American Gods ...

[Not A Nice Person]

... is totally worth signing up for Starz on Amazon for. I'm just saying.

For those poor benighted souls unfamiliar with it, it's a series/miniseries based on Neil Gaiman's brilliant novel of the same name. Cliff Notes version: every god ever worshipped on this continent, all the old ones, are STILL HERE. So are some new ones formed from our current worship: Media, Fame, etc. And there's a bit of a power struggle going on, into which a human ex-con gets sucked.

That's really as much as I can tell you without spoilers, although based on the first episode, no matter how many times you've read the book or know what happens next, you'll love the show. So far it's exactly how I pictured it in my head while reading it, and that doesn't happen often.

~Boar

 

[MadMonk]

I'm losing track, Boar. We need a "Boar's Picks" pinned topic.

 

[Scap]

Watched it. Episode ended with my head spinning. Can't wait for next week.

 

[whylieineedacigar]

I'm losing track, Boar. We need a "Boar's Picks" pinned topic.

That's a great idea!

 

[MNBrian]

This one is on my list for certain. Still need to read the book and I'm hesitant to watch the series prior to reading the book.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Tough call. I don't think watching first would necessarily spoil the book, but reading the book first would add a lot of background and detail to watching.

It would be interesting to see the reactions of someone who didn't know what was coming to watching the show, though.

~Boar

 

[kann]

Ian McShane is in this, so it's been on my radar.

 

[Scap]

Tough call. I don't think watching first would necessarily spoil the book, but reading the book first would add a lot of background and detail to watching.

It would be interesting to see the reactions of someone who didn't know what was coming to watching the show, though.

~Boar

That be me.

I was confused as hell, but I'm digging it.
Pablo Schreiber's role is awesome.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

That was a great scene.

Looking forward to the next episode---character actor extraordinaire Peter Stormare is Czernobog and it's going to get REALLY dark and Slavic.

~Boar

 

[Scap]

That was a great scene.

Looking forward to the next episode---character actor extraordinaire Peter Stormare is Czernobog and it's going to get REALLY dark and Slavic.

~Boar

He plays such a good bad guy.

Looks like he'll be in John Wick 3, too.

 

[nfulton]

Aww hell, I didn't know this was already on. Read the book first. I don't know what the show is like, but in the case of comics or books adapted to the screen in cases like the Walking Dead, the entire feel of the story is changed.

Although it is technically a young adult or children's book, I'd like to see them adapt The Graveyard Book as well.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

I would kill to see an adaptation of Neverwhere of this quality. The BBC did one ages ago, but the sets and effects were public access television level, and that book deserves better.

~Boar

 

[MX]

My wife watched E1, said "it was dumb"

That was all I could get from her, so I have to watch it for myself I guess.

T

 

[MichaelD]

My wife did not like it either. Maybe she'll change her mind give all of the full frontal and occasionally fully erect nudity.

Im about four episodes in and I'm hooked. Very curious to find out what the heck is actually going on.

One question - did the "salesman" absorb the djini or efriti or what ever Mr Glowing-eyes was? Couldn't figure out what was going on there.

 

[Scap]

Dunno, I turned the channel when that scene started.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Scap, you snowflake. It's not gonna get on ya.

That's how I interpreted it, Michael. If I recall the book accurately (it's been awhile since my last read) he basically becomes the next djinn in the line.

Episode 5 is

~Boar

 

[Scap]

Scap, you snowflake. It's not gonna get on ya.

That's how I interpreted it, Michael. If I recall the book accurately (it's been awhile since my last read) he basically becomes the next djinn in the line.

Episode 5 is

~Boar

Haha, not a snowflake, just not into the whole dude on dude thing that seems to be the latest shock scene.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

LOL.

Not unless you're shocked though.

Just messing with ya. I think we already discussed this on the Sense8 thread, didn't we? Anyway, that particular scene . . . I thought it was really powerful and effective in terms of the story---sort of a counterpoint to the Bilquis scene. What does sex actually look like with an ancient god, right? So she literally swallows men up, while he . . . well, fills them with his being. So to speak.

~Boar

 

[Scap]

LOL.

Not unless you're shocked though.

Just messing with ya. I think we already discussed this on the Sense8 thread, didn't we? Anyway, that particular scene . . . I thought it was really powerful and effective in terms of the story---sort of a counterpoint to the Bilquis scene. What does sex actually look like with an ancient god, right? So she literally swallows men up, while he . . . well, fills them with his being. So to speak.

~Boar

Yeah, Sense8 was over the top too.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Yeah, Sense8 was over the top too.

There's a lot going on there in terms of story/context though.

That strap on scene that pushed your buttons in the first episode of S1---Jamie Clayton, who plays Nomi Marks, is a transgender woman, as are both Wachowski siblings, and in the series, her character is a transgender lesbian. So ONE thing that scene does is at least imply some answers to the inevitable question as to just HOW trans her gender is. So to speak.

It's a shocker of an opening, no doubt, but there's some subtle canon going on, in other words.

As for S1:6, if you've gotten there yet . . . damn.

That scene was just hawt. I don't care who you are. Holeeeeee sheeeeet. But the larger idea is that when you're literally in that many people's heads, experiencing each other from the inside, male, female, gay, straight . . . those boundaries just dissolve. You're not making those distinctions because all of it is just YOU and you're feeling what everyone else is feeling. It's a transhumanist view of the possibilities and possible realities of being what they are.

But as I think I said in the other thread, I'm an English major. I always look at the underlying construct.

~Boar