American Gods Review: A Winter’s Tale (Season 3 Episode 1)

Just like the featured gods themselves, every season of American Gods feels like a slightly different incarnation of the story. Season 3 is no different. 

American Gods Season 3 Episode 1, “A Winter’s Tale,” spends plenty of time checking in on your favorite gods, but also sets the stage for the season to focus on our perpetually unlucky protagonist Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle). The premiere provides a soft reset that works if you can look past the episode’s attempts to smooth over past missteps. 

The premiere starts with Shadow living free from Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). Of course, this comfortable life can’t last forever, and Wednesday shows up ready to recruit Shadow back to his cause.

Shadow’s questions for his father Wednesday about his parentage provide a chance for the show to give us a recap about the ongoing war between the Old and New Gods and their motivations. 

Because of this, the early part of the episode drags some. These types of scenes between Shadow and Wednesday have been plentiful in the series but repeat themselves. More intriguing is Shadow’s encounter with the Native American god Whiskey Jack (Graham Greene), who speaks to Shadow’s struggle between destiny and free will. 

Wednesday claims to want to save humanity from itself, but he’s just as concerned with manipulating them for his own gain as the New Gods. Neither side particularly cares what humanity wants, which makes Shadow’s point of view so important.

Shadow views having an identity and self-determination as important to his humanity. But his journey also shows how hard those things are when there’s a war, either literal or figurative, closing in on you. 

He’s not advocating for “both sides” or any side. He just wants to exist as his own person. Whiskey Jack tells him he doesn’t get that choice, but will know what’s the right choice when the time comes.

That is the only free will we really have. 

Whiskey Jack: You have a destiny to fulfill, so don’t screw it up. 

Shadow’s every attempt to extricate himself from Wednesday’s plan fails, and he ends up where Wednesday sends him. 

When Shadow finally makes it to the town of Lakeside, Wisconsin, it’s clear that Wednesday isn’t the only force working against him. From the minute he steps into town, Chief of Police Chad Mulligan (Eric Johnson) racially profiles him. 

The show would be remiss to not address race when placing a Black character in a small, predominately white midwestern town. Wednesday may need Shadow, but he’s also not above putting him in danger. Based on the closing scene with a shotgun at Shadow’s back, we’re about to learn how much danger that could be.

Although the episode arguably makes Shadow the focus, other characters also get a chance to reset this season.

The New Gods get a rebranding, with Ms. World (Dominique Jackson), replacing Mr. World. Citing that white men are out of fashion, the show acknowledges our current environment while also pointing out the hypocrisy of embracing trends for clout instead of actually working for the social change they should represent. 

Their attempts to recruit the Old God Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) continue to fail as she’s the only one who appears to understand neither side can win a war without great sacrifice. Badaki delivers a powerful monologue about war, showing off her impressive acting chops and leaving us wanting more of the character in this season. 

Of the many choices American Gods makes in the premiere, the most surprising is the show’s rushed ending for Laura Moon (Emily Browning). Her expanded role from the books left plenty of questions about how she would fit into the endgame, but her death on this episode feels incredibly anticlimatic after two seasons of following the character.

Having her make the ultimate sacrifice in a failed attempt to secure her revenge against Wednesday may free up some time for other plots. Yet if this is truly meant as a final death for her, the decision does a huge disservice to Browning and her great work in the role. 

Given the changes made on this episode, I’m interested to see how the show will manage to balance the Lakeside storyline while still giving screen time to the chaotic war between the Gods.

If last season left you feeling ambivalent about American Gods, the premiere might not be enough to win you back. But for viewers still committed to the show, there are a few bright spots on this first episode that indicate the season will be worth the investment.  

Additional Thoughts:

• The ballet turned metal concert at the beginning featuring guest star Marilyn Manson is a hell of a way to start the episode. American Gods has never shied away from a spectacle, and I hope the focus on Lakeside doesn’t change that. 
• I loved the scene of Mr. World looking through his shoe collection and landing on stilettos. What an introduction. 
• Bilquis endlessly swiping through dating apps in frustration is a mood. 
• With the amount of dystopian tech in pop culture, the New Gods’ “SHARD” project has a lot to live up to. So far I’m only slightly intrigued. 
• I have no idea what to make of Cordelia (Ashley Reyes), but if she’s hanging with Wednesday you know there’s got to be more to her story. 

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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