The third season of Netflix’s fantasy series Ragnarok concludes with a twist that was not entirely unexpected. The season wraps up most of the storylines but has left many viewers wondering one thing: Did the Ragnarok happen? Or was it all Magne’s imagination?
The season’s final episode begins with a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Edda. The community achieves a moment of truce with everyone setting aside their weapons. Magne, the protagonist and the embodiment of the Norse god Thor, decides to focus on his exams, putting his powers and battles aside like a regular ol’ teenager.
Throughout the season, Magne’s relationships with his friends and loved ones have been strained due to his growing arrogance and newfound power over the giants. His actions distance him from Signy and others.
However, a major turning point occurred during the graduation ceremony at school. Magne experiences vivid visions, leading to a rather anti-climactic realisation: peace should prevail.
The dramatic images in his head include battles between the gods and the giants where everyone stands to lose. As the chaotic visions unfold, Magne grapples with his inner turmoil, including the trauma of losing Isolde early in the series.
The anticipated war remains unrealised, and Ragnarok‘s catastrophic prophecy is unfulfilled. The imagined conflict, from Jan’s accidental demise to Magne’s fatal encounter with the Midgard Serpent, occurs in Magne’s head. These events mirror his childhood readings of Thor comics, blurring fantasy with reality.
The series finale is full of misdirections and metaphors, which has led to some confusion about how much of the events of the show happen in Magne’s mind. He did get diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, as confirmed by Turid. However, it can be assumed that Magne does not imagine it all, as there are multiple perspectives involved in the story. The event of Ragnarok, however, does happen entirely in Magne’s imagination, leading to him putting down his hammer for good.
Ultimately, Magne’s decision to reject the path of violence and war results in a peaceful resolution for Edda. The season concludes with Magne discarding his old Thor comics. His journey comes full circle as he reunites with Signy. A vision of Isolde briefly appears in a seat before fading, indicating Magne is gradually overcoming the trauma he had incurred after witnessing her death.
Within Jutul Industries, Saxa rises to an equal role alongside Fjor, steering the company along the trajectory she had initiated before Fjor’s interference. Instead of isolating others and perpetuating destructive practices, she embraces environmentalists and activists, steering the company towards a more environmentally conscious direction.
It might have promised a bang and ended with a whimper, but Ragnarok season three is the final one of the series. All three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.
