Critics agree: Jason Momoa’s new show, See, is no Game of Thrones

Apple TV+, Apple’s new streaming service, comes on on November 1. Among the original content offerings available on Day 1 is See, a lavishly produced post-apocalyptic fantasy from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. See is set in a world hundreds of years in the future where human beings no longer have eyesight, and any outliers are treated as strange and possibly dangerous. When local chieftain Boba Voss (Jason Momoa) discovers that his twin children can see, he’s in for a world of trouble.

So already, that premise is a little…creative. But is the show worth watching? According to critics who have watched the first three episodes, no.

First of all, although the show takes itself seriously, it apparently can’t quite escape the silliness of its premise, at least according to Ben Travers of IndieWire:

"A certain suspension of disbelief is required for a post-apocalyptic fantasy titled See about an unseeing society — that much is obvious — and there are plenty of cool sword-fights where a combatant will pivot and thrust into a precise spot without any explanation for how they knew where to stab, or even how they knew an opponent (not an ally) was standing there. Momoa, meanwhile, fits the role well — so well, it’s like they named the character after him — but he’s still a far cry from multidimensionality … Momoa isn’t a subtle performer, and scenes where he’s forced to wrestle with tough decisions or face his inner demons require Baba’s facial scars to speak for him."

Anyone who’s seen Momoa on Game of Thrones or in Aquaman knows he’s a charismatic performer, but Travers isn’t the only one to opine that See might not be the best vehicle for his talents. “Episodes aren’t all clever or action-packed and Momoa’s performance is much less engaging in non-physical terms,” wrote Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter. “See, which covers nearly 18 years in three episodes, is dramatically choppy throughout and frequently self-indulgently slow, as if to guarantee that production got value out of its time traipsing through the wilderness.”

The slow pace came up a couple of times, too. Here’s Variety’s Daniel D’Addario:

"Spiraling away from narrative control as its first three episodes unreel, this series, about a post-apocalyptic future in which nearly everyone is blind, 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. Source material would have provided structure (which many original properties have, but this one certainly does not). It also might have provided a control of tone. Knight, director/EP Francis Lawrence, and showrunner Dan Shotz have made a show whose elaborate look and grave tone aim for Game of Thrones, but whose content is lower of brow and, sadly, of quality."

Apple Insider’s Stephen Silver ran with the Game of Thrones comparison, bluntly titling his review, “‘See’ is no ‘Game of Thrones'”:

"Based on what we’ve seen thus far of See, it has a chance to appeal to fans of dystopian fantasy and sci-fi, as well as those who who are big Jason Momoa fans, and would prefer to see him lead factions and fight bears rather than crack wise and otherwise show his personality.In the current streaming wars, it appears, most networks and streaming services are looking for their own Game of Thrones.Apple TV+ may one day have one of those, but See, at least based on its start, is not that."

He’s right about streaming services competing to make shows that compete with Game of Thrones for scope. See cost $15 million per episode, around what Thrones cost at the end of its hugely successful run. But can See sustain itself without a built-in following?

Well, Apple has already renewed it for a second season (with a different creative team), so I guess we’ll see find out. And while most critics were down on the show, it has some redeeming factors, as pointed out by The A.V. Club’s Danette Chavez:

"The verdant background offers a compelling counterpoint to most dystopias, which often imagine either a sterile, skyscraper-filled world or a desolate wasteland. But there are so many other standard dystopian ideas at play here as to rob that decision of its novelty."

CNET’s Richard Trenholm was a little more positive overall, praising Momoa’s performance:

"He’s also a hunk with a heart, making eyes at his newborn babies and prowling over the treacherous mountainside with the graceful movements of a capoeira dancer. But even though his character’s blindness has him fumbling and feeling his way around, he moves with a coiled menace that very clearly informs you that the second he figures out where you are, you’re in trouble."

The first three episodes of See will be available to watch on November 1, with new ones to follow each Friday.

Apple TV+ has other shows, too. The Morning Show, about the cutthroat world of morning TV, stars high-powered people like Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrel. For All Mankind, on the other hand, is a period drama about what would have happened had the USSR beaten the US to the moon in 1969. Both are getting reviewed far more favorably than See.

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h/t SyFy Wire