Article first published as TV Review: THE FIRST on Seat42F.
Warning: The following contains slight spoilers. THE FIRST is a new drama series coming soon to Hulu.
From Beau Willimon (the creator of House of Cards), the show is set in
the near future and chronicles mankind’s first attempts to get to Mars.
With some very recognizable faces, including the lead, it’s a familiar
human drama that also fires up the soul. The spirit of the human race is
explored in some interesting ways, and the mission itself takes
backseat to the characters, even as it drives the plot forward.
Sean Penn
(Milk) stars as Tom Hagerty, a man who is watching the launch with much
personal investment. Viewers may wonder why he’s so affected, as Tom
isn’t working at the space agency nor among the crew, but you’ll soon
find out. Tom is also a widower who would like nothing more than to
rebuild his family. However, he can’t help but be drawn to events, even
if they begin to interfere with what he says he wants. (I apologize if
that sounds a bit obtuse; I’m trying not to give away anything, and it’s
particularly hard to do with this series because of its elongated
beginning.)
Penn is joined by an
ensemble cast that includes Natascha McElhone (Designated Survivor) as
the head of the space agency, LisaGay Hamilton (Men of a Certain Age) as
an astronaut not assigned to the first crew, Anna Jacoby-Heron (Finding
Carter) as a recovering drug addict, Oded Fehr (24: Legacy), Melissa
George (Heartbeat), and Annie Parisse (The Looming Tower), among others.
It’s a pretty sprawling group, but the story stays focused on just a
few players, with others only coming in when they’re needed to serve
those leads. This is an effective way to keep the story where it needs
to be.
The pilot starts a little
hokey, much of what happens in the first half being pretty predictable.
Some different casting or direction, a bit less foreshadowing, could
have made it very surprising. As it is, most regular television viewers
will likely see what’s coming before it happens. THE FIRST boasts one of
the most heavy-handed versions of this that I’ve seen in awhile.
However,
once you get past that, the story deepens and becomes much more
interesting very quickly. While it would be preferable to start strong,
even if it’s not a path the show is choosing to pursue, the central
threads aren’t much hurt by the missteps, coming through strongly in
spite of it. And once the initial set up is over with, THE FIRST is a
grounded, complex tale that isn’t just repetition of other stories.
The
familiar part of the series is its spirit. For anyone who enjoys
rooting for the underdog, or films where a hero overcomes obstacles
because of deep-seated beliefs that make them better than the average
person, THE FIRST has this in spades. It’s uplifting, inspirational, and
feels very good to watch. Yet, Penn’s performance and some very good
writing keeps it away from cheesy, instead delivering a powerful,
no-frills story.
I’ve watched beyond
the first episode, and I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen. I can
imagine why Penn agreed to go to the small screen when given material
this good. Hulu has been upping its game in the quality department, and
this drama is no different, feeling akin to The Looming Tower and other
recent triumphs. While not as socially conscious as The Handmaid’s Tale,
it does have something to say that reflects part of our humanity, and
that’s a great starting point for a show.
THE FIRST premieres September 14th on Hulu.
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