Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ending explained: What happened to Scott and Ramona?

Wright has somehow managed to get the whole star-studded cast back together again to reprise their iconic roles in an eight-part animated series for Netflix, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, reimagining a surprisingly touching new adventure in the franchise.

While the first episode, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, closely replicates the plot of the graphic novel and film, the shocking closing moments reveal that Ramona Flowers's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) first evil ex, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), defeats and ‘kills’ bassist Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) at a Sex Bob-Omb show, leaving three coins in his wake - diverging from the well-loved narrative.

The rest of the series follows Ramona as she attempts to figure out the real mystery behind Scott’s death/disappearance, enlisting his friends to search for answers, investigating her exes along the way.

Here’s exactly what happened in the twisty, timey wimey final episodes.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ending explained: Who was really behind Scott’s 'death'?

Things aren’t quite as they seem, as Ramona finally cracks the mystery of Scott’s 'death' in episode 6. WHODIDIT, deducing that the bassist was actually kidnapped and transported via a vegan portal by The Katayanagi Twins' vegan robot (Robot 01).

Following a ring at the door, Scott returns in a puff of smoke and confirms Ramona’s theories, but there was one big twist she didn’t figure out - the person behind Scott’s disappearance.

This was actually his future self (voiced by guest star Will Forte), heartbroken by a supposed break-up.

In episode 7, 2 Scott 2 Pilgrim, we see a bearded 37-year-old Scott from the future revealing that the abduction was actually part of an elaborate attempt to stop himself from making the "biggest mistake of his life" - defeating the League of Evil Exes, marrying Ramona and then surprisingly separating from her 13 years later - with the hopes of erasing their relationship from the timeline.

Who was behind the Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life screenplay and Young Neil’s memoir?

As Future Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) takes young Scott to visit Future Ramona in 2 Scott 2 Pilgrim, she reveals that she came up with a back-up plan to Old Scott’s "idiotic time travel plan", and planted the screenplay on Young Neil’s (Johnny Simmons) computer.

She did this in an attempt for Scott to one day discover the truth of their relationship if Future Scott’s plan succeeded.

Ramona achieved this by travelling back in time with her rollerblades that are made from parts of an old DeLorean - a nice nod to iconic time travel film Back to the Future.

Ramona continues to explain that while the plan may have been misguided, she had to try, touchingly admitting to young Scott that Future Scott is the love of her life, helping him travel back in time to save their relationship and future timeline.

Who was behind Scott and Ramona’s force field?

As Scott and Ramona reunite and attempt to kiss, they discover that a red force field is blocking them, deducing they may have unfinished emotional business, with Scott believing he may still have to fight Ramona’s evil exes to rid it.

And conveniently, all seven exes are attending the off-Broadway gala premiere of Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Musical…

However, in the final episode, The World vs Scott Pilgrim, the exes aren’t even remotely interested in fighting Scott, but an Even Older Scott (aged 47) appears to stop his younger self in his tracks.

He reveals that Old Scott had a back up plan if Young Scott didn’t heed his warnings and stay away from Ramona - he planted nanomachines in Young Scott’s drink.

Developed by the twins and coded to Ramona’s DNA, the AK (anti-kiss) fields they generated were impenetrable.

What happened to Scott and Ramona?

In the epic final showdown with Even Older Scott and Even Older Ramona, writers and co-showrunners Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski cleverly explore concepts of free will vs determinism, the effects of emotional baggage and failed relationships and self-acceptance.

Even Older Scott reveals that winning didn’t change anything and that Young Scott still ends up marrying Ramona, implying that their relationship is a fixed and unstoppable event throughout the various timelines.

Meanwhile, Even Older Ramona finally reveals the actual truth of their 'break-up' - that instead of attempting to work things out with Ramona through their "one rough patch", Old Scott devised this elaborate time travel plan to fight with himself instead of fighting for them. Ouch!

In an emotionally charged resolution, Young Ramona accepts her flaws and decides to stop running away from the things she loves - instead choosing her future self and, in turn, becoming Super Ramona, reminiscent of Scott gaining the 'Power of Self-Respect' sword in the live-action film.

In this form, she manages to break the force field and returns the younger versions of themselves to their current lives.

In the epilogue, we come full circle, with Scott back at brand practice and Ramona watching, with the addition of Knives on keyboard (who has totally improved the band, by the way).

It’s revealed that Ramona becomes a stunt woman in the movies, and as her final hair colour combination is revealed, she joins Scott and his friends in a seemingly happy environment, full of optimism for their future.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is available to watch on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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