American Gods (TV Series) A Murder of Gods (2017) User Reviews

Coming to America

[ThomasDrufke · 6/10 · 6 June 2017]

Even when you don't really know what's going on, American Gods is an entertaining show. Just watching Laura and Mad Sweeney monologue off at each other is definitely an interesting way to bring a new dynamic to this season, but unfortunately, I feel like this season has still failed to progress the overall story. This is supposed to be a battle between new and old gods, right? Well, we are 6 episodes in and have only seen a conflict rise between the two sides once. There's merely two weeks left and I'm not sure there's been all that much arc for Shadow, the lead character. He's still questioning everything Wednesday does and it seems without much progression of knowledge. Who knows, perhaps the massive sword he received at the end of this episode will change all of that, but as of now I'm just not seeing it. So besides Laura, Sweeney, and Salim coming together on their road to meet Shadow, there was little to nothing to ride home about here.

6.5/10

Good filler episode Terrible music

[deruvo2000 · 6/10 · 10 June 2019]

Have loved this series so far, this happens to be one of the slower episodes but still pretty good. It diverges from the book a bit. But by the gods, the improv jazz is truly terrible, it almost makes the episode unwatchable.

Hollywood Goes Full Potato

[marybrown4242 · 5 June 2017]

Dear Hollywood: Didn't anyone tell you? Never go full potato.

There are spoilers ahead. This is only for the episode A Murder of Gods.

Love Neil Gaiman's books. He's the bomb. So I really looked forward to the show American Gods.

I've been (mostly) enjoying American Gods until this episode. Americans in small town flyover country dressed like Nazis and everyone packing heat? Check. Everyone carrying rosaries - some even having them attached to their guns? Check. "Clinging to guns and God" theme complete. Thanks Hollywood.

The show starts with a handful of people trying to sneak into America by crossing a river. Somehow, at the exact moment they climb out of the river, a bunch of people in SUVs pull up and open fire on them. I can't tell if this was supposed to be Border Patrol or it's some group of randos. Oh and of course they all had super fancy guns with "Thy Kingdom Come" engraved on them. Nice touch with the guns and religion again, Hollywood.

I'm not even going to try to understand the whole Jesus bit.

In fairness, this episode was probably written a year ago, long before flyover country basically told our coastal betters that most of America rejects this crap. The interwebz tells me that filming of the second season will start soon. Hopefully Hollywood will do better, but I seriously doubt it. The past six months shows that it's more likely Hollywood will double down on the stupid, and serve up more of the same. In which case, I'll stop watching American Gods and maybe re- read the book instead.

Gods at War: Mostly a Bore

[byers-849-681424 · 6/10 · 15 June 2017]

American Gods is one of those shows, alas, like so many others these days, that takes an interesting premise and forges it into a sleeping pill. The epic nature of the novel requires a substantial volume of exposition. In lieu of developing an imaginative approach to adapting the story more suitably to the small screen, the writers opted to simply expound. And expound. And expound.

Lovejoy, I mean Swearengen, oh, sorry, Ian McShane,turns in his usual energized, entertaining turn as Lovejoy, I mean Swearengen, oh, sorry, Ian McShane. Emily Browning performs with the most honesty and immersion in her role of all the principal performers.. Ricky Whittle by contrast, seems completely out of place in the role of Shadow Moon. At the end of the day, he's a better print model than actor.

To be sure the series hits on a few great visuals, and as has been noted almost everywhere, the soundtrack is one of the most creatively put together in recent memory.

Ultimately, the series fails due to inertia and the visuals and the tunes can't really save it. One would expect a war among the Gods to be dramatic, exciting, theologically challenging. None of this exist in "American Gods."

It's more a case of "American Nods (Off to Sleep)," with the occasional nudity and gore, and what the hey? Crispin Glover, thrown in, in an attempt to keep things interesting. The Crispin Glover thing almost works.

Nonsense

[livinglifing · 1/10 · 19 January 2022]

Gunning down mothers and their children in cold blood...for crossing the border? No wonder we as a country are starting to look away from Hollywood. Those paychecks are on borrowed time...