Tuesday TV Touchbase: Good Omens 2

So a week or so ago, we got our 2nd season of Good Omens. 

The first six episodes from 2019 were marketed as the ONLY six episodes in that Good Omens was supposed to be a limited series.  

Which was kind of OK. That series of episodes ended with  the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) in a good place, enjoying the pleasant rewards of their continued pleasant existence on an Earth not decimated by the Armageddon they helped to avert. 

What happens next? Who cares? 

It's a happy ending and if you want to see  Crowley and Aziraphale explicitly explore their obvious affection for each other, well, that's what fan fiction is for, eh? 

Except...

Who didn't want to see Tennant and Sheen suit up one more time as Crowley and Aziraphale and banter like the old married couple they're pretending they're not? 

And it seems before he died, Good Omens co-creator Terry Pratchett had discussed ideas and plans with Neil Gaiman on what would happen next.

So...

What happens next? 

Well, apparently, we do care! 

And Good Omens 2 is off! 

Archangel Gabriel shows up at Aziraphale's book shop... completely naked. 

Yes, ladies and gay gentlemen, John Hamm is nude.

Except for one strategically placed cardboard box.  

(Yes, now we're all thinking about SNL's "Dick In a Box".) 

Besides being devoid of clothes, Gabriel is also devoid of memory. He has NO clue who he is or was or anything. All he knows is the instinct to go to Aziraphale's book shop where he knows he will find... something? 

Gabriel takes on the name "Jim" and discovers he really likes hot chocolate. 

Aziraphale and Crowley confer to figure out what is going on and all they know, it's not good. 

Both Heaven and Hell are abuzz with the news that archangel Gabriel is missing and both are determined to find him.  They have no idea where he is.

Then Aziraphale and Crowley perform a miracle to hide Gabriel from both Heaven and Hell. But the miracle draws attention and now everyone thinks Gabriel is hiding in Aziraphale's bookshop.

But the miracle actually works. Anyone who sees Gabriel in the bookshop only sees some dufus named Jim who really likes hot chocolate.  

But ultimately this story is not about Gabriel.

It's also not about Maggie and Nina but we must discuss their story anyway. 

Maggie runs a vintage record store and Maggie runs a coffee shop across the street from the book shop. Maggie's pining away for Nina but Nina's trapped in a toxic relationship with Lindsay. 

And Aziraphale and Crowley (for very good reasons) have made it their mission to get these two separated love birds together although they have different plans to do so.  Crowley's plan involving getting Maggie and Nina together under an awning during a sudden rainstorm is straight out of a Richard Curtis film while Aziraphale finagles creating a ball like out of a Jane Austen novel.  

But Maggie and Nina aside... 

Good Omens 2 is the story of Crowley and Aziraphale and how a crazy demon and angel duo can find friendship and even (dare we say it?) love over 6,000 years.   

Some of the episodes has extended flashbacks were identified in the credits as "mini-sodes".  While the series proper set in the present addresses the mysteries of Gabriel's missing memories and why the emissaries of Heaven and Hell are pissy about finding him, the mini-sodes are set in the past and focus on Aziraphale and Crowley and their adventures at different points of history.  

For example, we see their intervention to mitigate as much as they can the suffering of Job (played by former Doctor Who star and David Tennant's father in law Peter Davison) resulting from God and Satan's wager.  

We get an extended follow up with the 3 Nazis from Season 1 who tried to steal arcane books from Aziraphale.  In Season 2, we see they got sent to Hell (well, duh! They're Nazis! Nazis BAD!) but then get sent back to Earth as brain eating zombies as part of a demon's scheme to prove that Aziraphale and Crowley are in a "relationship".  

Back in the present and at the end of Season 2, the mystery of Gabriel's missing memory is resolved, the forces of Heaven and Hell who were itching for another chance to go to war are denied and all is right with the world. 

Except....

The angel Metatron makes Aziraphale a deal: return to Heaven and assume the position of archangel.  Aziraphale thinks this is a wonderful opportunity to actually do some real good in the world and he has the power to elevate Crowley back to angel and they can have the bestest time ever.  

Except....

Crowley thinks this is a bad idea. He doesn't trust the forces of Heaven anymore than he trusts the forces of Hell.  He just wants him and Aziraphale to be together, to live their pleasant lives in a pleasant world with pleasant food and...

As Crowley puts it, "We could just be... US!"

And Crowley punctuates that declaration to Aziraphale with a big damn kiss! 

And Aziraphale pulls away and says to Crowley the worst three words he could ever say to his demon friend: "I forgive you." 

The episode ends with Aziraphale taking the elevator back to Heaven with Metatron and perhaps immediately regretting his decision. 

There damn well better be a Season 3, Gaiman! 

Coming up in future editions of the Tuesday TV Touchbase:

• What the hell is FUBAR?
• Why must Outlander torment me so?
• We've got the return of Only Murders In the Building!
• Was season 2 of Strange New World the best Star Trek ever?
• PLUS: Doom Patrol! The Librarians!  

And so much more because there is so much TV and so little time. 

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.