Do you know the one thing that makes me sad about TV shows? The waiting between seasons. I am now waiting on every show I watch. Most recently, American Gods aired its season finale. Thankfully we were blessed by Media to receive a second season during the airing of the second episode. And this finale is leading up to a big old battle.
This week begins with Wednesday and Shadow taking refuge and help from Mr. Nancy, and after a scene I will never watch again (I love you Anansi but that form is not ok), he decides to tell a story. And his story? How Bilquis came to America and stayed as strong as she is.
Bilquis has obviously remained strong over the years but it wasn’t always this way. She was driven out of her home in 1979 and came to Hollywood. She couldn’t stay strong without her temple and her worshipers, and so she becomes homeless. Until one day after her temple is quite literally destroyed and Technical Boy comes to her with a brand new alter called online dating.
Let’s break this down. First off, I’d like to thank Fuller and Green and Gaiman for changing her fate from the books for now. In the books Technical Boy kills her. She doesn’t get to fight or anything. Now, she’s working with the New Gods and in a scene part way through the episode Technical Boy comes to collect her debt. This means we’re going to get to see this Queen, this Goddess, fight the others.
Now then, back to Shadow and Wednesday and Nancy. Nancy is making the others some nice outfits because they’re going to an Easter dinner. On the way, Shadow has another dream of the Bone Orchard, the giant Tree, and the White Buffalo. When he wakes up, they’re in Kentucky on their way to Ostara’s home. Ostara is the original Goddess of Spring and through Christianity she became Easter. Ostara here is played by Kristen Chenoweth, and she is absolute perfection.
Shadow eventually realizes that this isn’t just any Easter dinner. This is an Easter dinner for the Gods and most importantly for the many forms of Jesus that exist. And they’re all there. Ostara sees them and after several insults from Wednesday directed to the many Jesus’, she pulls Wednesday and Shadow into privacy. There, Wednesday pitches his plan of a war and promises Ostara the power and worship that was stolen from her by Christianity.
Ostara is called away however as two new party guests arrive; Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon. Turns out the guy Sweeney knew who can perform a resurrection is Ostara herself. Ostara looks into Laura’s eyes and learns the truth, which she tells Laura. Laura cannot be resurrected because she was killed as a sacrifice on the order of a God. Ostara is once again pulled away as more new guests arrive, this time in the form of Media and one of the faceless minions.
Laura turns on Mad Sweeney and gets him to confess who ordered her death – Wednesday. Wednesday needed Shadow to be a man who had lost everything and had nothing to go home to so that he would take Wednesday’s deal. And Laura is pissed.
Meanwhile, Media and Easter are acting like old friends when Media senses something is off. Her minions multiply as Wednesday and Shadow come down. Technical Boy emerges and it looks like there’s going to be a big standoff. Mr. World comes through with a message – they don’t want war. If there’s a war, the New Gods win. If there isn’t, the New Gods wait for the old ones to give in or fade away and they still win.
Wednesday isn’t having it though, and he strikes down the faceless ones, dedicating their deaths to Ostara. What this does is rejuvenate her, give her the power and the strength to be her old self once more. Shadow demands to know who Wednesday is and after he lists basically every name he’s ever had, he proclaims himself as Odin. Shadow finally believes as he watches Ostara steal the spring from the world. A battle is about to begin.
But a battle is interrupted as Laura and Mad Sweeney appear. And Laura demands to speak to her husband.
But we’re not quite done. Because that debt Bilquis owes? It begins at the meeting of all of the gods at House on the Rock Wisconsin.
And now, we wait.
I am so planning to reread the book between now and season two. I have to. I just do. And among the amazing things I’m looking forward to in season 2 (expanded Bilquis, expanded Sweeney, expanded Laura, events from the book), at the top of that list is the inevitable Bilquis vs Ostara battle. Bring it on. Next year.
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