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You are correct to be tingling with excitement for American Gods. The Starz TV series is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman about ancient old-world deities fighting young American ones, and its cast includes Ian McShane, Crispin Glover, and Gillian Anderson. And look whoโ€™s running the show: Bryan Fuller, who made NBCโ€™s Hannibal such a gorgeously disturbing mindfuck, and Michael Green, a writer on Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and Alien: Covenant.

But as weird, sumptuous, and intermittently brilliant as American Gods may be, itโ€™s also confusing, ponderous, andโ€”at least during its first four episodesโ€”too leaden to wholly recommend.

Ned Lannamann is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. He writes about film, music, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, and other things.