After four long years, Good Omens is finally returning to our screens with a second season. Based on the 1990 novel written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens first made its on-screen back in 2019. Notably, season 1 covered the entirety of Gaiman and Pratchett’s novel – meaning that season 2 is obliged to stray from the original source material, but Gaiman has confirmed that the upcoming series will continue to honor Pratchett's memory.
Good Omens was originally intended to be a miniseries. However, due to its immense popularity, in June 2021 Amazon Prime announced that the series would be returning. Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Good Omen’s infamous duo – Aziraphale and Crowley. Since season 1 tied everything up nicely, fans are excited to see where Gaiman will take the second season and how he will continue the beloved duo’s story. Based on the upcoming series’ plot synopsis, it looks as though Aziraphale and Crowley are in for another bumpy ride.
Who has been cast in season 2?
Back in 2021, Amazon Prime confirmed that Michael Sheen will be returning as Aziraphale and David Tennant will be reprising his role as Crowley. Fans are greatly excited to see the unlikely pair return to the screen. Sheen and Tennant were both highly commended for their roles in season 1, increasing the anticipation ahead of the upcoming season. The pair easily bounce off one another, creating impeccable chemistry and guaranteed laughs – as demonstrated in their 2020 comedy series, Staged.
As seen in season 2’s trailers, Jon Hamm will be reprising his role as the Archangel Gabriel. Fans are looking forward to Hamm’s return as he was highly praised for his portrayal of Archangel Gabriel during season 1. As the synopsis reveals, Hamm’s character will be adopting a bigger role during the upcoming series – much to the excitement of many.
It’s also been confirmed that multiple members of season 1’s original cast will return in the upcoming season, including: Paul Adeyefa, Michael McKean, Gloria Obianyo, Miranda Richardson, Maggie Service, Reece Shearsmith, Nina Sosanya, and Derek Jacobi. In an unexpected twist, however, it’s been revealed that some of the original cast will be adopting different roles ahead of season 2. This increases the mystery surrounding season 2’s plot as audiences are interested to see how Good Omens will handle this shift.
Amazon Prime recently revealed a sneak peek of Crowley and Miranda Richardson’s new character – Shax. Whilst Richardson portrayed the fan favorite character, Madame Tracy, in season 1, she is now adopting an entirely new character. Even from such a short clip, fans are commending Richardson’s ability to shift between these two vastly different characters. She is now unrecognizable as the former medium, Madame Tracy. Interestingly, Maggie Service will now be playing a new character called Maggie, whilst Nina Sosanya will also be adopting the new role of Nina. Although Gaiman’s reasoning for this casting shift is yet to be revealed, fans are looking forward to seeing how this plot point will unveil itself throughout season 2.
Sadly season 2’s cast contains notable absences, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Frances McDormand, and Adria Arjona. Whilst these actors will not be reprising their roles, Good Omens will be welcoming a series of newcomers amid season 2. New cast members include Siân Phillips, Tim Downie, Pete Firman, Shelley Conn, Quelin Sepulveda, Andi Osho, and Alex Norton. It has also been confirmed that Tennant’s own son and father-in-law will be joining the Good Omens cast in undisclosed roles. Fans are eager to see how these newcomers will be incorporated within season 2’s narrative.
What is known about season 2’s plot?
Despite their differences, Aziraphale and Crowley will be back working together throughout season 2. As reported in Polygon, season 2 will continue to illuminate the friendship shared between Aziraphale and Crowley:
“Season Two of Good Omens explores storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. Having been on Earth since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery”.
As the trailer reveals, this “surprising mystery” appears in the form of the Archangel Gabriel. The two-minute preview reveals that Hamm’s character has returned to Earth to seek out Aziraphale. Unfortunately for Gabriel, it’s revealed that the Archangel has lost all of his memories, meaning that he cannot remember why he had to find Aziraphale in the first place. Meanwhile, heaven is on the hunt for the Archangel, forcing Aziraphale and Crowley to hide their unexpected guest with extreme difficulty.
Season 2’s previews also allude to the fact that tensions are high between heaven and hell. With hilarious execution, season 2’s trailer includes Aziraphale in a panic as he exclaims: “I think I may have just started a war”. The recent sneak peek footage continues to convey that heaven is in a state of chaos. During the short clip, Miranda Richardson’s new character is seen telling Crowley that “something’s up”. To this, Crowley simply inquires “Up where?” before Richardson’s character states: “Up, up”. Meanwhile, Crowley also appears to be undergoing some form of an existential crisis, questioning the meaning behind heaven and hell, before dubbing it all “pointless”.
In an interesting development, Neil Gaiman has stated that season 2 will focus on the topic of love. During 2021’s New York Comic Con panel, Gaiman stated: “I will say there are some love stories” in season 2. Interestingly, the Good Omens’ author proceeded to explain: “I will say you will learn a lot about Jane Austen you didn’t know before. There’s a lot more heaven and a lot more hell”. Season 2’s promotional posters support this new plot line, as Aziraphale and Crowley are captured with their wings forming the shape of a heart. Seeing as season 1 chronicled the events of Armageddon, it seems like a surprising development that season 2 will be focusing on the topic of romantic love. Nonetheless, audiences are eager to see how these themes will be incorporated into the show.
Due to a mishap by Amazon Prime’s marketing team, spoilers for season 2’s plot were preemptively released. During a promotional video, Amazon Prime accidentally unveiled a major plot point for the second season. Whilst the video was quickly deleted, plenty of fans had already witnessed the major spoiler. In the aftermath of this, Neil Gaiman took to Tumblr to express his disappointment. In the post, he wrote: “I’ve heard what happened and I’m heartbroken that there are leaks, and that they happened like this”. Because of the spoilers now circulating online, Gaiman advised his fans to stay “far away from the internet” until season 2’s premiere.
When is the second season premiering?
Season 2 of Good Omens will be premiering on Amazon Prime on July 28th, 2023. Just like season 1, the second series will also consist of 6 episodes. With only a few short weeks to go, the anticipation for Good Omens’ second installment is through the roof.
Good Omens Season 2 will premiere on Amazon Prime on July 28th, 2023.