American Gods Easter Eggs
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Glad to see you back with American Gods. You mentioned that your listener emails have been short and sweet, so here I am for a bit of Westworld-style nostalgia.
You’re reviews of Episode 1 were spot on so far. I have mixed feelings about the show. Because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and have been waiting for this adaptation for ages, I had very high hopes. For the most part, I have not been disappointed. However, there are a few bits that have made me cringe.
Having just seen episode 2, I am now convinced that my issue with the show is Shadow. When he’s not giving us Magnum or Blue Steel, there just isn’t much expression. The scene where Shadow is speaking to Laura’s grave was particularly upsetting. There really should have been much more there. Moreover, some weird shit is happening, and Shadow doesn’t seem too phased by it. If this is meant to be a journey of belief, then I need to be shown some disbelief at the start of the journey. I don’t remember him being quite that passive in the book.
One other bit that annoyed me is the scene transition from Shadow screaming at the national park to Bilquis in LA. We go from Shakamak State Park (a real place in Indiana) to the caption Somewhere in America to a shot of the Hollywood sign. It’s not exactly a mystery, is it?
On the other hand, the shirts v skins deathmatch was inspired, Ian McShane is brilliant, and I can’t wait to see more of Mad Sweeney.
So, a few little Easter eggs in anticipation of episode 3
You may have noticed Wednesday’s glass eye already
Shadow mentions that he read 813 books in prison.
- 813 AD is the date of the Coming to American story.
- 8 and 13 are consecutive Fibonacci numbers which have been shown to correlate with the branching patterns on trees, tying in with the imagery of the World Tree in the bone orchard.
Shadow’s vision of Laura
In Shadow’s first vision of Laura, the imagery evokes crucifixion (sacrifice) and the blue represents the Virgin mother. Hey, Mary had a kid without having sex so perhaps there is another explanation for Robbie’s cock in Laura’s mouth.
The 7 of clubs
In Shadow’s second dream, there is an image of a woman and things flying around, including the 7 of clubs. This card represents the search for spiritual truth and the ability to see the spiritual in the mundane. It is often paired with the Jack of Spades (one-eyed Jack, the black one ) as it’s supporting Karma card.
The circumstances of Laura’s death
The circumstances of Laura’s death are a bit mysterious. The driver of the other vehicle seems to have fled the scene. Plus, she died in the early hours of Wednesday and her obituary is on page 7.
Shadow’s coin
The coin that Shadow has is a 1979 Susan B Anthony dollar coin. The first time a woman was depicted on US currency and a symbol of abolition.
Crossroads of America
Eagle Point is a fictional place in Indiana. The sign says, Crossroads of America, the state slogan of Indian and a metaphor for Shadow’s current situation.
In folk mythology, crossroads represent a location between the world of humans and the supernatural. Odin was honoured at the crossroads in De Falsis Deis.
Heads up, you’re dead
When Shadows flips the coin onto Laura’s grave, it lands heads up
Shadow Moon’s shopping list
In Episode 2, Shadow is given a list that clearly has 2 cell phones on it, yet when Wednesday sees them, he chucks them out the window. Editing error, possibly.
And, in episode 2, Czernobog makes a big deal of Shadow being black. Czernobog is literally translated to black god.
That’s it for now.
Love from London,
Jez
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