Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gods are real on brutal, graphic, visually arresting show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
American Gods
What's the Story?
Gods and mythological creatures are real! That is, they're real when people believe in them. But as belief in old gods like Loki, Kali, and Anubis has blinked out, so have their powers; new gods, AMERICAN GODS have arisen, dedicated to technology, celebrity, drugs. Not all the old gods are ready to fade into history, though. And so the menacing Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) is beginning to gather the pantheon of old gods together, ready for an epic battle with the gods we worship today. With his faithful servants Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) and Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) at his side, Mr. Wednesday has a cabal to put together and a cataclysmic battle to plan. Will Technical Boy (Bruce Langley), Mr. World (Crispin Glover), and Media (Gillian Anderson) be as easy to defeat as the old gods were to forget?
Is It Any Good?
This is an eyeful with an interesting premise and a whole glittering galaxy of terrific actors, but it's not for kids, not even close. Even if you can handle your kids seeing a Viking warrior get his head sliced in half in slow motion, or don't mind them watching as a totally nude sex goddess refreshes her life force by sucking the entire body of a man (played by Joel Murray a.k.a. Mad Men's Freddy Rumsen -- naked!) into her vagina, you'll probably be done by the time Jesus Christ (Jeremy Davies) shows up. This is strong stuff, but also arrestingly beautiful too. The way we meet Technical Boy is a wow: a tiny robot leaps up to cling to Shadow's face, and Technical Boy takes shape pixel by pixel, Tintin quiff and all. The jaw-dropping scene that introduces Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones) has him turning into a spider to creep onto an African slave ship to predict several hundred years of future American racism to the terrified captives.
Ian McShane's Mr. Wednesday is equally creepy, dropping hints of his true nature to a confused Shadow. Who, it must be admitted, is still trying to recover from his shock when the coin he drops into the grave of his wife Laura (Emily Browning) accidentally turned her into one of the undead. As you see, the show's just a little complicated, as you would know if you've read the epic Neil Gaiman novel of the same name. It's snappy, it's weird, it's absolutely beautiful in a way that recalls mystical sci-fi from Pan's Labyrinth to Legion. But if you watch American Gods, unless you have older teens, wait for the kids to go to bed first.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how American Gods is an extraordinarily violent show, with bloody injuries and frequent on-screen deaths. Why do some dramas show blood and guts? Is it entertaining for the viewer? For you? What's the impact of media violence on kids? Would the level of violence make you uncomfortable about watching with a young friend or relative? Your mom? Your grandmother?
It's pretty common to make TV and movie adaptations of popular books. What other adaptations can you name? Is it more or less enjoyable to watch a show when you haven't read the book on which it's based?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 30, 2017
- Cast : Ian McShane , Ricky Whittle , Emily Browning , Crispin Glover , Kristin Chenoweth , Gillian Anderson
- Network : Starz
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 8, 2025
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