The premiere of American Gods introduces viewers to an engaging and visually stunning series.
Like the protagonist Shadow Moon, portrayed wonderfully with a strong, but quiet charisma by Ricky Whittle, we are thrust into the story with little to no explanation as to what is going on. For some of the more impatient viewers, this may work against American Gods.
Amidst the confusion are some beautifully stylised hallucinations. Do we have another Lost in our hands, or is there actually a reason for that mysterious oak tree visual and the horned animal with flaming eyes. There are also some freaky stuff going on, such as the horrifyingly, seductive Bilqus. Only time will tell how she will play into the whole narrative.
Nevertheless, American Gods is off to a solid start. The premiere was thoroughly engrossing due to its arresting intrigue and its off-beat characters, who are all a marvel to watch, especially Mr. Wednesday brought to life by the always dependable and show-stealing Ian McShane.
Many of the scenes come to life with captivating visuals some picturesque, as we see the protagonists hit the road and, during scenes such as the lynching at the end, in a more gruesome kind of fashion.
There is also some emotional weight. The premiere did a fantastic job in making us feel for Shadow Moon, who is released out of prison early at the news of the passing of his wife. Whittle is a strong lead who conveys the shock and grief of his loss convincingly, and his stoic personality plays off well with the charismatic craziness of McShane's Mr. Wednesday.
The highlight of the episode has to go to the alligator bar scene where we are introduced to Mad Sweeney the leprechaun portrayed by Pablo Schreiber. I was a bit bummed of this re-casting after the very awesome Sean Harris left the role, but Schreiber portrayed the leprechaun quite humorously. A large part of that humour has to do with his intimidating portrayal of Sweeney, which is quite the contrast to the common folk's stereotype of the mythical Irish fairy.
Overall, though the American Gods pilot is often bewildering, it does so in a humourous and visually engrossing manner carried by a cast of eclectic characters. The show hasn't even introduced us to Peter Stromare, Gillian Anderson, and Orlando Jones yet, who will add, as a small preview, some memorable scenes in episodes to come. A solid start to a very intriguing show.
8/5/10
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