Superhero movies are going through some rough times at the moment, but the genre has not only created some huge movies but huge stars as well. Before he was Aquaman, Jason Momoa was best known for his short-lived role in Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo. Meanwhile, playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy showed that Dave Bautista was a phenomenal actor and not just a musclebound WWE wrestler. They have both made quite the careers for themselves, but you may have missed them actually working together. For three seasons, Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista were the stars of the Apple TV+ series See.
What Is Apple TV+'s 'See' About?
One of the criticisms about Apple TV+ is that their shows aren't marketed as well as what you might find on other streaming services like Max or Netflix. For example, millions of fans were obsessing over Colin Farrell in The Penguin for months on Max, but you barely heard a peep about Jake Gyllenhaal's Presumed Innocent, despite it having its own huge Hollywood star and arguably being just as good.
So, you're forgiven if you've not only never seen but never even heard of See, despite its stars. See was created by Steven Knight, who also created Peaky Blinders, and is focused on an alternate reality where a deadly virus has killed almost everyone on Earth. A few million souls were lucky (or unlucky) enough to make it, but their children are born blind.
The story starts a few hundred years later and society is starting to rebuild, but not like it was before. With everyone being blind, the idea of sight is almost a mythical belief. However, Momoa's warrior character, Baba Voss, has children who can see, and now he must protect them from those who might want to cause them harm. In Season 2, we're introduced to Baba's brother, Edo (Bautista). The two hulks go to war, and only one of them will make it out alive.
'See' Struggled in Its First Season
See might've had a big-name star attached to it when it came out in 2019 (Aquaman was released just the year before), but it sputtered a bit in its first season because it didn't have a clear enough vision. See had an interesting idea, and it looked cool with its end-of-the-world fantasy warrior vibe. However, not only were people not watching, but critics didn't connect with it either. The first season of See only has a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while Momoa and Alfre Woodard may have been well-cast, everything else wasn't clicking. See was too dark, too bloody, and with a plot so overthought that it made for a boring narrative.
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Thankfully, Apple TV+ wisely didn't give up on See when the first season didn't live up to expectations. So many streamers and networks are ready to bail on high-concept shows but See knew what they needed to do to fix the series. All the plot twists don't matter without convincing characters to portray them. Momoa was great as the hero, but every hero needs a villain, so Bautista was brought in as his ultimate nemesis in a brother-versus-brother battle. You can't get more dramatic than that! The gamble paid off. Season 2 of See was well-received by focusing on character and plot rather than simply going for a dark superhero-like series where action and lore mattered most.
Dave Bautista Was the Spark 'See' Needed
Image via Apple TV+ Because of COVID, there was a two-year delay between the first and second seasons of See. When it returned, Bautista debuted, sporting a long beard as Edo Voss, an intimidating general no one would ever want to piss off. Many of us might think of Bautista as more suited to playing the hero given his role as Drax, but he has always excelled as the villain as well, from his wrestling days as a heel to when he was the lead in M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin. It was no different for See, his first lead TV role. Edo is ruthless and bloodthirsty, and when he captures and kills family members who mean everything to Baba Voss, it's game on.
Momoa and Batista have some phenomenal fight scenes together, but there is much more going on than the guy who played Aquaman and the guy who played Drax punching each other. Both actors possess these rugged facial expressions, and with their long monologues, it's no wonder they could convince others to fight for their side.
The pair were so into their roles together that Momoa had Bautista walk around blindfolded for days, with only a cane to guide him, because he wanted Bautista to focus on his ears like the blind characters in See. Season 2 of See was such a hit that it led to a third, where it was brought to an epic conclusion. If you didn't catch See the first time around, it's about time to tune in!
See is available to watch on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
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See
Far in a dystopian future, the human race has lost the sense of sight, and society has had to find new ways to interact, build, hunt, and to survive. All of that is challenged when a set of twins are born with sight.
Release Date November 1, 2019
Creator Steven Knight
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 3
English (US) ·