One very interesting lesson to take from this week’s episode of American Gods is this: the gods didn’t always exist as we see them now. If the lesson that Bilquis has been reminded of teaches anything, it’s that society looks upon the gods in many different ways, and all of them end up creating a false face that apparently some of the gods within the show have taken to using throughout the length of their long, long lives. Her ‘rescue’ at the hands of Shadow Moon and Technical Boy, whose origin we’re starting to see more of since it’s obvious that he’s a bit more pitiful than we were initially led to believe, came at just the right second since it was a bit obvious that the goddess, who had finally regained a strong sense of herself, needed a ride and possibly some company, as she and Shadow began to talk about finding themselves and revealing who they really are. Technical Boy however is still a bit of a quandary after being outed by the down and out magician in the opening of the episode and showing that he was still plenty messed-up by what Bilquis did to him a couple of episodes ago, as his continual glitch is beginning to get even worse.
As for Wednesday, his madness appears to have been entirely feigned as it’s allowed him to be set up in the same care home where Demeter currently resides, which makes it obvious that it was all a part of the plan to continue his plea to her to join the war and add her considerable power and wealth to the cause. But of course, he’s also out to ruin the individual that currently has power of attorney over Demeter and many others within the home. Persuading Shadow to pull the old No. 37, a con that a lot of us probably didn’t see coming but was exceedingly simple and kind of fun to watch, was definitely a low blow that is worthy of how Wednesday has been seen to operate over the course of three seasons. The old god has literally no shame when it comes to pulling people into his orbit and getting from them what he needs, and Shadow appears capable of being just as ruthless as his old man, but thankfully he still has a hint of a conscience that doesn’t allow him to make a living out of tricking others. Of course, he’s not Odin, or Ofnir, as Demeter calls him. Ofnir, if anyone is interested, actually means “Inciter”, which should be easy to understand since as a god of war and many other things, Odin is not above making things happen, though he has been given a much calmer and more rational temperament in other shows, and especially in the MCU.
In truth, while Odin is not the oldest god ever conceived, nor truly immortal since even in the old Norse legends he can and is fated to die, he is still a power that is better not to be trifled with simply because he is still powerful. Those thinking that he was almost killed in the explosion at the biker bar might be right, he might be a little more vulnerable in this show, but the fact is still that he’s someone that has a lot more power if he lets it loose than it might appear. All this is why it’s both laughable and serious enough to consider the fact that Laura Moon is still seeking to kill Wednesday since now that she’s back it’s evident that her part in this whole mess still isn’t quite done. As one of the more annoying characters in the show however she’s one of those that some might enjoy and some might want to see gone for good. It’s definitely true that Wednesday had something to do with her death and that it was a manipulative method by which to get closer to Shadow, but the very real idea that Shadow has a bigger part to play in the coming war, even with all that he’s already done, is fairly evident. As a part of different worlds, Shadow is someone that almost appears to be a linchpin that can draw the gods together, or condemn them entirely if he simply walks away and refuses to take part in the matter.
So far he’s done pretty much everything that Wednesday has asked and/or expected, no matter that he’s done his best to fight against it. But in taking part in the con to get Demeter back on Odin’s side, Shadow is still struggling with who he is and what he wants. Now that Laura has found him once again it’s bound to get a bit messy, especially since Shadow, aka Mike Ainsel, is doing his best to start a new and more fulfilling life. Oh yeah, it’s getting good.
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