American Gods - Git Gone

I picked up Starz packaged in with Showtime for the interim and decided to see what the hype was about. Admittedly this comes from someone totally new to all of this and hasn't read the material this series is based on. Git Gone is a character back story episode, explaining how Laura Moon lived, died, and returned from the afterlife. Moon (pretty, pouty-lipped Emily Browning) does the Vegas blackjack dealer night shift, told to start using a shuffling machine instead of her hands, much to her displeasure. She has an empty soul, feeling very little beyond boredom, seeking thrills wherever she can find them to awaken the dull senses. She meets con artist, cardsmith, Shadow (Ricky Whittle), as he hopes to cheat some winnings from Laura, with her quietly warning him to beware of security measures like well planted cameras and spies in among the folks in the casino. The two soon chat outside, get chummy, retreat to her home, and have sex. For Shadow it's love, while Laura just wants to feel something. Eventually Shadow gets caught trying to cheat a casino in an undercover operation encouraged and developed by Laura, merely for excitement, and goes to prison. Right before this they had married, but Laura wasn't feeling it. While in prison, despite her claims of belonging to Shadow, Laura starts an affair with their friend (Dane Cook) behind his wife's (her best friend!) back! In fact Laura perishes while sucking off Dane's character as he couldn't keep his eyes on the road due to the pleasure, wrecking the car!  Not happy with her destination of darkness awaiting her in the afterlife, Laura is jettisoned back to her dead, decaying body! Chris Obi is Anubis, the preparer for those who arrive before their ultimate destination. He hasn't any patience for Laura's defiance. "Getting away" she obliterates these baddies that try to hurt her man, as Laura's incredible strength crotch shotting one of them causes a guy's spinal column to split from out his skull! Blood, flesh, separating limbs, and rain in a cemetery all  visually arresting and visceral. Laura loses an arm, has to piss and puke out all the embalming fluid, and request the friend she betrayed (Betty Gilpin) help "stitch her up". Anubis might have better help for Laura ahead. From what I understand this episode was a departure from the main storyline, momentarily taking a break from the chief arc of the first three episodes. It gives Browning a showcase before returning to the arc that brings the series to the dance. Poor Shadow is often disregarded because Laura has such apathy. Her puppy kinda deserved better! Gilpin's reaction to Laura, rotting and returned from beyond the grave, is a hoot, and her pain is understandable. Laura is played mostly cold and indifferent as she even tries to see what it'd be like to contain herself in her hot tub while spraying about bugspray! The use of a flycatcher at the end is most amusing, and it's quite the clever touch.