The Unfortunate Queerbaiting In Good Omens

Does Neil Gaiman Not Understand What Flirting Is?

The BBC Two/Amazon Video production Good Omens is a tongue-in-cheek retelling of Armageddon. Based on the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, the story is about a demon named Crowley (played by David Tennant) and an angel named Aziraphale (played by Michael Sheen) as they attempt to stop the world from ending because they enjoy the vices of humanity a little too much. Where will they eat sushi once humanity dies? This witty tale hits all the beats of a Revelations-inspired, end-of-days romp. We have our war-ready Heaven and Hell, our Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and unfortunately, a whole bunch of queerbaiting.

Queerbaiting is when a text uses indirect cues to imply a queer dynamic between one or more characters. These texts will use queer or romantic language that usually has two meanings. For example, the TV show Supernatural infamously had a character joke with their “friend” that they wanted to open up a bed & breakfast together in Vermont, which, although not directly referring to homosexuality, is a widespread gay meme. This method is by its very nature indirect, and therefore, there is always plausible deniability. Where one viewer, usually a queer one, will pick up on romantic tension, another viewer will just see two good friends who want to run away together.