Ragnarok Season 1 (2020)

A boy who transfers to the small Norwegian town of Edda comes to realize he is the reincarnation of Thor. Ragnarok is a Netflix Norwegian original drama that transplants Norse mythology into a contemporary setting. Released in January 2020, Season 1 consists of six episodes. The series concluded in three seasons total and is a Netflix Norwegian original produced in Norwegian — a distinctive work combining the quiet, cool atmosphere characteristic of Scandinavian drama with a mythological world-building.

What it’s about — A transfer student awakened as Thor

Magne (David Stakston) is a teenager who has just moved to the town of Edda. The Jutul family, who dominate the town, own its largest corporation and act with indifference toward the town’s environmental contamination problems. Magne gradually discovers that he possesses special abilities, and uncovers that the town’s secrets and the true nature of the Jutul family are connected to Norse mythology. His half-brother Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli) carries the fragment of a different god within him.

Direction — A mythic mood made by the fjords

The Norwegian natural environment is the key element that creates both the setting and the atmosphere. Deep dark fjords, snow-covered mountain ranges, and the small town nestled among them all work to dissolve the boundary between mythological antiquity and modernity. The direction maintains the modest scale of a coming-of-age drama while naturally inserting mythological elements within it. Rather than special visual effects, mood and music carry the story.

Performance & characters — The awakening of an awkward boy

David Stakston’s Magne begins as an ordinary and awkward boy, but convincingly portrays the process of finding his own identity as the season progresses. Jonas Strand Gravli’s Laurits has opposing tendencies to Magne, and the contrast between the two brothers generates the drama’s tension. The actors playing the Jutul family also handle an interesting dual role — simultaneously expressing both modern corporate figures and Norse mythological giants.

What the work says — An environmental crisis drawn in myth

Ragnarok Season 1 expresses the real-world threat of environmental destruction through the language of mythology. The Jutul family’s environmental contamination through their corporation directly overlaps with the Norse mythological motif of the giants destroying the world. The story of a young protagonist discovering his own potential before an enormous power resonates with the narrative of the climate crisis generation. The structure in which townspeople are subjugated to the Jutul family for economic reasons even while knowing about the contamination also reflects the reality in which practical action on climate issues is difficult.

Ratings & reception

IMDb score is 7.3. The six-episode structure is short, but the show attracted consistent interest among Netflix non-English drama fans with its quiet Nordic tension and distinctive world-building premise. It achieved high viewership particularly in Norway, leading to production of Season 2 and Season 3, completing the series in three seasons.

What doesn’t quite work

In six episodes it is genuinely difficult to develop the world-building sufficiently. Season 1 is close to an introduction for the whole series — many questions are deferred to Season 2. Without background knowledge of Norse mythology, some of the symbolism and character relationships may be hard to parse.

Verdict

Ragnarok Season 1 is a small but original drama. The freshness of the idea connecting Norse mythology to contemporary environmental issues, and the distinctive atmosphere created by the Norwegian natural environment, are impressive. Watching Season 2 immediately after gives a more complete experience. The construction of six short episodes — setting the world-building, introducing the characters, and driving toward a first confrontation — is dense and well-paced. The way the grandeur of the Scandinavian location naturally dissolves the boundary between myth and reality is worth paying attention to. Rating: ★4.0.

Recommended for

• People looking for a drama that reinterprets Norse mythology in a contemporary setting
• Those who want to experience the distinctive atmosphere of Scandinavian drama
• Viewers who enjoy non-English Netflix original series