Episode Guide
Godflame – | Review Score – 3.5/5 Message In A Bottle – | Review Score – 3/5 Fresh Blood – | Review Score – 3/5 The River – | Review Score – 3/5 Plastic – | Review Score – 3/5 Silk – | Review Score – 3/5 The Lavender Road – | Review Score – 3/5 House of Enlightenment – | Review Score – 2.5/5 Most big trends can be attributed to the rule of three – innovation, exaggeration and moderation. Right now, fantasy series are the latest fad, thanks in part to the innovative efforts from Game Of Thrones to revitalize this age-old genre. As numerous creators clamor to scoop up lightning in a bottle, there are inevitably those that stumble and fail along the way. See, unfortunately, is one of those casualties. With a lack of compelling world-building and some muddied lore across the 8 episodes, much like its main protagonist See stumbles blindly across its fantasy landscape to deliver a story of highs and lows. At the heart of this one lies village chief Baba Voss. In this near-future world, a virus has ravaged the world’s population, wiping out 99% of the human population and rendering the other 1% blind. When Maghra, Baba Voss’ partner, gives birth to sighted twins, what follows is a journey across the American landscape to find the prophetic Jerlamarel in a bid to make sense of what’s happening. To complicate matters, the mad Queen Kane, drunk on power, sends her right-hand man The Witchfinder General, out to mercilessly hunt the group. As the season progresses, the story unfolds and it also brings more questionable elements surrounding the way this world has been set-up, culminating in a clumsy ending that lays the foundation for a second season but does so by undermining some fatal flaws inherent with the entire season’s logic (which I won’t divulge here, but you can read more about in our season finale recap). To be fair to See, some of the fight choreography is great and there’s a distinct visual flair that gives the show a glossy, polished feel. Some of the aerial shots of the wilderness are breathtaking and seeing this stunning level of visual beauty adds another layer to this one that goes unrivaled against some of the other fantasy shows on TV. When you compare it to Shannara Chronicles for example, the level of detail is evident. However, the show slips up where it really matters and that’s in its world-building which often contradicts itself and feels much smaller than it perhaps should. Jason Momoa is the glue that holds everything together though and he alone stops the show from completely falling apart under the weight of its own aspirations. His portrayal as the menacing and blind Baba Voss is impressive and much like his performance in Frontier, does well to add some depth to his character and effectively step away from that archetypal casting of a hench, muscular guy. Unfortunately the supporting cast leave a lot to be desired, including the twins Haniwa and Kofun, who have little character development beyond their initial inquisitive behaviour early on. If you’re in the mood for something fantasy-based and are happy to abandon logic or rational plotting, See is actually a pretty enjoyable watch. It’s violent, action-packed and features some gorgeous cinematography throughout. It’s one of the bigger budget shows of the year too, no doubt, but much like Game Of Thrones before it, suffers from many of the same plotting woes. See is not not the worst show of the year though, nor is it anywhere near the best. It’s simple a very average and enjoyable fantasy offering, one that ticks some boxes but leaves a lot of the more important ones unchecked. With a little more thought to the lore and world-building, See could be a decent offering going forward but it’s a tough sell to anyone looking for a more grounded and realistic approach to this genre.
