The eight-episode Netflix anime, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, is streaming now.
While the series retains some of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World — namely the cast returning — it's a vastly different story. For example, this is less of Scott's (Michael) story and more of Ramona's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as she spends most of the season trying to find Scott.
But the ending is completely different. And here's what went down.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ending explained
Warning: Spoilers for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ahead
If you remember, the 2010 film follows the graphic novels closely. Scott takes on Ramona's seven evil exes, and ultimately wins by last defeating Gideon (Jason Schwartzman). In the film, he ends up with Ramona and the two walk off into the sunset (or snow, really).
Despite a first episode that largely adapts Wright's film, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off tells a very different story. During the very first fight with an ex, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Scott dies. Or, at least appears to die.
Later, Ramona discovers that a portal was opened beneath him. That portal was made by the twins, Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Julian Cini). But that takes Scott to meet Older Scott (voiced by Will Forte).
We learn that Older Scott's marriage to Ramona didn't end well, and the two are separated. In this series, Older Scott devised a plan to prevent his younger self from dating and falling in love with Ramona.
Scott finds his way back to his reality and fills in the others on what happened. He still needs to face the looming threat of his older self.
An Endgame-like fight
In the finale, Even Older Scott (also voiced by Forte) takes on the younger version of himself and others. An Older Ramona teams with her modern-day self and they join forces with Scott.
All the while, the modern-day characters are at the premiere of Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life — a stageplay after the failed film adaptation of Young Neil's (Johnny Simmons) script.
But Older Scott and Older Ramona's conflict wasn't even a big deal. The former freaked out and panicked when things got tough. In the end, he has to learn to roll with the punches and work things out. Scott eventually realizes that while his older self may have made mistakes, it doesn't mean he has to as well.
Transporting back to modern times, Scott realizes that he needs to just love Ramona. The series ends with Patel getting his curtain call, and a heart-framed shot of Scott and Ramona holding hands.
Epilogue
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's epilogue has major implications for future episodes should they make them. Sex Bob-Omb is back, with Knives (Ellen Wong) now joining the band. Knives and Stephen (Mark Webber) rush off after a practice to produce Envy Adams (Brie Larson) in the studio.
Meanwhile, Ramona has committed to a stuntwoman, utilizing her fighting skills for good. We also see that the video store she worked at is closing before she visits the coffee shop Scott's sister, Stacey (Anna Kendrick), works at. Famed actor Lucas Lee (Chris Evans) may have lost his spotlight, but he took the advice from Ramona to heart and is opening his mind to other opportunities (he's a barista there now).
As for Scott, he's still in Sex Bob-Omb. The band awaits Ramona as she goes through one last hair change. Throughout Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Ramona is shown changing her hair every episode. The same sequence is used each time, with a different color being sported at the end of each one. This time, though, instead of an insecure look in the mirror, she smiles and shows off her latest look to her friends: Blonde with teal highlights.
Wallace (Kieran Culkin) is off traveling with the money he made from playing himself in the failed Scott Pilgrim movie. While in France, he meets a partner, perhaps the one we hear about in the future, and discovers sparks are real.
Surprisingly, Gideon, who's now going by his real name of Goose, wasn't positioned as the main antagonist of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Early on, he loses everything including his company to Patel. He later regains it from Patel, who only ever wanted the spotlight.
A shot of Patel, joined by Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza) in his secret lair. “Time for the real game to begin,” he says.
Julie adds, “The Goose is loose. Honk-honk, f**kers!”
What this sets up for a Season 2
Should Netflix green-light a second season, there are endless possibilities for Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski. For one, they could go a more traditional route and tell the original Scott Pilgrim story where he faces the seven evil exes.
However, that seems unlikely. The Scott Pilgrim anime series got to the same dessert with a different main course, and now they have an open canvas. O'Malley can finally tell a brand new Scott Pilgrim story should he choose to.
That's assuming they could once again reassemble the voice cast. It appeared that it was hard to do that the first time, given how absent Scott was for stretches. We shall see, but the possibilities are exciting should a Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 2 happen.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is streaming now.
Follow Us
Subscribe
