American Gods episode 5, “Lemon Scented You,” features a reunion between Shadow and his dead wife, a reunion between Mr. Wednesday and the New Gods, and a reunion between myself and Tracie Thoms. Hey, look, it’s Tracie Thoms! You were so good in Rent, girl!
Episode 5’s opening scene isn’t as impactful as previous episode openers, mostly because the CG proto-humans stumbling through the snow look like they wandered off the set of Avatar . They barely look human, all bark-skinned and grievously proportioned; I half-expected Bran Stark to pop out of a tree somewhere. All the same, the story of a once-powerful and dangerous god dwindling to dust as he is forgotten fits in with Mr. Wednesday’s worries as he faces down the New Gods later in the episode.
But we start with Laura Moon, who is so beleaguered by buzzy, buzzy flies that I want to smack my own face in case they’re hanging out over here too. Ricky Whittle plays Shadow’s shock, grief, anger, and love to perfection: that “hey baby” when he first sees her has me so deep in my feelings you’d need a claw machine to get me out. One thing’s clear: Mrs. Moon’s still got Shadow all the way fucked up.
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And she knows it, too. While Laura’s got a lot of ‘splaining to do, she does her absolute best to distract Shadow with his love for her, offering up even her cold body. Watching her manipulate Shadow is painful, since she’s put Shadow through almost as much as she’s been through herself, but I still wish she could change her grim fate. However, Laura’s focus is Shadow and the warmth he carries, a warmth that spreads to her when she kisses him and causes her to remark in mild shock, “I felt that. I felt something. I felt, like - alive. Do I feel alive?”
She might be manipulative, cynical and slightly deplorable, but there is something so tragic in a character who had to die before she could even begin to feel alive. All the same, Shadow’s got problems a lot bigger than his undead wife. When he and Mr. Wednesday get taken in by the local cops for their bank robbery in episode 4, shit really starts to hit the fan. And then the New Gods... (breathes into paper bag)
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But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s my list of amazing moments, scene by scene, starting with the reunion between husband and wife:
“There’s also the miracle of me sitting here post-humously.” Girl, please.
Mr. Wednesday’s squawk of “WHAT?” when he talks back to the crow, who’s also squawking. It’s like me at karaoke!
“There is a big storm rolling across the country right now and nothing feels okay.” Don’t go breaking my heart, Shadow.
“Are you still my puppy?” Shadow’s look of love turning cold and anguished was a sight to behold. Ricky Whittle is perfect casting.
Shadow leaving the hotel room real fast after Mr. Wednesday tries to come in. But Shadow can’t avoid that glass eye and searching look: “I see you’ve seen something.”
The scene with Technical Boy and Media had me screaming. Gillian Anderson as David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust as the reason I’m thriving and my pores are clear? The suit, the hair, the unblinking eyes and effortless command of Technical Boy’s own space? Technical Boy’s fear, frustration and youth, contrasted with Media’s icy self-control as she summons Technical Boy to his own damned meeting room? Yesssss.
Technical Boy continues to be perfect. I’ve never wanted to see a god get jumped harder. Shout-out to the costume designer for managing to put together outfits that are the peak of Young White Trifling-Ass Yacht Boy Fashion.
“Tasked with asking a few questions, you hang a black man from a tree.” Never did I ever think this would actually get brought up in-show.
“You’re a good kid, just not good with people you don’t know. Apologize.” I mean, I don’t know what Technical Boy she’s talking about, but at least she’s making the little shit say he’s sorry.
Technical Boy furiously protesting that Wednesday’s collecting “monsters, fucking Pokemon” in the face of Media’s precise insistence that Mr. World demands an apology directly to Wednesday and his “mad Shadow-man.”
That final little bit about mass delusions that got Technical Boy all riled up. “They believed it was true and it was…. Not everyone had to. Just enough. That’s all Mr. Wednesday needs. Just enough. Maybe just one.”
And how about poor ole Mad Sweeney coming through to pick up his lucky coin from Laura, who’s not about to hand it over? Poor ole Mad Sweeney and his no-good, very bad day.
Laura literally flicking Mad Sweeney off of her. “You mean my fucking coin.” Watching Pablo Schreiber pretend that Emily Browning is causing him crushing pain with the most glancing of touches is wildly entertaining and Schreiber sells it 100%.
“Who said? Use your words.” I will pay five million lucky leprechaun coins to port Laura over into every shitty cop procedural and conduct their investigations for them, evil smirk included.
Sweeney vindictively narrating Laura’s eventual decomposition. “You’re gonna fall right off the bone.” Well, isn’t that a charming word-picture. Knowing Bryan Fuller, we’ll get to see all that, too. Hrrrrgghhhhh.
“YOU’RE A FUCKING ASSHOLE, DEAD WIFE! YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE, DEAD WIFE!” GIRL BYE, I screamed with laughter. Laura is a stunt queen.
Mr. Wednesday and Shadow in the jail…
Wednesday telling the cop in front of him the strict honest truth about what he’s doing. That cop was not ready.
“Lawyer…. Lawyer.”
Mr. Nancy the spider rolling through. Please! Talk to me, Orlando Jones!
Mr. Wednesday’s fear as he listens to the horrific sounds outside the interrogation room and his description of Mr. World: “Someone you don’t want to let see your face until you’re ready to be seen.”
MOTHER GILLIAN! I CAN’T REST!
Poor Shadow. “I love Lucy? How the fuck are you floating?” The jazzy, intense, disconcerting background music has me totally on edge.
Gillian Anderson has me on the edge of a break with reality too, Shadow! Bitch I relate!
MR. WORLD!!!!
I’M HYPE!!!
I’M SCREAMING!!
I DIED!!
GOODBYE!!!
That slow, careful, intense walk! You knew with one look at those shoes that it wasn’t Technical Boy coming through.
“I should have reached out to you ages ago. But to be honest… I didn’t see you. Not clearly. Not like this, here, now, in person. You are huge.” My heebie-jeebies are tingling, Scoob!
Shadow’s O-face. Tee-hee.
Technical Boy’s apology. Oh, how I love to hate your little fake ass.
This background music is killing me. I’m so tense.
Mr. World rolling through with the creepy comments nonstop: “A truce implies that we were ever at war. You might have been, but I wasn’t.” I… I don’t want to go to war with you, bro.
The terrifying look on Mr. World’s face when Mr. Wednesday asks him what happens if one doesn’t agree to a place in Mr. World’s… world. I get more raw acting talent in a single scene of American Gods than I get in some entire movies.
Mr. World’s furious, condescending rant about how everything is systems: “Spicy, medium, or chunky! They get a choice, of course. Of COURSE! But they are buying salsa .”
Media’s rainbows-and-sparkles presentation on Odin guided missiles made me want to go out and buy an Odin guided missile. Mr. Wednesday’s kind of into it, too, hilariously.
“Inside every oyster there’s a single irritating grain of sand. That’s me.”
“That’s all you do, is occupy their time. We gave back. We gave them meaning.”
Every time Technical Boy gets beat up or chastised by Mr. World or Media, my heart grows ten sizes.
Finally, Shadow and Mr. Wednesday’s escape from prison:
Noooo, not Tracie Thoms!
Give Tracie Thoms the lucky coin!
Why does the table have an EYE
What is HAPPENING
Someone come get their disgusting wayward table!
WHAT’S ALL THIS HORROR MOVIE SHIT
WHY WON’T THE LIGHTS STOP FLICKERING
Thank god we only saw that thing in silhouette. Hhhghhhh.
My favorite thing about this episode has to be how clear it’s becoming that the New Gods embody their concepts, while the Old Gods embody the hopes, dreams and cultures that brought them to life. Media’s not the Goddess of Media… she simply is Media . The Old Gods are capricious, whimsical, riddled with personality weaknesses, but Mr. Wednesday’s point about what they do and what the New Gods don’t seems very salient.
What are your favorite bit about American Gods episode 5, “Lemon Scented You”? Feel free to talk about the Old Gods versus the New Gods and American Gods episode 5 in our comments section below. Episode 6 airs on Starz this Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. EST, so check back right after for more piping hot takes from iDigitalTimes.
