Neil Gaiman is a master of contemporary science fiction, writing everything from the brilliant American Gods and the masterful Coraline to the award-winning Sandman comic book series.
With Amazon Prime’s Good Omens, Gaiman stepped into the role of a TV showrunner for the book he co-wrote with fantasy mastermind Terry Pratchett.
The Genesis
The episode starts off with God (Frances McDormand) explaining that everyone is wrong about when the world started and that dinosaurs were a joke that no one had figured out yet. But, she said the world started in a garden.
That is when we see a snake tempting Eve with the apple, she shared it with Adam, and then they were banished into a barren wasteland.
Luckily, an angel named Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) gave them his flaming sword for protection since it is cold and Eve is expecting, but wonders if it was the right thing. Luckily, the snake was a demon named Crowley (David Tennant), who assures him angels can’t do the wrong thing.
This is great, as Aziraphale and Crowley are just standing there watching as Adam tries to fend off a lion with his flaming sword, chatting about the events of the day. Crowley wonders about giving them the apple and asking if that was the right thing — teaching them right from wrong.
Crowley: “Wouldn’t it be funny if I did the right thing and you did the wrong thing.”
Aziraphale: “NO!” as Adam kills the lion with the flaming sword.
Honestly, if the entire series is just Michael Sheen and David Tennant talking, it will be a treasure.
God then explains that this show is the final 11 days of human history.
Welcome to the end times. @GoodOmensPrime is out now on @primevideouk. #GoodOmens pic.twitter.com/0YZO6R5apk
— Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) May 31, 2019
The beginning of the end
Two demons crawl out of the ground of a graveyard and God is still narrating the story. They are waiting for Crowley, who shows up in a car playing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
The demons complain that he has gone native.
“All hail, Satan!”
The demons then start to talk about the humans they are tempting and corrupting — including priests and politicians. Then Crowley said that his accomplishment was bringing down all the mobile networks in the area that night — and he is impressed with himself.
The act will leave 15 million pissed off people who will take it out on each other.
The demons present the Antichrist to Crowley.
Crowley: “Already?”
God said that Crowley was in favor of Armageddon, but he is obviously not happy about it. Crowley leaves with the baby in his backseat.
Aziraphale is eating when the angel, Gabriel (Jon Hamm) shows up. He asks why Aziraphale is eating sushi and he said he is keeping up appearances. Gabriel said that he won’t soil his body with food.
Gabriel tells Aziraphale that the end is afoot and Crowley is involved. He tells him to keep an eye on Crowley and not let the demon know — Heaven has no idea that Aziraphale and Crowley met.
Happy Doomsday. What a treat to wake up in Atlanta to all the lovey messages about Good Omens. If you haven’t seen it yet. Hurry up, I don’t know whether you’ve heard but the world is ending! @GoodOmensPrime pic.twitter.com/6UpeOY7WIh
— Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) May 31, 2019
The baby switch
Next, we meet Deidre and Arthur Young. She is pregnant and they are headed to deliver the baby. A police escort then flies around them with an ambulance carrying Harriet Dowling, the wife of an American diplomat Thaddeus (Nick Offerman) — who is on a conference call with her.
Sister Loquacious (Nina Sosanya) is one of the nuns who is waiting for the two couples to arrive to deliver the baby. She also happens to be part of a satanic order of nuns called the Chattering Order of St. Beryl. Their plan is to switch out the baby with the Antichrist.
The nuns were shocked when the other couple arrived to deliver their baby, as well.
Crowley then showed up with the Antichrist and the father of the second woman tells him that they are in Room 3 — this is where the confusion comes in.
Deidre gives birth to her baby while Harriett gives birth in her room as well. Crowley hands over the Antichrist to Sister Loquacious and he tells her to take him to Room 3.
She makes the baby switch and the Antichrist ends up in the wrong room with the wrong family. The nuns then switch the ambassador’s baby with the baby that the couple delivered. They named their child Warlock.
The other couple then named their child — the Antichrist — Adam.
No one knows what happened to the other baby.
Crowley seeks out Aziraphale
Crowley calls Aziraphale and they set up a time to talk about Armageddon. They choose to meet in St. James Park, which has always been the best place in London for clandestine meetings.
Crowley and Aziraphale have been meeting there for years. Aziraphale is sure that Heaven will win and triumph over Hell and it will be “rather lovely.”
Crowley mentions how all the best composers are already in Hell and when the world ends Aziraphale will never hear compositions like that again. He is clearly trying to convince Aziraphale that the end of the world is not a good idea. No more restaurants or old bookshops.
Crowley wants to work with Aziraphale about stopping the end of the world. Crowley offers to have lunch with Aziraphale and they choose to have lunch in Paris, as they did in 1793.
Aziraphale has some wonderful great win he picked up in 1921 and Crowley reminds him there is no wine in Heaven. Aziraphale tells the demon to get behind him and then says “after you” at the door. These two are perfect together.
Crowley and Aziraphale are getting really drunk as the Antichrist is headed home. Crowley is impressed with the big brains on dolphins and whales while Aziraphale said the Kraken has the biggest brain. The Kraken will rise up at the end when the sea boils. Crowley said that the dolphins and whales will die and so will the gorillas.
Crowley: “What are they putting in bananas these days?”
For eternity, Crowley said Aziraphale will not get any more great movies but will likely watch The Sound of Music over and over again since God really liked that movie.
One of the demons from the start shows up and dissolves the Chattering Order, killing one of the nuns and burning the covenant to the ground.
Aziraphale said that he can’t thwart the Divine Plan and Crowley explains that Aziraphale is supposed to thwart evil plans from demons so it is Aziraphale’s job to stop the evil influences and cause Crowley to fail.
Aziraphale said that Heaven can’t frown on him stopping Crowley since he is an angel and has to stop evil.
Aziraphale: “I’ll be damned.”
Crowley: “It’s not that bad when you get used to it.”
A short story from @neilhimself along with @drmuig about the show’s creation and a fantastic tribute to Terry Pratchett before the start of the @GoodOmensPrime premiere in London two days ago.#GoodOmens pic.twitter.com/dkbhwqU1Fl
— Terrence "TrulyMad" Cua (@TheTrulyMad) May 30, 2019
5 Years Later
Crowley shows up to be a nanny and Aziraphale shows up to be a guardian. Aziraphale is the guardian of Warlock. Aziraphale tells Warlock to have a love for everything but his nanny disagreed.
Aziraphale is a strange looking old man now and Crowley is a woman — and they are still brilliant.
Up next, Aziraphale and Crowley report to their offices.
Crowley meets with Beelzebub (Anna Maxwell Martin), the leader of the forces of Hell. He is grilled on how evil Warlock is, but he hasn’t killed anyone yet. He tells them the opposition does not expect a thing.
Aziraphale is in Heaven with Gabriel and tells them that the Antichrist is being influenced by the light. They told him that the war can not be avoided and they know he will fail.
There are six years left until the end and Aziraphale is not sure how they will stop the Antichrist if he comes to his full power.
6 Days Before the End of the World
This escalated fast and there are now only six days left until Armageddon, which makes the Antichrist 11-years-old — and completely off the grid since no one was watching the right child.
The demons plan to release a creature from Hell to join the Antichrist as his pet.
Warlock and his mother are walking and talking and he is very dismissive and seems to be rebellious.
Crowley and Aziraphale are watching him and they realized that they will have to wait for his birthday. That is when Crowley said that a Hellhound will arrive soon, but no one will notice because this is the reality.
If the Antichrist names the dog, Armageddon will arrive.
Crowley suggests that something could happen to the boy if Aziraphale kills him — and that could stop Armageddon and save everything. “One knife against the universe.”
Aziraphale said that maybe he could stop the dog and he could do magic at the birthday party for Warlock to explain their appearance.
Your soundtrack to the end times is here! Listen to the official #GoodOmens soundtrack now: https://t.co/NtkiBmLLWl pic.twitter.com/fCsh7al83o
— Good Omens (@GoodOmensPrime) May 31, 2019
The birthday parties
At the birthday party, Aziraphale is delivering his performance. The kids hate the performance and call him rubbish.
The time arrives and the Hellhound is released — as soon as the boy names the dog, Armageddon begins.
Adam is out playing with his friends. His parents are preparing for his birthday party.
Meanwhile, the kids have rebelled against Aziraphale making it the best birthday party ever. The Hellhound never showed up.
Crowley gets a call and he lies and claims the Hellhound showed up.
That is when Aziraphale realizes that they had the wrong boy.
The right boy, Adam, was playing with his friends Pepper, Brian, and Wensleydale. That is when the giant Hellhound showed up — which is what Adam wanted for his birthday.
He said he wants a little dog that is brilliantly intelligent and he will call him “Dog.” The Hellhound then shows up looking like a regular little dog.
Adam has found the Hellhound and named it “Dog” and now Armageddon will begin.
Crowley and Aziraphale are having new drinks again. Aziraphale reveals that Crowley is a favorite in Hell because he lied about starting the Spanish Inquisition and World War II (even though the humans beat him to both of those events).
Crowley said that something has changed and he reveals the Hellhound has found his master. Now, the Antichrist is coming to his power and they are doomed.
Aziraphale: “Well then, welcome to the end times.”
Good Omens is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.