The mystery of Lakeside is finally resolved in its icy waters, while Laura and Liam prepare for battle.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been looking forward to this episode since the series was first announced – the conclusion of Mike Ainsel’s time in Lakeside – and it’s reassuring to confirm that it doesn’t disappoint, providing the backbone to the season’s penultimate episode, the best so far this year.

The mystery of the missing teenager in Lakeside has been rumbling away since Shadow moved into Lakeside under the alias of Mike Ainsel. As with the book, there’s significant misdirection, and in my reviews I’ve been careful not to give away any more than what we see on the screen. And for the same reason, I’m not going into specifics here about what’s been going on – you can find out for yourself, and it’s very well done.

Elsewhere, Laura and Liam embark on some spear practice ahead of their planned assault on Odin. The Norse god has just had a run in with Mr World, back in the guise of Crispin Glover, and essentially it’s ‘leave now or we’ll take you out’. The final battle lines are being drawn. And that ending…

Verdict: It’s so gratifying to see American Gods on TV as the show it promised to be, yet has frequently struggled to achieve. This season has been a success on many levels and I’m going to miss it after next week’s finale. 9/10

Nick Joy