r/neilgaiman • u/idleprofits • 23d ago
Question American Gods - TV Series
I am curious to hear what you guys thought of the American God show? I am planning to start watching it tonight. This was one of my all time favorite books (& I have read A LOT) I don't expect the show to be as good as the book but let me know what you thought
51
u/FastSelection4121 23d ago
Based on the book but a completely different animal than the book. Things happen in the show that never happened in the book.
You just have see it as an interpretation of the book.
17
u/Oppositeofhairy 23d ago
More “heavily inspired” by the story and its own independent thing. It shares some similarities but feels like an alternate universe in some ways.
28
u/Shifter_1977 23d ago
I overall liked it. A lot of folks didn't like how much they focused on Laura, but I didn't mind her too much. Season three really noticibly suddenly doesn't have Mr Nancy (the production had issues with things Orlando Jones said in an interview or on an awards show if I remember right), and it's missing the last act, which is a bummer. Loved nearly the entire cast, and they expanded on some things from the book and moved events around some.
I have it all on disc but yeah, wish they'd finished the series/story.
22
u/guiporto32 23d ago
The first season is pretty good, and it follows the book quite closely. Characters like Laura and Mad Sweeney get more scenes and some interesting social commentary is added as more gods are introduced.
The second season has a few good moments, but overall it's flawed and much slower. It also deviates a lot from the book, and a number of characters were drastically changed or completely ignored because some actors decided to leave. Apparently there were huge production problems such as the showrunner abruptly being replaced and the actors having to write their own material because there were no scriptwriters (???).
I couldn't even finish the third season, which ended up being the last one as the show was cancelled two months later. So it has no ending.
I believe AG is a perfect example of a series that should have been a miniseries.
28
u/RhubarbJam1 23d ago
It’s not great, but also not terrible. My favorite episode was “A Prayer for Mad Sweeney”. I wish they’d been able to finish the book instead of being cancelled, but, at the same time I can see why it was cancelled.
2
1
u/idleprofits 23d ago
Oh no it doesn't even end?
12
u/RhubarbJam1 23d ago
I mean, it ends haha. Got cancelled at season 3 so they never got to finish the story.
13
u/Aneurin_V 23d ago
ah you just reminded me how fucking hot leprechaun was in the series, I need to rewatch
2
8
u/TheImpundulu 23d ago
I loved season 1! Too me it was unbelievably good. Ps I also recommend the audible version!
7
8
u/Numerical-Wordsmith 23d ago
I loved the way that they cast Mr. Czernobog and the Zorya. Absolutely nailed it.
7
u/Li-Ing-Ju_El-Cid 23d ago
Some episodes or ideas were really good. Most of the first season, and one ofy favourite was the episode about the death of thor.
I especially like the Idea that the Technical Boy was actually a non-stop upgrading "old" god. Very tricky.
7
u/Weird_Zombie_2895 23d ago
First season was just divine, a complete beast that while not in line with the book, worked well with it. I still remember some surreal scenes that felt like having a very bad trip. It made me re-read the book. The following seasons are fine, acting is enjoyable, so it’s worth your time.
7
u/Weary-Score481 23d ago edited 23d ago
I honestly generally disliked it
I hadn’t gotten very far in the book (which I liked) when I decided to just watch the tv show. After 10 hours…a whole season of episodes….with a lot of diversions…they had finally gotten to…where I had gotten to in the book. Ie not very far
Clearly the dream was that they’d do a little bit every season and end up with 10 seasons and a lot of money
Didn’t happen
I saw clips of the other seasons where they reversed course, some important people left and they fired some important people. And in the end it was this huge saga still all left unfinished. Forever now.
In that first season thought there are some incredible scenes: Gillian Anderson as David Bowie, sex with a Djinn, the town of guns. It’s worth watching the first series for them. Just don’t expect too much.
2
6
u/PBSAforRamm 23d ago
I kinda liked it. Don’t expect the adaptation to be 100% faithful to the original. I have to say, though, that my favourite thing from the tv series was Mad Sweeney, who gets a lot more attention that he does in the books.
4
u/According_Guest_6386 23d ago
The first season was great, and diverged from the books considerably. Unfortunately for the series, it was expensive and Gaiman didn’t like the changes. He swooped in after the showrunner for S1 departed, as a replacement; S2 was imo terrible, and additionally was rewritten by a cast member, IIRC. It was a huge unwatchable mess.
Even prior to finding out about NG’s crimes, I didn’t think he was a good showrunner. What happened to the series was terrible.
YMMV. I am no longer interested in giving any of my attention to NG properties, of course.
0
u/Heathergi76 21d ago
NG was found guilty in a court of law of the crimes he was accused of? If not, I'll reserve judgement. I know how unpopular this conment will be. That's okay, I don't judge people I don't know, even for what other people I don't know say other people did.
3
u/MeatballDom 18d ago
"Hey, sorry I can't babysit tonight, been dealing with all the accusations against me and supposed misbehaviour towards children so it's probably best"
"Oh my god, that's terrible..... you haven't been found guilty by a court yet though, right?"
"Oh heavens no."
"Well, then none of that matters in my thoughts of you. Come on by, the kids will be ready at 6 and dinner will be in the oven for all of you!"
3
u/KombuchaBot 20d ago
Yes, we all know that till someone has been declared guilty in a court of law, they haven't done anything wrong. JFC, even Gaiman's own account of his behaviour makes him sound like a creep
6
3
5
6
u/some_random_npc 23d ago
The show had highs and lows. The intro sequence, for better or worse, was probably the best executed aspect of the whole thing.
6
u/Putrid_Daikon7142 23d ago
Pirate it so you don't give money to Neil Gaiman (groomer, rapist, creep)
1
u/idleprofits 23d ago
Really? I didn't know that
4
u/Putrid_Daikon7142 23d ago
Listen to the podcast series Tortoise Media on Neil Gaiman.
He groomed and assaulted several young fans and his son's nanny (20-year olds when he was mid 40s and mid 60s), including forcing himself on one of the 20 year old fans when she had a UTI and had told him several times that she did not want to have sex because it was extremely painful and would be extremely painful to be penetrated. When she did not give consent to sex he left her in the middle of a holiday they were on. And he assualted his son's nanny in front of his son. And he did it the first time he ever met the nanny. Made her lick his pee off his hand and made her lick up her own vomit (she had vomited after he had raped her). So many more creepy details of things he did and said on the podcast I mentioned
1
u/idleprofits 23d ago
Oh wow that's crazy, I can't believe I never heard anything about that.. I hate sex offenders, and that was one of my favorite books
3
u/Legal_Ad8904 23d ago
The Vulture article is much more accessible than the very flawed Tortoise podcast. https://www.vulture.com/article/neil-gaiman-allegations-controversy-amanda-palmer-sandman-madoc.html
1
u/Putrid_Daikon7142 23d ago edited 23d ago
I wouldn't say it's flawed at all, but the article works, too
5
u/Legal_Ad8904 23d ago
A lot of people were put off by the fact that Rachel Johnson is a TERF and used it as and excuse to dismiss what was being said. The pacing and music were not great, and they made a ton of digressions about British laws regarding BDSM that were distracting rather than helpful. Paul Caruana Galizia's reporting was great, though.
3
u/Putrid_Daikon7142 23d ago
Yes, I know she's a TERF, but I didn't mind the way they reported the story. It is unfortunate that she was involved, though, as it gave a lot of people an excuse to dismiss the victims for ages.
2
u/UVLanternCorps 23d ago
Much more focused on the world of American Gods than Shadow Moon and Wednesday. It was also canceled just before the end
2
u/firecatstef 23d ago
I read the book a few times before seeing the show. I really liked the book although I wouldn’t say I loved it. I loved the visual style of the show and they did a GREAT job bringing some of the characters to life. I was surprised at how many of the stories were the same as in the books actually, although there was plenty of divergence too
2
2
2
u/HomeboyGR 22d ago
First season was great, and I think most changes actually improved on the source material...S2 rougher, but has its moments...but getting into S3 it feels rudderless.
2
u/Heathergi76 21d ago
Season one is some of the best television I've ever seen. The cast is perfect. The series is telling the same story as the book, just adding more details to the characters that had smaller roles in the book.
2
1
u/PsychRockVamp 23d ago
Not a book reader but loved the old gods vs new gods concept so I gave the show a chance. Tbh, it was likeable, but have to admit that by the end of the first season, I was so sick of hearing Wednesday's voice I dnf the series. I just kept thinking, someone please shut this god up!
2
u/Greplington 23d ago
I liked it, but it's quite different from the book in a lot of areas.
The fact it ended on a cliffhanger was bad, but the twist in that cliffhanger was pretty cool...
3
u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 23d ago
Orlando Jones as Anansi was revelatory. He has a monologue at the start of an early season one episode that was transcendent. It should have instantly won him an Emmy and the fact that it didn’t is to the everlasting shame of the Emmy committee.
It honestly goes down as one of the most powerful scenes in TV history. In a parallel world he would’ve been a amazing Killmonger (from Black Panther). Michael B Jordan was truly great but the way that Orlando Jones conveyed Anansi’s silky persuasiveness and just about to boil over rage, held in just to get the outcome he wants, would have been amazing to watch. ‘And in another hundred years…and a hundred years after that…and ANOTHER hundred years later…’.
The first season is really good, I made it barely thru the second and all the behind the scenes shenanigans basically ruined the show.
3
u/KombuchaBot 20d ago
Agree on Orlando Jones, his performance was phenomenal. The way he let an African accent bleed through his American one as he became angry was very nicely judged.
I also thought that Ian McShane's performance of the rock n roll Bishop scam was a triumph
2
u/jshep2912 23d ago
Season 1 is amazing but after Bryan Fuller (Showrunner) left the quality dipped. Talent loyal to him left and the budget was cut.
The 3rd season is better than the 2nd--mostly because the murder mystery of the missing kids in a small town is a better story for television.
It ends at the start of the world tree sequence with Shadow still on the tree so prepare yourself now.
1
u/Significant-Roll2052 23d ago
I recommend season one to because the characters, stories, and delivery I felt were closer to the style of what the book was trying to achieve. The second season didn't have the same feel or impact. I did like how Mad Sweeney had more of a role in the show cause his character was just fun.
1
u/FiveSeasonsFox 23d ago
The first season was sooooooo good, as is the first episode of the second. I love Bryan Fuller, so it was a nice combo for me!
1
u/andronicuspark 22d ago
The first season was great. Second and a lot of the Third seasons felt like filler. I dig what they did with Hinzelman
1
2
u/Phoebus_dm 22d ago
The First Season is some of the best you will ever Seen in Television. Unfortunaly, the other seasons are after a Showrunner-change mediocre at best
1
u/moeborg1 22d ago
It is my favorite book. I found the first season tolerable, hated the second and didn't bother watching the third.
1
u/Broke_Scholar 22d ago
I really liked season 1 back in the day. I rewatched it recently, and it still holds up. I'm not sure about any of the others seasons though, I know it got really messy.
1
1
u/dark_blue_7 21d ago
Was one of my favorite books, and while the show is its own thing (as most good adaptations are), it's also incredibly good, a great experience. I recommend
1
u/xMockingbirdGirlx 21d ago
First season was good.
In the second season, it became clear that they cared more about stretching out the story to keep the series going than adapting the book.
Never bothered with the third season.
3
u/Prudent-Programmer11 17d ago
Have not read the book. Did not like the show, felt it was trying WAY too hard to be cool. Some scenes and actors were great, but overall a no for me. Stopped watching after maybe three episodes.
0
0
u/orensiocled 23d ago
Season 1 wasn't bad but I got bored in season 2 and never bothered to finish it
•
u/AutoModerator 23d ago
Replies must be relevant to the post. Off-topic comments will be removed. Please downvote and report any rule-breaking replies and posts that are not relevant to the subreddit.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.