Martin Carr reviews the fifth episode of American Gods season 2…
Carnal coupling New Orleans style awaits the seasoned watcher and newbie alike as Nordic folklore combines with a smattering of voodoo infused racial histrionics. Flaming heads talking in present day moments of acid trip clarity sit alongside bullet wound imagery, laughing lynch mobs and bickering African deities. Asgardian interlopers are drawn in by Wednesday while witch doctors and their sultry significant others raise the dead amongst other things. This is one programme that probably benefits from an audience under the influence of substances not readily available.
Religious discussion still sits at the heart of American Gods slipping in like a thief under cover, only to have their true nature revealed with sledgehammer subtlety. Islamic, Muslim, Christian or other it fails to matter as this is more than just a tirade on inequality. Whether that perceived slight is racial, sociological or gender based there is no stone left unturned, while imagery plucked from a fever dream dominates the screen. Partial possession, graphic infidelity and vomit peppered with grub worms is mixed into the sensual experience.
There is no quarter given to the uninitiated and no requirement which states things need to be logical. Between Bilquis, Nancy, Ibis and the rest there is a rich well spring to be drained, while intentions, allegiances and structure are for other people. Graphic violence goes hand in hand with pulpit preaching, disillusionment and discussions of death. A pulsing New Orleans soundtrack with an undertone of delta blues works in conjunction with tribal drums adding character and depth. There are no weak links here, no wasted moments or unnecessary segues into meaningless emotional cul-de-sacs. If anything you sense that the material is too big for this format perpetually pushing beyond the boundaries enforced by Amazon. Yet Gods could never exist on terrestrial television either due to content, contentious opinion or worse still a wild streak of originality.
As events begin to gather pace and the use of stark imagery remains unrelenting you feel that this is turning from entertainment medium into social document. Too much is being said too loudly and although the ideas might not be new, these topics are rarely voiced on a platform with this level of exposure. In a cultural age defined by an instantaneous insatiable need for gratification Gods has much to say on the topic of excess, overindulgence and a constant desire for change. Conventional has no place here; here there be monsters.
Martin Carr
