I think it just has a whole lot of exposition, which TV viewers aren't always used to. But as a person who read the book at least three times, maybe I'm not seeing the flaws.
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Good Omens |OT| It's a hell of a day to be good
- Thread starter Squarehard
- Start date
I think it just has a whole lot of exposition, which TV viewers aren't always used to. But as a person who read the book at least three times, maybe I'm not seeing the flaws.
Good:
- The casting is excellent. Tennant and Sheen are wonderful.
- They got Queen for the soundtrack!
- Lots of neat easter eggs. Great intro animation too.
- The series very closely follows the events of the book.
Bad:
- Some of the cast aren't really put to good use. Jon Hamm is a fantastic comedic actor but his Gabriel is pretty bland and one-note.
- They don't really explain the Queen joke very well, in fact a lot of the humor seems to be rushed and doesn't land well.
- It seems to lean heavily on "look how silly this is" as the main source of comedy.
The book was a cleverly-written story with hilarious descriptions, prophecies, and footnotes scattered throughout a silly plot. The series faithfully recreates the silly plot for the screen, but a large portion of the novel's humor didn't survive the translation to a visual medium. God-as-narrator attempts to carry some of the witty commentary over, but it's not very effective. The show just seems to do a lot of hand-waving, "Trust us, this is all very clever but we've no time to waste - there's more plot to cover!" Many of the punchlines are there, but the joke setups just got lost in the mad dash to check all of the fan service boxes before the credits roll.
If you want to spend 6 hours watching a new book adaptation then I'd suggest Catch-22 on Hulu instead.
- The casting is excellent. Tennant and Sheen are wonderful.
- They got Queen for the soundtrack!
- Lots of neat easter eggs. Great intro animation too.
- The series very closely follows the events of the book.
Bad:
- Some of the cast aren't really put to good use. Jon Hamm is a fantastic comedic actor but his Gabriel is pretty bland and one-note.
- They don't really explain the Queen joke very well, in fact a lot of the humor seems to be rushed and doesn't land well.
- It seems to lean heavily on "look how silly this is" as the main source of comedy.
The book was a cleverly-written story with hilarious descriptions, prophecies, and footnotes scattered throughout a silly plot. The series faithfully recreates the silly plot for the screen, but a large portion of the novel's humor didn't survive the translation to a visual medium. God-as-narrator attempts to carry some of the witty commentary over, but it's not very effective. The show just seems to do a lot of hand-waving, "Trust us, this is all very clever but we've no time to waste - there's more plot to cover!" Many of the punchlines are there, but the joke setups just got lost in the mad dash to check all of the fan service boxes before the credits roll.
If you want to spend 6 hours watching a new book adaptation then I'd suggest Catch-22 on Hulu instead.
Fantastic show, everyone should watch it. You don't need to have read the book to enjoy it, my GF was super into it.
It's definitely the narrative style of "a bunch of threads that all converge with antics" so it builds up as it goes.
I wasn't really feeling the first episode even though I loved the book way back when. But it snowballed effectively for me.
My one complaint would be with the directing. Some excellent casting but not giving the characters the "oomph" they need. Michael McKean, normally excellent, is just wasted. But Jon Hamm is excellent.
Finished the show. Was pretty decent but kinda forgettable outside the amazing duo performance. David Tenant was incredible. Personally couldn't care for the other characters,. The kids were alright.
It is refreshing to have shows at this caliber with high production values and non serious tone. Too many gritty shows that themselves too serious these days. The banter between the leads was entertaining.
It is refreshing to have shows at this caliber with high production values and non serious tone. Too many gritty shows that themselves too serious these days. The banter between the leads was entertaining.
Tennant is the closest in this to The Doctor that he's been since he left. And that includes the 50th special.
OP
OP
Yeah, he certainly looked like he had tons of fun with the role.
Amazon offered me £5 to watch something on prime, so I started watched one episode of this and ended up watching all six. Amazing stuff. I had read the book but it was years ago...
Went in mostly blind after seeing who would play the main characters. (10th Doc hell yeah!)
Was pleasantly surprised seeing Neil and Dave names popup (enjoyed Mirrormask a lot too), ended watching all 6 episodes while staying at a hotel.
It's pretty good. Loved the random shenanigans of the duo popping up through history.
Was pleasantly surprised seeing Neil and Dave names popup (enjoyed Mirrormask a lot too), ended watching all 6 episodes while staying at a hotel.
It's pretty good. Loved the random shenanigans of the duo popping up through history.
Holy shit that was amazing.
I haven't read the book, but I started watching this a few days ago and just watched the last 3 episodes in a row, it was that good.
I just was amazed how it all tied together through just random happenstance and just people being people.
I haven't read the book, but I started watching this a few days ago and just watched the last 3 episodes in a row, it was that good.
I just was amazed how it all tied together through just random happenstance and just people being people.
Wife loved it but it went over my head. Can't even tell you why as I usually gravitate to this kind of dry circumstantial humor.
Don't get that at all. Dude is blatantly doing a Bill Nigh.
Don't get that at all. Dude is blatantly doing a Bill Nigh.
This is exactly what my wife and I thought. It was pure Bill Nighy.
Good Omens is about how Billy Mack spends his time when he's not recording Christmas jingles in the studio.
Good Omens is basically the prequel romance film of Billy Mack and Joe, detailing how long they have been in a relationship.
I think he's a bit funnier in the book, IIRC. The line about not thinking of it as dying, but thinking of it as leaving early to avoid the rush is him in the book, but I think it's narration in the show. There's also a funny running joke about Elvis that is pretty much completely taken out of the show. I'll spoiler-tag it just in case anyone who hasn't read the book cares.
It's kind of a subtle running joke. Early on, (I think during one of the first sections about War) the book talks about stories written in a tabloid, including things like Jesus appearing on a child's lunchbox, and Elvis being alive and working at a burger restaurant in Iowa. It goes on to note that one of the stories it has mentioned is absolutely true. Later, Famine is examining a burger restaurant in Iowa, and the fry cook in the back is singing "Hound Dog" to himself.
Where this comes around to Death is when the Four Horsemen gather at the bar. Famine, War and Pollution arrive and are waiting for Death. A bunch of bikers are gathered around a trivia game and the player is doing great at it. Then a question comes up about when Elvis died. The player doesn't answer. The other bikers start telling him the answer and ask him why he's not hitting it.
The player, who is suddenly revealed to be Death, responds, "I DON'T CARE, I NEVER TOOK HIM."
Where this comes around to Death is when the Four Horsemen gather at the bar. Famine, War and Pollution arrive and are waiting for Death. A bunch of bikers are gathered around a trivia game and the player is doing great at it. Then a question comes up about when Elvis died. The player doesn't answer. The other bikers start telling him the answer and ask him why he's not hitting it.
The player, who is suddenly revealed to be Death, responds, "I DON'T CARE, I NEVER TOOK HIM."
I finally caught up with this show! It was great fun, but I do feel that the ending was a little flat. But by all means worth a watch.
Finally binged this show on Sunday and oh my gosh that was amazing. Aziraphale and Crowley make an adorable couple, I love Crowley's pet name for Aziraphale. You can't convince me they aren't at least qpps.
The humour was absolutely on point. I was constantly laughing and giggling at it. I get the feeling I should go read some Terry Pratchett novels now.
The humour was absolutely on point. I was constantly laughing and giggling at it. I get the feeling I should go read some Terry Pratchett novels now.
this show is brilliant, more people should watch it.
haven't read the book so I can't comment on how good the adaptation work is, and I plan on reading it at some point, but it's easy to tell it's an adaptation from a well written material, at least it was for me.
I love the humor and the generally very subtle jokes. I initially dropped the show after 2 episodes months ago for reasons, so I rewatched it from the start now and noticed way more jokes than the first time around.
haven't read the book so I can't comment on how good the adaptation work is, and I plan on reading it at some point, but it's easy to tell it's an adaptation from a well written material, at least it was for me.
I love the humor and the generally very subtle jokes. I initially dropped the show after 2 episodes months ago for reasons, so I rewatched it from the start now and noticed way more jokes than the first time around.
I just binged it in one sitting with my folks. My ma is a big Gaiman fan and loved it.
I thought it was great fun, it reminded me of Time Bandits with more absurdist humour rather than the dark humour.
It really paced itself well as a short series, I can't imagine it working as a film.
It makes me want to see the production team take a shot at adapting Douglas Adams novela.
Tenant and Sheen were fabulous together.
I thought it was great fun, it reminded me of Time Bandits with more absurdist humour rather than the dark humour.
It really paced itself well as a short series, I can't imagine it working as a film.
It makes me want to see the production team take a shot at adapting Douglas Adams novela.
Tenant and Sheen were fabulous together.
I read the book last month, so I decided to start watching the show.
War is exactly like I imagined. Agnes, too.
Lol, they really are keeping some of the best lines.
War is exactly like I imagined. Agnes, too.
Lol, they really are keeping some of the best lines.
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The focus on Aziraphale and Crowley really was an inspired idea, episode 3 is great.
I think this show does a better job of the story than the dang book did, really cuts out the dead weight.
I think this show does a better job of the story than the dang book did, really cuts out the dead weight.
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