Ineffable Husbands. Sentimental Queerbaiting in the TV Series Good Omens

Abstract

Queerbaiting is a strategy by which media producers hint at a queer relationship between two same-sex characters in a text, with no intention of delivering. This paper proposes a method of analysis that may be used to systematically examine queerbaiting by combining audio-visual aesthetics, narrative motifs, and discourses. This is exemplified by an analysis of the friendship between the two main characters, the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley, in the first season of the Amazon Prime TV series Good Omens (2019–). In doing so, this essay investigates how sentimentality plays a crucial role in queerbaiting. I propose, ultimately, that formulas borrowed from romance films can be found in contemporary buddy TV series featuring two male-staged protagonists by comparing Good Omens to other TV series in which queerbaiting takes place, such as Sherlock (2010–2017) and Supernatural (2005–2020).