- Good Omens Season 2 dropped on Amazon Prime Video on 28 July 2023.
- The series explores, in depth, heavy issues like homosexuality, amnesia, and mental health in the workplace.
On 31 May 2019, when the television adaptation of the late Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens book dropped on Amazon, it was an instant hit. Featuring the British powerhouses of talent in Michael Sheen, David Tennant, and a large ensemble cast—the limited series follows the bromance and (mis)adventures of the “Heaven”ly angel Aziraphale and the “Hell”ish demon Crowley.
Each of them has lived on Earth, amongst mortals, for many millennia, and has grown rather fond of their earthly lifestyles and a penchant to thwart the questionable designs of their respective bosses, namely God and the Devil.
As the title suggests, the first season of Good Omens was replete with various Christian themes, figures, and events. A biblical interpretation and judgment delivered through the eyes of a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon, the series was hailed as a wonderful piece of dark comedy.
Pratchett and Gaiman’s ingeniously shadowy and uproariously humorous exploration of humanity’s ultimate reckoning recently returned for a second season and what the previous work missed in terms of depth, its successor fulfilled with no stones left unturned.
The Plot (Without Spoilers!)
In Good Omens Season 2 (2023), set in the post-lockdown period, the narrative journey of Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s past or progress unfolds seamlessly into the present, depicting the evolution of their beautiful relationship.
They are seen settling down into a new normal after postponing the apocalypse, when the Archangel Gabriel arrives—naked and stripped of his powers and memory—at Aziraphale’s London bookshop. Both angel and demon attempt to protect Gabriel from the searches of both Heaven and Hell who are eager to find him for their own agendas.
Themes In Good Omens Season 2
The story of Aziraphale and Crowley in Good Omens 2 deviates from the original work, as the first season had already exhausted the book source material and one of the original creators, Pratchett, died in 2015.
However, Gaiman took to his blog to reveal that certain aspects of the story were omitted in the first season, and there were ideas originally intended for the book’s sequel that didn’t materialize. One memorable conversation between Gaiman and Pratchett during a sleepless night at a convention in 1989 even discussed the potential plot for a Good Omens 2, titled 668: The Neighbor of the Beast. The project did not see fruition in Pratchett’s lifetime.
Nevertheless, elements from the proposed sequel found their way into the show—proving enough fodder for the season two Good Omens cast to fare their talents. These include the character of the uptight and power-hungry angel Gabriel (portrayed by Jon Hamm) and the tense dynamic between Heaven and Hell. Gaiman supplemented the narratives with layered and complex themes and the friends-turned-lovers angle in Aziraphale-Crowley’s relationship.
1. Friendship
The crux of Good Omens, in both seasons, is the unlikely friendship between the devout angel Azhiraphale and the damned demon Crowley. Immensely protective of each other, these two coexist to challenge the predominant color-coded boundaries between the Good and the Bad.
At the end of episode four in the new series, angel and demon provide cheers to the very humane “shades of gray” rather than black-and-white thinking. This chapter adds emotional depth to the characters, presenting them as flawed, conflicted, and reflective—almost human, despite their divine nature.
Azhiraphale’s and Crowley’s friendship, however, is not without conflict. The perpetually enthusiastic, selfless, and Samaritan angel is fundamentally at odds with his equally pessimistic, dark, and cold demon friend. Their humaneness, as their Britishness, can be attributed to their time on Earth and prolonged exposure to humankind’s chaotic virtue-vice balance. They demonstrate a superior understanding of the need for the Good and the Bad to coexist for growth and progress.
Their charming bromance is the result of dissolved differences and mutual respect and near-blind trust. In some ways, their relationship goals inspire the romance of the archangel Gabriel and Hell’s Lord Beelzebub, as well as the essence of the cooperative truce between the contradictory powers that are Heaven and Hell.
2. Homosexuality And Queer Relationships
All three of the central “couples” in Good Omens 2 are queer. Whether its Aziraphale and Crowley, the human shopkeepers Maggie and Nina, or Gabriel and the Beelzebub—the series explores the trials, tribulations, and desires of members of the LGBTQIA+ community when it comes to romantic relationships.
Sheen’s Aziraphale has always had the stereotypical queer features assigned to the humorous label of the cheerful “Gay English Uncle”. In his waist-coat, love for tea, undying kindness, and exaggerated British colloquialism—the fan-favorite angel transverses the traditional masculinity associated with the popular depiction of Biblical messengers.
Tennant’s Crowley is his friendly contrary, sporting rock leather, spiked hair, and a near anti-social attitude. Lean and supple, he demonstrates the fluid “bad boy” androgynous masculinity that heralded the 1970s Psychedelic Rock and Pop.
The archangel Gabriel personifies the glorified notions of toxic masculinity. Surprisingly, the obsessively clean and primly tailored angel falls in love with the cross-dressing and queer Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, who is almost always covered in fly-vomit and fly-excreta.
Initially bonded over their love for power, they turn lovers through mutual empathy for their difficult roles. Near the climax, Gabriel’s masculine conceitedness is transformed and softened out by Beelzebub’s affections, making way for the accommodation of unconventional types of sexual desire and gender expressions.
Given the setting is the UK, a country with supportive queer legislation, the queer relationships between the human counterparts are shown in the lauded normal. Nonetheless the queer equations between the angels and the demons are shown to be outdated, based as these were on regressive Biblical notions of sexuality.
It is, in fact, the humans that school these otherworldly beings about queer love. For instance, Maggie and Nina encourage Crowley to express his true feelings for Aziraphale—a decision which he had avoided due to his own homophobia, “Biblical” reservations, and the fear of ruining the friendship.
3. Sexual Desire In The Octogenarian Population
The cinematic portrayal of sexual desire in octogenarians (40-60 years of age) faces various challenges due to societal taboos, stereotypes, and ageism, leading to reluctance in exploring such themes. Filmmakers often worry about audience reception and commercial success, because of which the topic is often underrepresented in the industry.
But, Good Omens Season 2 makes an excellent job of depicting these hidden “elderly” desires and expressions of love and lust that know no age. During the series, a subplot involves Aziraphale and Crowley using magic in an attempt to make Maggie and Nina, two working women in their late 30s, fall in love.
The central characters themselves are depicted to be in their middle adulthood years when they finally acknowledge their love for each other. Gabriel and Beelzebub, not withstanding their Biblical timelines, are possibly in their mid-age when they fall in love in the series.
4. Mental Health Issues
The Good Omens series has a long history of addressing existential crisis and ideological dilemmas in the character development of its two leads. But, the second season did a laudable job in portraying a mental health condition as serious as amnesia and the mental health care associated with it.
In the series, Gabriel is shown to suffer from amnesia. The mental health disorder reduces the usually prim and proper archangel into a desolate, dispossessed, and naked tramp. He “runs away” from Heaven and turns up unannounced at Aziraphale’s door. Having lost his power, memory, and identity, he is denounced as mad and unfit for civilization.
However, Azhiraphale—being the angel that he is—provides the amnesic Gabriel both home and employment. Risking his own life and against Crowley’s wishes, he takes care of Gabriel and refuses to surrender him. His empathy and care trigger sparks of recovery and Gabriel eventually “regains” his memory. In an afterthought, Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s treatment of Gabriel mirrors that of caregivers in a dementia facility.
Moreover, the central duo gifts a thought-provoking dialogue in self-inflicted homophobia and unrequited love. Additionally, in stray instances, like when Aziraphale gets invited to perform magic in an Allied vaudeville club, he demonstrates symptoms of chronic perfectionism and performance anxiety.
Critics have long speculated that Cowley displays symptoms consistent with depression, mania, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and ADHD. Reeling from the consequences of Heaven’s abuse and Hell’s neglect and isolation, he develops a perpetually angry, rash, and unsympathetic demeanor. But, Aziraphale’s affection and friendship brings out the best in him and heals him from his trauma.
5. Organizational Abuse
Similar to season one, Good Omens Season 2 can be read as two employees’ navigation of their respective toxic workplaces and organizational abuse. Both Aziraphale and Crowley are united in their institutional disillusionment and appropriate disloyalty, doing their best to correct the wrongs meted out to humans on Earth by their employers, Heaven and Hell. Their doubts and realizations play out against Heaven’s and Hell’s concepts of fairness, logic, and duty. Their burnout and job fatigue take a toll on their mental wellbeing and they turn to each other for comfort and support.
Good Omens Season 2 further lays bare the organizational politics and corporatocracy that beset Heaven and Hell. Run like corporates, with their own set of scheming employees and power struggles, these two domains reflect their human counterparts in oppression. The institutional power, represented by both domains, is non-negotiable and absolute, because of which challenging it comes with consequences.
The amnesic archangel, for instance, demonstrates what happens when this institutional wrath is unleashed. As a punishment, he not only loses his employment and privileges, but also his mind. However, in the climax, he walks away from the abusive institution and finds peace in his rejection of power, Beelzebub, and the Alpha Centauri.
Similarly, the emotional climax of Good Omens Season 2 (that sees Crowley’s vain confession of love for Aziraphale and their “break-up”) can be read as a corporation-induced breakdown of social relationships. Aziraphale is tempted by the Metatron’s offer of Gabriel’s former position and the ability to restore Crowley’s status as an angel.
Despite being deeply in love with Crowley himself, he rejects Crowley’s advances and accepts the job offer. Aziraphale’s prioritization of his magical career and decision to leave Crowley and Earth behind betray a rejuvenated sense of corporate purpose and institutional faith.
As Aziraphale and the Metatron leave Earth, the resurrected angel beams with enthusiasm and excitement for his new-found power and purpose. Yet, as the Metatron informs him that his task will be to enact the Second Coming, Aziraphale apprehensions about Heaven sets in again.
As the camera pans to his face, he appears conflicted, possibly remembering the heavenly wrongs and trauma meted out to him and his best-friend. The lingering doubt and anxiety make it evident to the viewers that he regrets his abandonment of Crowley and their potential relationship and that his days in Heaven are numbered. Again.
