SummaryAfter the death of his wife, ex-con Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) becomes a bodyguard for Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), who is actually a mythological god working on building an army to battle the new gods of this world in the Bryan Fuller adaptation of Neil Gaiman's award-winning fantasy novel of the same name.
❮ American Gods
Season 1
Season Premiere:
Mar 1, 2017
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
My Score
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Season Episodes
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
78% Positive
28 Reviews
28 Reviews
22% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 1, 2017
100
The conscientious visual style that Fuller honed on “Hannibal” achieves riotous new heights of sensuality in this series. Green, a DC Comics veteran whose television credits include serving as an executive producer on “Heroes,” aids in harmonizing the story’s surfeit of histories and personalities into an intelligible and spellbinding structure.
Apr 17, 2017
91
[Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have] blended their sensibilities, weaving a rich tapestry of whimsy, epic action, and deft characterization. Practically speaking, it will definitely tide you over until that other fantasy drama returns. But thematically, it could knock someone off their throne.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
76% Positive
271 Ratings
271 Ratings
11% Mixed
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
13% Negative
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
Nov 10, 2017
10
Have you ever thought what would happen if some “old” greek, nordic or roman Gods had a tee party with Jesus? Or what Thor the god of thunder does in his free time? Yes? Well then American Gods is just perfect for you. American Gods is a TV series, consisting of one season with 8 episodes. The Drama-Fantasy series features famous actors like Ricky Whittle (Shadow Moon), Emily Browning (Laura Moon) and golden Globe winner Ian McShane (Wednesday). The whole series is based on the eponymous book by Nail Gaiman. The story is great in my opinion. To keep it short: Shadow Moon, a prisoner only has a few more days until he can return to his Wife. Just days before his official release he gets told that he can leave **** that his wife dies in a car crash. He leaves without any hope on the airport he meets Wednesday and that where things start to get crazy. In the following days he will meet an antisocial Goblin, a couple of murderous gods and his own fate. Although the series got a great meta score and good ratings it may not be for everyone, its still a fantasy series, don't worry there are no dragons or dwarfs running around neither are there orcs, but it has some more explicit scenes. This is what gives the series an FSK 18+
May 28, 2017
10
This adaptation from the novel by Neil Gaiman its what fans have been waiting for. Everything about this show is great. It is without a doubt the greates tv show of the year so far
May 1, 2017
80
American Gods is deliberately disjointed, like tracks on an album. There are times when the show seems more interested in parsing ephemeral moments in the here-and-now than contemplating the big issues. The more beguiling moments involve bits of what might be called barroom philosophy, such as Shadow Moon saying that “all the best drinks have self-defining names,” or Media lamenting people’s increasing inability to concentrate on one thing at a time.
Apr 26, 2017
80
At times, it’s a deep and powerful saga, while at many others, it’s more of an exercise in style over substance. But what style!
Apr 17, 2017
75
It takes until Episode 3 for everything to gel fully, and that wait may feel interminable to those who haven’t read the book and can’t anticipate what’s ahead. Viewers who are familiar with the work, however, will be happy to know that the novel’s interstitial segments--which offer snapshots of gods at work in the lives of ordinary people--not only have survived the adaptation but provide some of the richest moments in the first part of the season.
Apr 28, 2017
60
Many individual scenes are excellent, but the whole thing, based on the half-season Starz made available for review, doesn’t knit together.
Apr 27, 2017
40
While the heavily stylized sex and violence can look beautiful, it’s often just as grim and ponderous as the dialogue and pacing. Only late in the fourth episode does the story begin to coalesce, but by that point it’s likely that anyone who wasn’t a fan to begin with will have long since tuned out.
May 13, 2017
10
Incredible tv show, based on a wonderful Gaiman's book. Visuals, photography and FX are terrific. Actors and book characters perfectly combined. For me, by far the best you can watch this summer.
Aug 20, 2017
6
Mind bending, but ultimately not as engaging as the first five episodes. Probably because i binged. I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh perspective on religion. SPoiler; beware of odin
Jul 29, 2017
6
American Gods is such a mixed bag. This may be the only time I can remember a show seeming to have too much material to fill a season. Most shows have too little meaningful story and are spread so very thin. That makes it all the more bizarre that much of the only eight episodes is spent on characters that don't become at all relevant (at least in the first season). For example, you could skip the second to the last episode accidentally and not even know you did because what happens is so trivial. On the other hand, the show is run by Bryan Fuller so of course the visuals are stunning (even when they don't particularly have a purpose). The show is packed with some incredibly talented actors who all give top-notch performances. The characters are mostly fascinating and full of depth (yes, even the ones the show does nothing with). When the show is actually focused on the key plot elements it is some of the best TV out there. It is alternatingly disappointing and brilliant.
Apr 12, 2019
3
I really enjoyed Season One, but as in any book someone is trying to convert into an infinite series, they have "deviated from the source material" in season two into meandering subplots about lynching blacks, oppression and social justice, and it is becoming clear the series is just treading water. You have these really fine actors standing around with nothing to say but pablum. A waste of talent. Anyway, after episode 5 I canceled my Starz subscription, I am out. I wish they had just filmed the book and made a great mini-series.
Feb 14, 2018
3
This show is so bad, it makes me support the new Gods. It only gets 3 points due to Mr. Wednesday. I read the book years ago, and enjoyed it. Now, I couldn't have missed the point so badly, so I'm left to conclude that the writers have re-interpreted the entire story through their distorted view of the world. Just rename it to anti-American Gods, and save the rest of us normal people the effort.
