American Gods – “Come To Jesus” Recap. Spring is Here.

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Kristin Chenoweth and Ian McShane as Ostara and Wednesday

Season 1, Episode 8
Air Date: Sunday June 18, 2017, 9PM ET/PT on STARZ
★★★★★

“It’s religious Darwinism. Adapt and survive. What happens when they decide that God doesn’t exist?” – Media

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead

Happy Easter
By Erin Richards-Kunkel

With all the twists and turns of the first season, American Gods’ season one finale, “Come to Jesus,” culminates into an epic conclusion. There are still many unanswered questions and unfulfilled storylines American Gods has yet to truly develop. Throughout the past seven episodes, we have seen grand tales play out, and fantastical happenings, yet we have only scratched the surface. Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones) says it best during the opening scenes of “Come to Jesus.” “This is all too big, too much going on all at once.”

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Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy

American Gods acquiesces to its somewhat failed attempts to cram thousands of years of faith, lore, and gods into the span of a few blinks. But what American Gods showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have done beautifully is craft a storyline that leaves you wanting more.

Fresh from their adventures, including the beheading of Vulcan (Corbin Bernsen), Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) and Shadow (Ricky Whittle) continue their mission to rally powerful old gods to their cause to defeat the New Gods. Wednesday’s next stop requires pomp and circumstance, so he enlists the help of Mr. Nancy to sew new suits for him and Shadow.

While Nancy works on the suits, he tells a story of another very old goddess and how she came to form an alliance with the New Gods, just as Vulcan did. Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) is an ancient goddess of love whose followers worship her through sexual desire and acts. The scenes mirror the first sexual encounter Bilquis has in “The Bone Orchard,” except at the height of her power, she consumes a whole group of people, instead of just one lover. Bilquis adapted through the ages until Islam took hold of Tehran in the late 1970s and she fled to America for more freedom. She begins to fade away, almost to nothingness, until the New Gods find her, and offer a way back to relevance.

Technical Boy (Bruce Langley): “I hear they blew up your alter. I have a new one to offer you.”

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Bilquis is indebted to the New Gods

Bilquis becomes the face of the go-to dating app, Sheba, and its prominence restores her power, but at the price of becoming a henchman of the New Gods.

So what’s the moral of Nancy’s story? “To get yourself a god-dammed queen!” And that is exactly what Wednesday plans to do. He sets his sights on a very specific German goddess, and to convince her, he must wear his Sunday best (literally).

They arrive at an idyllic house in the woods and the site of a decadent Easter party with all the trimmings: fine dresses and hats, candy, cakes, and colored eggs. Mixed in with the modern-day accoutrements, which symbolize religious homages to the resurrection of a gaggle of Jesuses in attendance. Yes, there is a Jesus for each of the different cultural variations. But the star of the party is Ostara (Kristin Chenoweth), the goddess of the dawn and spring, and Wednesday convinces her to join him in his fight against the New Gods and reclaim their prayers and place in the world.

Of course, Laura Moon (Emily Browning) and Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) are also headed to Ostara’s. It seems there is more to Mad Sweeney’s revelation about Laura’s death. Her death was orchestrated by Wednesday himself and cannot be reversed without him.

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Bruce Langley and Gillian Anderson as Technical Boy and Media

Bringing the tensions to a head, the New Gods arrive at Ostara’s celebration to reinforce their alliance with her. “We built this holiday, you and me,” says Media (Gillian Anderson), but when she learns of Wednesday’s presence at the soiree, Media threatens Ostara. The confrontation pushes Ostara to extend her powers, killing the crops and plants, hoping for an onslaught of faith. The New Gods reach their limit and promise to deliver the war that Wednesday has been arranging for so long.

Mr. World (Crispin Glover): “You wanted a war, you have one. Be glad, because this is the war you die in.”

By the Book: What if Gods Were One of Us?
By Connie Allen

My emotions are still reeling in the aftermath of “Come to Jesus.” Let me preface some things before I delve into the issues I have with this episode. First, I absolutely love when the show diverts slightly from Gaiman’s work to clarify some of the ambiguous story lines within the book. Secondly, expanding minor characters like Mad

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Emily Browning and Pablo Schreiber as Laura Moon and Mad Sweeney

Sweeney adds depth to the main story at hand regarding Laura’s search for Shadow, as well as creating a means for the main stories forward without losing its even pace. Finally, I appreciate and understand the adaptation process of translating the book to a television series. It’s not an easy undertaking considering the myriad of characters and diverse story lines in Gaiman’s novel. At the show’s core, the spirit of the book “American Gods” is realized, so it pains me that the first season finale of American Gods leaves me feeling like the classic Rogers and Hart song, “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.”

For the majority of the freshman season, American Gods has been an interesting journey. Every episode plays out like vignettes of a bigger story, which is part of the problem. “Come to Jesus” is the culmination of Shadow and Wednesday’s partnership and how it takes an interesting turn throughout the eight episodes. There’s a new god on the block, Ostara, who is completely enchanting; however, the New Gods crash Ostara’s celebration amid a sea of Jesuses who are reflecting on the diverse cultural interpretations of Christians. Laura and Mad Sweeney make a memorable entrance, while Bilquis’ past is explored in a way that will change how one views dating. Much of what transpires in “Come to Jesus” is spread too thin making me wonder why the writers devoted so much time to Mad Sweeney’s development in the penultimate episode “A Prayer for Mad Sweeny.” Yet, what fills me with mixed emotions is the fact that, despite those problems, the dialogue and plot are still compelling! Essentially, “Come to Jesus” doesn’t feel like a season finale without much resolution—the only one being Shadow’s discovery of Wednesday’s true identity as Odin, which viewers knew since “Lemon Scented You.”

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Ostara unleashes her power

The Good

Alright, in spite how much the cliffhanger left me wanting more for season two, in an angst-ridden sort of way, there are great highlights in “Come To Jesus.” Shadow’s interaction with Ostara is adorable, but it makes me wonder if his response is a reaction because he’s in the presence of a goddess. There’s also the matter in which all the main characters arrive in Kentucky to visit Ostara’s abode full of bunnies and sunshine for days; seeing all the characters in one episode is exciting since we know more about them. Although it still makes it hard to focus on the problem at hand, Wednesday’s need for war.

My favorite part is exploring Bilquis’ past, and in a way, I would have preferred to have seen her story first instead of Mad Sweeney’s because it connects with “Come to Jesus” more. I was surprised at the hand Technical Boy

plays in gaining Bilquis as his ally. I want to understand more of her powers, aside from the sexual aspects of it.

Overall

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Yetide Badaki as Bilquis

American Gods has a solid good start in its debut season, undoubtedly one of the most memorable I can recall in a long time. “Come to Jesus” does open the door to what will undoubtedly be a harrowing second season. I am hoping the stand-alone episodes will act as a better transition between major story arcs so that by the end of the next season, it won’t come across as rushed. The acting is brilliant, and Chenoweth stands out as a total scene stealer when she shares the room with the other characters. Browning and Schreiber have some of the most dynamic scenes, especially when their characters are at each other’s throat.

For as many problems I find, there are also plenty of redeeming moments like Bilquis’ reaction to her temples being destroyed. The underlining message of female divinity and how it has evolved, and de-evolved, through the centuries is a strong point overall in the central story arc. It stands to reason with the key role Ostara plays in “Come to Jesus” that Bilquis’ part in the coming war during season two will be as critical if not more. In the end, American Gods has some room for improvement but its flaws does not diminish the captivating story Gaiman has created.

American Gods has been renewed for a second season. For more on the show, go to https://www.starz.com/series/americangods/episodes