American Gods: 5 questions we have after ‘The Bone Orchard’

American Gods / Starz

American Gods premiered on Starz Sunday night, and it was not anxious to reveal its secrets. Sixty-five minutes into the story, and viewers should be forgiven for being completely lost.

This was always going to be a slow burn of a show, one that will favor more questions and than answers. Neil Gaiman — the author of the book on which the show is based — revels in the opaque, while creator Bryan Fuller — of Hannibal fame — loves to take his time building a story.

Of course, those that caught American Gods’ show description or read up on the Wiki know the basic premise: gods are real, and they are about to throw down.

The roots of that battle and its stakes remain a mystery, however. Yes, we’re treated to some 9th century Vikings and their increasingly gruesome acts of devotion. There’s that first-date-gone-wrong, and what might actually be a leprechaun. And who could forget the synthetic toad skin?

Then, of course, there’s Shadow Moon and his traveling companion,  Mr. Wednesday. All pieces of a story that are congruent only insofar that each scene and character feels like a myth. There’s no attempt to justify anything or to work up origin stories. American Gods is a show that needs you to understand, right from the get go, that in this world gods exist among men.

None of which will stop viewers from demanding answers to just what in the hell is happening. Let’s take a look at just five questions we have after watching “Bone Orchard.”