"Ragnarok" (2020-2023) | The Final Season on Netflix: An Ambitious Bet that Relies on Good Storytelling

Ragnarok is a fantasy series created by Adam Price starring David Alexander Sjøholt, Jonas Strand Gravli and Theresa Frostad Eggesbø.

Do you know what happens when a teenager becomes a Norse god? Well, neither do we, and that’s probably why this series is successful. It seeks to answer that otherwise unquestioned question. With its high production value, it offers us a group of teenagers in a Teen Wolf-style setting, however set in Norway, which of course implies that there are elements of Scandinavian mythology.

It’s fun, entertaining, and will grab the imagination of the young audience. (Fans of neorealism, steer clear of this series.)

Synopsis

It takes place in the present-day fictional Norwegian town of Edda in Hordaland, which is plagued by climate change and industrial pollution caused by factories owned by the local Jutul family. The Jutuls are actually four Jötnar (supernatural beings) posing as a family. They are challenged by Magne, a teenage boy who is surprised to learn that he is the reincarnation of Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

About “Ragnarok”

This series is of high quality, meticulously crafted, and everything technical works as it should. However, unfortunately or not, it is created for a very specific audience.

It is a fantastical story, which of course allows for a wide creative license, and they do not hold back in making use of it here. They young heroes are the driving force and the ones propelling the action. The action revolves around making serious decisions, like saving the universe while dealing with all their teenage conundrums.

It has a touch of Twilight style (let’s not deny it) and wants to be a bit like Marvel (which is evident). It navigates this entertaining hybrid through the breathtaking beauty of Norway (which, by chance or not, also reminds us a bit of Twilight and its beautiful forests). Whether vampires, gods, or superheroes, it’s an amusing series with high ambitions, and rather good storytelling.

An rather good coming-of-age series that relies on a good story, and storytelling, however fantastical it may be, and despite not being a Marvel production is ambitious, upping its chances of being a success among young audiences.

Our Opinion

“Ragnarok” is an ambitious project, that might not count on the “vast” resources Marvel does, but this one does have a good storyline, and an intelligent approach to telling it, in other words, good storytelling. Designed for the younger audience – hey, they too deserve a good series – it has a big ensemble of characters, there are many tales to tell. Technically it is acceptable, counting on CGI, and as far as the location, well, it is set in Norway, hence beautiful landscapes and sceneries. On a last note, I could not help but think of Twilight and Teen Wolf…. I wonder why?