Netflix released its newest supernatural series Ragnarok today, and if you are like most people, the first thing that came to mind was the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Thor: Ragnarok.
That is because Ragnarok is the Norse end of days (The Norse version of the Book of Revelations in the Bible), and both the legend of Thor and the tale in this new Netflix series is based on that lore.
Here is what you need to know about Netflix’s Ragnarok.
There are Ragnarok spoilers below.
Is Thor in Ragnarok?
Long story short — yes, Thor is in Ragnarok. However, he is like nothing you have seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ragnarok is a teen drama with supernatural overtones, and honestly, it is very similar in style to Twilight at times.
Magne (David Stakston) and his younger brother Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli) move to Edda, the town where they were born, because their mom got a job working for Jutul Industries.
While they are there, an older woman walked by Magne, passed her hand by his face, and suddenly, the boy has powers. He is super strong and can tell when weather changes are coming.
He also throws a hammer so far, there is no getting it back.
Yep, Magne is Ragnarok’s version of Thor. Which makes Lauris this show’s version of Loki. Also running around the town of Edda are several other old gods.
What is Netflix’s Ragnarok about?
As for Jutul, that word is almost the Scandinavian word for Giant, and as anyone who knows their Norse mythology, or watched one of the first two Thor movies know, the Giants were the main villains to the Asgardians.
So, that is the setup.
A kid moves to Edda, learns he is basically the reincarnation of Thor and has to beat the Giants that want to destroy the world through … wait for it … climate change.
And his mom works for them, so he is in a tough spot.
It’s a good thing that the Jutuls (the people who own the company) are over-the-top villains. One of them even stripped naked, raced to the top of a mountain, and ate the heart of a caribou.
There is also a scene where a kid named Fjor and his sister took over the DJ booth at the school dance and the kids watched as the two’s eyes turned yellow and they danced in slow motion to a hard rock song. It would have felt goofy in the 80s.
But that is the charm. Ragnarok knows what it is. It is the story of Thor and the battle with the Giants, seen through the eyes of the Twilight crowd.
This is the definition of a guilty pleasure.
Ragnarok is currently streaming its six-episode first season on Netflix.