American Gods is the first "appointment viewing" for me in a long, long time. Normally I am more than happy to wait days or weeks to see something, but I will be on my couch and ready at 9 pm tonight for the first episode. I am a fan of the book but not so that I will object to deviations or additions, which is good since author Neil Gaiman was both very involved and quite happy to let showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green expand the work, combine elements from another Gaiman book (Anansi Boys), and have it told from various perspectives. Here we go!
I never read the book, so I'm nowhere close to familiar with the source material. Gave it a shot last night (I know, a day late), and don't really know wtf I watched. Should I be more familiar with the book in order to "get" the show?
By this point in the book, neither Shadow nor the reader are sure about what is happening either, though presumably we read the book jacket and know the general premise. The answers start coming though.
The scene in the car at the end doesn't go that way at all in the book. Well, the gist of the conversation does, but it is an actual limo and Technical Boy does not order Shadow killed (just for him to warn Wednesday), hence no scene at the end with the near-hanging or bloody attack from the mystery savior. I am curious what happened there. But Shadow was just as confused in the book about what Technical Boy was on about as in the show.
I thought some of the action scenes were a bit over the top, especially the one with the Vikings squaring off against each other. I'll give it another episode or two, but that first episode kind of turned me off more than got me excited for it. I had been looking forward to it for a while as well.
That one was different than in the book. In the book the Vikings arrive, and to thank Odin/The Allfather they flay the native who comes calling, and later the larger tribe wipes out the Vikings so no one returns to their homelands. The larger point is that the gods arrived with their settlers, and the gods act like what their adherents believed they would - as will they throughout the run of the series.
Although it had good reviews, I found the book to be lacking. It's been several years since I read it, but I remember that it wasn't compelling too me. Probably needed to know my mythology better. As far as the series, no interest in watching.
Any Mad Sweeney/Laura Moon scene will be my favorite. Loved her bathtub antics when the police showed up.
The storylines of both those characters have been improved significantly in the show. I quite liked the Laura-centric episode two weeks ago.
Anyone notice I Love Lucy's wink? Try to wink with one eye and have the opposite corner or your mouth move ... it's like trying to touch your elbow to your ear ... impossible. At least for me. You sacrificing to me? 📺💋 #Media #AmericanGods pic.twitter.com/TrhDTHQS7Y— Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) May 8, 2017
I didn't realize the latest episode - Come to Jesus - was the season finale. Was utterly confused why I couldn't find episode this past Sunday.
Listened to the book over a series of long drives over the last month or so (10th anniversary extended edition) and loved it. Started the TV show a few nights ago and not really liking it. In the book, Shadow seemed to go along with everything better in a "******** it, everything I know/love is gone, I don't care what happens" type of thing while in the show he seems tenser, more high strung, and combative.
Shadow in this TV show was in my class at school. He wasn't hugely popular and was a bit of a t**t tbh, but a couple of years out of school and he had grown up a lot and seemed pretty normal then. That's my story.