As Wednesday takes a brief hiatus from active warmongering, American Gods season 3 episode 5, “Sister Rising” checks in on the spiritual journeys of several characters.

Now halfway through American Gods season 3, we’ve come to expect that the series can and will at any moment shake up the chess board and with the movement of just one piece, toss all expectations of our next move out the window. “Sister Rising” is no exception to this as the episode pulled back the curtain on some of the more well-established characters and paved new roads to keep others tangentially involved so that they may become essential companions along the journey.

Our writers tackle not only the new ways they are confronting the familiar characters — Shadow, Wednesday — but also the outsiders who have either taken up a much larger role from the page or are entirely new creations — Laura, Ibis, Salim, Demeter, Cordelia.

While we learn bits of history and take turns examining these players from many different angles, we also take note of one extraordinary rise to power that plays against another’s fall from the top. Bilquis and Tech Boy’s parallel stories — Bilquis’ focused on removing the veil and owning her true self versus Tech Boy’s attempt to desperately hide behind his facade — set our reviewers on course to take stock of where everyone else is on this journey to self realization.

Grab some french fries, we’ve got some spiritual awakenings to unpack.

‘American Gods’ season 3, episode 5 review in conversation

Natalie: Let’s kick off this week by talking about one of the strangest and most confusing flashbacks the show has ever done — the opening scene, another Ibis story, introducing the Columbian Exposition in 1893. At first I had absolutely no idea where this was going and even felt a little sorry for the magician we meet whose trick gets ruined by a bratty child. That sympathy does not last, however, given what happens next.

Someone who looks very like our Tech Boy also has a tent at the show — displaying a writing automaton that he heart-and-soul believes in — not a sideshow, he claims, but a technological advancement. We quickly learn that he’s much too gentle and innocent for his own good. I can say two things for sure: 1) I have absolutely no idea what we’re actually witnessing, when it comes to Tech, and 2) it gives me all the feels regardless.

Brittany: The Columbian Exposition was definitely odd for sure, but a great take on a Coming to America–type story for Tech. The waning attention spans of the general public, the need and desire to pick apart everything and be dazzled by the next great thing, it all fits perfectly with what we see from Tech later, this helplessness that comes with the inability to advance. As for the magician, it definitely played like an Old God versus New God argument for obvious reasons, but I did like this subtle “let’s work together, here’s some free advice kid” before I screw you over. Very Wednesday.

The automaton was so cute, and Tech or the Tech-like Boy was so proud, but the “spark to ignite the imagination” really struck a chord with him. I think he adapted well, he was just called on his smoke and mirrors and was then completely crushed. He’s a little pawn that is so easy to move, unfortunately.

I am curious how we get from Chicago 1893 to Present Day Tech though. This arc works well as a narrative device for Tech as well as for the episode as we open and close on his story under the protection of the Automaton — even if it isn’t doing a great job of masking the reveal that he is manipulating the device. I like that we are getting more about him to fill in how he is crumbling after Bilquis did something similar — broke him in some way revealing something about him that was hidden away behind the flash.

Natalie: So my main question here is: do you think this Technical Boy was… well, human? A human being with identity, who ended up having godhood thrust upon him when the need for a god of technology came to pass? We saw the birth of an Old God, a few weeks ago, but are New Gods born the same way or does a human being transcend and transform? Maybe he’s a god, but because the thing he’s a god of is so currently small and insignificant, he’s almost a powerless one? But honestly his emotional state, the guilelessness, the life savings all felt human to me.

Brittany: His status was very dependent on physical currency and perhaps that is how it starts though, this very lower level god/human hybrid. With the attention being paid being so meager and flighty it would make sense that the humanity is what sustains him at least at first, but the worship is what keeps him fighting for more. That viral attention with lines out the door for the latest model.

I think Howard Stark, for example, would be the perfect fit if they were searching for a New God vessel. But here we have Tech who would need months to shut down for a redesign, it’s all very grounded in this relatable struggle to be first, fast, foremost worthy of your glances and coin. But I like this almost hybrid idea of the New Gods. Maybe they are easier to spawn goons as we see later on that are disposable. But we haven’t really dealt with too many others, Media, Tech, World. It’s a small pocket of people.

Natalie: The level of heartbreak and the fact that he wants people to believe in the work — not in him — and the innocence… all of it felt so pure, and I am really confused as to what the circumstance we are actually witnessing is. Is this a young boy with a knack for science getting way in over his head? Is it a young god? I think we saw the birth of New Media last season and she came out the gate very confident. But I imagine we have more to learn here. We — and Tech — will revisit the automaton at the end of the episode, but I think we can gather that this memory or this insight is all to do with what Bilquis did to Tech, which is feeling more and more like she restored his memory or his sense of self, after a century and more of running upgrades. He’s remembering his past and is very traumatised by it.

Brittany: And different phases of it, he is clearly in the same form from this flashback and the Vietnam flashback, but it is going to be interesting to see how we get from what we saw here to the crumbled Tech inside the box at the end of the episode.

Bilquis definitely scrambled something and as we hear Tech say in his last stint with Shadow, he can’t exactly perform as he used to. We saw him take the phone, but was affected by the emotional voicemails on it and then he glitched pretty phenomenally in front of the bodyguard, but I believe everything requiring more of a plug in to a system is beyond his capabilities at this point.

He is also so fascinated and excited to get back to the raw materials aka the guns in the back of the SUV. Shadow is not having any of it and truly does not have time to be babysitting anyone else, as entertaining as it is for me.

“Alright Bieber, do your thing.”

Natalie: Bieber cannot, in fact, do his thing. But it’s okay, Bilquis can do hers. The boys pull up right in time to catch the tail end of Bilquis saving herself, and provide a convenient getaway car. It looks like Tech makes a run for it immediately — all of a sudden he doesn’t seem interested in getting her help anymore. But Shadow sticks around to witness Bilquis walking out of a wall of water, feeling very empowered.

Before they arrived, the Orishas helped their “sister” to reclaim her original identity and power, enabling her to flood the building. We don’t learn exactly and precisely what her true identity and power is, but we learn that she has tapped back into them, and her whole energy is different.

Brittany: Finally. I didn’t know I was waiting for this version of Bilquis until this season. How her wavering back and forth was less about who was right, but more about someone else not having them under her control. She has been teetering on the edge of this breakthrough since we met her and watching her reclaim herself and live her truth without the guise of what people have thrown upon her. And she is very honest about the fact that yes she has just undergone this huge experience and unburdening, but the future still remains unknown for her. I hope we get to stick with her a bit longer.

I loved the artistry of her return to power. The imagined and the reality blending together as she restored her energy and put it to use. Very freeing yet controlled. And when she walks out to see Shadow there, “Are you here to rescue me?” I don’t think she’ll ever need saving again. Then of course I wrote down that her stroll with Shadow was an “exposition walk.” But it was still a great conversation.

Natalie: Indeed. And these two seem like very nice friends honestly. When she explains the way that her true self has been locked away, or taught by humanity to see herself through a veil — how I interpreted that for her, or other gods, was like: Powerful being shows up and humans respond a certain way, like “you Must be a Goddess of This or That” and the God adopts that identity due to the flattery and worship. When that goes on for thousands of years the true purpose can get twisted, and again it reminded me of the ongoing theme that humans hold the cards in the ways of the gods, whether the humans know it or not.

But for Bilquis, she seems perfectly powerful holding all her own cards now. Remember what a bad way she was in when Tech gave her the app? Ill and cold, without a home. I’m still not quite sure if worship literally strengthened her, physically healed her, or whether he just gave her the chance to make money and be successful in a human sense – but none of that seems to matter any more as her strength no longer seems to depend on others, at all. But encouraging Shadow to tear down the veil – obviously their circumstances aren’t identical whatsoever, but she wants him to see the truth of his circumstances. He seems very comfortable with her and with that idea.

Brittany: And I got the sense that while he wishes that she could spew some stuff about his destiny and reveal the meaning of life, it’s not going to be that easy and he has to put in the work himself. He opens up about that helplessness that came with watching his mother die, he couldn’t be the hero in that situation. He tries to play that role though the one to solve everything even if it comes back to bite him or he gets caught up in circumstances beyond his control in the process.

He’s going to be on that road for a while and one pit stop includes Massachusetts before ultimately heading back to sort some things out as Mike in Lakeside. But before he hits the road, Bilquis imparts some very sage knowledge: every spiritual awakening is better with french fries.

Natalie: She’s right and she should say it. Also, Shadow is negative 5 points concerned about Tech Boy just vanishing.

Brittany: “Glad that’s over…” – Shadow, probably

Natalie: I wonder when Tech will catch up with Bilquis. She’s torn down her own veil, and it seems she has certainly ripped a hole in Tech’s. Perhaps she might help him more – not in the way he wants, I imagine. But moving on with Shadow from the New York City dinner date to the Massachusetts psychiatric facility. We learn that Wednesday has intentionally gotten himself put in the same home as Demeter, which I did suspect a little bit. But I also still feel convinced that he was actually affected by the worship explosion last time.

Brittany: Yeah I think we came around on both of those points in episode 4. Like the plan was executed but there was some lingering damage.

Natalie: I still find it hard to believe it was totally fake. But it might have been! It is Wednesday after all. Warmongering always energises him, as Demeter says.

Brittany: I thought he might be faking it a bit with Demeter in the beginning when he was sleeping, but he really does seem to be on simmer here after boiling over at Valhalla. But to your point, could all be an act! I do feel certain that everyone, including me, is picking up on something being off about him. Cordelia says it to Shadow that Wednesday was different when getting ready to see her, Shadow actually hears Wednesday out when he talks about her being his wife — something that shouldn’t mean anything to Wednesday, but the word seems to carry some weight — and then of course just watching him make that deal with Demeter in the sitting room.

I’ll just say this once because I want to say it over and over and over again, but there is no better person for this role than Blythe Danner. I am obsessed with her performance.

Natalie: She’s lovely, and taking it very seriously.

It’s interesting though. To me, it felt like with Shadow, Wednesday was playing up the non-emotional side. She’s a powerful goddess, she should be on the winning side. He even agrees with Shadow about the money. But at first, with Shadow, he really puts aside the wife element. He even says, later, wives come and go. Whereas to Cordelia he played up the true love element, which she seemed to believe. Then obviously to Demeter, she has already called him out about not believing when he is telling the truth.

Shadow starts out skeptical about the whole situation, giving Wednesday a hard time about getting himself institutionalized, it’s all kind of a scathing joke to Shadow. But he gets to meet Demeter, and here I wanted to ask you about what you think about how the show is handling the whole father/son reveal way in advance of the book. This week that included the phone call with Margie, the introduction to Demeter, and Shadow and Cordelia’s conversations.

I guess what I am asking is how do you feel about that familial relationship being a plot point or a lens through which people judge Shadow or Wednesday? Margie seemed to have sympathy for Shadow because of it, Demeter clearly sees something in Wednesday when it comes to Shadow. And between Shadow and Cordelia it makes everything somewhat more personal. So, yes, how do you feel about Shadow, Wednesday’s son? Rather than just the guy working for him.

Brittany: I really like it and I don’t feel like it is a detriment to the story for me as a reader or a viewer. I’ll never know what it is like to see this without the lens of the book, but this version of Shadow Moon, even the one we saw before everyone was in the know in season 3, is so intriguing.

It’s a really interesting experience watching him sort through this story bearing the weight of his very justified anger and seeing him have to reexamine his past and future with this new lens of himself in this world and growing to question his entire identity not just the post-prison/ pre-prison persona. This is very much a “What If” take on the material.

As for everyone else meeting him, it’s less, “oh you poor guy, getting mixed up with the bad man,” and becomes more “oh you poor, poor guy being a product of this bad man” there is no escape in the latter. Which is interesting and fluctuates based on others’ experience with Wednesday. Cordelia wants him to feel sympathy or really any emotion towards his father, Czernbog is against him by association. Though I will say a lot of the interactions we’ve seen, thinking particularly here of the meeting with Wisakedjak in the premiere, where they are able to separate Shadow has his own man. Clearly there is that chip on their shoulder and they want him to get out while he can.

But overall, I really like it.

Natalie: I think it’s being done really well. Obviously Margie just knows that Mike is a guy with a dad – normal! And that’s a nice little normal person gut check for Shadow. Dad’s in hospital, you go care for him! Demeter’s response is more complicated. She has a sense of amazement, a little. Sadness, and she seems impressed. Shocked that Wednesday has such a good kid, maybe. Not that Wednesday had a hand in raising or shaping Shadow, but something she says later makes me think that she and Wednesday had a child together that they lost.

Brittany: I’ll have to go back and rewatch, I didn’t pick up on that specifically. When she talks about pain causing the heart to shrink and go cold, I think his mere presence is awakening something she tried to bury away by being locked up in her contained universe. No need to be accessible, best kept tucked away with a captive audience so she does not dwell on the memory of what could have been. I don’t know if that’s what you’re thinking of, but I didn’t connect that exactly to a family. But it does work.

Natalie: It was that part — the pain of loss. But that happens after the Number 37, so we can come back to it.

Wednesday suggests this particular con to Shadow in order to get the conservator to release Demeter, and it involves basically letting the man know that they know his secrets. Shadow and Cordelia go undercover to blackmail the guy into doing what they want, rather than simply stealing the details and producing ill-gotten evidence at a trial. They also unburden him of a cool spare 100 grand. What did you make of the Number 37 sequence? Cordelia comes in with her data cloner (donate to the Kickstarter now!) and Shadow is able to teach her a few tricks about simply manipulating the man instead.

Brittany: I actually did not enjoy it! Which is very unlike me.

Natalie: Okay! Tell me why.

Brittany: At the end I wrote down, “well, that was a waste of time.” I think in part I did not like the acting from the nursing home director. It was erratic and unconvincing, I didn’t like the wig and sunglasses combo on Cordelia, “who is she, Moira Rose?”. These are all superficial which I am entirely aware of, but it just did not land for me. It felt all over the place and I just wanted it to be executed better I guess? I did like Cordelia getting the money from the offshore accounts, the cell phone switch, the whole con’s construction really, I just did not enjoy watching it? Did you enjoy it?

Natalie: I didn’t really think about it I guess. I feel like the play-acting cons with Shadow always land a bit weird to me, even though he clearly enjoys them. Weirdly it isn’t how I see Shadow despite the fact that it is literally what he does with Wednesday. It always feels a bit surreal. There’s a certain level of absurdity in the silliness of the grift while doing something so high stakes – some of Wednesday’s other con games were simply because he could. Maybe I’ve just been watching too much Leverage where acts like this happen every episode. I don’t think I hated it or anything, but I wasn’t expecting a full con here — I was expecting the sneaky retrieval of the information they needed.

Brittany: My surprise didn’t come from it being included, but just how much I didn’t enjoy it. I want all the cons! All the meetings! American Gods meets Ocean’s 11. But it just didn’t stick the landing for me.

I could definitely see Shadow really leaning into these and I want to see it.

Natalie: Well, he says it was kind of fun, so I guess a good time was had by all. Shadow is less enthused when he learns that he’s done all this — and once again risked jail — to free a woman who does not want to be freed. The shift in demeanor when Wednesday reveals the two days wait will be needed to convince Demeter — “Are you serious? Are you for real right now?”

This leads to the most interesting conversation they have in the episode, where Shadow challenges Wednesday on what he cares about. He’s learnt from Cordelia that Wednesday was prom-night nervous and Shadow calls out the fact that you don’t get yourself locked up for just anyone. And I mean, Shadow would know.

Brittany: Yeah a lot of these lines were hitting hard on the Laura nerves. Which again, we’ll get to later, but I did pick up on it all over the place.

Shadow was a bit nervous to present the timeline to Wednesday thinking he would pop a lid over the fact that he needed to wait for results. But it turns out that wasn’t the case. He definitely just wanted this to be over and done with so he could be on his way to Lakeside. I agree that Wednesday’s uncertainty of getting Demeter to agree to go is concerning. But that padding of cash is an added bonus for the cause.

Natalie: All in all, Wednesday doesn’t seem to want to be entirely candid about how he feels in this situation with anyone. Except possibly Demeter. They have their bet, after all. One night to find out what is in Wednesday’s heart. I wonder if he meant for that to be a discovery Demeter makes, or one he himself makes. Maybe he doesn’t quite know how to separate out his feelings and motivations.

Brittany: He is out of practice. Or actually, probably new to the game entirely. Wednesday needs to work on Wednesday. As counterproductive as that sounds for someone whose picture is included under the definition for narcissist in the dictionary.

Natalie: Indeed, and Shadow even says to him things like “tell yourself whatever you want.” And, crucially, “whatever you’re up to, I hope it was worth it.”

Shadow was willing to play along with his father a little before he learned that Demeter doesn’t want to leave. He was ready to meet him with a little wink, their dynamic of long-suffering boy and naughty old man you can’t help be charmed by. But he is very immediately angry and frustrated with Wednesday’s inability to be honest… and a part of that is Wednesday not being honest with Wednesday.

Brittany: Everything started to shift for Wednesday when he lifted that postcard. There’s been this hesitation in some areas and overindulgence in others. It’s a very off kilter Wednesday. The goodbye is another place where we are left on that shot of Wednesday alone with his spray bottle and plants. It’s vulnerable like you said about the conversation. Something that is wildly unlike what we’ve come to expect.

Natalie: Shadow and Demeter’s goodbye is the part I mentioned earlier — something very charged with emotion, respect, vulnerability. They endured much together, but the pain of loss can cause even the heart of a god to grow smaller and colder — ergo relationships failing. Made me think they grew apart after losing a child — that phrasing.

But the way Demeter talks about Wednesday has Shadow taking a new look at the relationship, somewhat confused by this softer side she seems to see in his father. Maybe Wednesday has also forgotten feeling that way, his own veil to be torn down. Time and distance has made him stop remembering or being the person he once was — everyone seems to be unlocking new emotional memories or new headspace to sink back into.

Brittany: I agree. Like we were talking about with Shadow being seen as a person with his relationship to Wednesday exposed very early on, it’s nice to have these other reveals to grapple with elsewhere in the series.

Natalie: Demeter’s words have both men under a spell really — everyone has to shake it off as she leaves, and then Shadow and Wednesday have some long, meaningful looks about the concept of their feelings or what has just been said. Again, the only real world is vulnerability. But it’s time for Shadow to head home and sink back into being Mike. Side quest over, the gossip of Lakeside awaits. As does a not so dead wife and she has her own journey getting to Mabel’s pasty counter too.

Brittany: And some hard truths to face herself. Luckily Ibis has no time for her emotional walls or Salim’s lingering presence. He wants to enjoy the dead in peace.

Natalie: The scene in Cairo, before Laura interrupts, really tickled me. I sort of forgot that Salim had been a travelling salesman, but his business pitches for Muslim burial products brought it all back.

Brittany: “I will not aid and abet you” Sorry Salim, Ibis does not believe in your soap line for the dead.

Natalie: Salim is very much at a loss and needs to do something, anything, as Laura describes. But one thing he and Ibis agree on is their OTP. They both stay up late writing their MadWife fanfiction.

Brittany: Without a doubt.

Natalie: When Laura shows up, both men are thrilled by the prospect of the OTP bringing each other back to life one way or another. “It’s canon!” they squeal to one another. Ibis’s joy when he theorises that Laura took Sweeney’s body to use his blood – and then the idea of Laura sacrificing the coin for him. They’re both delighted by the idea of any and all options. Sadly they don’t have a good theory for how it might have worked without Sweeney being alive. No one had “bottle crushed on top of Laura’s ashes, hosepipe re-wetting dried blood” on their shipper bingo cards.

Brittany: I was just writing a bingo card item! Fantastic.

Natalie: I guess no one will never know the truth unless they go and interview the staff at the graveyard. But everyone believes that it must have been Sweeney’s blood, somehow. Something that Laura must be still turning over in her mind. Salim, for what it’s worth, sees it as a beautiful gift – simply to know. Unlike he and the Djinn. Laura hasn’t yet verbalised her own feelings for Sweeney, but both Ibis and Salim seem to have some ideas about them. Ibis is like, weirdly satisfied? Like “I knew it! How charming.” Meanwhile Laura is going to go sit in the spot where he died and think about killing Wednesday again.

Brittany: Very healthy.

She does have enough of her faculties to process that someone else may need to get away though, if she can single-mindedly run toward something without focusing on herself at least she can have some company along the way. And Salim does not want to learn the flute so a road trip seems like the next best thing.

Natalie: Indeed. Salim isn’t an enthusiastic murdering accomplice, but he has been a good driving companion before. I found it interesting that Laura’s reasoning for killing Wednesday now includes Sweeney’s death and nothing about Shadow. I mean, fucking up Laura’s life does include Shadow, but I have a feeling the next conversation Laura and Shadow have will establish that they’re definitely not in love any more, if they ever were. I could be wrong though.

Brittany: No, I think that’s an important step for Shadow and Laura. Plus she needs to not only figure out where Wednesday is, but where Shadow stands on his loyalty at this point. It’s definitely going to unpack a few things for them and also mess up things with Margie.

Natalie: Ibis tossing over his car keys because he wants Salim gone so badly is one of the funniest moments of the show, but I found it interesting how little stake Ibis has in who lives and dies, Old-God-wise.

Brittany: “Either you’re really generous or you want me to leave.” “Yes.”

Ibis is truly on the I have zero fucks left to give here, so everyone just stop using Cairo as a layover and carry on with your business.

Natalie: Fantastic. But Ibis doesn’t have much loyalty to Wednesday if he is happy to let Laura go after him to kill him, and he doesn’t see an issue with telling her to go to Shadow to find Wednesday (and kill him.) Does Ibis think Shadow is okay with that, or does Ibis just not care? Each person or god for themselves?

Brittany: He’ll do what he thinks is the right thing but not a second before it goes down and I think he’ll decide what is right in that moment.

I feel like he is on the edge and has some sympathy for Shadow and I believe that Ibis thinks everyone will see him as they will and he can’t worry about that or change it. Not that he doesn’t care, just that there is this higher belief that Shadow will recognize his detachment from it all and not hold a grudge. Maybe. That could be entirely off base, but what I get from them now.

He’ll tell the tales that need to be told, but who is he to try to stop people from pursuing their heart’s mission, god or not? I guess that is a better way to piece it together from my head.

Honestly that or whatever it takes to get Salim away. Could be that simple.

Natalie: Indeed. Kind of funnier that way. Ibis is going to help everyone with their task and not interfere too much — maybe as a storyteller he thinks that things will unfold as they may, no matter what.

Brittany: Once Salim and Laura get on the road there is one question that she is not afraid to bridge but Ibis really took no interest in (shocker): The fact that Salim is not praying anymore. Everyone is kind of harping on the lost love of his life, but she keenly picks up on this other aspect that he has lost touch with. He does bring up the fact that it is against his faith to be alone with a woman, but he is skirting around these technicalities and grappling with this true loss of faith from the perspective of one of the only devout civilians we’ve interacted with. Laura very much is like, “I don’t care, you just used to do it.”

Salim’s answer is very heavy when he says that he does not know who to pray to or for what. I think his being roped into all of this is taking a toll on him in a way that can’t be solved by just treating it like a person moping over a breakup.

Natalie: That’s true. There is a level here of Salim having been avoiding the wider reality of the world of gods opening up, I guess. And as you said, treating it solely about his heart and relationship. Maybe he has been avoiding the bigger parts of what he’s had to encounter because it’s all too much? And I really don’t know how to predict what might happen for him next.

Brittany: Same. He’s another person who has had the walls of his story blown out to make room for a bigger role and I am intrigued to follow him because I think his perspective is going to continue to be really important.

Natalie: This is only episode 5 of 10, so I assume a lot more is in store for this duo. Did you expect Shadow and Lakeside to be the destination Ibis gave Laura?

Brittany: I didn’t! When she said, “first one’s on the house” my genuine reaction was, “Who is new?!”

Natalie: Me too. I wondered if the new pasty customer might be a surprise Other Character that Shows Up in Lakeside in the book (there are two! both women.) So I was quite shocked, but interested to see how this is going to pan out. But now we’re back in Lakeside all the same – closing the episode on Laura waiting to see Shadow after Shadow has caught up on the latest town drama.

Do you think Laura will tell Shadow the truth about her aims? Do you think Anne Marie Hinzelmann will take Salim under her wing? What will Margie think of Laura? And are those pasties halal?

Brittany: Yes. No. She’ll hate her and distrust Shadow a bit more. Probably not, but they’ll definitely say they are.

Natalie: And most importantly, when will Tech Boy stop crying?

Brittany: Oh [new] god, I hope soon. For the sake of my sanity for caring about this sad glitching boy.

Natalie: For now we will leave him curled up in the crawl space of his old automaton, feeling his scary new/old feelings.

Brittany: So many questions, so little answers. But yes, we’ll hopefully pull him out of there soon. Maybe Bilquis will take pity on the broken man.

Natalie: As I said, I have absolutely no solid grasp on what any of this means for Tech or is meant to be telling us, backstory wise. But that doesn’t stop it being acutely upsetting and I am starting to need answers. A big explainer next week please!

American Gods season 3 airs Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET on Starz.