I first read Neil Gaiman’s American Gods a few years and, I have to admit, I was sceptical. I heard a lot of great things about the book and I wondered if it would be able to live up to my expectations. It was also the first time I’d picked up anything by Gaiman, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Within just a few short chapters American Gods has pulled me right in and I found myself exploring a world of ancient Gods who had been all but forgotten. I quickly devoured the book and am now a big fan of both it and its author.
When I first heard the novel was being adapted for a TV show, I was once again sceptical. I was now such a fan of the book that, like fans of the likes of The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, I was concerned that an adaptation might fail to do justice to the original material. The problem with film and television is that it is an expensive thing to create and I was worried the novel might find itself being dumbed down in order to appeal to a broader audience. Regardless of the gore and sex featured in the original book, the very fact that it explores religion can be controversial enough in today’s climate. Positive early reviews of the show got my hopes up, but even as the opening credits began, I was still wary.
By the time the credits rolled it was clear that network Starz had not only reached my hopes, they’d exceeded them. The show has been excellently developed by Brian Fuller (best known for the great TV adaptation of the Hannibal books), features a stellar cast, including Ian McShane as the charismatic Mr. Wednesday, and has a visual style that makes the viewer feel like they’re in a familiar world, but one that has a little touch of magic, or rather faith.
What first became apparent was the fact that the pilot episode makes no effort to spoon feed the plot to viewers who haven’t read the book. The first episode gives the distinct impression that, like other great shows, the audience will be treated like adults. American Gods keeps its cards hidden close to its chest throughout the episode and newcomers to Gaiman’s world shouldn’t feel bad if they left the episode with a lot of questions.
Those who have read and enjoyed the book will be reassured to learn that the show is as faithful to the source material as is possible. It’s often the case that an adaptation will merely take the bones of the original book and fill in its own (usually inferior) details, but American Gods clearly respects what made Gaiman’s book so popular. Gaiman is in fact an executive producer so he clearly gets at least some say in how his work’s adapted. The episode follows the first few chapters of American Gods very closely and includes many prominent scenes from the book that fans will enjoy seeing brought to life. It was great to see protagonist Shadow’s fight against Mad Sweeney in the bar, I loved Ian McShane’s introduction as Mr. Wednesday, and I couldn’t believe Starz had the balls to include THAT scene where a man is literally swallowed up by a woman’s vagina (no, that’s not a typo).
As I mentioned earlier, the whole cast of American Gods is strong so far. Ricky Whitte does an excellent job of playing the strong but reserved Shadow Moon, as he tries to desperately make sense of the chaos going on around him. Bruce Langley might be the new villain we love to hate as Technical Boy, and Pablo Schreiber plays a convincingly unhinged Mad Sweeney. As good as the rest of the cast are, it’s undeniably Ian McShane who steals the show. From his first appearance conning his way into a first class seat at an airport, to his first encounter with Shadow as they endure turbulence together, McShane’s Mr. Wednesday is an excellent portrayal of the character featured in the book and I think many fans will be relieved that such an important character has been so well cast. Mr. Wednesday has such charisma about him that you can’t help but root for him, despite the nagging voice in the back of your head that warns there’s more to him than he’s letting on. I can see this being one of McShane’s defining roles.
Whilst the show does a great job of staying true to the book, it does occasionally differ slightly. Originally published in 2001, certain things have changed since Gaiman’s book came out. Some things have been tweaked a little in order to reflect our modern times, but this is undoubtedly a good thing. The show is set in the modern day and technology has obviously come along way since 2001. Embracing this only helps show the plight of old religions in the face of ever more powerful and advanced technology.
American Gods couldn’t ask for a better start and it has absolutely hit the ground running. Perhaps the only real issue one could take is that newcomers may be feeling very confused but, as long as the story continues to be handled well, no doubt all will become clear as the series unfolds. Perhaps a testament to how good the first episode is is the fact that many viewers have been complaining the show can’t be binged in one go on the likes of Amazon Prime or Netflix and that we’ll have to wait a whole week for the next episode! This is certainly one to check out if you like good television and it’s a must watch if you enjoyed the book.
Read the book first?
The Devil all the Time adaptation coming to Netflix
