WARNING: The following contains spoilers for American Gods Season 3, Episode 5, "Sister Rising," which aired Sunday on Starz.
The latest episode of American Gods, "Sister Rising," proved that Mr. Wednesday's recent breakdown was part of his plan to get into the mental health facility his former wife, Demeter, is in. With him there, he strikes a deal with the goddess. If he can last a week here, then she will give him one day to prove that she should leave with him. While Wednesday spends his time with Demeter, he convinces his son, Shadow Moon, and his protege, Cordelia Diaz, to pull off a "Number 37" heist in order to get Demeter's conservator, Larry Hutchinson, to free her and her funds.
Cordelia is initially hesitant about something so old school, and she believes they need insurance to be safe. The hacker proposes that they copy the data from Hutchinson's laptop to use as a bargaining chip. While Shadow agrees to this, he reminds Cordelia the mission is not about getting his information; it's about getting Demeter out of the mental health facility, and based on Number 37, the fear of his information being leaked should be enough on its own to convince Hutchinson to give into their demands.
The two then go to the Boston Clipper Hotel, both taking up alter egos to pull this off. The usually dark haired Cordelia becomes a blond flirt who distracts Hutchinson long enough for Shadow to take his laptop and briefcase, which he hides in his suitcase. Once that's accomplished, Cordelia leaves, and Hutchinson discovers he's been robbed. Shadow, disguised as an Australian businessman, tips him off that someone walked out with it.
Giving him his phone, Hutchinson calls 911; however, the call goes straight to Cordelia's phone, and she instructs him to remain where he is. Not only does this keep Hutchinson from snooping around, but it also means the pair can call him back to make their demands, which they do after Shadow passes off the laptop to Cordelia.
Shadow drops his Australian accent to make the call, demanding that Caroline Wells (Demeter) and her money are released from his conservatorship, otherwise they will leak everything from his laptop. While he does this, Cordelia copies his info just in case, but Shadow was right; Hutchinson gives in from the threat alone. Cordelia also recommends Shadow ask for $100,000. This isn't necessarily what they need, but the extra cash can't hurt.
The heist is a massive success, and it feels pulled straight out of the Ocean's Eleven franchise. The alter egos, the pass off and the threats make Cordial and Shadow's mission a classic heist, which feels even more authentic thanks to the show's attention to detail. From the jazzy music to the split screens, the feeling of the entire scene screams heist movie, despite it only being a short scene from a TV show.
Based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name, American Gods stars Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Bruce Langley, Yetide Badaki, Ian McShane, Omid Abtahi and Ashley Reyes. The series airs Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.