Ragnarok (TV series)

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Ragnarok
RagnarokArt.jpg
Promotional poster
Genre
Created byAdam Price
Written by
  • Adam Price
  • Simen Alsvik
  • Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten
  • Christian Gamst Miller-Harris
  • Jacob Katz Hansen
Directed by
  • Mogens Hagedorn
  • Jannik Johansen
  • Mads Kamp Thulstrup
Starring
ComposerHalfdan E
Country of originDenmark, Norway
Original languageNorwegian
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
  • Adam Price
  • Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen
ProducerStine Meldgaard Madsen
Production locationNorway
Production companySAM Productions
DistributorNetflix Streaming Services
Release
Original networkNetflix
Audio formatDolby Atmos
Original release31 January 2020 (2020-01-31) – present
External links
Website

Ragnarok is a Norwegian fantasy drama streaming television series reimagining of Norse mythology[1] from Netflix. It takes place in current day, in the fictional Norwegian town of Edda in Hordaland, Western Norway,[2] which is plagued by climate change and the industrial pollution caused by the factories owned by the local Jutul family. The Jutuls are actually four Jötner posing as a family.[2] They are challenged by Magne, a teenage boy who is surprised to learn that he is the reincarnation of Thor and begins the fight against those who are destroying the planet. In the second season, he is joined by more people who embody other gods.

The series premiered in January 2020, with a second season released in May 2021. It is Netflix's third Norwegian-language TV series, following Home for Christmas and Lilyhammer. The series is produced by the Danish production company SAM Productions.

Cast[]

Main[]

  • David Stakston as Magne Seier, the reincarnation of the thunder-god Thor.
  • Jonas Strand Gravli as Laurits Seier, Magne's half-brother. He is the reincarnation and reimaging of the mischief-god Loki.
  • Herman Tømmeraas as Fjor, the high-school-age "son" in the Jutul family of Jötnar from Norse mythology.
  • Theresa Frostad Eggesbø as Saxa, the high-school-aged "daughter" in the Jutul family.
  • Emma Bones as Gry, Magne's and Fjor's love interest.
  • Henriette Steenstrup as Turid Seier, Magne's and Laurits' mother.
  • Synnøve Macody Lund as Ran, principal of the high school and "mother" in the Jutul family.
  • Gísli Örn Garðarsson as Vidar, local tycoon and "father" in the Jutul family.

Supporting[]

  • Ylva Bjørkås Thedin as Isolde Eidsvoll, Magne's green activist friend.
  • Odd-Magnus Williamson as Erik Eidsvoll, Isolde's father and a teacher at the high school.
  • Bjørn Sundquist as Wotan Wagner, the reincarnation of the god Odin.
  • Eli Anne Linnestad as Wenche. Her real identity is Völva. She awakens Magne's and Iman's powers.
  • Tani Dibasey as Oscar Bjørnholt
  • Iselin Shumba Skjævesland as Oscar's mother, Yngvild Bjørnholt, a local police officer
  • Danu Sunth as Iman Reza, the reincarnation of the goddess Freyja, who can manipulate minds.
  • Billie Barker as Signy, Magne's new love interest.
  • Benjamin Helstad as Harry, the reincarnation of the god Týr.
  • Espen Sigurdsen as Halvor Lange

Episodes[]

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1631 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
2627 May 2021 (2021-05-27)

Season 1 (2020)[]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"New Boy"Mogens HagedornAdam Price31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
Teenage Magne, his mother, and his younger brother Laurits return to the Norwegian town of Edda. Their father died in Edda under mysterious circumstances when they were children, and the family moved away. As they drive into Edda, their car gets stuck behind an old man in an electric wheelchair, who comes to a halt trying to turn right. Magne gets out of the car to help and is approached by the old man's wife. She tells Magne he is a good boy, looks up at him intensely and touches his forehead. A change flickers through his eyes. The brothers begin attending the local high school, and awkward Magne becomes friends with green advocate Isolde, who blames local pollution on the Jutul family. He and Isolde hike up to the glacier she has been monitoring. The audience sees Vidar park on the mountain, strip, stalk a reindeer, tear out its heart and eat it. An aborted mobile call from his mother sends Magne running swiftly down the mountain. He watches, horrified, as Isolde paraglides into power lines. She is dead. That night, a distraught Magne hurls his mother's sledgehammer into a thunderstorm. It disappears into the clouds with a flash of lightning.
22"541 Meters"Mogens HagedornSimen Alsvik31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
The hammer flew more than 1500 metres and landed in Vidar's windshield. Magne's mother recognizes it. Furious, she blames Magne. The school mourns Isolde's death. Magne suspects it was not an accident. The police report that Isolde was struck by lightning before hitting the power lines, but he learns that the lightning came an hour before. In the supermarket, Wenche tells Turid, “The hero's journey has begun.” Magne buys a new sledgehammer and throws it 541 metres. The world record is 86. Laurits scoffs when Magne tells him he threw a hammer 1.5 kilometres and asks him to get ready for the upcoming dance. Laurits decides to wear one of their mother's stylish old shirts to the dance. Vidar and his wife discuss humans' flaws, and he admits that he killed Isolde. He searches for her mobile phone, which has incriminating photos of illegal waste disposal by Jutul Industries. Magne shares a moment of grief with Isolde's father. Strange things happen at the highschool dance. Fjor puts on rock music in the Old Language and the music seems to affect the Jutuls. Ran is sexually aroused while Fjor and Saxa engage in a strange dance and are surprisingly joined by Laurits. Laurits and Oscar hang out with Fjor, whose desecration of Isolde's memorial Oscar briefly posts on Instagram. Vidar greets Fjor at home: “They once worshipped us…We're still in charge…you were pissing on me…” He beats Fjor, brutally. Gry, who is staying overnight with Saxa, sees it. The Seiers return from Isolde's funeral to find their home ransacked.
33"Jutulheim"Mogens HagedornMarietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
A junkie who stole Laurits' headphones from the ransacked house on being confronted by the Seier brothers, informs them that the house was already ransacked when he got there and tells them that Vidar's car was at the scene. Magne shares his frustration with the police and his suspicions of Vidar with the school counselor, who tells Ran. She delivers the bad news to Vidar. Eidsvoll gives Isolde's computer to Magne. Fjor, Gry, Saxa and Laurits go for a drive. A bird hits the windshield. Fjor and Saxa get out. It is still alive: Saxa eats it. When Magne confronts officer Bjornholt about the inconsistencies surrounding Isolde's death, she challenges his own story: In half an hour, he traveled a distance that takes 90 minutes and tells him it's best not to question some things. Later, he runs and times himself: 100 metres in 7 seconds, 2.5 seconds faster than the world record. Vidar kills the addict and sees Magne being run over by a snowplow. He tells the Jutuls that Magne is dead and informs his "family" they must not engage in anymore intimate relationships with humans. It is not safe. At school, Saxa is stunned to see Magne, unharmed. The Jutuls invite Magne and Laurits to dinner. Alcohol has no effect on Magne until they give him mead. Arm-wrestling Ran, he sees her shocking true form and loses. His own reflection In the bathroom mirror shows a bearded, bloody warrior.
44"Ginnungagap"Jannik JohansenChristian Gamst Miller-Harris31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
Magne continues Isolde's work in investigating the Jutuls and their role in Edda's water pollution problem while learning more about his abilities and evading the increasingly suspicious Jutuls. Magne's mother bonds with Isolde's father, Erik. Magne and the Jutuls' son, Fjor, are both romantically interested in Gry, who seems to care about both of them. On a school trip up the mountains Magne confesses his love for Gry but she chooses to go off with Fjor. After seeing Vidar cutting up raw reindeer meat, Magne realizes that it matches the same blood from Isolde's jacket at the time of her death. Magne then deduces that Vidar was behind Isolde's death all along, and warns him that he will not get away with it. After Magne follows Fjor and Gry, Vidar sends Trym, the hellhound, to kill him. However, Trym proves to be no match for Magne. Gry notices that something is wrong with the Jutul family, including century-old photos and even older artwork showing the Jutuls physically unchanged from the present.
55"Atomic Number 48"Jannik JohansenChristian Gamst Miller-Harris31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
Magne is punished for killing Trym, and when he proposes to submit an assignment critical of Jutul Industries is forced to return Isolde's laptop to Erik, who had given it to him. To make amends Erik gives Magne Isolde's mobile phone, which he found high on the mountain. Magne succeeds in unlocking it and finds the incriminating photos. He goes up the mountain and discovers 2,500 barrels in a cave belonging to Jutul Industries leaking toxic waste. Magne reports the existence of the barrel store to the police but when they go to find them the toxic barrels are missing, as the police had pre-notified the Jutuls of the visit. Magne is not taken seriously by the police and the school authorities and he is suspended from the school, subject to psychological evaluation. Gry continues her relationship with Fjor even though she finds him odd and his family pressure him to break the relationship off.
66"Yes, We Love This Country"Jannik JohansenJacob Katz Hansen31 January 2020 (2020-01-31)
Magne is incorrectly diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic by the psychiatrist and is prescribed anti-psychotic drugs, which he refuses to take. Turid seems to consider Magne to be completely unfairly against the Jutuls too, and Laurits asks her to be a better mother. Fjor still displays feelings for Gry and tries to help her family with money. He also informs Magne that he was correct about the toxic barrels from Jutul Industries, and reveals that they are going to be shipped away from Edda. The Jutuls tell Fjor to kill Gry; Saxa threatens to kill Gry herself if he does not. On Constitution day, Magne leaves some toxic barrels on the police station steps and they begin an investigation despite Vidar's attempts to intimidate the police chief. Magne leaves the Consitution Day Ceremony and follows as Fjor takes Gry to an abandoned warehouse. He starts to attack her, but Magne intervenes and saves her life. Vidar appears, identifies Magne as Thor and attacks him. Before the battle, Magne warns Fjor and Gry to run. Magne is almost overcome by Vidar but he calls up lightning and, directing a bolt from the sky, uses it to strike Vidar. Magne is hurt by the lightning as well, but it appears that he survived the strike. On the other hand, at the Constitution day ceremony, Laurits dresses up as their headmistress Ran and gives a pretentious speech in front of the whole town, sarcastically pointing out how despite there being a democracy, no real choice actually existed for the common people and that the Jutuls were exploiting all of them and that due to their position, would be the last to go down in the Climate crisis.

Season 2 (2021)[]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [3]
71"Brothers in Arms"Mogens HagedornAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
The second season picks up right where first season left off, with Magne calling up the lighting bolt from the sky to strike Vidar which ended up hurting him as well though nobody gets killed. Wenche was there watching them fight and then flew away turning into an eagle. Magne runs up to the mountains seeking for answers from Wenche, she takes him into a different realm where Magne finds out that he has to wait for the battle and gather up with the others and he is not alone, the Jutuls on the other hand are on a war council worrying about Magne's growing powers. Fjor decides to leave his family and live with Gry disappointing Vidar. Magne tells Laurits that he thinks he might be a reincarnation of Thor to which Laurits responds by asking him if he was high. Magne briefly explains to him about the Jutuls and the upcoming war between the Gods and Giants and asks him to be on his side in the great battle but Laurits still finds hard to believe Magne. Jutul industries are on the verge of answering many questions on the pollution of Edda, Saxa has started taking over the business. Magne finds his first ally Iman to fight the giants, who is the embodiment of Freya. She has powers of mental manipulation, as the two of them find out in the party hosted by Laurits at the Seier house. Laurtis feels down when his crush Jens does not show up and confesses to his mother that he feels like an outsider because he has no similarities with his and Magne's father Asbjorn, and because of his sexuality. Turid finally tells Laurits that 17 years ago she had had an affair with Vidar and that the man was in fact, Laurits' biological father. Magne and Iman ask Harry to help with making Mjölnir and Iman convinces him with her powers. On returning home Magne finds Laurits and Vidar hugging and finds it extremely hard to accept that his little brother is also the son of the Jutul patriarch who tried to kill him.
82"What Happened to the Nice, Old Lady?"Mogens HagedornAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
In an attempt to sway Laurits to his side, Vidar takes Laurits on a trip up the Mountain to spend time bonding with him. He attempts to get Laurits to spy on Magne but Laurits immediately sees through him and refuses, but Vidar is regardless, not very upset and actually seems to enjoy spending time with Laurits. Magne and Laurits have an argument as Magne tries to tell Laurits that he can't get close to Vidar and Laurits accuses him of being jealous of Laurits having a father now. The hammer made by Harry does not work since it wasn't properly forged. Later Vidar takes Laurits to Jutulheim. There, Vidar offers the mead of the Old World to Laurits. After drinking, Vidar performs a ritual which makes Laurits one of the giants. Laurits stands in front of the mirror in their bathroom and sees a dark haired shadowed figure with a tattoo and laden with accessories who blows him a kiss and he realises he is the embodiment of Loki and believes what Magne was saying. Laurits tells Magne that even if Vidar is his father, they are still brothers and informs him that Ran plans to kill Wenche because the Jutuls discovered that she was helping Magne. Magne rushes to her but is too late to save Wenche.
93"Power to the People"Mogens HagedornAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
Before dying, Wenche leaves her magical necklace to the one eyed old man in the scooter cum wheelchair, which later summons the spirit of Odin who now takes Wenche's place in the battle. Laurits manipulates Vidar into giving him a key of Jutulheim. Later at night, Magne and Laurits sneak into the Jutulheim to forge Mjölnir in what they mistakenly think is the eternal flame, in the living room. They are caught by Vidar, and Laurits is labelled as traitor. Later Ran, who had already hated Laurits since he was a bastard, convinces Vidar to kill him for being a traitor. Magne, Laurits, and Iman meet Wotan (Odin). Wotan doesn't let Laurits be a part of their group as he is a giant and he tells the boy that even if it's not his fault, being a traitor is in his nature. Upset and angry, Laurits steals Wotan's blood, and injects it in himself making him a half god and a half giant. There is a protest against the Jutul industries in which many students from Edda Secondrary highschool take part in. As Vidar's car is being blocked by the people. Laurits begs Vidar to let him come with him after being rejected by Wotan(Odin) desppite trying to help the Gods. Vidar agrees. In Jutulheim, Vidar tells Laurits he is invulnerable to all weapons excluding the Old World's. He takes an axe with the intention of killing Laurits, but Laurits who had actually began to care for Vidar, in denial that his father would actually try to kill him, freezes. Magne who had followed Laurits sees Vidar raising the axe steps in, and a fight ensues between the two of them, ending with him killing Vidar to save his own and Laurits' lives.
104"God Is God, Though All Men Death Had Tasted"Mogens HagedornAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
Magne regrets killing Vidar, horrified that not only had he killed someone but that it was his brother Laurits' biological father and is afraid of losing his brother. Ran seems to develop human emotions and Saxa remains focused on their goal. The Jutul industries statutes say that it must be the eldest son who takes over the business but Saxa becomes the one incharge and on the other hand Fjor lets his human feelings for Gry bind him to her. Laurits is angry and upset with Magne, still refusing to believe that Vidar would actually kill him. Magne is devastated by both the fact that he had killed someone and that Laurits seemed to hate him now and decides that he cannot kill anyone else, which according to Wotan(Odin) is not an option so he leaves the hammer to Wotan. Laurits finds out that he has a tapeworm inside his stomach causing him to eat a lot. Gry tells Fjor that she and her mom are leaving the town and Fjor decides to come with her leaving Edda and not even attending Vidar's funeral. Iman tries to talk Magne out of giving up his powers but Magne doesn't change his mind disappointing Iman. He also tells her that no one should dare to hurt Laurits because he is a giant. Iman finds her new ally Harry, replacing Magne. Laurits condition starts to get even more severe and he gets rushed to the hospital, Laurits gives birth to Jörmungandr — the midgard serpent, which was treated as a tapeworm. He decides to take it home without telling anyone. Saxa tries to change Fjor's mind about leaving but Fjor doesn't seem to agree with her, which means Saxa gets total control over the Jutul industries. Magne couldn't take that his own brother hates him due to what he is and what he did so to make this right he runs up to the mountains the scream at the top of his voice to the heavens requesting to take his powers his desperation gets so far that he even sits in the church and pray to the god he doesn't even believe in, for his powers to be taken due to huge regret of killing his brother's blood father in Vidar's funeral, and loses his powers. Fjor changes his mind about leaving the town with Gry and comes to the funeral and decides to avenge Vidar's death and finish what he started, Gry leaves the town and Fjor claims Vidar's ancient axe.
115"Know Yourself"Mads Kamp ThulstrupAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
On finding out that his prayers worked and he lost his powers, Magne was relieved. Fjor takes back the Jutul industries leaving Saxa out. Magne goes to see how the planning for the fight is going on, but he wasn't welcome anymore as Iman had Harry in his place. Wotan tells him that everything that made him special had been taken away from him and thus he could not be a part of it anymore. Magne tries to stop thinking about it but he couldn't ignore the fact the his team were using their powers selfishly, for their own benefit. Laurits goes back to Jutulheim and is found by Ran who demands back his key. When he asks her if he could keep something to remember Vidar by, she cruelly tells him that Vidar had, in the end agreed to kill him, and Laurits is hurt and horrified.Turid finds out about Laurits keeping the world serpent which she doesn't know anything about and thinks is jut a disgusting pet, in his room and confronts Laurits immediately about it, but he convinces her to let him keep it for the moment. Magne apologises to Laurits once more and tells him that he thought Vidar wanted to hurt him, and he doesn't just want to be the man who killed Laurits' father, but his brother. He also tells him that he gave up his powers after the incident. Laurits forgives him and they hug. Fjor fires Turid because of Magne. Magne gets furious and tried to confront him about the unfairness of him firing his mother for something he did, but he didn't have any powers anymore leading to Fjor knocking him down easily. Magne again tries to talk to Wotan and asks him if there's a way to do this without killing anyone but apparently, there is no other way which really frustrates him since he doesn't want to kill anyone or jeopardise his relationship with his brother again. After Fjor is back and is taking over everything Saxa did, Ran still takes Fjor's side leaving out Saxa, Saxa decides to vote Fjor out with Laurit's help as he is also a member of the Jutuls, Saxa offers Laurits the Key of Jutulheim and a lot of money if he helps her to get what she wants. Fjor and Ran don't like the look of this so Ran drives Laurits home and warns him to stay out of it and tells him all he ever will be to her is a bastard.. Laurits mocks her saying that even as a bastard he had an actual relation to Vidar, while the rest of their family wasn't really a family at all. Ran attacks him and Magne steps in trying to help his brother but without his powers he can't do anything, that's when Magne realises he cannot give up his responsibility simply because he wants to, and he decides to do whatever it takes to win the battle and goes back to Wotan to actually seek for his powers back and accepts that he would do whatever is necessary, Wotan tells him that his greatest weapon, Mjölnir, the only way by which he can stand a chance against the Giants. Magne decides to lie to Laurits for the sake of the world to get the key of Jutulheim which Saxa gave him.
126"All You Need Is Love"Mads Kamp ThulstrupAdam Price & Emilie Lebech Kaae27 May 2021 (2021-05-27)
Magne, Wotan, Iman and Harry, accompanied by Halvor, set out to Jutul Industries. Magne pretends to want to hang a protest banner outside Jutul Industries to impress Signy, to make Laurits give him the key to unlock the old warehouse where the ancient forge was located. Wotan distracts the guards while the others sneak into the warehouse. The guards inform Fjor and he sets out to the old warehouse. In the Warehouse, Iman keeps guard while Magne and Harry, along with Halvor manage to locate the ancient forge and start crafting Mjölnir. Meanwhile, Iman and Harry engage in a fight with Fjor who overpowers them and severely injures Harry. They manage to craft Mjölnir and Magne manages to escape while the others get caught. As a result, Iman and Halvor are fired from the hospital. Magne tries throwing the hammer, but his powers don't return. At Jutulheim, Fjor is pissed that tax authorities have an upper hand. Saxa suggests to appeal emotionally rather than rationally. Magne notices the pet in Laurits' room. Fjor organises a press conference and says that they will be moving their production abroad to Asia, where the governments were more accommodating. The Norway government on realising that many people will lose their jobs if this happens intervenes and allows them to continue their production in Edda. Turid gets a new job at the supermarket. As storms rage in the skies again, the news of the Jutuls' victory enrages Magne, who discovers that it was lightning that created Thor. As he takes his hammer, he is confronted by Laurits, who realizes that Magne lied to him. Magne leaves anyway and awakens the hammer, causing his powers to return. At Jutulheim, Fjor and Ran find out that Saxa gave the key to Laurits and they punished her, before leaving to kill Laurits. Turid goes on a date with Erik. Magne goes to Jutulheim to face Fjor, only to find an injured Saxa there. Saxa offers to help Magne, and they end up having intimate intercourse. Elsewhere, Fjor is about to kill Laurits when he says that he possesses the only thing that can kill Magne. As he and Ran are about to leave, Magne appears in front of them and attacks them with Mjölnir, but they escape. As the episode ends, Laurits releases Jörmungandr in the water as Ran and Fjor watch by the shore.

Reception[]

The series holds a rating of 7.5 on IMDb. Wired said Ragnarok was "angsty, eccentric" "climate change fiction" and compared it to Twilight.[4] The A.V. Club also compared it to Twilight.[5]

The series was not well received by some Norwegian media. VG called it nonsensical, said that the characters, plots, and dialogue were a failure, and noted that even though it was in Norwegian that it felt more like a Danish series.[2] Despite being set in Western Norway, the characters do not speak in western dialect.[2] Dagbladet called it a stilted mixture of Skam and Norse mythology, "just as bad as it sounds".[1] Filmdagbok made a point of it being superficial and politcally boring.[6]

Glowing reviews were also posted, including a Rotten Tomatoes viewer score of 81%, and IGN's K. Campbell praising Ragnarok as "compelling" and citing "the strength of its central concept, which depicts the end of the world as a slow creep..."

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Thorvik, Hannah Bull (28 January 2020). "Like dårlig som det høres ut". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Nilsen, Morten Ståle. "Ragnarok: Norrønt nonsens". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Ragnarok – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  4. ^ Grey Ellis, Emma (31 January 2020). "Climate Change Is Netflix's Ragnarok". Wired.
  5. ^ McLevy, Alex (30 January 2020). "Netflix's Ragnarok doesn't give Marvel anything to worry about". The A.V. Club.
  6. ^ Ness, Asbjørn (1 February 2020). "Ragnarok". Filmdagbok. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.

External links[]

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