See (TV series)
See is an American science fiction drama web television series produced for Apple TV+ starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard in leading roles. It is written by Steven Knight and directed by Francis Lawrence. It also stars Sylvia Hoeks, Hera Hilmar and Christian Camargo. Executive producers include Knight, Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Kristen Campo. The series premiered on November 1, 2019, and it has been renewed for a second season.
Premise
In the distant future, the human race has lost the sense of sight, and society is left to find new ways to interact, build, hunt, and survive. Baba Voss, the chieftain of the Alkenny tribe, takes in and marries a woman, Maghra, who comes to the Alkenny seeking shelter. Baba Voss has been unable to father children, and the woman is pregnant when she first arrives. To both the woman and Baba Voss's surprise, the woman has twins who can see. The twins are named Kofun and Haniwa, and their biological father is Jerlamarel.As word spreads, it gets the attention of a cynical tribe and its queen who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the twins. The queen knows Jerlamarel had the ability to see and wants his children. Jerlamarel was also the queen's favored consort who ran away with Maghra. In order to protect the children, Voss is forced to rely on his instincts and must rally fellow tribes to take down the queen and her tyrannical cult before they can capture the children.
The series is set in the village of Alkenny, protected by a Kanzua Dam. "Alkenny" and "Kanzua" are alterations of Allegheny and Kinzua, real-life locations in present-day western Pennsylvania.
Cast and characters
Main
- Jason Momoa as Baba Voss, a skilled warrior and leader of the Alkenny tribe - adopted father of Kofun and Haniwa, the children born with the power of sight.
- Alfre Woodard as Paris, a wise elder member of the Alkenny who also serves as a shaman of the tribe, and the foster mother to Baba Voss.
- Sylvia Hoeks as Queen Kane, ruler of the Payan Kingdom.
- Hera Hilmar as Maghra, a newcomer to the Alkenny - mother to Kofun and Haniwa, and wife of Baba Voss.
- Christian Camargo as Tamacti Jun, the Witchfinder General and leader of Queen Kane's army.
- Archie Madekwe as Kofun, son of Baba Voss and Maghra, and the biological son of Jerlamarel, who has the ability to see.
- Nesta Cooper as Haniwa, daughter of Baba Voss and Maghra, and the biological daughter of Jerlamarel, who also has the ability to see.
- Yadira Guevara-Prip as Bow Lion, an Alkenny warrior with the skill of moving undetected.
Recurring
- Mojean Aria as Gether Bax, an untrustworthy member of the Alkenny
- Luc Roderique as Arca, an Alkenny warrior loyal to Baba Voss.
- Tantoo Cardinal as The Dreamer, an Alkenny tribe elder and mother of Bow Lion.
- Marilee Talkington as Souter Bax, an Alkenny tribe member and aunt of Gether Bax.
- Lauren Glazier as Nyrie, Queen Kane's loyal lady-in-waiting.
- Franz Drameh as Boots, a mysterious member of a scavenger tribe. He is also a son of Jerlamarel and has the ability to see.
- Timothy Webber as Cutter, a silk merchant and slave owner.
- Jessica Harper as Cora
Guest starring
- Joshua Henry as Jerlamarel, a heretic and preacher of sight, biological father of Kofun, Haniwa and Boots.
Episodes
Production
Development
On January 10, 2018, it was announced that Apple had given the production a series order for a single eight-episode season. The series was set to be written by Steven Knight and directed by Francis Lawrence, both of whom were also expected to executive produce alongside Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Kristen Campo. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content.The Wrap reported on November 7, 2019 that Apple has ordered a second season of the show.
Casting
A July 2018 announcement revealed that Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard had been cast in series regular roles, followed by news that Yadira Guevara-Prip, Nesta Cooper, Sylvia Hoeks, and Archie Madekwe had joined the main cast a month later. On October 18, 2018, it was reported that Christian Camargo and Hera Hilmar had been cast in series regular roles. Oliver Rae Aleron and Spencer Prewett from Archspire appear in a cameo in the first episode.Filming
Principal photography for the first season commenced on September 17, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and ended on February 8, 2019. In October 2018, filming was reported to being taking place in coquitlam eagle mountain,north vancouver, Rutheford service road, Pemberton, Deroche,Delta at boundary bay, mission, Squamish valley, youth detention center burnaby, Allouette in mapleridge and the Campbell River and Strathcona Provincial Park areas of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.Filming for the second season was expected to begin on February 3, 2020 and end on July 10, 2020. However, in March 2020, Apple TV+ shut down production on the series due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, no new dates have been provided for filming.
Critical response
The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 43% approval rating based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 4.95/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though its capable cast is clearly game, an over-reliance on gore and a grimly—and at times comically—convoluted narrative blurs Sees bold vision." On Metacritic the series has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".Variety's Daniel D'Addario was critical of the show, saying it: "Wastes the time of Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, among others, on a story that starts from a position of fun, giddy strangeness and drags itself forward at a lugubrious pace."
Ben Travers at IndieWire responded positively: "Steven Knight's action-drama is a strange-but-effective blend" and "the balance isn’t quite there yet, as episodes don’t exactly earn their hourlong run time. Momoa, meanwhile, fits the role well."