The first season of Good Omens (you can read my review here) was based entirely on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990), and was dedicated to stopping the Apocalypse.
It’s been four years since Good Omens, Season One showed up on AMAZON Prime Video. This Second Season has Neil Gaiman extending what he and Pratchett set up with the battles between Hell and Heaven. One thing that hasn’t changed in that time is the chemistry between leads David Tennant and Michael Sheen. Tennant plays the demon Crowley who’s dissatisfied with Hell, and Sheen plays Aziraphale, an angel who is dissatisfied with Heaven. Together, the demon and the angel work to save the Earth (and the Universe).
The Major Conundrum is the appearance in Aziraphale’s bookstore of the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm). But Gabriel has lost his memories and Aziraphale investigates why that happened. Meanwhile, Crowley gets involved in matchmaking the woman who who runs the nearby coffee shop with the woman who runs the nearby record shop. Three Nazi zombies wander around as well as 70 demons who attack the bookshop. However, the six episodes of Good Omens 2 drag. Plenty of meandering subplots and tedium. Don’t waste your time (like I did) on this disappointment. GRADE: D (for dull)
I must say, I am not really surprised. First, just because something is a hit, you do NOT automatically have to do a sequel, especially when you have nothing new to say. As much as I like Tennant and Sheen, and as much as I enjoyed the first series and their pandemic series (STAGED), even that got tired after a while. I turned on Prime a couple of nights ago and saw this was on – no hype, no emails, no promos, no reviews – and I thought uh oh, not a good sign. Plus, Jackie didn’t like the original. I would have gotten around to try it, but you saved me the trouble.
Jeff, like you I’m fond of the chemistry of Tennant and Sheen working together, but GOOD OMENS 2 bombed for me. The first series was based on the book Gaiman wrote with Terry Pratchett. Now writing this “sequel” just Gaiman just lacked Pratchett’s wackiness and clever humor. You just saved yourself six hours of dullness.
Despite dire warnings, I will be watching it. I may have to turn off my CWS (Crap Warning System), though.
Jerry, I wish Gaiman gave Tennant something to do in GOOD OMENS 2. Tennant looks bored through the six episodes…and rightly so!
Ann and I are two episodes in and are enjoying it. We’ll see if that keeps up, but so far we’re happy.
Jeff, you and Ann will enjoy the Buddy Holly “Everyday” song that is sprinkled through the episodes.
I’ve actually read a fair amount of rave reviews for this season but since every single one of them was enraptured solely with the queer overtones of the relationship between the two main characters and never mentioned any other aspect of the series I’m going to go with your take, George, which was concerned with the actual story being told.
Also, a four year gap between the first and second seasons of a show really sums up so much of what is wrong with streaming era television.
Byron, the four year gap is a slight problem, but the larger issue is that Jon Hamm and David Tennant have little to do in GOOD OMENS 2.