Apple's big-budget fantasy TV series, 'See,' is no 'Game of Thrones,' but should be entertaining and strange enough to hook viewers

Apple

Jason Momoa in "See"

• Apple TV Plus' "See" is an imperfect yet entertaining, intriguing, and overall strange fantasy series.
• The series takes place hundreds of years in the future, when humans are blind.
• The first two episodes lack character development, but there is enough world building to reel viewers in for more.
• The series will reportedly cost $240 million for two seasons and it's beautiful to watch.
• But it's too early to tell if "See" is good enough to justify its budget or Apple TV Plus itself.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Every streaming service wants its own "Game of Thrones."

Netflix's "The Witcher" is expected to drop later this year and Amazon is spending an unprecedented amount of money on its "Lord of the Rings" TV series.

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Apple, for its part, has "See," which debuts on Friday with the launch of the company's own streaming platform, Apple TV Plus.

"See," which stars Jason Momoa (of Aquaman fame), takes place hundreds of years in the future, when much of humanity has been wiped out and those who remain are blind. The very notion of sight is a dangerous myth - until the birth of twins who can see. Momoa plays Baba Voss, the leader of a tribe searching for a new home.

The series lands on an interesting premise, one in which humans have basically reverted back to their more primal instincts after generations of not being able to see. But they are still innovative and have adapted with new ways of reading and traveling.

Still, right from the start, I wondered whether the past of this world might have made a better TV show than the present.

Nevertheless, the story we do get is an imperfect but entertaining and strange fantasy series. There's little character development in the first two episodes I watched, but enough world building to leave me intrigued. It's no "Game of Thrones," but that's too high a bar to judge its success or failure.

"See" takes some surprising narrative risks with time that make sure the plot doesn't get bogged down and the show wastes no time in getting to the heart of its story.

Beyond its storyline, "See" is just beautiful to watch. Apple is spending $240 million on two seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and it shows.

Is the show good enough to justify that budget, or Apple TV Plus itself?

It's too early to tell, but the success of "See" will be central to Apple TV Plus' launch, especially with the negative reviews flowing in for its other flagship series, "The Morning Show."