WiC Watches: American Gods season 2
By Ariba Bhuvad
EPISODE 205: “THE WAYS OF THE DEAD”
American Gods lost me this week, but at this point, does this really come as a surprise? Thus far, the second season has been a convoluted mess that fails to get to the point. Personally, I feel like all these storylines are taking us nowhere, and it’s hard to make sense of what the purpose of it all is. If it wasn’t for Ricky Whittle, an episode this deep into the season with so little direction would have been a drag.
American Gods has never been shy about having some social commentary, and we get some more in the opening scene of “The Ways of the Dead.” The opening is based on real-life events involving a black man named Will James, a.k.a Froggie, who was accused of murdering a white woman named Mary Pelley. He met his demise when a mob formed and murdered him.
Shadow sees the lynching in a nightmare and wakes up…and things get stranger. As he looks into the mirror, he sees a reflection of James, and then relives the horrific final moments of James’ life. Shadow is not inclined to share this experience with anyone, which is expected from this man of few words.
Alright, who here is a Laura and Mad Sweeney shipper? If so, your dreams came true this week, albeit in the strangest of ways. I think Laura should scrap the idea of being with Shadow and just go all in with Sweeney; they’re obviously a better match. While I haven’t read the book, I do know that Laura and Sweeney don’t cross paths there. I am so okay with this change because it’s the only ongoing storyline that’s consistently interested me.
Anyway, Laura arrives in New Orleans, where Sweeney is living it up Mardi Gras style. On the quest for resurrection, Sweeney takes Laura to Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte. What do they seek in exchange for resurrecting Laura? Just the truth.
After concocting a potion that requires two drops of blood infused with love, things get…interesting. Laura and the Baron have sex. Elsewhere, Sweeney and Maman are having sex too. Somehow, they all end up in a foursome and eventually it transitions into just Sweeney and Laura having sex. Could they be catching feelings? Let’s hope so.
We see Salim and the Jinn again this week, but I’m completely lost as to the purpose of their story. It just feels unnecessary and irrelevant (fans of the book feel free to chime in). There’s a lot of friction between the two of them about religion and I just don’t get where the story is headed.
At some point, Wednesday meets them and they all head off to meet Alviss (Lee Arenberg), a dwarf from Norse mythology. Wednesday needs his spear fixed, but Alviss is unable to help.
The story of Will James is at the center of the episode. Ibis explains the history behind his lynching to Shadow. As Will James was taking his last breath, he cursed his community of people that looked on but didn’t jump in to rescue or help him. Years later, the curse is still at work, most recently taking the life of another Goodchild family member.
Remember how I said things continue to get weirder and more confusing? Well, here’s what happens next. Shadow follows Jacquel (who has transformed into a Doberman) and sees that he is meeting with Will James’ ghost. The sight of James’ head on a pole of fire is striking, and leads to Shadow being burdened with the weight of the ugliest aspect of American history.
Shadow heads back to the parlor with a message, “memento mori,” which roughly translates to, “remember you must die.” As soon as he utters those words, Shadow comes to and is once again confused and annoyed at what is going on. Shadow, I feel you.
The final moments of the episode show a plant that has grown significantly after Wednesday peed on it at the beginning of the episode. For the sake of spoilers, I won’t reveal what significance this plant holds. I guess you’ll just have to wait for more weirdness!