The Devil Is In The Details In ‘Good Omens’ (2019)
Spoilers ahead.
In 2019, Amazon and BBC Studios premiered Good Omens, a six-episode fantasy comedy series that follows the unlikely friendship between an angel and a demon as they attempt to prevent the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world. Adapted from 1990 novel written by Neil Gaiman and the late Sir Terry Pratchett, the show was originally intended to be a film adaptation of the book but later on altered to a mini-series.
With a notable ensemble cast, the Good Omens series begins approximately six days before Armageddon, where the final battle between Heaven and Hell is expected to take place. The confrontation is understood by both parties as part of God’s Great Plan, and was to be triggered by the arrival of the son of Satan, who was sent to Earth as a baby. To monitor the progress of the child, both Heaven and Hell had their own representatives; the demon, Crowley (David Tennant), to ensure the Antichrist’s destiny, and the angel, Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), to thwart his wiles. Despite being hereditary enemies, Crowley and Aziraphale instead develop a friendship that prompts them to go against the Great Plan and fight for their own side instead.
As the series progresses, Good Omens manages to showcase that good and evil are not entirely black and white concepts. Aziraphale is presented as wholesome and virtuous, even in the face of Crowley’s demonic temptations, but still indulges in material pleasures such as fine dining and collecting rare books. Initially the angel of Eastern Gate of Eden, Aziraphale was assigned a flaming sword, which he secretly gave away to Adam and Eve upon their banishment as means of protecting themselves. Sheen’s portrayal of Aziraphale clearly presents the angel’s struggle to not like Crowley despite his fondness for him. Though he is forbidden from fraternizing with demons and is reluctant to refer to Crowley as a friend, Aziraphale regularly spends time drinking and dining with him and even agrees to do Crowley’s temptations for him if they are to happen in the same place as his own miracles.
Contrastingly, Crowley’s idea of demonic temptations borderline on being general inconveniences rather than actual villainy- his attempts at evil include cutting phone lines and the creation of the M25, which is recognized as the busiest and most traffic-heavy road in London. Though the other demons are not as impressed with his efforts, Crowley is still a fallen angel and is famously known as the serpent that tempted Eve into eating the apple. He strikes up an acquaintanceship with Aziraphale when he learns the angel gave away his sword, and even saves him on multiple occasions throughout history.
A significant part of the series dives into the dynamics between Crowley and Aziraphale, which extends beyond a traditional friendship; according to showrunner and creator Neil Gaiman, the story of Good Omens describes the love story of an angel and a demon as they attempt to save the world, all without the labels of gender binaries and sexuality. Across their 6000-year relationship, Aziraphale and Crowley meet up at prominent points in history, including the Crucifixion of Jesus and the French Revolution, where the latter saves the angel from being executed. Though relationship sours momentarily when Crowley asks Aziraphale for holy water, the two share a mutual affection for each other as well as for humanity, which pushes them to rebel against the Great Plan.
Aside from the story of Crowley and Aziraphale, Good Omens also delves into the lives of multiple supporting characters, including the Antichrist, ironically named Adam (Sam Taylor Buck). The boy was originally supposed to be switched with the baby of an American diplomat but is accidentally given to an ordinary English couple who raise him in the countryside. Adam is precocious and somewhat self-important but still harbors a great love for his friends. He develops a friendship with Anathema Device (Adria Arjona), an occultist who seeks to stop the end of the world, and is influenced to conjure a number of strange occurrences including the resurfacing of Atlantis and the disappearance of the global nuclear supply. Nevertheless, though his demonic powers surface and he is faced with his unholy father (Benedict Cumberbatch), Adam chooses to remain on Earth and change the fabric of reality so that Armageddon does not take place. Good Omens also introduces a number of other characters that contribute to the show’s hilarious hijinks including Newton Pulsifier (Jack Whitehall), an unlucky computer engineer who teams up with Anathema, and Sergeant Shadwell (Michael McKean), a witch-hunter of a once proud witchfinder army.
Amidst the less than linear storyline, the Good Omens series subverts several cinematic tropes. One such instance is how inhabitants of Heaven and Hell are presented as mostly androgynous and void of gender-specific attributes. When Tennant’s Crowley goes undercover as a nanny to the supposed Antichrist, he dresses in Mary Poppins-esque drag and goes by the name Nanny Ashtoreth. Additionally, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, is also depicted as female (Mireille Enos) and the Almighty or God is voiced by a woman (Frances McDormand).
The series also highlights a significant amount of detail in terms of costuming, music and cinematography. The opening theme itself juxtaposes between the sounds of Heaven and Hell and was described by composer David Arnold as a “kind of wicked, slightly, devilish, Mephistophelean waltz- it has a feeling of twirling, out-of-control-ness.” Both Crowley and Aziraphale are dressed in dark and light colours to reflect their respective loyalties and their costumes often changed to with the change in time periods. Crowley’s attire always included hints of red through soles or lining to represent his snake form whereas Aziraphale’s outfits highlighted his status as an angel with pocket watches and signet rings bearing his wings. The representation of Heaven and Hell are also similar yet contrasting; Heaven is seen as clean and bright whereas Hell is dark and dingy, yet both atmospheres are presented as cold and unwelcoming.
There are also few instances where the cinematography itself plays with the audience with tongue-in-cheek references to religion; in one scene where Adam contemplates on his destiny as the Antichrist, the camera pulls focus on his face and depicts Crowley and Aziraphale by his side in the background- presenting an angel and a demon sitting on his shoulders. Another scene shows Crowley sitting in a bathtub of holy water and reaching for a towel, eerily mimicking Adam’s pose in Michelangelo’s painting, The Creation of Adam. The performances by Tennant and Sheen as Crowley and Aziraphale share a distinct chemistry that is highlighted by the characters’ mannerisms and dialogue; while Sheen’s depiction of Aziraphale is fussy and delightfully wholesome when indulging in his interests, Tennant’s ability to evoke expressions of affection past his thick sunglasses is equally brilliant.
With a nihilistic sense of humor that edges the lines of blasphemy and reverence, the Good Omens series narrates the story of a demon who still has his faith and of an angel is losing his as they both go against the forces of Heaven and Hell to prevent the end of days. It questions the concept of greater good while transcending traditions, expectations and loyalties with characters that find themselves uniting together to be with someone they are not supposed to be with. Good Omens expresses the love between characters through the little things like going out for ice-cream or playing make believe or even a neighborly chat, allowing the audience to understand and appreciate the quiet and mundane beauty in being human.
