by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
The chemistry between two actors is vitally important for certain shows to work. I’m not just talking about love interests, but rather friends, companions, or enemies. Without two performers giving it their all, a season can completely fall apart. Good Omens is the shining example of what it means to have two leads with unbelievable chemistry.
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s novel-turned-series is one of Amazon’s most clever and sprawling series. Two eternal beings’ — an angel named Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and a demon named Crowley (David Tennant) — friendship spans all of creation. When events from either heaven or hell threaten the life they’ve both created on earth, they spring into action to prevent certain doom. Season Two picks up not long after Season One, with the angel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) showing up at Aziraphale’s bookstore in England with no recollection of who he is and where he came from. With both heaven and hell eager to find him, Aziraphale and Crowley both look to solve the mystery of what happened to Gabriel.
Sheen and Tennant’s chemistry might be among the best in television right now. They know how to play off of one another, and their interactions feel effortless, as if they’ve known each other since the beginning of time. Between Good Omens and Staged, the two have had plenty of opportunities to flex their comedic chops with one another. This season, though, there is a lot of fascinating dramatic work where they contend with their role in some biblical events, and are forced to choose between their morality and the will of God.
These questions and conversations are what help distinguish Seasons One and Two. The first season is a more hell-centric plot which deals with Satan and demons a lot more. Season Two focuses exclusively on issues in heaven, and on trying to solve the mystery of Gabriel. These conversations about morality and questioning authority when something feels off are by far where this season soars. These are deep conversations between Aziraphale and Crowley which provide excellent conundrums, specifically about the nature of angels and demons. The Old Testament — specifically Adam and Eve, and Job and his family — of the Bible is the focus of these moral issues, and Good Omens does creative things to show the ethical dilemma at hand without saying it’s 100% wrong. All of this culminates with a choice that Aziraphale makes that breaks my heart, but sets up an exciting Season Three (assuming it gets one).
I sometimes forget how much I enjoy Hamm as a performer. The fit between him and the rest of the cast is strong. His born-yesterday persona as he discovers what it means to be human is charming and hilarious. Hamm flexes his comedy muscle a lot in Season Two, and discovering what catapulted him to earth provides a great mystery for the story. The sentiment for the end of his arc this season is truly beautiful. It subverts expectations about angels and demons remarkably. For a character that doesn’t have much to do in the novel, Hamm makes Gabriel much more compelling and someone to root for in Season Two versus the Gabriel we find in Season One.
Season Two is also filled with many new characters, along with the limited amount from Season One. The most notable new characters are Shax (Miranda Richardson), a demon who takes over some responsibilities from Crowley after the events of Season One, Nina (Nina Sosanya), a coffeeshop owner across the street from Aziraphale’s bookshop, and Maggie (Maggie Service), a record shop owner. Shax pops in and out of Season Two, but doesn’t get a whole lot to do until the very end. She’s ambitious and has a plan for what she wants to achieve. Her demonic nature does get the best of her unfortunately, but she ultimately accomplishes some of her goals. Maggie and Nina are the human parallels of the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale. The dynamic between Service and Sosanya matches Tennant and Sheen, with less screen time and less focus. It took me out of the story when the focus shifts to Maggie and Nina, but not enough to dislike what they did with the characters. Beelzebub (Shelley Conn), who is in Season One, gets a lot more to do in Season Two. She was one of my favorite parts of the season, and she gets some time negotiating and interacting with Gabriel. I like how Good Omens reshuffles talent around and gives performers new roles from the previous season. Hopefully more shows can take notice of this and do something similar.
The second season of Good Omens is an outstanding sophomore effort which focuses way more on the characters and their relationships with one another. Everyone is fantastic together, but Tennant and Sheen get top marks for their performances together and apart. As long as these two are in Good Omens, I will be there. The morality of angels and demons also gives me a lot to think about, which I love for a comedic show. Amazon should try to prop this show up a little more to get more eyeballs on it. It’s easily one of the best on the platform, and one of the strongest seasons for 2023.
Score: Loved It
Good Omens is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
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