Fans may be saying a long farewell to Shadow Moon, Mr. Wednesday, and the rest sooner than they anticipated. According to Deadline, American Gods will not be returning for a fourth season. Although those who watched all way to the end may be unsatisfied with the dramatic event the series ended on, viewership was actually one of the show’s many issues.
Ratings have been steadily falling for American Gods for the last two seasons. During the first season, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green—who had developed the eponymous novel for television—left before season two. Their departure was soon followed by the departure of actresses Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth. By the time season two was completed, fans hadn’t seen a new episode in nearly two years.
Season three’s production was also faced with controversy: Orlando Jones, who played the role of Mr. Nancy, was let go from the show. Although Starz pushed back against the accusations the actor made against the new showrunner Charles Eglee and the production company following his firing, the show still had a lot of negative PR directed its way. This dispute may have been another one of the reasons why fans didn’t return for the third season over a year after the season two finale.
Speaking of finales, the season three ending left the story at an extremely pivotal moment. American Gods creator Neil Gaiman himself said it would be “the single most frustrating, upsetting and maddening place that any season could possibly end.” There have already been rumors (reported by Deadline) that the show’s storyline may be wrapped up with a TV movie or limited series, but dreams of a season four have been utterly dashed.
