‘American Gods’ Recap: ‘Moon Shadow’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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When it comes to television shows, normally a juicy plotline that’s been building over the course of an entire season, is what outright entices the audience to tune in for the season finale. Because more often than not, we are going to be treated to some powerhouse storytelling, the kind that usually resolves the plot in question, all while setting up the next season to follow and this is a formula that’s been followed by television shows for as long as I can remember, because it works. But sometimes, you come across a story so unique and so refreshing that going the traditional route would feel like an outright copout for the mysterious series in question, and the possibility of going a different route than the norm is precisely why I was so excited to tune into last night’s season two finale of American Gods.
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Because there was a fair chance that this finale was going to continue the grand exploration of the human condition that has been woven into the fabric of season two and thankfully, ‘Moon Shadow’ did not disappoint when it comes to this in the slightest, since it stayed the course, all while peppering in a few surprises along the way. For this particular tale dove deep into some of the rawer emotions that gnaw at us after someone we are close to has passed on. For anger, confusion and sorrow were all on display in this story, and much of that was explored by way of Laura and Shadow as they worked to process Sweeney’s untimely passing, with Mrs. Moon feeling most of the emotions I just made mention of since she was ready to kill Wednesday, while Shadow handled all the guilt since Mad Sweeney died at his hands, and while this was fascinating in its own right, it felt…a little too easy for the show to tackle, which is why I’m glad it used the void that Sweeney left behind as a gateway to so much more.

For this story also took the time to return to its roots, and examine the nature of faith, and this returned to the series because of the fact that Shadow now found himself in quite the tough place. After all, he’d spent all this time learning about Wednesday’s world, and the wonders of the Gods that he met along the way, and he also poured his soul into the forthcoming war, backing Wednesday as well, and learning of the betrayal that Grimnir pulled behind his back, left Shadow second guessing every last decision he’s made up until this point, and it was tough to see him question the man and the new world he put his faith into and what was supremely intriguing about this particular plot thread and the suffering that Shadow went through is that, it offered no resolution for him when it comes to faith. For Mister Moon’s dedication to it, yielding nothing positive or fruitful and it seemed for a brief moment that our hero was right back where we found him a year ago, with nothing. 

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But, before we discuss the surprise twist that accompanied his journey, we do need to discuss the headlining theme that this episode dedicated its time to, and that was the notion of fear. For Mister World saw a grand opportunity to strike while Wednesday’s troops were licking their wounds, and what better way to do that than to expose them and make everyone terrified of their existence. And thanks to New Media’s help, and an assist from a newly christened Quantum Boy, World reigned down terror upon America, leaving everyone glued to their television sets to learn what horrors would await us next, and this was really the first time ever that the series offered commentary on current events, since this served to remind all of us of the fact that fear is a powerful tool these days, one that sadly a great many people thrive upon and share via social media, and that was perhaps the finest message this episode offered upon in that, we definitely need to take a moment and properly disseminate everything we are seeing before reacting in the brash fashion that mankind is wont to do.

But one cannot forget that this is a fantasy series that has plenty to offer story wise as well, which brings us back to Shadow. For in his darkest hour, with the police closing in, the World Tree sucked Shadow into whatever realm it watches over and while he was in there, he came to learn a powerful truth. In that, Donar is the not only son in Wednesday’s family tree, Shadow Moon would be the second and with this revelation and discovery came quite the surprise for Mister Moon. For it turns out he was able to harness the power that courses through his father’s veins, and save himself and Samir from a lifetime in prison and for now it seems that there is a tenuous peace, but only because Shadow and dear old dad are on the run and who knows where fate will take them in the days to come…

If anything, I have to admit I’m quite impressed with just how much story this particular episode featured over the course of the hour, and I wonder what will become of Sweeney now that Laura has removed his body from the funeral home since I’m fairly certain she’s headed back to New Orleans to have Samedi bring him back from the great beyond. But really, the biggest mystery hanging over this tale is what will become of Shadow Moon. For his world has been turned upside down, again, and everything he stood for has been predicated on a lie, and now he has to decide what he believes in and what he wants to pursue in life, and that will either spell doom or hope for Wednesday and his crew because it seems more and more that Shadow is the key to the future of the Gods that roam America and sadly we will have to wait for quite some time in order to see what wonders await our intrepid hero down the line. Until next year.   

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