The Rundown: In this adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling novel we get to see the wild world of America’s Gods, old and new, up close and personal.
This week we got the conclusion of the meeting with Czernobog and the Zorya sisters. The lost game of checkers means that Shadow must submit to Czernobog’s hammer, and surely to his own death, but not until morning. Shadow has all night to contemplate his fate. We also got another of the most memorable vignettes from the book, the interaction with the Djinn in New York. This was a scene, like the Bilquis sex scene, where I was worried it may be cut, or done so neutrally that it lost all impact. I was pleasantly surprised to find the entire scene intact, doing justice and more to the original work.
Last week I noted that the pacing of the show seemed to be heading at a fair clip compared to what it felt like reading the book. This episode slows the tempo down enough so that we can better appreciate the narrative unfolding. The sleeping Zorya sister, the bank job, and the surprise at the end, all return to the feel of the backroads of America where wondrous and sinister things are unfolding. One thing I didn’t touch on last week was the introduction of Anansi, with a brand new scene that still contains all the fire and substance similar to Gaiman’s original work. This week we are introduced to Anubis, another vignette about the modern afterlife, and how some beliefs stay with you even when you think they’ve gone.
If you’ve been on board this far, then I’m sure this episode will not disappoint. The cliffhanger at the end should be enough to keep you hooked, even if small time con-manning and spontaneous snow aren’t really your thing. As with the previous two episodes, this has me psyched up for what comes next.