The end of Ragnarok has arrived on Netflix as the third season of the Norwegian fantasy series premiered in late August. The show stars David Stakston as Magne Seier, an ordinary teenager who discovered that he is the reincarnation of Thor. And where Thor goes, Loki isn’t far behind as Magne’s half-brother, Laurits Seier (Jonas Strand Gravli), turns out to be the reincarnated god of mischief.
However, Thor and Loki weren’t the only figures from Norse mythology to be reborn in the present in this series. And Thor soon finds himself in conflict with the Jutul family, the living incarnations of the giants whose grudge against Thor and his family doesn’t get in the way of their agenda on Earth. But now that Ragnarok has reached its planned conclusion, fantasy fans are going to need a new fix. Fortunately, there are three shows that Ragnarok fans are going to love, and the first one on our list should sound very familiar.
The Almighty Johnsons (2011-2013)
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but The Almighty Johnsons is about a young man who lives in a small town who discovers that he is the reincarnation of of a Norse god. So it’s not that far off from Ragnarok, and it predates that series by nine years. This New Zealand-based series focuses on Axl Johnson (Emmett Skilton), the reincarnation of Odin, and he’s not the only Johnson brother with powers. The oldest brother, Mike (Tim Balme), is Ullr reborn, while Anders (Dean O’Gorman) is Bragi, and Ty (Jared Turner) is Höðr.
As the new incarnation of Odin, it’s Axl’s duty to find the reincarnation of Odin’s wife, Frigg, and restore the full powers of his family. But he’ll have to get past rival Norse goddesses and even a reincarnation of Loki (Shane Cortese) if he wants to fulfill his purpose.
Watch The Almighty Johnsons on Peacock and Amazon Freevee.
Carnivàle (2003-2005)
HBO’s Carnivàle predates the streaming era by a decade, and it largely used its own mythology for the battle between the mystical forces of good and evil during the Great Depression. Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) is a young man who is taken in by a traveling carnival. During his journey, Ben slowly discovers that he is meant to be the avatar of powers that he barely understands or controls. Meanwhile, Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown) is a preacher whose faith in God is sorely tested by tragic events in his life. And no matter how much Justin wants to be a good man, his destiny lies in darkness.
Carnivàle successfully kept Ben and Justin apart from each other until the end of season 2, which only partially completed the show’s storylines and also left a few things hanging. But this show had top-notch storytelling and great performances. In a different era, it could have had a much longer run.
Watch Carnivàle on Max.
The Magicians (2015-2020)
When Syfy initially promoted The Magicians, the ads made it seem like a darker and more adult Harry Potter. That’s an understandable comparison to make, but not entirely accurate. The show is based upon Lev Grossman’s novel of the same name, and it focuses on Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), a graduate student who discovers that magic is real when he is taken into Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy to become a magician.
Quentin’s friend, Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve), is also magically gifted, but she is rejected by Brakebills. So Julia has to chart her own path to power when she refuses to give up on her dreams. However, the magical world of Fillory will eventually reunite Quentin and Julia, with the fate of our world in the balance.
Watch The Magicians on Netflix.
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