Over the course of eight episodes, American Gods has seen Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) and Michael Green (Logan) masterfully adapt and reinterpret Neil Gaiman’s seminal fantasy novel. Widely considered the author’s best work to date, the 2001 story mixed the road trip novel with a story of the birth of America, all set against a backdrop of old and new gods warring for mortal worship. At least as early as 2011, talk of turning the book into a TV series began, with another three years passing before Fuller, Green, and Starz came on board. Thanks to the consultation and blessing of Gaiman, the limited series has gained critical praise along with a second season order, all while enhancing and enriching Gaiman’s source material.

Given the sprawling cast of characters and locations in the book, there’s no shortage of episodes that could be spun out from the page. The first season, however, has had the unenviable task of both introducing us to this world and several of its denizens while also setting up a massive war that could be years in the making. With ‘Come to Jesus,’ we’re now on the verge of that war breaking out, but we’ve just barely arrived at one of the most pivotal locations from the book.

Once Upon a Time

All season, Mr. Ibis (better known as the Egyptian god Thoth), has been telling stories about the gods coming to America. Last week, an entire episode was even dedicated to one of his tales. But he’s not the only Old God with the gift of the gab. We once again open with Mr. Nancy in this episode, who was previously revealed to be the African trickster spirit/spider known as Anansi.

Like several of the characters on the series, Mr. Nancy has undergone a few changes. Not only do we not meet him until Wednesday and Shadow arrive at the House on the Rock in the book, but he’s presented as much older and far more wily there. Still, he’s a charmingly cantankerous man with a flair for fashion on the show. And though he may not spend his days in the sweltering heat of southern Florida, he retains his book character’s love of spinning yarns. Rather than a story of his own, however, the Nancy of the show offers Wednesday advice in the tale of another Old God.

The Queen

Bilquis, like many of the gods presented on the show, is given far more story time than in the books. And though the Goddess of Love has been frustratingly mute all season, her tale is a powerful one that’s far from over. We’ve seen previously how the worship of her ends in self-sacrifice, but ‘Come to Jesus’ finally showcases Bilquis in her prime.

Traveling back to an ancient empire in the Middle East, we see Bilquis in her godly raiment presiding over a ritual orgy in her honor. Far from plucking individual worshipers from a dating app, this Bilquis is surrounded by those eager to win her favor. Even her would-be conquerors soon fall to her power and are consumed alongside everyone else.

Hopping to Tehran in 1979, we see that Bilquis is still going strong, transforming the sexuailty of dance and worship of pop into her favor. Sadly, she no longer holds sway over all who resent her life-giving powers. The years that follow see her forgotten and alone, losing even the power to charm individuals. It’s then that we learn the Bilquis we’ve been seeing all season may be a shadow of her former self, but she’s seen harder times. More than that, she owes her meager following to the New Gods. Like Vulcan, she’s taken a deal to leverage the powers of the modern world to gain sustenance. In a clever play on social media and online dating, her digital clout now translates into prayer in her name. The app Technical Boy gifts her with even bears her name: Sheba, the Biblical Queen.

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Jesuses on American Gods

Easter and the Jesuses

Shadow may not understand the lesson inherent in Mr. Nancy’s story, but Wednesday does. He’s gained a few followers, but he’s lost Vulcan and potentially Bliquis. Luckily, she’s not the only queen out there. Like Laura and Mad Sweeney, Shadow and his boss head to Kentucky on the vernal equinox to treat with Ostara. Known alternately as Ēostre, Ostara is the Germanic god whose ritual of fertility and rebirth has been transmuted into Easter. As in our world, Media and Christianity eventually co-op this pagan festival, transforming its rituals into genteel activities and placing its prominence on Jesus.

In the books, Jesus is but a passing name. The show, however, has cleverly transformed him into the godly version of franchisement. For every branch and faction of Christianity, there’s a different version of Jesus. Two weeks back, we met Mexican Jesus, who makes an appropriate reappearance in the episode as part of his storied resurrection. We also meet Jesus Prime, briefly but masterfully portrayed by Jeremy Davies (Lost). Crowned with a halo of light, we see him apologize for the theft of Ostara’s holy day and curse his father when he realizes his glass can’t stand on water.

The whole celebration is not only a visual treat, but a perfect summation of the book and show’s central theme: the power of belief. There are so many Jesuses because so many different types of people believe in so many different types of the man. Ostara, meanwhile, has been forgotten in all but her Romanized name. Still, she’s taken a page out of the New God’s book and used modern systems of belief to reinvent her worship. She’s not what she once was, but she’s still living better than many of her peers. Like Vulcan and Bilquis, she seems to have taken the help of Media and the New Gods. The deal doesn’t look to be as explicit, but they’ve nevertheless had a symbiotic relationship for some time. After all, Ostara is no stranger to rebirth.

Resurrection Rejected

Unlike Ostara’s image and Mexican Jesus’ body, Laura Moon isn’t granted resurrection. She may be walking, talking, and beating up Mad Sweeney every chance she gets, but her animated corpse isn’t truly alive. Mad Sweeney thinks Ostara can grant Laura the boon she seeks, but he’s actually helped ensure that the Goddess of Dawn can do nothing for Dead Wife.

This episode, we finally get confirmation of what was teased last week: that Mad Sweeney killed Laura (and Robbie) under the orders of Wednesday. As if the reasons weren’t obvious, Sweeney elucidates Laura and the audience. From the failed casino robbery to Shadow’s time in jail to the car crash that left him without a wife, best friend, or semblance of a life, Wednesday has been pulling the strings all along. He needed Shadow to be utterly without hope or faith, ready to be pulled along on a wild journey that would lead to him eventually bestowing belief on Wednesday. Of course, Shadow doesn’t yet know this, leading to him giving the Old God exactly what he desires.

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Media and Technical Boy on American Gods

The All-Father’s War

Though the book and the show mostly follow Shadow as the lead, he spends the early episodes going around essentiallya as a prop in Wednesday’s schemes. From almost the beginning of both stories, Wednesday is traveling the country recruiting Old Gods to his cause. The extent of his plan hasn’t been fully revealed, but the gist is that he needs his colleagues’ strength and belief in him to help start a war that will end with the death of the New Gods and the elevation of the Old Gods. With Ostara, he’s given his ultimate test as he has to convince her that the delusion she’s living isn’t what she truly wants. Luckily, the menacing arrival of said New Gods and Wednesday’s impressive display of power allow Ostara to finally realize that the All-Father’s goals and hers align.

We’ve seen Media, Technical Boy, and Mr. World all demonstrate their powers, but this is the first time we’ve really seen Wednesday, aka Odin, unleash his. As the father of Thor and Loki, he’s as gifted with lightning as he is a silver tongue, and his unleashing of the former leaves the New Gods’ goons dead in the name of Ostara. We could assume that Mr. World was killed in this assault as well, but it seems he was more commandeering one of the droogs rather than appearing in the flesh, so to speak. Still, seeing this scrimmage match between the Old and New Gods was thrilling.

From Ostara taking back the spring—and thus the harvest that the land enjoys—to Media’s portrayal of Judy Garland in the 1948 film Easter Parade (complete with her minions dressed as Fred Astaire), everything about the confrontation is sumptuous We even finally get the reveal that Wednesday is Odin and his signature ravens, Huginn and Muninn, have been the birds quorking around the edges of the show all season. To the viewer, it’s not much of a surprise, but the twin displays of power by Odin and Ostara finally convince Shadow to believe. His admiration of Wednesday won’t last long, however, when Laura reveals the role he played in her death.

House on the Rock

We end the episode and the season with Bilquis and a host of others arriving at House on the Rock in Wisconsin. It’s a fitting place to finish, as it’s one of the more significant locales in the books. Like any good tourist, Gaiman is fascinated by America’s many roadside attractions. Thanks to his outsider perspective, he was able to weave the charming locations into his story as the modern version of temples. Though we certainly still have those in the States, American Gods views tourist traps as places of pilgrimage that hold great power.

House on the Rock, an actual attraction in Wisconsin, serves as the meeting place of many of the gods in the book and where Shadow finally starts understanding the world he’s entered. From there, the story begins taking a dozen other shapes, making it a nice place to tee things up for the second season of the show.

While many viewers will likely be disappointed we don’t get to go inside, House on the Rock should make for a colorful season premiere whenever the show returns. As a series, American Gods has only just begun tapping into its potential. Though a few events have appeared earlier, the House on the Rock only marks Chapter 5 of the books. From there, loyalties will be tested, new gods will arrive, and the world will continue to move towards a war of belief at another iconic American location. There’s no telling how much longer it will take for the story to unfold, but American Gods has so far set itself up as one of the most captivating examinations of belief and the soul of America to ever make its way onto television.

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