Beforeigners is a slow-burn mystery about time travel, and it mostly earns its pace. The premise is simple: people from the past keep showing up in the present, after flashes of light appear in the ocean. The show calls them “beforeigners,” and they come from three eras: the Stone Age, the Viking era, and late 19th century. The first season follows Lars Haaland, a burned-out police officer, and Alfhildr Enginsdottir, a Viking shield-maiden, as they investigate the murder of a beforeigner.
Trailer, via HBO.
The Partnership at the Center
The relationship between Lars and Alfhildr drives the show. Nicolai Cleve Broch plays Lars as weary and cynical, while Krista Kosonen brings warmth and curiosity to Alfhildr. Their banter is often the best part of an episode, and their shared history — she once served under him — gives their partnership weight. The show leans on their dynamic more than any plot twist.
Mystery and Pace
The first season moves slowly. Episodes spend time on small details: a missing watch, a strange tattoo, a phone call that cuts off. Some viewers will find this frustrating. Others will find it atmospheric. The show builds tension through quiet observation rather than sudden action, and that approach suits the subject matter. The murder investigation feels like a thread being pulled, revealing a larger conspiracy tied to the arrival of the beforeigners.
Second Season Notes
In September 2020, HBO confirmed a second season. Season two premiered on HBO Max in Europe on 5 December 2021, and in the United States on 23 December 2021. The second season shifts focus to Oslo murders with ties to Jack the Ripper. That shift changes the tone somewhat, moving the show from a quiet mystery to a darker, more violent one.
“The show builds tension through quiet observation rather than sudden action.”
Hard Numbers
- Creator: Anne Bjørnstad, Eilif Skodvin
- Network: HBO Nordic, HBO Max
- Seasons: 2, 12 episodes total
- First aired: 21 August 2019
- Last aired: 2 January 2022
- Score: 7.5/10
The show is at its best when it trusts its characters and its premise. The science-fiction elements are kept deliberately vague, which works in the first season and strains in the second. The series is also notable for being the first Norwegian-language production for HBO Nordic.
Beforeigners is a thoughtful, occasionally plodding drama about time, identity, and what it means to belong in your own era. It is not a thriller in the conventional sense, and it does not pretend to be one. For viewers willing to sit with its deliberate pace, it rewards patience. For those who want instant answers, it will frustrate.
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