Browning and Schreiber work so well together in their scenes, it’s always a joy when they share the screen.
It’s such a normal moment, a feeling of defeat and taking a beat to catch themselves.
One of the stronger moments of the episode comes in one of its simplest: Laura and Sweeney sharing a moment in the field of flowers. It’s hard to tell if the roadblocks are a means of Wednesday keeping Laura and Sweeney away from the upcoming trainwreck, or a means of keeping Laura and Shadow separate. Roadblocks are a frequent wrinkle on the show, on this episode coming in the form of cows and nails on the road, and a literal dead end. The Laura and Sweeney side of the story allows for more connection (though neither would ever admit it), and a curious reoccurring trend. It’s about getting to the root cause of Shadow’s loyalty, showing why he is so easy to fall into Wednesday’s troupe and follow along. Town’s interrogation, in turn, makes a good framing device. Related American Gods Review: The Rapture of Burning (Season 3 Episode 8) It’s similar to how Laura is an anchor before her own death, and now Wednesday appears to be the new one. The scenes resonate because of that bond, where Shadow belongs to a world he does not know and his mother is that aforementioned anchor. The connection Shadow has with his mother is incredibly strong and a good anchoring point for how he views the world, as the only good thing in his life is continuously taken from him by outside forces. Ricky Whittle (Shadow), Dean Winters (Mr. It’s a tad unfortunate the character work has to be done sans Ricky Whittle, but it does serve its purpose in showing how he becomes the hardened, undeniably angry version we see in the present. Shadow’s past being revealed through flashbacks does help paint a more tragic figure, whose sacrifices and loss of his mother have turned him to a harder, more damaging life.
The bulk of “The Beguiling Man” is found through some puzzle pieces finally starting to connect on Shadow Moon, who has, up to American Gods Season 2 Episode 1, “House on the Rock,” struggled as a blank slate of sorts. Emily Browning (Laura Moon), Pablo Schreiber (Mad Sweeney) – American Gods 202. It’s always nice when the show acknowledges when it has a good thing. Wednesday’s comment on Sweeney and Laura making a great pair is a nice little nod. Like the first season, though, the more entertaining duo are Laura and Sweeney, whose search for Shadow leads to some of the episode’s best moments. The cast splits apart and go their own ways, each pairing a unique window into the fight ahead. Everyone has their mission on American Gods Season 2 Episode 2, “The Beguiling Man.”