The season 1 finale of Netflix's Ragnarok series brings the conflict between Magne (David Stakston) and the Jutuls to a head in a dramatic final battle, but a sudden cliffhanger ending prevents the season from providing much closure for its biggest storylines.
The Norwegian fantasy teen drama Ragnarok tells the story of Magne, an awkward high school student who is given the powers of the Norse god, Thor. After investigating the mysterious death of his friend Isolde (Ylva Bjørkaas Thedin), Magne quickly finds himself thrust into a struggle with the Jutuls, a family of immortal beings called the Giants who have been enemies of Thor and the Gods since ancient times. Magne discovers that two of his classmates, his high school principal, and her husband are destroying the environment and covering it up.
Magne has spent the bulk of Ragnarok's six-episode first season trying to understand his new abilities, searching for answers regarding Isolde's death, and getting help from others as he seeks to expose the Jutuls. Unfortunately, hardly any of the characters in Ragnarok truly believe him, and Magne has found himself without any real allies in his plan to defeat the Jutuls. After discovering Magne's true nature, the Jutuls wanted to kill him, but after seeing the futility of his efforts, resigned themselves to doing nothing, believing that the system would take care of Magne. In the season finale, Magne finally gets the evidence he needs and turns the tables on the Jutuls. Here's what happened in Netflix's Ragnarok's ending, and what it could mean for the show going forward.
How Magne Defeats Vidar (& Is He Really Dead?)
In Netflix's Ragnarok episode 5, Magne discovered barrels of chemical waste in the secret tunnel concealed by the glacier. This would be enough to take down the Jutuls, but Vidar (Gísli Örn Garðarsson) hides them away in the beginning of the season finale, which gets Magne into trouble when he tries - and fails - to expose Vidar to the police. As a result, Magne is kicked out of school and forced to see a psychiatrist.
Later in the episode, Magne gets unexpected help from Fjor (Herman Tømmeraas) and is able to prove he was right about the barrels. In retaliation, Vidar confronts Magne, and a fight ensues. Vidar is too strong for Magne, who despite his enhanced strength, can't seem to hurt Vidar through brute force. Vidar beats Magne again and again, until he taunts Magne by mentioning the name of Isole, the girl Vidar murdered. Magne gets angry and calls on a blast of lighting that knocks them both to the ground. In the final shot, Magne's hand twitches, which confirms that he survived the fight. Vidar, on the other hand, lies on the ground motionless. There's a strong chance that Vidar is indeed dead, but Netflix's Ragnarok ends so abruptly that his fate remains a mystery.
Fjor Switches Sides (Twice) In The Ragnarok Season 1 Finale
Fjor (Herman Tømmeraas), the "son" of the Jutul family, is one of the four villains in Ragnarok, but over the course of the season, he's fallen in love with Gry (Emma Bones) and has often been the one character who has been opposed to violence against Magne. Fjor, who has adjusted to modern life, is the one who came up with the idea that they didn't need to kill Magne to get rid of him. Fjor's romantic relationship ended up causing him trouble with the Jutuls, who had agreed to cut ties with the humans. As Fjor became aliened from his family, he eventually decided to become a good person and provide Magne with the evidence needed to take down the Jutuls. He tells Magne the location of the barrels that were hidden in the glacier.
Toward the end of the episode, Fjor is told that he must kill Gry in order to prove himself. He gives in to the demands of his fellow Giants and attempts to follow through on this, but before he can succeed, he's defeated by Magne. Gry saw his eyes transform, and seemed to believe that this meant that Fjor wasn't acting of his own free will, as indicated by her remark about Fjor being back to his old self again after the fight. This could mean that in Ragnarok season 2 on Netflix, Fjor won't be held accountable by Gry for what he tried to do to her. How Magne will feel about it, though, may be a different story.
Magne Has Only Defeated One of The Giants In Ragnarok
As previously stated, there are four Giants that Magne had to contend with in Netflix's Ragnarok season 1, and his biggest threat was of course their leader, Vidar. But even if Vidar is dead, that doesn't mean the Jutuls are out of the way. Gry stopped Magne from killing Fjor, and both Ran (Synnøve Macody Lund) and Saxa (Theresa Frostad Eggesbø) were at the Constitution Day ceremony during the big fight between Magne and Vidar. What does their survival mean for Ragnarok season 2? They could try to get revenge against Magne or scatter for the purpose of self-preservation. Until Vidar's death is confirmed, it's hard to say how any of the three characters will react to what happened, or if they'll try to regroup and come up with a different plan to defeat Magne. Ran, who seemed to be more practical and less aggressive than Vidar, could serve as their new de-facto leader.
Who Is The Old Woman Who Gave Magne His Powers?
In the Ragnarok series premiere, an old woman named Wenche (Eli Anne Linnestad) who works at a local grocery store touches Magne and gives him the power of Thor. Why she chose him wasn't clear, but it did happen after Magne performed a minor act of kindness by helping an old man, so it could be that she found him worthy. On the other hand, there's the fact that she told Magne later that he always had the power within him, as if he was always supposed to become Thor. Either way, who is she and what does she want? She may be some sort of benevolent figure connected in some way with the ancient Norse gods. At the end of the episode, it look as though Wenche is capable of transforming into a large bird. Wenche could possess mystical powers, and may even be the Seeress mentioned in the intro of every episode who gave prophetic warnings to the Gods.
What Magne Using His Thor Powers Could Mean For Season 2
Throughout season 1, Ragnarok has toyed with the idea of Magne being Thor from the old legends, with only brief displays of his potential. Magne created lightning when he threw the hammer in the premiere, but doesn't repeat this spectacle. He practices using his strength and speed in other episodes, but doesn't get much use out of them in the series, and his ability to call lightning - Thor's most noteworthy power - is ignored in most episodes. Magne finally unleashing it on an enemy in the finale could mean that Magne has figured out how to control this power. If this is the case, he may embrace his destiny and use his Thor powers more regularly in Ragnarok season 2 on Netflix, which could turn him into a force to be reckoned with.