Ricky Whittle (Shadow) promises “massive return to form” for American Gods

The second of American Gods underwhelmed, but everyone from author Neil Gaiman to star Ricky Whittle is promising better days ahead.

The premiere of American Gods season 3 is just days away. Between showrunners changing, cast members leaving (Gillian Anderson, Kristin Chenoweth and Orlando Jones) and coronavirus delays, the show has had its issues, but according to author Neil Gaiman, the third season will get things back on track.

Also vouching for season 3 is series’ star, Ricky Whittle, who recently spoke to RadioTimes.com about what’s in store for Shadow Moon as he moves to the snowy, sleepy town of Lakeside:

"For me season three is a massive return to form and I think it’s down to the fact that Neil Gaiman came back and put a steadying hand on the ship after his Good Omens stint. He was able to come back, work with [showrunner] Chic Eglee for a lot longer over the summer – they had quite a bit of time together, I believe in Texas – and they were really able to figure out the whole story, which culminates in an epic season three finale and then season four. This is a very planned rollercoaster so every dip and swerve is to make the audience feel something. And it’s slap-bang in the middle of a story that they’ve planned throughout and projected through season four."

As for exactly what Shadow will get up to in season 3, he’s trying to leave behind his connections to gods both old and new…but I think we both know the chances of that happening are pretty small.

"We find him in hiding. After the massive bombshell at the end of season two, where we found out that Wednesday was his father and that he also killed Laura, this has kind of sent Shadow over the edge. He’s done with them. He’s hiding from the police, he’s hiding from the FBI, he’s hiding from the Gods, he’s turned his back on Wednesday, Laura, all of that world. So we find him hiding out trying to live a normal life. He’s in a factory, he’s grown his hair out, his beard out, he’s truly in hiding. He’s even got his eye on a local girl and he wants that normal life. It’s what he’s always craved but there’s only so long you can hide from your destiny before it eventually finds you. Especially with Mr. Wednesday – he’s never that far behind either."

Indeed, it doesn’t take long for Mr. Wednesday to find Shadow, as this clip from the third season shows:

And that’s just one of his problems. The residents of Lakeside start to doubt his intentions after a young girl in town goes missing…right after he arrives. “Shadow is wrapped up in this quaint little town with this dark underbelly and unluckily for him a little girl goes missing and the only thing that has changed in this town is that a new guy has turned up,” Whittle explained. “So as the walls start to close in they start to suspect that maybe he’s hiding something but unfortunately for Shadow it’s not what they think it is, it’s something much much larger.”

After all the drama the show has been through, my expectations heading into season 3 weren’t especially high, but with these teases, I’m actually looking forward to it. “I’m really proud of this season,” Whittle continued. “It’s a true return to form for American Gods. The writing has been incredible and it’s a season that I’m very, very proud of.”

Don’t miss the American Gods season 3 premiere on Starz on Sunday, January 10 — we’ll be holding Ricky Whittle to his promise of an epic return to form!

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