Good Omens – In The Beginning

By: Ariba Bhuvad

“Good Omens” is an interesting story about the end of the world and an unlikely friendship between an angel and a demon, which makes for a very interesting start to the series. The premiere episode begins with the voice of God (Frances McDormand) setting the tone and stage for the series. She goes into a lengthy explanation about the creation of the world and how many had been wrong about its beginnings. Basically, it’s a way of saying God has all the power and humans can’t dictate what will or won’t happen. They simply don’t have the ability to do so.

The scene shifts to the Garden of Eden to the pivotal moment where Eve (Shelaine Bennett) is seduced into taking a bite out of the apple and then shifts again to a pregnant Eve strolling out into the desert with Adam (Anthony Kaye) by her side. Watching from a distance is an angel by the name of Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) who is joined shortly after by a snake turned demon, Crowley (David Tennant). Crowley wants to know why God placed a temptation for humans, but Aziraphale chalks it up to letting the divine do her thing.

The timeline jumps to approximately eleven years ago where Crowley is sent off on a mission to visit a convent and deliver a very important basket. Of course, given Crowley’s rebellious nature, there’s very little confidence that he’ll get the job done as he has been told to. But it’s not a job he can screw up because it involves a baby who is placed inside the basket Crowley has.

Back in London, Aziraphale is paid a visit by Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) who has some interesting news–the world is about to end. Of course, Aziraphale is a hot emotional mess over this news, but Gabriel seems to be doing just fine.

Meanwhile, at the convent Crowley is visiting it is revealed that babies are being born and the entire place is run by Satanic nuns who are a part of a secret order. Basically, the nuns have one job–switch out the baby that’s being delivered the child of a diplomat played by Nick Offerman) with the one that Crowley has in the basket. There are some complications when another baby is thrown into the mix and things don’t go as planned. The diplomat, Thaddeus Dowling, is sent home with the baby that was delivered at the convent while the baby Antichrist accidentally goes home with the other family.

Crowley suggests to Aziraphale that the two of them work together to keep the Antichrist in check. Between Crowley’s demonic ways and Aziraphale’s angelic ways, they can surely balance and keep the Antichrist in check. At least, that’s what they’re hoping for. Fast forward five years and both Aziraphale and Crowley are working at the diplomat’s house as a gardener and nanny, keeping a watchful eye on the Antichrist. Of course, both the angel and the demon must check in with their bosses over the progress they’ve made, but both soon learn that their individual sides want to go to war with neither trying to avoid it in the slightest bit.

As we make it to the present day, about six days before the end of the world, the Antichrist is now an 11-year old and goes by the name Warlock (Samson Marraccino). According to Crowley, on Warlock’s eleventh birthday he will get a dog, or rather a hell hound. Once Warlock names the dog, it will essentially kickstart Armageddon and set the end of the world in motion. But after eleven years and no sign of a hell hound, Aziraphale and Crowley learn something very startling. It seems the boy they’ve been watching over is the wrong child and he’s not the Antichrist.

All the while, the actual Antichrist – a/k/a/ Adam Young (Sam Taylor Buck) – is off hanging out with his friends, hoping to get a dog for his birthday. And it’s almost as if his wish is granted on demand because a dog appears out of nowhere for him to take in, but we all know that it’s the hell hound just finding its way to its owner. Naming the animal “Dog,” Adam couldn’t be happier over a surprisingly random gift.

Somewhere in London Aziraphale and Crowley sit in the book store as Crowley realizes that the hell hound has been named and has found the Antichrist. And just like that, the end of days has begun.