16 Reasons to Watch Good Omens
The breakout hit of the summer is most definitely Amazon Prime’s Good Omens, which is adapted from the 1990 hit book of the same name written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Good Omens is the story of a demon named Crowley and an angel called Aziraphale who work together to stop the impending apocalypse. Despite what their respective home offices say, both have fallen in love with Earth and don’t want to see it gone.
It’s also the story of Anathema Device who has been trained since she was a child to do one thing: follow her ancestor Agnes Nutter’s Nice and Accurate Prophecies, even if it means her life is all mapped out for her.
Good Omens has endearing characters, an intriguing plot, and wonderful character dynamics.
Here are 16 reasons you should watch Good Omens:
1. It’s a Miniseries
One of the top reasons to watch? It’s a miniseries.
This means the entire show is out now. You don’t have to endure the wait from season to season or from episode to episode. Because all six episodes are more available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Yes, that’s right, it’s only six episodes. It’s six hours of some of the best television you’ll watch, guaranteed. The excuse that getting into a show is too big of a commitment that we all sometimes use to avoid watching shows is invalid. It’s only six episodes.
Just watch one and we know you’ll be hooked.
2. David Tennant as Crowley
David Tennant is a masterful actor.
I’m not sure if the character of Crowley would have been quite as good if it was anyone else. Crowley is both the best and worst demon.
He tempts people in very particular ways, by exercising free will. He screws over traffic and phone lines — that’s his temptation. The way people react to it? That’s on them.
You can refuse the temptation or give into it.
David Tennant acts with his entire body, and you can see the theater training in that. He wears glasses all the time, and you would think that it would impede the acting, but it doesn’t. You can see Crowley’s anger, or his pining, his happiness, or his frustration. It’s all because of the way he uses his body.
He makes you feel for Crowley.
Crowley never wanted to fall, he just hung out with the wrong crowd and then sauntered vaguely downwards. He gives the appearance that he’s cool, but everyone knows he’s a disaster. All he cares about is his car, stopping the apocalypse and hanging out with his not-so-platonic best friend.
3. Michael Sheen as Aziraphale
Michael Sheen is also perfect casting.
Aziraphale is most definitely not what he appears to be. He’s the most human of the angels which means he also has more human sides. He’s not afraid to go for his darker impulses if it means his plans will work.
Michael Sheen portrays him with a duality between innocence and cunning. Aziraphale is both at the same time. He has a naiveté that prevents him from seeing how things truly are. He thinks that it’s better if the apocalypse is stopped but doesn’t realize others might not agree.
He is hedonistic in his love for books, fine clothing, and food — especially food. He is actually the one to come up with the idea to murder people half the time. But Michael Sheen plays him with such an innocent joy that you forget about that.
4. Stellar Cast
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the rest of the cast.
Good Omens not only has a stellar cast — both main and recurring — but also some truly delicious cameos, including a particularly weird one by Neil Gaiman himself.
Frances McDormand is the voice of God and serves as the narrator. We get Jon Hamm with the stunning purple eyes as the terrible boss we have all had once in our lifetime. Adria Arjona as the wonderful Anathema Device who is Agnes Nutter’s last descendant and resident witch.
Sam Taylor Buck is endearing. The Four Horsemen are also spectacular. Yusuf Gatewood as Famine, Lourdes Faberes as Pollution, Mireille Enos as War, Jamie Hill and Brian Cox as Death.
It’s a star-studded cast and part of the fun is seeing how many cameos you can find.
5. Light Instead of Dark
Game of Thrones did a lot of good things for television, but the obsession with grim-dark is not one of them. Almost every show nowadays is dark — sometimes, literally, it wouldn’t kill them to get a better lighting budget — and it is exhausting.
The world we live in is dark enough. Not every show has to be dark or have dark themes. Sometimes people just want to watch something that will make them happy instead of stressed. That’s where Good Omens comes in.
Good Omens is a show that makes you feel good. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it’s beautiful. It leaves you feeling happy rather than angry.
If you’re tired of all the darkness and want to see a bit of light, then watch Good Omens.
6. Special Effects
This show has some of the best special effects I’ve seen in a long time.
None of them feel extra. They don’t take away from what is going on in the scene. They’re so carefully crafted it’s just a part of the story. Gabriel’s eyes are purple while Crowley has snake eyes.
We get the things that the Antichrist dreams up into reality as part of the Apocalypse. Satan coming out of hell and being larger than life. There’s Crowley driving through hellfire as his car is falling apart and then driving with a flaming car.
Good Omens uses special effects in a way not many other shows do. It has a game of Follow the Lady, or Three Card Monty, to explain the baby switch. Then there’s the iconic demons dancing scene which was just hilarious.
7. A Stellar Adaptation
Good Omens was a book long before it became a television show. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Both Gaiman and Pratchett are incredible in their own way, but together? It’s an act of magic.
Gaiman wrote the show to honor Pratchett’s last request, so Pratchett is the reason Good Omens exists at all.
Adaptations can be a hit or a miss, and it almost always has to do with the showrunner. The reason this series works so well is that Neil Gaiman is the showrunner and wrote all six episodes. It has the Gaiman seal of approval. If sometimes comes from Neil Gaiman, it’s a guarantee that it’s going to be good.
Fans of the novel can rest easy because it’s made by someone that loves the source material as much as they do.
8. We’re On Our Own Side
The heart of the show is the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale. The show even dedicated 30 minutes to show them and their relationship through the ages. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind of their devotion to each other.
They spend most of their time on earth doing favors for each other or saving each other.
David Tennant and Michael Sheen have electric chemistry. You can tell from the first moment that these two will be important to each other. You see that relationship grow and become something more. Sure some say it’s too subtle, but I think it works for them.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that these two love each other. There are specific scenes where the music is noticeably romantic. Whether you see it as platonic or romantic there’s no doubting its importance.
9. Intriguing Plot
Even if you’ve never read the book or aren’t a fan of Gaiman or the actors, the plot is still there to keep you hooked. From the first moment, Frances McDormand starts narrating, you know you’re in for something special.
This show plays fast and loose with time, and it’s one of its best qualities. First, we see the garden of Eden and how our main characters met, and then we flash to when Crowley gets tasked with delivering the antichrist.
It’s a bit of a comedy of errors with more heart than any show in recent history. You’ve got compelling characters, not just in Crowley and Aziraphale, but also in Anathema and Pulsifer.
It’s the characters that move the plot along, and the show succeeds because of it.
The way the story is told keeps you interested and it’s wonderful to see a character-focused story on our televisions once again.
10. Petitions
Everyone likes a bit of pushback. Most companies can turn a bit of negative press into a promotional opportunity.
Back in the day, Gossip Girl made promotional posters from the negative comments. Lucifer referenced One Million Moms back in season 2. And now it’s Good Omens’ turn.
A petition to cancel the show would have been taken seriously if it hadn’t been sent to the wrong network. That’s right, the people behind the petition sent it to the wrong network.
They petitioned Netflix to cancel a show that is on Amazon Prime. Well, their lack of research has given the world something to laugh about.
Maii Trueba de Buen
Maii is a 28-year-old writer who can be slightly invested in characters and their stories. She tries to give credit where credit is due but isn’t afraid to be honest in her writing. It's probably best not to ask about Lucifer or A Song of Ice and Fire, because you'll never hear the end of it. She graduated in film and has a certificate/minor in Art History. She brings that into her writing because, well, she’s a nerd. The only thing that beats her love of writing is her love of Pandas.