The Mind-Bending Finale of Ragnarok Season 3: Unraveling the Truth Behind Magne's Reality
Unravel the mind-bending conclusion of Ragnarok Season 3 as we delve into the truth behind Magne's perception Discover the hidden significance of the comic book twist and the shocking reunion between Magne and Signy Prepare for a divisive ending that will leave you questioning the boundaries of reality in this captivating Netflix series
Summary
Ragnarok's season 3 finale revealed that the entire story was all in Magne's head, a twist that divided viewers and re-contextualized the series.
During the season, Magne faced off against corrupt industrialists and his own brother, all while contending with supernatural turmoil. However, it was eventually unveiled that these occurrences existed solely within his mind.
Magne's graduation and his choice to relinquish his childhood fantasy world acted as a representation of his journey into adulthood, where he no longer relied on his imagination to navigate real life.
The finale of the Norwegian fantasy series Ragnarok's third season resulted in a surprising twist that shed a new light on the previous plot of Netflix's teen drama. Ragnarok had always been surrounded by controversy, with negative reviews from critics in its home country despite its initial success on Netflix in 2020. Critics found the story of Magne, a teenager who discovers he is the reincarnation of Thor, to be inconsistent, unconvincing, and predictable. However, the controversy surrounding the season 3 finale of Ragnarok proved to be even more divisive than anticipated, surpassing early critical expectations.
In season 3, Magne was occupied with battling the corrupt industrialists known as the Jutuls and his own brother, Laurits. By the start of the series finale, Magne had managed to establish a fragile truce with the Jutuls and resume a somewhat normal life. Despite the supernatural turmoil occurring outside of school, Magne successfully passed his exams and graduated from high school, albeit at the cost of alienating his love interest, Signy. Then, in the highly controversial season 3 finale of Ragnarok, viewers were faced with a twist that was both expected and astonishingly unexpected at the same time.
Netflix's Ragnarok Finale Reveals The Show Was All In Magne's Head
Hod Didn’t Really Shoot Jens With An Arrow
The third season finale of Ragnarok concluded with Magne sitting at his graduation when a colossal supernatural battle unfolded. Hod shot Jens with a bow and arrow, while Laurits summoned a trio of giants to fight against the gods. Surprisingly, the crowd of teenagers and parents seemed unaffected as they watched the chaos unfold. However, a significant twist awaited the viewers at the end of Ragnarok - the entire story was a creation of Magne's mind. Although some fans had predicted this possibility since the first season, its ending still sparked controversy among the audience.
Magne witnessed a peculiar sight during his graduation ceremony: Hod, the same child who had once been struck by an arrow on his face in a previous battle, was now casually playing with a bow and arrow. However, what transpired next can only be described as surreal. In utter disbelief, Magne observed Hod aim his arrow directly at Jens and release it, only to find that no one around them reacted to this shocking incident. As Magne's imagination ran wild, envisioning an epic clash between gods and giants, it dawned on him that all the supernatural occurrences of Ragnarok were merely figments of his own mind.
The Real Meaning Of Ragnarok's Magne & Thor Comic Book Twist
Viewers can assume that none of the events in Ragnarok ever happened if Magne had always believed he was the reincarnation of Thor. However, the season 3 finale of Ragnarok made it clear that Magne's high school life was real, and his actions to stop the Jutuls from polluting his hometown were not imaginary. This was evident when Laurits prepared to move out in the finale, and Magne looked through old Thor comic books from his childhood.
By revisiting these comics and discovering a toy version of Thor's hammer, it strongly suggested that Magne had used the comics to shape the imaginary aspects of the series. Magne wasn't just imagining himself as a superhero without taking any action. Instead, he had filtered his real-life experiences through a cartoonish comic book reality. The coming-of-age story in Ragnarok did occur in actuality, but the environmentalist actions of Magne and his friends were the only real part of his heroic journey.
Why Magne Stopped Imagining Ragnarok’s Fantasy World
As he graduated from high school, Magne came to the realization that the comforting fantasies of his childhood were no longer necessary. Leaving behind the realm of his imagination, he firmly rooted himself in reality, just as the opening prophecy of the final Ragnarok episode had indirectly foretold. This transformative shift was symbolized by Magne parting ways with his old comic books, a decision that unequivocally reflected his newfound ability to navigate the morally complex aspects of adulthood without relying on them as a coping mechanism.
Magne & Signy’s “Nine Steps” Reunion Explained
The third and final episode of season 3 of Ragnarok began with a prophecy indicating that Thor had only "Nine steps left to take in this world." This prediction turned out to be accurate in a figurative sense as Magne apologized to Signy, received a cold response, and later made amends with her. He literally walked nine steps towards his love interest and let go of the rose he had received as a graduation gift, symbolizing Thor's hammer. After numerous references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ragnarok, the show temporarily abandoned its fantastical elements for this heartwarming moment. While they embraced, Magne confronted reality and bid farewell to his imaginary adventures once and for all.
Why Ragnarok's Series Finale Is So Divisive
Any series finale that employs the "It was all a dream," "It was all in their head," or "None of it was real" twist is bound to generate controversy. However, Ragnarok's use of this twist was particularly divisive due to certain events, such as Isolde's death, actually having occurred. This lack of clear distinction between the show's reality and fantasy created confusion. The closing scene of the season 3 finale confirmed that Isolde was a real person who died years ago, further complicating the show's narrative. In addition to the misleading hints throughout Ragnarok season 3, this twist seemed to contradict the show's own message.
In Ragnarok's season 1 finale, Magne was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist affiliated with the Jutul family and was accused of fabricating his alter-ego. In that episode, Magne needed to defend himself and disprove these accusations. However, the series finale muddled this message by revealing that Magne had been delusional all along. In hindsight, it appears that the show's villains were correct in this instance. Whether Magne always knew he was imagining things or actually required treatment for hallucinations remained frustratingly ambiguous.
The Real Meaning Of Ragnarok’s Ending
Ragnarok's ending may have caused divisions among viewers, but it did convey a powerful message. The poignant scene of Magne setting aside his rose, and with it his imaginary hammer, represented a significant transition - the loss of one's childhood and the accompanying limitless imagination, to embrace the responsibilities of adulthood. Hence, the protagonist of Ragnarok had to bid farewell to his imaginative world by metaphorically bringing an end to his alter ego, Thor.
