The bliss in the banter of an angel and a demon

The announcement there would be a second season of Amazon Prime's “Good Omens” came as a surprise. The initial run in 2019 was based on Neil Gaiman and the late great Terry Pratchett's novel, “Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.” It's a story about an angel, Aziraphale, and a demon, Crowley, working together to prevent Armageddon. The story from this book concludes in six episodes.

Is the fate of mankind in the hands of Aziraphale and Crowley yet again? CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

While no “Good Omens” book exists after this one and Mr. Pratchett shuffled off this mortal coil in 2015, it turns out Neil Gaiman did have talks with his friend and co-author and discussed where they could take the beloved characters next.

David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale are so perfectly cast, and they have the best chemistry I have ever seen between two leads. They really dig into their roles with such relish and brilliance that the result is delicious and delightful. The banter is quick and witty, and goes back and forth like a non-stop game of ping pong executed with ballet moves.

The new season begins with the Angel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arriving at Aziraphale's bookshop with no memory of who he is or any clue that Heaven and Hell are after him.

There's much more going on in the first season of the show, but again, just watching Tennant and Sheen inhabit their characters is enough to keep a viewer interested.

Three minisodes are thrown in the six-episode season, “A Companion to Owls” (about the biblical Job and the fate of his family), “The Resurrectionists” (involving a grave robber in 1827), and “Nazi Zombie Flesheaters” (which is self-explanatory and features Mark Gatiss).

It seems like this season is a setup for a third one, but the way things are going with the writers and actors strike and how there is currently no transparency for the metrics of shows on streaming platforms, who knows if that will see the light of day. But I do hope it does. I could use some Crowley and Aziraphale to pick me up on my less-than-stellar days.

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In just a bit over three weeks, Greta Gerwig's “Barbie” has surpassed the one-billion-dollar mark at the global box office, and it's still going strong. I hope it continues to fuel discussion. Sometimes you have to flip the script and flip it again. And keep flipping it until things begin to make some sense.