Neil Gaiman's American Gods

Gillian Anderson won't be returning for Season 2 out of protest of Fuller and Green's departure. Kristen Chenoweth might also be leaving.

edited 5th Jan '18 12:59:05 PM by lrrose

The show is collapsin on the inside! Executives: feed it money or it will implode into nothingness! Money is the prayer the gods truly want!

So this show just lost 3 heavy hitters? Yeah, I don't know how they expect to recover from that.

edited 5th Jan '18 1:13:10 PM by ZheToralf

I could see Starz being dumb enough to think they can recast Media with the excuse that she can look like anyone...except that they'd need to get another actress who'd be able to at least match Gillian Anderson, which would be pretty difficult. And Gillian Anderson might just be the first.

This looks really bad for them, regardless.

Media technically could be recast rather easily since she can look like anyone, but if Chenoweth walks? Is Easter just going to give rebirth to herself?

edited 6th Jan '18 12:53:09 AM by Xeroop

I have a feeling this show won't last until the end of the book. I'm not super upset since it's veered so far off from what the books did but it is a shame.

It's Dead Like Me all over again. Sort of. Bryan Fuller just can't crack that mainstream audience. Catch-22, though, because if these shows were less quirky than they are, I don't know that I'd like them as much.

Speaking as a show first, book second reader I personally prefer the show's adaptation. It has a much tighter narrative.

I think it's a case of interesting/good series but bad adaptation. At the very least they should spend a bit less time meandering around. This season could have easily ended with the House on the Rock.

I don't think the series was too slow paced on its own. However, that was before the news of the core crew leaving, which has a high risk of the show getting cut short. This in turn results less seasons, meaning they have to seriously pick up the pace to arrive to any sort of conclusion, which then causes the show as a whole to be terrible lopsided. That is, if the show will run its course to any sort of conclusion and not just be cut short.

I have to admit that while I feel bad about what's happening with the show, it really turned out to be not at all what I was looking for in an adaptation of American Gods. While it doesn't have quite as much of a whimsical tone as some of Gaiman's other books, I think of American Gods as being a road trip book and with a tone that's hardboiled but with frequent dollops of humor. And in keeping with being hardboiled, it's a mostly minimalist book with very little that's over-the-top.

So almost the opposite of the tv show. And what's weird is I think Fuller would be perfect to adapt the book if he was in Pushing Daisies mode with a bit of Dead Like Me thrown in, but instead, he was in Hannibal mode.

I thought that the shouw was awesome, save for the gaudy last episode.

Wednesday's reveal was very anticlimactic. He'd spoiled himself just with the 'clever' name.

American Gods is a pretty dark book, really. I didn't mind them going a little darker than that, even. This is Neil Gaiman we're talking about.

That being said, it's a playful, world-weary kind of darkness. It's the Fargo of Neil Gaiman books for more than just Lakeside.

I think a lot of people from the English-speaking word are unaware of the origin of the word, though. Even if you're not, it's still a reveal with some style going for it.

edited 7th Jan '18 12:33:35 PM by Unsung

Neil Gaiman is taking over as showrunner, Kristen Chenoweth's back onboard.

...Huh. Maybe this will work out after all, fingers crossed.

In related news, Bryan Fuller has apparently already found a new project in the form of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, which wouldn't normally interest me at all, but it's Bryan Fuller, so I'll keep an eye on this.

Contrary to what is being reported everywhere, Neil is not the new showrunner.

Aw.

Kinda figured I might be jumping the gun when IGN was the most reputable source I could find, but what can I say, I got my hopes up.

More behind the scenes drama.

sigh.

Season 2 trailer:

I still really want this show to be good. Still some pretty great-looking sets, but yeah, can definitely feel the absence of Anderson and Chenoweth along with Fuller and Green. It says something that this came out like a week ago and the thread didn't even move.

I take it from the lack of interest and these latest posts that the show doesn't improve over its first few episodes?

The first season is awesome. The second season hasn't been released yet, but we've heard behind the scenes information about how the show has been a mess (the showrunners quit, the new showrunner apparently was pushed to the side, actors have apparently been writing their own lines, etc). Other than that, however, we don't really know anything about the quality of the show until it comes out.

I will, however, miss Gillian Anderson. Her Media was the best.

I thought the first season was fantastic, but then I liked the first few episodes, myself. The book starts off slowly as well. But even saying that, i think most people would agree the first season does pick up considerably in the last three episodes or so.

I suspect the lack of interest at the moment has more to do with the behind-the-scenes drama, sympathy for Bryan Fuller and two of the best reasons to watch the show leaving the series.

Not to mention that, as far as I'm aware, there hasn't been much to go on about Season 2 besides the drama.

Show is still on my list. I haven't had a chance to watch since I don't have STARZ or anything and I've been wanting to watch it with my boyfriend and his mom as I think they'd like the series.

I was a little put off by some of the gratuitous violence they threw in compared to the book - Shadow being lynched in particular made me feel like it was trying a little too hard to be "mature", but I guess I should give the rest of the season a chance.

Sounds like the chance of an Anansi Boys film or spin off series isn't looking so hot if this one's in trouble, though.

Season 2 premieres March 10, 2019.

Didn't like half the cast and crew leave?