I can understand that hesitation but I think Fuller, Green, and Anderson would've performed him respectfully. Kahyun Kim will play an original character called New Media.
OK. I think I actually like that better than seeing someone try to replace Gillian Anderson, she was awesome.
Reviews for the first three episodes are coming in. I've been looking forward to it's return for some time now, knowing full well about the behind the scenes drama. Even so, things are looking bleak. indiewire rolling stone collider ew
That EW review above seems the most on-point, some of the other complaints about season 2 could be applied just the same as season 1. I thought the show did a wonderful job creating the stunning visuals for The House on the Rock. However, I had no idea until a few minutes ago that it actually exists, lol! So I guess it remains to see if the rest of the season is going to be as striking as the first season. I think one of the challenges is that the first season was more interested in the journey than the destination. The book may be as well but I haven't read it. Also, Shadow Moon is more of the catalyst to the other more interesting characters than he is interesting himself. This seems to be a source of frustration in reviews and comments I've seen that want more to happen and/or find Shadow/Ricky Whittle lacking. Maybe it was something Fuller and Green could get away with but I'm not sure the new guy was really given a chance. I guess even the new guy was ousted by the end, maybe even by the crew themselves, so not sure where they're going. I share similar concern with the EW article with Mr. World doing Bond-style villainy from some hidden bunker lair. The assault on the diner seemed a bit too terrestrial. I'll give the first episode a chance to set the pieces before deciding too much one way or the other on the season. I kind of wish I didn't know that Fuller and Green left as it's hard not to let it color my viewing, I'm already predisposed into looking for the cracks instead of giving it a fair shake.
I have to say that I've become quite disassociated from the book because my memory sucks so badly (I've only read it once, nearly a decade ago), so I'm at the point where I'm not really comparing the two. That said, Mr. World's hidden lair and guided attack on the old gods at the diner definitely struck me as new to the series and standing out oddly, as did Shadow's abrupt kidnapping. I'm not surprised by it, however, because my vaguest memories of the chapters set at the House on the Rock were less action-oriented and far more cerebral, so changing things up for the series makes a certain amount of sense. All said and done, I did love the carousel and the "backstage" sequences, especially how the show depicted the old gods in their "true form."
On the one hand, Charles Eglee was the co-creator/showrunner of Murder One. On the other hand, Charles Eglee was the co-creator/showrunner of Dark Angel. This could really go either way here.
Yeah, I'm thinking of Starz's alleged problem with the last showrunner that they didn't like that he took the series "in a more conventional direction" and balancing it with that hiring and I'm not sure. I kind of sense that Gaiman is maybe too close to his work to judge what works for an "adaptation", being the author he may be a bit precious about his own work and wanting it too "stick to the script" perhaps to the detriment of the series not allowing it to be its own thing. I just noticed I used a lot of weasel words in that last sentence, I'm hedging a lot because I don't know this for a fact to be the case, more I'm speculating.
And on the off-chance they really were looking for someone unconventional like Fuller and simply couldn't find anyone, what are John Masius and Stephen Godchaux up to? Crappy revival movie aside, they did a phenomenal job with Dead Like Me after Fuller left five episodes in. They could probably showrun the shit out of American Gods too.
I'm fairly certain Gaiman is open to deviations to his works, as long as he's guiding that process. He's written entirely new material for the upcoming Good Omens and he's shaping that process here as well (look no further than Laura's much-expanded role).
EDIT: ** SPOILER WARNING ** Forgot I watched this early OnDemand but it doesn't *air* until later. Last night was the first I've felt Season 2 managed to hit its groove, perhaps not a coincidence that it didn't feature the new gods. I've been surprised at the racial elements that have been raised, the seeds were there in season 1 but they're really front-and-center now. Wednesday seems a little off to me but maybe that's just due to his truer colors showing through and they haven't quite figured out what to do with Bilquis but regardless I think the episode worked more than it didn't. New Orleans can be held up well against with the stylistic moments of season 1. Probably didn't hurt to have Mustafa Shakir and his steel eyes on hand. I was introduced to him as Bushmaster in Luke Cage and feel I need to find more of his work. I wasn't sure about casting him as Jet Black in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Cowboy Bebop but I'm ready to check it out when the time comes. Emily Browning and Pablo Schreiber bring the heat. Laura seems to have more heat and chemistry with others than she has with Shadow Moon but that is not inappropriate to the story. I'm curious how much of this is in the book or has been introduced/enhanced in the series. I keep going back and forth over whether or not I should read it or wait until after the series is finished. Nice to see Lee Arenberg playing another legendary dwarf. I was not a big fan of Once Upon a Time but I liked him.
The last time I remember any representation of Baron Samedi in film, was Jeffrey Holder in Live and Let Die. I think Mustafa Shakir is the perfect man to continue the tradition. If you can call twice a tradition.
I did wonder before you edited your post how you saw it before the rest of us... Yeah, I'm also surprised how much the racial themes have played out this season but I'm loving it. Aside from the one episode in season one that covered the slave trade, it wasn't really covered that much. In season two, however, they're going all out and it feels very right. It's been years since I've read the book so I don't know how much of that is true to the book. Shadow is black in the boo, too, so obviously it did play a role, but I just don't recall how much of one. I have a feeling a lot of it is Gaiman and company adjusting accordingly with the times, much like how technology, media, and the social culture has been updated from the book, which is something Gaiman has talked about in interviews in the past. Agreed! I've loved everything Shakir has done. He has a substantial role in David Simon's current show, The Deuce, or at least, as substantial as one can get in a Simon show. No kidding. Browning and Schreiber's chemistry has been raw since the beginning, but they really cranked up the steam in this one! Like I speculated above, I think a fair amount has been adjusted for the times. I've also debated about going back and reading it again, but I think I'm going to wait until after the series is over. Which is easy for me considering I'm drowning in books I'm reading and needing to read. Oh, wow, I didn't even recognize him with the giant beard and good teeth! I know him best from the Pirates of the Caribbeans trilogy.
Shaky start to the season but I thought they found the groove on the back half. I think they lost the new showrunner so I hope that this momentum is in the wake of that and will push into the next season. I finally started to understand the strength and point of the new gods. I also liked the ambiguity that seems purposefully brought in giving something to chew on after viewing. Spoiler: Yuk Yuk Yuk F.O.K.S. Broadcasting TRUSTED for news