Mr. Wednesday/Series

Mr. Wednesday (Series)
Biographical information
Aliases	See Aliases
Gender	Male
Pantheon	Norse
Type	God (Æsir)
Personal information
Family	Donar Odinson† (son) Shadow Moon (son)
Affiliation	Old Gods
Allies	Huginn and Muninn Freki and Geri Old Gods
Enemies	New Gods
Chronological information
First Appearance	"The Bone Orchard"
Last Appearance	"Ashes and Demons"
Portrayal
Portrayed by	Ian McShane
External links
IMDb
Wikipedia

“	Do you have faith, Shadow? Do you know me? Do you know what I am? Do you want to know my name? This is what I am called. I am called Glad-O-War, Grim, Raider, and Third. I am One-eyed. I am also called Highest, and True-Guesser. I am Grimnir, and the Hooded One. I am All-Father, Gondlir, Wand-bearer. I have as many names as there are winds. As many titles as there are ways to die. My ravens are Huginn and Muninn. Thought and Memory. My wolves are Freki and Geri. My horse is the gallowed. I am Odin!	”
–Wednesday to Shadow, "Come to Jesus"

Mr. Wednesday is a crafty and endlessly charismatic conman full of perverse wisdom, curious magic, and grand plans to unite the Old Gods in a battle for power against the New Gods. He meets Shadow on an airplane after Shadow's release from prison and hires him on as a bodyguard.

Background

Mr. Wednesday is responsible for recruiting gods to help fight his war. He hires Shadow Moon to help him as well as be a bodyguard. He is often unsuccessful in recruiting gods who claim to be happy in the amount of worship they are currently getting. It is Mr. Wednesday's relationship with Shadow that is responsible for the bulk of the events in the narrative.

Significance in series

• Season One
• Season Two

"The Bone Orchard"

While Shadow is waiting for his flight at the airport, a man walks up to the counter, requesting a first class ticket. He seems confused and senile, causing the Airline Attendant to hurry him to first class anyway. Shadow boards the flight and discovers his seat is already taken by someone with the same seat assignment. The only seat left available is in first class, next to the old man who is now coherent and clear-headed, having scammed his way to a first class ticket. He greets Shadow with a Jack and Coke.

They strike up a conversation and the man knows that Shadow had just gotten out of prison. He introduces himself as Mr. Wednesday and asks what was Shadow's downfall. Shadow reveals to him it was small-time casinos and does a coin trick for him. Wednesday tells him he uses people's faith to con them. He passes Shadow a first class toiletries bag and offers Shadow a job. Shadow declines because Robbie is holding a job for him at his gym.

Shadow has arrived at Jack's Crocodile Bar and heads to the bathroom where Mr. Wednesday appears from a bathroom stall. He is still offering him a job and he passes Shadow a newspaper with an article on the car crash. He tells Shadow that Robbie had also died in the accident that killed Laura.

Shadow admits to Wednesday that he is broke and jobless but he'll only work for Wednesday based on the flip of a coin. Wednesday calls Heads and Shadow is surprised to discover it is Heads when he rigged the toss. Wednesday goes to the bar for drinks and Mad Sweeney approaches Shadow to warn him about Wednesday.

Wednesday returns with three shots of mead for Shadow to drink. Shadow takes the first shot and Wednesday tells him the mead seals their bargain. Shadow will be his driver and bodyguard and will hold his vigil upon Wednesday's death. Shadow agrees to $2000 a week on the condition that he won't hurt anyone for fun or profit and that he will quit if Wednesday pisses him off. Shadow drinks the second shot to seal the deal and the third shot as the "charm." Wednesday spits on his hand and they shake.

Sweeney starts pulling real gold coins out from everywhere and Shadow asks how he does the trick. Sweeney tells him it's the easiest trick in the world to just pluck them out of the air. Shadow asks again and Sweeney challenges him to a fight for the answer. Shadow declines, yet Sweeney keeps egging him on. He starts to insult Laura and Shadow punches him in the face. While Wednesday watches, they begin brawling, tearing up Jack's bar and fighting until Shadow blacks out.

Shadow wakes up in the back of Mr. Wednesday's car on their way to Eagle Point. He finds Mad Sweeney's gold coin and Wednesday says Sweeney taught him the coin trick. He cleans up in a gas station bathroom before dropping Wednesday off at a motel and taking Betty, Wednesday's car, to the church for Laura's funeral.

"The Secret of Spoons"

Shadow returns to the motel and pounds on Wednesday's door, disrupting him with a young, blonde woman. He tells Wednesday how Technical Boy hijacked him and tried to kill him. Wednesday offers him occupational hazard pay and doubles his salary. Wednesday promises that he is angry about Technical Boy and has a plan.

The next day, Wednesday arrives at Laura's house after Shadow has finished packing up all their belongings. He asks Shadow if he'll miss Eagle Point. Shadow says no because it was Laura's town. Wednesday tells Shadow that he only gets to be upset for so long because Laura was cheating on him.

They take off in Wednesday's car, Betty, and start driving. Wednesday informs Shadow they won't ever take the highway and will take back roads to recruit various people to attend a meeting in one of the most sacred places in America. Their first stop is Chicago to get Wednesday's hammer.

They stop at a diner where Wednesday is meeting someone. He gives Shadow a list and sends him shopping. After Shadow is finished shopping, he returns to the diner, passing by the man Wednesday was meeting with. Shadow tells Wednesday that Lucy was talking to him from the TV and he thinks he's going insane. Wednesday gives Shadow the choice of either fighting the strangeness or accepting it; either the world is crazy or Shadow is. Shadow asks if this is part of them "reprogramming reality" and Wednesday says that going mad is not the biggest sacrifice to make.

They start driving again and Wednesday discovers a cell phone in the bag of stuff Shadow bought. He tosses Shadow's cell phone and the one Shadow bought for him out the car window, saying, "no cell phones." He tells Shadow his secret to attracting the young blonde women is with "charm." He taps his fingers along the dashboard and the radio turns on.

Shadow and Wednesday arrive at an apartment in Chicago. Zorya Vechernyaya tells Wednesday that Czernobog, who is currently in a field killing a cow with a bolt pistol, will not be happy to see them. She brings them into the apartment and Wednesday presents her with the vodka, romance novels, and binoculars that Shadow picked up from the store. Zorya Vechernyaya downs the entire bottle of vodka before calling for Zorya Utrennyaya to come to the kitchen. She explains that their other sister, Zorya Polunochnaya, is asleep. Wednesday passes Zorya Utrennyaya the books and sets the binoculars down in front of Zorya Polunochnaya's door.

Zorya Utrennyaya makes coffee for Wednesday and Shadow and Zorya Vechernyaya offers to read Shadow's fortune. Shadow heads for the bathroom just as Czernobog returns home. He is not pleased to see Wednesday and throws a lamp at him. Wednesday offers him the cigarettes and herb Havarti but Czernobog still wants him to leave. Zorya Vechernyaya tells Czernobog she already invited them to dinner.

From the living room, Czernobog becomes upset with Wednesday and raising his voice. Zorya Utrennyaya hurries in to shush him so he doesn't wake up Zorya Polunochnaya. Wednesday is trying to get Czernobog to come to the meeting because everyone else will be there and will think Czernobog is weak if he doesn't show. Czernobog tells Wednesday he wants his brother, Bielebog, not him.

They sit down to a terrible dinner of tough meat and soft potatoes, which Wednesday enthusiastically enjoys. Czernobog asks Shadow if he is Black. Where he is from, everyone is the same color so everyone fights over shades. Bielebog has light hair where Czernobog has black hair so everyone thought Bielebog was the good one and it turned Czernobog into the bad one. They are both gray now so there is no longer a way to tell who is light and who is dark.

Czernobog shares how they first arrived in New York and it wasn't so bad but then they came to Chicago and it's not so great. He had to get a job in the slaughterhouse and became a "knocker" on the killing floor. Zorya Vechernyaya opposes him telling cow killing stories at dinner but he continues anyway. He explains how it takes strength and skill to artfully kill a cow properly with a sledgehammer. If not done properly, the cow becomes angry and angry meat tastes bad. He complains about the ease of the bolt gun that makes it so anyone can kill cows now. He asks Shadow if he plays checkers and invites him to a checkers game after dinner and Shadow agrees.

After dinner, Czernobog sets up the checkers board, playing black and they begin their game. Czernobog asks if Shadow wants to see his killing hammer and retrieves it from over the mantle. He explains how blood feeds the hammer, giving it shine, with sunrise blood being the best. Now, his hammer is red with rust but Shadow sees blood pouring off it from the 10,000 kills Czernobog made. They continue playing checkers and Czernobog offers to make a wager. If he loses, then he will go with Shadow and Wednesday to meet with the others. If he wins, then he gets to hit Shadow in the middle of the forehead with his hammer.

Wednesday tells Shadow it's his decision if he wants to make the wager. Shadow considers all the crazy things he has seen in the last few days and what is real and what is not. He agrees to Czernobog's wager and they keep playing checkers. Czernobog starts singing an old song about bitter coffee and a spoon that makes it sweet as he gets more and more of Shadow's pieces off the board. Shadow loses the game and Czernobog declares that at sunrise, Shadow will willingly go down on his knees for him to knock his brains out.

"Head Full of Snow"

Mr. Wednesday enters Zorya Vechernyaya's bedroom where she is getting ready for bed. He comments on how she has learned to live with less but she is deserving of better. He pours his coffee grounds onto his saucer and asks her to read his fortune. She tells him that whatever he is trying to do, he will lose. They go outside for a walk in the night and Zorya Vechernyaya warns Wednesday that what he is doing will kill him this time. He gives her a kiss to remind her of when they were young. Zorya Vechernyaya pulls away just as it starts raining and asks him angrily what he has done. Wednesday responds with "war."

The next morning, Wednesday asks Shadow if he wants some coffee before they go rob a bank. Shadow and Mr. Wednesday arrive at the bank they're going to rob. Shadow is incredulous and doesn't want to enter but Wednesday drags him along, promising him he won't get in trouble. Shadow notices all the cameras in the building as Wednesday tries to avoid having his face captured. Wednesday grabs a pile of deposit slips and they leave the bank. They walk across the street and Wednesday has Shadow write down the number of a payphone. He brings Shadow a hot chocolate and tells him to "think snow" to concentrate his mind. They head to a photocopy shop as Shadow thinks about snow. While they wait for service, they chat about the many versions of Jesus. Wednesday tells Shadow to keep thinking snow while he makes business cards and posters. Shadow zones out again while thinking about snow before Wednesday startles him, telling him to stop because it's snowing enough now and they don't want to immobilize the city.

They sit down for some lunch as Shadow questions Wednesday about the snow, wanting to know how it happened when the weather was supposed to be clear. Mad Sweeney abruptly shows up, demanding his gold coin back from Shadow because he gave him the wrong coin. Shadow asks him how he did the coin trick before he'll tell him what he did with the coin. Sweeney once again claims that he plucked the coin out of thin air. Shadow says Sweeney can find the coin on Laura's grave back in Eagle Point. Sweeney leaves, telling Wednesday he'll see him in Wisconsin.

Shadow and Wednesday arrive at the bank with Wednesday dressed in a security uniform. He passes a business card to Shadow, reading "A1 Securities" with the name A. Haddock on the card. Wednesday will pretend to be Jimmy O'Gorman. He tells Shadow to do a bit of shopping at the grocery store and wait by the pay phone before he heads across the street to the bank. He places out of order signs on the ATM and night deposit slot and begins collecting night deposits and providing fake receipts to unsuspecting bank customers. The cops pull up and question Wednesday who hands them a business card. The pay phone rings and Shadow answers it as Andy Haddock, Jimmy O'Gorman's boss. They are calling to check up on Jimmy and Shadow reassures them he is supposed to be there, going so far as offering them a job with his security company. The police leave Wednesday to continue with his business.

Shadow is driving while Wednesday counts out the money from the bank scam, paying Shadow his salary. They continue driving back-roads out of Chicago as Wednesday presses Shadow about him pretending that he "cannot believe in impossible things." A wolf crosses the road in front of them, causing Shadow to slam on his breaks. Shadow asks Wednesday directly if he made it snow. Wednesday offers him the choice of either believing he did or acknowledging he is delusional. They go on to discuss Shadow's belief in love and Wednesday's fear of being forgotten.

"Lemon Scented You"

A raven taps on Mr. Wednesday's motel room door. He relays a message to Mr. Wednesday. Wednesday goes to Shadow's room and invites him out for drinks. Shadow refuses just as police drive up and arrest them both for the bank robbery in Chicago.

Wednesday is being questioned in an interrogation room and plays off as a confused man reciting poetry. He rambles on about being in Chicago to recruit Czernobog and how Mad Sweeney and Mr. Nancy are also on his side for different reasons while the police officer looks on dubiously.

Officer Buffer takes Shadow into the same interrogation room as Wednesday and handcuffs him across from Wednesday. She lays out the pictures of them from the bank robbery and leaves them to talk with each other. Wednesday explains that the photographs belong to a particular "god's eye view" of the world just as a spider unlocks his handcuffs. Shadow stops Wednesday, realizing Wednesday is afraid of whoever is after him and demands to know who it is.

The lights dim, the door opens, and Marilyn Monroe (from The Seven Year Itch) floats into the room. Wednesday tells her they don't have any business with her. Shadow begs for it to not be real as footsteps sound down the hallway. Mr. World enters and apologizes to Wednesday for not seeing him. Wednesday warns Shadow to not speak to Mr. World. Mr. World frees Shadow from his handcuffs and tells him he already knows all about him from his blood type to his nightmares. Everything about Shadow is stored and recorded in the Book of Life.

Marilyn coughs politely to remind Mr. World to stay on track. He whistles for Technical Boy. Technical Boy enters and apologizes for lynching Shadow. Mr. World slams Technical Boy onto the table and offers to let Shadow hit him and knock out his front teeth. Shadow refuses. Mr. World absolves Technical Boy for his crime against Shadow and has him sit next to Wednesday to offer his sales pitch. Technical Boy explains how the New Gods want to offer Wednesday the opportunity to evolve with them and they will help him find his own audience. Mr. World is offering a merger with the Old Gods and to upgrade Wednesday.

Marilyn clicks a remote and the walls light up with images of the ODIN guidance satellite to be launched over North Korea. Wednesday will be re-branded and 24.9 million people will know his name, giving him a lasting place in tomorrow. Wednesday pounds his hand on the table and refuses, saying they offer him exile, not a merger. The New Gods simply occupy time while the Old Gods gave people meaning. Mr. World tells Wednesday to give them meaning again before he leaves with Marilyn following after.

Technical Boy stops them, asking why Mr. World is letting Wednesday go when he has him right there. Mr. World explains that Wednesday is older than Technical Boy will ever be and has wisdom and knowledge that Technical Boy does not have. He is giving Wednesday an opportunity and respect. Technical Boy says, "fuck respect." Marilyn blows a kiss to Technical Boy and knocks out his two front teeth. As the New Gods leave, Mr. World tells them he is not their enemy.

Shadow asks Wednesday if that really happened and Wednesday replies it's still happening. They leave the interrogation room and make their way through the destroyed police station. Everyone is dead and horribly mangled. Shadow wonders what story is going to be told for what happened.

A tree is growing up from within the station, consuming the bodies. One of the branches stabs Shadow in his side. As the tree continues to grow, Shadow and Wednesday make it out of the precinct.

"A Murder of Gods"

Shadow and Wednesday walk along a desolate road as Shadow grills Wednesday about Marilyn Monroe massacring everyone in the precinct and how a tree stabbed him. He wants to know what the New Gods are. Wednesday explains that the massacre was a warning to Wednesday and a sacrifice to them. Shadow asks if they are gods and Wednesday gives him the run-around, asking whether gods came first or the people who believe in them. Shadow is now getting a glimpse of it through the window. Shadow admits to him that Laura is alive and was in his motel room.

They return to the motel and Shadow's room is in shambles. Shadow finds Laura's wedding ring on the bathroom floor. Wednesday tells him they should leave and they pack up Betty. He explains to Shadow that when the dead come back, they usually have a reason. Ravens begin to caw and Wednesday starts the car as Shadow jumps in. Wednesday peels out and turns up the radio, blocking out the sound of Laura calling for Shadow as she arrives at the motel just in time to see them drive away.

As Wednesday drives, he pesters Shadow about Laura's death and his grief, offering to lift Shadow's pain with a charm. He starts discussing the various charms he knows as he looks over to see Shadow's side bleeding profusely. He pulls over to the side of the road and inspects Shadow's wound. The branch has infected Shadow as something wiggles beneath the surface. They crouch in front of the headlights as Wednesday takes a pull of vodka before getting behind Shadow and wrapping his arms around him. He holds tight to Shadow as he feels along Shadow's wound for the splinter left behind by Mr. Wood. He tells Shadow how Mr. Wood used to be an Old God of the trees and the forest before sacrificing his trees and forest to industrialization and becoming something else. He pulls a writhing root out of Shadow's side, tossing it to the side of the road. Shadow is panicked about all that has happened as Wednesday explains that in order to instill a fear of the gods, there needs to be a fearful element.

In Virginia, the company town of Vulcan ammo is starting its morning. The supervisor greets employees as they go about their jobs. He heads upstairs to a catwalk over vats of molten metal. He leans against a railing that gives way and sends him plummeting into one of the vats, dissolving him into bullets. Shadow and Wednesday arrive to deserted streets. Shadow spots several white townspeople dressed in uniforms with red armbands and carting around rifles. They come across the funeral parade where the rest of the townspeople are marching behind Vulcan. Wednesday explains how a couple of people a year die in sacrifice at the factory because it's cheaper for the company to settle than to update the safety of the plant.

The crowd gathers in front of Vulcan as he gives a speech. Wednesday parks the car and gets out with a bottle of Soma to convince Vulcan to join him in his war. Vulcan finishes his speech and the crowd shoots their guns and rifles up into the air, causing Shadow to flinch. Vulcan tells the crowd to go in peace and Wednesday suggests for Shadow to take cover. Shadow gets back into the car as it starts raining bullets down, denting Betty yet falling harmlessly around Vulcan and Wednesday. After the bullets stop falling, Shadow joins Wednesday and Vulcan, confirming what Vulcan heard about Wednesday's plans to start a war. Vulcan offers to get them something to eat.

Shadow stares at a noose hanging from a tree as Vulcan tells him it was an "old hanging tree." Shadow turns around and when he turns back, the noose is gone. Vulcan offers for them to stay as long as they like while Betty is getting fixed up but Shadow wants to leave. Instead, they head inside Vulcan's house, gratuitously littered with preserved animal carcasses and rifle racks. Vulcan pours a drink for himself and Wednesday, outright denying Shadow anything to drink. He discusses how sacrifices have built up his mini empire and suggests Wednesday could have the same by sacrificing himself as he had done before. Shadows looks uneasily out the window at the hanging tree as Vulcan asks him if he has ever seen anyone hanged before and that it's a terrible way to find faith. Vulcan has "franchised" his worship and he pulls out a gun as he explains that the people believe and worship him through firepower. He aims and shoots at a mounted deer head. Wednesday invites him to join them in Wisconsin but asks him to forge a sword for him first. Vulcan agrees and leaves them alone.

Shadow asks Wednesday if Vulcan is trustworthy and confronts him about how Vulcan knew Shadow had been lynched by Technical Boy. Wednesday claims he said nothing but the New Gods also knew about the lynching. He is going to have Vulcan make a weapon to deal with it. He notices Shadow is still distracted by Laura's death and return and tells him to close his eyes and think of Laura. Shadow's eyelids glow and he is able to view Laura in Eagle Point, spying on her mom and family. Wednesday asks Shadow if he can let her fade away. Back in Eagle Point, Laura gets into the cab and tells Salim to drive.

Deep within the factory and over vats of liquid metal, Vulcan forges Wednesday's sword. Wednesday compliments Vulcan on his craftsmanship, favoring it over the manufactured guns Vulcan now makes. Vulcan tells him that he gets more blood spilled in sacrifice with bullets than with blades and Wednesday could use a blood sacrifice of his own. He questions why Wednesday is starting this war and says it sounds like Wednesday is the only one benefiting. Wednesday asks if Vulcan told the New Gods they were in town and Vulcan confirms they are coming. They put power back into Vulcan's hand when he was just a forgotten story and now he is prayed to with bullets. He calls Wednesday a martyr but Wednesday denies it, saying it is actually Vulcan's role. Vulcan pledged allegiance to Wednesday and forged him a blade and the New Gods killed him for it. Wednesday swings the blade and slices Vulcan's head off. He kicks Vulcan into the vat below and watches as he dissolves. Shadow is freaking out as Wednesday hands him the blade and unzips his pants. He urinates into the vat to curse the bullets made.

"Come to Jesus"

Shadow and Mr. Wednesday sit in bathrobes while Mr. Nancy sews them suits. Nancy wants to tell them a story but Wednesday doesn't think they have time. Nancy insists and relates the story of Bilquis' journey from queen to destitution to joining forces with the New Gods. He asks Wednesday and Shadow if they understand the moral of the story. Shadow guesses wrong but Wednesday says he needs to get himself a queen because the New Gods now have a queen. Shadow threatens to walk because Wednesday killed Vulcan and he still doesn't even know who Wednesday really is. Wednesday disagrees and explains that Shadow is not pissed-off enough to leave; he's just confused and intrigued.

Shadow wakes up in the passenger seat of Betty with Wednesday driving them to Kentucky. Bunnies follow along behind their car and line up in front, blocking the road. Wednesday drives over them.

They arrive at a mansion and Wednesday leads Shadow inside where a banquet is laid out for Easter Sunday. The guests are decked out in holiday costumes and Shadow sees a Madonna nursing a baby Jesus. Wednesday points out Ostara to Shadow, the queen they've come to enlist.

Wednesday tells Shadow that "believing is seeing. Gods are real if you believe in them." Shadow looks around and sees another Jesus figure bleeding jelly beans from his stigmata and halos around the Madonna and child. Wednesday explains there is a Jesus Christ for every belief, branch, and denomination. Shadow asks again who Wednesday is as Easter approaches.

Shadow is in awe of Ostara and escorts her around the grounds of her estate. Wednesday tries swaying her to his side but she insists she's doing fine without his help. Wednesday argues that millions might observe some of the rituals of Easter but not many actually speak her name in worship. Ostara does all the work of bringing spring, yet Jesus gets all the prayers. Jesus feels bad for stealing Ostara's day and Ostara tries to comfort him before she drags Wednesday and Shadow inside to speak in private.

She is angry that Wednesday has insulted Jesus, especially on their shared day. Wednesday insists that it is her day, not theirs. He lies to her that the New Gods killed Vulcan and presents to her the sword Vulcan crafted for him. He promises her she will be worshiped if she makes them worship her.

Wednesday suggests to Ostara that she should take away the spring to make the people pray to her. A rabbit whispers into Ostara's ear and she hurriedly leaves Wednesday alone.

Shadow rejoins Wednesday as Wednesday spots Hannah and Easter strolling the grounds outside. Hannah asks about Wednesday and Easter admits he was trying to recruit her. The faceless Don begins to split into multiple Dons as Hannah questions Easter. The New Gods make Old Gods new again and she wants to know why Easter would listen to Wednesday. Easter replies that it is because she is feeling "misrepresented in the media." Hannah explains that the Old Gods have to evolve in order to survive in an atheist world.

Mr. Wednesday arrives as the Children circle protectively around Easter and Hannah. He argues with Hannah about the distribution methods of worship. Technical Boy takes over one of the Children and enters the conversation, warning Wednesday that he can't fight progress. Wednesday points out the New Gods wouldn't be there if he wasn't a threat. Hannah claims they are there for Easter because Wednesday doesn't matter anymore. Wednesday insists he still matters because gods make things happen to cause belief.

Mr. World takes over another one of the Children. As Mr. World speaks, storm clouds gather above. He tells Wednesday that he only matters when it comes to war and there isn't going to be a war. The New Gods have all the advanced technology while the Old Gods are left with swords and hammers. Whether they fight or not makes no difference because the Old Gods will die out either way. Wednesday responds by dedicating deaths to Ostara just as lightning strikes the circle of Children, killing them all.

Wednesday turns to Shadow and asks if he has faith. Shadow asks for a third time for Wednesday to tell him who he is. Wednesday recites some of his many names to Shadow before finally revealing himself to be Odin. He commands Ostara to show the New Gods who she really is. Easter steps forward and lifts her arms to the air, bringing a change in the wind and clearing the thunderclouds. She takes away the spring, causing life to retreat underground throughout the country as it returns to its winter state.

Mr. World tells Wednesday he has his war. Wednesday announces the believers and non-believers can have their spring back when they pray for it. He asks Shadow if he believes and Shadow answers that he believes "everything." Laura clears her throat to announce her presence and asks to speak with her husband.

"House on the Rock (episode)"

A car carrying Shadow Moon/Series, Mr. Wednesday, Mad Sweeney, and Laura Moon leaves Easter's house in Kentucky and heads to the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. Shadow is still uncomfortable around Laura while Mad Sweeney's bad luck continues to follow him.

At the House on the Rock, Shadow attempts to pick the lock open on the entrance gate. A spider enters the lock and opens the gate as Mr. Nancy appears on the other side. He greets Mad Sweeney and comments on Laura's stench. Wednesday asks if some of the old gods like Whiskey Jack have arrived. Nancy replies that they did not come and Easter is not coming either because Wednesday ran over some of her rabbits. Wednesday informs Laura she can come along but she is "not invited to the party." He reveals to her that he was also dead once when he sacrificed himself for knowledge and hung on the tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days. He offers her an arrangement and she refuses.

Inside the House on the Rock, the Jinn and Salim are greeted by Wednesday, who asks the Jinn how many have arrived. The Jinn replies there are about a dozen plus Bilquis, who was not invited. Wednesday and Nancy take tokens from the Jinn and the Jinn offers Shadow a token as well but he does not let Laura and Sweeney through.

Bilquis greets Nancy before confronting Wednesday for not inviting her when she is an Old God. Wednesday acquiesces and invites her to "consult the Norns." She inserts a token into a machine where Selina, a fortune telling mannequin, moves around to music before a card is dropped into a slot below for her to retrieve. Wednesday inserts his token next and chortles when he receives his card, causing Shadow to ask what it is. He won't reveal what it says because, "a man's fortune is his own." Shadow inserts his token and receives his card, reading it out loud:

“

Every ending is a new beginning. Your lucky number is none. Your lucky color is dead. Motto: Like father, like son.

”

They continue deeper into the House on the Rock before Wednesday splits off on his own. He finds Zorya Vechernyaya in a room with a snowy backdrop. He flirts with her as Czernobog arrives. Czernobog reminds him the only reason he is there is because he lost a game of checkers to Shadow. Wednesday leaves them and Czernobog starts the music playing, inviting Zorya Vechernyaya to dance.

Wednesday leads the group through a hall full of beer steins as he explains the immense power contained within roadside attractions in America. They arrive at the Carousel Room and Wednesday asks Shadow to feel the power. As the carousel spins round and round, the Old Gods reappear on the carousel. Nancy sits on a roaring lion while Wednesday invites Shadow to join them and Bilquis offers to keep him safe. Shadow climbs uneasily aboard and chooses a tiger with an Eagle's head to ride. The carousel continues to spin faster and faster and Shadow begins to enjoy himself. Wednesday's wolf mount opens up and a bright light shines forth as the carousel figurines detach and fly away into space.

Shadow awakens on a beach next to human skulls and where a Norse ship has dropped anchor. Bilquis tells him he is "Backstage" in Wednesday's memories. As Bilquis leads him up to Odin's Hall, she explains how if the meeting had been held in Bilquis' mind, it would be a warmer experience with hanging gardens and ziggurats. Once within the hall, Shadow is able to see the gods in their various non-human forms: from Odin, Bilquis, Czernobog, the Zorya sisters, and Anansi to Ame-No Uzeme, Ahura Mazda, the Lion-god, and Frau Holle. Anansi calls everyone around for a story about being at constant war with the New Gods. Odin speaks, reminding them how people brought the gods, including everyone present, with them to America. The Old Gods have been abandoned as the "true believers" either died or stopped believing. They are only getting by as they are replaced by the New Gods, who now want to destroy them.

Mama-ji interrupts, saying that she has seen New Gods rise and fall and they should wait them out. She does not see any of the battles that Odin claims are happening. Bilquis defends Odin, explaining how the New Gods have more followers, more attention, and more power, however, it is not a bad thing. She has been given the tools of the New Gods and warns them they need to evolve or die. Shadow speaks out that he believes Odin. He has lost everyone and everything but he is regaining his belief and faith because of Odin. If they help Odin, they can be worthy of their believers.

At a Motel America diner, Wednesday pours mead as the Old Gods feast and socialize. Wednesday calls Shadow over to meet Mama-ji. A sniper fires into the diner, shooting down Old Gods with bullets engraved with "Deus Mortuorum" (Latin for "God is dead"). As the bullets fly, the Jinn protects Salim and Shadow tackles Laura to the ground. Shadow sneaks out through the kitchen and into the parking lot to find the sniper. They fight with Shadow gaining the upper hand. The sniper pulls out a device and pushes a button, causing a beam of light to suck Shadow up into the sky.

In the aftermath, Wednesday finds Zorya Vechernyaya incapacitated by a chest wound. He cradles her as Czernobog holds her hand and she dies. Czernobog curses the person who killed her so that they will not die in battle, no one alive will take their life, and "she" will find them. Laura realizes Shadow has been abducted and watches as his golden light fades into the distant sky.

"The Beguiling Man"

In the Motel America diner parking lot, Czernobog laments Zorya Vechernyaya's murder at the hands of the New Gods. Mama-ji tells Czernobog they will summon another Zorya but Czernobog explains that there are no more believers left for her old star to rise again. He blames Mr. Wednesday for allowing Zorya to die but a new star will still rise. Wednesday promises them vengeance. Mama-ji agrees to join Wednesday's war because the fight was brought to her doorstep.

While Sweeney, Salim, and the Jinn eat breakfast in the Motel America diner, Laura wants to know what they are going to do next. Mama-Ji enters the diner and tells the Jinn that Wednesday wants him to find Iktomi at the "Corn Palace" to get Wednesday's spear, Gungnir.

As Wednesday and Mr. Nancy bid farewell to Czernobog, Sweeney heads outside the diner to confront Wednesday. Laura wants to know what they are going to do about Shadow. Wednesday tells Sweeney to help Laura save Shadow while he and Mr. Nancy continue preparing for the war.

Mr. Nancy attempts to fold a map as Wednesday drives Betty down the highway.

Mr. Nancy drives down the road while Wednesday sleeps in the passenger seat. Nancy throws Wednesday's insulting gift of fried chicken out the car window just as Wednesday wakes up.

Mr. Wednesday gives a eulogy to Betty while Mr. Nancy sleeps in the backseat. Nancy wakes up and realizes Betty is parked across railroad tracks. He gets out and tells Wednesday he will meet up with him in Cairo before leaving.

The train smashes into Betty as Wednesday looks on with fire and his horse, Gallows, reflected in his glass eye.

"Muninn"

As the oncoming train collides with Betty, flames arise in shapes resembling a horse and Betty is reborn in the wreckage. A broken apart Laura calls for Shadow while Shadow climbs a mountain of skulls, trapped in his nightmares. Wednesday has Mad Sweeney collect Laura's body parts and stash her in New Betty's trunk as they leave Shadow behind.

Muninn flies to Ibis and Jacquel Funeral Parlor to let Wednesday know Shadow has been found and is on his way. Ibis is busy putting Laura back together, eating pieces of her as he works. Laura worries about how much longer she will have before her body falls irreparably apart. Wednesday invites her to come with him to find Argus Panoptes, someone who might be able to help her condition while Sweeney invites Laura to join him in New Orleans to meet the Baron. Laura opts to go with Wednesday.

Wednesday and Laura enter the Argus headquarters and walk down a long corridor and up a set of stairs. A door opens and they enter Argus' memories where the body of the first incarnation of Argus lies dead in a field. Wednesday questions Laura's purpose for returning from the dead. Laura insists it is for Shadow because she sees a golden beam of light shining from him. Wednesday points out to her it is selfish of her to only see Shadow as her means to an end instead of thinking about what his needs might be. He walks over to a cow and personally thanks it for its gift before slicing its neck open. The cow changes into Io and falls to the ground, dead. Wednesday retrieves a wooden peacock feather from her body.

Wednesday and Laura have arrived at a vast library deep within Argus' Backstage. Another version of Argus lies dead on a table. Wednesday reveals that he knows about the book she borrowed from the library when she was ten (Tiger Eyes). Her drunk dad spilled alcohol so she never returned it, nor did she ever return to a library. Wednesday points out that Laura needs excitement to get her heart beating again and it scares Shadow, who fell in love with the old Laura. In order to move on through Argus' mind, they need a sacrifice: the burnt offerings of the books within the Library of Alexandria. Laura begins lighting the scrolls on fire.

Wednesday and Laura have finally made it to the final level of Argus' lives, except Technical Boy and New Media got there first and Technical Boy is threatening Argus for not upgrading his tech. Argus has been playing both the New Gods and the Old Gods and Wednesday tells Laura that she needs to kill Argus by aiming for the tattoo on his neck. Laura calls him a fraud and he calls her his puppet. She is full of self-interest and right now, it is in her interest to kill Argus. He passes her the wooden peacock feather.

Laura enters the room and is spotted by Technical Boy, who momentarily feigns protest. She stabs Argus in his neck tattoo, breaking his bond with New Media. With Argus in his death throes, Technical Boy drags New Media off and Laura calls Wednesday to enter. Wednesday warns Argus to remember which side he is on when he comes back. When Argus dies, the coin within Laura glows, her heart starts to beat, and she is rejuvenated. Wednesday warns her it is not permanent before leaving her behind because the Laura Shadow loves does not exist anymore.

A swarm of fireflies greets Shadow as he enters the gated compound of Ibis and Jacquel Funeral Parlor. Wednesday stops him on his way to the house. Shadow asks why the New Gods are after him. Wednesday tosses Shadow a bottle of alcohol and promises him that if he doesn't feel better in the morning, he can take Betty and leave. Shadow drinks from the bottle before following him inside.

"The Greatest Story Ever Told"

Aliases

• Wednesday
• Grimnir, Grimm, Gondlir Wand-Bearer
• Odin, Bor's son
• James O'Gorman (to rob a bank)
• Old Fraud (by Easter)
• All-Father, Oldfather, Olfather
• Wotan/Votan (by Czernobog)
• Woutan (by Whiskey Jack)
• Glad-of-War, Raider, Third, One-Eyed, Highest, True-Guesser, Hooded-One
• Lord of Asgard, Lord of the Gallows, Lord of the Aes
• Cargo (by the Spooks)
• Al Grimnir (as owner of the Regius Theater)
• Bishop Hammersmith (to steal Lou Reed's jacket)
• Ofnir (by Demeter)

Personality

For Season One, Ian McShane described Mr. Wednesday as a "small time grifter" and "con-man" tired of all the adoration the New Gods receive , while Bryan Fuller said that very simply Mr. Wednesday was a "man who is trying to return his people to a better place" .

Physical appearance

• He has a glass right eye.

Powers and abilities

According to Norse mythology, Odin hung himself from the World Tree for nine days in order to obtain the secret of the runes, by sacrificing himself to himself. Once this process was completed, Odin owned eighteen different charms, each one with a different magical effect. The television series mentions those charms and Mr. Wednesday performs some of them. However his powers don't seem as great as before, or it is possible he might not perform all of his charms anymore - indeed, Mr. Wednesday says that by sacrificing himself the world "opened" to him, but he adds that "it has since closed".

The first charm of Odin is said to be able to "cure pain and sickness and lift the grief from the heart". His second charm is said to allow him to "heal with a touch" - he seems to perform it in A Murder of Gods by healing Shadow's wound with his hands. His third charm allows him to "turn aside the weapons of an enemy", which he seems to use in A Murder of Gods by avoiding the rain of bullets in Vulcan's town and then cursing an entire batch of ammunition in Vulcan's factory (though, for avoiding the rain of bullets he might have used his fifth charm, which allows him to "halt arrows mid-track and take no damage from them").

Odin's ninth charm allows him to "sing the wind to sleep and calm a storm for long enough to bring a ship to shore", but ironically in the television series he is shown doing the exact opposite by stirring the weather: summoning winds for the Viking sailors to return home in The Bone Orchard, causing rain in The Secret of Spoons and summoning a storm before weaponizing lightning in Come to Jesus. The sixteenth charm of Odin allows him to "turn the mind and heart of any woman" while the seventeenth allows him to make "no woman he wants ever want another". This is tied to Odin's behavior and abilities as a seducer - not only is he known to have had affairs with numerous goddesses, but he is also seen seducing numerous human women throughout the series - and it is unknown how much of his charms and how much of his natural seducing abilities he used.

Mr. Wednesday has a glass eye, due to Odin sacrificing his eye in Nordic mythology in order to drink from the Well of Mimir, whose water gave him knowledge and wisdom.

Mr. Wednesday has a great control over his numerous familiars. He is seen ordering and talking with his ravens Huggin and Munnin, which act as spies and messengers on his behalf. He also mentions in Head Full of Snow the two wolves he used to own, Freki and Geri, and his car "Betty" (later revealed to be his steed Sleipnir) is also shown to be absolutely under his control - in The Secret of Spoons Mr. Wednesday magically turns on his car's radio without even touching it.

Mr. Wednesday demonstrates in The Bone Orchard that, like Mad Sweeney, he has the ability to materialize coins out of nothing.

Gallery

To edit the Gallery page, go to Mr. Wednesday/Gallery.

Pictures

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Note: The pictures are shown in episodic order. To see the order of the episodes, please visit the Episode guide.

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• Season One
• Season Two
• Season Three
• BTS
• Crop

Jack's Crocodile Bar - Shadow and Mad Sweeney fight

Wednesday and Zorya Vechernyaya

Mr. Wednesday and Shadow

Mr. Wednesday, Vulcan, and Shadow

Easter and Mr. Wednesday

Mr. Wednesday and Shadow Season Two promo

Wednesday Season Two promo

Mr. Wednesday and Shadow in a diner

Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle BTS

Mr. Wednesday and Zorya Vechernyaya

Ian McShane (Mr. Wednesday) and Ricky Whittle (Shadow Moon)

Makeup for Odin's face in Odin's Hall

Make-up for Odin's face in Odin's Hall

Ian McShane as "Al Grimnir" for Donar the Great

Concept art for Mr. Wednesday's outfits in season three

Video

American Gods - Mr Wednesday. Wednesday - Season 2

Ian McShane on Mr. Wednesday - American Gods

American Gods - Mr Wednesday - Season 1. Wednesday - STARZ

Cultural background

Odin, also known as Woden, Wotan or Waotan, is one of the main gods of Norse mythology.

Son of Borr (son of the first god Buri) and of Bestla (daughter of a jötunn), Odin was responsible for the creation of the world as we know it alongside his two brothers, Vili and Vé. Together they killed the primordial jötunn, Ymir, and used his corpse to form the universe - his flesh becoming the earth, his bones the mountains, his brain the clouds and the maggots eating his carcass the dwarves. When they murdered Ymir, the blood flowing from the giant's body drowned almost all of the other jötunn, resulting in their species becoming fierce ennemies of the gods. Odin and his brothers also created the first humans: Vé gave them faces and five senses, Vili gave them mobility and intelligence/consciousness, while Odin gave them life and minds. Finally, the three brothers created together Asgard, the realm of the gods and one of the nine worlds of Norse cosmogony.

Odin is the leader of the main family of Norse gods, the Aesir, a clan of civilization, war and craft-related deities living in Asgard. As a result, Odin was considered a god of royalty and nobility, as well as the god of war. Men often prayed to him in order to obtain victory in battle, but since Odin enjoyed deeply feuds they knew he could easily give victory to the opposite side, not caring about fairness or justice but rather about the quality of the fight. It was said that Odin started the war between the Aesir and the Vanir (the second clan of gods, associated with nature, fertility and weather) by throwing his spear at a Vanir living among the Aesir. One of his domains in Asgard was Valhöll or Walhalla (the "halls of the slained ones"), a paradise-like afterlife for those that died in battle or while fighting. These dead would become the einherjar, the elite warriors of Odin's personal army, spending their time fighting each other (but healing and resurecting each evening) and feasting on never-ending supplies of meat and food. This afterlife was so sought by the Norsemen that some warriors who failed to die at war were known to kill themselves with their own spears to become einherjar.

Odin is known to be married to Frigg, a beautiful and graceful goddess of foresight and wisdom, but he had numerous love affairs with goddesses, female jötunn and mortal women, resulting in the birth of numerous gods of the Aesir pantheon: Thor, Baldur, Tyr, Heimdall, Ull... Usually appearing as a grey-haired and bearded old man wearing a large hat and a blue cloak, he liked to travel through Midgard (the world of humans) as a simple mortal, to either test people's hospitality or seduce women (many Norsemen liked to claim they descended from Odin to give themselves a higher social status). Odin owned several fabulous treasures, which included Gungnir, a spear that never misses nor stop until it reaches its target, Draupnir, a gold ring that produces every nine nights eight replicas of itself, and Sleipnir, an eight-legged horse as fast as lightning and able to run across water or through the air.

Odin was also known as a spiritual god. He was the god of poetry, guardian of the mead of poetry (that he stole through trickery, transformation and seduction from the dwarves who created it) and able to gift both gods and men with inspiration or the talent to write or sing. He was a god of wisdom: not only did he sacrificed one of his eyes to drink from Mimir's well, whose magic waters made him knowledgeable and wise, but he also hanged himself from one of the branches of Yggdrasil, the World-Tree, with his own spear piercing his torso, for nine days and nine nights, as a sacrifice to himself. This particular operation, on top of making him the god of gallows and hanged men, and confering him even more wisdom, helped him invent the runes, a form of primitive alphabet used to cast spells. Indeed, Odin was also the god of magic, recognized as a seer and a wizard. He was the master of seidr, a form of ritualistic magic able to shape fate for good, neutral and negative purpose, and which allowed him to see or know the future and curse his ennemies with death, sickness or bad luck. It should be noted that the seidr was seen as a female practice, and considered dishonorable for a man to practice as it would be a cowardly form of cheat (Norsemen were encouraged to fight in more honest and virtuous ways, with weapons or their physical strength). Due to his strong association with the death (god of the slained warriors, god of the gallows) Odin was also a practicioner of what would be called today necromancy known as the "lord of the ghosts": he could resurrect the dead (especially if they had been hanged) and enchanted Mimir's cut head so it would keep speaking even without a body.

Odin had an impressive collection of powers through his knowledge of seidr, runes and other forms of magic. Some of his abilities included turning enemies blind, deaf, paralyzed or mad, taking numerous shapes, stopping arrows through mid-air, turning warriors into invulnerable beings, or letting his mind travel through the world under the shape of an animal while his original body stayed in a form of trance. In the Germanic tradition, Odin was the leader of the Wild Hunt (Wodans Jagd), a celestial and supernatural hunt through the sky that manifested itself as violent storms. Odin does not need to eat, merely to drink wine: all of the meat that is served to him is actually given to his two wolves, Freki and Geri, always sitting at his feet. Another defining trait of Odin is his omniscience: when he sits on his throne, Hlidskialf, he can see the nine worlds all at once, and every morning his two crows, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) leave Asgard to explore the other worlds, coming back in the evening to tell the Aesir lord everything that happened in the universe.

While recognized as a wise, generous, brave and powerful god, Odin was also said to be prideful, cunning, selfish, cruel and a trickster. In fact, he was considered to be the most frightening of all of the gods, humans dreading him greatly. It is said that at Ragnarök, the end of times, he will lead the Aesir, Vanir and einherjar into battle against the forces seeking to destroy the universe, and die swallowed alive by Fenrir, the giant wolf.

The important and ancient character of this deity can be noted through his names: experts have currently collected more than 170 names and nicknames given to the gods (his most common being "All-Father", a title representing his role as the creator of the world, gods and humans). While the Romans identified him with the god of Mercury, many have pointed out that his role would be more similar to the one of Jupiter. The word Wednesday derives from Odin's Germanic name Woden (Wodnesdaeg, the day of Woden - for originally, Wednesday was dies Mercurii, the day of Mercury).

Notes and trivia

• Ian McShane was originally offered the role of Czernobog but after reading the script, he requested the part of Mr. Wednesday.
• Mr. Wednesday is based off actor and comedian Rip Torn, who left an impression on Gaiman after their only interaction in 1990.
• Mr. Wednesday is Odin, the All-Father, the Wanderer and most prominent god of the Norse pantheon, the god of wisdom and war.
  • His left eye is a different shade of green than the other, indicating that it is a fake. In Norse mythology, Odin sacrifices his left eye in an effort to gain knowledge.
  • In "Head Full of Snow," he is asked by Zorya Vechernyaya what the future holds, and he responds with "war" as if to say that he is planning war.
  • In "Head Full of Snow," he shares a knowing stare with a wolf who causes Shadow to suddenly stop the car to avoid hitting it. In Norse mythology, another two of Odin's animal companions are the wolves, Geri and Freki whose names mean 'the ravenous' and 'the greedy one'.
  • He converses with a raven in "Lemon Scented You," who in turn relays information to Mr Wednesday. In Norse mythology, two of Odin's animal companions are the ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who brought him information.
• The weekday names in English are derived from Germanic interpretation of Latin and including Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old English, Old Dutch, Old Irish, Old High and Middle Low German names for gods in Germanic/Scandinavian mythology.
  • Odin, or Woden, is the supreme deity after whom Wednesday is named.
  • In the Scandinavian languages, Wednesday is "onsdag" literally Odin's day.
  • Odin is also referred as being the Roman god Mercury, and in Proto-Germanic Wodensdag is the Latin 'Dies Mecurii' or 'Days of Mercury' later to be replaced by Church 'hebdomas' or 'Middle of the Week'.
  • The other days of the week are Tyr, or Tiw for Tuesday, Thor or Thunor for Thursday, Frigg for Friday, and Saturn the Roman god representing Saturday while Sunday and Monday are named after the Sun and Moon.
• The eighteen charms Wednesday claims to be able to cast are taken straight from Hávamál, from the last section known as the Ljóðatal (stanza 146 to stanza 163). The eighteen charms are described from the first to the seventeenth, with the eighteenth charm something that he would never tell, making what it does a mystery.
• He drives around in Betty, a 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.
• When asked why Ian McShane was the best choice for the role of Mr. Wednesday, Bryan Fuller explained that they needed someone "a little gangster, a little gentleman, a little devious and a lot lovable". They also mentionned that upon submitting this choice to Neil Gaiman, the author approved on account that he was "quite bastardy".