Beforeigners is a Norwegian HBO sci-fi crime thriller set in a near-future Oslo, where people from the Stone Age, Viking era and late 19th century suddenly begin arriving from the past. The series uses this time-travel premise to combine a murder investigation with social commentary on immigration, assimilation and xenophobia, making its high-concept story feel particularly unsettling and relevant.

Seven years after the first arrivals, troubled detective Lars Haaland is partnered with Alfhildr, a former Viking warrior and the first “beforeigner” police officer, to investigate the murder of a woman with Stone Age tattoos. The 12-episode, two-season series premiered in 2019 as HBO Nordic’s first original production; its first season received a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, with praise for blending science fiction, police procedural drama and character-driven suspense.