Good Omens S2's Weirdly Specific Musical In-Joke From The Book Explained
Contains spoilers for "Good Omens" Season 2, Episode 2
The world of Amazon Prime Video's "Good Omens" is a strange place. Creatively guided by Neil Gaiman, who co-wrote the source material in 1990 with the late Terry Pratchett, the author behind "Discworld," it's brimming with unexpected magic. Why? Because it's funny, probably. And if Gaiman finds something funny, it sticks around because the man knows how to commit to a bit.
For instance, there's a little pub in Edinburgh, Scotland, called the Resurrectionist, where any record left alone for a certain period of time transforms into an EP of "Every Day" by Buddy Holly. Instead of holding onto the excess singles, the pub staff ships them to Maggie's (Maggie Service) record shop. She explains this odd phenomenon to Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) in Season 2, Episode 2.
It's a weirdly specific joke that becomes an integral aspect of the angel's quest to recover Gabriel's (Jon Hamm) memory and save the earth from another extinction-level event, but fans of "Good Omens" will know that it's not the first time that Gaiman uses it. A version of the goof appears briefly in Season 1 and more extensively in the book.
Aside from being harmless, silly fun, the bit is actually an homage to Gaiman's partner in crime, Pratchett, whose "Best of Queen" theory birthed one of the goofiest elements in "Good Omens."
Terry Pratchett's theory became a running gag
In the novel version of "Good Omens," there's a recurring bit that every CD or tape cassette left inside a vehicle for over a fortnight transforms into a "Best of Queen" album. Season 1 of Prime Video's adaptation references this by licensing Queen's music for the series. It's the exact same premise that Neil Gaiman recycled for Season 2 except that the bit is now allowed more room for explanation. And both stem from Gaiman's interpretation of a comment from Terry Pratchett.
During an interview with Comics Buyer's Guide shortly after "Good Omens" was first published in 1990, Pratchett shared his theory that the only tolerable music to be purchased on tape at an all-night gas station is a "Best of Queen" album. He also stated that it would only take two weeks for the buyer to forget how they obtained the "Best of Queen" album, too. Gaiman chimed in that it was his idea to tweak Pratchett's theory into a joke for "Good Omens."
Since Season 2 of "Good Omens" is based on unpublished notes written by Pratchett and Gaiman for a potential sequel to their first joint novel, it's possible that the pair always wanted to continue the musical in-joke. But it's also just as possible that Gaiman chose to bring it back as a way of honoring his late friend, for whom he has a deep and public respect.
"Good Omens" is now streaming on Prime Video, with weekly episode releases every Friday until September 1.