‘American Gods’ Recap: ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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Branding is quite the big deal when it comes to a television series. For it really allows for new viewers and old ones to know exactly what they are getting into when they settle in to watch said series, and it allows for a sense of comfort and familiarity when we all tune in. However, there is a slight downside when it comes to television related branding, in that, once a show has established what it is about and what it stands for, it is extremely difficult for the folks behind the scenes to try new things storytelling and direction wise, simply due to the fact that it may alienate its audience. Unless of course, that show happens to be, American Gods.
 
For a series about fictional deities allows for endless possibilities storytelling wise and for proof, look no further than last night’s episode of the show, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’. For this particular tale ended up being an utter delight when it comes to the visuals it offered us since much of this episode felt akin to a dream, since every visual was jarring and haunted in this tale, as if the viewer was searching for something more within the confines of this world and while that was brilliant on its own right, it became clear as the hour rolled on that the story was indeed working to explore a great many things. But more on that in a moment because we do need to talk about the fact that this episode took quite the interesting shot at something mankind holds near and dear to its foundation, money.
 
Because that was the God that Wednesday and Shadow were in search of in this tale, for his power could put an end to the war before it started. But before they could speak with this Deity, they had to jump through a few hoops and that’s where some interesting commentary came into play. For while they waited to meet with Money, Wednesday was quick to point out that while money is indeed a fundamental part to our society, it only has worth because mankind gives it that power. And while that’s not exactly subtle commentary in the slightest, it is rare to see that kind of blunt philosophy play out in any T.V. series and it seemed worth mentioning. Plus, we were also treated to a fascinating moment between Wednesday and Shadow in this sequence, wherein Shadow tried to uncover why his new friend is, so hell bent on making it seem like Mister Moon has no meaning to a God. However, while all of this was a delight to watch, and despite the fact that Money brought both World and Wednesday face to face, Money wanted nothing to do with the war, so…it’s back to posturing for both men for the time being.

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​Which brings us back to the fascinating design of this tale, specifically the fact that it seemed as though the story was lost and searching for something, because it turns out that all of that served as a grand setup when all is said and done. For it was not the story that was lost and searching for something more, it was the Gods we spent a fair share of time with in this tale. Because every last one of them needed to find direction and meaning as they stood on the precipice of bloodshed, and well, this search and all the powerful moments that came from it, also provided us with incredible commentary on our world and our lives since we too are often searching for meaning and direction, just like the Gods, and a tense but powerful meeting between Bilquis, Anansi and Ibis allowed for some profound words to come out of Nancy’s mouth regarding race relations on a planetary scale and how far humanity has to go to create true equality and this was simply an incredible sequence to watch and one that definitely gave me pause after the episode came to an end.
 
Yet, while those two elements alone would have been enough for this episode to stand upon, there was one more trick up its sleeve, one involving the God everyone loves to hate, Technical Boy. For in this story we saw his birth and his end, and much of his journey in this tale was one filled to the brim with uncertainty and fear, due to the fact that World was fed up with his failures and well, this is another one of those moments that reminded us of how human the Gods on this series really are, since Technical Boy was faced with the prospect of failure for the first time in a long time, all due to the fact that the only constant in this world is change, and even the New Gods aren’t immune to a society that continues to evolve. And despite his best efforts to right his wrongs and make use of the man that helped to create him, Technical Boy could not find redemption in the eyes of his master and was sent to a void of his own creation.
 
If anything, this episode truly proved to be quite the mental feast, because I feel as though I’ve only had the opportunity to skim the surface of what it stood for and what it wanted to accomplish. For there were also some fascinating points to be found in this one in regard to religion and what it has to offer mankind, and what exactly makes it worth our while, which I also found to be a surprising twist and really, I loved this episode through and through. It’s just a wonderful thing when a television series is able to take the time to provide its audience with so much to chew upon, and I really do appreciate the unique direction this episode embarked upon and how it told its tale and credit for that needs to go to writers Peter Calloway and Aditi Brennan Kapil for assembling an incredibly complex script and kudos are also due to director Stacie Passon for helping the audience to partake in the Gods’ emotions in this story. And also, we need to take a moment and recognize Orlando Jones’ performance in this tale, for he put on an acting clinic in this one, and I really am in awe of this episode, and I cannot wait to see what wonders await us in the second half of the sophomore season of American Gods. Until next time. 

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