See Season 3 Episode 5 Review: The House of Enlightenment

Sibeth is back! Wait, Sibeth is back? How does she keep getting so lucky?

See Season 3 Episode 5 picks up right after Sibeth returns to Pennsa and introduces herself to the soldiers. What follows is a sequence of manipulation, battle, and loss.

This episode takes place almost entirely at The House of Enlightenment. Before we get to the House of Enlightenment, Sibeth is back in Pennsa. As the episode opens, Sibeth is on the hot seat. I would admire their dedication if I didn’t believe that the witch-finders were in the wrong.

Now, Sibeth doesn’t like being questioned and for this, I predict doom for Lucien.

What happens in this episode is the epitome of leaders and politicians. Sibeth tries a couple of tactics that leaders use. We have a sob story that is geared towards cultivating relatability, appeal to religious sentiments, a show off of accomplishments, and if all of this doesn’t work, anger.

Roaring anger is meant to make people cower and not ask questions.

She manages to strike a balance between begging and demanding. Begging pulls the heartstrings while demanding is a show of force. After such a performance, who would want to go against her?

Lucien: And why should we believe you now?
Sibeth: Why should you believe? Because I am your queen! I am your queen. Ordained by god, and no human will change that…. Why should you believe me? Because I’m all you got! And I love you all!

It is these kinds of leaders that people should be wary about. Leaders who will purport to apologize without uttering a single sorry.

Those who will try to drag people to the past in the hope of securing a seat for themselves. We see them in the real world, Be wary!

While saving the children was important, securing the already made bombs should have been high on that list.

The scientist is quite spooked when he hears Ranger’s voice. He is scared, and that’s why he ends the talk fast.

Harlan was never advising him. Everyone underestimates Harlan and what he is capable of.

He wanted to buy Baba Voss and the crew time to come up with something. There was no way Baba and his people would have gotten out since they were surrounded.

He knows that with Haniwa and Kofun there, this won’t be an easy battle. He knows that they only need a while to prepare themselves, and prepare they did. When he realizes what is about to begin, he leads Trovere away.

Ranger: I know you better than you think, Tomarda.
Tomarda: I know that voice. Ranger! My old friend. How I’ve missed our sessions together.
Ranger: That’s why I gave you all those scars to remember me by.
Tomarda: Yes. And I shall remember to keep you alive long enough to regret that.
Ranger: Big talk for such a little shi… big talk.
Baba Voss: [To Ranger] It’s time.
Tomarda: Ranger! Still there? No? Who then am I negotiating with?
Baba Voss: This is Baba Voss. And I’m not negotiating.

Haniwa is as curious as ever.

I love seeing Baba interacting with items from ancestors he has never interacted with.

Baba Voss: Son! What is this? Oil?
Kofun: Ah, no. I think it’s fuel. It’s oil, but it burns faster.
Baba Voss: And this one is … ah!
Kofun: It’s a lamp. How do I explain this to you? … It burns the dark so that we can see.
Baba Voss: God flame in your hand?
Kofun: Not quite. But it does get hot like fire, so be careful.

This episode delivered in terms of action.

Smashing the plates and glass was a way for Baba and Ranger to hear the soldiers as they came.

The loud music from the radio is not something soldiers have heard before. It disorients them and serves as a distraction.

Guns! Guns! Guns! If there ever was anything that I’d wish didn’t make a comeback when sight returned, it is guns.

In our world, guns are a huge problem, and Haniwa’s first interaction with them leaves her shaken.

Kofun also showed up in this episode. He is not the best fighter, so he used what was at his disposal. There is nothing as effective as electrocuting a bunch of soldiers all at once.

Harlan and Trovere’s relationship was doomed from the start. They are two people who don’t think twice about betraying each other.

The betrayal at The House of Enlightenment was the final betrayal.

It was kind of sad to hear Trovere, in her last breath, beg for love. It is a tragic thing to die without ever having your feelings reciprocated.

Harlan: You kill me they will kill you.
Trovere: You betrayed me.
Harlan: Yeah, you betrayed me first.

As I said, Harlan is brilliant. On the other hand, Kofun makes me suffer secondhand embarrassment from how emotional he can be.

While I believe that being emotional is not inherently wrong, it is a liability in battle.

I was pretty split about the decision to burn down the library.

On the one hand, I’m biased because I know the wonders and marvels that sight can bring.

Knowledge is power, and power is an important tool. Rationally speaking, the library is essential for the future and sighted people.

Emotionally speaking, burn it to the ground!

With sight comes reading and writing, which brings about a knowledge of the old world.

That means guns, bombs, and everything bad from the past. It is with almost certainty that if sight comes back, humanity will find itself in a position similar to this or even worse.

Haniwa and Kofun’s fight perfectly reflects how I feel about this.

I was heartbroken to see all that knowledge go up in flames. It will take decades — centuries even — before such knowledge is rediscovered, if it ever will

Sheva: Haniwa, thank you for saving my family.
Haniwa: I guess they were my family too.
Sheva: That means we are sisters.
Haniwa: I’m sorry about your home.
Sheva: It’s okay. There are others.

Charlotte and Haniwa’s friendship deepens. They are two people with who I never figured they would be friends.

Like Haniwa, I felt reassured by Sheva’s words. Maybe it is not all lost.

I felt that while this episode did not deliver in terms of progressing the storyline much, the action was a welcome substitute.

Like most action scenes where Baba is in, watching his kills is always a pleasure. It shouldn’t make me feel excited to see humans being separated from limb to limb, but it does, so there’s that.

What did you enjoy most about this episode? Let us know in the comments below.

New episodes of See stream every Friday on Apple TV+

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Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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