I read the book. When the show was first announced I read American Gods. I was excited about the show because the book is so good AND because the first season was being directed by Bryan Fuller, and I count myself among the Fuller hive. However, being in the Fuller hive requires making peace with a few things. 1) The show will be great and 2) Fuller will not finish the series as he always leaves early (see Hannibal, etc).

With this knowledge in hand, I was ready to enjoy the little bit of American Gods that was given to me. The show differed from the novel as most all adaptations do, however, in Season 2 the changes got so far away from the original storyline and motivations of characters that I lost interest really quick. 

So this news, while disappointing that an actor was pushed out from their show, hits me with a big wet MEH. 

Now my personal feelings about the show as a whole has nothing to do with how Orlando Jones was allegedly treated. There were stories of him doing uncredited and unpaid writing for the black actors on the show and according to Jones himself, the showrunners did not like the rage and anger the black characters were showing as it was making some…feel uncomfortable.

If these allegations are true, I’d like to see multiple people fired to not work in the industry again. Subtle racism is racism. Trying to water down and or block interesting storylines that could develop some great storytelling in an attempt to protect white feelings and prevent white tears…those days need to be over.

“American Gods” actor Orlando Jones, who played fan favorite Mr. Nancy on the Starz series, has revealed in a Twitter video that he was fired back in September and, without directly naming him, slammed showrunner Charles “Chic” Eglee for the move.

In the fiery post, Jones says that “the new Season 3 showrunner is Connecticut-born and Yale-educated, so he’s very smart, and he thinks that Mr. Nancy’s angry, get s— done is the wrong message for black America. That’s right, this white man sits in that decision-making chair and I’m sure he has many black BFFs that are his advisers and made it clear to him that if they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy, he’d start a Denmark Vesey uprising in the country.”

Source: Variety