Season 1, Episode 2

Air Date: Sunday May 7, 2017, 9PM ET/PT on STARZ

Rating: ★★★★★

There are some shows with stories so epic, one perspective is not enough. After an exciting premiere, American Gods left many viewers shocked, captivated, and curious for more to come so writers Erin Richards-Kunkel and Connie Allen decided to combine their thoughts on the series. Connie has read Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods,” the source material for the series, but Erin has not. American Gods is not your average fantasy television series, and this is not your typical review.

Life, Death, and Checkers

By: Erin Richards-Kunkel

“Clues were not in the agreement.” — Mr. Wednesday

Shadow Moon and Czernobog play a high-stakes game of checkers

If Game of Thrones is history re-imagined with dragons, American Gods is its modern day equivalent. Although I didn’t read the books prior to the show, one premise you need to understand is that magic and magical beings exist, and legends are built on truth. Through Shadow Moon’s (Ricky Whittle) travels, viewers journey deep into this world “beneath the world, where magic exists” and uncover the plot at the heart of American Gods: the struggle between old gods and new, and their ability to capture the beliefs (along with the hearts and minds) of modern man.

After the whirlwind of magic, whimsy, and gore during the premiere episode, “The Bone Orchard,” the second episode, “The Secret of Spoon,” follows Shadow Moon as he delves into the fantastical world of Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) and his associates.

At the start of “The Secret of Spoon,” we meet Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones)―a take on the West African and Caribbean folklore of Anansi the spider―in one of the show’s best scenes. Shown as a colorful spider, Mr. Nancy transforms into a man in the cargo hold of a slave ship, where he bluntly shares what the future of Africans will be in America and what their descendants’ lives will look like. Anansi is a trickster god, sometimes benevolent and sometimes vengeful, who disrupts the status quo in favor of chaos. His introductory scene is a powerful and relevant moment acknowledging the bloody and corrupt truth of America’s early history.

After his miraculous save from death, Shadow returns to the motel to confront Mr. Wednesday. Shadow cleans up, but his pain (both physical and emotional) is palpable throughout the scene as he takes off his wedding ring and later dreams his dead wife Laura (Emily Browning) is still alive.

Wrapping up his final business in Eagle Point, Shadow visits his home. It’s full of reminders of what should have been a happy homecoming: pictures of him and Laura, the makings of a party with streamers and balloons, and a sad ‘welcome home’ sign. But reminders of Laura’s betrayal are everywhere, including the leftover NSFW messages on her cell phone. For Shadow, leaving Eagle Point in the rearview is also about leaving behind his memories of Laura and their life together.

While on a shopping pit-stop on his way to Chicago, Shadow is stopped in his tracks by a wall of TVs where Media (Gillian Anderson) disguises herself as the one and only Lucille Ball. She speaks to him through a classic episode of I Love Lucy. “The screen’s the altar. I am the one they sacrifice to―then ‘til now, golden age to golden age. They sit side by side, ignore each other and give it up to me.”

In a time where screens and entertainment rule, Lucille Ball is the goddess supreme. She reveals herself as a part of the new camp, ostensibly the same as Technical Boy (Bruce Langley), who was responsible for Shadow’s brush with death. But Ball tries to convince him to join them, in favor of the way of the future. “We are already here. We are self-driving cars and 3-D printers and subdural time-released insulin, and your old boss is still selling oranges on the side of the road.” The scene with I Love Lucy is effective in deepening the mysterious modern gods’ camp and to force Shadow to confront the strange series of events unfolding around him. Things are more than what they seem.

Bilquis longs for her past power

In Los Angeles, Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) is on a sexual rampage consuming (quite literally) several more lovers. Both men and women are helpless in the wake of their worship, being sucked up in the throes of passion. But this is a far cry from her once-held power, as we see her visit a museum exhibit displaying the idols and jewels that are hallmarks of her past splendor. Her struggle for recognition and faith puts her directly into the path of Mr. Wednesday and Shadow Moon, and American Gods, has set her up to potentially be an ally.

As Shadow and Mr. Wednesday arrive in Chicago, we get a glimpse of a few more characters, including Zorya Vechernyaya (Cloris Leachman), one of the Zorya sisters, and Czernobog (Peter Stormare). As an aside, Czernobog wins the award for creepiest and most disturbing god with a bleeding hammer and unsettling stories of slaughterhouses. Mr. Wednesday tries to convince Czernobog to join him and Shadow at a meeting, to which he vehemently refuses to do. It is only when Shadow makes a bet with Czernobog over a game of Checkers that Czernobog agrees to go if Shadow wins. However, if Shadow loses, Czernobog wins the chance to kill him with a swing of his hammer. After a tension-filled game, Shadow ends up facing his mortality at the hands of a murder-happy god. How do you think it turns out? I am definitely intrigued to see more.

By the Book: It’s Raining Gods!

By: Connie Allen

Shadow may start to reconsider working for Mr.Wednesday

American Gods is turning out to be quite memorable, not just because of its outrageous premiere, “The Bone Orchard,” but for the subsequent episode, “The Secret of Spoon” (“TSoS”), where several new characters make notable appearances. To be honest, I have had some mixed feelings since the premiere. As a fan of Neil Gaiman’s novel, “American Gods” and its subsequent companion piece, “Anansi Boys,” I couldn’t imagine how the source material would translate on screen. I understand, as in most literary adaptations for television, compromises with the story lines are not uncommon. So, I gave a wide berth of consideration going into watching “The Bone Orchard,” which did not divert too much from the book. “TSoS” takes some liberties in the novel’s timeline, which kind of confused me at first. Some characters and story arcs from the book are re-imagined to fit the context within the television series. Still, despite some minor issues I had with the new direction, I really enjoyed the acting and stunning visual production. What will make American Gods a challenge for lovers of the book will be coming to terms with the fact that the television series will not entirely mirror the original story lines. All I can do is hope some of the characters I loved reading about will pop up this season.

The Good Stuff

Hands down, the best part about “TSoS” are the new characters. Meeting Anansi, also known as Mr. Nancy, is my favorite part of the episode because it epitomizes a bit of what is to come in the series. Anansi is an African god known to appear as a spider. While visiting a slave ship where its captives beg for help, Anansi presents himself, but not as one would imagine. Jones’ dapper attire that resembles a 1950s jazz musician is a stark contrast that took me out of the moment although it serves its purpose in adding a fantasy element. It’s a step away from reality that doesn’t make his scene entirely depressing considering the morbid situation. Jones’ performance captures how conniving Anansi is with maintaining his power through a blood sacrifice. At one point, Anansi tells the slaves, “Angry is good. Angry gets shit done.” That phrase alone perfectly describes the tone of the series.

But hold onto your hats because “TSoS” not only showcases one new god, but a total of three. That may seem like a lot yet somehow, writers Michael Green and Bryan Fuller make it work without sacrificing too much screen time for the core characters. When Mr. Wednesday leads Shadow on the road towards their first major destination, it’s not long before viewers get an eyeful of Media, who pops up unexpectedly to offer Shadow an interesting proposition. But the most important introductions belong to Zorya Vechernyaya, whose back story remains a mystery in regards to her connection to Mr. Wednesday, and Czernobog. What is clear by the final moments of “TSoS” is that Shadow will have to pay a heavy price working for Mr. Wednesday. Those who have read Gaiman’s work already know Shadow’s story will not be an easy one, but how it will play out on American Gods is anyone’s guess since “Anansi Boys” is merely a continuation and not exactly part of a series. Thus far, Fuller, Green, and director David Slade manage to frame the story in such a way that it leaves you in wonderment.

Overall

I remain very intrigued with the direction of American Gods so far and how it is slowly paving its own story while keeping the spirit of the source material. That said, I don’t believe I’ve seen a television series tackle the subject of faith by using cultural mythologies to juxtapose how little humans have evolved. Overall, I think fans of Gaiman, and “American Gods” should continue to push through the series because it remains true to the concept and themes that Gaiman uses in his novels.

Tune in to new episodes of American Gods, Sundays at 9PM E/P on Starz.

For more on the show, go to https://www.starz.com/series/americangods/episodes

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