As we near closer to season two, I figured it would be better to start a new thread instead of continuously reviving the season one thread. With that in mind, here's some news. Neil Gaiman says the new season will focus on the rise of facism in America (no, not the current one and I'm deeply sickened that I have to clarify that). On the positive side, Gaiman doesn't seem to be too concerned about the troubles the show has had since season one ended. While I'm still worried about the situation, I'm willing to give Gaiman the benefit of doubt. The Deadline interview goes into more details about both this show (including a gorgeous season two poster) and Good Omens.
Trailer Looks good, and not having read the book I'm very curious to see where things go now that Shadow really knows what's going on.
Ah, thanks for the trailer. I hadn't seen that was out! Regardless of what may have happened behind the scenes, the second season looks great. I love the glimpse of Odin in his "true" form. Oops, that's what I meant. I hit the wrong key and didn't see the mistake. (Also pathetic how that doesn't change my parenthetical)
Kristen Chenoweth is definitely not returning in season 2. I figured this was the case but it's still sad to see it confirmed.
Kristen and Gillian Anderson were my favourite parts of Season 1. I'm less enthused but Ian MacShane is worth tuning in for.
No surprise re: Chenowith. I've read though that with Gillian Anderson's departure that they're creating a character called "New Media" reflecting people's obsession with social media, streaming services and the like. I have to admit that sounds like a good idea and a little ray of hope from all the bad news.
The idea that the New Gods are objects of religious faith only works if you don't know a damn thing about how real life churches operate. That said, I bought season one on DVD and greatly enjoyed the gratuitous scenery (including the naked people subset of same.) But, I bought Immortals and The Fall for gratuitous scenery too, so what do I know?
^ Faith and Churches do not necessarily always go together. A major issue in American Gods is not just belief but worship. There is no doubt that many people today worship social media.
Don't think obsessive consumption is worship. Ancient temples; country shrines; taboos' totems; medicine men; shamans; witch doctors; sacrifices; rites of passage like wedding, funerals, christenings, coming of age; canon law; storage of wills and other public records; monasticism; charitable endowments such as hospitals and orphanages and hospices; law fraternities for charity; religious instruction in schools; ritiual scarification; vision quests; walkabout; taking drugs for visions; blessings for public occasions; curses; rain dances; fertility rites; orgies; celibacy; sanctuary; guarantees of truce....these are just a few of the things that characterize actual religions. There is a species of conservatism that wants to apologize for religion and they resort to a denatured generic and utterly false notion of "religion" as a key ploy in the project. Kings was the fantasy series that actually portrayed religion in some fashion remotely like a real religion. My opinion of course.
I don't really think the whole thing with the New Gods is meant to really be a religion like Christianity or Islam, it's just that people have become so obssessed with what they represent that they it's like how people felt about the Old Gods.
How people "felt" about the Old Gods was every bit as varied as how they feel about the Old/New God Jesus. The show finessed that by multiple Jesuses, which only makes sense if there are multiple Odins (or Wotan or Woden etc.) Sort of like Rick Riordan cheating with Roman gods plus Greek gods. The implicit premise "religion" is a psychological/spiritual phenomenon is a fundamental error. This makes it difficult for American Gods to pretend to serious rather than sumptuous, to gravity rather than levity.
Bryan Fuller tweeted some information about the season two he was crafting with Michael Green and it included Media as Mr. Rogers and Princess Leia. I wish I lived in the timeline where Gillian Anderson portrayed Media as Mr. Rogers and Princess Leia.
Princess Leia sounds cool but I don't know about Mr. Rogers. Not who I usually think of as someone the public is enamored with and workships. Bob Ross on the other hand....