'American Gods' Recap: 'A Prayer for Mad Sweeney'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

When you really think about it, the best television shows out there follow a pretty strict set of rules. They establish their overall plot for the season, they advance it in fine fashion, only going the wayside if the carefully planned plot calls for it and eventually wrap everything up in a neat little bow. But then there's American Gods. A show that is, hands down, one of the best television shows out there, and a big reason why this show is so downright incredible, is because on a regular basis, it breaks all the rules.

This is a series that can make the mundane incredibly interesting, and this is the only series that I can think of in recent years that can completely and utterly veer off from the main plot and still captivate its audience with little to no effort and for proof of that, look no further than last night's episode of the show; 'A Prayer for Mad Sweeney'. Because this intimate little tale, did basically nothing to advance us toward the forthcoming war between Wednesday and World, instead opting to center in on our favorite Leprechaun and tell his harrowing tale and well...in a nutshell this episode of the show was completely and utterly beautiful as it switched back and forth between the past and how Sweeney made it to America and present day as he continues to try and save Laura Moon. 

Now, what truly made this story so enchanting, was the fact that it focused little on Sweeney himself in the past. Instead we were treated to the story of Essie MacGowan, an Irish woman who was raised on the legends of the Gods, and Leprechauns for that matter and followed the lessons to those legends to a tee. She always left an offering for these mystical beings in order to see good fortune come her way and despite a few missteps and forgotten offerings along the way, leading to tough and troubled times for Essie, she always comes back to the Gods she knows and is able to lead a good and fruitful life because of her faith, and in her waning moments...she meets Sweeney at last, and he reveals his true identity to her, and that she and a handful of others brought him to this strange new world and that magical moment is her reward for her continued faith and she is allowed to pass into the great beyond with the knowledge that something more exists in this life. 

---

Yet there is a powerful irony to go with that tale, because the Sweeney we see in the past, while still mischievous as his kind are wont to be...is a classier man. One willing to provide comfort to a dear old lady before she dies, which makes for quite the painful contrast when we look at present day Sweeney. Because it doesn't take long to be reminded of the fact that modern day Sweeney is a rude jackass, or as Salim puts it, 'an unpleasant creature' and one has to wonder what made him into this bastardized version of himself, and thankfully an errand of mercy, where he takes the time to save Laura once again after a harrowing accident, opens the door for us to figure out precisely what changed the man.

To truly understand Mad Sweeney, we need to venture back to his final conversation with Essie MacGowan. Because during the course of their little chat, Sweeney mentions, with the kind of piss and vitriol that only he can summon, that most people in this new world have no place for Gods or belief and well...this is where the show surprised us with quite the philosophical moment. Throughout this entire tale, Essie and even Sweeney ponder upon the wonder of America and how one can come here and become anyone and do anything and it speaks to the American Dream through and through. But upon arriving here, both God and human, at least in this tale...seem confused and unsure of what the Dream is exactly and how to pursue it. Essie merely makes amends as best she can since she's a survivor, but for men like Sweeney, who rely on others to make them more...he more or less becomes lost in the crowd and that seems to turn him to a darker place.

It's heartbreaking in a way since Sweeney has all the power of belief he could ever need (albeit perhaps a hollow one), thanks in part to children's cereal, something he is fully aware of; but he is a man wandering this great land without a sense of purpose or direction and after years of letting his darker side come to the surface, this tale seems to serve as a reminder of not only how far this once proud King has fallen from his better days, but also how much he longs to do good things again, and provide comfort in time of need like he did for dear Essie, instead of bringing sorrow and pain as he did for Shadow, since it was also revealed that he helped Laura's death come about on that fateful night. Either way, what a powerful and beautiful piece of storytelling this episode turned out to be and it serves as proof that sometimes, it's okay to break from tradition when a wonderful story is dying to be told. Until next time.

---