This review was made possible by advanced screeners of Good Omens Season 2, Episodes 1-6 provided by Prime Video.
Good Omens Season 1 was released in May 2019 on Prime Video and quickly became an internet favorite. Now, four years later, the series returns with its second season. The season follows Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant) as they try to solve a mystery. The mystery is about the archangel Gabriel, who shows up at Aziraphale’s bookshop’s door without his clothes or his memory.
Something’s Going Down…
After four years, my biggest concern going into Good Omens Season 2 was that the characters wouldn’t quite feel the same. However, in the first ten seconds, my worries were no more. Although Michael Sheen and David Tennant acted together in three seasons of Staged between the first and second seasons of Good Omens, those characters are far different from Aziraphale and Crowley. To see them embrace the angel and demon again was a delight. I felt like they had never missed a beat.
In this season, there’s no world-ending threat. The overarching plot is why the archangel Gabriel has shown up on Aziraphale’s doorstep naked and without his memory. There are also several smaller plots placed throughout the episodes. For example, the one between Maggie (Maggie Service) and Nina (Nina Sosanya), as Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to make them fall in love. There are also several ‘minisodes’ throughout the series that give us a glance into Aziraphale and Crowley’s past. Viewers of Season 1 will find these comparable to the cold opening of Episode 3.
…In The Up
There are also plenty of new characters this season. Along with Maggie and Nina on Earth, we also meet Muriel (Quelin Sepulveda) and Saraqael (Liz Carr) in Heaven. Muriel is a low-ranking angel who finds a material object in Heaven and is then sent to spy on Aziraphale and Crowley on Earth in Heaven’s search for Gabriel. Muriel is kind and curious about Earth, but also very (sort of) serious about the task they were sent to do. Saraqael is another unlikable angel, seemingly replacing Sandalphon from Season 1.
In Hell, Beelzebub (Shelley Conn) has a new face but is the same character. Shelley Conn took over the role from Anna Maxwell Martin. Shax (Miranda Richardson) is the demon who replaced Crowley as Hell’s representative in London. She is ultimately put in charge of Hell’s search for Gabriel. She’s not quite as clever as Crowley ever was, but is determined to climb the ranks in Hell.
It’s A Love Story, Period.
Although the story doesn’t revolve around just one pair’s love life, it’s certainly a love story through and through. Writer Neil Gaiman doesn’t read fanfiction, but this season feels like all of the fanfiction written over the past several years has come to life. That’s not a bad thing. Of course, not all fans will get what they want, but a large majority of them will come out of this season feeling satisfied. I know I felt vindicated for defending Good Omens all these years against those who said it wasn’t a love story. It had always been obvious. Ultimately, for me, this season left me surprised and excited for a potential third season.
Final Thoughts – ‘Good Omens’ Season 2
Overall, I was very happy with the season. It focuses almost completely on Aziraphale and Crowley, who were undoubtedly the best characters of Season 1. The mystery of Gabriel had me guessing until the reveal, and even then, I hadn’t seen the answer coming. Neil Gaiman and John Finnemore, who joined Gaiman in writing this season, did a fantastic job of creating a mystery that wasn’t spelt out to the audience. Although we’re missing some characters, it still feels like the same world, just one that has reached the end of it. If you were a fan of the first season, you won’t be disappointed with this next instalment. I won’t get into details, but the ending blindsided m,e and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait another four years.
Good Omens Season 2 releases July 28 on Prime Video. Check out the trailer for Good Omens Season 2 below:
