See: The Lowlands-Recap

credit: See

For all the preparation and anticipation that has gone into the building of this story from the start, it finally feels as though See is going to bear fruit or perhaps end up disappointing a lot of people in a very big way. The march of Tormada and his God thunder has started moving toward the Payan kingdom, Queen Sibeth has cemented her hold on what remains of the Witch Hunters, and Maghra has finally started to learn the lesson of inflicting pain to get what answers she wants. Of course, Sibeth is still far ahead as she continues to lie and deceive those around her, claiming that her God-given right to wear the crown makes her better than anyone else and the only one who is fit to wear the crown she covets. In the meantime, Baba Voss, Kofun, Haniwa, and the others continue to make their way back to Maghra and her kingdom but are waylaid when Harlan, who is actually being helpful, suggests a shortcut that is dangerous but will cut a day from their travel time. The only problem with taking shortcuts is that if one is unable to make them work the way they should, there is a great deal of hardship that can come from one direction or another. 

credit: See

It would appear that every post-apocalyptic world is going to have cannibals at some point. 

The junkyard assailants that fall upon Baba and his group are vicious without a doubt and are far more capable within their domain than those who attempt to move through it, as is made clear by the ambush they use against the group, as the cannibalistic bunch manages to capture Haniwa and Harlan. But between Baba Voss and Ranger, it’s fair to say that the cannibals are outmatched, especially since Wren is a capable fighter, as well as a sighted combatant that has a small edge on their enemies. It’s kind of surprising to see that Harlan has become a part of the group at this time and is truly working for the betterment of everyone, and even more surprising, he’s not a bad fighter since he does end up saving Haniwa at a cost. It feels odd to state that the loss of Harlan could be a sad thing, but it is fair to say that he did redeem himself a bit. 

Maghra is learning how to be less forgiving and more forceful.

There’s no doubt that she isn’t bound to become as ruthless as her sister, but it’s also apparent that Maghra is coming to learn what it means to be ruthless in her pursuit of justice against the Witch Hunters, as she actually orders Tamacti Jun to sever the hand of a blacksmith that was connected to the group. When they go in search of the sect, they find that the majority has gone off with Sibeth, but in another act that shows how she is growing used to punishing her enemies, Maghra leaves a wounded Witch Hunter as she is, her legs torn and useless as Tamacti Jun reminds the woman that death is earned. It does feel as though Maghra might impart this learned cruelty upon her sister if they’re to meet in the next episode, but it also feels that only death will solve the problem that is Sibeth Kane. 

credit: See

The God thunder is bound to be a devastating weapon under Sibeth’s control. 

It’s bad enough that people listen to Sibeth when she speaks, especially since she uses superstition and the fears of the people to goad them on. But the fact that she now has Tormada and his weapons to threaten others with, the damage she’s set to do is going to be insurmountable, and it’s likely going to turn a lot more people against her. It could always work the other way and cause people to join her in fear, but the main issue here is that she’ll do anything and say anything to retain power, especially now that she’s survived the wild and can honestly state that she’s been through her own tribulation. 

There’s enough uncertainty to think that no one can really guess how this is going to end. 

It would be nice to think that Sibeth and Tormada are going to be stopped and that things will go back to the way they should be, meaning a relative, uneasy peace that might hopefully last for a while. But so far, in this series, it’s been made clear that just about anything can happen and that the good guys are not always bound to win. In this dystopian future, it’s fear and superstition that often rule the day and allow people to exert authority over others, so creating a lasting peace is going to be difficult.