“Come to Jesus” brings American Gods: Season One to a close, and there is a lot to unpack in this episode. Fans of the book are treated to some surprises, as the show pushes the narrative in some interesting new directions. Those that are new to the world of American Gods also got some answers this week.
Before I begin the actual review of this week’s episode, I feel the need to point out how strange it is that “Empress of Mars” aired the day after Adam West’s passing and is coincidentally an homage to his movie, Robinson Crusoe on Mars. It seems only fitting that one iconic '60s show is paying tribute to the star of another iconic '60s show while the world mourns the actor's loss.
American Gods certainly had a lot to say about conservative America in “A Murder of Gods.” The coming-to-America prologue this week showed Mexican Jesus (Wednesday mentioned earlier this season that there is more than one Jesus to match the different faiths.) entering America with illegal immigrants. Later in the episode, Wednesday and Shadow travel to a conservative utopia—a small town where everyone is safe since no one is without a gun.
“Lemon Scented You” started with the usual coming-to-America prologue, but in an unusual way. It showed how Nynyunnini came to America when early humans first migrated here. Since the prehistoric setting would have drastically increased the cost of the episode, they decided to animate it. Instead of the typical sleek and shiny CGI that is so popular now, they opted to go with a darker and grittier aesthetic modeled on stop-motion to give it an eerier quality.