American Gods: Is Shadow Moon The New Odin?
The penultimate episode of American Gods season 3 situates Shadow Moon in a tough position. Will he become the new Odin or a god in his own right?
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Warning: Spoilers Ahead for American Gods Season 3
Season 3 Episode 9 of American Gods, “The Lake Effect,” featured a startling turn of events regarding the fate of Mr. Wednesday, or Odin (Ian McShane). The penultimate episode opens with Mr. Wednesday attempting to negotiate peace with the New Gods, however, it ends up with Mr. World (Crispin Glover) threatening to systematically hunt and kill every last of the Old Gods. Meanwhile, Laura Moon (Emily Browning), now in possession of Odin’s spear Gungnir, kills Mr. Wednesday by driving the weapon through his chest.
As Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) learns about his true parentage in Season 2, Episode 8 “Moon Shadow,” he is able to sense his father’s death whilst at Lakeside. Shortly after, Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Munnin, fly towards Shadow as if in an act of coming home to their own master. While Shadow’s parentage positions him as a demi-god, it is interesting to speculate whether he will be taking over Odin’s place, and the upheaval that would potentially ensue after the death of an Old God. Although Shadow is already shown to wield several powers throughout the seasons of American Gods, including the power of precognition, does Odin’s death situate him dead center amid a fresh power dynamic altogether?
Before one begins to entertain the possibility that Shadow is the new Odin, one needs to look into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Wednesday’s death. When Laura throws the spear at him, he does not even flinch, hinting that he had expected events to turn out this way, and harbors a master plan of sorts that involves his death. In an interview with TV Line, Ian McShane shared his thoughts regarding Mr. Wednesday’s death, stating that Odin’s line to Shadow, “You’ll sit vigil for me,” has been long due since season 1, and that his death is a necessary occurrence within a grander scheme. This makes sense in terms of the events of Neil Gaiman’s novel and the upcoming season finale set to air on March 21st, titled “The Wrath-Bearing Tree,” which is a possible reference to the World Tree, wherein Shadow will be expected to hold a nine-day vigil over Odin’s body. In the novel, the vigil acts as a distraction for an all-out war between the Old Gods and the New, hence it will be thrilling to witness which direction American Gods decides to proceed in in terms of this particular storyline.
While most of American Gods follows the novel fairly closely, the show has not shied away from introducing new characters, such as that of Vulcan, and granting more agency to Laura Moon’s character than the books gave her. Hence, it is not entirely impossible that the potential upcoming seasons of American Gods will alter Shadow’s origins, and posit him as the new Odin, and a key player involved in the already-brewing war between the two factions. In the novel, Shadow is revealed to be a reincarnation of Baldur, who is known to wield the power of prophecy and the seasons, which ties in with Shadow’s precognition and the ability to make it snow in the series. Conversely, the show could venture into a wildly different route and situate him as the New Odin, as Shadow’s powers can be traced back to his father’s quest to obtain ultimate knowledge of the runes by hanging himself from the Yggdrasil, also known as The World Tree.
Shadow Moon has perpetually been akin to a bridge between the Old World and the New, between gods and men, and even between life and death. Will Odin’s death snowball into a set of unavoidable circumstances leading to an all-out war between the gods? Will Shadow find his powers growing, and discover more about his true nature and the role he is meant to play within the larger scheme of things? Will Shadow’s unique position post his father’s death contribute to the apocalyptic war, or will he be able to act as a mediator and put an end to the tussle of power once and for all? These questions must be answered by American Gods season 4, and fans of the show can hope that the upcoming season will grant them more insight into the convoluted inner landscapes of its key players.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/american-gods-shadow-moon-odin-death-new/