Good Omens is a fantasy comedy television series created by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, co-produced between Amazon MGM Studios and BBC Studios. The show features a talented cast including David Tennant as Crowley, Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, Jon Hamm as Archangel Gabriel, and Doon Mackichan as Gloria Obianyo. The show follows the end of the world, which means a fussy Angel and a loose-living Demon who have become.
The cast includes returning and new characters, such as Shelley Conn as Beelzebub and Danny Hayes as Lawyer Robey. Tennant plays Crowley, while Shelley Conn takes over the role from Anna Maxwell Martin. The cast also includes Meg Kubota, Hastur as Woman in Park, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Giles Baddicombe, Danny Hayes as Lawyer Robey, Benedict Cumberbatch as Satan (Voice), and Andy.
The cast includes Meg Kubota, Hastur as Woman in Park, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Giles Baddicombe, Danny Hayes as Lawyer Robey, Benedict Cumberbatch as Satan (Voice), and Andy. The cast also includes Mark Sheppard, who previously played Crowley in Supernatural, and the odd couple (played by David Tennant and Michael Sheen) who are tasked with helping hide Gabriel from the evil forces.
In summary, Good Omens is a unique and entertaining fantasy comedy series that features a talented cast, including David Tennant as Crowley, Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, Jon Hamm as Archangel Gabriel, and Doon Mackichan as Gloria Obianyo.
📹 15. The Nabataeans – The Final Days Of Petra
In the deserts of Jordan, a city lies hidden for centuries in a valley of rose-red stone… In this episode, we look at one of the most …
Is Good Omens 2 happening?
Good Omens 2, a six-episode series, premiered on Prime Video on July 28, 2023. Based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s best-selling novel, the show explores the ineffable friendship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), a fussy angel and rare-book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley (David Tennant). After thwarting the Apocalypse, the duo returns to easy living in London’s Soho. However, the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arrives at Aziraphale’s bookshop with no memory of his identity or how he arrived.
Aziraphale is keen to solve the archangel’s condition, but hiding him from Heaven and Hell disrupts their lives. To solve the mystery and thwart Heaven and Hell, the duo will need more than a miracle; they will need to rely on each other. The show stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant as Aziraphale and Crowley, with Jon Hamm as Gabriel, Doon Mackichan as Michael, and Gloria Obianyo as Uriel. New cast members include Miranda Richardson as demon Shax, Maggie Service as Maggie, and Nina Sosanya as Nina.
Why was Good Omens cancelled?
The production of the graveyard was temporarily halted by Disney due to a lack of complete viewing equivalents, although the rationale behind this decision remains uncertain.
Are Aziraphale and Crowley in love?
The first season of Good Omens, a series that showcased the love between Crowley and Aziraphale, was a significant departure from the norm for queer artists. The author, who had never been given a significant representation in mainstream media, reflects on the lack of room for queer artists in their formative texts. They believe that the transition from novel to television series was driven by factors such as a growing fandom, legislation against queerness, transness, disability, and healthcare, and the global pandemic.
Other factors include actors who were willing to portray these roles and stories, the homogenization of blockbuster media, and groups attempting to assert that one of the book’s authors was against trans rights. The author acknowledges that the transition from novel to television series was not without challenges, but it was a glorious and strange place that was their own.
Is Good Omens season 3 still happening?
The news follows a series of essays containing allegations against Neil Gaiman, as reported by Tortoise.
Is Crowley non-binary?
Neil Gaiman explains that angels and demons don’t have sexes and their gender is up to the viewer’s interpretation. Aziraphale and Crowley don’t identify as male, but mostly present as males. Crowley, who is often referred to as “good lad” by Ms. Sandwich, claims he’s neither. Gaiman believes Crowley is genderfluid, using he/him pronouns but sometimes using she/her pronouns when presenting himself as female.
Who is the non binary character in Good Omens?
The article presents the life of a non-binary woman named Mutt, who has held numerous roles throughout their life, including those of pollution expert, director, farmer, lawyer, doctor, pharmacist, and doctor’s wife.
Did Beelzebub get recast in Good Omens?
In Good Omens, Beelzebub, the leader of Hell’s forces, holds significant power over Hell and its people, including Crowley. Anna Maxwell played Beelzebub in season 1, but she was replaced with Shelley Conn due to scheduling conflicts. The four-year gap between seasons 1 and 2 was understandable, as Maxwell appeared in The Duke and various TV shows. Shelley Conn, best known for her roles in Love Sarah, Terra Nova, and Bridgerton, is also part of the cast of Gen V, the spinoff TV series of The Boys.
The writers of Good Omens can easily explain Beelzebub’s different appearance in season 2 by referencing Neil Gaiman’s confidence in his creations. Conn shared an interview with ComicBook, explaining how Gaiman’s confidence in his creations can lead him to write a line that says “oh, this old thing. Yeah, I’ve had it for ages” to solve the issue. The recast of Beelzebub in season 2 is a result of scheduling conflicts and the upcoming release of Gen V, an Amazon Prime project.
Does Good Omens have LGBT characters?
Good Omens season two is a refreshing departure from the usual LGBTQ+ show, with the cast’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Tennant, Sheen, and Gaiman have all shown their commitment to queer characters and actors, not only in Good Omens but also in other shows like The Sandman and American Gods. This allyship is heartwarming and necessary, especially in light of JK Rowling’s hateful comments towards the trans community. Gaiman has never tried to retcon queerness into his work, unlike Rowling who admitted to thinking of Dumbledore as gay in Harry Potter books.
The show’s second season is praised for its increased queerness, and if Prime Video orders a third season, fans can expect more queerness and joy for the protagonists. Gaiman has promised to write another Good Omens novel if the show isn’t renewed, but the lesson is to avoid ending a beloved queer show on a cliffhanger before it’s confirmed for another season.
Did Crowley and Aziraphale kiss?
Good Omens Season 2 introduces a long-awaited kiss between Aziraphale and Crowley, but it doesn’t solve their problems. Crowley tries to express his feelings for Aziraphale, but Aziraphale chooses to return to heaven. Despite the kiss, they struggle to communicate and understand each other, leaving room for growth in Season 3.
The first season of Good Omens took viewers on a 6, 000-year journey of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship. However, the relationship seemed obvious to everyone except the two characters. In Season 2, Aziraphale and Crowley finally fight on the same side, but their former opponent, Gabriel, arrives in Aziraphale’s bookshop with no clothing or memory. Aziraphale helps and hides Gabriel from both Heaven and Hell, causing the forces of Heaven and Hell to hunt for the missing archangel, threatening their “precious, peaceful, fragile” existence.
In summary, Good Omens Season 2 introduces a kiss between Aziraphale and Crowley, but it doesn’t solve their problems or resolve their relationship. The show’s second season offers a deeper understanding of the characters’ relationship and their struggles, allowing for growth and development in Season 3.
Do Crowley and Aziraphale kiss?
Good Omens Season 2 introduces a long-awaited kiss between Aziraphale and Crowley, but it doesn’t solve all their problems. Crowley tries to express his feelings for Aziraphale, but Aziraphale chooses to return to heaven. Despite the kiss being a major milestone in their relationship, they still struggle to communicate and understand each other, leaving room for growth in Season 3.
The first season of Good Omens took viewers on a 6, 000+ year journey of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship, confirming their deep love. However, the relationship seemed obvious to everyone except the two characters. In Season 2, Aziraphale and Crowley finally fight on the same side, but their former opponent, Gabriel, arrives in Aziraphale’s bookshop with no clothing or memory. Aziraphale helps and hides Gabriel from both Heaven and Hell, causing the forces of Heaven and Hell to hunt for the missing archangel, threatening the “precious, peaceful, fragile” existence they have carved out for themselves.
In summary, Good Omens Season 2 introduces a long-awaited kiss between Aziraphale and Crowley, but it doesn’t solve all their problems. The relationship between the two angels continues to evolve, with the potential for growth and change in Season 3.
Is Crowley canonically genderfluid?
The user was perplexed by the usage of the pronoun “she/her” in reference to Crowley and took note of Neil Gaiman’s post elucidating her gender identity as genderfluid. However, the search yielded only Gaiman’s tweet describing Crowley’s gender as “Fallen Angel,” and no mention of “genderfluid.”
📹 Fighting in the Age of Loneliness: Supercut edition
This is entirely thanks to you. We have reached one-million subscribers and that feels very wild to finally get to say. We’ll have …
In my opinion you deserve some kind of reward for this fantastic documentary. It’s like you gave these peaceful and brave people a monument, in this way they Won’t be forgotten. I loved every second of this documentary. A huge THANKS to you, Paul, and everybody who worked with you to make this. It’s truly wonderful.
I lived in Saudi Arabia and visited both Petra and Hegra (Meda’in Saleh) a number of tìmes, long beforè the tourists and fancy hotels/resorts appeared like a blight on the landscape…for me, both ancient cities and their surrounding landscapes are some of the most stunningly beautful places on earth…
Time Stamps Please feel free to add other important moments below if I’ve missed anything! Thank you Paul for such beautiful work! 0:00 Johann Ludwig Burckhardt 8:40 Introduction 10:28 Geology of Jordan 14:45 Early Evidence of the Nabateans (600 BC) 16:20 The Nomadic lifestyle 18:47 Book of Kings, King Solomon 19:21 Hieronymus of Cardia’s Account (312 BC) 22:05 Frankincense and Myrrh 32:24 The City of Petra & Water 42:22 Petra as a Hub of Trade 44:49 Clash with Greece & Antigonus Monophthalmus (Athenius) 54:36 Demetrius’s Failed Siege 59:41 Sources on the Nabateans 1:02:26 Women in Nabatean Society 1:06:38 King Aretus and extent of the Kingdom (Petra recognized as capital 129 BC) 1:09:42 The Khazneh 1:12:34 Daily Life in Nabatea 1:15:40 Religion and Gatherings 1:18:47 Nabataean Inscriptions 1:24:49 Aelius Gallus’ Expedition and Syllaeus (26 BC) 1:34:45 Annexation by Rome 1:41:23 Decline of Petra’s Influence 1:45:27 The Earthquake of 363 AD 1:52:27 The Years Following 1:56:51 Poetry by Tarafa & Closing
As the founder and owner of Windham Hill Records, I had an opportunity to produce a piano album by the Jordanian musician, Zade Dirani. Zaid’s father, Ziad, was the principal architect for the Jordanian royal family. Long story short, Princess Alia al Faisal, arranged to have us be the only people in Petra for an entire morning while we did filming for a promotional article. To be the ONLY people in the Siq and the city of Petra itself will remain as one of the most treasured memories of my life.
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your work, and your films and podcasts are something that I listen to almost daily. You have a phenomenal ability for storytelling, and are a truly talented filmmaker and writer- and the world is a better place because of it. Thank you Paul. Much love..💕
Without being through it – these contents make me happy. Each and every one of them I have heard and seen a couple of times. The voice, the content, the narrative is hypnotic and let’s my mind fly across miles and centuries and live through unknown lands and stories. Thanks for one in my opinion best series on YouTube.
Petra must have indeed been a wonder when it was fully alive with the breath of it’s people. How close it came to the present day! The works of man are like meadow flowers. Maybe beautiful to behold, yet so fragile and always lost with the changing of seasons. I don’t know whether to be sad for the departure of last season’s flowers, desolated that the beauty of this season will soon depart, Or comforted that there may be seasons yet to come. Their flowers are not mine to see but today’s seeds are a hope for tomorrow. Another marvellous and thought provoking episode, thank you.
You are an exceptionally talented filmmaker. You meet you’re goal and more. You can take the viewer immerse him in the culture, history, feel and mood of the civilisation and then take us on a truly magical audio and visual journey to its downfall. I have watched all you’re articles but this one truly is a masterpiece! Thank you for you’re work and stay safe and take care.
What makes this website fantastic is that it does not dumb things down for the viewers. If you’ve found and are perusal it, you already possess intelligence and it treats you as such. The only difference between these past civilizations and modern civilization is that when any of them failed,it was just that particular empire, todays civilization is worldwide and interlinked. I know of no mechanism that would prevent the whole worldwide civilization from falling like a row of dominos. All these past civilizations had two things in common.1, they believed theirs would last forever.2, none of them did.
I was ‘petrified’ we would not have another wonderful episode of Fall of Civilizations. I’m so happy this latest long form in-depth history of ancient civilisations is back with a bang. Superb production detail, voice characterisation, and visual accompaniment. Nice job sir. To hear the piano notes of the series theme is to at once relax and focus for the next few hours… Thank you for your service to my mental health.
Absolutely beautiful! Your work skillfully captures every little detail and brings to life the great history behind these beautiful monuments. I love that you’re telling a story that goes beyond just facts, The adequacy of your storytelling and the clear passion and effort invested, forces the listener not to merely look at this as a historical lesson, but rather as a tribute to the thousands of years and lives that went into creating this legend. Just incredible. thank you
This is such an amazing website. It puts my own little life in perspective, as I am perusal the world changing, so fast now. I was a flight attendant, for 20 years, and got to see much of Europe, before the formation of the EU. I knew, then, that changes were imminent, and I was witnessing something huge. I still have a bowl full of foreign currency, from the countries I visited, and sometimes just look through them, thinking of how blessed I was, to have traveled. I know that whatever problems and drama, that seem so overwhelming now, are really nothing, and I will pass into obscurity, just like the Nabataeans. Thank you for your EXCELLENT WORK.
I love FoC for the poetic storytelling that paints more colourful and vivid pictures in your mind than other documentaries focusing on facts and their analysis. FoC is moving, not just information intellectually and curiosity stimulating. You become emotionally invested in the people and their lives presented.
It is always an exciting moment for me when I discover that there is a new FoC documentary available. Like a fine wine, I savour the anticipation of its consumption until I can no longer resist and have to give in to the world class narration, articlegraphy, soundtrack and hitherto unknown (to me) facts about ancient history. It’s a delicious cocktail, and one which I only allow to afford myself on rare occasions; almost as a treat or reward. I cannot say enough about Paul Cooper and his website; the creme de la creme of YouTube. Thank you Sir.
I never ever ever thought I’d enjoy history…I was convinced I was allergic to history lessons…but having heard this podcast and article, whilst we are on a trip to Petra as we speak, makes me wish I had had the good fortune to have been exposed to to history through a teacher and storyteller like you! What an excellent curating. Every word, every note, every point – is perfectly put together. You’ve managed to pitch it absolutely perfectly. That, in and of itself, is genius, not to mention the enormous wealth of knowledge you’ve accumulated on such diverse strands of history. If I make a request, I’d love to learn about the Chola Kingdom of Southern India in this manner of visual storytelling and narration.
This was really an amazing recounting of the Nabataeans, and one I learned a lot from. I’m working on a project on Avdat, and am reading (and listening) up on my knowledge about the Nabataeans. It’s really sad to consider how this amazing civilization ended up forgotten in the desert, only for us to rediscover them so late and get to know them and about them with so little material to help us in that endeavor. Thank you for this article. Will definitely be perusal more from you 🙂
so much more than a podcast, sir- not knocking podcasts mind you- but with all of the very rich article content and voice actors- you are in a whole different category, here love! this is the second time i’ve watched this production in particular and i don’t think i’ll ever tire of it… thank you for producing such valuable content on the level at which you do. you and your team deserve a utube emmy:trophy-yellow-smiling::person-turqouise-waving::yt: Cheers!
This was great. Being from jordan and having spent great portions of my child hood out in the dessert with the Bedouin and playing in the ruins of Rome, Egypt and those who came before. This was great. The Bedu still tell stories in song around fires. Old old stories, before writing and history…. Thank you. Maybe some day they too will be shared. “Their” are still some pieces missing. 😛
Thank you for this article! Petra is one of the places I’ve visited in the world. Its beauty and sheer remoteness made a huge impact on me. Now that I know more of a detailed history than what the guide presented, you brought it to life on so many more levels than just the beauty of the remains. The thing that hit me was how, after the earthquakes, no one knew how to rebuild the water system, which was the final nail in the coffin. It’s easy to forget how inter-dependent we are on one another, isn’t it?
Your documentaries are absolutely glorious.. there s just something in them that keeps me glued to the screen for the whole duration of them.. please dont change the format, to me this is absolutely perfect, hours just fly by.. as one comment stated here, its moving.. it really is moving.. I dont know how you do it but it absolutely gets to me
Agreed with all these praising comments. This is the best written and as I can tell researched documentary I’ve seen in a long time. I can’t stand Hollywood much anymore and docs are just about all I watch these last few years. You have done an excellent production and post production job. Specifically I love that you introduce and summarize the words of an historian, then use a character voice for the actual quote and furthermore add the text on the screen. Repetition is the mother of all learning❤️ Well done!
I would love for you to make one about the cave civilization of Cappadocia. It was literally the most impressive and beautiful place I been to. 5 floors apartments literally carved out of rocks, 20 floor cave carved into the grounds. Thousands of Carved houses laying around miles long valley as far as eyes can see. But all lay empty today.
Superb as always. As someone with tinnitus I need some noise to distract from the ringing in my ears at night. I listen to FOC podcast and enjoy the calm delivery and let my mind makes up the pictures. Next thing I know I am fast asleep (this is in no way a criticism there’s just something transporting and calming about these brilliant productions)
I eagerly look forward to each new episode of Fall of Civilizations, but for some reason I missed this one. Perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday morning. Your closing comments and the final poem moved me in a way no other moment in Fall of Civilizations has. Maybe because I feel that my own way of life, in my later years, is also coming to its fall. Superb episode, thank you for all of these.
This wasn’t only the story of the fall of a civilization, you told us about the geographical birth of this sandy landscape, and the emerging of an Arab civilization on it, along with the mentioning of the dance of other contemporary civilizations around this Nabataean episode. Great & wonderful storytelling. Loved to watch it.
I really enjoyed listening to this episode. I remember hearing on other documentaires about Petra, that the European explores claimed to ‘discover’ the ruins as though the people were gone. However the Bedoin decendents are still living in the area and carry on their history. So even though the kingdom fell, their decendents are still there.
Dear Mr Cooper, I have enjoyed all the articles in this series, so much. Thank you for putting so much effort into producing such fabulous works. I hope that you will make more, whether about the fall of civilisations or other historical cultural topics, because what you produce is truly a gift to those of us who love to learn.
This combination of detailed historical information, its links to geography, occasional sorties into the cuisine of the time, and all bound together by masterful storytelling is totally unique on YT and probably elsewhere as well. While I prefer the article version, the audio alone is absolutely mesmerizing. Thank you so much! In a way, you changed the way I see the world. Economic shifts, ecological change and excessive internal rivalries and infighting are the things to look out for. (Takes a look at the current state of our planet) Oops.
Well done Paul and team, you’ve done it again. I’ve watched every episode and am allways excited to see each one as they are released. The amount of positive and appreciative comments here are indicative of how brilliant FOC podcasts are and how much pleasure and education they provide to thousands of people around the world. What is also amazing is that you only started broadcasting this website around the beginning of Lockdown and already have become so popular with a large devoted following of admirers and fans.🙏
I’m saving this episode for this week end. The title “The Nabataeans – The Final Days Of Petra” gives me the same feeling as “The fall of Rome”, I love to see these articles but it also makes me sad, knowing that these civilizations are now long gone, lost or just a tiny piece of what they were. Your articles are always great, and as I said once here, Primevideo or Netflix should pay you to host your articles. More people should watched them 🙂
I really love the way you tell these stories about the history of such diverse nations. I particularly like how you: try to be an observer with no judgement yet introduce new perspectives on why & how things happened. I would love to see more about Hegra which is still so mysterious. Many thanks for enlightening our minds 🙏🏻
The Nabateans are nearer to us in time than they are to the people of Saleh. This was well known to the early muslims and Arabs Historians. The people of Saleh were ancient peoples prior to all modern civilisation and the Romans. And they were the generation that ended their civilisation – millenia prior to The Nabateans. Great episode and perhaps you should look at the people of Saleh in more details. Many thanks
By far, this is my favorite of the series. @56:56 Oh Petra, I wish I could’ve been one of your citizens! They only wished to be left alone, to be free people as humans were meant to be. I can only imagine drinking beer under the beautiful stary night’s sky out in the desert after a day’s work of being a stone mason. Cheers to all those times, peoples and forgotten memories!
Beautifully narrated, it truly transported me to that era. The photography was excellent as well as the music. What a difficult, different and perilous life they had. I can watch this reportage again and again. I’ve been to Petra and was taken aback by the colour of the stone. Many congratulations for your hard and passionate work. 👍🏻👏👏😘
An interesting thing about Nabataean inscriptions is that they were originally in Aramaic, a standard lingua franca, and as time dragged on, they started to mix Aramaic and Arabic until they were purely Arabic, both in vocabulary and grammar. It is subtly haunting, but it shows how easily that region could shift from one Semitic language to another.
Your articles are PURE ADDICTION. I get HIGH on them. I have subscriptions of Netflix, amazon prime etc. But I can’t take my eyes of YouTube because your articles are here. Even when the brain is numb due to the days tiredness or too much beer, still it wants to watch your articles. These are MY KINDA articleS with HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and even GEOLOGY… love em ..
Each story ends of FOC with somber memories of once a great peoples who flourished and endured, to only fall into history as a memory! And this is what is awaiting for our great civilisation to one day fall and new cycle to begin! Indeed it is the curse of every civilisation man creates, to only rise from the ashes and create a new beginning…we are truly the best seasoned survivors of this planet! Thank you, for yet again an amazing episode!
Incredible article! Such wondrous images of gorgeous landscapes and ancient buildings, combined with detailed information of the ancient world. What an amazing journey you have taken me on throughout this article, I could almost smell the incense and the spices, feel the warmth of the desert…..no question that I’m subscribing to this website!
What an amazingly wonderful true story of a people that only wanted peace with their neighbors and to live free and self reliant, but it came not and ended sadly. We must learn from this that no lands and people are forever safe from the sands of time, weather and the earth’s movements!… What a GREAT true story! Thank you!!…💯👍
I visited this beautiful place in July 2000. Behind the small museum of local findings, through a hidden gap in the rock, there lived in a small tomb cave the old Jordanian man that maintained the museum. His simplicity and needs were humbling, and I found a peace there that I return to in my mind when life gets heavy.
This is really a fascinating and rather tragic story. An educated, fiercely independent people learned to live and thrive in this inhospitable place precisely because they wished to avoid being subjugated and were even successful for quite a long time, only to fall under the most ruthless empire ever known… 😔
Perhaps my favourite one yet. What an amazing culture. Masters of their domain, highly intellectual and strategic, w/ equitable treatment of themselves, and others. This is awesome. it is fascinating to me how one could almost argue there was a systematic…disregard? for this culture insofar as the retelling of events/recorded history. A sort of ‘playing down’ of their significance. Was this ignorance or perhaps the work of some other force who preferred their achievements not so widely known. idk. Great episode.
As a kid I remember hearing about Carthage but this episode was really amazing. The brutality by the Roman’s toward the people and city of Carthage is sad. I do recall at one point, I thought it was said that the Roman’s poured salt over the remains of the city, to ensure it never was prosperous again.
Enthralling as always Paul. I wonder if we could find under the sands of Hegra using geo-magnetic prospection, the fountains of buildings. I am not sure if these modern archeological methods have been conducted already for Petra and other sites, but I think it’s worth it. Seriously, imagine the wealth of information it has for us. Our textual sources for the Nabataeans are quite limited. The dry desert sand and arid temperature preserve material remains very well. It was these same desert conditions preserved a lot of the sites in ancient Egypt.
If a civilisation could be divided into two parts – one denoting the human beings and the other being the trappings like architecture, buildings, religion, music, cuisine etc., FoC’s episodes clearly show that the people endure and go on. They contribute to and are in turn, absorbed into another culture. The ruins of the trappings are what remain, over which we feel curious and sad but it’s just like that Ozymandias poem – “Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
I love Geology as much or more than History so this is wonderful. I would love to see and touch the beautiful sandstone of Petra. I would have to bring extra stuff just to feel sure I wouldn’t interfere with its coloration by touching it. I wouldn’t want to be the cause of any change to its beauty due to hand oils or something. I love the free spirit of the people who created it too.
This is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen, thank you! You have a new subscriber here, what an impressive website, I love it! You actually make these all yourselves? This website is so impressive I even have my highly stubborn anti-YT housemate perusal. The more I hear about the Nabataeans the more I like them. I’ve been attracted to Petra since I was a little kid, and always had deep seated loathing of Rome particularly and to a lesser degree Greece. Along with some very interesting dreams and knowledge of things I shouldn’t know, It makes me wonder about reincarnation.
Fascinating documentary. I have been to Petra – Alexandria, The Hejaz Region of Saudi Arabia – The Rose City – a beautiful place and so much history. Oman comes into my thoughts – the water irrigation similar to Petra. The earthquake that impacted on Petra can also be seen in Asloun . Jordan is a beautiful country. I loved the Arabic bread making – your documentary is very well researched – the ROMAN EMPIRE – coming from Ireland – they did not make it to us – rumour has it – the climate too cold. Fabulous aerial photography – the desert is a magical place – the tribes who live here – know the lie of the sands – I was privileged to have met many bedu who know how to read the sand. Interesting the power of the Roman Empire – the rise and fall of empires – ARE WE SEEING IN THE VATICAN – 2000 years of power – rising or falling?
“Your home belongs to the bank, your gas tank in lining the pockets of those who had more to do with 9/11 than the country your brother just died fighting in and your told the economy is in high gear even though your paycheck is buying less and less.” This is most concise summary of the Bush years I have ever heard, I hear Tyler Durden giving this speech in a basement somewhere.
Just as a clarification Shamrock wasn’t protesting the fact of him tapping or not, he was protesting that Royce used his Gi for the choke which he was told was not allowed as any article of clothing aside from gloves were considered weapons, this is why Shamrock didn’t wear his wrestling shoes because under the rules he wouldn’t be allowed to kick if he wore them. The organizers who were Royce’s father and his employees stated there was no Gi involved and that it was a rear naked choke, years later Royce and his brother admitted that It was a Gi choke
On the day I found out my cousin died in rehab me, my brother, his girlfriend, and my buddy watched the card when Overeem fought Rozenstruik. It just felt so appropriate perusal two people locked inside a cage trying to maul each other. I didn’t know why at the time. I feel this documentary helped me learn why. He was 27. Not long after that the world changed forever. Inviting more chaos into our lives. I took refuge in perusal mma. It just made sense.
We need a part VI for the Age of Loneliness 2.0, where everyone is locked inside for two years. The psychological and performance effects of no crowds on the fights was palpable while it lasted. Being able yo actually hear the heavy breathing, every step on the canvas, every body shot landing and the dull thuds of bodies on the floor. It put fighting into a new persoective for those who think of the sport as mere entertainment.
The ending implies that we are all Cowboy Cerrone. We willingly go out into life to face the laughing, taunting spectre of Nate Diaz. He’s the symbol of chaos, whom will inevitably get the best of us. He’ll chip away with strikes, tragedies, losses, grief, misery, and yet we still go out there, even though we are going to lose, we are going to die, but we go out into our 5 minutes of hell, because it’s the only honourable action we have.
Every sentence spoken in this documentary unearthed something in me that I knew was there all along, but I was either too busy or too scared to unpack. My parents divorced right before the recession, so me and my brother probably moved around dozens of times between both my mom and my dad. I wa always kind of a weird kid; I tried to be normal, did normal boy stuff like football and boy scouts, but hated both. What I really wanted to do was play article games all day, and that’s what I usually did. My friends were also the “nerdy” outcasts that I stuck with. Even when I ran track and field in high school, I was at the bottom of the pecking order; my social outcast complex kept me either unable or unwilling to put up with the bullshit of my teammates, who frequently bullied me for not being quite as athletic or as smart as them, even if I did give my best effort— I would never be part of the “in” group. I’m a senior at a small, elite private college now, graduating in a month. From day one, I never felt like I could fit in; I’m by no means a conservative, but my school is an extremely “liberal” institution; meaning, everyone is extremely over-polite, softspoken, and tend to shut down or hinder any conversation that disputes their views. And, most importantly, they were all from wealthy families, and they always said how guilty they were that they’d had it so easy in life. On the other hand were legacy kids who were too disconnected from reality or too elitist to bother messing with people like me, who had weird niche interests that I wore on my sleeve because I was very bad at faking who I was for the sake of looking professional and impressing people who wouldn’t look at me twice.
I have never been so floored by a article on Youtube in my life. The amount of time, effort, blood sweat and tears that must have gone into a project as herculean as this really did move me. The planning and layout, as well as the way that information was covered, displayed and communicated was just incredible. Thank you so much for this masterwork!
Dude no lie or exaggeration whatsoever… This is probably the only article or documentary on YouTube (and otherwise)….Where the sentiment and especially the final line… Actually affected me in any measurable way. Very inspiring. Perfect and exceptional writing! I’ve never watched an MMA fight, and although I did grow up boxing competitively….. I haven’t looked at the fighting landscape in two decades. And I’ve never been a fan of any sport whatsoever. But every second of this was riveting and awesome
If you aren’t an MMA fan and don’t think you’ll make it to the end.. 1:54:03 – 1:55:27 is the best example I’ve heard to describe how much fighting means to those who live the culture. It’s not about money or fame, social media clout, hell most of the time it’s not about being the best. It’s about being able to stand toe to toe with someone as angry or as crazy as you are, and share a special moment with them, throwing everything bad in your life at them and you’re both willing to except each other’s pain. This was an amazing doc 🖤🤜🤛
This article said it exactly right. Shogun’s performance at the 2005 MWGP was magical. That tournament was so stacked with talent and he had arguably the toughest road of opposition possible to win it. He had to beat Rampage, Overeem, Nogueira and in the finals he got to avenge his teammate Wanderlei Silva’s first loss in over half a decade. Not only did he win the tourney but he won it in exciting fashion. Nothing in MMA these days compares to the excitement that a yearlong tournament builds. I’m so glad I was around to watch the PRIDE era as it happened. It was truly a spectacle.
one of the great feats in YouTube history. not that i’m surprised, coming from two of the great content creators of this age, and from one of the best websites on the site. amazing stuff, and this gives me a whole nother reason to watch it again 🙏🏼 thank you Jon, thank you Felix, and thank you SB Nation, and congrats on one million. absolutely deserved!
I come back to this documentary every so often, and each time the ending gets me. It pierces through the haze of the daily grind and the feelings that come along with it. It so perfectly illustrates the emptiness and soul-sucking nature of modern, late-capitalist life. 10/10, in the discussion for greatest sports doc ever.
it’s mind-blowing how apt an allegory the meteoric rise of MMA is when holding it up next to the imperialistic machismo of the US and the glazed-over eyes of its people. this was not where i thought this doc would go, but it was easily one of the most informative and captivating things i’ve seen this year. thank you for this!
I’m an MMA and Chapo fan but I’m going to be honest here, I had low expectations for this seeing how it was co-created by Felix, the “goofy guy” from Chapo. That being said, I was completely blown away by this documentary. It captures the rise of MMA and specifically the UFC from barroom spectacle to the multinational business behemoth and meat-grinder sport it has become, all while capturing the icons, superstars, and techniques that has made MMA what it is today. I highly recommend all MMA fans give it a watch, whether you are new to the sport or a grizzled veteran. Fantastic documentary.
This perfectly sums up the bleak outlook that slowly adopted towards martial arts. I’ve been training for a while, and have been so passionate towards mixed martial arts/bjj/muay thai, but I don’t even have the will to train anymore. It’s just become so… vulgar and profaned. I’ve started focusing more on strength training – strongman, powerlifting – but even that has been become so diluted and infiltrated with fake influencers peddling bullshit, cheap supplements and gear. Everything has been monetized to the point of being soulless and devoid of meaning.
One of the best YT articles I’ve watched in years. This is what I hope every article on this platform would look like. The research that went into this article, the story telling, the editing, the graphics spliced with actual clips from fights (within fair use as well) the clear, precise voice over work… I could keep going but my point is that this gives me hope that I could also make something this interesting some day. Thank you for this informative, entertaining article.
Damn the nostalgia is real. The way you captured MMA’s key moments in history and yet still conveyed how I felt perusal the death of Pride, and end of Anderson Silva and Shogun’s eras. You’re right that even if you aren’t an mma fan, anything you love will eventually change into something unrecognizable. Usually for the worst. It’s like we all knew that everything sucks when it goes mainstream, but we wanted mma to to go mainstream anyways so the fighters could get paid and most still don’t.
Every once in a while I come back to this documentary. I think it’s just to remind myself of how people evolve, how even social animals like ourselves develop, but most importantly, how we react in the face of denial. Denial to our beliefs, of our hobbies, of our lives, of the governing body that tells us everything is ok when our houses are burning in front of our eyes.
I have enjoyed every minute of this documentary, and I was not disappointed by any other context. The history of martial arts all the way to its marketing in the UFC and how the fighters are impacted and how they feel, and what their stories are, I am just odd at the detail and hard work you put into this. Thank you.
I watched this website through my early adulthood, recommended to anybody I deemed Importsnt or I cared about. I graduated college in may of 24 after 6 year long bachelors and i’m giving the next 6 years of my life to the army since they were the only ones who wanted the next 6 years of my life. Thank you for being around Jon and co
One of the best articles I’ve ever seen on Youtube. I was a huge UFC fan from 2008 until 2018 but too many cards, too many fighters that stick around for a few fights then disappear, the sponsor stuff, the seemingly more boring fights then star after star leaving, retiring or barely fighting from Lesnar to GSP to Rousey to Jones. I used to try and push myself to watch it without connection but I’ve accepted that like my time with WWF (91-2002) my time with it has past. I’ll always have such incredible memories of the sport.
In all seriousness, this is one of the most well put together and comprehensive documentaries I’ve ever seen. Your production value is so high for what likely amounts to 1 or 2 passionate guys using final cut lol. Even the way in which you bounce around and contextualize everything is seriously amazing, I felt that 2006 nostalgia hard. and also just very tasteful. I will forever be a subscriber and a fan
This is one of the best sports documentaries I’ve ever watched (it’s competition is the story of the Mariners, which needs this treatment). Love that you compiled it. If I wanted to explain why I love MMA, to people who never understand how it fits into my personality, this would be it. It can be magic, and it’s a tragedy.
The UFC was a life-saver for many people, me included. During the pandemic, where I live everything was shut down, even sporting events. This caused many to get depressed over time because there was nothing interesting to look forward to beyond one’s own circle. The forced lockdowns prevented people from doing simple things like working out at the gym, dining out, going to the movies, etc – things that are important outlets for both physical and mental health. Even though I don’t like Dana White, I have to thank him and the UFC for stepping up and putting on events during the dark days and bringing light to all sports fans, when every other major sporting organization failed us. For what it’s worth, I’ve been perusal since UFC 1, and actively watch every major MMA promotion to date.
Long time MMA fan. Great documentary and thought provoking commentary. I think it’s normal for an intelligent person to struggle with the fact that they sometimes enjoy violence. But also, pain and perseverance, heart, courage, technique and training, even desperation. The amazing chessmatch we see in the greatest fights. The fantasy of the underdog overcoming adversity, against the odds, rising to be….. THE GREATEST.
Wow. That was fantastic. Took me a few sessions to get thru it. I rarely have time to spend 2 hours perusal a film anymore, unfortunately. But I finally finished it. I love well done documentaries and I love MMA, so it was a win win. Just really well done. Narration was calm but not too sedate to be boring. Plenty of stuff that I didn’t know or hadn’t seen before. Excellent footage. Can’t ask for much more than that. Well done. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for anything else done by these guys.
29:10 – 30:50 CHILLS EVERYTIME!!! This entire sequence was amazing, the way you captured the parallel between Shamrock/Kimura and how it was almost a rematch to avenge his ancestor. Then that proud look on Rickson’s face, it’s almost like he’s saying to his grandfather “your fight for honor was not in vain, we have used what you gave us well and made your name proud”. Even that quote “I created a flag from the sport’s dignity. I oversee the name of my family with affection, steady nerves and blood”. I feel that moment captured the true pride of Helio, why he wouldn’t give up and how his iron will stayed alive in family. Absolutely amazing! Thank you @secretbase I almost cried.
Wow, just wow. The Helio Gracie profile is great, and the review of UFC 1, with the parallels between Royce v Ken and Helio v Kimura, is awesome. But especially the shot of the Helio portrait followed by the photo of him standing alongside Royce, and the quote. Like I get chills, it’s moving. Thank you.
Why are so many people getting pissy about political “opinions” in the article when alls he did was state actual facts on what happened? Never heard him once “side” with any political body in the article And the people complaining about the effects, get over yourself you aren’t film creators or directors and haven’t made anything in your life that comes close to this Doc
I believe the choice to go with Royce instead of Rickson Gracie was the exact point where MMA history was truly in the balance. I think the choice to go with the “Everyman looking guy” as opposed to the “Tough looking guy” was what drew Everyday guys into the confidence and the interest in learning the Arts. It would have just been a strong alpha dude beating another Alpha dude just like all the other combat sports if they went with Rickson. Royce literally dumbfounded people with how he was able to win with the odds strongly stacked against him.
This is an amazing article. I’ve been perusal MMA from the early 90’s up to now albeit less now. It’s been crazy seeing the changes and evolution. From buying individual UFC tapes at Suncoast in the mall to ordering Pride DVDs from Japan to present day. There’s not much exciting me in it nowadays but I still keep up with the goings on for the most part. I find myself perusal older events daily, though. Really fascinating article, excellent content.
The line at the end saying “all that we love will eventually be meaningless” is such a good take on the passage of time and how moderarity has a broad and lasting impact on how rooted something in culture can be. We’ll never have another sport like MMA in it’s heyday and that’s ok, but what we can’t let be lost to the passage of time is the journey it took to get here. Good stuff Alex and Jon, you made me love MMA.
This has been in my recommendations pretty much since you uploaded it, but I never found the time to sit down and watch it. And I hate myself for waiting that long! What you did here is outstanding. It might be the best outlook on the sport as a whole and it’s role in society that has been put out til now. I adore this sport and have been a dedicated practicioner and fan for more than a decade now. The process of sanitation you’re describing is spot on! MMA has become way more technical and challenging, but at the same time it lost most of it’s charme. It’s a corporated product like everything else and it seems so bleak a lot of times. But recent events like Ngannou absolutely destroying the man and making a stand for the athlete’s give me hope. Your last sentence made me tear up and smile at the same time. We’re in this cage, if we like it or not. Might as well fight like hell til the end and maybe see some difference. Tldr: thank you for making this masterpiece!
1:47:35 we all know the sport is evolving but actually seeing a chart and hearing someone who did a ridiculous amount of research on this explain it so detailed talking about the technical and conditioning aspects that dictate how the fighters will perform. It makes me wonder how different these statistics will be in the next decade.
I watched every UFC, starting from UFC 1 on VHS with my dad in our apartment living room, all the way to UFC 91 when I watched during my second tour in Afghanistan Brock Lesnar defeat one of my favorites in Randy Couture. UFC was a huge part of my life growing up. In the time post 2012, there would be a few friends I would dig out the massive box set for and regail them with the history of MMA, adding in why it mattered and how it “affected” the world in that time, or perhaps just to me and other martial arts nerds. I remember when my boxing gym was bought out by the UFC gym in 2014, and at first I was excited, saw it slowly turn into a cardio kickboxing gym full of “motivation” and upbeat pop music much to my bewilderment. This was a great documentary.
i remember trying to explain to my father what made this feel so cathartic. But I don’t need to try anymore. I just express myself, because this is an understanding of the human condition as we know it now, and why we yearn for our nature to rule our condition. Now I let my nature free me. I know my passions lead me to combat just to show what I know and that is me being the greatest combat sports athlete and athlete in general to exist. Thank you for a beautiful article.
As someone who has feels no attraction towards fighting, but always tried to squeeze some sports-like enjoyment out of them, it is really endearing hearing Felix describe MMA and how greed relegated it. You can hear he’s truly passionate about it. As someone who loves football (soccer) and sees it already being ruined by greedy FIFA execs and oil-rich Arabs, i sympathize.
This was incredible. Thank you very much for this. I’ve watched MMA since the early 2000’s, but I’ve pretty much stopped since the mega-corp, Conor era of endless meaningless negativity, that they churn out to try to move the needle using the same metrics that Facebook uses when it pushes racism and extremism to drive consumer engagement. MMA doesn’t feel special the way it used to, and it’s a sign of the times. Lots of things have been similarly swallowed up in the social media age.
How is the youtube algorithm just showing me this now? I’ve been an MMA fan for over 20 years, i follow all of the NBA analytics, documentary style articles, and i’m just getting show this? Even on reddit mma, I haven’t seen you. That’s messed up, what a great article. Same category as the Asian American girl who is a photographer and does voice overs, maybe Ester I think. Her stuff is pure poetry. Thanks for making this.
“If you somehow got to the end of this without being an MMA fan, I hope you take one thing away from this. This will happen to everything that you love. Nothing you like will remain untouched, and it will get further and further monetized into meaninglessness. This isn’t just our problem in our idiotic bloodsport. You’re screwed too.” Sheesh. How right he was. YouTube, Twitch, the article games I used to love (and some that I still do), everything… it’s becoming more and more indistinguishable from everything else these days.
I gotta say, I love this series, but I do wanna know what degree of bullshit went into referring to running into a pregnant woman’s car and then fleeing the scene of the crime as “a hit and run incident” If I get good enough at fighting, can I have a “wife beating incident” or maybe a “child shooting incident?” How good do you have to be to be allowed to be only mildly chastised for horrific acts? Or is the only qualifier for being forgiven for any wrongdoing on Secret Base being convenient to a narrative? Cause between this and Michael Vick’s apparent cultural need to participate in dog-fighting (shoutout to not mentioning him actively killing those dogs then, too, lots of details seem to be forgotten conveniently on this website) it seems like Secret Base will sanction just about any behavior if it makes a good story.