Good Omens Season 2 Review: Lovable And Charming, But Aimless
- Great chemistry between David Tennant and Michael Sheen
- Jon Hamm gets to have some fun
- Lovely maximalist production design
- Aimless narrative
- Can't accomplish what it needs to in six episodes
If you watched the first season of "Good Omens," you're probably thinking, "Wait ... didn't they kind of wrap everything up?" Yes. Indeed they did. But after the explosive success of Neil Gaiman's adaptation of his collaborative novel with the late Terry Pratchett (and, more specifically, the extreme interest in shipping its angel and demon as the ultimate odd couple), a second season was all but assured. The only problem? They basically used up all the plot in the first season. Its successor is more than a little aimless, without the tight scripting of the original book to serve as its narrative backbone. Eccentric storytelling aside, it's only the considerable charm of Michael Sheen and David Tennant in the two lead roles that keep the second season of "Good Omens" afloat.
The last we left our unlikely heroes, they had narrowly averted the Apocalypse. Having given the son of Satan (Sam Taylor Buck) the opportunity to be a normal kid and carve out his own path in life rather than following in the footsteps of dear old dad, they basically stopped the world from ending. How can you possibly top that? To the credit of angel Aziraphale (Sheen) and demon Crowley (Tennant), they're not exactly trying. Both are perfectly content laying low from their respective supervisors, hoping not to make any major waves. But this is completely upended when Gabriel (Jon Hamm) turns up on Aziraphale's doorstep. Problem No. 1: He's completely naked. Problem No. 2: He has no idea who he is. Problem No. 3: An extremely determined troop of both angels and demons are hell-bent (or heaven-bent, as the case may be) to get to Gabriel first. What's an angelic bookshop owner and his demon pal to do?
Less plot, more vibes
As it turns out, not very much. The plot might sound exciting and action-packed, but there's really just not a ton going on. Hamm is an absolute delight as a completely empty-headed Gabriel (who now goes by Jim, short for James, and is Aziraphale's assistant at the bookshop), but the mystery about what's happened to him and why is a little bit hard to care about. Every time the angels and demons show up, they bring any narrative flow to a grinding halt. They're just ... kind of boring. They suffer from diminishing returns: The more we see of them, the less effective they are. Aside from the continuing gag of angels having absolutely no clue how humanity works, and the introduction of Muriel (Quelin Sepulveda) posing as a London constable, who is genuinely adorable, all they do is muck up the works between Crowley and Aziraphale.
Because if there is one saving grace of "Good Omens," it's that it knows exactly how to use its two greatest assets, Sheen and Tennant, and their impeccable chemistry. If they had wanted to make a series entirely about their historic exploits, that would be delightful. We would watch every single episode and have exactly zero notes. The highlights of the season are, in fact, the sequences in which we get to see their longstanding friendship over the course of history: When they're caught in the middle of a bet between God (Frances McDormand) and Satan (Benedict Cumberbatch) over the soul of long-suffering Job (Peter Davison), for example, or when they somehow end up aiding and abetting a grave robbery in 19th-century Edinburgh, or when Aziraphale finally gets the chance to perform in an honest-to-God magic show on the West End in 1940s London. These moments are so much fun that it's almost a disappointment when we have to return to their modern-day drudgery.
Charm and charm alone
Another problem is one that so many shows suffer from at present, and that's the fact that this whole season only runs for six episodes. When you've created a show that runs almost exclusively on good vibes, that's not nearly enough time to go anywhere. But by the time the fifth episode rolls around, so little has actually happened that you immediately think, "How is it possible that there's only one episode left?" This isn't necessarily a criticism of the show, per se, but more a plea to their producers: Please, let these poor characters have space to breathe.
Without a doubt, there's plenty to like in "Good Omens," especially if you're part of the fairly large contingency that just can't get enough of the quickly evolving domesticity of Aziraphale and Crowley. The quirky, maximalist set and costume design are a delight — if nothing else, it gives "Good Omens" a homey visual sensibility, as though you've sunk into a cozy armchair after a long day. But in contrast to the frenetic energy and razor-sharp narrative structure of the first season, this one can't help but feel as though it lacks purpose. It's a classic example of a limited series where everyone had such a great time making it that they couldn't resist the urge to come back for round two — only no one stopped to think about whether or not they actually had enough to merit a second season.
You have to love the connection between Crowley and Aziraphale. The angel looks at the demon like a besotted teenager, and the demon will fight off the forces of heaven and hell to protect his little guy. It's a shipper's dream. But a show can't quite run on charm alone, and the second season of "Good Omens" falters accordingly.
"Good Omens" Season 2 premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 28.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being reviewed here wouldn't exist.