On January 31st, 2020, Netflix released a new Norwegian-language series called Ragnarok. The story follows the small Norwegian town of Edda as the population continues to refuses to acknowledge the pollution of their beloved fjord. After the death of his only friend, teenager and main character, Magne, begins on his hero journey to take down the man he thinks is responsible. The main twist is the Norse mythology weaved into the plot. Not only is the bad guy a business tycoon, but secretly a giant that fought the gods in the original Ragnarok. Magne is the embodiment of the god Thor.

Currently there are quite a few mixed reviews about the show. Critics berate the show for not having enough depth and being overly predictable but audiences love it for that reason. It has been frequently called out for having a similar mindless viewing pleasure of Twilight. I personally liked the show besides their blatant use of the “bury your gays” trope that will be discussed in next week’s article. It was easy to follow, incorporated some fun mythology, and had a new twist on myth meets real work. I also had a good time learning how to pronounce all the names; there is something so satisfying about saying the name Isolde. I don’t see anyone banging down doors for the next season but I sure would enjoy seeing there the series is taken, especially with the fan theories I’ve already read about. The possibility of Magne’s younger brother, Laurits, being the embodiment of Loki does something different to my heart.

I personally wanted to know how others take the controversy of deeper meaning verse entertaining story telling. While talking to a ERHS student that would like to remain anonymous, she said that “yeah I would (watch the show) because it looks interesting”. She did however say that “it (less depth) makes it (the show) more mediocre”. Alysa Link, another ERHS student, said that she “think(s) that shows should complete purpose but if there was supposed to be more depth it should have that”. Overall she said that “it (the show) should just be fun and complete its purpose of being a tv show”.

Even with the critics not appreciating the easy nature of the show, I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun plot and a nice twist on the usual mythological themed shows.