So it begins…

“American Gods”, a novel by Neil Gaiman, and now a show on STARZ.  I have patiently waited, hoping for the right casting news and fit to do this incredible book justice, and it has finally happened.  The first episode does not hold back, which anyone who has read the book knows that anything less than brutal would be a dissatisfaction.  Blood, guts, and brutality meet the eyes in the first five minutes and those with a squeamish stomach beware!  The show sets the right tone immediately: darkness and hopelessness.

We meet Shadow Moon our “hero” of this story, fresh out of prison and with a huge burden to face.  Though Ricky Whittle is not what I had in mind for Shadow (because no one’s imagination is the same), he hooks you in immediately.  He’s gruff and a man of few words, and you can really feel the introspection exude from him.  The beauty of this show so far is the cinematography and the anticipation it brings.  Every scene really holds a strange sense of dread over your head, which is exactly what Shadow says he is feeling.  Mr. Wednesday arrives and brings a new depth to the story.

“THAT scene”

…as Neil Gaiman so lovingly describes it, I was really unsure how they were going to handle it.  I knew STARZ was the right fit because of the fact they have no qualms with content.  To make this show correct, they had to nail this scene and they definitely did.  No spoilers, but those of you who have read the book know exactly what I’m talking about.

I promise I will not compare the series to the book much more, because there’s truly no fun in that.  I will say that when the show is so perfectly spot on it’s hard to avoid the comparisons.

Shadow meets up with Mr. Wednesday again and also a character called Mad Sweeney who is every bit as magical as he is a fighter.  There’s an exchange between Mr. Wednesday and Shadow in which they seal the deal for employment.  Shadow returns home to take care of business and discovers the truth of what exactly happened that night.  On his way back he runs into a New God, Technical Boy, who promises to completely erase Shadow from existence.  He explains that Mr. Wednesday is antiquated and that the New Gods are making their move.  The way they handled him is really cool and creepy and I’m really excited to see more of him.

The first episode is amazing.  It is genuinely exactly what I wanted from this show and I am very excited to see this finally come to fruition.  This is going to be one helluva journey and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

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