I have to confess that I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. Planet of the Apes, Walking Dead, Mad Max, Logan’s Run. So I was interested when I saw See (no pun intended) on Apple TV.
The basic premise is that the world has been devastated by a virus (scary considering our current circumstances). The survivors are all blind. While a seeing person may dread losing sight, imagine a society where everyone is born blind. If disability is a social construct, blindness would no longer be a disability.
But now a few people are being born with sight.
The story revolves around Baba Voss (played by Jason Mamoa) and his family. Don’t expect much stretching from his roles in Game of Thrones and Aquaman. He is a tough guy that you don’t want as an enemy.
Baba Voss marries Maghra, who is pregnant with another man’s twins when he meets her. Her children, who was fathered by a man with sight, are also born with sight.
But in this world, sight is seen more as a curse than a blessing. In fact to talk of it is heresy. This society has become very religious, something that is a major theme.
The twins keep their sight secret. They learn from books left by their father and eventually with the rest of the family, they begin a quest to find their father.
While this is happening, there is an evil queen. There is always an evil queen. She is a former lover of the man with sight and she sends out her witch finder to find him and his children.
What did I think of See?
You must be prepared that it is very violent. The killing is designed to shock and horrify.
Also, there are a couple of unfortunate scenes in the first two episodes. This will sound strange but the uncomfortable scenes are when the queen prays. The problem is that she prays while experiencing an orgasm. Awkward.
While there is lots of swearing, I don’t think there is any nudity. But it makes up for it with the violence.
On the positive side, the world of the blind is a fresh concept. It reminds me a bit of H.G. Wells’ story, The Country of the Blind, but it goes in a completely different direction.
As a father of three adopted children, I appreciated the dynamic between the twins and their adopted father who raised them and their birth father that gave them life (and sight).
Also, there were some interesting concepts around disabilities. Is blindness a disability or not? Is someone superior if they have sight? What are the ramifications for a society where the ones with sight are marginalized? There are things here that I need to think through more.
I actually liked See quite a bit. It is beautifully filmed. It is supposed to be in post-apocalyptic Pennsylvania but was actually filmed in British Columbia and it shows.
The fights scenes, showing how warriors had adapted to blindness were pretty amazing. Even a person with sight is no match for Baba Voss. It is sort of a mix of Planet of the Apes and the 100 but is still different from both. I’m looking forward to the second season.
