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MadSweeneyNowWeRiot.jpg

'American Gods' Season Two Is Now Canceled ... In My Heart

By Emily Cutler | TV | April 24, 2019 |

By Emily Cutler | TV | April 24, 2019 |


MadSweeneyNowWeRiot.jpg

Spoilers

While most of the internet this week has been devoted to answering like “should Arya be boning down?” and other obvious questions, American Gods had a huge episode which was mostly overlooked. Most of season two has been mostly overlooked. A large part of that is probably due to the departure of Bryan Fuller (and therefore Gillian Anderson). But also, it’s because there isn’t that much to write about. Like Barry, American Gods isn’t really a show about plot. This means that recaps would be more akin to telling someone about a great conversation you had the other night on the nature of belief, truth, and loyalty. And literally, no one wants to hear your recap of a conversation you once had.

That isn’t to say that American Gods doesn’t deserve to have people talking about it, just that it’s harder to discuss in this particular format. What’s happened so far this season? Kind of a lot of nothing, right? Odin, having revealed himself to Shadow Moon (simultaneously the best and worst name in all of literature somehow), is still preparing for war and rallying the troops. The various forces are in different stages of trying to gather followers, and also prepare for/avoid the oncoming war. Jinn and Salim are having a legitimately adorable, yet mostly unexplored love affair (I think? They only boned down the once onscreen, but Salim says he’s there because of love and Jinn hasn’t made him leave, so I’m assuming they’re boning off camera?). Shadow Moon is still trying to figure out precisely what the hell is going on. It’s been mostly wildly entertaining, yet uncommentable for me (the Will James episode on the whole or a more in-depth dive into Bliqus’ conversion into a sex-positive form of Christianity are probably actually both fertile think piece grounds, but I am super unqualified to speak on either).

Which brings us to Laura Moon and Mad Sweeney, on which I have many comments mostly in the form of making sexytime motions with some aggressive shoulder dancing. Don’t come at me about how the relationship is total fan service. Oh, what’s that? The showrunners noticed that two of the actors had remarkable chemistry and that their fans were super into it? And then they made that relationship continue because they aren’t total dumb-dumbs? I’m OK with that.

Things with which I’m also OK? Mad Sweeney calling Laura “Dead Wife.” Laura being able to practically crush Sweeney’s testicles with one hand. The time they stood in a field like this.

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Oh, right and THAT TIME THAT SWEENEY ALL BUT ADMITTED HE LOVED LAURA, AND THEN THEY BONED IN A WEIRD VOODOO CEREMONY. I’m not saying it’s healthy or ideal. I’m saying I’m into it.

But, of course, the American Gods giveth, and the American Gods taketh away. So let’s spend a brief minute talking about this week’s episode. Sweeney, having been rejected by Laura in New Orleans, returns to Cairo doing not great. Laura is off discovering her own internal, destructive power or something I’m not here for solo Laura Moon. So back to Sweeney. He spends the episode having alcohol-fueled hallucinations (maybe) in the present while discussing his own super-hot origin story.

See, Mad Sweeney was not just a leprechaun. Mad Sweeny was an ancient-Irish, warrior god-king who, in the words of my friend and fellow writer Tori, wore a procession of terrible wigs and STILL made it work. I’ve told you before about the heat that Pablo Schreiber brings. He’s been working at that all season to be ungodly hot (sorry, that was punintentional) stomping around killing old-school Irish orcs with any number of spears. It was magnificent.

And then those motherf@*&ers straight up killed him.

SHADOW MOON ACCIDENTALLY KILLS AN ANCIENT IRISH WARRIOR GOD KING? ON ACCIDENT? WITH ODIN’S SPEAR? DID YOU NOT JUST WATCH THE EPISODE WITH SWEENEY AND HIS DAD ISSUES? AND HOW HE HATES ODIN BECAUSE ODIN WON’T LOVE HIM ENOUGH? THAT IS LOW, GUYS. THAT IS LOOOOOOOOOOOW.

So I guess the show isn’t technically canceled, but it’s canceled in my heart. Although not in other areas. Unless they magically bring Mad Sweeney back next week because this is a show about the God of War going on a Midwest road trip with a Jinn and a dead woman. Do the right thing, New Byran Fuller. Do the right thing.

American Gods season two finale premieres Sunday, April 28th on Starz.



Header Image Source: Starz