While there’s absolutely no harm – or shame, for that matter – in an established TV series catering to its intended demographic, the best the small screen has to offer will appeal to an even larger audience. Good Omens returns to Prime Video for its second on July 28, and as much as those who adored the first run of episodes are going to love it, there’s not much to appeal to any potential new converts.
Of course, a fantastical Neil Gaiman fable following David Tennant’s Crowley and Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale as they enjoy a pleasant life on Earth as the representatives of Heaven and Hell getting drawn into apocalypse prevention with the help and hindrance of a band of eccentric and offbeat supporting players isn’t intended to appeal to everyone, but it would have been nice if it did.
Having succeeded in their goal and averted the end of times at the conclusion of season 1, it’s back to normal for the dynamic duo… for a while, at least. Right on cue, Jon Hamm’s scene-stealing Gabriel reappears butt-naked and completely devoid of his memories, but at least he’s able to inform Crowley and Aziraphale that yet another disaster of epic proportions is looming on the horizon.
If you’ve seen Good Omens, then you’ll be all too aware that the pair are ill-equipped to deal with such things once never mind twice, plunging them into a fairly gentle and unassuming comedic caper where they try to protect Gabriel and remain one step ahead of their divine overlords, which serves as the basis for what’s comfortably the show’s strongest suit; the sparkling chemistry between Tennant and Sheen.
In fairness, you could plunge the two into any project of any genre, let them share the screen and the sparks are guaranteed to fly, but it’s not a stretch to say that Good Omens would be a much lesser entity than it is if there were any other two talents in the entire industry bringing the bickering, bitching, and generally delightful interplay to life.
As a result, they shoulder the load when it comes to season 2’s shortcomings; most glaringly a narrative that feels more leisurely, less urgent, and altogether lighter than its predecessor. Of course, the pandemic is possibly to blame given the restrictions (and budget cuts) in place throughout shooting, but despite expanding the world and mythology of Good Omens, it can occasionally feel emptier and more artificial, matters that aren’t helped by backgrounds, environments, and landscapes created either partially or entirely through CGI that can regularly be less than convincing, not to mention several exposition dumps taking place within such uninspiring confines doing the pacing no favors.
The first season devoured almost all of the source novel, leaving the creative team to come up with brand new ways to further the story while remaining true to the spirit of its inspirations. It proves to be a double-edged sword, though, because Good Omens almost always dips whenever Tennant and Sheen aren’t onscreen to underline their importance to every single frame, while certain plot beats can come across as heavy-handed and clunkier than they justifiably should.
Of course, it’s not all about the two leads despite their status as the saving graces, with Hamm in particular continuing to showcase his underrated comedic chops to great effect, with Shelley Conn making a strong impression as the reinvigorated Beelzebub, while Miranda Richardson’s Shax – as well as Nina Sosanya and Maggie Service’s scene-stealing sisters Mary Loquacious and Theresa Garrulous – return in a different guise but still manage to make an impression.
In essence, as a Neil Gaiman adaptation brought into live-action with the heavy involvement of none other than Neil Gaiman himself, branching out and creating new tales that exist outwith the printed page are going to be rapturously received by anybody with a passing interest in either the creative mastermind’s vast back catalogue or Good Omens itself, but there’s not a great deal to chew on for the uninitiated, or the skeptics.
Anything that throws a trio of dead Nazis returning as zombies (in a continuation of season 1’s Blitz-based plotline), Frances McDormand as the voice of God, a demon trying to lure an angel to temptation with a delicious plate of ribs, a breakdown of completely inaccurate baby-making logistics, and whimsy coming out of every imaginable orifice is hard to actively criticize when there’s quite literally nothing else like Good Omens on any network or streaming service, there’s always a lingering feeling that as much as the narrative, theological, thematic, and comedic horizons have been expanded, it hasn’t quite been taken far enough to establish season 2 as must-see for anyone on the fence about diving in from the start.
Fair
There's no harm in any series appealing directly to its inbuilt audience, and as entertaining as 'Good Omens' can be in its second season, it feels unlikely to win over anyone who wasn't already on board.