Apple TV+’s entrance into the competitive streaming market already dominated by the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu is a bold move for any company, even one valued at $1 trillion. Thankfully, the tech giant seems to understand that if it wants to make a splash in the entertainment world, it better go out and get some damn good storytellers to keep subscribers coming back. With See, a new post-apocalyptic series starring Aquaman’s Jason Momoa, the streamer chose wisely by enlisting the imaginative mind of Steven Knight (creator of Peaky Blinders) to act as showrunner and writer.
Knight has proven that he knows how to create memorable characters like Tom Hardy’s Ivan in the film Locke, and Thomas Shelby in the aforementioned Blinders. Here, Knight has created a dystopian world that is really, really bizarre, but also quite wonderful. Set 600 years after a deadly virus causes every human being to be born blind, the story centers on Momoa’s Baba Voss, a local chieftain who finds himself responsible for twins that are miraculously gifted with sight. With the help of Knight’s compelling story, Momoa gives a dynamic performance, not only as a blind, ax-wielding badass but also as a surrogate father who shares some quiet, tender moments with his adopted kids (son Kofun and daughter Haniwa).
For more on See, check out our exclusive, behind-the-scenes look with the cast and producers:See handles the characters’ blindness with care and attention to detail. And apart from the twins — who can see — everyone moves and interacts with each other in fascinating ways, believably born of centuries of learning to adapt and survive. When most of the characters converse, they speak while standing very close to each other, which adds a bit more drama to each conversation, like everything spoken is of vital importance (basically, no chit chat in this world). The action scenes are also thrilling, visceral, and surprisingly realistic. And while Baba is an incredibly skilled fighter, he doesn’t have superhero-level senses that allow him to go all Daredevil on his enemies. The way soldiers sense where their opponents are on the battlefield is riveting stuff. And like the everyday conversations, most combatants are killed up close, with gory slit throats aplenty.
Apart from Momoa’s charismatic portrayal of Baba, See has some fantastic villains too. Chief among them is Sylvia Hoeks’ (Blade Runner 2049) Queen Kane, who is desperate to find the twins. Hoeks goes full bats**t here — in the best way possible — as the tyrannical monarch who believes that she can commune with the gods by masturbating. (Yup.) Joining her is Penny Dreadful alum Christian Camargo, who plays the Queen’s right-hand man, Tamacti Jun, the Witchfinder General. Together, Hoeks and Camargo do a fantastic job of imbuing their respective characters with just enough humanity to transform what could easily become mustache-twirling caricatures into something more engaging.
For a better look at Jason Momoa in action, check out the official trailer for See below:On a visual level, See is stunning. The gorgeous shots of tree-covered mountains, quiet streams, and thunderous waterfalls are idyllic, making this post-apocalyptic setting easy on the eyes. And even though this big new world that Knight has created can be a bit overwhelming at times in terms of its ambitious narrative and complex mythology, many of the big mysteries that are raised in the first couple of episodes are answered quicker than you might think. See doesn’t rely on its strangeness as a crutch in order to stand out from the pack of genre-based television series, but instead, relies on strong character development, world-building, and some well-placed action setpieces.