Adored the way they dealt with Mr World, and the understandable compromise they had to reach wrt casting decisions there was excellently handled. There were so many layers to that performance... And can't say anymore since *spoilers*, but damn the actor impressed the hell out of me.
As to the interludes being unnecessary, I'm afraid I completely disagree, especially since if the Bilquis scenes pass muster, the more relevant cabbie scene really shouldn't be causing any issues - however that could well be because of my fond memories of one of the particularly powerful interludes in the novel. (The Haiti/America one, and the point Gaiman makes right at the beginning of the rather extended beautiful thing, another moment where I've no idea if they're even going to attempt to tackle it in the show since I've no idea how they'd get the point the narrator/Gaiman makes across in TV)
I've got to admit a few of the changes to the novel have felt unnecessary - such as Jacquel and Ibis being aware of Laura for no apparent reason, and Anansi suddenly being rather war-like rather than the laid-back trickster Gaiman portrays so well (and the fact that I've got a horrible feeling that the short slave-ship scene may well be the show's version of the Haiti interlude, which saddens me, effective as the point it made was.) However for the most part, I think this show is a brilliant take on the novel, and I'm glad it isn't afraid to add it's own flavour to the thing.
As to the interludes being unnecessary, I'm afraid I completely disagree, especially since if the Bilquis scenes pass muster, the more relevant cabbie scene really shouldn't be causing any issues - however that could well be because of my fond memories of one of the particularly powerful interludes in the novel. (The Haiti/America one, and the point Gaiman makes right at the beginning of the rather extended beautiful thing, another moment where I've no idea if they're even going to attempt to tackle it in the show since I've no idea how they'd get the point the narrator/Gaiman makes across in TV)
I've got to admit a few of the changes to the novel have felt unnecessary - such as Jacquel and Ibis being aware of Laura for no apparent reason, and Anansi suddenly being rather war-like rather than the laid-back trickster Gaiman portrays so well (and the fact that I've got a horrible feeling that the short slave-ship scene may well be the show's version of the Haiti interlude, which saddens me, effective as the point it made was.) However for the most part, I think this show is a brilliant take on the novel, and I'm glad it isn't afraid to add it's own flavour to the thing.