to that glorious first season. By bringing back everything that made the first outing work, Gaiman has managed to deliver a story that is light hearted, fantastical, yet incredibly deep and moving, all in the span of about six hours.
Season 2 picks up where we left off, with the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant), living their lives, free of the shackles of both Heaven and Hell. Their peace, however, is short-lived with the sudden arrival of a naked and amnesiac Gabriel (Jon Hamm). For some reason, heaven’s supreme archangel seems to be completely unawares of who he is, and his disappearance has caused chaos in both Heaven and Hell.
The story flows on seamlessly from the first season and is apparently something that Gaiman and Pratchett had hatched out together over three decades ago. And while Pratchett is no longer with us, his energy is still very present by way of Gaiman’s words and ideas.
The Dynamic Duo
Now I’m not going to piss on your leg and tell you it’s raining. I’m not going to pretend like I’m an unbiased party here. I love both Tennant and Sheen and having them reunite on screen is my idea of joy. There is an effervescence that the both of them bring to their characters, as well as to the screen. Their connection is so effortless, and the banter between the two of them is so natural that you can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It feels like you’re catching up with old friends.
What’s more, this season of Good Omens dives even deeper into their relationship, with more of those fantastic flashbacks that give us greater insight into their exploits through the centuries. (Their encounter with Job – yes, THE Job – being a particular delight!) And just when all of this feels like too much of a digression from the main narrative, Gaiman manages to rein it in and tie it all together. (A side note for Whovians: You will be tickled pink at the sheer number of Easter Eggs for us Gaiman has snuck in for us.)
Besides Tennant and Sheen, credit should also be given to Jon Hamm for his stand out performance as Gabriel, who has experienced a total character shift this season from smugness and arrogance, to befuddled innocence. With a lot more screen time in this second outing, it’s allowed us to fall in love with Gabriel in a way that we didn’t get to the first time around. (Then again, there really wasn’t all that much to love about him in Season One.) Watching Hamm play Gabriel as this lost child discovering the world for the very first time feels like a welcome change from the characters that he usually inhabits. People forget how great of a comedic performer the man actually is (see: Confess, Fletch), and his turn in this second season is pure gold.
Just Greenlight Season 3 Already!
If I had one nitpick about this season of Good Omens, it would be the omission of the voice of God – originally inhabited by none other than Frances McDormand. Her narration was such a key element of the first season, that having her missing from this one did feel incredibly jarring. You do eventually get used to the new format, but it did feel odd not having her subtly drive the story along. She was such an integral part of the whimsy of the first season that not having her around felt like a part of the show’s heart was missing. It wasn’t vital, but it would have been a welcome return.
All in all, Gaiman has done it again, delighting us with another wonderful journey from our favourite Angel and Demon. There are great callbacks, fun insights into how these two influenced some major moments throughout history, and just more of Tennant and Sheen doing what they do best. I laughed. I screamed. I cried. I felt every emotion during this journey. Now, all we can do is wait in hope for a third season. Because if this is all we’re getting, I may just start a riot.
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