Beforeigners

What a surprise to see second season have arrived! This Is brilliant multi genres show with cold but great humor injections that I would definitely recommend to sci-fi fans!

I want to emphasize that THIS series has a good plot but a BRILLIANT fictional world. Past, present and maybe future intertwined. Old vikings try to fit in with 2020s and 1900's British Edwardians - pubs with foreign letters, a 1900s dressed accordingly, riding a horse while wearing headphones. A tinder-social media just for the beforeigners. And have a look on the offficial HBO website, there is SO much in depth information on this world: Hoe to eat like a viking. How to curse 10000 years ago. ... and whatnot. The visuals are packed with hints on a complete, rich world... this is what I call, as a practicing production designer and set dresser: THIS is the art. This is the stage a plot stands on. This is the base for a damn good and intense story. I want more of this!

PS: Can't rate plot and acting this time, because I was too consumed with the worldbuilding.

Both HBO and Netflix support local production companies to produce unique independent content. Most of it is horrible. This, however, is excellent. The reveals in the last ten minutes of the season finale are mind blowing.. in an "ahh.. of course" kind of way. Wow. What a setup.. what a satisfying payoff. Genius.

I love good scifi from The Expanse, Raised by Wolves to Altered Carbon, (Norwegian) Ragnarok, am clearly not a purist. Most high rating Scandi-anything shows have worked for me.

But I'm also super bored by time travel theme (after overdosing on 12 Monkeys, Fringe, Centurion) to the point that I couldn't sit through the 1st season of Dark.

The only recent time travel shows that managed to grab me are Outlander and The Nevers.

What stands out with Beforeigners: it is not obsessed with the "technical correctness" of time-jumping. It has hyper specific time travel "era points", fast pacing. I also like the subtle but lethal humor about Vikings and religious doctrines. It's almost like the story is not very serious, but at the same time, it is also making specific moral/ socio-cultural/ political points.

The cliff hanger at the end of first season is very daring and enticing. Overall, I've been entertained, so, highly recommended.

I looked out this show, because I heard that in this show Krista Kosonen speaks languages that she doesn't actually speak irl. I wanted to see how good work she does. But yeah, I forgot that aspect as soon as I found the show. It's not Krista, it's Alfhildir, a bad ass police and a soldier. The show is funny, witty, very perceptive about nuances of the present day nationalism and migration themes. Also I love love love the "old languages" in the show #linguisticnerd .

Okay, there are also many historical flaws (it almost hurt me to see modern harness on a horse in year of 1300 or something. Like come on, wrap something over them or something) and inconsistencies, but I can forgive them, because the show is very good. Oh and also, good work Krista! You nailed the languages!