‘See’: A Blind Consultant Is on the Crew to Ensure Visual Impairment Is Portrayed Realistically
Jason Momoa had been acting before he appeared on Game of Thrones in season 1. After his character Khal Drogo got written out of the famed period piece, Momoa went through a sort of dry spell in terms of work, and he frequently expressed his regret over his character’s unexploited storyline.
Momoa got his footing when he appeared in Aquaman, and since then, the actor has been on a winning streak. Momoa appeared in See in 2019, with critics lauding his performance on the show. One of the most intriguing aspects of the series lies in the fact that the story revolves around a blind population. To make the show authentic, the showrunners decided to bring in a blind consultant to ensure an accurate portrayal of visual impairment, and it worked.
‘See’ borrows heavily from the movie ‘Bird Box’
See takes place in an apocalyptic era after a virus wipes out the human population leaving two million surviving humans who lost their sense of sight. The series takes place six centuries later, where humanity has managed to live and adapt without sight and has found new ways to build, hunt, socially interact and do other things as they would with vision.
Baba Voss is his tribe’s warrior Chieftain, taking in Maghra, who arrives three months pregnant. Baba Voss, who cannot father children, accepts his new family and goes to extreme lengths to ensure his family is safe. The children’s biological father, Jerlamareel, is wanted for his ability to see.
As soon as word spreads of his sired children, a witch hunt is set for him and his offspring, who are also sighted. The survivors in See all set up guideposts which they use much like the characters in Bird Box did. The only difference between the two hits is that the ones in the latter had to adapt quickly while the former had centuries to adapt to their new situations and environment.
‘See’ showrunners hired a blind consultant
Various showrunners usually bring in consultants to accurately depict the activities they are narrating through their storylines. Police procedural shows always have police consultants, while medical shows have doctors and other physicians. See, showrunners weren’t left behind in ensuring authenticity when portraying the visually impaired in the series.
According to CNET, the show See brought in a blind consultant Joe Strechay who helped provide some techniques for the actors to communicate. Strechay helped the actors learn how to pass on messages by squeezing each other’s arms until the message got to everyone. Strechay appreciated See’s effort of ensuring that the visually impaired in society are portrayed accurately and realistically.
For years, he said that the image and portrayal of blind people had been anything but flattering as most shows represent the visually impaired as people who require assistance navigating the real world. Strechay’s role in the Apple TV Plus show is to ensure a fair and accurate depiction of how the visually impaired live and navigate the world without requiring help.
‘See’ is different in its representation
See depicts blindness casually, proving that blind people are self-sufficient. It also scores massive points for how it represents the visually impaired. The show not only hires sighted actors but also takes into account blind ones too. According to FanByte, some of the actors on the show are blind.
Bree Klauser, who plays a warrior named Matal, is legally blind and is a songwriter, singer, actor, and voiceover artist. Klauser praised the cast and crew for their commitment to creating a favorable environment for her and other blind actors on set.
