American Gods Review: The Beguiling Man (Season 2 Episode 2)
Everyone has their mission on American Gods Season 2 Episode 2, “The Beguiling Man.”
The cast splits apart and go their own ways, each pairing a unique window into the fight ahead. Like the first season, though, the more entertaining duo are Laura and Sweeney, whose search for Shadow leads to some of the episode’s best moments.
Wednesday’s comment on Sweeney and Laura making a great pair is a nice little nod. It’s always nice when the show acknowledges when it has a good thing.
The bulk of “The Beguiling Man” is found through some puzzle pieces finally starting to connect on Shadow Moon, who has, up to American Gods Season 2 Episode 1, “House on the Rock,” struggled as a blank slate of sorts.
Shadow’s past being revealed through flashbacks does help paint a more tragic figure, whose sacrifices and loss of his mother have turned him to a harder, more damaging life.
It’s a tad unfortunate the character work has to be done sans Ricky Whittle, but it does serve its purpose in showing how he becomes the hardened, undeniably angry version we see in the present.
The connection Shadow has with his mother is incredibly strong and a good anchoring point for how he views the world, as the only good thing in his life is continuously taken from him by outside forces.
The scenes resonate because of that bond, where Shadow belongs to a world he does not know and his mother is that aforementioned anchor. It’s similar to how Laura is an anchor before her own death, and now Wednesday appears to be the new one.
Mr. Town’s interrogation, in turn, makes a good framing device. It’s about getting to the root cause of Shadow’s loyalty, showing why he is so easy to fall into Wednesday’s troupe and follow along.
The Laura and Sweeney side of the story allows for more connection (though neither would ever admit it), and a curious reoccurring trend. Roadblocks are a frequent wrinkle on the show, on this episode coming in the form of cows and nails on the road, and a literal dead end.
It’s hard to tell if the roadblocks are a means of Wednesday keeping Laura and Sweeney away from the upcoming trainwreck, or a means of keeping Laura and Shadow separate. Perhaps it’s a little bit of both.
One of the stronger moments of the episode comes in one of its simplest: Laura and Sweeney sharing a moment in the field of flowers. It’s such a normal moment, a feeling of defeat and taking a beat to catch themselves. Browning and Schreiber work so well together in their scenes, it’s always a joy when they share the screen.
The train fight is quick and dirty, Schreiber’s excitable performance when there’s fighting to be had so much fun to watch. Schreiber has become one of the best performers on the show, both from using his physicality and through the subtle emotion he holds in scenes with Browning’s Laura.
One of the more questionable parts comes in placing significance on things previously normal. Shadow’s coin becoming a possible totem, or protection, given by Wednesday at the clinic, is a rather sudden development, and does not hold much weight as a character trait becoming a plot point.
“The Beguiling Man”, as an episode, is successful in providing the hook of what drives Shadow: it’s his need to follow and to believe in someone, rather than something. When that someone fails, the anger boils to the top, and he becomes reckless.
There may be some disappointment for some in doing this through flashbacks, but it is driving the point home of Shadow’s belief in Wednesday, and how his whole world is opening up. The journey is full of pain, but hopefully the reward is worth so much pain.
Some stray thoughts on the episode:
- Wednesday’s car has perished, but its service will not be forgotten. It’s survived some devilish things, but taking down a train is a hell of a way to go.
- Sweeney’s dire mode of transport is one of the show’s more rattling visuals. It looks almost torturous to go that route, and likely something that is last resort, since Sweeney spends a lot of the first season simply walking from place to place.
- Hopefully there is more Mr. Town to come. Dean Winters is always an excellent addition to a cast.
What did you think of this episode of American Gods? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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American Gods airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.