God is God
Episode 4 of Ragnarok Season 2 begins with news about Vidar’s death breaking across Edda. Tellingly, Laurits shoots a nasty glance at his brother while hugging his Mother. This is a look of unbridled rage and a sign of things to come. Moland shows up at Vidar’s house, paying his respects to both Saxa and Ran. He also comes with news about Jutur Industries. Given the events in the past few episodes, he believes Saxa will take over the company. Ran is not so sure, telling them they should postpone and speak to Fjor about this first. Well, Magne prods that hornet’s nest, telling Fjor that he’s responsible for killing Vidar. Fjor’s clenched fists are telling, although Fjor brushes this aside and tells Magne to go home. He’s not going to give him the satisfaction of repenting for his actions. Laurits however, is far more open. He outright calls Magne a murderer and admits he’s unable to live with him now. Outside, Magne meets Odin, Iman an the others and reveals what he’s done. The others are nonchalant about this, prompting Magne to hand over the hammer in disgust and walk away from this. Speaking of walking away, Gry and her Mother have been talking and are due to head back to Trondheim. Gry’s Father was the only tie they actually had to Edda and with him now dead, there’s nothing for them there anymore. Well, Fjor makes his decision and decides he’s going to join her. Before that though, Gry convinces him to go to Vidar’s funeral as a way of saying goodbye. At school, Magne is allowed to stay but given a task to write an essay on Norse Mythology, which plays right into his strengths. As he heads outside, he comes face to face with Iman who confronts him and reminds the boy that they’re at war. In war there’s going to be casualties. Well, Iman decides to prove a point and starts boxing at the local gym. It turns out Harry the mechanic is there, and she makes quick work besting him. However, given his never-give-up attitude, Iman seizes an opportunity and brings him to Odin, claiming he could be useful to them. Well, more teen drama ensues as Laurits finds himself disillusioned with his current family. He’s also sporting a rather large tapeworm too, which eventually crescendos in Turid and Magne taking him to see a doctor. It’s the largest they’ve ever seen and it bloats his stomach out completely. Turid is nowhere near as shocked as she should be, and eventually takes Magne home to let her son rest. Laurits meanwhile, quizzes a nurse who tells him the tapeworm is still alive and he wants to see it. However, the scene cuts before we can actually see it for ourselves. That evening, Fjor visits her sister and breaks the news that Magne was the one who killed Laurits. After Fjor’s speech at the factory gates, it’s made things difficult for her. However, Saxa takes the reigns of the company but this announcement is overshadowed by Vidar’s funeral. Laurits sports black hair and an earring, a throwback to the image he saw of himself in the mirror. He’s well on his way to becoming Loki now. Magne turns up fashionably late, making a big entrance and angering Laurits further. In fact, he leaves and sits at the front alongside Ran and Saxa. Listening from the balcony happens to be Fjor, who listens as the vicar mentions how “The father passes the torch to the son.” As a storm suddenly starts brewing outside, Fjor hears whispering about “a true son returning to battle” and it’s enough to 180 his character and join the others in the congregation. As they’re taking the coffin out, all the windows suddenly shatter. Anyway, we then cut forward to after the storm as we see Gry leaving town. Magne arrives to say goodbye, admitting that he’ll miss her when she’s gone. Well, Fjor has second thoughts and decides to stick around instead. He believes his life is with his estranged family, showing his true face and telling Gru to leave without him. Fjor heads up to the top of the mountain and vows to destroy “them”, which is in reference to Magne and the other Gods.
The Episode Review
So it seems Vidar whispering to Fjor in the church, along with a flamboyant, melodramatic display of glass shattering, is enough for Fjor to turn his back on Gry and his convictions this past season. He’s now going to avenge his Father it seems. Now, I understand that traumatic events can make one change their allegiance and expectations in life but the way these characters flip-flop around from good to bad and back again lacks direction and makes this series feel cheap. Unlike the slow burn first season, this one has meandered through with no clear discernable pattern beyond collecting a macguffin (Mjolnir) and assembling a team. Apart from Iman and seeing the arrival of these different characters, there’s absolutely no urgency or desire to move forward with this plot. With Vidar’s death, the show lacks a compelling villain, leading to a hurried and, quite frankly, weak plot that sees Fjor switch sides and decide to avenge his family instead. It doesn’t make sense narratively and it feels clumsily handled. That goes for Magne as well, who’s more or less on the same trajectory as the first season. Instead of love triangles and angst however, he’s more like Jon Snow, declaring, in no uncertain terms, that he “dun’ wan’ it” by relinquishing control of the hammer. This second season has, so far at least, not been one to remember. Let’s hope the final two episodes step on the gas a bit.
