The Almighty Johnsons is a 2011 New ZealandUrban FantasyDramedy about a family of four Kiwi brothers and their Cloud Cuckoolander cousin who all happen to be incarnations of Norse gods.The story revolves around Axl Johnson (Emmett Couling Skilton), a typical university student who has just turned 21 years old—an event which triggers weird signs all over Auckland. Upon turning 21, his brothers tell him that he and his brothers are reincarnated Norse Gods, although their powers have diminished over the years. It took a lightning bolt to make him realize the truth about his godhood, and he discovers that he is the physical incarnation of the god Odin. After a rival goddess shoots an arrow which nearly pierces his heart, fulfilling the prophecy that proves he is Odin, his older brother Mike (Timothy Balme) tells him about his quest: In order to get all their powers back, Axl (Odin) has to find his soulmate, Frigg, and seal the deal. If he doesn't find her before he dies, his whole family dies with him. However, several goddesses have united to prevent him from finding Frigg, including the one who tried to kill him earlier.The quest involves several Red Herrings, including a netballer, a librarian, a homely daughter to a god, and even a goddess. Although the show centers around Axl's quest, it also gives character development to the other brothers, especially Ty and Mike, who refuses to use his god powers because of an incident which left his best friend in a coma.Created by the makers of the long-running hit show Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons is the latest product of star writers like James Griffin and Rachel Lang. Originally intended for one season, the first season's success led to the airing of a second season and a scheduled third season, which began filming on January 14th, 2013. Many established Kiwi actors have participated in the show, most notably Keisha Castle-Hughes as Axl's flatmate and Ship Tease Gaia, and Timothy Balme (Mike).
Tropes:
All Myths Are True: The introduction of the Maori Gods in season two hints that other Gods may still exist as well.
The Atoner: Mike/Ullr caused his best friend to enter a coma during a barfight years before the show began.
Call Back: The first season ends with Mike and Axl playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Something Mike did in the first episode to prove to Axl that he was a God.
Chekhov's Gun: In the first episode, the boys mother was revealed to be the incarnation of Frejya. At the beginning on the last episode, the Big Bad Agnetha is revealed to be Frejya.
Another one is Tyr. Mentioned in passing by Thor, who met him in jail. When we find out that Gaia is Tyr's daughter, it's revealed that Tyr and Gaia's mother were drug dealers/makers, hence why he spent time in jail.
Church Militant / The Hunter: Natalie works for an organisation that wants to kill the Gods earthly forms since it goes against their belief of there only being one God.
The Danza: Michelle Langstone, who plays the goddess Michele/Sjöfn.
Dawson Casting: A slight inversion occurs as well with Olivia Tennet who was 19 when she played 21-year-old Delphine—and who looks younger than her actual age.
Disproportionate Retribution: after the God of Poetry Anders/Bragi sleeps around, ruining the lives of three girls in ways that range from "Not that bad" to "Jerkass", said girls decide to preform a vasectomy operation on him while he's knocked out from tranquilizers. In his bedroom. With a stolen set of surgical instuments from a vetinarian. The one preforming the operation isn't even a liscened practinoner! She's just a receptionist!
In the season 2 opener, Anders is seen looking at a drawing of a tree, episode 8 reveals he was looking for Yggdrasil, the World Tree
Also in season 2, the door to Mikes bar always being unlocked is revealed to be caused by Kvasir, who lives in the bar and is keeping an eye on the Johnson brothers.
Fragile Flower: Delphine. She cries after Axl gets annoyed at her for calling him "my lord" and again after Axl mentions that he has a problem with hooking up with someone who is already six weeks pregnant.
He Is Not My Boyfriend: Gaia had to point this out to her father several times about Axl.
Heroic Sacrifice: Ty, in the last episode of Season 1, who ends up marrying Eva/Hel, thus fulfilling his destiny as a god so that Mike can remain alive.
An Ice Person: Ty/Hod. He even works as a refrigerator repairman.
Loophole Abuse: From both sides in season 1, the marriage contract never states that Eva is the Frigg, but it also does not state which brother has to get married.
A Man Is Not a Virgin: Anders mocks Axl for being a virgin in the second episode as he tries to hook him up with a sexy netballer, even though it's not for lack of effort. (A montage shows him trying to have sex with various girlfriends, but Mike and Valerie interrupt him each time as he's lived in their house.) This invariably leads to Sex as Rite-of-Passage when he ends up sleeping with her, but not without consequences.
Zeb was also a hopeless virgin until Michele used her powers to hook him up with Stacey.
Meaningful Name: Some of the cast have names relating to other people in mythology.
Ty (full name Tyrone) is similar to Týr, the one handed Norse God of War and Law
Gaia is named after the Greek Titan of Earth
Eva being named after the first woman in the Christian religion.
Mythology Gag: Given the premise of the show, there are various references to the Norse Myths, the more obvious being Derrick/Thor owning a goat farm and Helen/Iðunn working with apples.
Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Michele, who is a practicing physician at a local hospital, but whose mission is to stop Odin from finding Frigg, even if that means killing him off.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Michele attempts to kill Axl by shooting an arrow to his heart, but the tip ends up lodged next to it, thus helping fulfill a prophecy of him becoming Odin.
Not Wearing Pants: Happens every so often on this show. In fact, how Axl got his powers as Odin involved not wearing any clothes. It's even lampshaded at one point.
Older Than They Look: Olaf/Baldr. He's the main casts' Grandfather, but you couldn't tell by looking.
Overprotective Dad: Derrick, both played straight and inverted. He wants Delphine to hook up with Axl (or, rather any god), but he gets rather offended when he tells him about her attraction to Ross, whom he considers "a simpleton."
Promotion to Parent: Mike, after the boys' mother runs off into the forest and becomes a tree. He assumes responsibility for raising his fellow brothers, even though Olaf is actually older than all of them.
Quest for Sex: Let's face it, this is what the story boils down to.
Red Herring: Several, given that the story revolves around Axl's quest to find Frigg.
Ret Gone / Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Kind of - time travel isn't involved, but after Ty loses his godhood and becomes mortal, his existence is erased from mortal memory; only the other gods remember who he is.
Running Gag: Anders keeps thinking Dawn owns a cat.
Secret Keeper: Because they had to run away from Scandinavia to escape from Christians with torches the Norse gods trust no-one with the knowledge they are gods. Although Zeb finds out eventually
Seers: Olaf and Ingrid. Oracles, to be more exact.
Ship Tease: Quite a few. Among them, we have Axl/Gaia, Anders/Michele, Olaf/Ingrid, and Ty/Dawn.
In "Everything Starts with Gaia", Jacob (Gaia's ex boyfriend) says "Play to stereotype, toss the dwarf".
Stock Kiwi Phrases: Phrases like "sweet-as" are peppered into everyday conversation to really hammer down the "typical Kiwi bloke" feel of the show.
Strong as They Need to Be: Although the gods' powers have diminished over the years, they sometimes come back in major ways. Axl is a perfect example of this trope.
Not that it stops him from building a very successful marketing business, partying away every night and sleeping with any woman he feels like.
Wham Episode: "Everything Starts with Gaia" in which it's revealed Gaia is Frigg.
"The House of Jerome" (S02E11), in which our heroes learn that the Maori Gods are real too.
What the Hell, Hero?: Mike typically warns his fellow brothers of the consequences of using their god powers. One night, however, he decides to go out gambling, the perfect time for his powers to slip through the cracks. Of course, this causes some complications.
Almost crosses into too dumb to live. The guy walks into a casino, sits down at the Blackjack table and proceeds to win every single hand for the duration of the night, turning $800 into $90,000 before they finally throw him out for suspected cheating.
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