‘American Gods’ season 2 release date, cast, trailer, episodes: Complete guide
American Gods season 2 is a powerhouse adaptation lifted from the pages of Neil Gaiman’s famed novel. War is brewing and the Old Gods, brought to America, are losing their place of prominence as New Gods (technology, media) gain more and more attention from the masses.
Currently airing and streaming on Starz, American Gods season 2 sticks tightly to the mythos laid out in the novel American Gods, while finding ways to push the limitations of the page count for characters who naturally lend themselves to bigger and greater tales.
Fans of the book will be treated to a uniquely crafted visualization of the passages and characters they’ve known from their reading experience. Meanwhile, viewers coming into the series without knowledge of the source material will uncover the mysteries of the series alongside the series lead, Shadow Moon.
While certain elements of Gaiman’s original story are updated to account for the advances of the last two decades, the TV series manages to remain timeless.
This American Gods season 2 page serves as your guide to the new episodes. Below you’ll find the season 2 premiere date, cast, trailer, and individual episode information. Plus, we’re sharing our favorite quotes and relationships from the series. You’ll also find our latest American Gods analysis at the bottom.
This resource will be updated regularly as American Gods season 2 continues airing.
‘American Gods’ season 2 air date
Starz has confirmed that the American Gods season 2 air date is set for Sunday, March 10 2019 at 8 p.m. ET. On the same premiere date, the season will be released via the Starz app for online streaming.
Episodes will premiere weekly on Sunday nights. You’ll be able to stream each new episode of American Gods season 2 as soon as that episode starts airing on TV. You can stream the show for free if you are already a Starz subscriber using your cable credentials, or by adding a Starz package to your existing Hulu or Amazon streaming subscription.
The events of American Gods season 2 will pick up only 30 minutes after the final scene of season 1. The premiere episode, “House on the Rock,” corrals the Old Gods to Wisconsin, while the New Gods are off in search of Media. In a sneak peek of the season 2 premiere, Crispin Glover’s Mr. World has taken a hit from following the turn of events at Easter’s estate, while Techno Boy is put in charge of the recovery mission.
The episode will also throw Shadow into the middle of a council of the Old Gods at House on the Rock and is asked whether he will take his place in Wednesday’s strategic plan against the New Gods.
‘American Gods’ season 2 trailer
Shadow Moon has a choice to make in American Gods season 2. Questions are answered, new threats are revealed, and while Shadow appears to be walking on more level ground with the Gods, what will he decide to do now that he is among them? As Mad Sweeney cautions, there is always a cost to working with Wednesday.
House on the Rock, will take us backstage, more “Coming to America” stories will expand the mythos of our Old God regime, Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon will continue to expand their story arcs, all while the New Gods continue their rise to power. We don’t expect anything less than a chilling tale when American Gods season 2 returns.
‘American Gods’ season 2 delays lead to speculation about the series future
American Gods has experienced a fair amount of turnover behind the scenes. While the details surrounding the removals, exits, and delays of the series are mostly hearsay, a few notable disputes have led to the speculation that the series is in a great deal of trouble.
Notably, the exit of Bryan Fuller and Michael Green (who developed the show with Neil Gaiman) shook the production at the close of season 1. Their separation from the show cited budget restrictions (they wanted more money to keep expanding the visual elements of the show) and ultimately led to the subsequent departures of Gillian Anderson (Media) and Kristin Chenoweth (Easter).
As season 2 took a while to get off the ground, another report surfaced in September 2018 that Jesse Alexander, the new showrunner, was no longer active on the series.
At New York Comic Con, Neil Gaiman and the cast hoped to clarify some of the reports surrounding the delays of season 2 saying, “If you actually wind [the cited article] down to actual facts, what happened was we had a script for the finale that didn’t work. And rather than rush it through…we get the script right and then we shoot it.”
‘American Gods’ best quotes
There’ve been a ton of great moments on the series so far. Check out our favorite quotes from American Gods season 1:
Shadow: I think I’m losing my mind.Wednesday: Well, when will you know for sure?Shadow: I’ve heard of guys losing it when they get out.Wednesday: Are you trying to wiggle your way out of this job?Shadow: Lucy…I-Love-Lucy talked to me.Wednesday: Oh, the television program?
1×02, “The Secret of Spoons”
Wednesday: [America] is the only country in the world that wonders what it is.
1×03, “Head Full of Snow”
Media: It’s not our fault they found other ways to occupy their time.Wednesday: That’s all you do, occupy their time. We gave back. We gave them meaning.Mr. World: Then give it to them again.
1×05, “Lemon Scented You”
Mad Sweeney: I was a king once… Then they made me a bird. Then mother church came along and turned us all into saints and trolls and fairies. General Mills did the rest.Laura: So what’s the appeal? What’s Wednesday selling at this God fest that you gotta get a ticket?Mad Sweeney: …War.
1×07, “A Prayer for Mad Sweeney”
Wednesday: People create gods when they wonder why things happen. Do you know why things happen? Because gods make them happen. You wanna know how to make good things happen? Be good to your god. You give a little, you get a little. The simplicity of that bargain has always been appealing. That’s why we’re here, and that’s precisely why I matter.
1×08, “Come to Jesus”
‘American Gods’ season 2 episodes
The synopsis for season 2 reads: We were forged in God’s image, but the Gods are also made in ours — and in Season Two the battle moves inexorably toward crisis point as the destinies of gods and men collide. While Mr. World plots revenge for the attack against him in Season One, Shadow throws in his lot with Wednesday’s attempt to convince the Old Gods of the case for full-out war, with Laura and Mad Sweeney in tow. A council at the House on the Rock explodes into chaos, sending deities both Old and New on quests across America that will converge on Cairo, Illinois: forcing Shadow to carve out a place as a believer in this strange new world of living gods — a dark world where change demands commitment, and faith requires terrible sacrifice.
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 1 ‘House on the Rock’:
Airing March 10, 2019
Following the epic showdown at Easter’s party, Mr. Wednesday continues his quest to pitch the case for war to the Old Gods with Shadow, Laura and Mad Sweeney in tow. Meanwhile, Mr. World plans revenge and Technical Boy goes on the hunt for Media. First stop – the House on the Rock, where Shadow is taken “backstage.”
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 2 ‘The Beguiling Man’
Airing March 17, 2019
Promising vengeance for the death of a beloved old god, Mr. Wednesday begins preparation for a great battle. Meanwhile Laura and Mad Sweeney chase Shadow’s diminishing light after his disappears. The Jinn and Salim set out to retrieve the Gungnir spear, and Shadow encounters an associate of Mr. World.
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 3 ‘Muninn’
Airing March 24, 2019
As he is tracked by Mr. World, Shadow makes his way to Cairo, thanks to a ride from Sam Black Crow. Mr. Wednesday slyly gains Laura’s help in forging an alliance with a powerful god. Mr. World introduces Technical Boy to New Media and assigns them a very important task.
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 4
Airing March 31, 2019
More info coming soon
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 5
Airing April 7, 2019
More info coming soon
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 6
Airing April 14, 2019
More info coming soon
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 7
Airing April 21, 2019
More info coming soon
‘American Gods’ season 2, episode 8
Airing April 29, 2019
More info coming soon
‘American Gods’ best couples
The show has introduced us to a bunch of great characters, and naturally some of them have gotten together. Below are our favorite couples in the series.
Laura Moon and Mad Sweeney — The unlikely duo of Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon have taken off as fan favorites. Their stories have grown individually over the course of season 1, but they have also, notably, grown together. What started out for Mad Sweeney as a hunt for the return of an object stolen, grew into a journey to preserve someone who came along with the deal. Through the loss of luck and purpose, both have found a companion to take on the unknown.
Salim and the Jinn — American Gods did not shy away from recreating one of the most intimate scenes in the novel. The first meeting of Salim and the Jinn is romantic, painful, and beautiful. The journey for Salim to reconnect with the Jinn is where we pick up in season 2. As their want and need for one another grows, so does our desire to follow their story.
Praey for the Gods - Early Access Impressions
There are games where you can kind of guess the influences that have informed their development by closely analysing minor aspects, and there are games that proudly and without shame wear their influences like a flashy jewel-clad crown. No Matter Studios doesn't try to hide the fact that the PlayStation 2 classic Shadow of the Colossus heavily inspired the studio's upcoming adventure game, Praey for the Gods - they embrace the likeness, they strived for it. Despite the many similarities, however, the game feels like more than a love-letter to the beloved Colossus-slaying classic and not a rip-off, and there are some additions that make Praey For The Gods its own experience, keeping its identity its own.
Praey For The Gods drops you down into a cold winter landscape with little to no context as to why the character you're controlling is there, why no other people are around, or what you're supposed to do other than slay ancient, massive, godly beings for seemingly no reason at all. The protagonist is mute and the game offers no dialogue, making the atmosphere all the more endearing and mysterious, this being added to with the fantastic soundtrack of the game.
The Early Access version that we had the pleasure of playing had five slay-able gods included and all of these gave the player different tactical objectives for taking them down, some offering some puzzle-solving and some being straight-forward boss fights. There are few guidelines as to where you should be going first, so exploration and eventually stumbling upon a god to slay will most likely be one's only tactic. There's more to the tactics that one has to take into consideration while exploring, though. The harsh winter climate wouldn't be much of a threat if there were no survival elements added to the experience, so of course, there are some of those implemented to make sure the player stays on his or her toes throughout the game - one can never get too comfortable.
The player has three things to keep track of if they're not going to not fall dead on the snow-clad ground. You have to keep warm, fed and well-rested to be fit for the god fights and this can be challenging at times. The player can only take a nap at designated rest areas where there's a bed present, usually located in caves by a campfire. Food needs to be collected either by picking berries to eat on the spot or by hunting animals that one needs to cook later in order to eat, more effort put into food preparation makes for a better meal, replenishing more of your hunger meter and giving the player more health with each bite. As for warming up, this can be done by building a campfire at any time when out and about or finding a sturdier one in camp. The portable ones burn out really quickly and won't give the player the option to cook (while still using up valuable resources). Keeping your body in good shape does give the player some buffs that can be useful in battle but the meters deplete fast and having to drop out of a fight to roast some boar to perfection can be more of an annoyance than a fun mechanic.
American Gods season 2: meet the new gods
With a pantheon of divine characters returning and arriving for the first time in American Gods season two, here’s what you need to know about the gods old and new. And here's our spoiler-filled refresher on what happened in season one.
New Media
Played by Kahyun Kim
Gillian Anderson's departure from American Gods was announced a few weeks after the exit of original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green (as a result of conflict about season two's development and direction). That left the series Media-less, without one third of its modern deity team. Instead of re-casting the same role, the show's solution was to create an updated version of the God - New Media. Where Anderson's persona-adopting deity had concentrated firmly on 20th century media icons from television, film and music - Lucille Ball, 1970s David Bowie, Marilyn Monroe, Scarlett O'Hara... this new would be the supreme being of social media. Think Facebook, but a person, with superpowers. The official press release describes the character as the "goddess of global content — and in this age, a cyberspace chameleon, who is also a master of manipulation."
Kahyun Kim, best known so far for comedic roles in US film and TV, is playing New Media, a glimpse of whom could be seen in the season two trailer.
Mama-Ji
AKA Kali
Played by Sakina Jaffrey
When a battle is coming, you need a goddess of war on your side. Hindu deity Kali, in the guise of Mama-Ji, is one of American Gods' new recruits. The skull-necklace-wearing motel waitress will be played by Timeless, House Of Cards and Mr. Robot's Sakina Jaffrey.
In the Hindu religion, Kali has been variously worshipped as a destroyer of evil forces, the divine mother, protector and liberator. In lore, she is often associated with her consort Shiva the Destroyer, but here, seems to be alone, waiting tables and waiting for the war to come.
Mr Town
Played by Dean Winters
Law And Order: SVU and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Dean Winters plays one of Mr World's acolytes, Mr Town. In the Neil Gaiman novel, he's associated with Mr Road, Mr Wood and Mr Stone, also employees of Crispin Glover's modern gods. For the TV series, those characters may have been bundled into one.
Mr Wednesday
AKA Odin
Played by Ian McShane
He’s a hustler, a swindler, a cheater, a liar, and the Norse god All-Father. As he tells Shadow in the season one finale, he has as many names as there are winds, as many titles as there are ways to die. His ravens are Huginn and Muninn, thought and memory. His wolves are Freki and Geri. His horse is the gallowed. His Cadillac is Betty. He is Odin! He can control the weather and he’s currently recruiting the old gods to join him in a war against the new deities, Media, Technical Boy and Mr World.
Mr Nancy
AKA Anansi
Played by Orlando Jones
The West African and Caribbean spider god Anansi works as a storytelling tailor in modern-day America. He’s an ally of Mr Wednesday’s and made new suits for him and Shadow Moon to wear to Ostara’s Easter Sunday party while telling them the story of Bilquis’ rise and fall and rise to power.
Bilquis
AKA The Queen of Sheba
Played by: Yetide Badaki
She’s the goddess of love, an ancient Ethiopian deity who was worshipped in mass orgies that concluded with her absorbing the bodies of her lovers through a liquid she absorbs into her body. In modern-day America, she became a symbol for female power that was repressed by misogyny and violence. At her lowest ebb, she accepted the new gods’ offer of a modern altar on which to be worshipped—dating apps—and regained her power, growing stronger with every lover she sucks into her “vagina nebula.” In return for this favour, Technical Boy tells her to seduce (and therefore absorb) an enemy that we presume is Shadow Moon.
Ostara
AKA Easter
Played by: Kristin Chenowith
The Pagan goddess of spring, Ostara’s festival, like that of Saint Nicholas, was usurped by Christianity. Jesus’ resurrection, helped by Media, turned the spring festival into Easter weekend, after which Ostara’s worshippers became Christians and non-believers. Odin urges her to punish mankind for forgetting her and showing them her power over nature to inspire them to sacrifice to her once more. She does, taking away the spring and turning America’s green fields into a barren wasteland.
Czernobog
AKA The Slavic God of Death and Darkness
Played by: Peter Stomare
A god with a gift for death, Czernobog lives with the Zorya sisters and makes his living working at a cattle slaughterhouse. He bemoans how modern technology has changed the slaughter business, with bolt guns stripping away the need for precision and talent in death. The dark god to his brother’s light, Czernobog bets on a game of checkers that if he wins, he can kill Shadow Moon with a hammer blow to the head at sunrise, and if he loses, he will join Wednesday’s fight against the new gods. Czernobog wins, but loses a rematch, so agrees to go with Wednesday to Wisconsin and to delay killing Shadow until after the war.
The Zorya Sisters
AKA The Morning, Evening and Midnight Stars
Played by: Cloris Leachman, Martha Kelly, Erika Kaar
Three Eastern-European fortune-telling sisters, one of whom has a romantic fling with Wednesday while another—the Midnight Star—encounters Shadow in a dream-like state, and gives him the gift of the moon in the form of a gold coin.
Vulcan
AKA The Roman God of Fire
Played by: Corbin Bernsen
When Wednesday visits Vulcan, he has renewed his powers through the new gods, accepting their offer to make every bullet fired a prayer to him, and every gun death a sacrifice in his name. He’s a gun manufacturer living in a country that worships the weapon. Wednesday brings a sword to a gunfight, however, and slices off Vulcan’s head with the weapon he forged for him, kicking his body into a fiery pit.
Mr Jacquel
AKA Anubis, the Egyptian God of Death
Played by Chris Obi
In a mystical realm, Anubis is the god who weighs your heart at the end of your life and determines how you’ll spend the afterlife. On Earth, he’s fittingly the partner in a funeral home where Laura Moon gets an undead makeover after she climbs out of her grave as a revenant (thanks to Mad Sweeney’s enchanted gold coin, which he didn’t mean to give to her husband Shadow). He promises Laura that once her business on Earth is finished, he will take her to the afterlife.
Mr Ibis
AKA Thoth, the Egyptian God of wisdom
Played by Demore Barnes
Mr Ibis is a partner at Mr Jacquel’s funeral home, and one of the funeral directors who helped to stitch up Laura Moon when she rose from the grave.
Media
Played by Gillian Anderson
One of the new gods, Media appears in iconic forms from popular culture, including Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, David Bowie, Marilyn Monroe from The Seven Year Itch and Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind. She’s the god of television, the internet and the press, she works for Mr World, and is more powerful than Technical Boy. Following Gillian Anderson’s departure, she will be replaced in season two by New Media (see above).
Technical Boy
Played by Bruce Langley
A high-tech youngster who dresses in sci-fi fabrics, vapes toad-skin and claims to have reprogrammed reality, Technical Boy works for Mr World and Media. He’s an angry beast who has his faceless goons (the Children) savagely beat and lynch Shadow Moon when he refuses to join the new gods.
Mr World
Played by Crispin Glover
Odin’s opposite number in the new god camp, Mr World is the god of modernity and the boss of Media and Technical Boy. His powers are unspecified as yet, but he and his goons (into whom he can ‘jump’ as a form of teleportation) are savage killers who sacrifice human lives. He tries to persuade Wednesday to join the old and new gods together in a merger, but after Odin kills his men and Ostara takes away the spring, Mr World declares war.
The Jinn
AKA an Ifrit
Played by Mousa Kraish
A character from Arabic mythology, the Ifrit is a rebellious Jinn, or fire-spirit. In season one, we met Mousa Kraish's mystical character driving a taxi in America. That's how he meets Salim, a young Muslim man and newcomer to the US trying to make it as a salesperson. Salim and the Jinn have an instant connection when Salim recognises the Jinn's true nature and fiery eyes. They make passionate love, but in the morning, the Jinn goes, leaving Salim his taxi behind. After his taxi was hijacked by Laura and Mad Sweeney, Salim was released, and allowed to go searching for the Jinn.
Mad Sweeney
Played by Pablo Schreiber
Not a God, technically but a cursed Medieval Irish king who was once transformed into a bird and now calls himself a leprechaun. Mad Sweeney came to America thanks to the folk stories and devotions of believers like Essie MacGowan, where his enchanted gold coin brought him an unending stream of luck. Until that is, his luck ended when he accidentally gave the coin to Shadow Moon, who dropped it on his wife Laura's grave, resurrecting her. Mad Sweeney grew closer to the undead Laura throughout season one, and chose to return the coin to her and bring her back to life a second time when he had the chance to take it. Acting on Wednesday's orders, it was Mad Sweeney who ran Laura and Robbie's car off the road, killing them both.
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