American Gods - What Killed It?

American Gods, The TV show adaptation of Neil Gaiman's classic novel started oh so well, but now it's days are numbered. We dive into what went wrong and what caused its ultimate demise.
Why do the good die young? Let's take a look.
#AmericanGods #NeilGaiman #VideoEssay
Music: leerosevere.bandcamp.com/
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[@yama5182]

After Olando was fired…I was DONE. 😐😒

[@KingM119]

I kept watching but after they fired him I knew it wasn't actually about the material anymore

[@badassbillyb]

Likewise

[@TheEphraimUchiha]

Me toooo

[@sharonpopolow6874]

I still watched and enjoyed season 3, but it definitely missed the magic of Anansi, Mad Sweeny, and the Djinn. I missed Mama-Ji (Kali) too. She was hilarious in a very tongue-in-cheek way. Definitely season 1 was the best. Best use of music, dialogue, characters, humor.

[@OverworkedITGuy]

@@sharonpopolow6874 The funny part is it was Orlando who was writing those characters (and more) because the main writers didn't bother to for whatever reasons. Neil had to actually come in and beg Orlando to pick up the slack personally. Then Starz didn't want to pay Orlando for his writing work (which as a member of the WGA they would have legally had to). Then he was fired. And after he was fired they held his contract and still wouldn't release him for another 4-5 months (after about 20 months of holding him between Season 1 and 2). Starz (and specifically the season 2 and 3 show-runners) went out of their way to screw up the show, and specifically making every effort screw over the one guy actually holding it together at the frayed seams.

[@The_Drewid]

The number of dropped plot threads each season was the most frustrating for me. Season 1 culminates with the recruitment of Easter and her first attack on the New Gods, only for her to get dropped immediately with an awkward line of exposition. Then there was Technology Boy's upgrade that seemed to have been forgotten at the start of season 3.

[@clubedanarrativa5603]

You know what's funny? The book has 3 parts that are divided into chapters. They had 3 seasons, 19 episodes ready to go. But even STILL, they decided to randomize the book and move plot out of order to make it last more than it needed to. It could've just ended in season 3, not get cancelled.

[@rebeccaschmidt3480]

yes!!! I just recently read the book and got so excited when I saw that there were three seasons. I thought that they made a season for each part and was really happy, especially since the first few episodes are almost word for word the first chapters of the book. Such a waste...

[@twitch7515]

The showrunners didn't know it was going to get cancelled until after season 3 was done. It was hoped/planned that the show was going to span 4-5 seasons.

[@laneboissenin6076]

@@twitch7515but they messed the whole plot up to trying and make more money and that’s why it failed

[@nicholasmandigo1390]

Can't believe they fired Orlando. All the monologue's he wrote and acted was simply down right incredible! He should of got an award and raise. Not fired

[@TheRealLagatha]

What killed it for me was when Mad Sweeney died, lost the best character there.

[@supertrooper4232]

So happy to see someone else thinks this. Mad Sweeney was the best. His character arc was so interesting to me. At first he’s a dick, at the end he’s a man that regrets some of his past and hates that he owes Wednesday. And a man that has inadvertently fallen in love.

[@TheRealLagatha]

@@supertrooper4232 yes the chemistry with dead wife.

[@sarag.4562]

I literally just saw mad sweeney die on this episode and let me tell you. Season 1 was very interesting the visuals were WOW the story was something, but at the end of the day in season two all i cared about was mad sweeney and the dead wife. The rest was kinda pointless.

[@fuckzilla1000]

He honestly had a very small part in the book though

[@agm5424]

What made the first season work was that it had a surreal dreamlike atmosphere that showed and made one feel the type of world Shadow was getting himself into. And the gods actually felt like gods even when they were in rock bottom like Czernobog. You could feel the gravitas, the years, wisdom and power they had in the way they talked and presented themselves. But in season two and onwards the atmosphere was taken out; it felt like watching someone else's attempt at a young adult fantasy series with the "young" half taken out. And worst off, with the exception of one scene with the old gods and one with Mr. World, the gods no longer felt like gods. They felt like old magicians/magical con-artists trying to get back their ability to use magic in a world were magic was running out.

[@endor8witch]

i HATE how they dropped the plots and also brush it off as nothing when major god like easter isn't joining them anymore. i know kristen dropped out but at least give a nice wrap up instead of "oh she's pissed you killed her bunnies"....and bilquis' sudden power change... i think letting orlando jones go and how he was treated sealed the fate of the show.

[@sadjaxx]

I didn't watch the show but I am an Orlando Jones fan and when I found that slave ship scene on KZbin ... That was whole different experience. That was a whole different Orlando Jones. That was rage personified, it was exhausting and terrifying. How the hell could they cut that character?!

[@tanepukenga1421]

@@sadjaxx They cut him for the same reason the US can't do the hard work and start sorting out their race issues like other countries have and continue to do to this day: He made them uncomfortable.

[@keiththompson8833]

They got rid of Mr Nancy, the best character on the show

[@treyonay]

Once Orlando was let go, I headed out

[@Rabidbeastblade]

LETTING ORLANDO JONES GO

[@katrinamcneil5395]

That's what did it for me.

[@pashpashe]

I am a hannibal girl so i started watching american gods because of fuller. I was so excited for it that i bought the book. And i loved season 1. I was so happy. Then fuller left. Still i decided to stick with it because well i had started it and i loved shadow and laura and bilquis and media and so many more characters. I immediately felt that s2 was diminished but went along witg it because the visuals were still great. But then new media had tentacle sex with argo and i felt disgusted. All i thought was Bryan Fuller would not have done it this way. It wasn't the sex that bothered but the presentation of it. How it was almost pornographic and male gazey. She was supposedly increasing her power but it left her looking objectified. Previously, sex in american gods while explicit had something...extra. There was a sense of the divine, of the mystic towards the sexual encounters. I never felt that the characters were being objectified for the viewers. It felt purposeful but the new media sex scene was just gross fanservice. Also, i don't understand why they depowered techboy in s2 tbf. So i left and never came back. Which was a shame cos i hyped everyone up for it.

[@twitch7515]

To be fair to the showrunners, one of the major premises of the book and show revolve around the idea that modern American gods are superficial and tawdry. Of course the sex scenes that involve the old gods are going to have more passion and meaning when the old gods were created in a time where sex had more passion and meaning. Sex in new media, however, can be summed up in one word: porn. Porn is self-pleasure and involves no emotional or spiritual union between two people; rather, it is one person and a stimulus. AFAIC, the show did a fantastic job of portraying that. Obviously Argus and New Media were seeking power, but I don't have problem with it being portrayed in a way where they were "hooking up" to satisfy an urge to power, rather than a spiritual union or sacrifice, as it was portrayed with the old gods.

[@lesyeuxsansvisage1157]

Gaiman got got pissed over the popularity, and thought he could do better, which is why Fuller left, and how Orlando got screwed. Gillian and Kristen left as long time collaborators and friends of Fuller. What mess Gaiman and his ego created, and he offed so many POC and queer characters. It wasn’t a good look at all.

[@seyedhoseinhaerynia2851]

About 3rd season finale: Pagan Gods are not born/be existed/rise... in perfect and/or constant condition, but have to pass an arc to be at their potential. During this arc, they make mistakes, been tricked, defeated and make wise decisions, trick others or find out about tricks, make success and so on, and at the final phase of their journey, they have to pass a ceremony which most of the time, contains death, deformation, being digested by a bigger entity (mostly nature). During this arc and even ceremony there is a high risk of losing, changing mind and even death or at least being a fallen. For example, Hercules as a half breed of God and Human, had been died, and his body has been cremated to purify him and change him to a God. Even Odin lost his eye and been tortured to be All Father. This show has been finalised at the Start of Shadow's Process.

[@esthersscepter5485]

They didn’t change Shadows race for the show. He was mixed-race in the book, too.

[@darrenalmgren634]

I love the book, and the first season. It’s what inspired me to write my first novel and continue writing. My first watch of season two, I got so tired of it by episode 4 that I lost interest in the series. When season three was announced I signed up for a STARZ free trial so I could watch the rest out of a morbid curiosity and obligation (like what you said at the beginning). The hardest part was they killed the Lakeside storyline and mystery almost immediately and didn’t connect it to the rest of the story like the book did. And I wasn’t the biggest fan of Demeter’s whole thing. Especially since it went effectively nowhere. And so much of the scenes from the book that had so much cinematic potential - and with the shows visuals and style, they would have looked amazing. But then it just did nothing with them or made them look so lame. Seasons two and three felt more like a fan fiction than an adaptation of the book. Which, if the whole series was like that then it would have been easier to divorce it from the book. But with season one being so close to the book, it’s hard to accept that reimagining was the intention.

[@leighmercer9393]

Season 2 was a total nightmare, the series should have more closely followed the book instead of reinventing the wheel.

[@derricknichols5787]

They kept the tradition going by ruined something that was powerful in thought & visualization. Like they did with New York Undercover. And it being 2022, you can see the meddling & interfaces by the studio.

[@MrsButtersworth82]

American Gods Season 1 was amazing!!!

[@lycethlyckman8240]

Okay so I just finished watching all 3 seasons. I’m hooked. The plots and twists awesome. I’m so disappointed that it ended on a cliffhanger. They could have ended it better. So I’m hoping 🤞 that a finale movie like they did with dexter is in the works. I need closure. This was such a fucked way to end something that did have potential

[@twitch7515]

The original plan was for 4-5 seasons. The cancellation wasn't announced until after the 3rd season was over and prior to the 4th season's production had begun. The show didn't intend to end it the way that it was ended.

[@KhanMann66]

Didn’t Dexter sequel flopped the ending as well?

[@Azrael__]

It just couldn't get to the point and it rarely fulfilled on any of the interesting ideas is introduced. It got very little done with the whole 3 seasons it had. Come to think of it the only thing they really completely fulfilled was the murder-mystery in Lakeside.

[@lesyeuxsansvisage1157]

It died the moment Gaiman had a hissy fit over Bryan Fuller getting the attention, and getting him fired. Kristen and Gillian, two LONG time collaborators left in solidarity. Orlando Jones was the next to be utterly screwed over. Even Orlando has said they were lucky to have a queer writer in Fuller, who could write beautifully for such a large cast. I think it all pissed Gaiman off, which has pretty much been alluded to.

[@laurabrunetto5864]

I loved the book and the show because of the dark urban fantasy mythology. However, if we have to talk about the narrative structure, the Sweeney- laura dynamic is the only one that truly works in the series and isn't even canon. I personally felt for this duo and they have an ark of transformation and they evolve as heroes in the story ( Shadow is rather flat in both show and book, btw). Pablo Schreiber has solid and deep acting for this role, which is so different from the original version. The show was killed by his missing in the third season. And that's the problem because once you only have the brilliant Mcshane and the other poor and confusing storylines, the only choice is to end it for good. The show needed better care for all the characters of the story and a luckier BTS.

[@fairytail4lifenalu86]

I will watch anything Ian McShane but season 2 &3 were so disappointing

[@dvcasey1]

Head after Orlando Jones got cut I was done 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@KemetNubian1]

My man, you knocked it out the park with this review! I just recently (November 2023) was introduced to American Gods via Amazon's Prime Video. Watched S1E1 for fee and was immediately hooked, for many of the reasons mentioned in your review. Then I purchased the entire season 1 and loved every moment, again, for the same reasons you pointed out. Prior to purchasing season 2, I Watched several KZbin videos about the show for background information and opinions. What I found with regards to post season 1 was not encouraging. That being said, I think I'll pass on seasons 2 & 3 unless I can watch them for free. Season 1 was so intensely incredible I don't want to ruin that experience by viewing the rest. Thanks again for saving me some money 💰 and mental anguish. ✌🏿

[@bomaracev]

Wow, really awesome video!

[@olusimp]

I don’t know why I was so bothered by Shadow Moon’s hair, it was awful😂

[@matxalenc8410]

Damn. That's Ricky Whittle's real hair, too.😂

[@kingpotato7183]

@@matxalenc8410 damn thats unfortunate....

[@alanconway3647]

For me the format of the show changed, it was more straight forward following a linear path as opposed to stories been interwoven, which is the bases of the book. It was sometimes confusing and hard to follow but that was part of the brilliance of the show that it required you to have some knowledge of the gods mythology. It was a story within a story that created a rich visual experience. But they took all that made this show brilliant and changed it into a mundane experience losing its magical essence. And when they fired Orlando Jones, the show sharply went downhill. He, and his character Anansi, was the best thing on the show, firing him was a major mistake that took away a key personality from the show. It was a shame as American Gods could have been a classic show instead they turned into series 8 of Game of Thrones.

[@ShEDDiNgmYSkiN]

After the brilliance of season one, they got rid of Brian Fuller, and it was dull. They couldn't agree on the budget. It was pretty pathetic that they fired Orlando Jones, too. Season one was amazing.

[@franzrichardludmillalabour2359]

uh, that was a great! thank you!

[@WatchMoviesWithLatisha]

Killing Sweeney was the biggest mistake. Most interesting character. Very frustrated with the ending

[@mazstojan8889]

I enjoyed it all anyway , no show is perfect !

[@zrocks2001]

it was still a great show must see for me. very unique and captivating.

[@brycelynch2306]

You got rid of Nancy

[@KrugerFS]

Season 1 was good, season 2 was shit, season 3 was dog shit. I'm guessing the show died because of the changes they made instead of sticking to the source material.

[@roachman1002]

I loved the Salims party in season 3 with everyone just being themselves, it was beautiful and emotional. My gripe with season 3 was that it was cancelled on a cliff hanger with odins body disappearing after shadow was pulled into yggdrasil, i want to know what happens lol

[@user-ti5rb1mx5x]

Diversity had nothing to do with its success.

[@Rkenton48]

Sad, but true. The entire story arc should've been written out before the first scene was shot. They did a complete GoT on season 2 & 3

[@astraltoast]

i thought shadow was already mixed race in book

[@SamBrickell]

He wasn't. Well, technically it's never explicitly said, I believe Wednesday says something like, "his mother wasn't my usual type" which coooouuuuld mean she was black I suppose. Shadow being black wasn't how I pictured the character when I read the book, but I didn't mind the decision to make him black in the show... I did mind that the guy who played Shadow in the show can't act for sh it (and hasn't been hired anywhere else as far as I can see because he's a crappy actor).

[@matxalenc8410]

He was. His mother died of sickle-cell anemia and I could've sworn she was described as having an afro. The book also described him as having skin like coffee and cream, so he definitely wasn't white. This is like Rue in The Hunger Games. Some readers are having trouble relating to him because he's not white, so they make him white.

[@esthersscepter5485]

He was mixed race in the books. I just finished the book and when Shadow goes to the underworld to walk through certain scenes in his life, his mom is said to have had sickle cell anemia. He was also said to have skin like coffee and cream. He was often asked if he was Native American or what race he was. He was absolutely not white.

[@jamesquinn8558]

I enjoyed all three seasons

[@xealous96]

Just watched this video and still don’t understand what this show was about. That show is very confusing to me or am I missing the hype?

[@himum3429]

The idea behind the show is so captivating that people just stuck with it, despite the show not being good enough. As much as I love the book, I feel like while the problem is much less poignant in the book it's still there. There's such a tremendous idea behind it but it feels like people are dipping their toe into it.

[@GG1Productions]

What really turned me off during season 2 was that we're given no reason to want to root for the Old Gods in this upcoming war. Why exactly should we want to return to the old ways of war and blood sacrifice to reinvigorate Wednesday and his old fart friends? They're unpleasant, sadistic and have no place in the modern world and yet the show keeps trying to paint them as being the right side. What I never got is why Shadow Moon sticks around with them. Yeah Wednesday didn't try to lynch him like TB but Chernobog made it clear he wants to brutally kill him when given the chance. It would have been more interesting to see shadow playing both sides to his advantage, kind of a wild card that neither the old or new Gods want to alienate

[@beefsupreme785]

Orlando Jones was great,and Pablo Schreiber

[@starrstewart1359]

Orlando Jones, the moment they let him go, people were done.

[@keapixhoudini6263]

I agree fave character Mr Nancy changing and Media and Eostre/Ester leaving turned me off a little too, especially as in the book Ester plays a big role, she goes against Odin, she tells you early on Odin is the evil one, in the end helping Shadow, but its the grand finale. Somehow they have Demeter her role. I did like Season 2 cos of Bilquis tho, and the evolution of Laura and my other fave character Sweeny. But season 3 was awfu, should have ended therel

[@annnoble7181]

You needed to come to the end for it all to come together. I'm bummed. Laura while purpose was to protect Shadow from Wednesday which she does succeed in the end. Too bad we didn't get to. No more series for me

[@blackdiamond7832]

Anansi was holy, not Sinister. Wednesday was the sinister one too me

[@mellozappa583]

Somebody had to say it!

[@isc8900]

this is one of the most terrible adaptations of a book to a tv series. I LOVE American Gods the book, and I LOVE the first season of the show, but I can't for the life of me understand how they failed to tell a cohesive story. The Book is about, in Neil Gaiman's own words, the idea that everyone came to America from somewhere, and it was well applied to the story, and the ending. in my opinion, this show could have been as popular and as good as Good Omens, IF it was made in the right way, keeping the setting in 2000, keeping Laura in the background and so on.

[@JjP-ss5kb]

What killed it for me was the casting and the complete turning away from major aspects of the storyline and plot of the book. Shadow was a big, quiet, soft-spoken, gentle-giant type man, not a normal-sized, ripped, smooth-talking, playboy, frat boy. He was also ethnically ambiguous, not specifically a Black American. Gaiman made a point to address both of these features of Shadow several times in a variety of ways throughout the book, which made them massive aspects of the character, his relationships, how people interacted with him, and how he interacted with them and with life and his journey. Also, what the h3ll was up with Mr Nancy in the show? Why did Anansi give that big speech on the ship? The book dealt with race quite well without slamming it in your face (which only appeals to some of those who already agree with the message, while alienating those who don’t, thus defeating its own purpose). Also, Anansi wouldn’t have known any of what he said on the ship, so it made no sense to have him do that. Shadow was a tall and large man. The leprechaun character was supposed to be several inches taper than Shadow. They were the same height. At least use camera tricks to get the height difference.

[@phoebehill953]

Don’t look at me. I didn’t kill it

[@camvick407]

What a great concept for a show

[@Elkjin23]

When Orlando left I left

[@floppyfairy99]

By 3 it had no story capable of being heard over the migraine of a visual gods became

[@sirloin869]

"H8-watchn" only works when its thru pie rat sea...

[@LuisRamos-ff9xg]

cotton field was definitely out of place

[@TheEphraimUchiha]

Great evaluation

[@panasonicyouff666]

I really need to watch this show

[@ilyafrey9038]

I didn't read the book and second and third seasons are making perfect sense. Especially in comparison with other series like Witcher or whatever, which are complete nonsense.

[@alexkastano96]

I love the book,but in the film i noticed that "focusing on people of collor" and understood right away it's gonna be a "pleasing flick" not the Original American Gods,and i was right. Let's stop pleasing a target groups, let's make a good movies!!!!

[@matxalenc8410]

Pleasing who?

[@hassledvania]

I mean, I get it. Diversity is great. But wow does UDS start to cross over into weird simp territory here.

[@Doctor-Stoppage]

1. No Mad Sweeney 2. No Mr. Nansi 3. Show dead

[@DeathSentryCoH]

Absolutely correct..after the actors from season 1 were let go, especially Orlando Jones..i stopped watching.

[@lmnop1990]

Laura moon’s character killed the series 😢

[@Samantha-ry2ke]

This was a great review. And I completely agree with you. As someone who watched the completely absurd way that Sense8 (another series with a brilliant first season) was ‘wrapped up’, better to just let it die with the little honor it has left. It’s a shame though.

[@coreyjohnson8043]

For me it was getting rid of anansi that was a big mistake I literally stopped watching the show

[@princetriton1308]

Season 3 was trash

[@jjw56]

I agree with analysis. I actually read the book after watching the series. The book lacked any soul the first season was abundance of it. I give full credit to Neil to have the balls to go there but as you said he was just an Englishman dipping his toes in different different cultures. I loved in the book that Horus appeared and wished he was in tv show and maybe Seth. Also, I believed shawdow was interracial in the book or did i desperately read that into it? I’m looking to checking out your channel.

[@graceymelissa26]

I stopped watching when I found out they fired the guy that played Mr. Anansi! I loved the show but mainly his character.

[@kennyfauste6901]

Personally i droped the show after mad sweeny died.

[@luna39900]

They fired Marlon BROWN ..and killed the show

[@driotari]

"The stories dont make me feel the pain of persecution, or my blood boil at injustice." Given the whole chapters describing the greusome detail of early 1900's slavery, the wiping out of native americans/ the failure of white people to keep their word, the trial of tears, the casual, more subtly racism that shadow himself experienced on top of the effects of technology slowly wiping out cultures as we instead worship television and automobiles I think that says more about you that the guy who shed light on horrific injustices the majority of the world (myself included) didn't know about before reading. But I guess he had the wrong skin colour so none of that counts. You hit the nail on the head with the show becoming shit after the showrunners left and giving the new people no time or money to right. It would have still been shit if there were a few extra POC.

[@Shushkin]

I wasn't satisfied with season 2. I watched season 1, afterwards I found out that it was a book. So I read that. When I watched season 2, it felt like it was missing a lot of things. Couldn't put my finger on it, but all I could tell is that it's not as good anymore. So I stopped watching. Now I know. Thanks to your video. Your video is very well put together. I wish you good luck and prosperity regarding it :) I feel like you deserve a lot more subs and viewers.

[@mismissy]

Taking away Orlando Jones killed it

[@HamsterInMyHead]

Season 1 was not that great - I was hooked at first but then it progressively got worse and worse and I think it was exactly because they wanted to update so much of the show. The whole Vulcan episode was filler, Selim was interesting for a bit and then he's gone, Anansi has that baller speech and then... does not do much + if you're going to include Jesus but only mention Islam in 1 sentence well... They did not know how to handle these few extra elements from the beginning so if they had went full race angle it probably would have been a dumpster fire. And the numbers back up the overhype of season 1 - it never breached 1 mil viewers despite it's exorbitant cost. It always hovered around 700K and for the first episode of S2 (where the interest should still be there) only 500K returned. It was dead in the water and the number just got worse from there

[@jameswaugaman8052]

The one thing that bothered me about the show is the music. I really hated the oldies being used in the old American plantation scenes and life story of the Irish girl and her respect for the fairy realm. It just doesn’t fit. I understand what they were trying to do, but it just didn’t work. A bad idea.

[@d3ltaohniner261]

Totally agree, very off-putting, not to mention in spots it overpowered the narrator and actor dialog, making it much harder to follow the details of the story.

[@RobRoss]

All 3 seasons were great. If you don’t think so, show me YOUR show. Where is it? Nowhere? That’s what I thought. It’s so easy to appease your ego and seem smart by shitting on things, and pretending you know how things “should be”, isn’t it? Kinda like how it’s easier to throw a brick through a glass window than create the window in the first place, isn’t it? 🤦‍♂️ Learn to appreciate creativity without pretending you could do a better job. OR do a better job. Where is YOUR show again?

[@itwontbeTV]

Sorry man, i'm only watching this now, but "tech boy" representing technology (in my opinion) wasn't suppose to be a "good thing"...also did you not notice that snow never came from the clouds, as viewers we assumed it did, and it looked a lot like cotton and that was the only thing Shadow could produce as a "super power"? he was enslaved from the start...season 1 made sure of that.

[@jeremyroberts9065]

Shadow was always mixed race, though. It was super clear, I'll grant, but considering Neil Gaiman mentioned that he envisioned Shadow being played by The Rock, that's a pretty big clue that he wasn't Caucasian.

[@SamBrickell]

I guess maybe only a racist would have focused on that? It's never explicitly said, I believe Wednesday says something like, "his mother wasn't my usual type" which coooouuuuld mean she was black I suppose. (Again, I'm not a racist, so I wouldn't know how someone like you might interpret that, since you are so hung up on what color people happen to be.) Shadow being black wasn't how I pictured the character when I read the book, but I didn't mind the decision to make him black in the show... I did mind that the guy who played Shadow in the show can't act for sh it (and hasn't been hired anywhere else as far as I can see because he's a crappy actor).

[@jeremyroberts9065]

@@SamBrickell I really don't follow what you're saying, sorry.

[@maxkorner3382]

why is diversity important for a show's success? i wouldn't even realize this is abnormal if it weren't for this video xD

[@ogrebread]

Only other connection with cotton picking was I think a loose connection to the land of america being godless but for what you bring. In the book the land has a voice but the didnt get there in the show. Definitely a mess after season 1.

[@LamiNalchor]

I thought the season 2 was still great. Season 3 was mind-numbingly boring and most of the viewers felt the same. Anansi was amazing, too aggressive in season 2, though.

[@neian147]

Diversity is great.... It's absolutely not what makes a show great...

[@KotoCrash]

This. The video really labours this point when it was nice, but didnt impact the quality of the show

[@draxler.a]

the bad acting from some actor too

[@UDSFilms]

Have you seen American Gods?

[@thtb]

Have you?

[@RobAbdul]

# Shadow, Cotton Scene Ending Theory # I believe Shadow is simply acknowledging the hardships (God's playing with human lives). Don't forget Shadow was beaten by black kids who thought he wasn't black enough or they thought he was better than them. It's interesting how, in the Cotton screen, words are not needed. Shadow, I believe, is simply saying I "see you" your plight, and I will be the God to bring love, light, and change to America.

[@mixerD1-]

GTFO here.Mad Sweeney was absolutely awesome...Pablo Schreiber was killing it..even the sketch Oirish accent was way above average.. Ridiculous to drop him... First two seasons were excellent...the wheels jumped off for woke season 3..it was a shitshow from there on... Sweeney and Laura could easily have had their own spinoff they were so good.

[@Escapism-for-everybody]

American Gods is like bad sex without a climax and i watched your video again. I disagree with the , we need more black people struggle storys. It wasn´t about that in the first season. The tv series is called american gods not black american storys. And i have nothing against those. Its just i wanted to see gods struggling, talking, fighting and in the end going to war with each other. We didn´t get the last one because the show only teases that, and that sucks so much! Like it draggs... so much! It´s awefull.

[@UDSFilms]

Don't threaten us with a good time!

[@d3ltaohniner261]

Agreed.

[@bertdog7639]

Garbage review for a garbage show.

[@greenskull3384]

Reducing Anansi to a militant stereotype on the basis of his race was not a positive change. The guy in the book was much cooler, wiser, and generally more fun. Also, gods in the book can't predict the future of entire races, and it's stupid that Anansi would b able to speak English from the start, being born on a Dutch slave ship. And the fact that he's portrayed as purely African-American, with not so much as a hint of his Ashanti background, is a distasteful insult to the people he was meant to represent in the book. The only potentially good thing about this version of the character, is that if you look closely, u can see him as the embodiment of vengefulness and anger that has been holding blacks in America back since before the civil rights movement. But that level of introspection is probably giving the writers too much credit, and viewers of the show were probably busy yelling "black power" to realize Anansi got a bunch of slaves to burn themselves as a sacrifice for him to feed on. Ironic.

[@greenskull3384]

Also, Shadow was already mixed race in the book. Not sure how u could've missed that if u actually read it.

[@mismissy]

You like to pretend there is no oppression. In jobs, schools, banking, housing and travel. The old if you would just pretend nothing is wrong here and you will be ok trope is old. These systems have been put in place to perpetuate a ws society. Funny thing is while you were so busy focusing on us you didn't see the ones who will over take you in population coming. Carry on

[@harvestcanada]

The point of Anansi, is that these thoughts, concepts and ideas were not born out of late modern or contemporary origins, but originated from the first rebellions against incarceration in the Atlantic Slave Trade. The problem is that Africans today have been fooled into believing that fvthey are nice, forgiving and demure, that Racism will eventually die out. The right thing to do is to burn down the very instructions that endanger black communities and other marginalised peoples, and bud a better peace for everyone. So being angry and wanting to join BLM, is simply not enough any more. Season 1 was great, l loved the stories and the tones. Can't wait to see DVDs for the 2nd and 3rd seasons.

[@eyepatch3769]

Black communities endanger black communities

[@mismissy]

​@@eyepatch3769the biggest danger to black communities are white cops

[@d3ltaohniner261]

​@@eyepatch3769bingo.

[@ProphetsAmongUs]

Stop with all the race nonsense!

[@MackTheMadman]

Once they got rid of Anansi I stopped watching

[@jordanthomas4379]

8:02 - so this is your big ridiculous revelation, that an already extremely wacky woke tv show, just wasn't wacky and woke enough, no this is silly, the show was cancelled because it was sh*t, the show was garbage, the end.

[@valentinoohp]

Ngl lie, Salim is the most pointless caracter in the series And the season 1 was the only one that was good

[@neonwind]

Books are always better.

[@willc3384]

It's a show that was too full of itself. Obsessed with "the message."

[@daniellee9328]

The book aged badly by 2017 and the show was too self important and overly indulgent for its own good.

[@KotoCrash]

Honestly the only so much you can do with a shit book

[@PersonalityMalfunction]

If it's anything I hate more than enforced diversity, it's ideologically plasticine fanboys. What killed Catwoman? The lack of focus on race, sexuality and gender?

[@mismissy]

You hate that this country is diverse. You're not the only people that exist. If these companies want everyone to watch their shows then they need to represent everyone. If the story is in Sweden then it should be full of Swedes. But these stories take place in America and guess what. We are ALL here

[@d3ltaohniner261]

​@mismissy it's not hating diversity, it's hating that it's FORCED into material in an inorganic way to push a political narrative, instead of for the sake of telling a good story.

[@matxalenc8410]

​@@d3ltaohniner261 I could've sworn the book had several diverse groups of people in it. Tge main character wasn't even fully white. He was literally described as having skin like coffee and cream. There quite literally was no forced diversity in it.🙄

[@Garvin285]

I stopped after you said that focus on people of color is why this show was good Cringe

[@katrinamcneil5395]

Sad

[@davidthirugnanakumar7888]

Heuhhh, which is True

[@KrugerFS]

Agreed, it didn't kill the show, but pushing the message eventually leads to bad story telling

[@valmirmehmetaj5246]

he does not get movies at all, thick as a door knob! He does not get the movie, but as all indoctrinated people has a keen eye for the right ideology, and he does not even know that pushing such idiotic issues is what killed this tv show

[@Garvin285]

It's like saying "saving private ryan" is a good movie because it focus on soldiers. It's something only a 12 year old can consider valuable in cinematography. Like how is that even relevant.