Were you expecting a 1:1 remake of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel with Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? Not only does the Netflix animated series veer wildly away from the source material, its first episode has a mind-blowing twist that has already broken the internet.
Spoilers for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off follow. You have been warned!
At the end of episode 1, Scott (Michael Cera) goes up against the first of Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) Seven Evil Exes.
Enter Matthew (Satya Bhaba). If you’ve read the comic or seen the Edgar Wright-directed movie, you might think you know how this goes. Instead, plot twist: it’s Scott who is seemingly defeated – exploding in a shower of coins. Now it’s up to Ramona to confront her own Seven Evil Exes by herself…
So, no, this isn’t your average remake. While we’ll leave you to discover what comes next after Scott's apparent death, but it’s already enough of a hook to make those on social media sit up and take notice.
"This is the modern day equivalent of the Metal Gear Solid 2 Raiden Twist down to the exact fan reaction to the twist and everything," one wrote on Twitter, referring to Hideo Kojima pulling the collective rug from under gamers’ feet by replacing protagonist Solid Snake with the blonde-haired Raiden for the vast majority of Metal Gear Solid 2.
This is the modern day equivalent of the Metal Gear Solid 2 Raiden Twist down to the exact fan reaction to the twist and everything https://t.co/w9MUBQC5l3November 19, 2023
Speaking to Netflix, comic creator Bryan Lee O’Malley revealed it was a chance to explore those around Scott in greater detail.
"I have a long relationship with Scott Pilgrim fans as the creator of the universe, so it’s funny to me that 20 years in, even the biggest fans will often say, 'Scott Pilgrim is the worst character.'" O’Malley said. "This narrative shift gave us so many different meta opportunities to explore everything in more depth and detail."
"The idea of Ramona having to interact with the past that she’s run away from, and figuring out more about herself and the decisions she’s made through that process, was something that felt dramatically interesting," executive producer BenDavid Grabinski added. "Because when she’s on the sideline and Scott’s fighting her ex, and then the ex is defeated, how much can she grow from that?"
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is now streaming on Twitter. Once you’ve finished watching the series, check out what that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off post-credits scene means, all the Scott Pilgrim cameos we spotted, and then add more of the best Netflix shows to your watchlist.
