American Gods (TV Series) A Prayer for Mad Sweeney (2017) User Reviews

Not direct to the main storyline but worth the watch

[cjlov-97633 · 9/10 · 12 July 2017]

This episode does not directly propel the main storyline but thought it was beautifully written, directed and acted and has been one of my favorites for the season.

As another reviewer touched on, it shows us the connection between humans and their gods, their faith and the dedication to ritual and prayer in their belief. The ending of this episode made me think about my own Grandma who passed recently, her own dedication to her faith her whole life and how awesome it would be if her passing was anything like Essie's. Yes I agree it does not directly speed along the story but it fills in deeply the character of Mad Sweeny that up until now was fairly 2 dimensional. It was a treat to watch.

Surprisingly emotional

[GraXXoR · 9/10 · 29 March 2021]

Never been a fan of expositions... especially not expositions that consume an entire episode.

But this detour of a tale was so heartwarming that I find myself forced to make an exception on this occasion.

If other episodes are the meat of the series, then this was the likely the heart...

We have seen the brutal and frankly barbaric tales of the Gods told so far, but not tales of their fairness and dare I even say, gentleness...

And so it is that we learn a few very important details along the way.

Didn't add anything to the main plot, but...

[huguesturbang · 10/10 · 25 July 2017]

... I don't care. I already know the main plot, Neil Gaiman wrote it a long time ago.

This episode tells me an other story. The story of a human interaction, between Mad Sweeney & Laura Moon, two characters we didn't learn so much in the book.

Then, comes a "Coming to America" story. A beautiful one, admirably played by Emily Browning. It was good, it felt good. An excellent complement to the stories already told in the book.

A must-see, definitively.

A tale in itself

[Khaela · 10/10 · 19 November 2019]

Of the seven first episods, this one is probably the best. It is a tale in itself, starting with the narrator that tell us the story of a young girl who was raised with the old myths and legends. All this episode is about her story. It is well described, beautifully played and the script is excellent. A prayer for Mad Sweeney is a movie on its own. A perfect parenthesis in this season before the finale.

Incredible episode! I loved it.

[waitungh · 10/10 · 8 July 2017]

This may be 'filler' but in the context of what this show is all about, it's utterly brilliant story telling, mixing comedy, tragedy and pathos. It gives the best and most extended narrative on the relationship between humans and creatures of myth and how the actions of one influences the action of the other. It doesn't hurt that the story contained within is a rollicking good one that I didn't want to end, even though, like all the best stories, it's slightly familiar. The twists and turns of Nessie McGowan were touching and hilarious by turns and the close of her story was very poetic. In my opinion, the most enjoyable episode so far.

brilliant episode (contain a little spoiler)

[ykrzeslo · 10/10 · 12 June 2017]

This episode focuses on the relationship between Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon. You learn where she comes from, and how she was before she met Shadow. The story is beautifully written, and takes you back in time, before the civil war . Both lead are excellent, and even though Shadow does not appear in this episode , you can feel that the finale will be epic.

Do Watch It !

Tales of a Leprechaun

[ThomasDrufke · 6/10 · 13 June 2017]

In the same way that Twin Peaks is starting to become frustrating for lack of an end goal or clear path for story, the same goes for American Gods. I think it became clear to me last week when the episode seemed to add nothing new that we weren't going to get the war we promised this season. The war of the gods likely won't happen for a few seasons it seems, instead, this episode gave us a more expansive backstory for Mad Sweeney than we had previously been aware of, while adding a little bit more Laura in the mix too. This episode would probably be fine as a standalone adventure for Laura and Sweeney if the season wasn't only 8 episodes and we weren't already on the penultimate week. The problem is that this season only seems to serve as a set-up for future stories. I'm not getting any sense of closure or where the plot is heading in next week's finale. We've gotten a mere glimpse at the gods Wednesday and Shadow are up against, and while it's interesting to see more Sweeney, and Emily browning playing another character, I don't see how it's all that unnecessary at this point. Of course, I can eat my words next week if I find out that Sweeney plays a huge role and needed this backstory. But for now, I'm not sold.

6.2/10

Great episode

[stewartmurdoch43 · 10/10 · 25 June 2019]

Brilliant stuff. Adds to the rich tapestry of the whole storyline. Enjoy.

Oh for Gods' sake no more Emily Browning

[Sonic_Master · 21 October 2017]

Laura Moon is definitely the worst character in the entire American Gods' universe, and they made a whole episode about her, now another episode about Laura AGAIN?? I wish she just stayed in the ground, the show was totally watered down with this forced character...I really hope this is the last time we're seeing her.

Masterpiece

[ascurgunlu · 10/10 · 1 December 2021]

Its a tale in itself and I loved every bit of it. Acting is also first class. It also adds value to the whole show. Lepricorns should be smaller though.

More stalling

[christophe-lambin · 4/10 · 13 June 2017]

Whereas the first couple of episodes of American Gods were excellent TV, with the promise of an intriguing story, these last couple of episodes have left me frustrated. All of sudden, the focus moves away from the main protagonist (Shadow Moon) and the oncoming war between old & new gods. Instead we're told the story of Laura Moon over no less than three episodes that actually moves the plot AWAY from the main story line and in this last episode the story of Essie Macgowan (who is portrayed by the same actress as Laura Moon for no discernible reason) and how Mad Sweeney ended up in the US.

Looking back over the last seven episodes, we've had some interesting ideas, some gorgeous visuals, but also a lot of disjointed scenes with no clear narrative on how it all fits together.

Ah well. Next week we're already at the season finale. Let's hope the writers manage to bring it all together in a satisfying manner and set up season two.

Filler

[brownhatlooser · 2/10 · 13 June 2017]

So far American Gods has proved to be quite an entertaining show and if I'm being honest I would have watched the pilot for Ian McShane alone. Having not read the book I was a newbie to this tale of new gods vs old gods but relied on Bryan Fuller to make a wise next movie after the outstanding Hannibal. It looks beautiful and has been moving along at a reasonably good pace ,which is all the baffling when it came to this, the penultimate episode.

The writers decided to dedicate an entire episode to Mad Sweeney and Laura Moon for some ungodly reason! The episode comes across as nothing but filler! While Sweeney is a great character it's not enough to sustain an entire episode, especially one that completely haults the progress of the story. It feels out of place and like it's stalling for time. If you only have eight episodes why waste it on backstory that could essentially be condensed to fifteen minutes? Laura Moon is, in my opinion, one of the least likable characters in the show. Her character is such an effort to endure, like those people that spend hours getting ready, to achieve the 'I just threw this on' look. Every time she's on screen I find myself wishing the coin would just fall out of her and she'd go back into the ground (Spoiler - that happens then they reverse it, pointless just like this episode).

Not that it has anything to do with it but being Irish myself I will say, in this episodes defense, the non-Irish actors do a decent accent and the writers did bother to research the correct words and folklore. That's where the praise ends I'm afraid. With the exception of one possible scene (relating to Laura Moons original crash) you could skip this entire episode. Fingers crossed the season finale is a tad more satisfying.

This episode can be skipped entirely

[seandmillz · 1/10 · 28 June 2017]

As the title of this review suggests, this episode can be skipped entirely, and your experience of watching American Gods would be improved. The main story line is not expanded upon in anyway. This episode is made up of one long historical story, this time based on Mad Sweeney... but Mad Sweeney is barely in the story, and instead it focuses on a Character that has no relevance to the main plot. Mad Sweeney is shown as a side character... but the main character is played by the same woman that plays Laura Moon, so you aren't entirely sure if Mad Sweeney actually is Mad Sweeney or if he's some random character also portrayed by the same actor. It's deliberately confusing, and the reveal is that it is, in fact, Mad Sweeney. Okay. That's 45 minutes of wasted time for a petty reveal that in no way furthers this season's story. One minor plot point is revealed, but it's also revealed in the next episode, so there is no reason at all to watch this episode. It's nearly insulting, trying to push this random historical story as a stylistic and relevant aside, pretending that it furthers a character's motivation or explains the situations in any manner... but it certainly does not. It's a vapid, empty set of boring sequences with forced allegories that are just disgusting betrayals of the storytelling craft. This show deliberately tries to break conventions and push boundaries, but it fails miserably here, and in a few other notable ways. I do not recommend watching this episode, even if you love everything you've seen so far. Skip this, watch episode 8, and know that the only thing you missed was a car crash.

One of the worst episodes

[Radiante · 2/10 · 29 July 2017]

Like the episode 4, it's focused on Laura/Essie/Emily Browning. And just like that episode, it is pointless, useless, boring. For sure i am realizing I don't like at all Emily Browining and her way to act. The character is really annoying. All this contributes to lowering the enjoyment level of the entire series.

Worst episode yet

[sirusx6 · 1/10 · 13 June 2017]

I'm sucked into the story. this episode has nothing to do with the story and is terrible. I feel cheated out of an hour of my life. The whole episode is a story completely disconnected from what's actually happening in the main characters lives. Now I have to wait another week to get back on track.

No Spoiler - But Honest Review

[mcpuffin-27569 · 1/10 · 8 July 2017]

This was by far the worst episode of any show I've ever seen. NOTHING HAPPENS!!! It's some Irish story that has nothing to do with the actual show. You can completely skip this episode and you won't miss any of the show's story line. I recommend skipping it. Now I have to fill 2 more lines of text to post my review. So I'll say this! I REALLY LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!! But whoever wrote and directed this episode needs to have their head examined. But most definitely, they need to be black-listed in the movie and TV industry. There! I hope that's enough text.