Old Gods and New Gods converge at the Center of America Hotel to pay tribute to the late Odin.

And so we reach the finale of American Gods Season 3, and it’s in a far stronger place than it was at this stage last season. It helps that the My Ainsel section of the book covered this year is one of the novel’s strongest series of chapters, but there’s also a stronger narrative for all the supporting characters – nobody is sidelined.

While it was initially assumed that the season would finish at the end of My Ainsel, we’re already taking a chunk out of Section Three: The Moment of the Storm, quite simply because it allows the show to finish on one helluva cliffhanger.

As is his right, Shadow chooses to stand vigil for his father, requiring him to be bound to the World Tree for nine days and night nights. And what a creation it is – massive in scale, with rope-like branches that hoist Odin’s son up into its boughs where he experiences hallucinations and dreams. Fans of the book will also be delighted to see the three Norn sisters, guardians of the sacred tree.

Already we can see where next year is going. Bilquis will help Laura to find Shadow’s counterpart, The Other, while Technology Boy needs to embrace the power of his constant reinvention – truly it will be the war of the gods. And there’s still that threat of a hammer to the head from Czernobog, provided Shadow is around to take his punishment.

Verdict: A worthy season finale that has put Starz’ road trip adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s masterwork back on the map again. It promises to end with a bang, and those who have stayed the distance will surely be richly rewarded. 9/10

Nick Joy