Ok, the show finally hit our shores and I just watched the first season. Intriguing premise, but there are a few questions that immediately spring to mind.
Ok, this was bugging me the whole time. What EXACTLY is that drug? They apparently give it to new arrivals, ok got it. Why? From the representation on screen, it might be to dull their senses and thus silence all the noise and distractions of the modern world? (every time the cop takes a drop, the music stops). Though that’s a bit thin and it would have been good to have someone explain it. Its also possible its some sort of magical medication that is part of the whole time travel experiment going on?
I also felt the show really overdid his addiction, nearly in every scene we see him, he’s getting his drops. I get it, he’s a druggy, no need to hammer it home. Though considering the rest of the show its not that surprising, as its not really subtle with its visual storytelling and use of cliches.
If Ingrid’s friend traveled back in time long enough to have learned a “new” language, formed a relationship and have her teeth rot, shouldn’t she have aged significantly? (how long DOES it take for teeth to rot to that degree?)
Curious to see where they go from here and if this all wraps up in a satisfying way.
From the show’s dictionary on their (newish) english website:
temproxat (med.)
Drug developed to diminish the sensory overload experienced by prehistoric individuals upon entering the modern technological society. Ref. «The Veil,» «Bride’s veil,» «Best men.»
I thought it was pretty effective visual story-telling, with the way all of the background noise (not just music) slows down and goes way, way down in volume anytime he takes it. Also, in the sequence where he is clearly “off” the drug, the noise levels goes way, way up.
Also, how they show it is pretty much how this kind of addiction works. They establish early on that Lars is on part-time due to chronic fatigue, where he mentions he is on new medication that helps - obviously temproxat. It makes sense that something like that would help, especially living in the noisescape he does. However, like any addictive drug, once the effect wears off, “normality” feels even worse than before (the drugged state becomes the new normal), and he just has to keep on taking it.
It’s really no different than benzodiazepines abuse, or for that matter - nicotine.
Whether it is just medication remains to be seen. Pretty sure that we will find that there is some sort of connection between the drug and the time travel at some point during the story - way too many clues for there not to be. For one, the friend who travelled back in time was sky-high on Temproxat when she did so.
Regarding her, she’s not really learning a new language - Norse has changed in 1000 years, but it’s not that far off modern Icelandic, and I’m pretty sure most Scandinavians could pick that up very quickly, if they had to. And the aging thing is always a problem with these kind of shows - I guess the teeth rot may have been to show she had been gone for a few years. Though I agree they overdid it - also because the Viking diet did not contain anywhere even remotely near the same amount of sugar as our modern diet, so cavities would not have been as large an issue.
Agree that the writing can be a bit cliche. As I wrote earlier, I think the world-building and the mystery is what carries this. Also the deep referencesto what is - in a sense - national mythology (The Battle of Stiklestad and Olav the Stout’s canonization is one of those seminal events in Norwegian history), but that is definitely harder to put across to non-Norwegians.
So with the drug I wasn’t too far off with my understanding, thus their presentation was pretty effective after all. I guess with it playing such a big role in the show it would have been nice for someone to spell that out clearer… (even if its just a line like “don’t dull your senses with that stuff all the time” or SOMETHING along those lines)
I also read up a bit after I posted last night that Tore Hund & this Olav are actual real historical figures, so that was interesting and gives a bit more context to the story.
Oh yes. And I’d suspect it’s actually going to be quite important in the context of the story, and I wonder whether a lot of that context is lost on non-Norwegian viewers.
Stiklestad is probably the most famous battle in Norwegian history - something akin to Hastings or Agincourt - in terms of national mythology (and the battle itself may never really have taken place, and just been a simple ambush).
Relevant in the context of the show: Tore Hund was one of the chief leaders of the “peasant” rebellion against Olaf, and is named in some sources as the one who game him the death wound. He “disappeared” into obscurity after the battle; most likely killed or driven out of Norway by the supporters of Olaf’s son Magnus. Obviously, the show is suggesting he fell (or fled) into a temporal hole.
Olaf Digre was killed in the “battle”, but as with any such death, there were rumors that he survived, and when he was dug up from the grave a year later, it was said his body was uncorrupted (the usual Saintly thing) and smelled of flowers. So plenty of possibilities there as well to play with the historical narrative. The Saintly Olaf himself is and was declared Rex Perpetuus Norvegia (eternal King of Norway) and he is absolutely central to the Norwegian national identity, so they’re really moving in the realm of Norwegian national mythos - and opening up possibilities for some really juicy storylines in S2+.
Will be interesting to see where they take the Olaf-Tore storylines. Also, of course, lots of mysteries around the details of time travel - why is Alfhildr’s experience so very different from Madde’s for instance?
But really, half the fun is just noticing all the little local details and sarcastic comments on modern-day Norwegian society. Like the place where Lars lives, which is in reality a high-rise neighborhood, transformed into a slum in Beforeigners.
Just hope they get to finish telling the story they’re trying to tell, and it doesn’t get killed halfway through.
I am watching this and I think is entertaining. I like police shows and adding a sci-fi angle to it just make it better. The idea/setting is very interesting, imo. Of course is low budget but they made it interesting with the story and that wins me.
So, although I enjoyed Season 1 of this quite a bit I’m starting to feel Season 2 is crapping the bed in a big way. I’ve seen 5 of the 6 episodes and I have issues with how this season is developing. The main plot is going some very questionable places, and the side plots just aren’t as good as Season 1.
We’ll see how the season finishes but they may have jumped the shark.
Starting point: for time travel stories I have a very strong preference for time travel that stays tight and elegant and maintains at least a nodding acquaintance with internal consistency, and a very strong distaste for “timey wimey BS” (unless it’s in the service of fun like Legends of Tomorrow.)
So season 1 of Beforeigners had a lean, tight, elegant approach to time travel, but also showed some flexibility to open things up in season 2. However, based on the strong first season I expected the opening up of the time travel ideas to at least be clever, elegant, etc.
But this season 2, Holy Shit. It started out with some warning signs, then threw up some red flags in the first few episodes, then around episodes 4-5 went up its own ass, out its own navel and by episode 6 became a cesspool of laughable ridiculous timey wimey bullcrap.
Yeah. Terrible. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. They seem to think they will get more seasons but I’m done. Blech.
