This show really caught me by surprise. The story is absolutely ridiculous and obviously a contrived setup - without explanation, people from three different periods in the past show up and the world has to figure out what to do with them (and they, too, have to figure out how to live in their new environment). At first the contrivance of it all was annoying - I kept thinking, why these three periods? But once things got going, it was so well-played, well-plotted and well-scripted that I bought into it and found it to be quite enjoyable. It is a strange mix of crime drama and satire, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. I regret that I can't get the full humor that Norwegian native speakers must get because on top of everything, the newcomers apparently speak in various forms of archaic Norwegian which must be fun for modern speakers to hear. The subtitles try to show the English equivalent by using stilted or archaic words when "beforeigners" are speaking but I'm sure the full impact is lost in translation. Nevertheless, the "fish out of water" humor is often funny and not just in a slapsticky way, but with satirical points made (such as with regards to political correctness etc.). Special kudos goes to the actress playing the main female character - a Viking "shield maiden"-turned police person. She inhabits the role with, strange as it sounds, credibility. (Of course, credibility here also requires not delving too deeply into historical truths about Viking society.) One warning for the Puritanical.... it reaches heights of sexual vulgarity rarely seen on US programs, which might offend some audiences here. or compel you to keep the kids away. Otherwise, if you can suspend disbelief, get past the contrived setup, and are not offended by coarse language and occasional total nudity, this program is highly recommended.
Review of Beforeigners
