‘American Gods’ Recap: ‘Sister Rising’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 305 of ‘American Gods’.

As time goes on, it is becoming inherently clear that season three of American Gods is working hard to examine the sheer power and wonder of the human condition, with a twist of course. For the stories that we’ve enjoyed this year, have seen the Gods that populate Neil Gaiman’s rich universe… go through a lot of the experiences that we do, and learn a great deal of the same lessons that we do, as we make our way through this wild journey known as life. And that’s allowed for the show to not only examine some of the more unsavory traits and behaviors that humans exhibit, but also the great beauty that we are capable of… as evidenced by last night’s episode.
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Because ‘Sister Rising’ is a story that opted to ponder upon how Gods and humans alike are able to  figure out how to move forward in life, in order to pursue and capture what will truly make them happy, when the odds appear to be against us. And it explored this particular concept by offering up some subtle advice that all of us need to be reminded of from time to time. In that, in order to properly move forward in life and get exactly what we want… we need to acknowledge and face precisely what is holding us back, emotionally or mentally. Otherwise we will forever be stuck, and it brought about that particular reminder by way of several key storylines. One of which… involved resolving the whole matter with Bilquis.

For the longer she stayed in that awful cell, the more time she had to spend with the Gods she used to know, and they were quick to inform her of some harsh truth. In that, she was so desperate to be loved and worshipped, that she turned to whatever humanity was willing to give her and that allowed for unhappiness to settle into her soul. But thankfully, rather than punish herself for making that decision, she instead accepted that unfortunate truth, and being one with her past mistakes allowed for her to see a new path forward. One that would nourish her powerful soul in a more natural manner, and would no longer require dating apps and that epiphany gave her the strength to set herself free and return to the world refreshed and determined to surround herself with that which will bring her happiness and peace. 

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Yet while that was quite the fulfilling conclusion to Bilquis’ harrowing journey of self-discovery, the story opted to outright take this exploration to a whole new level by way of Salim and Laura’s journey. Because Salim’s lovelorn lamenting and Laura’s newfound knowledge of the afterlife, allowed for the story to remind us that sometimes… self-awareness in these matters isn’t possible, especially when emotions come into play. And that it helps to have someone around us that has clarity and objectivity, so that they can help us to face what we need to, so we can move forward in life. As evidenced by how Laura used her knowledge of the afterlife to teach Salim that pining over a lost love, we cannot recover, does us no good. So, it is best to acknowledge the pain and live life to the fullest, since one never knows what joyous surprises the universe will send our way.

If anything, it was quite incredible to experience a proverbial kick in the butt from a series where Gods roam the Earth. But it happened and it worked because only a series this unique, could get away with that particular surprise and what it accomplished with Shadow and Cordelia’s storyline. Because Mister Moon was eventually talked into helping his father free Demeter, and that allowed for a sendup of Ocean’s Eleven to take place, with just two people. Since Shadow and Cordelia were able to pull off one hell of a heist on that crooked lawyer and gain leverage upon him and while at first glance this sequence seems slightly out of place, by the time this episode ends, it becomes inherently clear that this little offshoot story was designed to break things up, to ensure the heavier stuff wouldn’t overwhelm us.

In the end however, this really was quite the delightful tale. Because not only did it do a wonderful job of exploring some uplifting concepts in a frank and dynamic manner, but it also challenged the audience as well. By asking us to dig deep and ponder upon whether or not we’re doing enough to break free of our own personal quicksand in a brave manner akin to what Salim and Bilquis accomplished here. But while it was wonderful to enjoy a motivational and lighthearted tale, one cannot help but wonder, exactly what this is series is up to at the moment. For all of these explorations have to be leading toward something, since this is a series with an endgame in mind and it should be interesting to see what all of these lessons are building toward as the back half of season three, gets underway. Until next time.

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