-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
American Gods |OT| You Had Me At Bryan Fuller - Sundays on Starz
- Thread starter TheOddOne
- Start date
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
Season finale was bullshit. Definitely feels like two episodes are missing.
Getting the book. Should I get the Author's Preferred Text?
Getting the book. Should I get the Author's Preferred Text?
Yes. Get the tenth anniversary edition.
And if you want to treat yourself to a really nice version of it. Get this. Bit expensive though.
EDIT: I listened to the 10th anniversary edition of the audio book. And i really like it.
They spend way too much time on the vignettes belaboring themes we already understand. Some of them went on so god damn long.
Bilquis should've been the season 2 opener. Even though her stuff was pretty great on its own, there are so many other facets that could've benefited the show more with the time compared to what turned out to be a non-factor. Shadow in prison so that we actually get a reason to give a shit about the character from the start. Revisiting the casino heist from Wednesday's POV. Wednesday and Shadow's relationship. House on the Rock. Anything they could've squeezed Peter Stormare into.
Ending the season with her going to Wisconsin as if it was some sort of twist/reveal/new avenue was one of the flattest season finale finales I've ever seen.
Ending the season with her going to Wisconsin as if it was some sort of twist/reveal/new avenue was one of the flattest season finale finales I've ever seen.
Da-Kid
Member
I think there being different versions of the same God makes everyone seem inherently boring and less unique. Having all those Jesus's really made it all less impactful to see Jesus. Hell, if anyone was going to be a powerful God he'd be it along with his father.
Does Odin ever see his sons? Loki is in jail... where's Thor?
Does Odin ever see his sons? Loki is in jail... where's Thor?
Monocle
Member
The varied versions of the gods are explicitly tied to the way belief works in that world. I mean, I get the complaint, but without the different versions you'd have a show so divorced from the themes of the book that it might as well be a different story altogether.
As for Odin's sons, there's still plenty of time for the series to explore what they're up to.
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
Yeah, makes 'em smaller in scope... Local celebs, instead of world power. Less exciting.
Just caught up on this. I have sort of mixed feelings about it I guess. I think they've done a good job expanding on some of the characters from the book. It still has some definite pacing issues. To my surprise, my favorite part of the show has been the adventures of Laura and Sweeney. Those two make an entertaining pair.
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
And like... So what if one Jesus /rando god got killed, there's others of his/her types running about.
I mean I love the ambient work of Bryan Fuller but that finale left me less excited for the series' future than I had been at the beginning of the series.
I mean I love the ambient work of Bryan Fuller but that finale left me less excited for the series' future than I had been at the beginning of the series.
I think Biliquis is going to play Double Agent and try to send Shadow to the vagina nebula.
homelessbaby
Member
I don't know who this show is for. I'm a big fan of the book and it seems to want to make that one novel last 6 seasons (how is House on the Rock or the train not the finale?)
And then for non-book readers, what is there to grab onto? It all seems like setup and the individual episodes don't really work on their own, except for the drawn-out, coulda been 10 minute long Coming To/Somewhere In America segments.
I think I'm done. It's such a drag that this isn't as low-fantasy or fringe of reality feeling as the book. It's this big brash build up to nothing.
Maybe the show is nihilistic? Like, "if we're gonna tell this bullshit story we might as well make it as ridiculous looking as possible".
And then for non-book readers, what is there to grab onto? It all seems like setup and the individual episodes don't really work on their own, except for the drawn-out, coulda been 10 minute long Coming To/Somewhere In America segments.
I think I'm done. It's such a drag that this isn't as low-fantasy or fringe of reality feeling as the book. It's this big brash build up to nothing.
Maybe the show is nihilistic? Like, "if we're gonna tell this bullshit story we might as well make it as ridiculous looking as possible".
Jesus that was the finale?
They bungled it completely then! The ep was good but not finale good.
I didn't even know the season was only 8 eps!
But I enjoyed the show immensely overall, not even knowing it was based on books.
Looking forward to season 2, show is different to a lot of stuff out there.
They bungled it completely then! The ep was good but not finale good.
I didn't even know the season was only 8 eps!
But I enjoyed the show immensely overall, not even knowing it was based on books.
Looking forward to season 2, show is different to a lot of stuff out there.
BigWeather
Member
Yeah, you may want to skip the first couple of minutes.
As someone who hasn't read the books, I liked this first season quite a lot.
Couple of thoughts:
I figured out that Wednesday was
quite quickly. The whole only having one eye thing gave it away as early as the airplane, especially with the combination of the weather. Something about that and the dialogue there confirmed it for me. Then you go on to meet
. It was cool to have it revealed in the finale I guess, but I already knew haha
I thought they spent a bit too long in the Coming To America segments. They were interesting, but just a little too drawn out.
I like that they don't spell out and explain every single little mystical thing that happens. The things they do explain (
) feel well-reasoned and fairly sensical.
They're doing kind of a poor job making me interested in the "why" behind Dead Wife Moon's relevance. Just feels poorly paced. Her sections are such a drag.
That said, I'm enjoying the mystery behind Shadow's burgeoning powers.
Couple of thoughts:
I figured out that Wednesday was
Odin
Thor
I thought they spent a bit too long in the Coming To America segments. They were interesting, but just a little too drawn out.
I like that they don't spell out and explain every single little mystical thing that happens. The things they do explain (
like the Jesus army
They're doing kind of a poor job making me interested in the "why" behind Dead Wife Moon's relevance. Just feels poorly paced. Her sections are such a drag.
That said, I'm enjoying the mystery behind Shadow's burgeoning powers.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
FFS, can you give me a rough idea of the content? so I know when to look away?
Thanks
It starts with clothing threads and spindles. I think you can close your eyes until you hear talking. I'll let someone else confirm as I can't confirm at the moment by rewatching the opening.
Hopefully next season, though who knows how many detours the story may take, and Season 2 may end with Wednesday and Shadow arriving there, just like this season ended with Bilquis arriving.
When are they gonna get to The House on the Rock?
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Appreciate it.
Chiaroscuro
Member
That wasn't
Thor
NoblesseOblige
Banned
The spiders start immediately after the opening credits. But they are gone by the time Mr. Nancy begins to speak.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
L+SD ratings
Episode 1 - 975K
Episode 2 - 710K
Episode 3 - 716K
Episode 4 - 631K
Episode 5 - 666K
Episode 6 - 607K
Episode 7 - 629K
Episode 8 - 774K
Episode 1 - 975K
Episode 2 - 710K
Episode 3 - 716K
Episode 4 - 631K
Episode 5 - 666K
Episode 6 - 607K
Episode 7 - 629K
Episode 8 - 774K
NoblesseOblige
Banned
713,500 average an episode. Is that good? bad? or average?
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
It's solid, but it's also important to note that we're talking about live+same day viewers, which aren't the end all be all for Starz. The show does much better in delayed/on demand viewing.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Thank god
Grizzlyjin
Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Lol I thought the same thing when I read that part.
Darth Pinche
Member
The visuals on this show are amazing!
Anyone else have a hard time understanding what Mr.World was saying in this episode? I think they went a little overboard on the digital sound effects.
Anyone else have a hard time understanding what Mr.World was saying in this episode? I think they went a little overboard on the digital sound effects.
Something about them having all the modern weapons and firepower and that the war is on at the end
Darth Pinche
Member
Cool, thanks. That's what I thought I heard.
dead souls
Member
Indeed. I love his stuff, but that's some transparent spin.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Just caught up now. Solid epsiode, would agree with everyone about the pacing, if I didn't know how it ended I would be very frustrated right now. Visuals were amazing though, was nice to see Wednesday letting loose.
Me too, could barely make out a word he said. I play the show on my iPhone and stream it to an apple TV and the dialogue is always a little muffled. I actually have to manually turn it up. The Amazon Prime app is in dire need of an update, the visual quality is also pretty bad IMO.
Me too, could barely make out a word he said. I play the show on my iPhone and stream it to an apple TV and the dialogue is always a little muffled. I actually have to manually turn it up. The Amazon Prime app is in dire need of an update, the visual quality is also pretty bad IMO.
Eh I mean they called him Wotan, Grimnir and in the episode at the police station the rocket was straight up called Odin.
I didn't know what the fuck Wotan and Grimnir meant till now. And I don't even know what you're talking about with the rocket.
When Mr World was talking to him about modernising his worship, in the interrogation room.The rockets on the wall had giant Odin labels on them.
I actually rolled my eyes at this part.
Yeah. I thought it was a bit OTT also.
Kadayi
Banned
That seems to be the gist of it.
Ok episode, but Jesus on the water with the glass was tacky as hell, plus that ridiculous lens flare halo. The implication of the book is that the Gods live amongst humanity but are largely invisible, but Fuller's entire stylistic approach is so absurdly heavy-handed that you'd have to be a complete moron, not to twig that things were off, which unfortunately doesn't reflect well on Shadow as a protagonist, and I don't think that does the book character justice.
Adapting the book as a series and building upon it? Great idea. But a more subtle showrunner would have been a better choice, one capable of teasing out the supernatural aspect rather than laying them on thick and fast with too much regularity, and no sense of narrative surprise.
Don't get me wrong. I can admire Fuller's visual style, but it's always so overblown to an almost operatic degree that it's hard to get invested in on a personable level.
Honestly, the most visually arresting thing I saw on the TV this weekend was an out of focus character walking down a corridor in Twin Peaks. Fuller could learn a lesson or ten from Lynch when it comes to restraint.
Finale was not bad. It looks like Laura is here to stay and I am curious what they do with her and Shadow. I will admit I was a super big fan of the book like more than one copy and got it on Audible as well with the full cast and additional novella's. I tend to get boogie and elitist about literature turned to film/tv cause justifiably usually that shit is trash.
As many have stated visuals and imagery are top notch. The Odin reveal was a bit corny because we already new but it did play out well along with the Easter reveal/effects. Kristin Chenoworth (Super Talented!) is a pixie absolutely adorable and terrifying at the same time. I like how Shadow had an awakening and can "see" now. Not a big fan of the no face minstrel show. Also they can ditch that Mr. World digitized effect.
But this series has been ok. Some episodes better than others. Episodes 1-4 were good. 5-7 were meh to ok. Episode 8 bounced back. I give the season a not bad overall and look forward to improvements . Kind of done with the rotting and maggots of Laura as well. Hopefully more mythological dialogue/connections and less American Horror Story dark humor. I like AHS actually but this is not the material for that.
As many have stated visuals and imagery are top notch. The Odin reveal was a bit corny because we already new but it did play out well along with the Easter reveal/effects. Kristin Chenoworth (Super Talented!) is a pixie absolutely adorable and terrifying at the same time. I like how Shadow had an awakening and can "see" now. Not a big fan of the no face minstrel show. Also they can ditch that Mr. World digitized effect.
But this series has been ok. Some episodes better than others. Episodes 1-4 were good. 5-7 were meh to ok. Episode 8 bounced back. I give the season a not bad overall and look forward to improvements . Kind of done with the rotting and maggots of Laura as well. Hopefully more mythological dialogue/connections and less American Horror Story dark humor. I like AHS actually but this is not the material for that.