So, American Gods

[happyninja42]

So, saw the pilot last night, it was pretty enjoyable, though I do have a few questions to people who are bigger fans of the material, and more familiar with it. I read it once, like 20 years ago, and most of the details are super fuzzy.

So, and I really hate to even ask this, for the potential derailing argument that it might engender but, was Shadow Moon black in the original material? I don't care at all, but I really don't remember a single detail about that character from the book. He was so fucking bland and un-interesting in Gaiman's book, that he left ZERO impression on me. In fact the only impression he left, was how totally un-interesting he was. So yeah, don't remember his ethnicity, idle curiosity.

I really like this guy though. Even though he is playing it fairly stoic so far, he's already showing more charisma and charm than I remember from the character in the book, so that's a HUGE plus in his favor.

I like pretty much all of the cast presented so far, especially Mr. Wednesday. I do love that actor, as he just bleeds Smooth Mother Fucker like honey, and he plays well off the other actors.

I'm curious how the show goes from here, but so far, I'm pretty optimistic about it.

What did you all think? Like the show? Hate it? Why?

**EDIT**

I got my answer about the protagonist's ethnicity in the book, or at least close enough for my satisfaction. Thank you.

 

[DrownedAmmet]

I think the only description says he had "dark skin" or something vague like that. I haven't read it in a while either. In fact I read it so long ago that even tho I remember enjoying the book, I'm not really excited for the show...

 

[happyninja42]

I think the only description says he had "dark skin" or something vague like that. I haven't read it in a while either. In fact I read it so long ago that even tho I remember enjoying the book, I'm not really excited for the show...

Yeah I'm the same way really. I read it shortly after it came out, and thought it was pretty good. Nothing mind blowing, and the main character was 100% forgettable, hence why I was confused. He just didn't make any impression at all.

Did you watch the pilot? I wasn't too excited for it either, I wasn't chomping at the bit for it, and I'm still not. But it seemed to have some interesting bits to it so far.

 

[TakerFoxx]

He's mixed, half white and hald black or Native American.

And to be fair, his blandness was sort of the point.

 

[happyninja42]

He's mixed, half white and hald black or Native American.

And to be fair, his blandness was sort of the point.

I know his blandness was the point, it still didn't make him an interesting protagonist to follow around through all of his adventures. Given how little of a shit he seemed to give about what was happening to him, I couldn't give a shit either. But the show version, is at least a little bit more expressive, which is enjoyable.

 

[TakerFoxx]

He's mixed, half white and hald black or Native American.

And to be fair, his blandness was sort of the point.

I know his blandness was the point, it still didn't make him an interesting protagonist to follow around through all of his adventures. Given how little of a shit he seemed to give about what was happening to him, I couldn't give a shit either. But the show version, is at least a little bit more expressive, which is enjoyable.

To each their own, I guess. For me, his passive nature worked really well, mainly because he was playing off such colorful characters as the straight man, and his deadpan reaction to all the strangeness actually made it more surreal.

Though to be fair, I didn't much care fir the book my first time through for that reason. It wasn't until my second reading months later that it clicked for me.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

I'm yet to see the first episode, but the book mentions somewhat later that his mother was supposedly a black woman. His father is definitely white(without spoiling too much), so that makes Shadow mixed-race, and he's commonly being mistaken for latino, or native american etc. by characters in the book, IIRC.

 

[DaCosta]

So, and I really hate to even ask this, for the potential derailing argument that it might engender but, was Shadow Moon black in the original material? I don't care at all, but I really don't remember a single detail about that character from the book. He was so fucking bland and un-interesting in Gaiman's book, that he left ZERO impression on me. In fact the only impression he left, was how totally un-interesting he was. So yeah, don't remember his ethnicity, idle curiosity.

That was my biggest problem with the book, he was just so boring. Gaiman is so creative with his premises, but all the short stories I've read from him, and this novel, mostly end up as a mixed bag, or a meh, for me.

Anyway, the book didn't talk much about his skin color. It seemed like people could see him as either black or white depending on their inclination. I guess it added to the blank-slateness of the character. It did go into detail about who his parents were though, his mother was definitely black, he was actually half-black and half-white.

So is the actor portraying him in fact, apparently. I admit I just thought he was black upon seeing him, different from the character. It goes down to my biases I guess, thinking of an interracial couple and still picturing the black person in it as light skinned and the child as even lighter skinned. We can't escape having little prejudices like that, all we can is try to learn from it and avoid it in the future. Knowing that I was wrong now I definitely appreciate how faithful the casting was to the book much more.

 

[Zen Bard]

So, and I really hate to even ask this, for the potential derailing argument that it might engender but, was Shadow Moon black in the original material?

It's mentioned in a couple throwaway blink-and-you'll-miss-it lines. There are references to him being dark skinned and mixed race. And Samantha Black Crow, the Native American girl he meets in Lakeside, comments how she initially thought Shadow was one of her people.

Overall, though, I liked the pilot. I think it was fairly faithful to the book. I'm curious to see who the get to play some of the other characters (like Whiskey Jack) and how, if at all, they handle The Forgotten God.

I'm also wondering how they're going to pace it since the book is a fairly complete story, and not a series. So how many detours, sharp turns and filler moments will they add to stretch this out into a sustainable television series?

 

[KissingSunlight]

I saw the first episode last night. It was OK. I don't know it would be something I would watch in the future. It seems like it is going to be a mystery of the week featuring a god. There doesn't seem like there is going to be an interesting storyline throughout the series.

I haven't read the book. I didn't even realized that it was a novel until now. Watching it, I thought it was based on a graphic novel. The TV show seemed really slow and random.

 

[Mister K]

American Gods TV Series is OUT?! HOLY CRAP!

OT: As far as I remember, Shadows mom was a black lady who worked at US Embassy in one of the Nordic countries, so yeah Shadow was always mixed.

As for him being bland. I thought before that it is just his character trait, but someone on Reddit had a theory that

Spoiler

since he is half-god, he gets some characteristics from his fathers species side: he can be someone when people believe in him. In flashbacks to his life with his wife when they were lovey-dovey, it looked like her love, her adoration made him a bit goofy and funny guy who could achieve anything. But when She died while giving a head to another guy, well, I think it meant that her belief in relationship wasn't there anymore. It shattered him. But when she came back to "make ammends" (?) and when this random hitchhiker girl started believing that he is a great guy who can change the world for the better, it became so.

Buuut, maybe I am reading into it too much.

 

[happyninja42]

American Gods TV Series is OUT?! HOLY CRAP!

OT: As far as I remember, Shadows mom was a black lady who worked at US Embassy in one of the Nordic countries, so yeah Shadow was always mixed.

As for him being bland. I thought before that it is just his character trait, but someone on Reddit had a theory that

Spoiler

since he is half-god, he gets some characteristics from his fathers species side: he can be someone when people believe in him. In flashbacks to his life with his wife when they were lovey-dovey, it looked like her love, her adoration made him a bit goofy and funny guy who could achieve anything. But when She died while giving a head to another guy, well, I think it meant that her belief in relationship wasn't there anymore. It shattered him. But when she came back to "make ammends" (?) and when this random hitchhiker girl started believing that he is a great guy who can change the world for the better, it became so.

Buuut, maybe I am reading into it too much.

Oh I always figured it was because of

Spoiler

His sort of proto-godling status, in that he wasn't actually a god yet, but almost was, so he was sort of an unfinished being.

That was my take on it anyway. And again, I get WHY, from a narrative sense. I do get it. It still doesn't make for a fun read for me. It's like, we all know that Ben Stein is famous for having a very monotone, lifeless voice, and it's kind of funny to hear him talk in small doses. But that doesn't mean I want to hear him narrate a book for 12+ hours, using that voice. Dull is dull, at least to me anyway. Even if it's done on purpose.

 

[WolfThomas]

I always got the impression that while shadow was mixed-race, details in other posts above, that people perceived shadow differently as a short of mystical defense mechanism. A prison guard suspiciously comments that he thinks he might have some n-word in him, but can't tell that he's actually mixed race. The first nations girl he picks up thinks he might be first nations and they strike up a rapport. That sort of thing.

 

[Glongpre]

I read the book a few months ago, and I didn't find it that interesting. Shadow is indeed really bland, so nothing really has any excitement to it.
I think my favourite part was at the end

Spoiler

when he figures out where the missing girls are, and who is kidnapping them. I was waiting for him to solve it in the middle of the book, and was like, eh it's probably that old guy who is telling him those crazy stories.

I was also half expecting Shadow to turn out to be a god of some kind, but because of his powers, he forgets what he is. He probably has some powers, being a demi god, but they are really subtle things.

It was kinda fun trying to figure out who the people he met were though. Like the embalmers were obviously the egyptian gods, I think it was Anubis, Osiris, and Bast.

The show looks like it has good casting. McShane as wednesday is great, and Czernobog is Peter Stromare (wow how did I remember his name?), who always plays a weird/creepy character well.

 

[Zhukov]

I'll probably check this out at some point.

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.

It was kinda fun trying to figure out who the people he met were though. Like the embalmers were obviously the egyptian gods, I think it was Anubis, Osiris, and Bast.

I don't remember Osiris, but you're correct on the other two.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I was also half expecting Shadow to turn out to be a god of some kind, but because of his powers, he forgets what he is. He probably has some powers, being a demi god, but they are really subtle things.

It was kinda fun trying to figure out who the people he met were though. Like the embalmers were obviously the egyptian gods, I think it was Anubis, Osiris, and Bast.

Its subtly hinted in the main novel, and expanded upon in spin-off story "Monarch of the Glen", that Shadow is in fact some version of Balder same as Wednesday is a version of Odin. Not sure what kind of powers that'd give him though.

The Egyptian trio are Anubis, Bast and Thoth, in case you were wondering. Its why they're called Messrs Jackal and Ibis, they've named themselves after the heads they had as gods

 

[JemothSkarii]

I started reading the book while I was waiting for the first episode and read enugh to cover more than the first episode. The show wasn't bad, but I wasn't hugely impressed. I kind of enjoyed how Shadow was in the book, they even make a point about how he's so... 'bland'? ("...You?re like this big, solid, man-shaped hole in the world.?) So I didn't like him screaming into the wilderness all that much. I did get a chuckle of them never stating Low Key's name, because that's totally a twist.

Also wasn't a fan of the funeral, they cut out some bits and they played up Audrey a bit too hard. The scenes with Wednesday and Sweeney were genuinely enjoyable. Didn't like how the episode ended, felt like they were going for more of a horror or actiony vibe than they should have. Felt like it was thrown in there for the purpose of imagery or symbolism alone.

I'll probably continue checking it out. After finishing the book I was blown away. I'm cautiously waiting for the introduction of the Egyptian trio. Also Czernobog and company.

 

[LunarRepublic]

Also wasn't a fan of the funeral, they cut out some bits and they played up Audrey a bit too hard.

Considering they're stretching the book to a two-season TV show, Audrey might appear again later. It could be why they're playing her up more.

Honestly though, I thought the pilot threw too much style at its story that it ruined moments that could've been very emotional. It felt like the show is so afraid of having a still, quiet moment for even a second, and so it had to toss in random license music and dramatically move the camera at all the wrong moments. But maybe that's just me.

The guy playing Wednesday was absolutely perfect, so there's that.

 

[JemothSkarii]

-snip-

Two seasons!? I thought they were just doing one eight episode season. Hell, the first episode was like 3 chapters of a twenty chapter book! But... Audrey does show up again I guess, briefly.

I feel like a lot of the book is quiet, still moments. Especially a lot of parts involving his wife.

... Suddenly I'm a bit less optimistic.