Ragnarok season 2 review: Bigger and better than the first instalment

If you love content revolving around Norse mythology, then Ragnarok is the show for you. After an exhilarating end to season 1, which saw Magne and Vidar both passed out after a strenuous battle, Ragnarok is back for its second season on Netflix. In this season, the story is less about teenage romances or the struggles of being a newbie in town. The sophomore season focuses wholeheartedly on the retelling of the legend of Ragnarok.

The series is set in the beautiful Norwegian countryside in an imaginary town called Edda. It is a magnificent retelling of the myth of Ragnarok that has been inspiring popular culture for many years now. What makes this show stand out is the utter ease with which it sets the precedent in the modern-day lives of people. This is one of many reasons that the show has jumped to the top of Netflix’s TV shows chart a day after the release of its second season on May 27 in the US and reached second place in the UK. It is also in Netflix’s Top 10 in India.

If you enjoyed the first season in all its entirety with its magnificent Scandanavian landscape and the clever retelling of the mythological characters finding their place in current day Edda, you will be blown away with the second season. Made by Danish author Adam Price, known for his hit political drama Borgen, Ragnarok is an incredible show that retells the narratives from Norse folklore. Thor and Loki are here rethought as youngsters while the giants are the richest and the most powerful family in town.

The main plot of Ragnarok shows siblings Magne (David Stakston) and Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli) as they move back with their mom Turid (Henriette Steenstrup) to their old neighborhood of Edda. At the beginning of the show, Magne was shown as bashful and uncouth while Laurits was busy making friends and being popular at school. Magne’s clumsiness, however, died down once he found out that he might be the Norse lord of Thunder, Thor. Season 1 zeroed in on Magne's development as he dealt with the ramifications that being Thor involved — specifically that he would battle the Giants, the old Gods. In this Norwegian town, the Giants are hiding in plain sight, as The Jutuls.

Season 1 finished with a cliffhanger when we saw Magne fight Vidar Jutul (Gísli Örn Garðarsson). Season 2 starts right at this battle and sets the mood for the rest of the season. The story now zeroes in on the looming battle between the Gods and the Giants, with less focus on ‘mortal’ trivialities such as love and high school romances. The background of environmental activism, that characterized the first season, exists in this installment which during Mahabharata’s battle.

This season shows Magne’s plan for the battle, and what this implies. The legend of Ragnarok, the Norse armageddon, looms over Magne as well as the Jutul family. Magne raises moral questions similar to those raised by his Indian counterpart, Arjuna during the battle of Mahabharata. He wonders whether killing the enemy makes him any better than the enemy at all. Magne also fears his relationship with Laurits being in deep water when he discovers his own identity. Quite a bit of this second season centers around the siblings’ relationship as the two of them deal with their new personalities.

What is addictive about Ragnarok is how this show ties Norse folklore to the present day. Even though every one of the heroes knows how the story unfolds, it will be interesting to see the legend is told in a current day scenario.

As we see Magne explore Thor’s story for his school paper, we get to learn about Thor’s hammer. However, this is something the show ought to have investigated further. A deeper dive into history and the significance of the hammer would have been interesting.

By the end of this season, you are left wondering whether Magne, Laurits, and others follow their destiny which has already been written. The season sees new characters, as well as old ones with better arcs. It will be intriguing to see whether, in the coming seasons, the show will steer away from the legend of Ragnarok, or will adhere to it.

With just six episodes for each season, Ragnarok is a simple show but with some clever writing which integrates each Norse myth seamlessly into the plotline. Like the first season, you will be left unsettled by this season’s ending too, but in a good way.