Review: “Good Omens,” Starring David Tennant
When it comes to the casting of the Potter movies, I have only one quibble: not enough David Tennant. I don’t know what it is about this man, but be it Jessica Jones or Doctor Who, he is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch on-screen. I was already pretty excited for the adaptation of Good Omens – a novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – but Tennant’s casting as one of the leads was the cherry on top.
Needless to say, I couldn’t get enough of this show.
We’ve seen the “abating Armageddon” plot many times, and this one’s not very different either, but the shining glory of this narrative is its utter weirdness. While I’m not really familiar with Pratchett’s work, this story practically screams Gaiman, whose absurdity I adore dearly.
We have David Tennant in the role of Crowley, a loose-living demon who has a complicated relationship with his house plants, and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, the literal embodiment of the word “angel.” In a series of absurdly unfortunate events, Crowley misplaces the Antichrist who is meant to commence the apocalypse. So while heaven and hell prep themselves for the big showdown, Crowley and Aziraphale team up to find the real son of Satan and stop the incoming end of the world.
It’s impossible not to fall in love with this duo (seriously, disliking Aziraphale should be punishable by law), especially as we’re given glimpses into their unlikely friendship over the course of 6,000 years. Tennant and Sheen share such incredible chemistry and comic timing that you simply can’t get enough of them. Crowley’s whole sarcastic-cynic-who’s-a-secret-softie vibe is perfectly complemented by Aziraphale, who is what I presume sunshine would look like if it were a person. It’s a quintessential rom-com.
This ship is the warm hug that my Destiel (Hello, my Supernatural fam) and Wolfstar shipping heart desperately needed. Lovingly coined as the “ineffable husbands” by the fandom, they have often been celebrated as the asexual love story the world needs and deserves. Although this is a slight deviation from the books, it was a conscious choice made by Gaiman for the show to approach Crowley and Aziraphale through the lens of a love story. But even then, he admits to being quite surprised by the overwhelming response that this pairing has received.
The only downside of having such iconic leads is that whenever they’re not around, you miss them terribly. Everyone else simply pales in comparison. The side plots with heaven and hell’s executives featuring John Hamm as Gabriel and Anna Maxwell Martin as Beelzebub as well as Adria Arjona and Jack Whitehall’s witch and witch hunter romance, although an amusing narrative, feels almost like a distraction at times. They are a good laugh, yes, but I found myself growing impatient about the lack of Sheen and Tennant.
It’s been months since my introduction to the series, but you’ll still find me going down the rabbit hole of YouTube compilations of moments from this show. So when Amazon Prime announced that there’s going to be a second season, you can imagine how hard I must’ve squealed. While we eagerly await the new installment scheduled to be aired in 2022, I highly recommend the rest of you catch up.
Trust me. You will not be disappointed.
