The Review: American Gods Episode 5 “Lemon Scented You”

American Gods Episode 5 “Lemon Scented You”

American Gods continues to be awesome. Episode five, “Lemon Scented You”, was Shadow finally coming to the realization that the crazy shit happening around him is actually real. But first the episode starts off with this beautifully animated, I am assuming stop motion, short showing a tribe crossing from Siberia to America thousands of years ago led by a woman name Atsula. They worship a mammoth god named Nunyunnini. Over time the people end up in other tribes to the point where the god and the people are forgotten. This leads perfectly to the story of this episode concerning Mr. Wednesday and his fear of the old gods being forgotten.

Shadow and Laura finally have their talk. This has been building for two episodes. I was watching hoping that Shadow would just tell her to get her dirty, zombie, cheating ass out of his room. But he doesn't. He asks her questions that no man that has been cheated on wants to ask but asks anyway because we're stupid sometimes. He stares at her like he can't believe she is real and even throws a pillow at her which I liked. She says she is sorry for what she did and wants them to be back together again. She hops into a bath to warm her cold, dead body up and they kiss. It makes her heart beat for a moment. Mr. Wednesday shows up and shuts that creepy shit down. Next thing you know, cops show up and arrest them for that bank robbery.

Media has a talk with Technology Boy about his hanging of Shadow. “Tasked with asking a few questions, you hang a black man from a tree” she points out. Technology Boy does not want to apologize even though Mr. World has told him that he has to and make it sincere. By the way, Media, played by Gillian Anderson, is in full Ziggy Stardust dressing and looks awesome. She makes a return as Marilyn Monroe later and it is equally cool.

I almost forgot this part. Fuck, they manage to tell a lot of stories in an hour. Mad Sweeney shows up a the hotel and confronts Laura about his gold coin. Its the one Shadow tossed onto her grave and is inside of her. She kicks his ass repeatedly and tells her that he can just wait till he body rots away. He mentions how her hot baths she loves are going to make her meat fall off her bone one day and then he will just get his coin back. His luck has been shit since he gave the coin away. He eventually gets her to the tub and starts drowning her. The cops come in and drag him off.

Mr. Wednesday and Shadow are being interrogated by police in separate rooms. Shadow is shown the pictures of them at the bank and how someone powerful wanted them caught. They even used a fax machine that was not even turned on. The one detective does not believe Mr. Wednesday even though he is actually telling the truth regarding the gods. Shadow just keeps saying he wants a lawyer. They are eventually placed in the same room where Mr. Wednesday has a spider unlock his cuffs. Next thing, lights go out, and Mr. Wednesday looks concerned. Media floats in looking like Monroe and explains how things should be going. Next...Mr. World, Crispin Glover, shows up!

I loved this scene because I had no idea what the hell was going to happen. He is trying to convince Mr. Wednesday to join with him as Mr. World will win in the end. He says they will make a missile named after him and his name will never be forgotten. Oh, and Technology Boy's apology does not go well and he has two teeth knocked out by a kiss blown at him by Media. They leave and Shadow and Mr. Wednesday escape the jail. All the police are dead and some crazy tree thing starts chasing them. Mad Sweeney arrives with police and they head inside to see what is happening. Sweeney escapes but mashes his dick on the car while escaping. Laura wakes up in a morgue and leaves with her belongings. This episode was so damned cool and this show continues to introduce new characters, not forgetting previous ones, and keeping the story going.

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