Good Omens - the TV show

[beer_good_foamy]

OK, so with a combination of crap weather and the whole town being closed down for a Marathon, I spent today watching all of Good Omens. Quick thoughts from someone who's read the book a couple of times but not religiously under the cut.



Stuff I really liked:
- It was certainly faithful to the text. Gaiman has said that doing this without Pratchett around made him all the more adamant to not let producers change any of Gaiman's contributions, and it shows. It is, largely, exactly what you'd expect the book to look like on screen, and what's more, they mostly manage to capture that quick-fire delivery of gags, references, asides, etc.

- The leads are perfectly cast. Sheen and Tennant dig into their roles with so much relish. And it's not just them; Michael McKean as Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, Jon Hamm as Gabriel (though seriously, has Hamm had even one serious role since Mad Men? It seems his entire career these days is, well, hamming it up in comedies), Anna Maxwell Martin as Beelzebub, Miranda Richardson as Madam Tracy, the kid actors, Nick Offerman as the US ambassador, Ned Dennehy as Hastur... A lot of good actors having a ton of fun with their roles here.

- The design of both heaven and hell. The whole show looks beautiful, but I love how they make both angels and demons look both silly and conceited but still dangerous. And put up against rustic Tadfield and bustling London, they both look like pretty awful alternatives.

- The flashbacks. Starting with the actual scene of the expulsion from Eden, and then that quick history of Aziraphale and Crowley through the ages.

- The extended ending. The ending was always one of the weakest parts of the book, and while the series does share some of those problems, it does add a few things that really help out. Rubber duck indeed.

Stuff I was not entirely wowed by:
- It was certainly faithful to the text. For better and for worse, it's extremely fan service-y, checking off scenes and jokes and lines without developing or modernizing the story beyond what the book did. Not that the book has aged that badly, but... Two cases in point:

- The baby switch. In the book, the three-card-monte simile was needed to set up how the switch goes wrong. On screen, it's just an awkward way to explain to us what we're already seeing on screen.

- The Riders. Not only did they cut the Hell's Angels, but the Riders got a lot less room than I'd been hoping for. The design and casting is mostly excellent (and I love that they kept the Delivery Man) but it feels like they're just there, leaving a lot of unexplored metaphor, especially considering that they're adapting a 30-year-old book and might have gotten further into what War, Famine, Pollution and Death mean today as opposed to at the ass-end of the cold war.

- Perhaps as a result of the faithfulness, some of the characters feel underdeveloped. Anathema and Pulsifer especially, who are big POV characters in the book but feel demoted here. This should have been a good opportunity to give them more depth, not less. There's an unfortunate metaphor in how a series about an angel and a demon falling in love with humanity seems far more interested in angels and demons than in humanity.

- The voiceover. I would die for Frances McDormand same as anyone, but at times it feels too much like an excuse to just read the book aloud. You have a camera that can show us these things. Also, is it a good idea to have God narrating a story about the silence of God? I'm... honestly not sure.

- I miss the Buggre Alle This Bible. Not just because it's a good gag, but because it's part of how the series edges away from tackling religion and its role in the story as opposed to just making fun of angels and demons. I'm not asking it to go full Religulous, and thank Insertdeityhere that it doesn't, but for a show about heaven and hell, it's almost scrubbed clinically clean of any mention or parallel or comment on actual faith.

Stuff I actively disliked:
- Nothing, really. It's brilliant in flashes, overly duty-bound at some points, but it's never actually bad. We got a decent adaptation, not a great one but not an embarrassing one either. Rejoice.

So what did everyone else think?

Comments

[elisi]

I have no thoughts. All that's in my head is this. Everything is beautiful and all I care about is their stupid, adorable faces.

[beer_good_foamy]

Well, that IS at least 51% of the point of the series, after all. :)

[elisi]

Well, that IS at least 51% of the point of the series, after all. :)
Oh it's a great deal more than that...

And I mean that. It's a love story. And it's not even subtle about it (icon is v simplistic, since I knocked it up in about 5 minutes, but I just love that scene to distraction). The point of the series is a demon and an angel fall in love. Now the *framing* is an apocalypse, and a very well done and detailed apocalypse it is, but it's there to push our love struck heroes into admitting their feelings, and finally ditch their abusive/toxic 'families'. Also of course their love saves the world. It's like... Becoming. The whole thing is carefully structured so that Buffy kills Angel in the most painful way possible. And it *is* beautifully structured, and everything is very well written, the plot is great, and all the characters are well used, but it's still a story about Buffy and Angel, not Acathla. :)

As for some of your other points, then I haven't read the book, so these are my observations as someone who has only watched the show:

- The baby switch. In the book, the three-card-monte simile was needed to set up how the switch goes wrong. On screen, it's just an awkward way to explain to us what we're already seeing on screen.
That scene was one of the most hilarious things it has ever been my privilege to watch. Most shows need exposition, and it's generally done very awkwardly, because it's repeating something to the characters they already know. But THIS just took that to the next level, and didn't even pretend that it wasn't ridiculous. A+, wish more shows would just own it like this. ETA: Was thinking about the big cardboard cut out thing, more than the cards, but the cards worked in the same way (like the winking) - over-explaining stuff doesn't bother me, as long as its tongue-in-cheek. Also I think the three-card-monte was included quite simply for the sake of Baby A, Baby B and The Adversary: The Destroyer of Worlds. Which is just brilliant and I'm glad they kept it. :)

There's an unfortunate metaphor in how a series about an angel and a demon falling in love with humanity seems far more interested in angels and demons than in humanity.
They fall in love with each other. And... sort of become human in the process. They are the lens through which we view humanity; the things they love (food, books, the Bentley, the plants), the reason they fight for humanity, when neither Heaven nor Hell seems really interested. (As someone whose 'type' is 100% Renegade Immortals I don't mind the focus. *g*) If they'd had more time, they might have expanded the depth of all the humans, but with six episodes they kept a tight focus. Also I liked the Show Don't Tell aspect? Immortals loving humanity can veer worryingly close to the Tenth Doctor waxing lyrical about how special they are.

- The voiceover. I would die for Frances McDormand same as anyone, but at times it feels too much like an excuse to just read the book aloud. You have a camera that can show us these things. Also, is it a good idea to have God narrating a story about the silence of God? I'm... honestly not sure.
IMHO (and referring back to my first paragraph) Crowley & Aziraphale falling in love WAS Her ineffable plan. Also I loved Her narration, loved that She was female... Yeah, twas all good. :)

but for a show about heaven and hell, it's almost scrubbed clinically clean of any mention or parallel or comment on actual faith.
Depends on how you view it I guess - if you see Heaven & Hell as fundamentalists, happy to destroy anything in their path just to prove they're right, following rules for the sake of it, and Aziraphale & Crowley as those questioning the system, who put kindness above everything... Then I'd say it's very critical of uncritical faith, especially the way Heaven was portrayed - Gabriel came across as so many tele-evangelists. After all, in this story, Jesus is killed for telling people to be kind to each other, and the importance of kindness is the overall theme, from Aziraphale giving the sword to Adam and Eve, to Crowley and Aziraphale basically telling Adam that he is fine just the way he is, and accepting him unconditionally. So, I think it's basically a fairy tale. Or a morality play or fable. And actually, thinking about it, the moral of the story is profoundly Biblical (even if the overall theology is... not so much - but again, by divorcing it from 'real' faiths it worked far better):

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Corinthians 13, 1-7

I have many many feelings about this show, but most of all I am overwhelmed with joy at how firmly it stands up for what it believes in. Be kind. Love one another. If you do, you can defeat the armies of Armageddon. (And then have a lovely lunch with your beloved.)

[beer_good_foamy]

Sorry about the late reply, but such a great comment deserves more than a 2-minute "Thanks :)" response.

Oh it's a great deal more than that...

I agree that it wants to be, and a lot of the time succeeds in.

It's a love story. And it's not even subtle about it. The point of the series is a demon and an angel fall in love.

Absolutely. And I love that part. (And I love how Michael Sheen has been allll over it on social media.)

That scene was one of the most hilarious things it has ever been my privilege to watch.

That's interesting. I'm beginning to think it wasn't a great idea to re-read the novel just a few weeks before the show aired. To me, that scene felt strained; it could have been made to flow so much better by either ditching (or at least downplaying) the 3-card-monte thing or by not showing us the same thing. But I'm glad it worked for you!

They fall in love with each other. And... sort of become human in the process.

Point taken, and bad phrasing on my part. And like I said, all the bits with Crowley and Aziraphale work really well. It just bugs me a bit (and this is a criticism of the novel as well) that they are, if anything, more human than all the other characters. With six hours I do think they had time to get into other characters as well, but if anything they made them less three-dimensional, IMO. Especially Adam and Anathema.

Depends on how you view it I guess - if you see Heaven & Hell as fundamentalists, happy to destroy anything in their path just to prove they're right, following rules for the sake of it, and Aziraphale & Crowley as those questioning the system, who put kindness above everything... Then I'd say it's very critical of uncritical faith, especially the way Heaven was portrayed - Gabriel came across as so many tele-evangelists. After all, in this story, Jesus is killed for telling people to be kind to each other, and the importance of kindness is the overall theme, from Aziraphale giving the sword to Adam and Eve, to Crowley and Aziraphale

Absolutely, and again, bad phrasing on my part. I should have said religion rather than faith. It just feels a bit weird to have a show that's so explicitly about heaven, hell, God, Satan, angels, demons, etc etc... and the only time any actual human religion shows up is in that flashback to the Blitz. The novel at least acknowledges that some of the characters are religious. I'm not asking for it to be a huge part, but I'd have loved to see the scene from the book where Aziraphale temporarily possesses a US televangelist, for instance.

ETA: They seem to have hit a sore spot anyway. 20 000 US evengelicals petition Netflix to cancel Good Omens. Yes, Netflix. Yes, cancel a finished miniseries.

After all, in this story, Jesus is killed for telling people to be kind to each other

I did love that scene. Especially with Crowley being the one to "tempt" him, and explaining he only wanted him to see the world.

All that said: I'm really glad so many are liking this, to see the fandom flare up again after all these years, and like I said - that we got an enjoyable, if IMO far from perfect, adaptation with a lot of things to build on and discuss. That's awesome, in every sense of the word.

[elisi]

Sorry about the late reply, but such a great comment deserves more than a 2-minute "Thanks :)" response.
Ditto. Although in my case it's also because I have been reading the book, and wanted to finish it before I replied, so I could be properly informed.

Absolutely. And I love that part. (And I love how Michael Sheen has been allll over it on social media.)
Michael Sheen is fandom's new boyfriend, and quite rightly too! :) Also, I knew that the Crowley/Aziraphale angle had been used as a focus for the show, but reading the book really throws that into stark relief. It's an amazing feat.

That's interesting. I'm beginning to think it wasn't a great idea to re-read the novel just a few weeks before the show aired. To me, that scene felt strained; it could have been made to flow so much better by either ditching (or at least downplaying) the 3-card-monte thing or by not showing us the same thing. But I'm glad it worked for you!
This is where (pondering the translation from book to screen) that I think the TV show just gets far more mileage out of it. Sure it's a fun thing, and possibly over-explains the baby swap, but it does more than that. It's when one of the cards is shown to change and now depicts a (very distinctive) image of the devil, as a way for us to visualise 'the Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan, and Lord of Darkness', beyond the amusing and OTT title, and mentally tag the evil baby. Because it's the same image that Anathema puts up in her cottage, and the same image that Adam sees and that flicks the switch in his brain so that he becomes aware of his powers, and we are reminded of who/what he really is. (It's a bit like the fez and the mop in The Big Bang, anchoring images that we can process.) The show is full of them, and I honestly feel like Christmas came early.

It just bugs me a bit (and this is a criticism of the novel as well) that they are, if anything, more human than all the other characters. With six hours I do think they had time to get into other characters as well, but if anything they made them less three-dimensional, IMO. Especially Adam and Anathema.
I see what you mean, but 6000 year old immortal renegades are *inherently* more interesting than any human. You may have seen this, but their story became what anchored the whole story and pulled it together. The book is very... democratic, for lack of a better word. It feels like the best of Classic Who (say, City of Death). Story-driven. Whereas the show is character driven, through-and-through. Which you prefer I'm guessing is down to personal taste. I know that, for me, Aziraphale's 'To the world' hits me harder than anything has for many, many years. It floors me. (Also see this little Tumblr thread.) None of the other characters have that sort of scope.

and the only time any actual human religion shows up is in that flashback to the Blitz. The novel at least acknowledges that some of the characters are religious. I'm not asking for it to be a huge part, but I'd have loved to see the scene from the book where Aziraphale temporarily possesses a US televangelist, for instance.
First of all - that's a brilliant moment (as are all the random possessions), but again it's about focus? Faith & religion are huge, huge subjects. The show borrows the imagery and uses it, but I don't know that it's interested in those questions? Because once you start, you'll end up as The Good Place with no space for anything else. Or look at Sabrina, which co-ops the whole pantheon as metaphors for the evils of the patriarchy. It's a funny book about the end of the world, and although the book goes into things a tiny bit more (like you say, that scene where they discuss the rapture), I don't know that shoe-horning it in would have done any good. Overall, as you say, 'Be kind to each other' is probably by far the simplest and best message.

ETA: They seem to have hit a sore spot anyway. 20 000 US evengelicals petition Netflix to cancel Good Omens. Yes, Netflix. Yes, cancel a finished miniseries.
I saw. It's hilarious. I'm also amused that they're so angry about 'the occult' and not Teh Gay. But then I figure they haven't watched it...

I did love that scene. Especially with Crowley being the one to "tempt" him, and explaining he only wanted him to see the world.
Again, the theology of this show is... *hands* A fairy tale.

All that said: I'm really glad so many are liking this, to see the fandom flare up again after all these years, and like I said - that we got an enjoyable, if IMO far from perfect, adaptation with a lot of things to build on and discuss. That's awesome, in every sense of the word.
It certainly is. Although I'd (of course) argue that it's damn near perfect. I was reading the book and basically just found myself in AWE at the skill with which Neil Gaiman translated it to the screen. The only vaguely comparable thing is Lord of the Rings. It's *exquisite*. And the sheer attention to detail is ridiculous. This thing has so many layers I don't even know where to start.

(I could carry on, but I think I'll try to write something of my own. Apologies for the tl;dr.)

[beer_good_foamy]

I have been reading the book

Yay!

Also, I knew that the Crowley/Aziraphale angle had been used as a focus for the show, but reading the book really throws that into stark relief.

I do love that they make it a lot more obvious without the couple of gay jokes that the 30-year-old book stuffs in there.

I'm also amused that they're so angry about 'the occult' and not Teh Gay.

Apparently their petition complains about how "an angel and a demon are good friends", so they either haven't seen it or it went completely over their heads.

Also,

[elisi]

I do love that they make it a lot more obvious without the couple of gay jokes that the 30-year-old book stuffs in there.
Speaking of... My other half loved the show (this from the man I am usually referring to as 'Darcy' because he is an unrepentant snob when it comes to anything TV/movie related), but did remark that Michael Sheen's performance as Aziraphale was a little OTT. At which point I whipped out the book and read him the bit about 'gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide'. He conceded the point that MS was clearly just playing the part as it was written. :)

Apparently their petition complains about how "an angel and a demon are good friends", so they either haven't seen it or it went completely over their heads.
That's hilarious. And considering that they think it's on Netflix, presumably they haven't seen any...

The tweet very nearly killed me. Except I am already dead because of this. But the tweet made me do a lot of the same undignified noises.