So, American Gods

[Glongpre]

Does anyone know who the monkey god is? The black guy who is prominent in the story, uh Mr. Nancy or something. I want to say he is an Aztec god.

Also, does Russia have mythology? There probably is, but it isn't something that I have ever stumbled on. I figure Czernobog (and is he a two-sided coin? I got the impression that him and Bilzebog or whatever, were the same person) and the 3 girls were Russian. The 3 women seemed to symbolize the day/night cycle.

 

[TakerFoxx]

Does anyone know who the monkey god is? The black guy who is prominent in the story, uh Mr. Nancy or something. I want to say he is an Aztec god.

Also, does Russia have mythology? There probably is, but it isn't something that I have ever stumbled on. I figure Czernobog (and is he a two-sided coin? I got the impression that him and Bilzebog or whatever, were the same person) and the 3 girls were Russian. The 3 women seemed to symbolize the day/night cycle.

He's Anansi, an African trickster spider god.

 

[Zhukov]

Also, does Russia have mythology? There probably is, but it isn't something that I have ever stumbled on.

Have you ever heard of culture that didn't have some kind of mythology?

So yes, yes they do.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Also, does Russia have mythology?

That's kinda like asking if Russia has history.

And yes, Czernobog is a slavic deity, and in the book(!) him and Bielobog might be perceived as sorta the same person.
However, the existance of Bielobog in slavic pantheon is doubtful at best, and stems from the old concept of duality of slavic deities, that was most likely completely made up later, after the christianization. The problem with slav mythology is that it was never written down by the original believers, and is therefore mostly apocryphal.

Two of the three sisters (Morning and Evening Star) are also part of that mythology, but Midnight Star was invented by Gaiman himself.

 

[Glongpre]

He's Anansi, an African trickster spider god.

And yes, Czernobog is a slavic deity, and in the book(!) him and Bielobog might be perceived as sorta the same person.
However, the existance of Bielobog in slavic pantheon is doubtful at best, and stems from the old concept of duality of slavic deities, that was most likely completely made up later, after the christianization. The problem with slav mythology is that it was never written down by the original believers, and is therefore mostly apocryphal.

Two of the three sisters (Morning and Evening Star) are also part of that mythology, but Midnight Star was invented by Gaiman himself.

Thanks. I read a little about Czern/Biel, and it seems they are kinda a yin/yang type deal.

Have you ever heard of culture that didn't have some kind of mythology?

Haha, I just didn't know how to ask the question.

 

[happyninja42]

Does anyone know who the monkey god is? The black guy who is prominent in the story, uh Mr. Nancy or something. I want to say he is an Aztec god.

Also, does Russia have mythology? There probably is, but it isn't something that I have ever stumbled on. I figure Czernobog (and is he a two-sided coin? I got the impression that him and Bilzebog or whatever, were the same person) and the 3 girls were Russian. The 3 women seemed to symbolize the day/night cycle.

He's Anansi, an African trickster spider god.

On the subject of Anansi, the other book by Gaiman in this world. Nancy Boys, was really good. As I recall, it was way more enjoyable, and had some protagonists with actual personality.

To anyone who is remotely interested in this world of Gaiman's, and like Mr. Nancy, you might check out that book too.

Also, if you like table top roleplaying, and like this kind of setting, go check out Scion by White Wolf. It's pretty much this setting, but different.

 

[WolfThomas]

I was so-so on the book. It was a fun enough read but that's about all I got from it. Oh, and I figured out Mr Wednesday's deal ahead of time, right from where he says something about Friday being a woman's day, something of which I am insufferably proud and will bring up at the slightest opportunity. Like just now for instance.

He's a one-eyed man called "Mr Wednesday" in a book about Gods. I thought it was obvious...

I'm trying not to be insufferable here, and failing.

 

[Zhukov]

I was so-so on the book. It was a fun enough read but that's about all I got from it. Oh, and I figured out Mr Wednesday's deal ahead of time, right from where he says something about Friday being a woman's day, something of which I am insufferably proud and will bring up at the slightest opportunity. Like just now for instance.

He's a one-eyed man called "Mr Wednesday" in a book about Gods. I thought it was obvious...

I'm trying not to be insufferable here, and failing.

I said insufferably proud, not justly proud.

 

[maninahat]

I'm enjoying it a lot so far, despite having never read the book, nor any Gaiman book in my life.

It is the right amount of weird to keep me interested (I'm also watching Legion, a show is constantly off the wall weird, which gets a bit tiresome). It has colourful characters, and I absolutely loved Anansi's introduction in the second episode. A lot of Gods have been introduced so far, I'm wondering if there are any Eastern gods popping up? They are spoiled for choice.

 

[Remus]

Friday in this series is one of the tech gods. How does it follow that she's also

Spoiler

Freyja, goddess of love, sex, and fertility

? In this light, presenting herself as Lucy, the actress not the ape, makes almost no sense if she weren't being played by Gillian Anderson, looking practically like a Vogue model despite the getup.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Okay, so i'm after 2nd episode.
I have mixed feelings about Anansi's introduction. In book it was made... more subtly? And, personal taste, i wish they'd pick older actor for this role. Czernobog was spot on though, looked just like i imagined him in the book. Another great cast of Stormare.

Friday in this series is one of the tech gods. How does it follow that she's also

Spoiler

Freyja, goddess of love, sex, and fertility

? In this light, presenting herself as Lucy, the actress not the ape, makes almost no sense if she weren't being played by Gillian Anderson, looking practically like a Vogue model despite the getup.

Where did you get that's Freyja? In the book the real identity of "Lucy" is

Spoiler

Media, one of the "new" gods

.

 

[Remus]

Okay, so i'm after 2nd episode.
I have mixed feelings about Anansi's introduction. In book it was made... more subtly? And, personal taste, i wish they'd pick older actor for this role. Czernobog was spot on though, looked just like i imagined him in the book. Another great cast of Stormare.

Friday in this series is one of the tech gods. How does it follow that she's also

Spoiler

Freyja, goddess of love, sex, and fertility

? In this light, presenting herself as Lucy, the actress not the ape, makes almost no sense if she weren't being played by Gillian Anderson, looking practically like a Vogue model despite the getup.

Where did you get that's Freyja? In the book the real identity of "Lucy" is

Spoiler

Media, one of the "new" gods

.

Because the days not named for the sun and moon are already named after gods. Tuesday - Tyr. Wednesday - Woden. Thursday - Thor. Friday - Freyja. Admittedly, I have not read the books so maybe I'm reading too much into this. But if Vladamir Kulich were to appear, calling himself Thursday and wielding a hammer, well..... you get the idea.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Okay, so i'm after 2nd episode.
I have mixed feelings about Anansi's introduction. In book it was made... more subtly? And, personal taste, i wish they'd pick older actor for this role. Czernobog was spot on though, looked just like i imagined him in the book. Another great cast of Stormare.

Friday in this series is one of the tech gods. How does it follow that she's also

Spoiler

Freyja, goddess of love, sex, and fertility

? In this light, presenting herself as Lucy, the actress not the ape, makes almost no sense if she weren't being played by Gillian Anderson, looking practically like a Vogue model despite the getup.

Where did you get that's Freyja? In the book the real identity of "Lucy" is

Spoiler

Media, one of the "new" gods

.

Because the days not named for the sun and moon are already named after gods. Tuesday - Tyr. Wednesday - Woden. Thursday - Thor. Friday - Freyja. Admittedly, I have not read the books so maybe I'm reading too much into this. But if Vladamir Kulich were to appear, calling himself Thursday and wielding a hammer, well..... you get the idea.

I think you are reading too much into this. The hammer isn't Mjolnir, Wednesday mentioning it was most likely a red herring. Also: notice how the "man" wielding it is distinctively russian.
Besides, we get to that part AFTER Shadow has met the tv lady.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

I just watched episode 3 and am wondering how many more CGI cocks are going to be in it.

I dislike pointless nudity and sex in stuff and I can't help but wonder why they put in a fairly explicit drawn out gay sex scene with 1998 tier CGI when it added basically nothing. Presumably to get internet Progressive Points. If it keeps doing it I might give up on the show. Assuming it is relevant it could have literally been a few seconds to show what it needed to and we can move on to another scene with actual plot relevance.

I like it otherwise though. The cinematography is great. Not sure it's better than Legion because of the aforementioned pointless sex and nudity and the slightly overbearing music.

 

[happyninja42]

I dislike pointless nudity and sex in stuff and I can't help but wonder why they put in a fairly explicit drawn out gay sex scene with 1998 tier CGI when it added basically nothing.

It wasn't pointless, it was a specific scene from the book. The book has multiple stories, that are tiny little tales, about mortals interacting with the gods, like the one with the Egyptian woman and Anubis. Most of the little ones have nothing to do with the main story of the book, they are simply there to flesh out the symbiotic relationship between the two. The scene sadly didn't have any of the internal dialogue that the book has, to explain why that even took place, and how it impacted the mortal, but it was hardly "for nothing". They tried to imply how that event was a life changing event for him, to have sex with a god, but it wasn't as well explained as I would've liked.

Presumably to get internet Progressive Points. If it keeps doing it I might give up on the show. Assuming it is relevant it could have literally been a few seconds to show what it needed to and we can move on to another scene with actual plot relevance.

I'm curious to see you didn't include the sex scenes with the female goddessa in your complaint about sex scenes in the show. Which, I might add, did include some gay sex in it, as there was some girl on girl action, and went on for a significantly long amount of run time, only to show us her eating more people. Funny how that wasn't included in your complaint.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Well considering I was talking specifically about episode 3 and she wasn't in it. I also complained about all the CGI cocks, one of which was in episode 2.

I also said there's too much pointless sex in it so far which implies that I didn't like the other scenes either. Which I didn't. One sex scene does not equal too much. I have other issues with that whole plotline depending one where it goes.

Also from what I've read elsewhere the scene is relevant later but not in the way you describe it as life changing buttsex but for plot reasons that are spoilery so

Spoiler

From what I read the Djinn is hiding from the new gods so he had sex with the salesmen to switch bodies in order to hide from them. I also read that he was granting the salesmens wish by turning him into a Djinn as well. In both cases the relevant detail could have been shown by implying sex and showing the fire eyes. We didn't need a cosmic Lawnmower Man shooting firejizz up a dudes butt.

I would much rather we have more of the Wednesday/Shadow dynamic than weird sex scenes with carniverous vaginas and genie cornholing. Then theres the fucking 2 minute scene of the love goddess walking around a museum. Now that I think of it the show has a lot of downtime where nothing happens.

 

[DanteRL]

So... we ain't talking about Bilquis? We don't go there??

I'm fairly excited about it. Watched the first two episodes, and I hope there's JUST two seasons. If they start stretching it, things will melt quickly. Don't care to much about book/series differences so far.

Wish it was on Netflix so I could binge watch it already.

 

[Breakdown]

I've made it up to episode 7, but I'm really starting to struggle. The endlessly dragged out back stories, the slow pace, the horrible jazz music, all the scenes where Shadow screws his face up and says "I don't know what is real any more!"

And then there's the two dimensional politics. Episode 6 might as well have been called "Shadow goes to Nazi Trump Town".

 

[happyninja42]

I've made it up to episode 7, but I'm really starting to struggle. The endlessly dragged out back stories, the slow pace, the horrible jazz music, all the scenes where Shadow screws his face up and says "I don't know what is real any more!"

And then there's the two dimensional politics. Episode 6 might as well have been called "Shadow goes to Nazi Trump Town".

Have you read the book? I mean, a good bit of it is backstory and other tales of the various gods, to show you how they still exist in the present day, and how they interact with those who believe in them. So it's not like this is really diverting from the main story, the source material did that itself.

I don't remember enough of the book to recall Vulcan's inclusion in it, so I don't remember if it was a Jingo Americana Gone Bad kind of town or not.

I do think they are trying to spend more time fleshing out some of the side characters, if simply to stretch out the story. I mean, the main plot, not a whole lot happens between the start and finish. They move from place to place, gathering gods, and Shadow acts freaked out by a lot of it. That's kind of repetitive, and if they are trying to milk this show for multiple seasons, they need something to stretch it out. So, you get something like an entire episode to Mad Sweeney. Which honestly, I did like, though I was annoyed how they recycled the actress for Dead Wife to do it. Since they apparently have no familial connection, I don't know why they didn't just find another red headed actress and be done with it. Felt really silly to me.

 

[Breakdown]

I've made it up to episode 7, but I'm really starting to struggle. The endlessly dragged out back stories, the slow pace, the horrible jazz music, all the scenes where Shadow screws his face up and says "I don't know what is real any more!"

And then there's the two dimensional politics. Episode 6 might as well have been called "Shadow goes to Nazi Trump Town".

Have you read the book? I mean, a good bit of it is backstory and other tales of the various gods, to show you how they still exist in the present day, and how they interact with those who believe in them. So it's not like this is really diverting from the main story, the source material did that itself.

I don't remember enough of the book to recall Vulcan's inclusion in it, so I don't remember if it was a Jingo Americana Gone Bad kind of town or not.

I do think they are trying to spend more time fleshing out some of the side characters, if simply to stretch out the story. I mean, the main plot, not a whole lot happens between the start and finish. They move from place to place, gathering gods, and Shadow acts freaked out by a lot of it. That's kind of repetitive, and if they are trying to milk this show for multiple seasons, they need something to stretch it out. So, you get something like an entire episode to Mad Sweeney. Which honestly, I did like, though I was annoyed how they recycled the actress for Dead Wife to do it. Since they apparently have no familial connection, I don't know why they didn't just find another red headed actress and be done with it. Felt really silly to me.

I have read the book, although it's been a while so I'm tempted to go and read it again. From what I remember though Shadow takes most of the things happening to him in his stride, rather than just being confused and angry. I do remember that Vulcan wasn't in it though.

I get that the additional self contained stories help to develop the setting in the book, but in the TV series they just feel dragged out and boring. Like the Mad Sweeney episode, most of the scenes rely on exposition from a narrator which kills the drama. The scenes where Essie and Mad Sweeney actually have dialogue with each other are great, but that's two scenes in an hour long episode. And then you have the mix of jazz music, Irish folk music and a 50s American pop song, all in a period setting. It ruins the atmosphere.