Sixteen years after the now-iconic
modern fantasy novel debuted, and after several failed attempts, Neil
Gaiman's American Gods has at
last made it to our screens. To say that the buildup has been
exciting would be an understatement: between the show's ridiculously
good cast, its high-profile showrunners (fresh off of another hit
novel-to-TV adaptation with Hannibal),
and Starz' obvious faith in it as a flagship series, there is
justified speculation about whether we could be looking at another
cultural touchstone on the level of Game of Thrones.
While only time will tell if the series can take off like that, the
pilot episode has put one piece of speculation to bed: American
Gods is truly first-class
television. As a fan of the novel, and Gaiman's unique voice in
general, my hopes were high – and so were my standards. And now I
can safely say that Bryan Fuller and Michael Green's adaptation
really is everything I had hoped for. From a spot-on cast to a
storytelling voice that translates the epic tale beautifully over to
a new medium, to the visual style that very much makes it its own
entity apart from the novel, Starz' American Gods is
excellent, both as an adaptation and as a TV show in its own right.
 |
| "Here I stand among the remains of the previous failed attempts to adapt this novel..." |
The
series premiere of American Gods
introduces us to Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), an ex-con who has just
gotten out of prison to find that his world is very different – and
much more grim – than the one he thought he would be returning to.
Then it plunges us – and him – into a strange, dreamlike vision
of America, full of eerie hallucinations and apparent magic, presided
over by a mysterious and smooth-talking stranger named Mr. Wednesday
(Ian McShane). What follows in this first episode is more or less a
straight adaptation of the beginning of the book, for those who have
read it, but what makes it so special is not just that it tells
Gaiman's story very well (which it absolutely does), but how it tells
that story in a television context. This is not a show that feels the
need to hold your hand and lay out the premise and the mythology. In
fact, the most striking thing about the episode's approach to
introducing the series is how little it reveals. It feels very much
like the first chapter of a novel, in that it isn't afraid to be
vague and mysterious; it isn't here to lay out what we're about to
see for eight weeks, but is instead here to hook you into its world
and leave you wanting to understand the things that you don't. It
builds a world, and a mood, and characters, but it doesn't tell you
too much about them; it is tantalizingly mysterious, in the best way.
In that regard, I am somewhat reminded of the early episodes of Twin
Peaks, where David Lynch only
very slowly revealed the nature of the series, but handled that slow
reveal in such an arresting way that you had to know more, even if
you didn't “get it.” I am actually a bit jealous of those who get
to watch this episode having not read the book, as I imagine that it
must have been mystifying in the most wonderful way. Having read it,
though, I can at least say for certain that the series not only isn't
dumbing down or simplifying the book, but appears to be expanding it
and adding to what is already there.
This
is not just a straightforward, very literal adaptation, although it
follows the source material closely so far. While we only have slight
indications to work with thus far, it appears that the series feels
free to explore different aspects of the story, and use the luxury of
the medium to expand upon characterization. Character is certainly
what this first episode is most interested in. It really takes the
time to introduce us to Shadow and Wednesday, and while Wednesday is
by his very nature a mystery, Shadow feels by the end of the episode
like a very fleshed-out and real person. Fuller and Green's script
puts great emphasis on Shadow's emotional state, and this ultimately
is the backbone of the episode, grounding it and making it relatable
even as the larger arc remains mysterious. The script is also in
great hands with its two excellent stars. Whittle and McShane are
both fantastic, giving Shadow a haunted and introspective
thoughtfulness, and Wednesday a larger-than-life swagger that
couldn't be more perfect. They are immediately characters you want to
follow for the duration of the series, and they totally nail the
complexity of Gaiman's written characters as well.
 |
| "Cheers to a long-lasting series!" |
The
biggest thing that truly sets the series apart from the source
material is its aesthetic: it really finds its own voice in the look
of the show. This is a beautifully shot series, with striking
compositions and some very unique locations – the most striking of
which definitely being the bizarre giant-crocodile bar which was used
heavily in the show's marketing images. It fully embraces the
dreamlike nature of the story, both with totally surreal dream
sequences, and with an ethereal and off-kilter style to the waking
scenes as well, in keeping with the idea that Shadow has entered a
strange, seldom-seen underbelly of America. The opening credits –
with its somewhat Nine Inch Nails-ish electronic music featuring
Garbage's Shirley Manson on vocals – introduce this aesthetic very
well, with a dreamy, neon-lit blend of religious iconography and
cyberpunkish technology.
All of
this adds up into a show which is all at once very much the world
Neil Gaiman created, but also very much a show with its own vision
and sensibility. I would argue that this is the best sort of
adaptation: one that “gets” the source material and captures its
essence, but that has a mind and soul and creativity of its own, and
isn't afraid to use it. The result is a series which surely will
please fans of the novel, but which stands firmly as really good
television by its own merits. Of course, all of this is just based on
what is very much an introductory chapter, so we will need to see how
the series develops over the coming weeks as it really delves into
Gaiman's mythology, but things are off to an excellent start.
American Gods is
definitely essential viewing.
Score:
-
Christopher S. Jordan
Don't anger the gods - share this review!