When Good Omens arrived on Prime Video in 2019 it ended years of frustration for fans of the book. Many attempts at adapting Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel had failed previously. But the show’s long-awaited arrival created a whole new problem: viewers wanted another season. Only, Pratchett passed away in 2015 and two authors never wrote their planned sequel, so was another season even possible?
Not only was the answer “yes,” it seems we’re going to get at least one more. The finale of Good Omens‘ sophomore season set up an explosive third installment. And it might finally lead to something even bigger than the Apocalypse. Because Crowley and Aziraphale won’t be the only ones returning when the show does.
Why Did Gabriel and Beelzebub Start Meeting in Secret During Good Omens Season Two?
The demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale successfully thwarted the start of Armageddon during Good Omens‘ first season. That showdown would have resulted in the destruction of Earth, a place both had come to love. Saving the world came with a cost. Each was labeled a “traitorous” outcast. Every other angel and demon in Heaven and Hell had been eagerly awaiting the Apocalypse’s arrival, and no war left both factions’ respective leaders with the same issue.
The Supreme Archangel Gabriel, the only First Order Angel in the universe, had 10 million angels thirsting for a fight. Same for the Grand Duke of Hell, the Lord of Flies, Beelzebub. She had 10 million demons obsessed with attacking Heaven’s forces.
While each had also wanted war, their personal desire for the Apocalypse abated after it didn’t happen. So to find a solution to their shared problem (and with neither actually sure they’d win) they met for secret “background talks” on Earth. In a Scottish pub called The Resurrectionist they decided to maintain the status quo despite their underlings’ preferences. That would lead to a different kind of battle for Gabriel.
Why Did the Other Angels Put Gabriel on Trial?
Gabriel “nah’ed” his fellow angels plan to initiate Armageddon a second time. They couldn’t understand why he said no. They thought the Apocalypse would mean “the final victory of Heaven on Earth,” the end of “time and the world,” and the start of eternity “forever and ever.” That was everything Gabriel had always wanted before, same as them.
His refusal to explain his decision led the other leading angels of Heaven put him on trial. Gabriel was fine was with a guilty verdict when he thought it meant banishment to Hell. Instead the Archangel (and Heaven’s Duty Officer) Michael, the Archangel Uriel, the Metatron, and the angel Saraqael sentenced him to a demotion with his mind erased. Before they could punish him, however, Gabriel asked if he could clear out his desk as a ruse to escape. Only his plan led him someplace he didn’t mean to go.
Why Did Gabriel End Up at Aziraphale’s Bookshop on Good Omens?
In an attempt to keep his memory safe Gabriel intentionally erased his own mind before Heaven could. It turned out he stored his memories inside a very special fly Beelzebub had given him during one of their secret meetings. He then put the fly inside a box with a message written on the bottom explaining the insect’s significance.
Gabriel originally meant to flee to Beelzebub, but once he erased his mind he forgot about that part of his plan. Instead he instinctively went to Aziraphale, because he knew Aziraphale would help him even though Gabriel had previously tried to murder him. Crowley also (reluctantly) agreed to assist his friend in keeping the archangel safe and hidden. To do so they combined their powers for a small miracle that kept Gabriel’s true identity a secret from angels and demons alike. Everyone finally learned the truth when Gabriel got his memory back in Good Omens‘ season two finale. That’s also when everyone learned that the leaders of Heaven and Hell had fallen in love.
Why Did Gabriel and Beelzebub Fall in Love on Good Omens?
The Heaven and Hell of Good Omens are lonely places devoid of real connections, especially for those at the top. During their secret meetings Gabriel and Beelzebub not only found someone to spend time with, they found someone who understood them and the unique challenges they both faced.
They also discovered the joy of doing something kind for another being and the feeling you get when someone does something kind for you. Gabriel made sure Beelzebub would always hear Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” anytime the pub’s jukebox played. It would always be there for the “afflicted.” As a thank you she gave him that special fly, the first thing anyone had ever given him in millions of years of existence.
All the things angels and demons don’t do normally—spend time with others and be good to them—led the two to fall in love. When their relationship came to light they opted to leave Earth, Heaven, and Hell behind forever so they could be together.
But their happy ending left two huge voids in Heaven and Hell.
Who Will Lead Heaven and Hell After Gabriel and Beelzebub?
While not yet official, Miranda Richardson’s Shax seems poised to follow Beelzebub as the new Grand Duke of Hell. Michael expected to do the same with Gabriel’s job as the Supreme Archangel of Heaven, but the Voice of God, the Metatron denied her the job. Instead he sent Michael, Uriel, and Saraqael back to Heaven where it will be determined if they did anything wrong.
Instead the Metatron offered the position to the angel Heaven cast out for stopping Armageddon and working with a demon: Aziraphale.
Why Does the Metatron Want Aziraphale to Lead Heaven?
The Metatron explained to Aziraphale why he is the only choice to take command of the Heavenly host. He said Aziraphale is “a leader, honest, and doesn’t just tell people what they want to hear.” That’s why Gabriel instinctively went to the bookshop owner when he needed help. And with “enormous projects coming up” the Metatron needs an angel with those qualities to take over and “wrap things up” so they can “set into motion the next step in the Great Plan.”
That next step is one very big return that will require Heaven’s leader to know a lot about Earth.
What Is the “Second Coming” Good Omens Teased in Season Two’s Finale?
There’s only one “second coming” the Metatron could have been referring to. It will be even bigger than Armageddon. The Voice of God wants the Earth/human expert Aziraphale in charge of Heaven when Jesus Christ returns to the world in season three.
But before the son of God comes back to Earth in season three (which will be the inverse of Satan’s son arriving in the season one), season two ended with Crowley refusing to return to Heaven.
Why Did Crowley Refuse to Become an Angel Again?
Part of the reason Aziraphale accepted the Metatron’s offer is that it came with a key provision. Aziraphale could choose whomever he wanted to work with. That included the fallen former angel Crowley. While it was clear the Metatron does not like Crowley, he saw the two had done good work together over millennia. Aziraphale’s position came with the authority to restore his best friend to “full angelic status.”
While Aziraphale thought that the two of them returning to Heaven would be “like the old times, only even nicer” with Crowley as his second in command, Crowley refused to go.
“We’re better than that,” Crowley said to Aziraphale. “You’re better than that, angel. You don’t need them.” Crowley can see Heaven and Hell are two sides of the same awful, uncaring coin. But Aziraphale still believes in what Heaven should be. He still views it as the side of “good” and believes with them in charge it can actually live up to that promise. Even if Crowley agreed with his partner, he wouldn’t have wanted to go to Heaven.
Why Did Crowley Kiss Aziraphale on Good Omens?
While Aziraphale told Crowley about taking over Heaven, the demon had been waiting to share his own big announcement. Nina and Maggie convinced Crowley to be honest about his feelings for his “partner.” So before leaving in anger Crowley professed his love for Aziraphale and kissed him. He wanted the two of them to leave Heaven, Hell, and Earth behind same as Gabriel and Beelzebub.
“You idiot. We could have been…us,” he said before walking out of the bookshop, which the angel Muriel will care for while Aziraphale is in Heaven. How long he’ll stay in charge of his fellow angels remains to be seen, because the Second Coming might lead to something even worse than Armageddon. It’s a war Crowley spoke of in both seasons’ finales.
What Did Crowley Call the “Really Big One” in Good Omens First Season?
Aziraphale and Crowley stopped Armageddon in season one. And yet, a grand war between Heaven and Hell is not what Crowley believes is “the big one” that awaits Earth. He thinks that war will be Heaven and Hell fighting together against Earth and humans. It’s a fear he echoed during season two’s final moments. “When Heaven ends life here one Earth it will be just as dead as if Hell ended it,” he said.
Is that what the Second Coming will lead to? The end of life on Earth? We’ll have to wait for season three to find out. But no matter what happens on Prime Video’s Good Omens we know Terry Pratchett’s influence will still be felt.
Will Good Omens Season Three Be Based on an Idea Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Had?
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett had an idea for a sequel they never wrote. Gaiman has said their follow-up book would have focused more on angels and he incorporated some of those elements into Good Omens‘ first season. (Gabriel does not appear in the book, for example.)
We thought season two would adapt the unwritten sequel, but Gaiman has said it will actually be the basis for season three. Season two was based on an original idea of his that he said was necessary to connect the original story with the other one he and Pratchett plotted out. That doesn’t mean his late friend’s presence wasn’t felt during season two. In fact, every episode it got just a little closer.
Why Was Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” a Tribute to Terry Pratchett?
Just a few years after Good Omens hit bookshelves in 1990 Terry Pratchett said Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” would be a great theme song for a possible adaptation. He thought the contrast of the upbeat music with foreboding lyrics made it a perfect choice to capture the tone and story of the book.
Prime Video’s series was originally going to use the song, in some form, as its title track. But Gaiman agreed an original song by composer David Arnold was a better choice. That ultimately worked out for the best in both seasons. Good Omens has a great theme song of its own and Gaiman was able to honor his late friend and partner by making “Everyday” such an important and meaningful part of season two’s beautiful story. Every time it played it paid homage to Terry Pratchett’s memory and influence on the show.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.