American Gods season 1, episode 1 recap: ‘The Bone Orchard’
By Corey Smith
American Gods started off with quite the bang, and we have all the details.
Warning: Spoilers follow below.
From the moment it was announced that the novel American Gods, the modern day fantasy masterpiece by Neil Gaiman was going to be adapted into a television series, loyal fans have wondered one simple question; would it be any good?
One episode might not be the largest sample size, but based off the premiere episode “The Bone Orchard” that answer is a resounding yes. And if the premiere is any indication of what’s to come, we are all in for a wild, bloody, and at times disturbing ride.
“The Bone Orchard” opens with a fearless band of Vikings sailing for the new world. It’s similar to the same chapter from the novel, but rather than fighting Native Americans (although one Viking is turned into an arrow filled porcupine) the Vikings end up fighting one another in order to secure Odin’s favor for their return home.
It’s a literal bloodbath and sets the tone for the amount of blood to come. (This “Coming to America” segment is one we are told after the episode by producers Bryan Fuller and Michael Green will open most episodes going forward.)
Image Credit: Starz
After the bloody introduction, we are off to meet our series protagonist, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle). Shadow’s remaining days in prison are filled with dread, something the dialogue and music do a wonderful job of establishing.
More from Show Snob
- The Santa Clauses season 2, episode 6 recap “Wanga Banga Langa!”
- Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 1, episode 7 preview: Non-spoiler thoughts for Part VII
- Goosebumps season 1, episode 6 recap: “Night of the Living Dummy”
- Beacon 23 season 1, episode 3 recap: “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?”
- Upload season 3, episode 2 recap: “Strawberry”
In fact, the music throughout the whole episode is superb. The show carefully omits the name of Shadow’s cell mate (it would be a bit obvious spoken out loud), but the prison lessons remain the same.
Shadow’s first dream, the above picture of him walking through the orchard of the episode’s title, is also our first realization that American Gods is beautifully shot. If nothing else, we can rest assured that the cinematography is top notch.
From Shadow’s dream sequences to the sweeping vistas of Shadow’s initial trip home, the show is downright gorgeous. Viewers should be excited for all the road trips to come.
The death of Shadow’s wife Laura is handled a bit more softly on screen, but we still get the guard’s wonderful “good news/bad news” joke. It leads us directly to Shadow’s first meeting with Wednesday, and as always, Ian McShane is a joy to watch.
The pair’s first encounter is handled with the proper amount of skepticism from Shadow. Whittle does a great job in this scene and throughout the first episode. The pair’s chemistry will be fun to watch as we go along.
Image Credit: Starz
Now, let’s talk about that scene. For those that had not read Gaiman’s novel, Bilqus’ devouring of a man with her vagina most certainly came as a shock. Graphically, it did seem a bit off, as the random middle-aged white man slowly shrank away, but in all fairness, we aren’t sure how else the scene could have been accomplished.
Image Credit: Starz
Before attending Laura’s burial, we are treated to perhaps the episode’s best scene; Shadow’s contract with Wednesday and our introduction to Mad Sweeney. Pablo Schreiber does a bang-up job of bringing the mad leprechaun to life. Schreiber’s charisma is here by the boat load, and his coin tricks are even more impressive on screen.
Sweeney and Shadow’s fist fight is a thing of beauty, and Whittle proves he has the physical prowess to bring Shadow to life on the screen. If there is any quibble with Mad Sweeney’s scene, it’s that it is all too brief. Hopefully, Sweeney is one of those characters set to receive an expanded role from the novel.
Image Credit: Starz
Laura’s funeral and burial are not quite as fun as the bar room brawl, naturally. It does lead us to Shadow’s first meeting with the opposition, in the form of the obnoxiously over the top Tech Boy.
Tech Boy receives an update here from the novel, as the meeting takes place in some sort of Matrix-like virtual reality. Tech Boy orders Shadow dead, as opposed to simply kicking him out of the limo on page, but it’s honestly a bit more of a natural choice from Tech Boy. Why let the errand boy of your enemy go free?
Overall, the first episode is a rather faithful adaptation of the novel. There are some dialogue changes but are mostly minor. And other than Shadow’s hanging and apparent rescue in the episode’s final scene, the episode was largely the same plot-wise as well.
Next: Best live streams to watch TV shows
It was a great start to a series that could easily establish itself as the newest worldwide phenomenon. From the excellent acting to the gorgeous cinematography, American Gods has all the ingredients to be the next big thing.