Photo Credit: Starz
Season 1 of the Starz hit show American Gods ended Sunday
night. While I didn’t love it the same way I love HBO’s Game of Thrones and
Westworld, it was entertaining enough that it convinced me to add the Neil
Gaiman book it’s based on to my Amazon wishlist. The basic plot of the show is
that the Old Gods, largely forgotten by man at this point, are going to battle
it out with the New Gods for supremacy. Season 1 was mostly a road picture with
goofily named and in-over-his-head mortal sidekick Shadow Moon joining the
mysterious Mr. Wednesday on a trip across America as they recruit Old Gods to
join the upcoming fight.
Featured in Episode 6, a grizzled Corbin Bernsen plays the
Old God of Weapons and Fire. A long-time ally of Mr. Wednesday, he’s asked to
forge a sword for the old man and join the cause, but is he willing to leave
his new gun-fanatic followers behind?
Played by Demore Barnes and also known as Mr. Ibis, Thoth’s
origins trace back to Ancient Egypt. He works in partnership with Anubis and acts
as a scribe responsible for documenting the history of the Old Gods.
Jesus Prime
It turns out there are multiple Jesuses (Jesi?), all based
on the various versions of Christianity over the centuries, but Jeremy Davies plays
Jesus Prime. He’s wise, he’s kind, he walks on water, and he’s good pals with
Easter.
Young actor Bruce Langley plays
the petulant New God of Technology. Are you an Old God in need of a new image
in the digital age? Want to build up your worshippers via a multi-platform
social media presence? He’s your man.
The Goddess of Spring and Dawn only appears in the final
episode but she makes quite an impression. Played by Kristin Chenoweth, she has
the power both to give and take life on a grand scale and she uses the latter
of these strengths to impressive effect in the final minutes of the season.
Czernobog
The Slavic God of Darkness is played by veteran character
actor Peter Stormare. Czernobog isn’t a fan of Odin, but he longs for the days
when he got to brain people with his hammer and he reluctantly joins the cause
after losing a bet with Shadow.
Anubis
The God of Death is played by Chris Obi. Stoic and
unforgiving, his job is to weigh the hearts of the newly dead then send them to
their proper afterlife. Shadow’s late wife Laura is the one soul that got away
and his interest in how she managed the trick leads him to follow her journey
back to Earth.
Media
Head of PR for the New Gods, Media is played by X-Files
star, Gillian Anderson. She’s beautiful, she’s convincing, and she can mimic a
host of dead stars including Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. Rub her the wrong
way and she’s got a kiss that’ll literally knock your teeth out.
Yetide Badaki plays the seductive Old Goddess of Love. She’s
been tantalizing both men and women into her deadly embrace for thousands of
years. She’ll give you the kind of pleasure you can only dream of, but in
return, she’ll swallow you whole in the most unusual of ways.
Orlando Jones plays the trickster African God, Anansi. Also
known as Mr. Nancy, he’s followed Africans’ migration to America since the
first time they were brought over as slaves. He and Odin seem to go way back
and it will be interesting to learn whether he ultimately helps or hinders
Shadow Moon’s pursuit of faith and fulfillment.
Played by infamous weirdo Crispin Glover, Mr. World is the
boss of the New Gods. He’s dapper, well-mannered, and extremely creepy. He has
eyes on everything and everyone and he can morph his appearance at will.
Ian McShane of Deadwood fame plays aging con-man Mr.
Wednesday, the Old God that convinces human protagonist Shadow Moon to help him
recruit other forgotten deities to his cause. He lies, he cheats, he
manipulates, and he thoroughly entertains. It isn’t until the final episode
that we learn he’s actually Odin, the ancient Norse God of Battle.
If you haven’t watched the show yet, I encourage you to
catch the reruns before Season 2 starts next year. And if you’ve already read
the book, don’t tell me how it ends!
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