'American Gods' Recap: 'The Bone Orchard'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

Sometimes, when our life begins to spiral out of our control and we are lost with how to proceed, taking a moment and hitting the reset button is never a bad thing. Because by reinventing ourselves and where we want to go in life, we can inadvertently create a second chance and open ourselves up to new opportunities and possibilities and perhaps find the happiness we so desperately seek.

It's an old and wonderful concept in storytelling that has shown up time and time again and last night on STARZ, it appeared once more as the central theme to the network's latest new offering, American Gods, but with quite a twist. Because while this new series at first seems as though it is going to be a 'starting over' story for an ex-convict named Shadow Moon, fans of the Neil Gaiman novel, know in their heart that this tale goes above and beyond, and others can now share in their knowledge as well. Because this is a story that reflects its title and draws us into a rich and wonderful world where Gods do exist and well...the good news is this long awaited adaptation of the aforementioned novel is as wonderful as the book, with a dash of reinvention of its own to give it the life it deserves on screen.

Now we won't be spending a ton of time comparing the show to the book in this or any future recaps. That's another blog series for another time. Instead it would be best to focus on what this show managed  to accomplish in a single hour, which is plenty. For starters, it is truly a visual feast for the ages, with incredible places and imagery that leave your eyes wandering away from the story from time to time because there's simply so much wonder to see. In a way, American Gods plays out like a lucid dream where anything and everything can happen and that matters because it allows you to comfortably slip into a world where you meet a Leprechaun and a God who takes her need for worship...a little too far. ​

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But once we get past this visual buffet, we are plunged into what I enjoyed the most, a story that truly did focus on reinvention, for both an everyday man in Shadow Moon, and for the Gods as well. Because it's clear that some of these Gods are working to stay in the limelight, since the world has changed around them and in a way, forgotten them. Plus there is a clash brewing between the old guard and the new guard, since it is now evident that the mysterious and delightful Mr. Wednesday is working on a comeback of sorts and he will have to contend with a new generation of Gods to stay relevant and it would seem his bridge to find said relevancy falls squarely upon the shoulders of Mister Moon, and it was his journey that mattered most in this series premiere.

After all, Shadow is in many ways a man with nothing to lose, especially when one considers that we spent a good majority of the story watching his life fall to pieces. He just spent three years in prison, his beloved wife is gone. He's broke, destitute and unemployed and to top it all off...the woman he thought he knew and loved was unfaithful in his absence, adding insult to injury, and well...once the dust has settled, he's left with nothing. Yet what's impressive is the fact that Shadow is able to hold it together emotionally throughout this mess and stay strong and that kind of mettle is likely why Mister Wednesday has chosen Shadow to work for him and the best part when it comes to all of this, is that Mister Moon now has the grand opportunity to start over in life, and find a purpose and utterly reinvent himself in the process.

Either way, what a wild and wonderful series premiere and while it was light on heavy plot progress, nor did it 100% set up the plot line, that's okay because a few things needed to happen first. It was necessary to truly understand Shadow Moon as a man first and it was equally as necessary to build this world up in proper fashion and introduce us to some of the Gods that move among us and when all is said and done, I'm hooked. I have to know more about this world and the conflict brewing amongst the Gods and truthfully, I think we all need a little more Mr. Wednesday in our life, because he was without a doubt the best part of this premiere with his carefree attitude and penchant for comic relief. In the end, STARZ has graced us with an absolutely incredible story, one that will no doubt be picked apart and analyzed thanks to the love of the source material, and this is a tale that has truly immersed us into a brave and weird new world, one that I simply cannot get enough of. Until next time.

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