This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the show being covered here wouldn’t exist.
After introducing audiences to the world of Good Omens nearly four years ago, the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) are back with a second season full of the humor and action that made the first installment work so well. With a handful of new faces, an intriguing mystery, and some very unexpected twists, the Prime Video original series, co-produced by BBC Studios, expands the limits of its universe by placing the main duo in front of their ultimate fates. Fortunately, the new six episodes are just as heartfelt and fun as the first batch, making Good Omens season 2 a devilishly wonderful binge.
The dynamic duo prevented the apocalypse by the time the first season came to a close, and they’re now having a hard time adjusting to a life outside of Heaven and Hell in London’s Soho. Aziraphale no longer works for the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) and the rest of Heaven. To avoid losing his mind, he finds a new hobby that perfectly fits his interests. Since he’s always been fascinated by human culture, Aziraphale is now in charge of a bookshop, sharing stories from centuries ago with his loyal customers. Whereas this angel knows what to do with his new life, his demonic counterpart suffers from the opposite.
Crowley has lost every bit of inspiration outside of working for Hell, and has subsequently fallen into a depressive episode that paralyzed the streak of good deeds he had created for himself. This is noticeable from the first moment he meets with the demon Shax (Miranda Richardson), who has since taken over his position as Hell’s ambassador to London. His downward spiral pivots directions when Gabriel unexpectedly shows up at Aziraphale’s bookshop, the archangel completely naked and with no memory of who he was. Obviously, everyone remembers Gabriel as one of the forces determined to kill the duo during their last adventure. Against their own wishes, Crowley and Aziraphale must now get to the bottom of this mystery before the consequences of Gabriel’s presence on Earth results in an unstable reality. The archangel Michael (Doon Mackichan) and archangel Uriel (Gloria Obianyo) follow close behind, making matters worse for the uncanny duo.
This is where Prime Video’s comedy about the afterlife shines, understanding that its characters are already loved by a very passionate fan base and the only direction to take them is forward. Created by famed fantasy author Neil Gaiman and based on his and Terry Pratchett‘s 1990 novel of the same name, Good Omens is anything but rinse and repeat in season 2. The show opts to focus on how it can make Crowley and Aziraphale grow into more emotionally complete beings. They are no longer an angel or a demon, they’re two people cursed with immortality forced to watch humanity constantly make great mistakes around them. Of course, the people they used to work for wouldn’t let them go as easily as that.
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Anna Maxwell Martin was in charge of playing demon Beelzebub when the show began, but in this second season, Shelley Conn has taken over the role, as the leader of the forces of Hell keeps an eye on Crowley for disobeying orders. Conn’s lively performance brings a new edge to the character, and things get equally exciting as many secrets previously hidden in the depths of the underworld finally surface in Good Omens season 2. More additions to the cast make wonderful impressions in their debut, including Heaven’s newest soldiers in charge of keeping order within the departments of the institution.
Two of these fresh faces in Heaven include the angel Muriel (Quelin Sepulveda) and angel Saraqael (Liz Carr), who are busy working through all of the problems that have been created on Earth in recent years. Their comedic timing is on point, as they play immortal angels burdened with the task of running an office that will exist as long as they will. They remind viewers that the charm of Good Omens is based on how otherwordly beings of immense power happen to act exactly like the mortals they’re in charge of protecting, or destroying. The world doesn’t have to be a safe place in Good Omens as long as it gets to be fun for a few hours.
With Maggie Service and Nina Sosanya returning to the series in completely new roles, the secondary characters get enough time to shine in Good Omens season 2. Sosanya is no longer playing Sister Loquacious, she’s now in charge of portraying a much kinder character. On the other hand, Maggie Service plays a record shop owner who rents a space from Aziraphale. Both new parts serve as the human connection between Heaven and Hell, keeping the series grounded in the middle of mythical events.
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Series creator Neil Gaiman is joined by co-showrunner John Finnemore in Good Omens season 2, with the new story at hand utilizing some ideas for Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s never written sequel novel. Douglas Mackinnon (Doctor Who, Sherlock) returns to helm all six episodes as series director and executive producer as well. The show’s staple creative team takes good care and puts ample amounts of attention to this fantastical story, wherein the destiny of humanity is often decided by a corporate entity that hands eternal life as its product. As usual, Crowley and Aziraphale’s next steps are unpredictable, opening the door for powerful forces to try and stop them and keeping audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the whole season with brisk pacing.
With charming performances from the cast, an intriguing mystery sending everyone on a very special mission, and the heart audiences fell in love with during the first installment, Good Omens season 2 is a delightful return to the conflict between Heaven and Hell. David Tennant and Michael Sheen shine brighter than ever as the main duo of the series, further perfecting their chemistry while bringing new depth to these lovable entities that have lived among humans for thousands of years. Amazon Prime Video has found one of its most emotional productions in a comedy that knows how to steal hearts. It would be a shame to make people wait another four years for Good Omens season 3.
