The Ways of the Dead

The Ways of the Dead
Information
Air date	April 7, 2019
Written by	Rodney Barnes, Andres Fischer-Centeno
Directed by	Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Season	Two
Episode	205
Episode guide
previous	"The Greatest Story Ever Told"
next	"Donar the Great"

“	You know, maybe a day with Ibis can put you back on track. He can teach you the ways of the dead. I mean, you're dressed for it and, considering your domestic situation . . . .	”
–Wednesday to Shadow

"The Ways of the Dead" is the fifth episode of the second season of American Gods and the thirteenth of the overall series. It debuts on April 7, 2019.

Summary

Shadow learns the ways of the dead with the help of Mr. Ibis and Mr. Nancy. In New Orleans, Mad Sweeney introduces Laura to old friends who share their world of voodoo healing. Mr. Wednesday embarks on a road trip with Salim and The Jinn.

Plot

TBD

Cast

Main Cast Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday Emily Browning as Laura Moon Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney Crispin Glover as Mr. World (credit only) Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy Yetide Badaki as Bilquis Bruce Langley as Technical Boy (credit only) Mousa Kraish as The Jinn Omid Abtahi as Salim Demore Barnes as Mr. Ibis

Guest Starring Peter Stormare as Czernobog Cloris Leachman as Zorya Vechernyaya Kahyun Kim as New Media Devery Jacobs as Samantha Black Crow Sakina Jaffrey as Mama-ji Dean Winters as Mr. Town Co-starring Mouna Traore as Ruby Goodchild Glynn Turman as Reverend Hutchins Warren Bell as Will James Percy Anane-Dwumfour as Jamarr Goodchild Mustafa Shakir as Baron Samedi Hani Furstenberg as Maman Brigitte Lee Arenberg as Alviss

Gallery

• Ibis in front of a casket
• Salim and the Jinn
• Baron Samedi
• Maman Brigitte
• Maman Brigitte and Baron Samedi
• Alviss

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• Storyboards of the episode

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Video

American Gods 'The Ways of the Dead' Ep. 5 Preview Season 2

Notes and trivia

• William "Froggie" James is a real historical figure who was lynched in Cairo, IL on November 11, 1909.
• Mr. Nancy refers to Mr. Ibis (Thoth) as "thrice the great magician." This is likely a reference to the real-world allegorical figure of Hermes Trismegistus, or "Thrice-Great Hermes," an amalgamation of the Egyptian god Thoth, the Greek god Hermes, and the Roman god Mercury. Hermes Trismegistus is the purported author of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Asclepius, two books that form the foundation of much of Western mysticism, including many elements of the modern New Age movement. Given Mr. Ibis' mystical writing throughout the series, this connection seems even more likely.