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Over the years, Apple TV+ has produced some of the best original movies and TV shows. While it’s a relatively new platform, it has quickly established itself with several critically acclaimed projects, including CODA, which became the first film distributed by a streaming platform to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Additionally, it has produced some of the best shows of the decade, including Ted Lasso, Foundation, and Severance.
Yet, one of its shows remains significantly underrated: See. Apple TV+ invested a substantial amount of resources into the series, which stands as one of the most expensive shows ever produced. Six years after its release, the show has yet to receive much fanfare, but those who have watched recognize it as one of Jason Momoa’s finest performances.
Apple TV+'s See Was an Expensive Project
How It Compares to Other Big Budget Shows
See is one of the very few shows to break $10 million per episode, narrowly missing the $20 million per episode mark. The series cost Apple TV+ roughly $15 million per episode. When adjusted for inflation, the amount goes up to a whopping $18 million. The cost is comparable to that of high-fantasy TV series like The Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones. Its budget is also similar to that of big franchise series, including the live-action One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender series, as well as the hit Star Wars show The Mandalorian.
Before its release, some reports claimed See was the most expensive show ever made, though director Francis Lawrence disputed these claims. He told Business Insider that the media was blowing the budget out of proportion, stating, «It’s an expensive show. People have thrown around that it’s the most expensive show. I can guarantee you that it’s not.» He went on to explain that he shot three episodes of See in just 55 days, and that the show wasn’t anywhere near the scale of other big-budget series. However, it did boast some special elements that contributed significantly to the cost per episode.
See boasts a unique setting in a post-apocalyptic future centuries after a virus decimated most of humanity. Survivors of the virus bore offspring who were blind. When See takes place, society has gradually grown accustomed to living without sight, although it has reverted to hunter-gatherer times and divided into tribes. Baba Voss (Momoa) is the leader of the Alkenny Tribe and marries tribe newcomer Maghra Kane (Hera Hilmar). Kane soon gives birth to twins, the first children in decades to be born with the sense of sight. Their ability to see threatens the tribal society, forcing Voss to go to great lengths to protect his family.
Creating a futuristic, post-apocalyptic tribal society is a costly endeavor. While speaking on This Morning, Momoa provided some insight into the show’s high budget, revealing that See was shot in Vancouver in locations where the crew had never worked before. For some scenes, the crew went to extensive lengths to perfect the futuristic world. Momoa explained that in one location, they drained an entire lake, built a village within it, and then cleared it out upon completion. He stated, «So they lowered that lake, we built a whole village, and they filled it back up when we were gone. So they went to great distances.»
However, set building wasn’t the only technical demand See ran into. For authenticity, the cast and crew needed extensive knowledge of blindness, survival, and evolutionary biology. Hence, to start, Lawrence hired a «think tank with blind consultants and an evolutionary biologist and a survivalist.» Meanwhile, for the first month of the filming, the entire team underwent «blindness training.» Momoa’s co-star Alfre Woodard told This Morning, «So we had a guy who is blind, he helped us understand, just the same as when you start any project, there’s a language you have to learn, whether it is English or just a dialect, but it is the language of how a person who is blind or low vision moves about in the world.» See’s extensive worldbuilding and desire to capture the intricacies of a post-apocalyptic world where humans have lost their sight paid off in the end, with the show boasting a sophistication and creativity hard to find in the industry.
See Is a Criminally Underrated Sci-Fi Drama
And Features Momoa at His Very Best
See is a criminally underrated sci-fi drama. While it didn’t achieve as high critical acclaim as some of Apple TV+’s other releases, it earned positive reviews from viewers, securing an audience score of over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes for every season. Although critics had mixed reactions to season 1, they were nearly unanimous in their praise of the final two seasons. See thrives from an exceedingly creative premise. Arriving on the heels of Bird Box and A Quiet Place, it capitalized on the growing popularity of projects that explore humanity fundamentally changing its way of living by giving up things like sight or spoken language. At times, See’s premise almost comes across as outlandish, but that’s a testimony to its uniqueness.
The show painstakingly creates a compelling, brutal world where humanity has not only lost its sight but also views it as a dangerous and threatening power. Although it’s a sci-fi concept, See also achieves the feeling of an epic fantasy series, akin to Game of Thrones, with its dazzling visuals, intricately constructed sets, and brutal action. What really sets See apart from most shows, though, is Momoa’s standout performance. He boasts both the physicality and emotional depth to depict the fearless warrior, Voss, who is defined not only by his brute strength but also by his deep loyalty to his family and protective instincts. Additionally, Momoa has several co-stars in See who help bring out the best in him.
Woodard, who acts as a mentor and mother figure to Voss, helps bring out his vulnerability and emotions. Meanwhile, Dave Bautista enters See in Season 2 as Edo Voss, Voss’ estranged brother. Momoa and Bautista are the perfect pair to embody the brutal, clashing warrior-like brothers. Their intense and gorgeously choreographed action scenes are breathtaking, while even the non-physical scenes are brimming with tension and emotion as they capture the electric sibling rivalry between the Voss brothers. Between See‘s epic scope, standout performances, and wildly imaginative premise, there’s something in the Apple TV+ series for nearly every sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast.
Why See Flew Under the Radar
See Premiered During an Interesting Time on Apple TV+
See had all the makings of a hit streaming series with its impressive budget, A-list cast, and unique story. However, it never received much fanfare during and after its run. On Reddit, many users describe discovering it years after its premiere while browsing Apple TV+, but never having heard of it before. A small part of its obscurity may be due to its quality. Bigger budgets don’t always equate to higher quality. While See is a well-made show, it did get off to a shaky start in its first season and ended on an underwhelming note. Its few shortcomings mean it evaded awards seasons and didn’t receive as extensive marketing or hype as other Apple TV+ series. Some viewers may also have been skeptical of its outlandish premise.
However, much of why See is underrated can be attributed to the timing of its release. The show premiered on November 1, 2019, which coincided with the launch of Apple TV+. It was one of the streamer’s earliest shows, alongside the more critically acclaimed For All Mankind and The Morning Show. At the time, most viewers were unsure what to expect from Apple TV+’s new platform. Even six years later, some still consider the platform a bit niche. When viewers started flocking over, most did so for shows like Ted Lasso and Severance rather than See. Ultimately, See didn’t take off like Apple TV+’s more successful shows and was at a disadvantage in the streaming world overall due to the platform’s newness.
Even so, See has already enjoyed a second wind on Apple TV+ and can continue to do so. The streamer has grown steadily over the past six months and now enjoys over 45 million subscribers. So far, none of its original series have been removed, and Apple TV+ hasn’t indicated any intention to remove programs from its content library, unlike platforms like Max and Disney+ that have done so recently. For the foreseeable future, Apple TV+ subscribers will have access to all three seasons of See, offering an excellent opportunity to enjoy this underrated epic sci-fi fantasy and one of Momoa’s top performances.
