The Good, The Bad, And The Finale
Good Omens is ending with a 90-minute special and a new director, Rachel Talalay. SFX discovers why she might have been Heaven sent to see the show out on a high note. Words: Dave Golder.
After two seasons and 12 episodes all directed by Douglas Mackinnon, there’s somebody new calling the shots on Good Omens’ 90-minute finale — Rachel Talalay. But it's almost like her arrival was preordained.
"I was actually originally the person they asked to direct the whole series," she reveals.
"But I wasn't available because it was 2017 and I was doing the final three episodes of Steven Moffat's time on Doctor Who. They also talked to me about coming in on series two, but then it was Covid, so that also didn't happen. But I feel like I had my own tiny bit of ownership of it.
"I'd worked closely with David Tennant right before on his return to Doctor Who, so I had that relationship in place as well. It kind of felt like I was in the wings for a reason."
You could almost say that the omens were good. Especially as Talalay has earned a reputation as a TV director with a bold visual style making standout episodes not just of Doctor Who including the widely acclaimed "Heaven Sent" and "The Star Beast") but The Flash, Supernatural, Sherlock and Superman & Lois too.
"I came in and said, 'Let's embrace what's great about series one and series two, but take it further. I think what's very important to me is to make it beautiful; working particularly on just a little extra element of beauty. And magic."
There is, of course an elephant in the room throughout SFX's interview with Talalay — and not one that's carrying Discworld on its back. There has been an upheaval behind the scenes that's lead to many production changes on this final instalment of Good Omens, including a cut from six episodes to one 90-minute feature-length episode. The PR department has requested we don't mention the G-word, and SFX respects that. A whole half-hour interview could vanish down a sordid rabbit hole otherwise, when they want to concentrate all that's good and great about Talalay's enthusiasm is invaluable in that regard. "I think this is some of my best work” (cont.)
![It's quite possible that 'Heaven Sent' is my best work - Doctor Who fans love that episode - but I think that there are many elements of this that stand alongside my best work."
There's also the issue of spoilers. Talalay ain't giving anything beyond the vaguest of teases. Season two ended with demon Crowley (DT) declaring his love for angel Aziraphale (MS), but Aziraphale deciding to go off to become Heaven's new boss instead, and usher in the Second Coming. So what happens next?
"I can't," she splutters. "It's very difficult for me to say much except this version is very much tilted toward pleasing the fandom from the standpoint of keeping it concentrated on Aziraphale and Crowley. Then allowing there to be a mystery, along with everything that's brilliant about the Good Omens book and mythology, which is Heaven and Hell, and religious concepts."
She does confirm, though, that the Second Coming does indeed happen.
"Bilal Hasna plays Jesus," says Talalay. "He's wonderful, utterly versatile. He was nominated for a BAFTA [for Disney's Extraordinary]. He's a relatively new actor with a meteoric rise - a fascinating, committed, versatile actor. So to be BAFTA-nominated at the same time that you're playing Jesus is a pretty good omen." Pressed for other titbits, she apologises for being so vague, but admits, "Michael, as Aziraphale, has a showcase scene that's a different type of showcase scene that is an absolute joy. He gets to really just eat it up. I'm really looking forward to, um, showing that off. It's terrible I can't say anything more to you. I’m sorry!”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sxyl3lkwi36i5caw2nop2dry/bafkreidybj5ityz4xaelgjibop6cbbjikowxx5fhrg7q5ftxcrrx7eu7wi)
It's quite possible that 'Heaven Sent' is my best work - Doctor Who fans love that episode - but I think that there are many elements of this that stand alongside my best work."
There's also the issue of spoilers. Talalay ain't giving anything beyond the vaguest of teases. Season two ended with demon Crowley (DT) declaring his love for angel Aziraphale (MS), but Aziraphale deciding to go off to become Heaven's new boss instead, and usher in the Second Coming. So what happens next?
"I can't," she splutters. "It's very difficult for me to say much except this version is very much tilted toward pleasing the fandom from the standpoint of keeping it concentrated on Aziraphale and Crowley. Then allowing there to be a mystery, along with everything that's brilliant about the Good Omens book and mythology, which is Heaven and Hell, and religious concepts."
She does confirm, though, that the Second Coming does indeed happen.
"Bilal Hasna plays Jesus," says Talalay. "He's wonderful, utterly versatile. He was nominated for a BAFTA [for Disney's Extraordinary]. He's a relatively new actor with a meteoric rise - a fascinating, committed, versatile actor. So to be BAFTA-nominated at the same time that you're playing Jesus is a pretty good omen." Pressed for other titbits, she apologises for being so vague, but admits, "Michael, as Aziraphale, has a showcase scene that's a different type of showcase scene that is an absolute joy. He gets to really just eat it up. I'm really looking forward to, um, showing that off. It's terrible I can't say anything more to you. I’m sorry!”
![So if we can't talk about plot specifics, how about the production side of things? When Talalay signed up for the final season, the intention was still to make six episodes.
"I was involved in taking it down to the 90," she confirms. "That was producer-driven to start with. There's something really, really great about the 90 minutes. I mean, of course I'm heartbroken that bits and pieces of the six hours will not be filmed. But at 90 minutes we can just focus on one incredibly strong story. Sometimes with six parts, you just go off [on a tangent] and it's fun, but often I hear people say, You know, I didn't like that episode as much because it wasn't really about (the main characters)
"Now, I love those random things, but we didn't have space for that. So it became a very much a cohesive story. People I've talked to who have seen the 90 minutes have said how brilliant it is that it became one really strong, cohesive story. So yes, I would have liked to have done the random bits and pieces of comedy. It's really random bits and pieces of comedy that dropped out for a story that concentrates on those things that I talked about - a really good, strong mystery, the Second Coming, and Aziraphale and Crowley."
While the finale may have new scriptwriters (Michael Marshall Smith and Peter Atkins) as well as a new director, the design crews remain largely unchanged, and Talalay is full of praise
"Kate Carin, the costume designer, is a complete genius. When the fans starts screenshotting each costume and saying, 'Oh, look, that little badge is from series one, or
'This is a throwback to that Scottish thing, - those kinds of Easter eggs, she particularly embraced that."
Talalay also liked the details in the costume that would go unseen if she didn't decide to highlight them, including a snake lining to one of Crowley's waistcoats. "I'm like, 'David, can you open your vest so we catch a piece of the lining?'"
(Full transcript unavailable due to character limit)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:sxyl3lkwi36i5caw2nop2dry/bafkreiheqxeizml6h44keudz3e4vtrm6psaamtjbmuzq3jcyh2x23hgyfi)
So if we can't talk about plot specifics, how about the production side of things? When Talalay signed up for the final season, the intention was still to make six episodes.
"I was involved in taking it down to the 90," she confirms. "That was producer-driven to start with. There's something really, really great about the 90 minutes. I mean, of course I'm heartbroken that bits and pieces of the six hours will not be filmed. But at 90 minutes we can just focus on one incredibly strong story. Sometimes with six parts, you just go off [on a tangent] and it's fun, but often I hear people say, You know, I didn't like that episode as much because it wasn't really about (the main characters)
"Now, I love those random things, but we didn't have space for that. So it became a very much a cohesive story. People I've talked to who have seen the 90 minutes have said how brilliant it is that it became one really strong, cohesive story. So yes, I would have liked to have done the random bits and pieces of comedy. It's really random bits and pieces of comedy that dropped out for a story that concentrates on those things that I talked about - a really good, strong mystery, the Second Coming, and Aziraphale and Crowley."
While the finale may have new scriptwriters (Michael Marshall Smith and Peter Atkins) as well as a new director, the design crews remain largely unchanged, and Talalay is full of praise
"Kate Carin, the costume designer, is a complete genius. When the fans starts screenshotting each costume and saying, 'Oh, look, that little badge is from series one, or
'This is a throwback to that Scottish thing, - those kinds of Easter eggs, she particularly embraced that."
Talalay also liked the details in the costume that would go unseen if she didn't decide to highlight them, including a snake lining to one of Crowley's waistcoats. "I'm like, 'David, can you open your vest so we catch a piece of the lining?'"
(Full transcript unavailable due to character limit)
“The Good, the Bad, and the Finale”, SFX Magazine (UK) #404 - May 2026:
