Good Omens season 2’s shocking ending makes sense, say Tennant and Sheen

[Ed. note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike against the AMPTP went into effect.]

A unique type of Armageddon occurred within the newest season of Good Omens. It isn’t a globally epic one, like in final season, however a private one.

For all their six millennia’s value of bantering and bonding, the jovial angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and his brooding demonic companion Crowley (David Tennant) haven’t been capable of admit that they’re a match made in heaven — or hell, or Earth. The 1990 novel supply materials written by Neil Gaiman (the showrunner and author) and the late Terry Pratchett granted them a cheerful ending on the Ritz, as replicated in season 1.

However simply once you suppose season 2 bestows them a cheerful chapter in life past the supply materials, the 2 angels discover their relationship at a crossroads. It’s an end result each bittersweet and baffling, but acceptable for the pair, as wounding as a flaming sword impaled by means of the guts.

[Ed note: Spoilers follow for the end of season 2 of Good Omens.]

Picture: Prime Video

Written by Gaiman and John Finnemore, season 2 has been a definitive Crowley and Aziraphale story. God (voiced by Frances McDormand) is not narrating, apart from a voice cameo in episode three as a distant voice. So Crowley and Aziraphale primarily personal the narrative — their love story — all to themselves. Within the hearts of its mortal viewers, Crowley and Aziraphale act like Ineffable Husbands. However like Jane Austen’s characters, they’re sluggish to understand the romance brewing beneath their friendship. That is true at the same time as individuals level they’re as soon as once more working very intently as they assist the amnesiac archangel Gabriel search refuge in Aziraphale’s bookshop.

Within the finale, the hunky-dory decision is thwarted by the arrival of Metatron (Derek Jacobi), the even-higher-up entity that serves God. Impressed by Aziraphale’s dealing with of the Gabriel matter, he presents Aziraphale a shocking promotion in heaven: to imagine Gabriel’s former Supreme Archangel workplace and conduct God’s future tasks, thus nullifying Aziraphale’s excommunication. Sweetening this deal in Aziraphale’s eyes, Metatron throws on this job profit: Aziraphale may train the authority to revive Crowley’s angel standing and make use of him as second-in-command. Aziraphale is overjoyed, however Crowley is much less so.

For sure, Crowley unleashes the Purple Sea of emotions (in his personal restrained method the place he grunts to cease himself from spilling one thing too sappy). “We don’t want heaven, we don’t want hell. They’re poisonous! We have to get away from them [to Alpha Centauri]. Simply be an us,” he manages to say. Crowley finalizes his level by planting a Huge Rattling Kiss on Aziraphale, as if to holler, “You fool, that is what you’re giving up!” Upon Arizaphale’s stern rejection (he can solely utter “I forgive you” by means of his shock), Crowley storms out of the bookshop. The quarrel leaves them each fairly dejected.

However even if you happen to’re on Group Crowley right here (I’m), the choice is sensible for Aziraphale’s character. When alternative knocks, it’s believably simple for Aziraphale to be allured again into heaven’s “reality” and “mild.” In an interview carried out earlier than the SAG-AFTRA , Sheen surmised that Aziraphale’s resolution to simply accept the promotion is “a part of that seek for what’s the proper factor to do.” Within the angel’s keen eyes, having authority inside heaven offers him extra entry to the “proper factor.” He might be the angel that advocates extra ardently for humanity. He must be the one to talk out towards the annihilation of kids. So so long as Aziraphale has entry to celestial authority, he may stop the worst-case situations just like the Job incident. Additionally, mirror on the season 1 assembly when Aziraphale tried to file a suggestion with God, solely to be shattered that heaven selected conflict over peace all within the identify of “profitable”; his helpless expression on the time says all of it. If he will get to reshape Heaven’s insurance policies, he’ll be extra geared up to guard mortals.

Picture: Mark Mainz/Prime Video

However as Tennant sees it, Crowley needed extra for the 2 of them personally. “I suppose the factor that Crowley learns from Aziraphale is that the trail of least resistance will not be all the time the one to take,” Tennant says. As a fallen angel “who sauntered vaguely downwards,” Crowley can’t simply be suckered again and reassimilated right into a Heaven that suppresses his doubts and people “damned questions” that pester Metatron. Rejecting Aziraphale’s provide is his method of taking a stand — “albeit futilely,” in Tennant’s phrases. If there’s something Crowley may also implicitly perceive, a poisonous place like heaven might as nicely be co-opting Aziraphale’s abilities — his relatability to humanity and Earth — for its personal bureaucratic missions.

A significant motif of Good Omens is the portrayal of excellent and unhealthy in shades of grey. Throughout the eons, “good” and “proper” are endlessly shape-shifting ideas for each Crowley and Aziraphale. Lengthy earlier than hell and heaven expelled them, they’ve seen, skilled, and dedicated the ethical grays amongst humanity. Season 2’s finale is an ideal encapsulation of the dramatic prospects of their differing stances: Aziraphale sees all he can clear up with divine institutional entry, whereas Crowley desires to clean his fingers of it, maintain solely onto Aziraphale, and flee to Alpha Centauri collectively.

However there’s no dream getaway to Alpha Centauri. What’s left is a widening chasm between the 2 angels who discover themselves on completely different sides: Aziraphale’s tentative homecoming to heaven, and Crowley on his personal on Earth. That stated, hope is wandering within the limbo. There’s a promise (as seen within the resolutions of both of season 2’s different romance subplots) that they may reunite romantically. Symbolically, Crowley glances on the two mortals (with their romance on maintain) alone of their respective retailers. He’s resigned to the gap between him and Aziraphale — for now, no less than. However maybe their separate soul-searching journey is all of the extra important for his or her future reconnection.

They’ve to search out themselves earlier than they are often collectively. If Good Omens will get a season three and Aziraphale engineers the Second Coming below Metatron’s orders, we’ll see what it would take for the 2 divine beings to fix the bridge. For my wager, Aziraphale might owe Crowley the “I used to be flawed” dance.

Good Omens season 2 is now on Prime Video.