When I first heard that Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 collab novel Good Omens had gotten a very well-liked TV adaptation via Amazon Prime, I was more than a little confused. After all, being the incredible legends that they are – or were, in the case of Terry; rest in peace – hardly any of their works have received proper adaptations, if any at all (Coraline is still the bomb, though). Why release it after more than two decades since the release of the novel? Whose idea was this? Why Amazon Prime – doesn’t Netflix own everything these days? Anyway, that’s beside the point. Having seen the show receive glowing reviews from pretty much everyone and their grandma, I decided to give this one a fair shot, given that I don’t watch TV all that often. I bet you’re all on the edge of your seats waiting to hear my opinion.
But let’s back off for a second. What could a story from the brilliant minds of Neil and Terry even be about? As it turns out, it’s quite simple: Aziraphale and Crowley, angel and demon respectively, have been friends for thousands of years (though Aziraphale would never admit to it) and as the representatives of Heaven and Hell on Earth, they are tasked with keeping an eye on the Antichrist, a young boy who is destined to bring about the end of the world as we know it. The unlikely pair want to ensure that the child is raised in such a way that he can never choose between good or evil, thus postponing the End Times for some other day. However, things don’t exactly go according to plan, and with less than a week till Armageddon, the two must find a way to sabotage the end of the world, maybe meet some eccentric side characters along the way, re-evaluate the meaning of their friendship, and answer the question of whether or not Good and Evil will ever be able to co-exist. Fun times and plenty of Queen music ensues!
One thing that I’ll just get out of the way first, I absolutely adored the two leads. David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale are fantastic actors (no surprise) and they nailed the dynamic between the two polar-opposite protagonists. Truly, every scene they’re in is a joy to watch and it’s safe to say that they steal the show. If anything, watch it for them. Another worthy thing of note is that the show is hilarious. Really. Neil and Terry when put together are a powerhouse of unique comedic storytelling, and despite the dramatic stakes at large, every episode gave me something to laugh about. Not to mention the tight and clever script (done by Gaiman himself!) that certainly kept me invested throughout the show’s six-hour runtime. Production and costume design was very impressive, really showing the creativity of the crew when it came to bringing both the book’s real and otherworldly locations and inhabitants to life. The stark contrast between the grimy and flea-ridden Hell to the pristine, white-washed Heaven is truly a sight to behold.
When comes to the things I didn’t like regarding this show, there’s not a lot to say, honestly. Some people have already made comparisons regarding certain plot points and events from the book being omitted from the show, but as a person who hasn’t read the book (yet), I can’t make these sorts of negative opinions. What I will say, though, is that some episodes have a certain unbalanced quality to them – some scenes go on for too long and some are over in the blink of the eye. Another annoyance that I had a few times was that the side characters were in scenes that dragged on for a while, so much so that I wanted to just skip ahead. Not that the side characters or their respective actors are particularly bad or anything (I think they’re just fine) but I was way more invested in Aziraphale and Crowley than I was with them. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
In conclusion, despite some minor setbacks as mentioned above, Good Omens is an otherwise engaging, refreshing, funny, and thought-provoking show that’s certainly worth six or so hours of your time. With a stellar cast, great performances, fun design choices, and a tightly-knit script, it’s a one-of-a-kind show from a one-of-a-kind writer. You wouldn’t want to miss it. I’m glad I didn’t!
Final score: 8.5/10
The Art Archive 