Entertainment

Jason Momoa's Tribe In 'See' Is On The Run From An Evil Queen

Jason Momoa and Hera Hilmar in “See," premiering November 1 on Apple TV+
Apple TV+

While Jason Momoa's See character Boba Voss is probably the biggest draw to the series, the Apple TV+ show isn't just about him. In fact, it's hardly about Baba Voss at all. His blind tribe, the Alkenny in See, are on the run with two babies who were born with the sense of sight. As if that cat and mouse chase wasn't intriguing enough, the Alkenny's customs, clothes, and even language — they speak English, but "write" with beads on strings — are reason enough to tune into the series.

When the Alkenny are first introduced, they live in a modest village, connected via guiding ropes to assist people in getting from one house to another. They hunt, protect themselves from roving bandits, and generally seem to have settled into their life in this location. However, the arrival of a royal tax collector turned solider named Tamacti Jun searching for a man named Jerlameral on behalf of the malevolent Queen Kane, creates a split within the Alkenny.

Gether Bax, in exchange for his life, reveals to Tamacti Jun that a pregnant woman, Maghra, came to the tribe bearing a love note with Jerlameral's name on it, leading Tamacti Jun and the Queen's army to hunt the Alkenny.

Thus, the Alkenny leave their comfortable home, not fully understanding yet that they've become protectors of two of the only human beings with a sense of sight.

The Alkenny are obviously not based on any real life tribes comprised of all blind people, but they do share some similarities with some fictional societies. The H.G. Wells story "The Country Of The Blind" tells the tale of a man who comes across a group of settlers hidden within a valley who have lived for centuries without the sense of sight.

As in See, a virus is credited for making everyone in the community blind. When an outsider who can see stumbles upon them, he attempts to use his vision to impress and persuade the settlement into giving him power. The people shrugs off his declarations, believing the outsider to be unreasonably obsessed with his sense of vision. Other stories, such as John Wyndham's The Day Of The Triffids and José Saramago's Blindness are also tales of what happens when everyone on the planet loses the ability to see.

See, however, isn't based on any book or other source material. The Alkenny were invented for the series and their fur clothing, weapons, and means of communication are all inspired by a mix of real life indigenous tribes and communities, both past and present. Which means that the creators can take as many liberties as they want with their story going forward.