There’s an ineffable Britishness to Good Omens. An adaptation of the 1990 novel written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, it tells the story of an unlikely pair of friends- an angel and a demon- as they work together to avert the apocalypse after the birth of the Antichrist. Adapted by Gaiman himself into a six episode miniseries, the story rolls along with a unique whimsy anchored by the two lead’s chemistry.
David Tennant’s rockstar-like Crowley is the standout of the pair, whose hedonism and disregard for hell’s orders belies his conscience. He is paired with Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale, a genial angel who runs a bookstore and is peculiarly interested with collecting signed editions of prophecies. Their journey takes them through various points of human history, from the Garden of Eden to the impending apocalypse. The Antichrist they are trying to stop is a young eleven year old boy named Adam Young, who spends most of his time coming up with new games for his friends. After he receives a mysterious new dog, however, he starts to change over the next few days.
Other than Crowley and Aziraphale, a few other characters are also on the case. There’s Anathema Device, who’s following the prophecies of her ancestor, Agnes Nutter, and there’s Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, whose order of witch hunters have seen much better days. There’s also the Archangel Gabriel, played delightfully by Jon Hamm, who would much rather fight the final war than work on avoiding it.
The show’s biggest strength is perhaps it’s weakness: although many things happen in the plot, the stakes often don’t feel as high as they should. Events such as the introduction of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse do bring more urgency into the plot, however, and the brisk pacing always keep things interesting, if not always dire.
However, the fact remains that Good Omens is, at its heart, a show about Aziraphale and Crowley, and the rest of the plot is mostly a pretense that gives the two something to do. Characters like Sergeant Shadwell are interesting footnotes (it’s weird how often he asks people about the number of their nipples) but they aren’t nearly as fleshed out as Crowley and Aziraphale are.
But at least, the chemistry the two share is quite impressive. At times, it feels like there are glimpses of a better, more compelling show that explores these two experiences, like a divine spin on the Doctor Who formula. Indeed, Aziraphale’s fascination with food, and Crowley’s bond with his faithful 90-year old Bentley hint at that rich past. Unfortunately, those stories are not the focus of the main narrative.
The plot is sound enough that there is enough material to make a miniseries. Good Omens always has a wink aimed at the audience, and as it stands, it feels like an incredibly faithful adaptation of the source material. It doesn’t always land on its feet, but it always entertains, and perhaps, that was the nature of the book as well. In that context, I guess I can scarcely complain.
