American Gods (season 3)
The third season of American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name, premiered on Starz on January 10, 2021, and will consist of ten episodes. Charles H. Eglee adapted the third season, serving as the showrunner after the departure of second-season showrunner Jesse Alexander and original series creators Bryan Fuller and Michael Green after the first season. The season was officially greenlit in March 2019 and production began in October 2019.
| American Gods | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Starz |
| Original release | January 10, 2021 – present |
| Season chronology | |
The season stars Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Yetide Badaki, Crispin Glover, Bruce Langley, Omid Abtahi, Demore Barnes and Ian McShane, 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 under a new name to hide from the New Gods.
Cast and characters
Main
- Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon / Mike Ainsel, a former convict who becomes Mr. Wednesday's bodyguard.[1]
- Emily Browning as Laura Moon, Shadow Moon's wife and a revenant.[1]
- Yetide Badaki as Bilquis, a goddess of love, identified with the Queen of Sheba.[1]
- Bruce Langley as the Technical Boy / Quantum Boy, the New God of technology.[1]
- Omid Abtahi as Salim, a Muslim man from Oman who moved to the U.S.[1]
- Ashley Reyes as Cordelia, a rebellious and tech savvy college dropout who works for Mr. Wednesday.[2]
- Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday, a con artist and the Norse god Odin.[1]
- Demore Barnes as Mr. Ibis, the keeper of stories past and present, the Egyptian god Thoth.[1]
- Crispin Glover as Mr. World, the New God of globalization and the leader of the New Gods.[3][4]
Recurring and guest
- Peter Stormare as Czernobog, Slavic god of darkness, death, and malevolence.[1]
- Devery Jacobs as Sam Black Crow, a half-Cherokee hitchhiking college student.[1]
- Marilyn Manson as Johan Wengren, the lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death and a berserker.[5]
- Blythe Danner as Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest who has an unresolved romantic history with Mr. Wednesday.[6]
- Herizen Guardiola as Oshun, the Yoruban goddess of love, purity, fertility.[2]
- Dominique Jackson as Ms. World, an incarnation of Mr. World.[1]
- Eric Johnson as Chad Mulligan, Lakeside's Chief of Police.[1]
- Lela Loren as Marguerite Olsen, a local reporter in Lakeside who takes an interest in Shadow.[7]
- Danny Trejo as another incarnation of Mr. World.[8]
- Julia Sweeney as Ann-Marie Hinzelmann, the owner of a small convenience store and the unofficial self-appointed mayor of Lakeside.[8]
- Wale as Chango, an Orisha who has a link to Shadow's past.[8]
- Iwan Rheon as Liam Doyle, a charming, good-natured leprechaun.[9]
- Denis O'Hare as Tyr, a former Norse god who got his hand bitten off by Fenris who is now a dentist.[4]
- Graham Greene as Whiskey Jack
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [10] | Directed by [11] | Teleplay by [11] | Original air date [10] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "A Winter's Tale" | Jon Amiel | David Paul Francis | January 10, 2021 | 0.209[12] |
| 18 | 2 | "Serious Moonlight" | Julian Holmes | Moises Verneau | January 17, 2021 | 0.185[13] |
| 19 | 3 | "Ashes and Demons" | Thomas Carter | Anne Kenney | January 24, 2021 | 0.160[14] |
| 20 | 4 | "The Unseen" | Eva Sørhaug | Nick Gillie | January 31, 2021 | 0.204[15] |
| 21 | 5 | "Sister Rising" | Nick Copus | Damian Kindler | February 14, 2021 | TBD |
| 22 | 6 | "Conscience of the King" | Mark Tinker | Aric Avelino | February 21, 2021 | TBD |
| 23 | 7 | "Fire and Ice" | Rachel Goldberg | Anne Kenney & David Paul Francis | February 28, 2021 | TBD |
| 24 | 8 | "The Rapture of Burning" | Tim Southam | Holly Moyer | March 7, 2021 | TBD |
| 25 | 9 | "The Lake Effect" | Metin Hüseyin | Laura Pusey & Damian Kindler | March 14, 2021 | TBD |
| 26 | 10 | "Tears of the Wrath-Bearing Tree" | Russell Lee Fine | Laura Pusey & Ryan Spencer | March 21, 2021 | TBD |
Production
Development
The series was renewed for a third season by Starz on March 15, 2019, and it was confirmed that Charles H. Eglee would serve as showrunner for the third season replacing Jesse Alexander.[16] The season will consist of ten episodes,[17] Alongside Eglee, the season is executive produced by Neil Gaiman, Anne Kenney, Damian Kindler, David Paul Francis, Mark Tinker, Ian McShane, Craig Cegielski, and Stefanie Berk.[3]
Filming
The season was scheduled to film between September 20, 2019, and March 6, 2020.[18] Production began in October 2019 in Toronto.[3][19]
Casting
The third season features several new actors in recurring roles. In September 2019, Marilyn Manson and Blythe Danner were cast in recurring roles.[5][6] In October, Ashley Reyes joined as a series regular, while Herizen Guardiola, Lela Loren, Dominique Jackson, and Eric Johnson joined in recurring roles.[2][7][1] In November, Danny Trejo, Julia Sweeney, and Wale joined the guest cast;[8] while in December, Iwan Rheon was added to the cast.[9] It was reported that Crispin Glover would return in a guest role.[20]
The third season also sees several cast changes, including the departure of Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney at the end of the previous season.[9] In December 2019, Orlando Jones 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".[21] 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.[22] Also in December, Mousa Kraish announced that he would also not appear in the third season.[23]
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.[24]
Release
The third season of American Gods premiered in the United States on January 10, 2021,[25] with weekly international distribution beginning from January 11 via Amazon Prime.[26]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 69% rating with an average score of 6.88 out of 10 based on 13 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."[27]
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Winter's Tale" | January 10, 2021 | 0.04 | 0.209[12] | TBD | TBD |
| 2 | "Serious Moonlight" | January 17, 2021 | 0.05 | 0.185[13] | TBD | TBD |
| 3 | "Ashes and Demons" | January 24, 2021 | 0.05 | 0.160[14] | TBD | TBD |
| 4 | "The Unseen" | January 31, 2021 | 0.02 | 0.204[15] | TBD | TBD |
References
- Romano, Nick (October 9, 2019). "American Gods season 3 drops first photo, adds Pose and Fifty Shades stars". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 7, 2019). "'American Gods' Adds Ashley Reyes As Series Regular, Herizen Guardiola To Recur". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Season 3 of American Gods starts production". Fremantle. October 9, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- White, Peter (October 9, 2020). "'American Gods': Starz Unveils Trailer For Season 3". Deadline. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- Patten, Dominic (September 17, 2019). "'American Gods' Adds Marilyn Manson For Season 3 Role On Starz Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Pedersen, Erik (September 24, 2019). "'American Gods': Blythe Danner Joins Season 3 Of Starz Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Petski, Denise (October 23, 2019). "'American Gods': Lela Loren To Recur On Season 3 Of Starz Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Romano, Nick (November 21, 2019). "Danny Trejo joins American Gods season 3 with Julia Sweeney, rapper Wale". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Swift, Andy (December 4, 2019). "American Gods Adds Game of Thrones Baddie as New Leprechaun Liam Doyle". TVLine. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "Shows A-Z - American Gods on Starz". The Futon Critic. November 1, 2020.
- "American Gods S3 Presskit" (PDF). Starz. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- Metcalf, Mitch (January 12, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.10.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- Metcalf, Mitch (January 20, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.17.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- Metcalf, Mitch (January 26, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.24.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- Metcalf, Mitch (February 2, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.31.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- Patten, Dominic (March 15, 2019). "It's Official! Starz Renews 'American Gods' For Third Season, Finds New Showrunner". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- Patten, Dominic (April 28, 2019). "'American Gods' Creator Neil Gaiman Talks Season 2 Finale, His Favorite Episode & Teases Season 4 Plans". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- Marc, Christopher (July 6, 2019). "Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' Season 3 To Shoot September–March In Toronto". HNEntertainment. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- Miller, Thomas (October 10, 2019). "AMERICAN GODS Season 3 Begins Production". SEAT42F. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Kaya, Emre (December 18, 2019). "UPDATE: Exclusive: 'American Gods': Kahyun Kim Not Returning For Season 3, Crispin Glover Moves To Guest Star". Geeks Worldwide. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Romano, Nick (December 14, 2019). "Orlando Jones says he was fired from American Gods, Mr. Nancy sent 'wrong message'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
- Schwartz, Ryan (December 14, 2019). "American Gods Explains Orlando Jones Exit, Vows to Remain 'One of the Most Diverse Series on TV' in Season 3". TVLine. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- Roots, Kimberly (December 16, 2019). "American Gods' Mousa Kraish Not Returning for Season 3". TVLine. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- Patten, Dominic; Del Rosario, Alexandra (February 1, 2021). "Marilyn Manson Axed From 'American Gods' After Abuse Claims By Evan Rachel Wood; Singer Dropped By AMC From 'Creepshow' Also". Deadline. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- Patten, Dominic (October 27, 2020). "'American Gods' Sets January 2021 Season 3 Premiere; Neil Gaiman Says "Story Back On Track"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- "Starz Sets "American Gods" Season 3 Premiere for January 10" (Press release). Starz. October 27, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
- "American Gods: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- American Gods – list of episodes at IMDb