After some behind-the-scenes shakeups and cast departures, American Gods season 2 is set to premiere on Starz in March, and the network aims to whet its audience’s appetite with the new season’s opening scene. The adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s best-selling novel is heading into a new season without the guidance of co-showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, and it will have to do without the presence of Gillian Anderson as the god Media, too. Those are some significant obstacles facing the series in its sophomore season, the kind that could potentially derail the show from the track laid by both Fuller and Green.
Starz is betting that won’t be the case, though, as the marketing blitz for season 2 is already underway, beginning with the season 1 marathon that ran yesterday and continues with the glimpse at season 2 the premium cabler recently shared online. The move isn’t too much of a surprise, as giving viewers a sneak peek at what’s to come seems to be the least Starz could do for those who sat down to partake in all or part of the season 1 marathon. And for those who didn’t, well, they can still watch Crispin Glover glower through an opening sequence that reveals itself to be all about media.
More: Timeless Series Finale Review: A Hasty Wrap-Up Settles Nearly Every Account
What’s surprising about the clip is the degree to which American Gods now resembles a Monty Python skit, with Technical Boy (Bruce Langley) running over an unsuspecting golfer with a stretch limousine that happens to have Mr. World (Glover) in the back. It’s a weird moment of slapstick that serves as an interesting counterweight to the florid expository dialogue given to Mr. World. Check out the first three minutes of American Gods season 2 below:
The clip suggests there’ll be a more straightforward plot this time around, as Mr. World is preparing for Mr. Wednesday’s war on the new gods, but first he needs to find the woman who can sell it for him. That idea directly addresses Anderson’s absence and opens the door for New Media (Kahyun Kim) to step in and take over where Anderson left off. It’s not the most seamless transition, but it’s one in keeping with the ideas already present in the series, especially as they pertain to Media’s outsized influence and tendency toward reinvention as was seen in her many guises in season 1.
Though the series faces an uphill climb with Fuller and Green’s absence, efforts to establish a clearer plot might be just the thing to assuage the concerns of fans who’re eager to see Gaiman’s story play out, but might have been put off by the first season’s more surreal efforts.
Next: The Best New TV Shows Of 2018
American Gods season 2 premieres Sunday, March 10, 2019 on Starz.
