‘Good Omens’ Is Worth Watching, For The Platonic Love Story

Good Omens, the recent television adaptation of the Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett novel, is the most optimistic apocalypse story imaginable, a Romeo and Juliet story without the tragedy.

The series is great fun, but somewhat wobbly; the budget doesn’t seem high enough to properly depict the fantastical elements (especially for those spoiled by HBO and Netflix), the acting can be questionable, and the sub-plots meandering.

But where the series shines is through the very special friendship shared between the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen). Two wonderful actors, playing characters who feel trapped by their respective labels, who long to spend some quality time together, away from the judgmental eyes of their angelic/demonic peers.

Neil Gaiman’s talent of plundering old stories and remixing them into something unique is on full display here, fitting comfortably with Terry Pratchett’s distinctively British humor. While the story portrays the rise of the Antichrist, the show itself is very family-friendly, providing clever religious critiques and observations without going into new atheist edgelord territory.

In this world, Heaven and Hell are not separated by morality so much as tone, Heaven being populated by humorless suits, and Hell the dwelling place of party animals. Crowley, seductive snake from the garden of Eden, is an oddly amicable demon, while Aziraphale’s most angelic quality is naivety.  

The two transcend their identities, being immortals who prefer the imperfections of Earth to their respective spiritual planes; both seek to stop Armageddon simply because they like spending time in the company of men, and most of all, with each other.

It’s long been a pastime of fans to reimagine bromantic protagonists as passionate lovers, and Good Omens is so openly homoerotic that the fan fiction doesn’t need to push boundaries - it’s out there in the open, just never spoken aloud.  

Aziraphale’s longing glances, Crowley’s desperate need to spend as much time together as physically possible, despite what the rest of the world thinks; it’s an adorable story of two men who just want to be together, and are willing to sabotage Armageddon in order to do so.

Interestingly, the forces of Heaven and Hell are equally gung-ho - both sides are desperate for peace to end, in order to finally prove themselves superior. Salvation springs from characters rebelling against divine authority, pushing back against their roles, forging their own paths despite the tyrannical demands of destiny.

While the end of the world proves anti-climatic, it’s the chemistry between Crowley and Aziraphale that makes Good Omens worth watching; just don’t expect an epic fantasy drama, but small-scale fun.

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