The third and final season of ''

American Gods ''American Gods'' (2001) is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow. The book was pub ...

'', based on

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

's novel of the same name, was broadcast on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

between January 10 and March 21, 2021, and consisted of ten episodes.

Charles H. Eglee Charles Hamilton Eglee (born November 27, 1951) is an American film and television screenwriter and producer. He worked extensively for Steven Bochco productions throughout the 1990s. For Bochco productions he co-created '' Byrds of Paradise'' ...

adapted the third season, serving as the

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

after the departure of second-season showrunner

Jesse Alexander Jesse Alexander is an American television writer and producer. He was a co-executive producer and writer on ''Heroes''. Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Alexander attended Sarah Lawrence College and AFI Conservatory. At Sarah Lawrence ...

and original series creators

Bryan Fuller Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', '' Hannibal'', and '' American Gods.'' Fuller worked a ...

and Michael Green after the first season. The season was officially greenlit in March 2019 and production began in October 2019. The season stars

Ricky Whittle Richard George Whittle (born 31 December 1979) is a British actor. Whittle first came to prominence as a model for Reebok in the early 2000s. He is known in the United Kingdom for his role as Calvin Valentine in the soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. I ...

Emily Browning Emily Jane Browning
. Celebritywonder, retrieved 30 June 2011 (born 7 December 1988

, Yetide Badaki,

Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...

, Bruce Langley,

Omid Abtahi Omid Abtahi ( fa, امید ابطحی) is an Iranian-American actor. noorfilmfestival.com Accessed 2016-1-28 He is best known for his roles as Salim in Starz Original '' American Gods'', Doctor Pershing in ''The Mandalorian'' on Disney+, Saleem ...

Demore Barnes Demore Barnes (born February 26, 1976) is a Canadian actor. Barnes is best known for his roles as Sergeant First Class Hector Williams in the CBS television series ''The Unit'', the archangel Raphael in '' Supernatural'' and Deputy Chief Christia ...

and

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004 ...

, who all return from the previous season, while Ashley Reyes joins the main cast. The third season follows Shadow Moon as he moves to

Lakeside, Wisconsin Lakeside is a town in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 609 at the 2000 census. The town was named for its location at the shore of Lake Superior. Transportation Wisconsin Highway 13 serves as a main route in the commu ...

under a new name to hide from the New Gods.

Cast and characters

Main

as Shadow Moon / Mike Ainsel, a former convict who became Mr. Wednesday's bodyguard, but left the job after discovering he is Wednesday's estranged son. *

Emily Browning Emily Jane Browning
. Celebritywonder, retrieved 30 June 2011 (born 7 December 1988

as Laura Moon, Shadow Moon's wife and a

revenant In folklore, a revenant is an animated corpse that is believed to have been revived from death to haunt the living. The word ''revenant'' is derived from the Old French word, ''revenant'', the "returning" (see also the related French language, F ...

. * Yetide Badaki as Bilquis, a goddess of love, identified with the

Queen of Sheba The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא‎, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...

. * Bruce Langley as Technical Boy, a New God of

Technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

who in 1893 had been a failed inventor. *

Salim Salim, Saleem or Selim may refer to: People *Salim (name), or Saleem or Salem or Selim, a name of Arabic origin * Salim (poet) (1800–1866) * Saleem (playwright) (fl. 1996) *Selim I, Selim II and Selim III, Ottoman Sultans * Selim people, an e ...

, an emerging gay Muslim man from

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

who moved to the U.S. and fell in love with a djinn. * Ashley Reyes as Cordelia, a rebellious and tech savvy college dropout who works for Mr. Wednesday as his protégée, driver, and technology assistant. *

as Mr. Wednesday, the war-mongering Norse god

Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...

incarnated as a con artist. *

as Mr. Ibis, the keeper of stories past and present, scribe to Old Gods. Egyptian god

Thoth Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...

. *

as Mr. World, the New God of

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

and the vicious leader of the New Gods.

Recurring

Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to: Music *Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist * Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone Politics * Eric Joh ...

as Chad Mulligan, Lakeside's Chief of Police. *

Lela Loren Lela Loren (born 7 May 1980) is an American television and film actress. Known for her leading role as Angela Valdes on the Starz television series, ''Power'', Loren notes in interview that it took time to land her first audition, and that he ...

as Marguerite Olsen, a local reporter in Lakeside who takes an interest in Shadow. *

Julia Sweeney Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and author, who gained fame as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1994. She played Mrs. Keeper in the film ''Stuart Little'' and voiced Brittany in ' ...

as Ann-Marie Hinzelmann, the owner of a small convenience store and the unofficial self-appointed mayor of Lakeside. *

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

as Johan Wengren, the lead singer of the Viking

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band Blood Death and a

berserker In the Old Norse written corpus, berserker were those who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English word '' berserk'' (meaning "furiously violent or out of control"). Berserkers ...

. *

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Izzy Huffstodt on '' Huff'' (2004–2006), and a ...

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

, the Greek goddess of the harvest who has an unresolved romantic history with Mr. Wednesday, who now goes by the name Caroline Wells. * Herizen Guardiola as

Oshun Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of the most popular and venerated ...

, the Yoruban goddess of love, purity, and fertility. * Dominique Jackson as Ms. World, a second apparition of Mr. World. *

Denis O'Hare Denis Patrick Seamus O'Hare (born January 17, 1962) is an American actor, singer, and author noted for his award-winning performances in the plays '' Take Me Out'' and ''Sweet Charity'', as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on HB ...

as Tyr, a former Norse god who in the past got his hand bitten off by the

Fenrir Fenrir (Old Norse: ; "fen-dweller")Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (O.N.: ; "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (O.N.: ; "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (O.N.: ; " ...

, and who now is a dentist. *

Danny Trejo Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...

as a third apparition of Mr. World. *

Peter Stormare Rolf Peter Ingvar Storm (born August 27, 1953), better known as Peter Stormare (), is a Swedish actor who holds both Swedish and American citizenship. He played Gaear Grimsrud in the film '' Fargo'' (1996) and John Abruzzi in the television ser ...

Czernobog Chernobog ( "Black God") and Belobog ( "White God") are an alleged pair of Polabian deities. Chernobog appears in the Helmold's ''Chronicle'' as a god of misfortune worshipped by the Wagri and Obodrites, while Belobog is not mentioned – he was ...

, Slavic god of darkness, death, and malevolence. *

Iwan Rheon Iwan Rheon (, ; born 13 May 1985) is a Welsh actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Bellamy in the E4 series ''Misfits'', Ramsay Bolton in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', and Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars ...

as Liam Doyle, a charming, good-natured

leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. I ...

Guests

Devery Jacobs Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (born August 8, 1993), known professionally as Devery Jacobs, is an Indigenous Canadian ( Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk)) actress and writer. For her performance in ''Rhymes for Young Ghouls'' (2013), she garnered a Canadian S ...

as Sam Black Crow, a half-

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

hitchhiking college student. * Wale as Chango, an

Orisha Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. T ...

who has a link to Shadow's past. *

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

as Whiskey Jack, a

Manitou Manitou (), akin to the Iroquois ''orenda'', is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in the Native American theology. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms, the environment, events, etc. ''Aasha ...

who despises Mr. Wednesday.

Episodes

Production

Development

The series was renewed for a third season by Starz on March 15, 2019, and it was confirmed that

would serve as showrunner for the third season replacing

. The season consisted of ten episodes, Alongside Eglee, the season is executive produced by

Anne Kenney Anne Kenney is an American television writer and producer. She was an executive producer and writer for '' Outlander''. She worked extensively on ''L.A. Law'' in both capacities. Her other television credits include ''Family Law'', '' Beautiful ...

Damian Kindler Damian Kindler (born May 31, 1968) is a television and film writer, director and producer. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Kindler's family swiftly emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he was raised. He currently resides in Venice, California, US. ...

, David Paul Francis,

Mark Tinker Mark Tinker (born January 16, 1951) is an American television producer and director. Tinker was an executive producer and regular director on the HBO series '' Deadwood''. Prior to ''Deadwood'', Tinker served as a director/producer on ''NYPD Blue' ...

, Craig Cegielski, and Stefanie Berk. In March 2021, after the season had finished airing, Starz announced it had canceled the series.

Filming

The season was scheduled to film between September 20, 2019, and March 6, 2020. Production began in October 2019 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Casting

The third season features several new actors in recurring roles. In September 2019,

and

were cast in recurring roles. In October, Ashley Reyes joined as a series regular, while Herizen Guardiola,

, Dominique Jackson, and

joined in recurring roles. In November,

, and Wale joined the guest cast; while in December,

was added to the cast. It was reported that

would return in a guest role. The third season also sees several cast changes, including the departure of

Pablo Schreiber Pablo Tell Schreiber (born April 26, 1978) is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for his stage work and for portraying Nick Sobotka on ''The Wire'' (2003), William Lewis on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2013–2014), Mad Swe ...

as Mad Sweeney at the end of the previous season. In December 2019,

Orlando Jones Orlando Jones (born April 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series ''MADtv'', for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999 to 2002, and for his role a ...

stated that he had been fired from the series in September and alleged that new showrunner Charles Eglee decided his character, Mr. Nancy, sends "the wrong message for black America". In response, a spokesperson for the series stated that Jones' contract was not renewed because his character Mr. Nancy is not included in the book material on which the season 3 episodes are based. Also in December,

Mousa Kraish Mousa Hussein Kraish ( ; ar, موسى حسين قريش; born November 21) is an American actor and director, who has appeared in several Hollywood films including Steven Spielberg's 2005 film ''Munich (2005 film), Munich''. He is best known for ...

announced that he would also not appear in the third season. On February 1, 2021, Manson was removed from the cast following abuse allegations against him. Manson's scenes from his final episode, "Sister Rising", were removed.

Release

The third season of ''American Gods'' premiered in the United States on January 10, 2021, with weekly international distribution beginning from January 11 via

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...

Reception

Critical response

The third season received positive reviews from critics, who called it an improvement over its predecessor.

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, it has a 79% rating with an average score of 6.90 out of 10 based on 19 reviews, with the critical consensus stating, "Though it's unlikely to bring anyone back into the fold, ''American Gods'' tighter focus and strong performances may be enough for fans still holding out hope for a solid finish."

Ratings

References

External links

* * {{IMDb episodes, 1898069, American Gods, season=3 2021 American television seasons American Gods (TV series)