‘See’ Recap: ‘Brothers and Sisters’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘See’.
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It is definitely safe to say that the first season of the AppleTV+ series, See, was quite the ambitious and risky endeavor. Because there was a genuine risk that a story revolving around a future where mankind was devastated by a lethal virus and unable to collectively use their vision of because of said virus… could have easily slid into offensive and uncomfortable territory. The kind that could have potentially mocked people with visual impairments. But thankfully, that didn’t turn out to be the case. Instead, season one of this series managed to showcase a world where mankind would indeed survive and thrive despite losing the use of sight, and that twist even managed to bring about some fascinating commentary as well.
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For the notion that sight was the root of this world’s evil, and those gifted with it were the 23rd century equivalent of witches, speaks to the many prejudices that disabled individuals suffer through in the modern world and putting that on display here in a unique, upside-down manner… definitely gives the viewer pause and made this a worthwhile watch. As did the engrossing season one plot. One that saw heroes rise and acceptance come into play while the arrogant and unjust came to learn some valuable lessons in regard to how they treat others and well, after a long, pandemic related hiatus… this fascinating series has returned to the airwaves to follow up on the all-important plot threads put forth in the season one finale, and when we catch up with Baba Voss and Queen Kane in ‘Brothers and Sisters’, some big changes have come to both of their lives.

In the case of the Queen, well at first it didn’t appear as though she learned much of anything, since she was eager to reclaim the good and comfortable life that comes with her title and her crown. As evidenced by how quickly she repurposed a home for her own needs and quickly assembled a staff to cater to her whims. But a rousing and wildly unexpected speech later on in this episode, one where the Queen declared equality was a necessity between the everyday population and those with sight… and the potential salvation of humankind through a baby with sight that she would give birth to, did indeed inform us that she is transformed. For she now understands there might be a better way and that’s quite the epic change for her character for certain.

As for Baba, well this particular tale made it clear that he’s grown into an even bigger hero than he was in season one, and that’s no small feat. But the fact that he risked life and limb to sneak into the city of Trivantes (which appears to be the remnant of Pittsburgh), to rescue Haniwa, speaks volumes to his bravery. And while he wasn’t successful in his mission, since the army here did indeed capture him, you really have to applaud the effort and one does indeed have to hope that this level of bravery will sustain him in the tough days ahead. Because this is a story that also reunited Baba with his angry brother Edo, who was quite displeased to speak his with brother again after all these years. Because of all the sorrow Baba has apparently caused, and it will be quite interesting to see what comes next for Baba, now that he is captured behind enemy lines.

If anything, this was just a solid season premiere through and through. One that did a wonderful job of easing us back into this unique future by way of solid storytelling. Plus, this premiere also deserves some serious credit for setting the stage for important moments later this season. Since the Queen might once again find herself at the center of a revolt if her new followers don’t agree with her desire to end centuries of prejudice and hopefully, the impending arrival of Kofun will help Kane in her cause and of course… everything happening with Baba has unsettling implications for his future as well. Since Edo is filled with fury over the past and well, all of these hanging threads are going to make the wait for next Friday’s new episode a difficult but worthwhile one for certain. Because this series has proven time and time again that it always delivers on the big moments it sets up and it will be quite amazing to see where these bold twists take us in the weeks to come. Until next time.

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