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After a long hiatus and other behind-the-scenes changes (including leaving the cast and a new showrunner), Neil Gaiman’s adaptation of American Gods is finally returning to our screens – and after a season two that divides, star Ricky Whittle says the new episodes are set to raise the stakes of the Gods vs. Gods fantasy.
“For me, season three is a massive comeback to form and I think it’s due to the fact that Neil Gaiman came back and put a firm hand on the ship after his time at Good Omens,” said Whittle, who plays Shadow Moon in the series. RadioTimes.com.
“He was able to come back, work with [showrunner] Chic Eglee for a lot longer over the summer – they spent quite a bit of time together, I believe in Texas – and they really got to get the whole story, which ends in an epic season three finale, then season four.
“This is a very planned roller coaster, so every dive and every detour is about making the audience feel something. And that’s in the midst of a story that they planned and projected throughout season four.
“If season two was like a quirky scavenger hunt where you occasionally find magic and gold, this is a very planned roller coaster ride that Neil and Chic were able to do.
After the shock of the season two finale – which revealed that Shadow was the Mr Wednesday / Odin son of Ian McShane, who killed his wife Laura (Emily Browning) – the new season sees Shadow lying low in a petite town called Lakeside, where there I will be drawn into a new supernatural mystery.
“We find it hidden,” Whittle told us. “After the massive bombshell at the end of season two, where we found out Wednesday was his father and that he also killed Laura, it kind of sent Shadow over the edge. He’s done with them. He’s hiding from the police, he’s hiding from the FBI, he’s hiding from the gods, he turned his back on Wednesday, Laura, everyone.
“So we find him in hiding trying to lead a normal life. He’s in a factory, he’s grown his hair, his beard, he’s really hidden. He even has an eye on a local girl and he wants this normal life. This is what he always dreamed of, but you only have a very long time to hide from your fate before he finally finds you. Especially with Mr Wednesday – he’s never so far behind.
As seen in Neil Gaiman’s original novel, Lakeside’s screenplay is a favorite with many fans – and Whittle is the chef among them, noting that he was especially keen on filming this part of the series.
“It’s my favorite part of the book,” he says. “I loved the book and it was really my favorite part that I was really looking forward to filming, until I got to this beautiful city called Port Perry in Toronto in the dead of winter and it was brutal.
“The weather conditions were horrible. Oh my God! If you see Shadow shivering and stuff that isn’t makeup it’s not fake ice cubes on his beard, this is genuine. It was freezing cold there so massive props for our cast and crew.
“But we can accommodate some of my favorite characters from the book: Chad Mulligan, Anne-Marie Hinzelmann and Marguerite Olsen, played by Eric Johnson, Julia Sweeney and Lela Loren. It’s basically like a whole new show where the book and throws kind of a twist on this murder mystery.
“You’ve got Wednesday on his journey,” Whittle continued, “on his mission, as those wires and bows start to pull away and head their separate ways.
“Shadow is enveloped in this quaint little town with that dark belly and unfortunately for him a little girl goes missing and the only thing that has changed in this town is that a new guy has arrived. As the walls start to close, they start to suspect that he might be hiding something, but unfortunately for Shadow it’s not what they think it is, it’s something much more. tall.
He added, “It’s great that this show is able to add so many different genres. You now have that murder mystery added to fantasy, sci-fi, romance, drama, and there’s a lot more comedy in this season as well that’s at Lakeside. You get to see a different side of Shadow where he can have fun.
“He’s surrounded by humans for the first time in the series. He’s been surrounded by all these gods and he’s the least knowledgeable person in the room. Now, he’s the person who knows the most and it’s a very interesting roundtable happening for Shadow.
Only time will tell if fans love the new season as much as Whittle – but for now, the actor is feeling positive about Shadow’s return.
“I’m really proud of this season,” he concluded. “It’s a real comeback for the American gods. The writing has been amazing and it’s a season I’m very, very proud of.
Interview conducted by Simon Button.
The third season of American Gods arrives on Amazon Prime Video on Monday, January 11, 2021. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV guide.
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