How Preacher and American Gods take similar fantasies in opposite directions
“I believe,” Shadow breathes in the final episode of season one of the Starz series American Gods. Ricky Wittle, who plays Shadow, wears a beatific smile as he speaks; it’s supposed to be the emotional climax of the series. But the smile looks overdetermined and vapid, like the grin of a car salesman, not a Buddha. Shadow’s belief is vocal but unbelievable — especially after watching the recent season-two finale of the much more theologically cynical AMC show Preacher. American Gods touts the virtues of faith, but that faith is so vague, it ends up being meaningless. Preacher‘s blasphemy, on the other hand, carries conviction. You don’t bother to hate God unless you really think he’s there.
From a brief description, American Gods and P…