I can’t say that it’s enough just to have a series or movie based on a Neil Gaiman work, but certain works merit film transformation over others. Stardust in 2007 was impressive and incorporated Gaiman’s humor wisely, yet felt more like a Disney film. Two years later, an animated Coraline proved to be creepy, yet moving the setting to America took a bit out of the initial moral of the novel. Neverwhere had been made in multiple forms on radio and television (the best productions featuring Peter Capaldi, in my opinion) while Good Omens, Gaiman’s collaboration with Terry Pratchett, was produced as a radio drama for BBC radio with Colin Morgan shortly before Pratchett’s death. Yet one novel I have waited a long time for since my first reading proved to be the best Gaiman production of all – American Gods. 

Airing Sunday nights on Starz, American Gods tells the story of Shadow Moon. After serving his time in prison for robbery, Shadow (Robby Whittle) is released 3 days early upon receiving news of his wife’s, Laura’s (Emily Browning), death. Attempting to reach home for the funeral, Shadow meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) who offers him a job. Shadow soon realizes Wednesday is recruiting people from his old life. Unknowing to Shadow, these people are gods.

…and they’re not the only gods out there. New gods are trying to make their names known and become worshiped more than our ancestors did. Media (Gillian Anderson) and Technology (Bruce Langley), along with Mister World (Crispin Glover) and his army of Black Hats have used their influence in our daily worship of them and are not happy with Wednesday’s plans.

With only three episodes remaining this season, I am very glad to know this series was already renewed early last month. Being one of Gaiman’s longer novels. The first five episodes have barely brushed the surface of the American Gods story, with many more ancient gods still to be shown, including Kristin Chenoweth as Easter. What is the true mystery behind Wednesday’s plans and how does he really know so much about Shadow? Will any of the three sisters choose to help him, despite their original protestations? With the many changes Gaiman and Fuller have made from the original text, even the most experienced scholar of this book may not know the ultimate ending of the series.