American Gods finale recap – the great big god bash | American Gods | The Guardian

Spoiler alert: this blog is for people watching American Gods on Starz in the US and Amazon Prime in the UK. Don’t read on unless you have watched episode eight.

Somewhere in America

At last, spring has sprung. Well not in the real world, where we’re either in early summer or late autumn depending on which hemisphere you find yourself in. But in the world of American Gods, it’s springtime, it’s Easter and that means a whole bunch of Jesuses.

In a season finale that very much did not feel like one – offering no closure, no revelation and little by way of explanation – there was at least a splendiferous party. It was held at the house of Easter herself, the pagan goddess Ostara, and alongside every incarnation of Christ (looking like a gaggle of sexy yoga teachers) there were any number of egg-shaped treats all delivered with Bryan Fuller’s unerring eye for gaudy effervescence.

Also in attendance were our protagonists, their antagonists and the travelling band that is Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon. Wednesday was there to recruit Ostara to his gang, in need of an extra head after he chopped off Vulcan’s a couple of episodes back. His adversaries (Media, Mr World and the toad-smoking Technical Boy) were there to put an end to that, and indeed put an end to Wednesday. Mad Sweeney was there to get Ostara to resurrect Laura, in part because he was responsible for killing her in the first place.

Spring has sprung … and our Gods celebrate with a splendiferous party.

Photograph: Jan Thijs/2016 Starz Entertainment, LLC

It’s fair to say that not everyone left happy. Laura Moon is still a rotting mess, because Ostara was unable to give life to someone killed by a god. Not quite killed, but certainly wounded, were the baddies who were first struck by lightning then sent to permanent winter. In fact the only people left beaming were Ostara, who was newly potent, Shadow Moon who got to spend quality time with his decomposing wife and Wednesday, who revealed to Shadow at last that he was Odin, the god who “has as many names as there are winds, as many titles as there are ways to die.” We could have told him that.

All this was done amid a blizzard of lyrical dialogue musing on the idea of belief and explaining the pagan history of Easter. But if the season’s big reveal was Wednesday being the god he had always teased at being (and indeed the god other characters had already called by name) then it was underwhelming. And it wasn’t the only moment that felt soft. The story of American Gods had apparently been building up to a big battle between the rival deities. We didn’t get that battle and yet, we kind of did. And yet, on the other hand, we didn’t. I came away both confused and thinking it was all a bit pointless.

The toad-smoking Technical Boy.

Photograph: Jan Thijs/2016 Starz Entertainment, LLC

In summary: Media and Mr World turn up at the party to tell Wednesday they don’t want a battle because Wednesday would lose. Also that if they don’t have a battle Wednesday would also lose. Now this, if I recall correctly, was the same message they delivered earlier in the series at the police station. But they came back to do it again. What followed is technically called a battle-ette, as Wednesday used all his Norse power to strike down Mr World’s faceless goons with lightning. This was followed by a coup de grace in which Ostara repealed the entire season of spring. A decisive act. With the New Gods either quivering or glitching, Mr World says Wednesday can have a battle after all. Ok then, if you insist.

As a finale, all this felt a bit contrived. It was a case of second season syndrome: a TV show creator having to strike a balance between wrapping up a storyline and teeing up its continuation, in the end doing neither.

Deity digest

We could have told him that … Wednesday finally comes out of the closet, to Shadow at least.

Photograph: 2016 Starz Entertainment, LLC

So where does that leave us?

Shadow Moon is a believer. He’s looked befuddled throughout his time with Wednesday, but thanks to his employer’s bout of pyrotechnics that has been dealt with. Shadow will now continue by his master’s side (after taking a short break to gaze into the eyes of his decomposing wife).

Wednesday has come out of the closet, to Shadow at least. He has recruited Ostara, and has Anansi and Mad Sweeney on his team too. He can now move on to the House on the Rock confident of winning a battle that is definitely going to happen this time, definitely.

Mad Sweeney has also unburdened himself of a secret, namely that it was he who killed Laura Moon. He did so via the time-honoured mechanism of having his testicles squeezed until the truth is the most convenient option. Thoroughly deserved.

Laura Moon was doing the ball-breaking, obviously, as her antagonistic relationship with the leprechaun continued. Of all the characters she now has the most pressing need; either a new body, a resurrected one, or a massive spray of Febreze.

Media, and I’m going to have a stab here, was giving it some Scarlett O’Hara at Ostara’s party but beyond a good range of accents, she doesn’t have much to cheer about. Also, she might want to worry about new media, aka Technical Boy, who is going to destroy her business model.

Mr World: three words, and all of them are WEAK.

Bilquis is the one to keep an eye on … the ancient Queen of Sheba has bedded down with Technical Boy.

Photograph: Jan Thijs/2016 Starz Entertainment, LLC

Bilquis is the one to keep an eye on. The ancient Queen of Sheba has been co-opted by Technical Boy and looks set to join battle on behalf of the New Gods. Whatever you do, don’t go to the bathroom with her!

Finally, with all this talk of plot and characterisation, it would seem remiss to finish without mentioning American Gods’ visual qualities. Once again this episode provided a feast for the eyes, a literal feast of pastel-coloured devilled eggs, and giant Jeff Koons-style bunnies. The faceless goons, in their top hat and tails, put on the ritz in the most creepy way imaginable. The colours of Ostara’s spring were so bright as to be unsettling (all those pinks!). The way that season was ultimately rescinded was another wow sequence to match Shadow’s first encounter with Media, the story of the Mammoth God and that whole snow from nowhere scenario. The look of American Gods has consistently been incredible.

So that is that. We can now sit back and wait for season two. It’s been a pleasure to write this recap and I hope you have enjoyed reading.