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American Gods in the Media

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in American Gods [V]

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formerlyfreedom
formerlyfreedom

We have a date for the Season 2 premiere! From Deadline:  

AnimeMania
AnimeMania

You remove one angry black man from television and create one angry black man in real life.

Nashville
Nashville

ONE...?  Hell, I’m white and I’m pissed.

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PrePreBabylonia

PrePreBabylonia

Freemantle has just signed a deal with Saudi Arabia, and now we're in the midst of controversy over what happened to Washingont Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Turkey. It's a good thing that Gaiman has signed the new contract with Amazon. I don't imagine that most reputable actors and directors will want to be involved with any company committed to working with the Saudi government.

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fremantle-signs-saudi-arabia-format-deal-1152466

formerlyfreedom

formerlyfreedom

We have a date for the Season 2 premiere! From Deadline:

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American Gods will return for its second season Sunday, March 10 on Starz. Cast member Ricky Whittle shared the news today on Instagram, along with a new poster.

The eight-episode second season of the well-received drama based on Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel will see Dean Winters’ Mr. Town tasked by Mr. World (Crispin Glover) to find out what Shadow (Ricky Whittle) knows about Mr. Wednesday’s (Ian McShane) plan. His brutal efficiency and technique just may get him the answers to his curious questions.

 

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Lantern7

Lantern7

This is more of a press release . . . blind box collectable figures are apparently on sale. I tend to pick up too many of those things. Last time, I waited two months for the latest Doctor Who line, then got the same figure twice. Basically, they're small, sometimes comes with accessories, and is a perfect hobby for anyone who has a hidden gambling addiction that never goes toward lottery tickets and slot machines. No clue what the "chase" figures would be . . . most of them are variations of the same character.

formerlyfreedom

formerlyfreedom

Couple of stories coming out of TCA:

American Gods: Shadow and the Deities Hit the Diner in New Season 2 Poster

american-gods-s2-poster-full-1.thumb.jpeg.1d50045886570d29e708bcb889470f71.jpeg

‘American Gods’ Likely Blessed For Season 3 Renewal From Starz – TCA

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EXCLUSIVE: Nothing is written on stone tablets yet, but a third season of American Gods looks to be a divine certainty. “We didn’t make Season 2 of American Gods not to make a Season 3,” a source close to the production told Deadline of the Starz series based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning 2001 novel. “It’s a big book.”

With that top of mind, the premium cabler is searching to find a showrunner for a third season, I hear. With some top-tier candidates in the mix and in talks, that quest is centered in many ways on securing someone who can bring the ensemble series led by Ricky Whittle and Ian McShane in on budget and on time.

AuntieMame

AuntieMame

(edited)

Squeedeley, squee, squee, squee! I just checked to see if I could watch this early on demand but no such luck. But only a little over twenty -four hours to go. I don't like that I'm not seeing Ostara in the previews because with the spring equinox coming I'm planning on giving her a little prayer of thanks. She deserves it.

oh and Old Gods all the way. I can't say I haven't been beguiled by the shiny, shallow promises of the new gods, but what can they really teach us of love and death and living an authentic and good life?

Edited by AuntieMame
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Pallas

Pallas

12 minutes ago, AuntieMame said:

I can't say I haven't been beguiled by the shiny, shallow promises of the new gods, but what can they really teach us of love and death and living an authentic and good life?

I love that.

Vulture has two articles about the return of the Gods, Old and New. The first reviews the behind-the-scenes, between-the-seasons gotterdammerung between Starz and Showrunnerz.

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/american-gods-season-2-changes-recap.html

The second is Matt Zoller Seitz's review of Season Two. 

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/american-gods-season-2-starz-review.html

AuntieMame

AuntieMame

(edited)
On 3/9/2019 at 8:18 AM, Pallas said:

I love that.

Vulture has two articles about the return of the Gods, Old and New. The first reviews the behind-the-scenes, between-the-seasons gotterdammerung between Starz and Showrunnerz.

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/american-gods-season-2-changes-recap.html

The second is Matt Zoller Seitz's review of Season Two. 

https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/american-gods-season-2-starz-review.html

Thank you pallas. Don't I remember you from the late, lamented TWOP? I liked the articles and I'm heartbroken to lose both Ostara and Fuller. I don't think another showrunner will produce the surreal, disturbing beauty that Fuller brought to this and Hannibal. 

Starz was trying to decide on American Gods or the Miriam Black series. I'm hoping b that Miriam might still get made. 

Edited by AuntieMame
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Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

On 3/6/2019 at 7:26 PM, raven said:

Obviously I haven't been following this topic since I had no idea there was such a mess behind the scenes.

I'll still be watching though.  Mild spoilers at the link above.

I read that article. The most shocking thing to me was the replacement showrunner getting in a shouting match with Ian McShane. It is probably because I have been watching a bunch of Deadwood lately, but in the unlikely event I was ever going to yell at Ian McShane, well first off I would be too scared to. But if for some reason I did i would make sure all sharp objects were cleared from the room beforehand. 

  • LOL 2
Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

31 minutes ago, starri said:

Renewed.

I am kind of surprised that it got renewed, given the mess behind the scenes.  I am utterly gobsmacked that it get renewed this early.

I wonder if it is the kind of thing where they have spent so much money getting the rights and developing it that they need three seasons to actually make a decent amount of money.

formerlyfreedom

formerlyfreedom

Well this is interesting. Not sure how I'm feeling about it, to be honest...

‘American Gods’ Adds Marilyn Manson For Season 3 Role On Starz Drama
 

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EXCLUSIVE: Marilyn Manson is joining with the beautiful people of American Gods for the Starz series’ third season.

No stranger to the small screen, the Sons of Anarchy alum will play blood-thirsty Johan Wengren,  lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death — well within the shock rocker’s wheelhouse. Wengren and Blood Death are also a source of power for the Ian McShane-portrayed Mr. Wednesday in his war with the New Gods.

  • Love 1
nodorothyparker

nodorothyparker

No offense to Rheon, who's been competent enough in everything I've seen him in, but if he's the replacement leprechaun that's probably it for me with this show.  Sweeney and his continued adventures with Laura was about the only really watchable thing in the otherwise muddled mess of last season, and if he's really done done I don't think I care enough about the wooden blankness that is Shadow or Ian McShane endlessly hamming it up with a whole new crew of sycophants to continue.  The show has suffered largely from the same issue I had with the book in that there's a lot of flash and interesting ideas but not a ton of heart.

  • Love 4
Mr. Sparkle

Mr. Sparkle

9 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Sweeney and his continued adventures with Laura was about the only really watchable thing in the otherwise muddled mess of last season, and if he's really done done I don't think I care enough about the wooden blankness that is Shadow or Ian McShane endlessly hamming it up with a whole new crew of sycophants to continue.  The show has suffered largely from the same issue I had with the book in that there's a lot of flash and interesting ideas but not a ton of heart.

Oof. This is so dead-on it hurts. I remember reading the book and it was up and down for me, some parts good, some parts dragging. I liked the part that should be coming up, so I'm looking forward to this season, but yeah - they haven't done a great job for the reasons you mentioned. 

  • Love 1
nodorothyparker

nodorothyparker

Yikes.  That seems ... wrongheaded as Mr. Nancy's introduction and speech in season 1 was easily one of the most electrifying things about it.  Even when I wasn't enthused about some of the writing, Orlando Jones has been magnificent.

I'm trying to remember the last time I saw a show so willfully devolve like this.

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Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

(edited)

WTF? That's the perfect message for Black America right now. 

Well S1 was great, S2 was iffy and, I still have 4 episodes left, think I'll just skip the rest and read the book (which i bought and never read because I didn't want to ruin the series).

Nancy was my 2nd favorite after Sweeny and, I've been a fan of Orlando since Evolution.

Edited by Morrigan2575
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Trini

Trini

Update with statement from the production company: https://deadline.com/2019/12/orlando-jones-fired-american-gods-racism-gabrielle-union-fremantle-starz-neil-gaiman-1202809444/

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UPDATE, 3:45 PM: EXCLUSIVE: The departure of Orlando Jones from the third season of American Gods is not about race, says Fremantle, it is about story.

“The storylines of American Gods have continually shifted and evolved to reflect the complex mythology of the source material,” says a spokesperson for the company to Deadline. “Mr. Jones’ option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3,” they added.

...

“Several new characters, many of which have already been announced, will be introduced into Shadow Moon’s world that will further contribute to the show’s legacy as one of the most diverse series on television,” the spokesperson speaking Saturday asserted.

steelyis

steelyis

4 hours ago, Trini said:

UPDATE, 3:45 PM: EXCLUSIVE: The departure of Orlando Jones from the third season of American Gods is not about race, says Fremantle, it is about story.

“The storylines of American Gods have continually shifted and evolved to reflect the complex mythology of the source material,” says a spokesperson for the company to Deadline. “Mr. Jones’ option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3,” they added.

...

“Several new characters, many of which have already been announced, will be introduced into Shadow Moon’s world that will further contribute to the show’s legacy as one of the most diverse series on television,” the spokesperson speaking Saturday asserted.

Mr. Nancy isn't in the part of the book they're about to adapt, okay, I get that, but does he not show up in later parts of the book? If he does, why fire Jones if the character appears again at some point? Is Season 3 the last season? Is that why they fired him, because there's no more show after Season 3?

WTF is going on?

Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

(edited)
6 hours ago, steelyis said:

Mr. Nancy isn't in the part of the book they're about to adapt, okay, I get that, but does he not show up in later parts of the book? If he does, why fire Jones if the character appears again at some point? Is Season 3 the last season? Is that why they fired him, because there's no more show after Season 3?

WTF is going on?

It's an interesting question. I know actors have these option contracts so every year the studio has to pick up the option for the next season. If they don't pick it up, the actor is essentially fired.  

However, I don't know of many shows where there's a planned season gap. There's always a lot at play because if you give up/lose an actor it could be difficult to get them back. They will go out looking for work and may end up committing to another project and, then you're screwed.

Generally EPs would look for ways to keep the character around (even if they're not in the book - Sweeny) just so that the actor is locked in for when they do need them.

My guess is the truth lies somewhere between Orlando's version and the EP's version.  So yeah, maybe Nancy isn't in this part of the book but, they could have figured something out if they really wanted to keep him around (side quest, back story, VO, etc)

Edited by Morrigan2575
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Featherhat

Featherhat

When I first saw the headline I was expecting something more dramatic than let go for storyline purposes, which happens to many actors all the time. Whilst it's essentially the same thing in that an actor looses their job most shows never categorise that as "fired". 

It doesn't seem like there are plans to bring him back or he wouldn't have reacted in that way. I do think S3 might be the last though. Like @Morrigan2575 I think there's truth to both versions. If the "angry black character" thing is true I wonder if it came from further up the ladder than the show's EPs?

This show certainly doesn't lack for BTS controversy though. 

nodorothyparker

nodorothyparker

I might be inclined to give the official show statement more weight if the show hadn't basically always been a fairly loosely "inspired by" adaptation.  The best things about the show version have mostly been pairings and meetups that never happened in the book.  I realize part of the problem is three seasons, three different showrunners that leaves us now with a brand new head guy who isn't responsible for what his predecessors did.  But he's still inheriting an ongoing cast and storyline that he has to figure out how to cohesively move forward, preferably without alienating the viewers who have hung in there through all the backstage upheaval that spilled onto the screen.  If it's important enough to them to include certain characters, they can certainly find ways to do that.  All the announced casting changes suggest that it isn't, which is clearly what Orlando Jones thinks. 

I also realize that if now, three seasons in, they want to go to a more faithful book adaptation, that this is me coming at it as a reader who was mostly bored with this section of the book and probably wouldn't have cared for a straight adaptation of it anyway.

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nodorothyparker

nodorothyparker

Whoa.  Did anyone catch this part of that interview?

Quote

Jones pointed out that a number of the show’s characters of color, including Salim and Jinn, are gone, and that Fuller and Green’s desire to write major parts for “American Gods'” characters of color has been lost.

I haven't been able to find anything that mentions Salim and the Jinn either way, but if that's true that leaves basically Wednesday and Shadow and who?  A bunch of reincarnations and reimaginings after most of the original cast bailed or was pushed out.

Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

1 hour ago, nodorothyparker said:

Whoa.  Did anyone catch this part of that interview?

I haven't been able to find anything that mentions Salim and the Jinn either way, but if that's true that leaves basically Wednesday and Shadow and who?  A bunch of reincarnations and reimaginings after most of the original cast bailed or was pushed out.

I haven't kept track until now (and didn't finish S2) but, of the main cast I would guess, Shadow, Wednesday, Laura Moon, Mr World, New Media, Tech Boy.

Of the secondary characters Anubis and Bilquis. Unless they're gone?

  • Love 1
PrePreBabylonia

PrePreBabylonia

I became stuck on the second or third episode of the second season, but figured I would go back to it and hopefully, the third season would greatly improve with a new showrunner. Now we've lost Sweeny, Mr. Nancy, the Jin and Salim. Besides Mr. Wednesday and Moon, they were the reasons I kept watching, I might as well go back to my beloved first season and watch it over and over. Jin and Salim's love scene is the best sex I have ever watched, in films or TV. How can they take away everything that made this one of the best shows I've ever seen? They've destroyed it. Fuller and Green had created an amazing world that complimented Gaiman's world vision without slavishly following the text. No wonder Gillian and Kristen left with them. This is beginning to look like the de-evolution of TWD after Daramont left.

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