'See' Episode 8 sees Queen Kane regain power while Baba Voss blinds Jerlamarel and leaves him near-death
In its latest episode, 'See' examines how humans, sighted or unsighted, will always fight to gain power and dominion, spawning destruction in their wake. In the two divergent storylines, contrasts are drawn between leaders and leadership styles pitting Jerlamarel against Baba Voss and Queen Kane against Princess Maghra.
When Haniwa and Kofun enter the "House of Enlightenment", Jerlamarel greets them with hugs that Kofun accepts reluctantly but Haniwa leans into. Jerlamarel tells them that he has converted a prison "built to last" into a sanctuary for the sighted. Inside, the twins are met with a rag-a-tag bunch of children, all fathered by Jerlamarel, save the youngest ones who are the progeny of one of his sons.
Both Haniwa and Kofun see an expansion of their "family" and their world as Jerlamarel leads them around the compound that has running hot water, prison cells converted into bedrooms, paintings on the walls, electrical lights (powered by coal-generated steam) and most importantly, a "librarium" stocked with books.
To Haniwa, it is the world she has been promised since she picked up a book -- the words come to life as she showers under running, hot water. Kofun finds the Family a bit disturbing and Jerlamarel's perfunctory condolences about their dead mother infuriating. Not used to sleeping alone, the twins huddle together in one of the cells at night, remembering Baba Voss.
The twins soon learn the hard way that someone as single-minded in his vision as Jerlamarel is a sighted version of Queen Kane and her madness. Just like the mad queen who keeps muttering about Divinity and God to suit her mood, Jerlamarel does the same.
To birth "gods" is Jerlamarel's way to shape the world in his image. To accomplish this "dream", however, he sacrifices Haniwa to his military partner who had asked for "Baba Voss' children" in exchange for guarding the perimeter of their compound.
When he realizes Kofun has heard too much and will always hate him, he orders the guards to take him outside and shoot him, out of the earshot of the younger children. Just as the bullet is about to pierce Kofun's head, Baba Voss comes in and kills both guards. He and Kofun then invade the compound. As Jerlamarel and Baba Voss fight it out, the odds are in Jerlamarel's favor since he carries a gun.
In between the exchange of gunfire, blows and knife cuts, Jerlamarel screams and says he had to "sacrifice" Haniwa because Baba Voss' brother Edo Voss was his military partner who had taken her in exchange for his protection.
Right after this, Kofun cuts off the power and, then all bets are off. Baba Voss finally gets the better of Jerlamarel while Kofun makes short work of his oldest son/henchman. Baba in a fitting move blinds Jerlamarel and leaves him near-death in his "kingdom".
He then leaves with Kofun, meets up with Paris and tracks Haniwa's steps that take them to the edge of a cliff where they look down on a city made from "god bone" aka steel. Presage Paris says Haniwa is in the city and a look of despair crosses Baba Voss' face at the thought of facing his slaver family again.
In the meantime, Boots, true to his nature, betrays Maghra by stabbing Tamacti Jun just when Queen Kane was about to abdicate to Maghra. With one move, Queen Kane turns the tables again, forcing Maghra to cooperate with her.
But Maghra, no longer a little girl, fights for her own vision of the world. Interrupting and taking over Queen Kane's speech to the soldiers, she says superstition has to be left behind so that the world would no longer "need witchfinders". When Queen Kane says "that was interesting" in a low rebuke, Maghra stands her ground saying she will not have her family persecuted and they would head down the Lavender Road to find them.
Queen Kane, after nearly facing death, is amenable (for now) and says that since they were heading to the Kingdom of the Sighted, she needed a "Sighted King". "What about your son?" she asks Maghra -- an idea that made us throw up just a little in our mouths. No, just no.
But Maghra looks thoughtful like she is considering it. 'See' just can't seem to throw off its 'Game of Thrones' fixation, from eyeball crushing to masturbation prayers and now the second instance of an aunt-nephew pairing.
'See' airs Fridays on Apple TV+.
