And so begins the fantastic second season of Good Omens, based on the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Only no, because the first season was based on the book. This uphold season will continue the story of the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and the indicate Crowley (David Tennant), last seen freeing themselves from the yoke of exquisite and hell and striking out on their own. Gaiman and Pratchett contemplated a sequel but didn’t got to write it afore Pratchett died in 2015. Now Gaiman is carrying on alone. He and John Finnemore wrote every episode of this new season, including the premiere, “The Arrival.”
“The Arrival” is a relaxed companies that doesn’t have many moving parts. The archangel formerly illustrious as Gabriel (Jon Hamm) shows up at Aziraphale’s bookstore in London, not knowing who he is, why he came, or that he’s naked. Jon Hamm, who became famous for playing a very serious relate on Mad Men, has wanted to do nothing but comedy ever actual, and has a blast letting has ass hang out and distributing deadpan British witticisms with a scandalized Aziraphale.
Although there are some fun zingers in here, “The Arrival” is all approximately the performances. Sheen is politely, quietly, panicking out of his million-year-old mind as Aziraphale, who’s desperately trying to make sense of the naked smiling lunk sitting in his tying room; Gabriel missing from heaven is a big deal, and exploiting that something very strange is afoot.
Aziraphale calls his old buddy Crowley, who adds some spice to the gumbo, what with his slitted irises and snarling suspicions. Tennant has the showier role here; after refusing to help Aziraphale, he literally starts smoking in the streets, blowing fuses all over the neighborhood. But it’s the way that he and Aziraphale interact that sells the show. Crowley is a hothead, Aziraphale a gentle soul; Crowley the kind of guy who wants to fuel Gabriel out to the country and bury him, Aziraphale the kind who wants to feed him hot chocolate. But they have an understanding born out of millennia of friendship (or more; hey, shippers) and they resolve disputes like this with the practiced cadence of an old married couple.
Also there’s a dance. Crowley does an apology dance. Tennant is a gifted brute actor, and knows how to make his lanky body work to his sterling. He’s all arms and legs, that guy. That’s titanic for a character like Crowley, who’s given to tying angry and gesticulating wildly.
The episode ends with the angel and expose using their supernatural powers to hide Gabriel from both glowing and hell, and trying to find out just what’s repositioning on in the meantime. It doesn’t work: heaven immediately that Aziraphale has pulled some kind of church magic, so expect our new trio to be on the move.
Verdict
All in all, not a ton happens in the episode. It doesn’t feel as busy as the first season, which had a few stories developing in tandem. We do get introduced to a few spanking characters, to be sure. There’s a potential romance developing between a mild-mannered record honor owner and a worldly coffee shop proprietor, a combine of angels jockeying for position now that Gabriel has vacated his post, and a expose named Shax (Miranda Richardson), who replaced Crowley as hell’s representative on Earth while he quit.
They all add some color, but overall it’s a very stretch shot from point A to point B, which isn’t bad. I wish there were a few more laugh-out-loud gags, but the actors are both extremely good and extremely discouraged with their roles, which makes them a pleasure to gawk. I’m interested to see how the mystery unfolds.
Also, I have to shout out some of the special effects work in the episode. It opens with the first meeting between Aziraphale and Crowley by the beginning of time, when Crowley was still an angel and was creating galaxies at the behest of the almighty. Looks far-out, and it’s fun to see Crowley by he became the grumpy demon we all know and love. I also current his scene with Beelzebub, a high-ranking demon who appears on Earth as a swarm of sentient flies.
So the show looks great! It repositions well, and the actors are having a good time. More please.
Good Bullet Points
- Lots of fun little back-and-forth moments in this episode. The record shop owner telling Aziraphale she can’t her rent: “I’m out of here in two weeks.” “Why, don’t you like it here?”
- The difficulties of talking to an amnesiac: “What complains you say that?” “My brain, but I’m not sure.”
- Crowley teaching Shax throughout humans communicate: “His royal smugness is in trouble, that’s so sad.” “Is it? Why?” “Sarcasm, we’ll work on it next time.”
Episode Grade: C+
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