The Old Gods have acquired a queen and finally set the stage for the beginning of the war against the New Gods in American Gods Season 1 Finale “Come to Jesus.”
While it isn’t the strongest episode of the season, it is a satisfying ending that leaves you wanting to reread the book again and binge-watch the season as soon as possible just in case you missed something that you didn’t see before. In my opinion that’s a good thing when ending a season. It leaves viewers wanting more.
I daresay the only two things that I didn’t like about this season finale was that there wasn’t enough Gillian Anderson and there wasn’t enough of Easter and Shadow Moon making eyes at each other. I’ll need more of that for Season 2.
Without further delay, let’s talk the good, the bad, and the ugly of “Come to Jesus”!
The Good – Easter Rising to Power
Ostara, also known as Easter, remembering who she is, is the true beginning of the war against the New Gods. And despite Mr. Wednesdays infuriating scheming behind the scenes that brought them all to this point, I’m proud of her.
For too long the New Gods have oppressed her. They put her in a little box, full of Jesus’, and told her this was where she belonged and that this was how she was going to get her power. They made her think that she was dependent on them. But in all reality they depend on her.
They depend on Easter to follow their rules and be an example to all the other Old Gods who are trying to survive in this new world order. (From what we saw in the vignette, Easter isn’t the last God the New Gods have tried to control.) And honestly, no matter how kind or giving the New Gods try to make themselves out to be, it’s a ruse to control them because they fear them.
This ruse is alive and well in the friendship between Easter and Media. There may be some true affection between those two women but there is also a uneven power dynamic where Media is always in control. And if I strip away my love for Gillian Anderson, Media was never Easter’s friend. She was her keeper. Media was the one that made sure Easter acted according to their wishes because they couldn’t have her realizing how powerful she was and how she didn’t need them.
Easter rising up and taking away the life of Spring was her way of showing all the New Gods, including Media, that she is done with others trying to restrain or douse the power/flame she has within. The New Gods might not want a fight but they’ve got one anyway. And it all starts with Easter.
The Bad – Shadow Believing in Mr. Wednesday
In the long run, believing is bad for Shadow Moon. Yes, he’s wanted nothing but answers from the start as to why he got lynched, why his wife is back, and if he really made it snow, but I don’t think he quite expected this. It’s wonderful for Mr. Wednesday. He’s been waiting for this, slowly building up Shadows reasons to believe from the start. But it’s bad for Shadow because there’s no going back.
He will now be forever embroiled in a war between the Old gods and the New. And what’s even more frightening is that we’re not sure why Mr. Wednesday needed Shadow so bad that he was willing to kill his wife. We know that belief is a strong power source and Shadow believing in him as Odin would be advantageous to him, but what else is there?
We’re all left with more questions than answers when the screen goes black and the tale is done. We are just scratching the surface of a very complicated story which I have very conflicted feelings for. On one hand I want to protect Shadow from the pain, the deceit, and the treachery of the God’s. And on the other hand, I can’t wait to explore more of Neil Gaiman’s Trippe and visually stunning world.
But maybe I don’t have to be so worried about Shadow Moon because he has somebody that will protect him for us. (Not saying he’s not capable. This man can take care of himself but he’s not a strong as her.) And that’s how we lead into our next section, with the ugly being the return of Laura Moon. Maybe two if you count Mad Sweeney tagging along.
The Ugly – The Arrival of Laura Moon & Mad Sweeney
Laura Moon and Mad Sweeney fall into the category of “the ugly” for this review not because they’re all beat up or because one of them is rotting away as we speak. They belong in this category because they are ugly when it comes to Mr. Wednesday’s plans for Shadow. They are a roadblock and an ugly reminder of what he has to get to this place.
Like Mad Sweeney said, the gods “fuck with us” and it’s not often and that those reminders of people that they fucked over actually come back to haunt them and mess up their plans. An oh was the timing perfect. Mr. Wednesday had just laid down a killer blow to the New Gods with Easter by his side. And then comes the possible ruin of everything that he’s created or gotten moving in this war.
It’s a fantastic way to end the series and honestly leave this craving and wanting for more. I still stand by the fact that it seems like we’ve barely scratched the surface of the story but I love what we’ve seen so far and I love what the appearance of Laura Moon and Mad Sweeney means for what’s going to happen in Season 2.
Mad Sweeney has a chip on his shoulder and he is sick and tired of being Mr. Wednesday’s errand boy. He knows he’s a good man, a little fucked up, but a good man none the less and he’s going to work for himself now. Laura Moon on the other hand, isn’t 100% sure what she wants but she knows that she wants to live and she wants to fix her relationship with Shadow her husband. For now that’s enough for Laura and enough to throw a wrench into Mr. Wednesday’s plans.
Favorite Scene from Come to Jesus:
I need someone to do an in depth analysis on the chemistry between these two. In a matter of seconds Shadow Moon was turned into a blushing schoolboy getting attention from the prettiest, strongest, and most elegant girl around. It’s a sweet scene that I can’t stop replaying over and over again in my mind.
American Gods has already been renewed for a second season and is predicted to return to Starz in 2018.
